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LOVE JESUS, HATE CHURCH |
DECEMBER 2006
Love
Jesus, Hate Church: Reformation
Another way to tell the world?
Jesus said, "We
must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is
coming when no one can work." John 9:4
Ah, just a couple more days and 2006 becomes
history. And, as "last newsletters of the year" go, let me close
the year out by sharing with you just a few of the hundreds of comments
we have received from those who have been impacted by the message of
Love Jesus, Hate Church.
Enjoy!
Note:
These are just a sampling from the last few months of 2006. Be
warned, colorful language ahead!
Loved the book! Lived through it. I'm a
pastor's wife and we have been through the rough stuff, including being
sued! It never fails the depths church members will go to hang onto
power! Thanks for your inspiring book and love for Jesus!
Finally! Bring it on!
I have been waiting for this my entire adult life. What a joy to
read the truth in print that I and others like me have known for years.
You are so brave, and correct! Who knew?
I think
this book may be the answer for me. After getting ready for church
again, and getting as far as the parking lot and turning around, again,
I admitted that I love Jesus and hate church. I used to be in church
leadership. I read my bible, pray, avoid all the stuff we are supposed
to avoid, and passionately encourage those around me, but I have one
huge flaw. I cannot seem to set foot in a church without an anxiety
attack. Fortunately, my adult children do not share the affliction.
Fortunately, also, you wrote this book. Thank you.
How I arrived at your website? It was by the hand of the Holy Spirit. He
still amazes me even after all these years.
Then, as I warned,
there are the rather colorful expressions that I received...
Hey!
You KICK ASS! I am a DTS grad, and am from Charlotte. I am in the
Coptic Orthodox Church and we love Jesus and Church, but I am SO down
with what you've got to say! PLEASE keep up your killer work.
Don't take any crap off of the phony-baloneys!
You weasel
of the Left Wing! You dare claim a love in Christ our Lord while
questioning and degrading his gift to us! HOW DARE YOU! You
do not love Jesus if you do not love what you call his "visible" church
and you are not a Christian unless you accept that you MUST confess and
express your Faith in the company of other Christians. Your
generalizations on Christians and the Church have proved enough for me
to take up this issue with my congregation. I will seek a boycott and an
elimination of this book in the bookstores I have seen it in. I
will also take up this issue with my elected members of Congress,
because your book was a blatant attack on my Faith and a misuse of 1st
amendment liberties. FOR SHAME!
And finally, the one that personally
blessed me the most...
I was
walking through a book shop in downtown Jakarta this afternoon and found
this book, the title appealed to me as I am one of those fish the church
has rejected. I purchased it and started reading and I can
honestly tell you that it has really moved something in my spirit.
I would describe myself as being all three categories
of those "who should read this book" types at some time in my life, more
recently I have become totally and utterly disillusioned with the entire
"GOD" thing and stopped even referring to myself as a Christian and
haven't really prayed in years let alone been to church.
You see for years now I have been saying much the same
things as this book says but was getting very frustrated and
disillusioned that I was seemingly powerless to change it. Truth
is, I am powerless. It's not my job, it's God's. For the first
time in many years I feel close to God again.
Praise God for Steve McCranie, you have brought
me back to my first love... Jesus. My eternal gratitude.
What more can be said? This is
the reason we wrote
Love Jesus, Hate Church and this is the reason we gladly take the flack
for it.
In closing,
let me share with you two final items. First, a video from some guys
that, in my opinion, really get it. You might want to check
out their website at
www.thechurchyouknow.com. Classic church stuff.
And finally, let me encourage you to download some of
the
Love Jesus, Hate ChurchPodcasts and forward them to anyone you know that might be
encouraged or strengthened by the
Love Jesus, Hate Churchmessage. These are free of charge
and we will be adding 8 to 10 new ones each month beginning in January
2007. Keep checking back or, better yet, why not just go ahead and
subscribe to the
Love Jesus, Hate ChurchPodcasts. It's free and painless. All you have to
do is click - HERE
Looking forward to a Christ-filled 2007!
Until next time,
Steve McCranie
"You know, this ain't the way church is suppose to be.
Something
must be wrong, bad wrong."
From the guys at
www.thechurchyouknow.com. Let me know what you
think.
Enjoy... and be troubled. Very troubled.
You know, Christmas. The crowded shopping Malls.
The extra five pounds we put on from boatloads of
cookies and cakes and peanuts covered with a caramel
glaze that we shove in our faces. Oh, and how
about all the Living Nativities and the Singing
Christmas Trees and the countless Christmas Musicals and
Cantatas that we sit through. Well, are you ready?
Really ready?
Is
that how we try to put Christ back in Christmas?
Setting: It's
late at night. You, your wife and your children
are asleep in your house after a very long and trying
day. Door locked. Alarm set. Ah, time
for some well-deserved rest.
Suddenly, there is a loud
knock at the door. Knock! Knock!
Knock!
"What the...?" you say to yourself. Knock! Knock! Knock!
It's a persistent knock! An annoying knock!
A knock that just won't go away.
"Who in the world could that be?" you ask.
Come on, don't get offended
by the My Butt part of the title. Geez.
And don't get all huffy at the picture, either.
But if you've really got your heart set on getting mad —
you know, if you're just dying to get your panties all
twisted up in a wad... well, then get offended... no,
get flat-out stinking, red-faced mad at what the church has
done to the love feast.Oh, you've never heard of
the love feast?
Really? That's kinda sad.
THANK YOU
for your support and comments on Love Jesus, Hate Church.
It appears this book has hit a nerve with many hurt, discouraged
and disillusioned church members.
Please feel free
to forward this email to as many as you believe would benefit
from the Love Jesus, Hate Church message.
Back2Acts
Productions 
Thank You!