e of us" rather than imitators of Jesus. A new convert is typically given a Bible (if that much), told what to say and when (Christianese), taught the songs, and plugged into a class where they can learn some extra-biblical, even diabolical, and at the very least, manmade rules and regs that will help them to "fit in." When they do, the assembly will give such a convert their stamp of approval and move on to another individual who will likely receive little more training than the last.

And so on.

Personally, I wish every new Believer would be set apart for three years in study of nothing but the words of Jesus. Nothing

Ephesians 5:1 commands us to be imitators of Christ. Jesus Himself stated many times that He came as an example and, over 30 times, the New Testament uses some tense of the phrase "follow me", "follow Him" or "followers of Christ." The word "followers" can be traced back to the Greek word "mimos" which means "to imitate." From the word "mimos", we can easily see from where the English words "mime" and "mimic" are derived.

Scripture is loaded with examples revealing how and what one must do in order to be an imitator of Christ. Love your enemies. Forgive those who have sinned against you. Heal the sick. Cast out devils. Set captives free. Make disciples. Visit the imprisoned, the infirmed and feed the hungry. Things like that, right?

So how's all that coming along anyway?

Is anyone actively training you in development of these gifts?

With far too few exceptions, the institutional church as we know it is failing miserably on all accounts. Truth is, most churches are merely preaching halls that, when tested against the standard of Christ and the Doctrine HE taught, are found wanting. Church splits are commonplace. Ministers confess anonymously that they have major personal problems ranging from porn and alcohol addictions to miserable loneliness and discontentment. Surveys reveal a high level of distrust and disillusionment among the rank and file Believer.

The strength of everything MUST be tested for Kingdom worthiness. How does the American Church fare in light of these tests? Nearly 3,800 close their doors annually after having ultimately failed. NOTE: Just because a congregation consists of thousands, the FRUIT of the INDIVIDUALS attending these gatherings must remain the ultimate litmus test. Are lives being changed? Are they doing what Jesus said they should do? Where's the fruit? Where are the imitators of Christ?

Who has time to make disciples when the typical minister or priest is kept busy running the spiritual corporation we refer to as "church" and the members are kept busy with every distraction under the sun, including maintaining the edifice?

I once taught on Spiritual Warfare in a coffee bar to a crowd of around 40 college students. At one point, a pretty young lady seated on the couch in front timidly raised her hand and asked, "When was my pastor going to get around to teaching me this stuff?" I asked her to ask her pastor that question. Where disciples are concerned, we are too often making man in our own image; too often teaching them how to "be one of us" rather than imitators of Jesus. A new convert is typically given a Bible (if that much), told what to say and when (Christianese), taught the songs, and plugged into a class where they can learn some extra-biblical, even diabolical, and at the very least, manmade rules and regs that will help them to "fit in." When they do, the assembly will give such a convert their stamp of approval and move on to another individual who will likely receive little more training than the last.

And so on.

Personally, I wish every new Believer would be set apart for three years in study of nothing but the words of Jesus. Nothing

aptives free. Make disciples. Visit the imprisoned, the infirmed and feed the hungry. Things like that, right?

So how's all that coming along anyway?

Is anyone actively training you in development of these gifts?

With far too few exceptions, the institutional church as we know it is failing miserably on all accounts. Truth is, most churches are merely preaching halls that, when tested against the standard of Christ and the Doctrine HE taught, are found wanting. Church splits are commonplace. Ministers confess anonymously that they have major personal problems ranging from porn and alcohol addictions to miserable loneliness and discontentment. Surveys reveal a high level of distrust and disillusionment among the rank and file Believer.

The strength of everything MUST be tested for Kingdom worthiness. How does the American Church fare in light of these tests? Nearly 3,800 close their doors annually after having ultimately failed. NOTE: Just because a congregation consists of thousands, the FRUIT of the INDIVIDUALS attending these gatherings must remain the ultimate litmus test. Are lives being changed? Are they doing what Jesus said they should do? Where's the fruit? Where are the imitators of Christ?

Who has time to make disciples when the typical minister or priest is kept busy running the spiritual corporation we refer to as "church" and the members are kept busy with every distraction under the sun, including maintaining the edifice?

I once taught on Spiritual Warfare in a coffee bar to a crowd of around 40 college students. At one point, a pretty young lady seated on the couch in front timidly raised her hand and asked, "When was my pastor going to get around to teaching me this stuff?" I asked her to ask her pastor that question. Where disciples are concerned, we are too often making man in our own image; too often teaching them how to "be one of us" rather than imitators of Jesus. A new convert is typically given a Bible (if that much), told what to say and when (Christianese), taught the songs, and plugged into a class where they can learn some extra-biblical, even diabolical, and at the very least, manmade rules and regs that will help them to "fit in." When they do, the assembly will give such a convert their stamp of approval and move on to another individual who will likely receive little more training than the last.

