Leaving Laodicea Steve McCranie

Steps to Change a Culture for the WorseSaul Alinsky (1909–1972) was an American community activist and political theorist whose teachings have had a profound effect on the radical Democratic agenda and the philosophy of both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. In 1971, right before his death, he published Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals, which is a book about successfully running a movement for cultural change.
Rather than list his 13 rules for radicals, let me sum them up for you in how they are practically applied to a society. And this is exactly the same blueprint the Nazis used in post-WWI Germany.
•  Words and Terms are Redefined
•  History is Revised and Rewritten
•  Questions are Not Encouraged Nor Allowed
•  Rules are Established
•  Compliance and Obedience is Expected / Demanded
•  Gatekeepers are Empowered
•  Power Now Rests with the Few and Not the Many
•  Decision and Authority Flow from the Top Down
•  All Organizations Naturally Seek Control
•  Double and Triple-Down Until No Dissent Exists
By the way, this is also how control is exercised over the church by the clergy, denominational leaders, and family gatekeepers. It is not a pretty sight.
It Only Takes One Person to Make a DifferenceBut God had something completely different in mind when He instituted His church. And today, we are going to see how He empowered, not just the clergy, but all His people with His Spirit and gave them bold access to His throne of grace (Heb. 4:16). The implications are life-changing.
Remember, it only takes one person to make a difference.
Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes; but by (who) a man (singular) of understanding and knowledge right will be prolonged – Proverbs 28:2.
Maybe that person is you.
To download the slides for this message, click – HERE
Our Latest Posts:562: Where We Are Now and Where We Are Going
561: Church Ain’t Working, Its Got No Power
560: If He’s the One Who Builds It, He Will Come
559: Apostasy and Deception are Key Signs of the End
558: The Most Important Prophetic Scriptures

What the Next Eighteen Months Will Look LikePeople see the chaos all around and want to know where we are as a culture today and what the next eighteen months will look like. As a preview, we can expect economic turmoil, especially inflation and hyperinflation. There will be deception, falsehoods, and lies coming from our sacred institutions. Jesus said to expect wars and rumors of wars which will lead to the downgrading of America as a superpower. Narcissism will become the mental illness of the land, and the church will experience the great apostasy the Scriptures warned about.
In a word, our future looks dark and bleak. 
For each of us, there are three questions we need to be asking ourselves: One, what is the end goal or what is going on? Two, what is the Lord’s will for me and my family during this time? And three, why do we seem to feel or sense that time is running out and the time for playing church is over?
What Can We Do? Live Like You’re Soon to DieIn June 2020, Tim Keller was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer. This diagnosis had a profound impact on his life. For one, he realized his life had an expiration date, and only the important things were now important to him. And two, he realized how much time he had wasted on unimportant things. Time, he could never get back and never redeem.
The same could be said for each of us.  Here is Tim’s assessment of what he has learned about prayer since his diagnosis (he died on May 19, 2023).
“Despite the pain and fear associated with cancer, Kathy (his wife) and I would never want to go back to the kind of prayer life and spiritual life we had before the cancer. Never.
I realized, I never really did believe I was going to die. At some deep level, I just didn’t. Looking back on it, I just don’t think there’s any way to go through the change that happens in you when you know that you really are going to die: the way you look at your time, the way you look at God, the way you look at your spouse— the way you look at everything just changes when you actually realize time is limited and I’m mortal.
Frankly, I would have lived a better life if I had come to this realization sooner. I’m closer to where I should have been most of my life.”
Remember, there is a blessing in knowing that nothing lasts forever, except the grace of God. And for living in the realization and expectation of the imminent return of Christ.
To download the slides for this message, click – HERE
Our Latest Posts:561: Church Ain’t Working, Its Got No Power
560: If He’s the One Who Builds It, He Will Come
559: Apostasy and Deception are Key Signs of the End
558: The Most Important Prophetic Scriptures
557: Hermeneutics – The Rules for Biblical...

Has Church Outlived its Usefulness?Some say that “familiarity breeds contempt,” and this is true even in the church. We come to church each Sunday to perform our duty to God. We sing, sometimes. We listen to the message, hopefully. And we worship, maybe— and then head back home to do the more important things in our day. I know this sounds harsh, but it is true, nonetheless.
But church was never meant to be like this. God created His church, the ekklēsía, to be “a called-out people, an assembly of those called by Christ into the fellowship of His salvation.” And nowhere does the word church refer to a building, denomination, or tax-exempt entity.
In this message, we will look at the church from a Biblical perspective and see if we can determine what church is and why it’s not working for us today.
To download the slides for this message, click – HERE
Our Latest Posts:560: If He’s the One Who Builds It, He Will Come
559: Apostasy and Deception are Key Signs of the End
558: The Most Important Prophetic Scriptures
557: Hermeneutics – The Rules for Biblical Interpretation
556: How to Surrender Your Thought Life to Christ

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