Here is a quick thought about MFI.

MFI is short for Minister Fellowship International (www.mfi-online.org), and it is an organization based out of City Bible that serves as an association for like-minded churches all over the world.

Which is alright I guess.

My only problem is that a minister of an average sized church would have to pay $400 a month to be a part of MFI, which adds up to almost $5000 a year.

And what does the minister get for his $400 monthly payment.

Well, here is what MFI says:

MFI benefits the minister and it also benefits the congregation that member-ministers serve. It benefits the minister by:

• Helping them to establish meaningful covenant relationships with like minded leaders
• Providing resources to the ministers to enhance their personal life and ministry
• Providing a sense of covering and accountability
• Providing for the rejuvenation and refreshing of battle weary leaders
• Giving each member minister a sense of connection to a larger family network and a worldwide vision

Hmmm, so not much. Sounds like they are paying for friends.

Me and my brother are thinking of starting up Minister Fraternity International, and offering covering and accountability for half the price. Say $200 a month.

I guess I tend to think that $5,000 a year could be put to better use, by say feeding the hungry or clothing the poor.

But apparently, these ministers feel they need to be a part of some fraternity. And since that fraternity collects dues, what choice do they have.

Honestly, is this really the best way to spend the churches money? Is it really necessary for a minister to pay $400 a month for covering and accountability?

I don’t think so.

Next week City Bible is holding its annual Prophetic Assembly conference. For those who don’t know, Prophetic Assembly is a conference where the leaders call up members of the church and prophecy over their lives.

Ten years ago I had a prophecy myself, and that prophecy told me to no longer believe in Prophetic Assembly.

Allow me to share.

The year was 1995, I was in high school up on the hill, and as was customary, the school leadership had decided it would be better for me to sit through a Prophetic Assembly, than to learn something useful.

I was sitting in the large dome, (which at this point did not smell of urine), when the prophets called up a young man named Quinn.

(I know Quinn and he’s a great guy. He was one of the few leaders, who at that time actually treated me as an equal, instead of some kid they could manipulate. I’m mentioning his name, only because he recently found this blog and informed my brother that he enjoyed it. So, with apologies to Quinn…)

They called Quinn up to the stage, and the four prophetic leaders all gathered around him and began praying for him in great earnest. After what seemed like forever, one of the older men on the stage, probably 50, declared,

“I see a picture of you in the cold. Somewhere up north, perhaps Alaska. I see you working with Eskimos. I see you being a witness and missionary to the Eskimos.”

Well, this prophecy perked me right up, because unlike the old man on the stage, I knew exactly where he was getting this revelation and it wasn’t from Jesus. He was just remembering an old Bob Dylan song, “The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)” He wasn’t hearing a revelation from God. He just had some thought come up from his subconscious. Only, he didn’t realize it.

Upon hearing this prophecy, I sat straight up in my seat and begin giving everyone around me my patented, “Do you believe this guy?” look. I’m fervishly glancing around for someone, anyone else who caught this. But, of course, no one else caught it. They all bought it hook, line and sinker.

I spoke with some people afterward and they claimed, “If that’s what God said, then that’s what God means.”

Hmmmm, maybe. Or maybe, this guy isn’t hearing from God. Maybe he’s just very perceptive, and speaks well. And maybe he’s just saying whatever comes into his head whether that’s from God or not. And I think if you are going to claim to be speaking for God, you ought to try a little harder to be accurate.

I am not saying God can’t speak through someone in a prophecy. I just don’t think you can organize God to four nights a week between the hours of 3-5 and 7-9. I think God works on his schedule, not yours.

Oh, and if any Eskimo have seen a large white man preaching in their towns, please let me know. I am curious to know how he got there.

I apologize for not posting anything lately. However, contrary to popular belief, I actually do have a life. And that “life” is consuming every free second of my time.

In the meantime, check out this website for ex-mormons.

http://exmormonfoundation.org/

It is absolutely one of my favorite websites to visit. I love this site so much, it makes me want to convert to Mormonism, just so I could then quit and leave the church.

Anyway, the stories are fantastic. And while City Bible is nowhere near as controlling as the Mormon church, there are some similarities.

And again, thanks for your patience.

Well, the pictures below are going to offend many. But I thought this blog was taking itself a little too seriously. So…

Equal Opportunity Mocker 

Remaining Irreverant

Here is an interesting article on giving and capitalism as it relates to the Church. It was forwarded to me by two mighty prayer warriors. It is a bit long… but still definately worth reading.

