The Church In Peril? Not the true one!

I recommend to all a movie that is driving the scientific establishment into extreme irritation: "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" by Ben Stein is a masterpiece in revealing how a lie can become so entrenched within a society that basic freedoms erode without the knowledge of the populace.
The movie shatters the foundations of Darwinian Evolution. It destroys every premise expounded, not by giving proof of a creator or intelligent design, but by persistently asking the simple questions over and over until the utter lack of substance in the theory is revealed. I loved it!
However, what reached out and grabbed me by the scruff of the neck was a variety of statements made by leading scientists with the Academy of Modern Science, headquartered in the Smithsonian Institute. The statements expose a grand design to eventually stifle all religious thought and replace the 'warped' thinking of ignorant creationists with clear-minded science. In other words, science has gone beyond exploration and taken on the role of the social change agent. Stein asked a simple question: "Do you believe those who practice religion or believe in God are ignorant?" The answer was revelatory: "Religion is something that people do to bring them comfort, but it has no place in reality or science. Our goal is to diminish the role of religion to being a weekend activity where people get together to have fun; something that no longer affects the way science is done." Sounds a bit like a recent quote by Barrack Obama....how bigots and the societal downtrodden grab onto guns and religion to get them through.
The scary aspect, to me anyway, is that fact that for much of modern Christianity in America, the goal has already been reached. Bear with me here! The act of Christian living has been replaced, to a large extent, by market mentality. The 'believer' looks for the best weekend church experience he can find, one that meets all his desires and the needs of his family. Once he finds that illusive place, he basically 'goes to market' every Sunday (maybe an occasional Wednesday) and gets what he needs. It is a 'GIVE ME' mentality. He doesn't participate sacrificially in making the presence of God a change-agent in himself. No, getting to close to God might actually demand sacrifice. It may hurt....at least hurt his 'style.' How do I come to that conclusion? Simple: I look at the size of a Sunday morning crowd and compare that to the number of people who show up to simply bask in the presence of God. In the basking comes the changing.....change isn't always pleasant, but with God, change is always beneficial. The gaming mentality of the church is also seen in the number of people who come to the real 'disciple building' opportunities, i.e., Sunday School. Nope...its not just for kids! Again, the scientific socialists have half the work done for them. For many, it is already just a weekend sport.
Now, remember to keep loving me as I ramble through this. I am not angry or disgusted at anything other than the work of the kingdom of darkness. However, I do know of that which I speak. I am quite aware of who is really hungry to dig deeper into God and who isn't. It is plain as daylight. What I am really working at is wrapped up in making myself the "LIVING SACRIFICE" that Paul demands of the Romans. (See Romans 12:1-2) Am I conforming to the mind set of the culture....with all its secular aspects and dogmas? Or, am I being transformed by the continual renewing of my mind (in the Word of God) so that I can know God's will for my life? There's the question.
So, the movie will awaken you to the realities of the Darwin's lie. It will also challenge you in your walk with Christ. We are living in perilous days and it will soon be impossible to live for Jesus without an all-out commitment to being his disciples....sacrifice and all. Are you ready?
I hope so, because the day is approaching quickly! If you are reading this and thinking about it, know this: I love you, but God does it better:-)
Pastor Jim