philosophy of a popcorn christian

it's about that time again. you know - when i get to post something that may hit the conscience - or it may not. maybe it'll get you to think - or maybe not. it's all up to you - i just write it.

was in church sunday morning - and the pastor was sayin something about popcorn - not alot of corn - just a bunch of fluff. didn't quite understand it until later in the day.

here's what i think about it: the state of the church in north america. generally speaking. back in '91 i think there was a few stats recorded - %80-%90 of people professing to be christians - ended up becoming back-sliders. that's what - 80 or 90 people out of 100 that turn away from the Faith. why would that be? they got so into it right away though! but... but... how?

because of the lack of power within the church. lack of power? "what're you talkin 'bout?" you ask. well it's simply this. we focus on grace far too much when evangelizing. that is why. we focus so much on the cure that the patient doesn't even know they've got a disease. they may know it's there somewhere - but that's rare.

think of it this way - i'll borrow an analogy from a fellow brother in Christ. but i do believe that it will help:

you're in a hospital. and a doctor, one you've known for a long time, comes up to you and says - 'hey man, i've got this cure for colon cancer - it just came out and it's been proven to work with %100 effectiveness. i think this would make your life so much better after you take it.'

now what would your reaction be? would you be like this: "woah! man! for sure - i'll start takin it tonight! then the next day i'll be back on the roller coasters! thanks so much!"
OR
would you be like this: "say what? i don't need no cure for colon cancer - my colon's just fine thank you. what you comin to me like that for, i thought we was good friends doc..."

i think most of us would be rather stunned if a doctor came up to us and randomly gave us a cure to some deadly disease - if we thought we didn't have it. so what's the alternative? what could the doctor have done differently? that's right - provide evidence - symptoms, signs - of the disease that is in you. then you'd know that you have the disease and you'd want the cure so bad you'd do anything to get it.
.....

so many christians today have taken the cure without knowing what it's for. they just like the sound of the word "cure." but why? why do so many people just like to hear grace... honestly i think it's cause we're all so selfish. but that's just my opinion.

ask yourself. if you were a non-christian, and there was the possiblity of there being a hell - wouldn't you want to be warned? wouldn't you want to be told how to get away from that dreadful place?

that's the problem with so many professing christians today - all they want to hear is that if they just say a prayer and read their bible - that when they die they'll go to be with the LORD.

and so that's what they get. because they push for it. they don't want to be offended. their faith is all fluff, no corn. just a pile o' popcorn. they like to hear the blessings of the LORD that will come down on them. that God will never leave them nor forsake them. they like hearing that scripture...

but look what'll happen when they die and face God on judgement day. because of that popcorn faith - they've been condemned already (john 3:18) and will be sent where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. not a very pretty picture is it. little harsh? it's needed.

we sin. what is sin? look through the ten commandments and you'll see some examples. lying - lust - hatred - stealing - idolatry - cursing... and the list goes on. envy - coveteousness - disobedience. see - the problem with so many people today - is that they may know that they've sinned against God - but they don't know the biblical definition of sin itself.

so what is the biblical definition of sin? "transgression of the law" - i believe that's 1john 3:4
"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (KJV)

why don't we warn these people of what sin is? we don't want to push them away? we don't want to offend them?

i think most people would appreciate the fact that we're genuinely concerned about them - and the fact that we're offering eternal life.

decision. consequence.

so what is the philosophy of a popcorn christian?

simply put - Christ will give them, love, happines and a wonderful life to live.
yet when any of that is threatened - then the popcorn has popped too long and the fluff is lost - therefore yet another goat has emerged from the sheep pen.

may God bless you and keep you. search the scripture. warn of impending death. cure with the gospel. and let the Holy Spirit guide.

until next time - go serve your King.