Crummy Church Signs

Ok everyone, I need some input here.

Check out this site and report back with your favorite sign!
http://www.crummychurchsigns.com

I think this is my favorite!

Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats?

I stumbled upon this and thought it worth sharing. It is also worth noting that this was penned over 100 years ago. If Spurgeon had this to say of the church back then I can imagine his opinion of the church today. I am sure he would not think that the situation is any better by far!

This is actual a pretty harsh look at the methods of the modern day church. I would be inclined to dismiss it as 'not for today' but considering the source and the state of the church and it's witness to the world I think it would be a good idea to listen closely to what a proven fruitful preacher from day passed has to say.

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Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats?

Charles Haddon Spurgeon(1834-1892)

An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most shortsighted can hardly fail to notice it during the past few years. It has developed at an abnormal rate, even for evil. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments. The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them.

From speaking out as the Puritans did, the church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses.

My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the church. If it is a Christian work, why did not Christ speak of it? "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). That is clear enough. So it would have been if He had added, "and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel." No such words, however, are to be found. It did not seem to occur to him.

Then again, "He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers .., for the work of the ministry" (Eph. 4:11-12). Where do entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them. Were the prophets persecuted because they amused the people or because they refused? The concert has no martyr roll.

Again, providing amusement is in direct antagonism to the teaching and life of Christ and all his apostles. What was the attitude of the church to the world? Ye are the salt" (Matt. 5:13), not the sugar candy---something the world will spit out not swallow. Short and sharp was the utterance, "Let the dead bury their dead" (Matt. 8:22) He was in awful earnestness.

Had Christ introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements into his mission, he would have been more popular when they went back, because of the searching nature of His teaching. I do not hear him say, "Run after these people Peter and tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow, something short and attractive with little preaching. We will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they will be sure to enjoy it. Be quick Peter, we must get the people somehow." Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and wept over them, but never sought to amuse them.

In vain will the Epistles be searched to find any trace of this gospel of amusement! Their message is, "Come out, keep out, keep clean out!" Anything approaching fooling is conspicuous by its absence. They had boundless confidence in the gospel and employed no other weapon.

After Peter and John were locked up for preaching, the church had a prayer meeting but they did not pray, "Lord grant unto thy servants that by a wise and discriminating use of innocent recreation we may show these people how happy we are." If they ceased not from preaching Christ, they had not time for arranging entertainments. Scattered by persecution, they went everywhere preaching the gospel. They turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). That is the only difference! Lord, clear the church of all the rot and rubbish the devil has imposed on her, and bring us back to apostolic methods.

Lastly, the mission of amusement fails to effect the end desired. It works havoc among young converts. Let the careless and scoffers, who thank God because the church met them halfway, speak and testify. Let the heavy laden who found peace through the concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard to whom the dramatic entertainment has been God's link in the chain of the conversion, stand up! There are none to answer. The mission of amusement produces no converts. The need of the hour for today's ministry is believing scholarship joined with earnest spirituality, the one springing from the other as fruit from the root. The need is biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire.

source: http://www.biblebb.com/files/spurgeon/amusement.htm

How Much Is Your Sin Going to Cost Me? - Ted Haggard

I guess since it is my birthday I should have some words of wisdom for everyone. While I do not have any word of wisdom I will pass on some words of wisdom that is a title to a sermon tape that I received a couple months ago. I have been thinking of that sermon and the title ever since the middle of last week.

The title of that message was “How Much Is Your Sin Going to Cost Me?” And if you haven’t guessed it was by Ted Haggard. Now I am definitely not going to start slamming Ted and calling him a hypocrite and all that. Far from it. I think this should be a wake up call to the Christian community to be able to show compassion, understanding, and forgiveness to a person in sin while standing firm against sin. But those are words of wisdom for another day.

Today I think we need to see these words of wisdom from Ted himself. “How much is your sin going to cost me?” Where “me” is all the people that your life has directly and indirectly touched. Just imagine the fallout from this hidden sin in Ted’s life. His family, ministry, the cause of Christ, the political movements he was a part of. People he has never seen or spoken to have been discouraged, disheartened, and “given occasion to blaspheme” the name of Christ.

Let’s now hold the mirror up to ourselves. What is the hidden sin in your life that if it came to light would not only destroy your testimony, but cause the unbelievers around your to say “Ah Ha, I new he/she was a phony” and the believers around you to question or stumble in their faith? Confess it to someone that will hold you accountable, Repent of it, and stop it. Do all that you can do to rid yourself of it because if you do not, God will for you. As a Christian, His plan for you is that you become more like Christ. If He has to expose your sin to everyone around you then that is what he will do. Not to humiliate you but to humble and perfect you. Do not let that happen though. Humble yourself, don’t make God do it.

The Crane Game - ONLINE!

I stumble across this on my geek site wanderings. You know those 'Crane Games' that you play at the exits of Walmart and other places? Here is one you can play for free over the internet.

Here is a link to watch my best try:
click here!

Give it a try for yourself: http://www.rocktheskillcrane.com/play.php
hint: use big numbers...