Close Your Church for Good; Chap 1, Sec 2.
Previously, I suggested that a church may exist in your community which may not appear “Satanic,” but nevertheless has ‘Satanic” origins. I asked what you would think about such a church.
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The shocking truth is that such churches do indeed exist in most of our communities. We don’t realize they are there because such churches are not blatantly Satanic. They are not hidden from sight, and many of us may drive by such a church every day on our way to work or when we pick up the children from school. Many of us have friends who go to such churches. Some of us even attend one. The church I described above may be your church.
No, I don’t believe that Christian churches are actually worshipping Satan when they sing about Jesus, pray to Him, or teach the Scriptures. And no, this is not another book which condemns the Catholic Church as the Great Whore, or the Seeker Sensitive Church for compromising the Gospel, or the Emergent Church for succumbing to postmodernism. I am not condemning any denomination or particular way of doing church as “Satanic.” My concern is much more basic than that and focuses not on a form of church, but on the institution of “church” itself.
I believe that nearly every church in America, no matter which denomination, no matter how large or how small, has adopted certain values, practices, and goals which do not follow the way of Jesus, but the way of Satan.
Well, the cat’s out of the bag now: I’m pretty much coming down on all churches. Yes, your church too. And my church. I know this is offensive and shocking. It’s why I struggled with my introduction so much.
It’s not that I hate the church. I love the church. I just want it to function more like the Body of Christ that it is.
So if you are confused and concerned with where I am headed, please bear with me for a few more posts as I try to present the case for why I believe what I do.
Jeremy, are you going to give us a list of areas of concern;
so we can track with your thoughts?
Flo,
Yes. Each chapter will deal with a very specific area of concern.
Hi Jeremy, I am just getting caught up on your blog. In case you’re interested, I’ve been thinking very much along the same lines as you concerning writing and publishing, and come to the same conclusions.
Re: these two sections. The word Satanic is very strong. Using it up front is jarring and grabs my attention. But you might lose me when I realize you’re holding up a mirror to me. You don’t want to lose me. When you finish this section, you might consider another couple of approaches. One is: describe exactly what is satanic about the churches in my town in a way that would let me conclude that you are describing my church as well — without telling me it IS my church.
One problem with Satanic is that most people would hear you saying that you love the church, but that it essentially does not exist in our culture. A satanic church IS like the RCC of Luther’s day – not Christ’s church at all. That is so strong that the way you present it is crucial to whether or not your reader will stay with you for your critique. BTW, I am eager to read more, but I will be hoping that you are going to show me “a more excellent way.” Blessings, brother.
Steve, those are very good suggestions and might solve the problem I have with approaching the subject in this way. I do feel that my intro is too harsh. Your approach might be better. Let me know once I finish chapter 1 what you think.
And keep writing! E-book publishing has opened the doors for aspiring authors.
Hi. I’m new to your blog so am not familiar with every nook and cranny. However, I am happy to give feedback on your developing e-book. It seems that your intended audience is the Churchgoer and its Leaders. A writer has to decide whether the work is reader/subject/story driven. There are some things that cannot be sugar-coated just because it might offend the emotionally/spiritually fragile. That said, I would still expect your chapter on the Satanic Church will define “the spirit of the age” and Satan’s myriad nomenclature (Lucifer, Beelzebub, Devil, Morning Star, Prince of the Air, etc.). That the spirit (attitude) of the Antichrist is so interwoven into the fabric of our society–its insidiousness–is quite possibly invisible to today’s (North American) believer. I assume that you will flesh it out over the course of the chapter and that the “shock value” of the title will not offend readers as you work out your thesis. Besides, should we not be offended by those that pervert God’s purposes?I find that you are on the right track. Hope my comments are useful. I appreciate your site.