And so on.

Personally, I wish every new Believer would be set apart for three years in study of nothing but the words of Jesus. Nothing

loneliness and discontentment. Surveys reveal a high level of distrust and disillusionment among the rank and file Believer.

The strength of everything MUST be tested for Kingdom worthiness. How does the American Church fare in light of these tests? Nearly 3,800 close their doors annually after having ultimately failed. NOTE: Just because a congregation consists of thousands, the FRUIT of the INDIVIDUALS attending these gatherings must remain the ultimate litmus test. Are lives being changed? Are they doing what Jesus said they should do? Where's the fruit? Where are the imitators of Christ?

Who has time to make disciples when the typical minister or priest is kept busy running the spiritual corporation we refer to as "church" and the members are kept busy with every distraction under the sun, including maintaining the edifice?

I once taught on Spiritual Warfare in a coffee bar to a crowd of around 40 college students. At one point, a pretty young lady seated on the couch in front timidly raised her hand and asked, "When was my pastor going to get around to teaching me this stuff?" I asked her to ask her pastor that question. Where disciples are concerned, we are too often making man in our own image; too often teaching them how to "be one of us" rather than imitators of Jesus. A new convert is typically given a Bible (if that much), told what to say and when (Christianese), taught the songs, and plugged into a class where they can learn some extra-biblical, even diabolical, and at the very least, manmade rules and regs that will help them to "fit in." When they do, the assembly will give such a convert their stamp of approval and move on to another individual who will likely receive little more training than the last.

And so on.

Personally, I wish every new Believer would be set apart for three years in study of nothing but the words of Jesus. Nothing

les when the typical minister or priest is kept busy running the spiritual corporation we refer to as "church" and the members are kept busy with every distraction under the sun, including maintaining the edifice?

I once taught on Spiritual Warfare in a coffee bar to a crowd of around 40 college students. At one point, a pretty young lady seated on the couch in front timidly raised her hand and asked, "When was my pastor going to get around to teaching me this stuff?" I asked her to ask her pastor that question. Where disciples are concerned, we are too often making man in our own image; too often teaching them how to "be one of us" rather than imitators of Jesus. A new convert is typically given a Bible (if that much), told what to say and when (Christianese), taught the songs, and plugged into a class where they can learn some extra-biblical, even diabolical, and at the very least, manmade rules and regs that will help them to "fit in." When they do, the assembly will give such a convert their stamp of approval and move on to another individual who will likely receive little more training than the last.

And so on.

Personally, I wish every new Believer would be set apart for three years in study of nothing but the words of Jesus. Nothing

e of us" rather than imitators of Jesus. A new convert is typically given a Bible (if that much), told what to say and when (Christianese), taught the songs, and plugged into a class where they can learn some extra-biblical, even diabolical, and at the very least, manmade rules and regs that will help them to "fit in." When they do, the assembly will give such a convert their stamp of approval and move on to another individual who will likely receive little more training than the last.

And so on.

Personally, I wish every new Believer would be set apart for three years in study of nothing but the words of Jesus. Nothing from Paul or James or Peter either. Just Jesus. With no contact from any other church people. I might even put them through a deliverance session or two for good measure. No exposure to doctrines or dogmas or traditions of man which make the Word of God of no effect, as Jesus said.

Our tendency is to "parrot" the things we hear and see in church life. It's called "systems management."

And it's failing. The western Church has very little impact upon society.

I recently heard sociologist and researcher George Barna on a CD reciting excerpts from his book "Revolution." He stated that the two fastest growing modes of what he refers to as "mini-church" are house churches and online ministries, or "cyberchurches." A woman quite piously said to me just this afternoon that people who partake in anything other than traditional services are simply unable to get anything out of church and are "quitters." The poor thing failed to consider that, with so many numbers leaving organized Christianity as we know it, the problem could possibly be with the organization and NOT the many individuals. In the past two days, with no coaxing from me, after they learned I was a minister, I heard from an old, gray-bearded carpenter and a college age waiter that, though they considered themselves Christians, they despised the hypocrisy and soul-less repetition of Sunday morning religion. Another individual, a young mother with a drug problem who had just been released from jail after six months, told me she desires spiritual training but doesn't feel accepted in church.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly but expecting different results. Week in and week out, vast multitudes of Westerners are playing church while Christianity thrives in third world countries and in places where the adherents face persecution.

What we're doing is simply failing. If we could save the nation with all our churches, TV, radio, music and, yes, email broadcasts, we would be making a greater impact that we are by now. Lord, send us revivalists from China or Sudan!

HAVE YOU BEEN WITH JESUS?

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13). The Scribes and Pharisees were intelligent people. When they heard the apostles speak with boldness and conviction, they soon discovered the reason for this boldness. They knew it was not a result of their vas