(MN: Special Note - The next conference call will be held on 9 February, not this coming Saturday )
I like to use illustrations in the stuff I do, both here on the site and in teaching in general. I think I have an illustration that may help. I don’t wish to embarrass the person who wrote in (in fact I have already forgotten his or her name), but the request they made was too great an opportunity to make a point to let it pass unnoticed.
I am offering a book - for free. So far I have gotten 53 requests for the book. Each book costs me $4.00. Shipping is $2.07 for each book. That’s $6.07 per book. Or, for you Pentecostals out there, that’s $303.50 for the whole batch. And this isn’t counting the cost of shipping to get the books from 9Marks to my house.
I got a request that asked me to not only send a book to the requesting individual, but to please send one to a friend of their’s. At first, I considered it, not wanting to pay too much attention to the cost. But as I thought about it, I decided not to send the book out to the reader’s friend.
Do any of you know why I decided not to send the book to the reader’s friend?
Sorry, you took too long to answer.
One of the things I am trying to promote is the idea of YOU taking responsibility for your training, your decisions, and your work in the Kingdom. I urge you to walk away from the pimps who would attempt to convince you that they are the very voice of God, giving you direction in your life. I argue, cajole, jump up and down, holler, and reason in order to get you to see that you can and should do those things God would have us to do in order to promote the Kingdom of God. And sometimes (maybe even all the time) the work is going to require sacrifice. As Robert Heinlein, one of my favorite authors has pointed out: “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” Everything costs someone something.
What do you suppose that person who wants to get the book into the hands of a friend should do? That’s right!!! That person should go buy one and…now watch this, I know it’s not always something we think about…and GIVE it to their friend. Yes, the person who asked for a second book should be willing to make the sacrifice (about $8 if they order in through Amazon.com) and have the book delivered to their friend’s house.
If, after you read this book, you are as sure as I am that it is on the mark, and you want to have someone else read it, BUY A COPY FOR THEM, give it to them and have them read it.
If you think there are other books, or other events you believe would profit your friend with respect to spiritual maturity, sacrifice and pay for it for them. And expect nothing in return.
Most of us have, unfortunately, been so immersed in the usual definition and description of Christianity and the supposed role of the pastor, that we have forgotten not only how to act in obedience to the Spirit of God on our own, we have have virtually forgotten the very concept of acting on our own. Someone else has to do for us or tell us what we should do. At least so we think.
YOU are the church, not the building, not the pastor, not the deacon board or the evangelist. You should be going out and telling others about the Church and about Jesus Christ. And it will cost you to do that. Sometimes it will cost actual money (like buying a book) and sometimes it will cost you personally, in relationships, and in other ways.
Don’t expect me to do for you. If you want to get one of these books into the hands of a friend, then YOU should be the one to put it in his or her hands. To do less is to duck your responsibility as a Christian.
Hi Melvin,
I would like to have one of the books please. Thanks so much for what you are doing, not only giving away the books but warning the sheep about the false prophets through your website.
Amen!
The mega-churches are engorged with consumers. Some will disagree with me on this, but God ties blind consumerism with the road to hell. Consider the Beast and the False Prophet. The people in league with them will bear a mark to control buying and selling. The False Prophet is going to be selling a universal “new religion”, and a lot of folk are going to blindly buy into it.
The BBC did a documentary on Sigmund Freud’s nephew, Edward Bernays, who is considered the father of the Public Relations industry. Bernays saw that the depravity of man could be manipulated with psychological techniques in order to sell products. Bernay’s methods were very successful and have been expanded to politics.
I say that it has been expanded to religion. It is operating in the church growth movement. The Emergent church and the Pimps are using PR methods to spread their false gospel. People are buying into it, are they not?
I say the following to your readers, Brother Melvin;
Don’t take my word for it. Examine these things
yourselves. If you find them to be true, then get the word out. You have Internet access. The information is out there. The tools are freely available. What are you doing with them?
17 books left.
