Making the case that the American church has lost her prophetic voice, The Playbook puts forward a scriptural plan for its restoration.  Using a football motif, it prescribes a set of "plays" (i.e. biblical solutions) that are easy to understand, but hard to do.

Are you ready to be challenged?

I do hope so. Because you will be challenged. Here are the opening words of Carlton McLeod's new book, The Playbook: Five Strategic Plays to Restore the Prophetic Voice of the Church in America:

"What in the world happened to the church?  Where is her clarion call for righteousness?  Where is her authority?  Where is her courage to speak boldly into the critical issues of our day?  Where is her faith that the Word of God will not return empty? 

"'For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to thesower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.' (Isa 55:10–11)

"I submit, dear reader, that the church has lost her prophetic voice.

"We are at the point now where we can hardly discern the impact of righteousness on the nation.  As I write, over 53 million babies have been aborted in the United States of America since 1973.  States are enthusiastically voting for gay 'marriage' as easily as viewers vote for their favorite American Idol.  Humanism and her first cousin, Paganism, seem to reign supreme.  Government schools indoctrinate over 90 percent of American children to embrace perversity, evolution, ungodly sexuality, and immodest dress.  Television and radio are as raunchy as ever, and even Christian music and entertainment seem to have this love affair with the world. 

"Consider this: There are about 300,000 churches in America; 300,000 army outposts for Christ, the King and Ruler of the universe; 300,000 groups of elders who are boldly declaring God’s Words, right?  How in the world can 300,000 churches in a country of 30 million be doing this badly?  Has God abandoned us?  I don’t think He has.  Perhaps, we have abandoned Him."