the REDUCTION of CHRISTIANITY: Bike Week 2007

I was amazed at the number of people on the streets of Daytona Beach during Bike Week 2007 that professed to be Christians--yet their actions were anything BUT like Christ! It seems that in this day and age the standard of what it means to know and serve God is a far cry from what it was to those who witnessed His death, burial, and resurrection two-thousand years ago.

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The Seduction of Christianity that defined the decade of the 70's and 80's has become the Reduction of Christianity in the new millenia. When I was growing up the "name it and claim it", "paint God into a corner" brand of Christianity was just making inroads into the mainstream church. While this was a pseudo-gospel of self-gratification, it at the very least demanded some type of trying to know the Bible.

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Today's Reduction of Christianity has spawned into something that is absolutely NOTHING like the Gospel that cost many who went before us their very lives. This "new christianity" is not Christianity at all--but rather the "bewitching" that Paul spoke of to the Church at Galatia. They have abandoned the truth altogether and have adopted doctrines of devils!

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Here are a few of the "christians" that we encountered during our Bike Week 2007 outreach here in Daytona Beach March 2-11

Steve is a 47 year-old self described "devout Episcopalian". He claims to be an avid "church goer" and has a brother who is a Jesuit teacher that often instructs him personally in the ways of God.
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Steve was upset that we were there in this enviroment and especially upset that a friend of ours had a large sign that warned of the dangers of hell to those who refused to repent. He spent 5-10 minutes telling me what God thought and how we did not represent God by being here and "making people feel bad about what they are doing."
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I allowed Steve to speak his mind (which was obviously NOT the Mind of Christ) and found it very interesting that he could use the name "God" but that the name of Jesus was something that he sought to avoid. I finally issued him a challenge: "Steve, you calin to know how God would have us to do things. You calim to have been taught and instructed in the ways of the Lord. You claim to be a devout Episcolalian. Can you quote me ONE scripture out of the Bible today?"
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I have issued this challenge MANY times on streets across this Nation and have YET to have someone "boasting" of knowing how God feels be able to ACTUALLY one solitary scripture from the Word of God. Steve was no exception. You would have thought that I had insulted his mother or something!

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As Steve sought to justify his ignorance and attempted to downplay the importance of knowing the Bible---I delivered a series of scriptures that demanded we know His Word and that demonstrated that we as TRUE BELIEVERS were to "study to show ourselves approved unto God...rightly dividing the Word of Truth."

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He was insulted as I pressed him to quote from what he claimed to speak on behalf of. I finally told him, "Steve, you are just embarrassed in front of these people. You have been exposed and now you have NOTHING to stand on. As long as we debated YOUR feelings and opinions you were in charge--but one we turned it to what JESUS had to say--your own words condemned you!

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He finally had to depart and when he road his Harley Davidson by us later in the evening you could still see the conviction and shame upon him in "having a form of godliness but in denying the power thereof." I pray that the WORD sown into him that night will take root and being him to true salvation.

"Swannee" and his friend Mike started mocking and scoffing as I ministered to a friend of theirs (who ended up leaving the party). They thought their rudeness and lewdness would "scare me away" or at least shut me up---but it had the opposite effect! It caused a righteous indignation to rise up inside of me that demanded standing up for the Name of Jesus!

Both of these drunkards claimed to believe in God--but once again failed the "scripure challenge". Mike tried to justify his lack of Biblical knowledge by saying, "Well, there are so many contradictions and conflicting translations that you can depend upon it anyway." I replied, "Well give me ONE example of contradiction or conflict." He obviously could not. At that I began to deliver the Word of God to these two men that would slam their mouths shut!

Swannie finally said, "Okay--you win. Now I definitely have some things that I need to think about.

This 23 year old walked up to me with one of our tracts and said, "This will not work here." Inquiring as to what he meant I asked, "What are you talking about? This won't work?" He said, "You can't reach young people this way. You are being too direct." He then informed me that he was a Christian---that is all that I needed to hear.
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As he stood there glassy-eyed and holding a can of beer, I asked him how long he had been serving Jesus, to which he replied, "Twenty-three years." "How old are you?" I asked. "Twenty-three. I have been saved all of my life."
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THAT really burns me up! NOT that HE would think that he was saved, but that SOMEONE ELSE probably told him that he was. Some parent, grandparent or pastor had convinced this young man that he was going to heaven---when in reality, his fruit said that he was bound for hell.
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He couldn't point to a time that he repented and asked Christ to save him. He couldn't recite ONE scripture and when I pressed him about his knowledge on "reaching young people" he admitted that he had NEVER personally led anyone to Jesus---but was convinced that heaven was eagerly awaiting his arrival! What has this "religion-without-repentence" generation created? Answer: counterfeit christianity.
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I took the time to explain the Gospel of Christ and the message of the Cross, but the true Gospel proved too demanding for his perceived easy-believism and he walked away like the rich young ruler that Jesus spoke to---sorrowful, because he had much that he didn't want to give up to follow Christ.

J.D. heard Pastor Terry call out a man who walked throught he crowd with his two young sons. The man was pointing out the girls who sold beer in the stands with very few clothes on them. His sons were only about 10 & 12 years old and he was already roping them into a life of lust, bondage and sexual immorality. Pastor Terry called him out by saying, "How can you feel okay about exposing your children to this filth." The man continued on his way---dragging his sons to hell with him.
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J.D. came up to me and said, "I have been a Christian for five years and Jesus would never single anyone out like that." I quickly quoted to him 5-6 situations where Jesus DIRECTLY called individuals out which eventually came to the faith. I told him how Jesus would "leave the 99 and go to the ONE---or would "single someone out."
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I soon found out that this man was still bound by alcoholism and lust. He had been told that when God wanted him to be free then He would do it. I shared with him the message of the Cross. That Jesus came and died and rose again to provide for his freedom. Soon the conversation changed and you could see that this man was "undone" in his own sin and "singled-out" by the Holy Ghost as a deep conviction came upon him. I was able to pray for him and set up to meet with him in the future (he lives 2 1/2 hours from me).
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These are just a few of the examples, or should I say this is the fruit of the Modern Gospel. They were convinced that they were okay--but soon realized, because of the Word of God and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit---and don't forget---a witness that would be willing to share the TRUTH.
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2 Timothy 4:1-5 "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."