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  he word church is used today in extremely broad terms. The cross-less places that call themselves churches are anti-church. Stages replace altars, and sin & redemption are replaced with self & motivation. Holiness becomes some obscure footnote generalized into a pluralistic (anonymous) mentality that combines all spirituality into one. But define holy ... was Buddha really a holy man? He really was a dead-beat dad who left his wife & children to seek enlightenment under a fig tree. Was Mohammed really a holy man? He was a murderer, a pedophile and a thief! Was Joseph Smith really a holy man? He was a con-artist and a polygamist! No historian worth their salt would argue these recorded historical facts. Only the truth question as to who Jesus Christ proved Himself to be ~ really ~ can be rationally defended. And He indeed is holy & sinless and the Church He instituted is a holy place designed to serve His promises. But when in name only Christians like Joel & Victoria Osteen appear on national television and boast about a home they are building worth millions of dollars it begs us to ask the question, does Lakewood and places like it have the right to call themselves a church? After listening to Lakewood sermons for almost 7 years now, I have yet to hear just one sermon that doesn’t promote the things of this world. This after Jesus went through great pains to tell us never to be concerned with the things of this world. And the Osteen’s call themselves Pastors! Of what...Hell Patrol? A true Church will never be a happy-feel-good place. Her design goes all the way back to Moses & the Israelites in the wilderness. She is dressed in the fine linen of perfect righteousness that is administered to us in the pure proclamation of the Word and the proper administration and distribution of God’s gifts that promise to heal, forgive & prepare us for eternal life with Him. Since the “Acts” Church of Word & Sacrament the Bridegroom has readied her and she is perfect just the way she is.
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