Read 4 Steps Forward for the Very Sick Church, by Thom S Rainer, at The Christian Post.







"In my previous post, I addressed the issue of very sick churches, noting that as many as 40 percent of the American congregations fall in that category. Several readers commented that they would like me to write about possible solutions to the problem.

"I love to be a dispenser of hope. But I refuse to be a dispenser of false hope. The current reality is that most of the churches in this category will not reverse their trends. Again, the process may be long, but it seems so inevitable for many."

Four Broad Categories of Action:
1. The church must admit and confess its dire need.
2. The church must pray for wisdom and strength to do whatever is necessary.
3. The church must be willing to change radically.
4. That change must lead to action and an outward focus.

And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."   
Matthew 19:26

" “The inside of the box contains a thick towel covering the bottom, and lights and heating to keep the baby comfortable. A bell rings when someone puts a baby in the box, then [Lee] Jong-rak, his wife, or staff associates come to immediately move the baby inside. His aim was to provide a life-giving alternative for desperate mothers in his city of Seoul. He even admits that he didn’t really expect that babies would come in– He was mistaken. The babies came. In the middle of the night, in the middle of the day, some with notes, some without a word, and only a very few mothers actually spoke to him face-to-face...”

" "[An] upcoming documentary “The Drop Box” is directed by Brian Ivie, who at just 22 years old has already won awards for the film at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. During his acceptance speech, Brian said of his life-changing journey to Seoul:
 
“These kids are not mistakes. They are important.

"…I became a Christian while making this movie. When I started to make it and I saw all these kids come through the drop box – it was like a flash from heaven, just like these kids with disabilities had crooked bodies, I have a crooked soul." "


Please Read Man Rescues Abandoned Children Through “Baby Box” at the Trending Blog, crosswalk.com.

"One month ago, John MacArthur hosted a conference titled “Strange Fire.” The conference opposed the so-called “prosperity gospel” and with it the excesses of “charismania.” But somewhere along the way all things charismatic and continuationist got swept up into the conference conversation, too, igniting a strange online conflagration of its own."

John Piper Responds:

Please read Piper Addresses Strange Fire and Charismatic Chaos, by Tony Reinke, at Desiring God.  You can access John Piper's podcasts on this issue by scrolling down to the bottom of the article.





"Looking more broadly at the Church today, Piper was eager to address charismatic abuses and excesses (charismania). “But,” he began, “we really need to keep in mind that every charismatic abuse has its mirror image in non-charismatic abuses. Nothing I am going to say is unique to charismatics. In some of these cases, the non-charismatic church is more guilty than the charismatic.” "


But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.   
1 Corinthians 12:31

Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.   
1 Corinthians 14:1

Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues.
1 Corinthians 14:39

But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.   
1 Corinthians 14:24-25

Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment.   
1 Corinthians 14:29

...do not despise prophetic utterances.   
1 Thessalonians 5:20

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.   
1 John 4:1

Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head.
1 Corinthians 11:4

But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.   
1 Timothy 2:12

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.   
1 Corinthians 13:8

But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;   
1 Thessalonians 5:21

...and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.   
1 Timothy 6:5

But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.   
1 Timothy 6:6-8

Read The Gospel in Genesis: From Fig Leaves to Faith, by Martyn Lloyd-Jones, at Bible Study Tools. 








"But now let us observe some of the steps of the process, the stages through which the man and woman went after they were bemused by the dogmatism of Satan, this shining personality who came in the form of a serpent and dazzled them by his authority, just as so many are dazzled today by the authority of big names and science and other abstractions."

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.' " The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!   
Genesis 3:1-4

"For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."   
Genesis 3:5

"So they began to question the power of God. That was the first step. And it is always the first step. If we just realized the power of God, we would not continue defying him for a second."

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.
Psalm 111:10

It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:31

but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not glorified.   
Daniel 5:23

Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."   
Exodus 3:5

"...reverse the process that happened in the garden. Then all will be well with your soul. Give up your foolish reasoning, and listen to God. Believe his word. Submit yourself to it. And soon you will delight in it, for you will be living the life of God himself.
 
"Instead of asking, "Has God said?" say, "I believe what God has said. I accept it. I surrender to it." Do that and you will be blessed in a manner that you will never understand in this world. You will be blessed even in the act of death, and you will go on to be with God and with Christ throughout eternity."