Commercialized Christianity?

Quoted from Facebook user Don Pirozok

The Absolute Failure of Commercial Christianity

Have you ever compared ancient Christianity with the modern day commercialized Christianity? For one thing for the first two hundred years of the Christian faith it required your willingness to lose everything, your job, your marriage, your family, and even your life. What did it provide, if you made a true commitment to Jesus Christ your life would never be the same.

With an immense amount of suffering, first century Christians were heavy in looking for the Second Coming, and “no one” believed the Kingdom of heaven was on earth. The whole Church with all its preachers were “all pre millennial,” nicked named “chilliest” looking for the coming one thousand year kingdom of heaven on earth. No Christian was living for the world, or wanted to market the Christian faith. Instead, the were being hung on crosses, put in with gladiators and lions for Rome’s entertainment.

The commitment was to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified, the Gospel of our salvation. Included in the message of the Cross, was a belief in the Second Coming, so no “other Gospel was mentioned.” The preaching by its very nature was confrontational, a exposure of sin, a call to confession of sin and repentance, a surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord and God of your life. No one was trying to build then own kingdom, our market their ministry, our sell “Christian products,” to make profit off the Church. The knowledge of suffering persecution for preaching the Gospel was well known, as men and women were beaten, mocked, hated, and martyred for the defense of the faith.

I watched the Jim Baker story the other night. I was so sad and broken about the testimony of the history of the Charismatic Movement. It was incredible the level of deception, and naivety which has gone on inside the Charismatic Movement in the last 40 years. To put it bluntly godless leaders who were possessed with greed, avarice, sexual immorality, were allowed to “market the Church, and play act the Christian faith.” I guess the best description of commercial Christianity was something like a Christian soap opera. Is was sad and heart breaking to see how far removed authentic Christianity has come. High visible Christianity was all about “fund raising,” like a giant commercial, to build a Christian Disney Land.

I don’t think the average modern day Charismatic has ever really seen a high visible leader who wont attempt to profit from the Church. It’s common now days to speak of modern days well know apostles, or healing ministries as “multimillionaires.” It has been easy for Satan to put in “another Gospel,” with another ethic, other than the self denial of the true Christian faith. Have you wondered why America is in the greatest decline of the Christian faith? The commercial state of the Church, trying to entertain spiritually dead men, and make a buck off the Church, selling Christian trinkets. Today you can find spiritually dead men lost in sin, homosexuals, adulteress, fornicators, all at home in the Church. Worshipping along side men and woman who believe tolerance of other religions, and many paths to God, is how Christians show the love of God. You cant even tell real Christians from pretend Christians as everyone is comfortable in commercial Christianity.

The Jim Baker story is possible one of the great signs of the true condition of commercial charismatic Christianity. A man who fell into deep gross sin, adultery, homosexuality, was a salesman and charmer seducing millions of ignorant Charismatics, who defended his goodness when Jim fell. Jim Baker upon coming out of prison had served his time, possibly found God in prison when Jim said he had never really preached the Gospel in all his years of Christian TV. Sadly, Jim has gone back to his old ways “selling survival food for the apocalypse,” and is using salesmanship to market the ignorance of Christians once again.

2 Timothy 3
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.