Fast-Food Christianity

[Fledge]

Is it just me noticing this, or do a lot of people want a "fast food christianity"?

Meaning...they want instant results. They want answers to prayer right then and there, they want all these nifty esoteric experiences and "warm, fuzzy feelings", they want the streets of gold, not only in eternity, but RIGHT NOW.

It seems so many people will turn to "faith formulas" for results, "prayer formulas" so that if they pray "this prayer in this manner, you too can get healthy, wealthy and wise...just like me...in 30 days" or some other stuff like that?

If it is just me that seems to notice such things like that...ignore me.

If it is not just me, and others have noticed the trend toward "instant gratification" within Christianity...any ideas on WHY and what can be done about it??

[Christ_†_Alone]

Why?

A by-product of the culture we live in, and also false doctrine being preached from the very pulpits in their own churches. i.e, if the preacher is standing up there telling folks to name it and claim it, and they don't GET what they claimed, they've just set themselves up for a great disappointment.

What can we do about it?

Share the Word. Pray, and be as longsuffering as the Lord grants us to be.

[Fledge]

So I am not the only one?

I think we should "be still and know that He is God", and understand that His timiingis not our timing, nor His ways our ways.

Isn't there also a verse somewhere that says something to the effect of "wait upon the Lord"??

[Christ_†_Alone]

* Psalms 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

* Psalms 25:3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

*Psalms 25:21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

*Psalms 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

*Psalms 33:20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.

*Psalms 62:1 ¶ <<To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.>> Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.

*Psalms 62:5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

* Psalms 130:5 ¶ I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

*Genesis 49:18 I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.

*Isaiah 8:17 And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

*Isaiah 25:9 ¶ And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

*Isaiah 26:8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.

*Isaiah 30:18 ¶ And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

*Lamentations 3:26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

*Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

*Luke 2:25 ¶ And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

*Luke 2:38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

*Romans 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Apply as needed...

[Fledge]

Good deal. You're awesome.
I think I need to spend more time memorizing...especially references! I know all these nice verses and can't remember where they are, but I KNOW they are there.

But that's another topic...I'm on it ASAP.

[Odyssey]

I have noticed the same thing for some time now. It has to do with people looking for the 'path of least resistence' instead of the 'road less traveled.' Instead of learning to walk with god on their own and listening to god's voice for themselves and studying for themselves and praying and learning about their relationship with god, most Christians just do what others have done expecting the same results.

It's very similar to the Charimatic movement. There were/are many books on the twelve steps to answered pray, the verses for personal healing, etc. Now the problem is this, they methods *may* have worked for the individual who wrote that book but, most likely, they wont work for someone else. In other words, the application of the truths of god are as individualistic as we are. EACH person needs to find their own path. Their own journey. We are all walking that same path, but god takes each one of us on various journies.

I see the same thing with 'billboard Christianity.' I have yet to see one that is effective. Most of the time they are filled with either condemnation or univeralism. Neither do any good exept to make the individual that put them up feel better. Keith Green once said something to the effect, 'You send your money but next time send yourselves.' In other words, get involved. DO something in your community. Help your neighbors. If someone needs food, don't just but them gorceries and leave them on the door step. Take them to their homes and cook them a meal. Mow their lawns. Help the needy in your community. Change the world! We can do it if we get involved.

Anyway...

Sorry about getting on a 'soapbox' there at the last.

Grace to you,

jak

[blackhaw]

Amen! That is all I want to say. I have tried t owrite a reply about 2-3 times and all have come out to ugly. Needless to say I hate the way the church is so consumer based today and not God based.

[JesusFreak2K1]

Fledge........glad to see that I'm not the only one who is scripturally challenged!!!LOL!!
Anyone have any ideas on how to memorize scripture???

[Kathleen]

Fledge...I Notice this alot...I see this all around..everywhere I turn.

It's tough because alot of these people already know the answers deep down inside. They just lost the essence of it. I think they are taking their chances..and just being selfish. I don't see people who do this as true followers of Christ. It's like skipping work but hoping for a paycheck. Skipping school but waiting for the A+. I see that it comes from self-absorbance and greed. Laziness and apathy. I don't know what can be done for these people but prayer.
I have a big problem with this with my catholic friends...I pray for them but what else can I do without scaring or turning them away? I wish I could say something to them.

It's so sad. Very sad.

God Bless

[Christ_†_Alone]

There might be an interest here, in listening to a certain radio program series:

9/2/2001 - Sunday
Consumerism:
Is America Selling God?

The White Horse Inn

This program was #3 in a series called American Religion, and it was an awesome series.

Be warned though, as you scroll thru the archives on that page, you're going to find SEVERAL shows you're going to want to listen to, so before you click thru, make a pot of coffee, and prepare to kick back for a while and listen.

[JohnKrocker]

Are you suggesting that we must work for our salvation? That salvation is not the free gift that is advertised?

JK

[Brandan Kraft]

No, we're not suggesting that at all. We are justified by faith alone. However, faith without works is dead.

James 2:18, (NASB), But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

James 2:20, (NASB), But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

James 2:26, (NASB), For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

In other words, if we don't have faith, we don't have works.

The problem many people have today is just the opposite. They seek justification by fast-food works rather than a life of consistent faith. They hope to attain salvation by attending church service on Sunday or donating their money to the Salvation Army. These things are not bad, but with the fast food mentality many Americans have today, you can see how easily people can fall into this mind trap.