Good grief Mel…My hats off to you for dealing with this insanity…Let me lend a hand if I may…
Friends, seekers, drive-by posters, lend me your ears…How long must you fail to take advantage of the very same means of electronic communication that made it possible for you to request a copy of the book to investigate matters for yourselves??? I do not claim to have any worth or knowledge at all, other that what God in His sovereign grace has afforded me…In fact, many of you are certainly more skilled with the ivory keys than I would ever be…However, it appears that some of you are devoid of the understanding that a true treasure is something that you must search out…With that in mind, allow me to express this one tidbit of advice; if you happen not to be within the number of those who recieve a free copy of the book, fear not, or in the words of that noted philosopher and orator Bart Simpson, “Don’t have a cow dude (or dudette)”…a casual google search containing the words “9 marks” will land you at a place where you can not only get a crash course of what the nine marks of a healthy church are, but within each mark there are articles, free sermons and lectures that give great detail and discuss at length not only the necessity of finding a bible based church, but so many other issues that pertain to true doctrine and godliness. Technology, although it may have it’s negative implications at times, has afforded us the unique opportunity to have right at our fingertips the type of research that used to take years to come amass…Use those heads for something more than hair holders…
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.” (Hosea 4:6) ESV
Thanks for pointing that out, brah. I’ve been involved with their ministry for months now, and was confused as to the need for giving away books since their site has TRIPPLE the amount of info one could even need on what the “9 Marks” is about. But hey, if one wants a book, that’s cool too…..
First MN, glad your back, Secondly it’s wonderful that you’ve expressed the need for believers to be responsible; responsibility is the bedrock of adulthood. As I’ve often expressed their must come a time when believers mature beyond the aid of pastor daddy; as full grown adults believers must be able with the aided of scripture and God’s Spirit to discern right and wrong; not so much being accountable to man but as full grown adult’s responsible to God, The believer will lead a more productive Christian life, the body as a whole is stronger and better equipped to defend it’s self against the flesh and the powers of darkness.
So Sorry Melvin.
I AM the one (unless there was another) who requested an additional copy for a friend. I agree with your response mostly. But I AM also a person who has placed into the hands of many at my own cost various materials promoting the ‘true’ gospel as well as trying to get the sheeple out of the snare. But I stand humbled and corrected by you for asking for something additional free. You were generous to offer it at all. Thank You! I am awaiting my copy if you have sent it.
Your Friend and fellow Non Pimp…Ben
(MN: No problem. I wasn’t fussing at you or questioning your generosity. )
Thank You…I actually have a tear in my eye. I love you and what you are doing…Mean it!
Dear Melvin; I guess you decided NOT to send me the book after all. While you were quick to point out my possibly “ducking” responsibility as a Christian, you have not honored your word. I received {humbly}correction and apologized. But now I must question why you haven’t come through with only ONE copy promised???
Certainly I will look it up for mice-elf, but just wondering. Still Love You & mean it! B
(MN: No. It’s on it’s way. I think you were in the first wave of mailings. I will check the pile I still have and make sure it goes out to you. The vast, vast majority of the books have gone out.
Remember, I’m a procrastinator. Not everything happens as soon as I want it too. Though I can only lay the blame at my feet. )
Patience my dear Benny……….patience. Let’s keep in mind that Melvin does not support himself through this website. Quite the opposite,it costs him every month to keep it running.
So, rather than being able to sit home and allow this site and its peripheral duties to be the focus of his time, he has to get out and work every day like the rest of us (not to mention all the other things we all face that take our time).
Then, after doing all the other things we ALL do, he spends a great deal of time on the website and its maintenance and issues (including this book thingy). So, it may not wind up on the doorstep the day after the offer, but I’ve never known Mel to break his word. If he says you will get a copy, you can be sure you’ll get one (though it may have to wait until after the “Deep Space 9″ marathon on the Sci-Fi Channel.)
Mel doesn’t need me to defend him, but he’s my friend and I know he’ll never tell you what I just did. He’ll simply call himself a lazy slug and take the hit,and I don’t think that’s fair.
Besides, unless someone tells good people like you the situation, how are you supposed to know, right?? Be blessed Benny!!
Hi,
I know we’re not discussing “nuts on parade” right not but this is just so, so, sick……
http://whatlovetaughtme.com/
hi benjamin, lol @ mice-elf. this is right up my alley. i’ll be sure to use it. sorry, but i gravitate to things like this, lol.
Benjamin,
While you are patiently waiting, may I refer you to the website??? http://www.9marks.org/
I assure you that you will find identical concepts on both the website and in the book. In fact, you can use the expositional sermons and articles as a study help and in conjunction with the book when you recieve it. Also, be sure to check out the interviews that they have on there (the one with Eric Redmond is my favorite). I’m praying for your growth and maturity, and I also hope these golden resources assist you in finding a healthy church, if you’re not part of one already.
Solus Christus,
R4C
Hi Melvin! I got the book today - it went to my neighbor’s house and they were out of town for a few days. The devil is a liar and a defeated foe - trying to throw a curve ball but I’ve got the victory - I plead the Blood Of Jesus and take authority, etc, etc.!!!! (I just love using the ole christian jargon ha ha)! Thanks alot and I’m excited to read it.
I would like to buy the book. please reply.
(MN: Reply - if you want to buy it, try http://www.9marks.org [which is in no way connected to the Catholic Church, by the way]. )