Update: You can read the article or you can just check out www.whathavewedone.org

“How to GIVE EFFECTIVELY – One Man’s Journey”

-by Doug Perry.

If you have been blessed with money – any amount of money – then you are called to be a good steward of it. Somebody is going to have to stand before Jesus and explain why we bought a million dollar chandelier while His children’s souls were being lost.

The Bible says we’re to store up treasure in Heaven where it won’t rust and thieves can’t steal. If we are to covet anything, it is this. The eternal treasure is the thing. Don’t you get it? That’s what dollars are for! If God has blessed you with more than your basic needs, every single extra dollar should be used to purchase Heavenly treasure. Any other use of them is selfishness, apostasy and ultimately, idolatry. Not my words…. I stand condemned the same as anyone else. But you can’t leave the verses cited above out of the Scriptures and still honestly say your desire is to be like Christ.

When God finally got through to me and helped me see this, all of my American business instincts kicked into overdrive. If every dollar is entrusted to me SO THAT I can use it to buy treasure in Heaven, then I want maximum return on investment for every single dollar. See? Makes perfect sense. So I went on a search to first see how my money was currently being used and then find who might be a better investment. As it turns out, the “stocks” I’d been buying through denominational structures and “Big Church” programs have a TERRIBLE yield in Heaven. I can’t say they’re all losers, but they were definitely under-performing their potential.

I want to find those mighty warriors, those servants of the Cross, those who are truly being obedient and living like Christ; those who when they pray you just know God hears them; those who have eternal Fruit flying off of them like crazy; those who are caring for the poor and sick and lost; those who are storing up treasure in heaven faster than anybody else – then I want in on it…. I want to support them, urge them on and get out of their way.

Our search for who is the hottest stock led us first to Gospel For Asia ( http://www.GFA.org ), although we are now finding others and will seek to highlight them at every opportunity. The native missionaries that GFA supports are amazing warriors of the faith, going out to hostile regions on a one way ticket with grim determination to win souls for Christ or die trying. They sleep on stone floors, live on one or two dollars a day, pray for hours, preach fearlessly and raise up mighty churches of fearless disciples – and when God thinks it will help, mighty miracles make their way easier. All for a total ministry cost of $1000 to $1500 per year in most cases.

Western missionaries sent through our denominational structures often cost $100,000 per year. Average investment in one missionary family can exceed $500,000 with an average time on the field of just three years. Many prepare and never go at all. Private schools or tutors for their kids, healthcare, retirement funds, furloughs, maids, chauffers, security guards, language training, internet access and others – may all be required costs for these. Not to mention the lost potential in ministry momentum of having to come back to fund-raise periodically. (I don’t question the motives of the missionaries. I speak from experience here, having grown up in that life.) Even with all of this, foreign missions is less than 5% of total church spending. The rest we spend on our local programs, buildings and staffs.

Seven years ago I started what became BuiltToLastHome.com ( http://www.BuiltToLastHome.com ). Four years ago I turned it over to God and He forced it to expand exponentially (5000% in five years!). I had a chance to build a business from scratch and so I threw out everything everyone had ever told me about business and asked, “How would Jesus do it?” As it turns out, Jesus was a pretty smart guy and His plan works good.

A year ago a pastor friend of mine told me about micro-enterprise lending and how you could start a business in India and Ethiopia and Myanmar for $50-$75 dollars and create jobs for Brothers and Sisters in need… Like a light bulb, it clicked instantly that I was to play a part in that. So on top of everything else we started ” www.AcrossCountries.com ” to sell products made by Christians in the 10/40 Window.

The argument is simple. Christians give 2% to the church – of which 0.01% goes to reach the most unreached. But Christians in the USA spend 50% of their money on discretionary products – game boys, bass boats, massage chairs, big screen TVs, giant homes. So, if that’s where their heart is, then we’ll just SELL THEM STUFF – and take the profits and give it to God. I’m convinced business professionals are the key to remaking this sick, dysfunctional system into what God wanted it to be all along.

Our website is just an expression of that yearning for stewardship and has become a place to educate about the HORRIBLE job we’re doing in the American church of spending our dollars wisely to get maximum yield in Heaven. I urge you, test yourself, your company, your church, your denomination, your charities. What is their true yield in Heavenly treasure? Seek maximum profit in the eternal currency.

