Hard to Believe by John MacArthur

Jay Brown, our Sunday School teacher, gave a talk recently and read us the first few paragraphs from the book Hard to Believe, by John MacArtur. I couldn't write it down fast enough, so one evening I went to Barnes & Noble and wrote down the passage verbatim. Then I came home and typed it up and forgot to finish the post. So here I am finishing my thoughts on the matter. I haven't read the book, nor did I buy it that day. At the time I had so many unfinished books that I have been reading that I didn't want to add another to the list. Basically the message from the passage is how some churches today are catering to our every needs. Which in turn dilutes the message and meaning of what living for Christ really means. He told us to stay grounded in a church that isn't afraid to step on toes in case they might hurt someone's feelings. Unfortunately that's how so many areas in churches are today. I am thankful that our pastor doesn't mind doing that very thing. When we were going through the 10 commandments recently while studying Exodus, Pastor Gregg told us that he was going to step on toes that day, but we should respect him for trying to tell us truth. Is your church full of truth or full of fluff? Read the next few paragraphs from the book...

"The first role of successful merchandising is to give consumers what they want. If they want bigger burgers, make their burgers bigger. Designer bottled water in six fruit flavors? Done. Minivans with then cup holders? Give them twenty. You've got to keep the consumer satisfied. You've got to modify your product and your message to meet their needs if you want to build a market and get ahead of the competition.

Today this same consumer mind-set has invaded Christianity. The church service is too long, you say? We'll shorten it (one pastor guarantees his sermons will never last more than seven minutes!). Too formal? Wear your sweatsuit. Too boring? Wait'll you hear our band!

And if the message is too confrontational, or too judgmental, or too exclusive, scary, unbelievable, hard to understand, or too much anything else for your taste, churches everywhere are eager to adjust that message to make you more comfortable. This new version of Christianity makes you a partner on the team, a designer consultant on church life and does away with old-fashioned authority, guilt trips, accountability, and moral absolutes.

One suburban church sent out a mailer recently, promising an "informal, relaxed, casual atmosphere", "great music from our band", and that those who come will "believe it or not, have fun." That's all great if you're in a coffeehouse. But anyone who claims to be calling people to the gospel of Jesus with those as his priorities is calling them to a lie.

It's Christianity for consumers: Christianity Lite, the redirection, watering down, and misinterpretation of the biblical gospel in an attempt to make it more palatable and popular. It tastes great going down and settles light. It seems to salve your feelings and scratch your itch; it's custom-tailored to your preferences. But that lightness will never fill you up with the true, saving gospel of Jesus Christ, because it is designed by man and not God, and it is hollow and worthless. In fact, it's worse than worthless, because people who hear the message of Christianity Lite think they're hearing the gospel - think they're being rescued from eternal judgment - when, in fact, they're being tragically misled."

Biblestudy

I just finished a wonderful biblestudy with 6 other ladies here in Houston. It's No Other Gods, the Living Room series, by Kelly Minter. (There's also a book form that is not labeled the living room series - not the same concept.) It is an eight-week biblestudy with recipes at the end of each chapter. The purpose is for women to get together, share a common meal, and share how the study applies to their lives currently. What led us to start this was that Beth Moore facilitate this from her blog, giving us a list of questions to discuss every two weeks. We met 5 times over the summer, switching houses/hosts each meeting. Women all over the country participated - all 50 states were represented. Some women met in houses, others did it by themselves. I know that we all have a "little buddha man" or golden calf mentality when we think of idols. But as one of my fellow biblestudy goers said the last night at our last meeting, it doesn't have to be a tangible, material object. Near the end of the study I started prioritizing what was important in my life and what was taking too much of my time. I realized how much we were flying through money this past summer. Derek & I sat down and crunched down on the budget. We've gone back to the cash system so we can both see the tangible leftovers from the month. I feel so relieved having a stopping point. Sometimes it's so easy to keep filling my life with stuff, only to realize how empty you still are after each purchase. As we were in the process of this, stuff around the house starting falling apart. New tires for the car were needed, refrigerator leak which caused hundreds of dollars of damage to the wood floors, the front yard has a fungus, the oven wouldn't shut, my new engagement ring that replaced the one I lost a year ago irritates my finger so that I don't wear it anymore, etc. Seems like little stuff until you start thinking about the funds it will take to fix it all. Which gets you right back in the cycle of spending.



My favorite passage in the book that applied to my current season of my spiritual life is this:
"When we refuse to bow our hearts to the functional gods in our lives, we inevitably become separate from them, and sometimes from others. The time-lapse between the emptiness and God's filling can sometime create spaces of anxiety, fear, and questioning that can lure us back to our idols. The space can also spawn urgency, hastiness, and a false need to overly explain ourselves to others. Sometimes I fight an overwhelming need to explain my decisions when really the best thing to do is to simply rest quietly in my convictions with the Lord. Sometimes the best response is a peaceful, humble non-response."

So I just need to sit back and realize that the Lord has great plans for me. What that is, I am not sure. I think the first on the list is for me to go to bed. So on that note, check out this biblestudy the next time you want to start up a new one. I loved it.

Love & Respect

All I can say is, "Read this book - it will change your marriage!" Seriously, Derek & I have both been reading this book and keep saying how this book was written just for us. It's up there with the Five Love Languages on must-reads for married couples. This book has really shown Derek & I how easy it is to get in the "crazy cycle" of petty fighting. We will read a section and point out important stuff to the other person. We loved it. Go buy it, and make your husband read it to!