They hone their oratory skills and know how to rivet the listener's attention through voice inflection, emotional projection and other acting techniques. They are very good at what they do.
However, I am convinced that the ones who capture the imaginations of their listeners are often charlatans who do not believe a word of what they preach. A good salesman can sell anything and even an insincere religion is a powerful convincer.
These people will bear higher scrutiny when they stand before God Almighty. They are either complete nonbelievers or utterly self-deluded. Either way, they are false to the core and more concerned about mammon than God.
Evangelicals would be better served to find a small church with a devoutly sincere pastor who will shepherd them according to Biblical principles. He (it should be a man - beware of woman pastors) should speak to congregation in a steady and genuine manner without shouting, hectoring and storming about the stage. Jesus only seems to have yelled when he was angry such as when he cleared the temple with a whip of cords or upbraided the falsely pious Pharisees.
More discipleship and Christian growth is achieved in one small group Bible study than ten Sunday services.
If the pastor doesn't know your name, you don't have a pastor.
bump
I totally agree
Amen to that. It can be life-changing; provided you get with some people truly grounded in the Bible, who do not view this as a social gathering around snacks, and who will vow not to gossip or divulge what they hear in prayer by others in the group. The group should be small, I would say 7 people max; but with some way of tapping new members if someone has to move away.
You may enjoy this documentary....
Derren Brown - Miracles for Sale
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYjgeayfYPI
Preach it, brother.
Wise words.
“If the pastor doesn’t know your name, you don’t have a pastor.”
AMEN!!!
What denomination are you?
When someone uses evangelical as a wide label....
Nothing personal
But it means they are likely uninformed....even though like u I distrust many TV preacher;;.
Evangical includes most baptists....half of Presbyterians.... methodists.....southern church of Christ..... all charismatics......all assemblies of God
About any Pentecostal......Lutheran Missouri synod (not the others which frankly I find many apostate)
Needless to say all these varying evangelicals I just listed...a partial list....do indeed vary a lot
As a southern Baptist.... evangelical to be sure.....we are quite different than tongue speakers and hands healers....and presbyterians.....and so forth
This broad label is usually pejorative
But really most Christian denominations spread the gospel and look to bring souls to heaven..
In other words evangelize to be born anew...
I think its usually an urban Catholic Episcopalian or Jewish outside looking in perspective on those wacky Evangelicals
I mean how many charismatics are media folks
Oddly most religion editors I see in big media are Jewish...makes for interesting but predictable musings
Agreed.