Timing is always interesting...
Just logged off and a quick check of the email produced... [url=http://www.sandrasteen.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=27_30&products_id=45]The Church Leader as Coach[/url]
The problem being that the body of the email promoting this came from Sermon Search which generally has decent recommends for the most part, frankly tend to skim over much things like this to be honest. (Adding here, maybe I should be paying more careful attention, going back through these seems a noticeable drift)
What grabbed the attention was:
[i]"Learn the elements that will drive the church leaders in your organization to peak performance. PLUS, learn how you can be an effective coach on a daily basis."[/i]
So what is the problem?
My suspicions are a couple of things:
One, that those of us holding to a whole counsel of the things of the Lord are going to become more and more negated and drowned out by this as it progress's. That a dividing line will be drawn not dissimilar to many of our politics; "For\against".
We will be seen as curmudgeons who don't know anything of the joy of the Lord which though a misnomer will become the crown we wear and an additional cross to bare. The sense of "Who cares what they think" could be just as much a propensity towards pride and a solidifying of 'position'. That in itself though is one that still must be held to a certain extent, that I just pray is on the level of spirit and truth.
I just believe that this is only going to grow worse and more subtle and sinister. Recalling that a counterfeit isn't something that is obvious but very 'close' to the original. The tense of paying close attention is richly developed in;
Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Searched for an adequate commentary here, but the gist of it seems to be that the delusion is one so strong and deceiving that though it is impossible ultimately, it seems to describe the opposite effect, that many will be led astray and the conviction a corollary one, that it will be those holding to all the truth of the Lord will be the poor souls that just don't understand.
It is not entirely surprising that sin, repentance, Gods glory are being rapidly replaced with a new 'gospel' of "joy", "purpose," "enlightenment", "prosperity" all the trappings that were reduced in a word by the Lord Himself,
"[i]And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night [b]thy soul shall be required of thee[/b]: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God[/i]". Luk 12:18-21
but that the countering considerations have been silenced by and large. That to speak against these things while the church is simaltaneously embracing them... Maybe it's just "brace yourself" it's only going to get worse.
It seems to be upon us, more and more everyday. Already those that ought to know better are being led down this slippery slope.
"[i]This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, [b]lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.[/b][/i] 2Ti 3:1-7
Jer 23:1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
Jer 23:17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. Jer 23:18 For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?
_________________ Mike Balog
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