Category: Churches/Church Response

Churches Need to Stop Practicing Willful Blindness toward the Wicked

On By Jeff CrippenIn Churches/Church Response6 Comments

There are those, even among Christ’s followers, that are worse than any one can imagine them to be, and lack nothing but opportunity to show it.” (Matthew Henry)

Matthew Henry, that great preacher and Bible Commentator of old, made this statement as he was commenting on Judas’ betrayal of Christ as set out in Matthew 26. I suppose that one reason the Lord included the details of Judas’ betrayal in Scripture was to educate us not to be naive. Judas! And the rest of the disciples, that inner circle of the 12, were shocked when Jesus told them one of them would betray Him.

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Most Local Churches are Actually Theater Stages for Performers

On By Jeff CrippenIn Churches/Church Response10 Comments

Isaiah 1:13-15 ESV  Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.  (14)  Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.  (15)  When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.

I want us to think carefully about what most churches look like. What I mean specifically is, how does the sanctuary (where the worship services are held) look? How is it arranged? What is the physical layout? Do you have the picture in  your mind?

Now, think about a theater. You know – a stage where performers perform. An audience out the in pews….uh….seats. Do you see a troubling parallel?

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The Abuser as the Invisible Man

On By Jeff CrippenIn Churches/Church Response10 Comments

Ephesians 6:12 ESV  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Recently I watched the newest movie version of The Invisible Man. NOTE: I do not recommend that just anyone watch it, particularly abuse victims. I can assure you that it will be very triggering because the plot concerns a very evil, narcissist/sociopath abuser whose wife is trying to escape from him. So I say again, this movie is not for everyone.

However, I was impressed with how accurately the script represented the domestic abuser, and how the victim’s family and friends refused to believe her. Elizabeth Moss did a very good job portraying this role.

But what I wanted to especially focus upon in this article is how it struck me that the invisible man is a very accurate image of the domestic abuser – especially the kind that pretends to be a holy, saintly, Christian. Let me explain.

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