We all know about Men, boobs is the way to their heart but what about the women? Yes some are trapped by visual pornography but they are quite likely to instead be involved in such media as Internet romance or the old-fashioned romance novel.

Recently on a crosswalk.com article they explore the dangers of reading Christian or normal romance novels. I wont quote the whole article which you can find here but some of it needs to be repeated. I would encourage you to read it and while they just focus on romance novels do not forget the Internet romance aka facebook…

“Romance novels rarely have a sequel,” the book concludes. “Once the hero and heroine are joined in love or matrimony, they get their Happily-Ever-After, presumably with a bevy of children and domestic bliss. Further adventures would violate the female fantasy of true, committed, eternal love.”

…these scholars explain all of these archetypal female desires in a Darwinian need for the woman to seek out a mate who can be simultaneously monogamous and protective of the offspring. This evolutionary desire is seen in the strong male who pours out his feelings of devotion, and whose lifelong commitment is frozen in time and certainty in the Happily-Ever-After moment.

A lot of this genre, though, is simply a Christianization of a form not intended to enhance intimacy but to escape to an artificial illusion of it. Granted, there’s no graphic sexuality here. The hero and heroine don’t sleep together; they pray together. But that’s just the point. How many disappointed middle-aged women in our congregations are reading these novels as a means of comparing the “strong spiritual leaders” depicted there with what by comparison must seem to be underachieving lumps lying next to them on the couch?

I know with me and Ariana we had heaps of preconceived ideas going into marriage, you do not need more from a soppy stupid untrue book.

Maybe just maybe they are reading the bible from the wrong prospective. The bible is not a road map to life. My bible did not tell me to marry Ariana or to go to Perth to study. Yes it has maps in it but they do not say “Road map to Jermayns life” it is about the bible and the characters in it.

So what is the purpose of the bible if its not about me/ us? Well it is about God. I am sorry to burst your little sensitive bubble but if you or your pastor wont do it, I guess I will

Yes the bible can be hard to read and understand at times but does that make Christianity complicated? No! Have a read of this….

Col 2:6-10 (Message)

^6-7 My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

^8-10 Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that’s not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything.

Now I am not a huge Message fan but this translation is perfect for what I am saying. Lets break it down….

1. simple and straightforward: Christianity is simple..
2. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him: You don’t need a degree or to be anointed by a pastor, you get the idea? Its not about man, its about Jesus, he died for us and rose again for our freedom. Did your pastor or a man do that? No they did not!
3. deeply rooted in him: Foundations is very important, if your now foundationed in Jesus/ God you will be blown away by false doctrine and the Devil.
4. dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk: Why do Christians like talking in double dutch? I suspect it is because of their insecurity and its like the old male tradition of comparing their car and toys, over compensating…
5. empty traditions: Churches make methodology into theology! My previous church (Potters House) was a perfect example where back in the 70-80′s rock music was perfect to reach the younger generation in a concert theme. It does not work now yet its ingrained that it has to be done – waste of time…
6. When you come to him, that fullness comes together: We are all empty, sinful and wasting away on this earth, we need fullness and help and that only comes from Jesus! Add anything to it and it equals nothing…

Some people call it the prosperity doctorine but I like the word Karma as it shows just how off the wall & unbiblical it is. Karma originates from India & it’s amazing how ungodly doctorine has moved into Christianity. What’s even more warped and selfish is that we don’t wait to the next life like Hinduism but we get the benefits of our good works now (Isaiah 64:6)….

Some people preach Karma and neglect to mention that being a Christian is not just ‘beer and skittles’, in fact it is hard, you will be persecuted and will suffer because of your faith. In doing a word search on the bible I found between 30 and 72 references for suffering depending on translations. Obviously it’s real in Christianity….

It’s time to get back to reality & realise that giving 10% of your pay packet does not mean you will get a cushy life! Paul (2 Cor 11:16-30), Peter (Acts 4), John (Revelations 1:9) & Stephen (Acts 7) just to name a few gave more than their “tithes” & they all died without businesses & mansions to their names.

Just so you know, when I say social media I am talking about facebook, Twitter, podcasts and websites. All that technical stuff that may confuse some but is what every 30 and under person is using.

Flyers & social media imo are only useful as a reference! They should not & do not replace reaching out through relationship building, inviting to church, personal whitnessing and being a Godly example.

However the problem is that yester year some churches only gave out flyers and expected the lost to come in numbers because they handed someone a flyer, it does not work like that! Today it’s the same, you get great (& crap) websites and they sit back and no one comes…

A website & your social media presense is useful and needed for when someone has been invited by a member of the church and then they look online to get more of an understanding of the church and NOT God!

Advertising you have the best rock music or serving free beers as men enter the event will only draw a crowd… As will dressing up 40 year olds to look like they are 20, honestly!!

I’ve been to heaps of Christian men’s events (and organised my fair share of them) and the best/ most challenging/ life changing events that make a difference in men’s lives are the ones that focus on Jesus and let the Holy Spirit do the drawing.

Forget about advertising free beer, fireworks and other gimmicks & let’s focus on what will draw & change men – Christ.

I did not agree with everything he had to say but a lot of it was good. His main gripe with today’s church is a common one imo and it is that churches are getting away from what has worked for the last two centuries! What is it you may ask? Well its the reason why we do church, no not money, fame or to boost our ego! Its Jesus…..

Quiet simple isn’t it? Honestly who cares about church surveys, church cafe’s, even bible study groups and all the other rubbish that has filled our church lives. At the end of the day, its about Jesus! Without him its all a waste of a time.

Over the next few weeks (or maybe months), I will continue to document areas of the church where I believe we need to get back to the basics. Please note this is not to slam any church as that does not benefit anything, its a place where we can list ways we can get back to the basics of Christianity to better the way we do this thing called church.

The Sermon by Paul Washer

If we were too do an overview of the bible we would see:

- the grace of God
- the gospel of God
- the glory of God

I wonder just how many people forget or add to this?