hawking the Kingdom

I was perusing a Christian site today, and I noticed the ads by Google. I realize anybody's ads can be plopped there, but this one said, "How strong in your faith? Take our test." I was curious. How would they base this test. On belief without sight? On overcoming struggle with continued loyalty for Jesus? On persevering upstream within a culture or country that despising them or persecutes them?

So I clicked on the link. I was greeted with schmaltzy music, and green scenery. My four year old daughter asked if I got to the Shrek site. I said "no".

The first question said, “How often do you attend church? Weekly? Molnthly? Yearly? I can’t remember? The second question said, “How often do you pray? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Yearly? I can’t remember?

Just when I thought they were basing faith, the inward journey and personal walking hand and hand with God on a few random outward measurements, they asked for my cell phone number to text me bible quotes, to help me. They were reeally for a bible quote resource service for $5.99 per month.

I doubt this would bolster my faith. This thing only tears away my faith in Christians for sure. Why the sales pitch to make a buck using God and finding wholeness as the bait?

They did test my faith like they promised, but only by their lack of godly scruples. “How strong is your faith?" was their opening pitch line. Well, it’s strong enough to know I don’t need bible quotes sent to my cell phone to help me out of a jam, for $5.99 per month.

I know Jesus didn’t come to make a religion like the one I so often see before me. He wasn’t a gimmick. He wasn’t hawking God, or peace and security with him. Are Christians who are hawking the Kingdom really interested in anything Jesus had to say, or what he was about? It's a giant misadventure by missing the point.