I have been reading a book, Almost Christian, by Kenda Creasy Dean.  It is a profound book.  It is a book that has named the power that has infected so many churches and is draining the spiritual power that true faith gives to a believer.  It is called Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.  Moralistic Therapeutic  Deism is a bigger threat to the church than secularism or atheism have ever been.  It is such a danger because of its seemingly benign nature.  It says a Christian is good, is nice, and believes God is there to help just when we need God.  It does not deny the cross, it just makes it not matter.  It does not deny the doctrines of the faith it just makes them not matter. 

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is about religion for us, a deceptively selfish, self-centered view of faith that caters to us rather than calling us to living a holy life for God. It is solidly rooted in our materialistic, consumer culture.  It is a theology of compromise to convenience.  It does not call for sacrifice, for radical love or the importance of service. 

I am convinced more than ever we are in one of the most difficult times of persecution the Church has ever faced.  The most frightening thing about this persecution is that it is self-inflicted and self-administered as we allow it to push true faith toward seeming irrelevancy. 

We must grow in grace and strength of the Spirit is we are to preserver.