Dumb Idols - Spiritual Thoughts of Daniel J. Clausen

1 Peter 4:17-18   "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" John 14:15 "If you love me, keep my commandments." There are a lot of writings and blogs that pick on the church as a whole, some of it well-meaning, some of it is downright negative and inflammatory. However, they are not written without a cause. The American church is struggling. I say struggling, because, though numbers seem to be gained and lost with little net-change, the caliber of the believer's moral character is waning. So I hesitate to add to the chorus of critique, but we all must understand that such criticisms as this, for any well-meaning Christian, is out of concern, alarm, and even desperation. First, we must understand that the church is a body, a collection, comprise...

[Note: This post is in no way meant to be anti-marriage, but pro-celibacy. Neither is addressing this topic a reflection or thought of regret upon my own blessed marriage.] This issue may seem trivial to many, but I am committed to following the doctrine of the Lord - the whole counsel of it. Many are undisturbed by the differences of the apostolic church and our present day manifestation. Addressing this issue is simply to show another area where we err to our own detriment. Virginity in the modern secular world has become a badge of shame. One is made to feel unwanted, undesirable, and unattractive, or else called a "prude" or "stuck up". In the modern Christian world, virginity is merely the purgatorial state that one must endure before finding the "one" in marriage. God forbid, if they make it to 30 unmarried, there must be something wrong with them. Most Christian young people believe they are just waiting until the person God has for them shows ...