I want my family, my employees, you and your family and a thousand thousand other Brothers and Sisters to be in a giant receiving line where we get to kiss and hug the souls brought into heaven by the labor of those on the field that we supported from the blessing of our wealth. If Heaven is forever, I want that line to stretch farther than I can see. I want that line to last for YEARS. Research the ministries. Be smart. Invest wisely. Demand accountability and efficiency. Visit www.ECFA.org and www.MinistryWatch.org [-These are financial "watchdogs" that report on the way that large ministries use their money]. If they can’t be trusted with the little things, they can’t be trusted with the big things. Would Jesus of Nazareth drive a Bentley or a Rolls Royce? There are some serious wolves out there amongst the sheep.

Whether entrusted with a little or a lot, we’ll all be called to account for our stewardship of God’s blessings.

~Doug Perry

Email – whwd@whathavewedone.org
Website – http://www.WhatHaveWeDone.org

Apparently, late last night someone repeatedly cut and paste an old comment into the comment section, making the comment as long as possible and preventing anyone else from adding a comment.

I am currently working with Blogger to obtain this individual’s ISP address. I will then “out” them and prevent them from posting a comment again.

Thank you for your patience, and I apologize for the inconvenience. I can only assume that tithes must have been down yesterday.

-Justin

It has to come to my attention that many members of City Bible Church are “disgusted” with me. They do not understand my complaints, and they despise my method. And thus they have decided, “I am not walking with the Lord.” (Whatever that means)

Fair enough. I did start a blog making fun of their church. Judgment is to be expected.

But before anyone else judges me, allow me to share what I truly believe. Because despite my numerous faults, I still believe I am living a Christ-like life.

First, understand that because I grew up in a Christian home, I have read just about every verse in the Bible.

And while reading the Bible, I have become to realize that the Bible is a big book with a lot of verses. And there is a Bible verse to justify almost every action.

I found this confusing and thus started looking for a core message from the Bible; the essence of the Bible. How do I summarize the Bible in one verse?

Thankfully, someone asked Christ that same question. In the Book of Mark, a man approached Jesus and asked him to sum up all the laws in the Bible.

Jesus responded with simply, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

Interestingly, in the Book of Romans, when the Apostle Paul was asked the same question, he only responded with, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Paul recognized that it is easy to say you love God. However, it is a lot more difficult to take that love and show it to others. The real act of loving God is showing compassion and grace to others. (I am pretty sure Paul is also a former member of City Bible Church).

Anyway, that is my creed.

In living my life, I am constantly trying to show compassion to others. So City Bible is free to judge me and my lifestyle. It is okay. I know what I believe.

“Greater Love hath no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”-John 15:13.

This is a comment by Magdelon that I think is a pretty accurate look at CBC and Christian Culture in general. Its not exactly funny, nor do I agree with all or it. But it is an excellent reason why so many people are turned off to CBC and other churches.

I will surmise that everyone who is on this blog has come to the conclusion that something is not right at CBC. Looking at this issue from the aspect that this particular church (CBC), it is a speck in a field of other churches being trained to run the same way.

What we, I think, feel as former CBC’ers is that the future of the church is heading off into a direction in which one must conform to it or be thrown to the streets. The church is positioning its self to be at the forefront of the very process of raising a family, going to school, civic choices, private activities.

The church lost ground after the fifties boom and now that our political leaders and our preachers have us on the fear-channel 24/7 they are not going to let us go. They must entertain us, show us that we are “members”, we are patriots, we stand by our president, we speak a “common tongue”. Its all control and if people like us don’t like the people in control it is our obligation to make our opinions known.

Being a true Christian is hard in a culture that tells you, you are not good enough if you don’t have the nicest car. Its as if the Christian Church has replaced Christ’s teaching with the doctrine of unbounded consumerism and forgivable capitalism.

I believe most people attend CBC because they want to feel connected to anything, something and having the ability to go “up front” on Sunday morning to ask to be “renewed” or “washed clean” is very appealing to the man who just sold the old couple across the pew a box of Amway or the woman who, just the week before, sold a house to a first time buyer couple and knew that it wouldn’t pass code. Our economy forces families to do immoral things in the workplace and as a consequence they need somewhere to go on the weekend to feel a little better about themselves.

Who’s wearing slave labor clothes right now??? Better get to CBC, tithe twice and send extra to missions for China! Catholicism for the new Century.