About 50 years ago, I took my first visit to London, one of the world's greatest cities. I stood outside Buckingham Palace, thousands of acres right in the middle of the city, 775 rooms, 400 servants, a 40 acre garden, it's own post office, police station, and helicopter landing pad. Hundreds of horses to draw royal gilded carriages on special occasions, all just for one old royal couple (today, she is 85; he,89), human beings like the rest of us. But, this is not their only house, I have been in Windsor castle, the castle at Edinburgh.
This morning, millions of people around the world watched the nuptials in Westminster Abbey of William and Kate, future crowned heads of the United Kingdom, rulers of the British Empire, Canada, Australia, and many other places. They were married in Westminster Abbey before 1,900 invited guests, large screens set up across the city so that the peasants could watch the affair on television.
Incredibly, thousands lining the streets, turned on by the sounds of horses' hooves, trumpets and cathedral bells. The couple had been living as man and wife for many months, little is known of the bride's family, but we do know that William's father was a philanderer, and so, evidently, was his mother.
Evil has been so glamourized, not just here in America, but around the world. Lifestyles have been downplayed, the seven deadly sins have been downplayed. We don't consider pride, anger, envy, lust, laziness, gluttony or greed as sinful in this world of cellphones and credit cards.
One of my friends here on the coast enjoyed fishing, he also enjoyed sleeping late. Over the years he had discovered the best place in the sound for catching fish. So every morning around 10, he would go out in his boat and catch a good number of fish, enough for his family and some to sell, returning home around 2 in the afternoon. Then, he and his wife would have a siesta, the children would get home from school around 3:30, he would play ball with his sons, and the family would eat around 5-6 in the afternoon. One of his friends said, “why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish, many fish markets would be glad to buy them?” My friend said, “and then what?” He said, “ then you would make enough money to buy new boats, hire new people and then catch more fish.” My friend said, “and then what?” He said, “then you could start selling fish all over the state, up and down the sea coast. You could become a rich man.” My friend said, “and then what?” He said, “after you became a rich man, you could retire, sleep late, go out just what you want to and have a siesta with your wife.” My friend said, “and then what?” He said, “you would die a rich man.” My friend said, “and then what?”
America is known for ordinary men ruining their health trying to obtain wealth, then using their wealth to try and regain their health. David Rockefeller, one of the world's richest and most powerful men, leader of the Bilderbergers, is in a wheelchair, his rich brothers died in poor health. The Vanderbilts, Astors, Fords made great fortunes, climbed over other people to get ahead, but most died in poor health. Remember, as you ogle the British royalty, they hauled back all the valuable marbles from the Acropolis in Greece. They took back gold and jewels, riches beyond compare, from India and other areas of the empire, as the natives in these places shrivel with hunger. There is nothing wrong with wealth, nothing wrong with making money, as long as you follow God's principles of living and giving.
Woe in the scripture means “pitiful”. The prophet Habakkuk tells us the very valuable lesson (Habakkuk 2). First, pitiful is he that increases that which is not his (disreputable business practices). Second, pitiful is one with evil covetousness in his house, so that he might be better than others (the man whose house is on a hill so he can look down on his poor neighbors). Third, pitiful the one who builds a city with iniquity (the crooked politician). Fourth, pitiful the one who gives his neighbor strong drink (those in the liquor business, state-controlled or not). Fifth, pitiful the one who worships idols of wood and stone (anything that consumes your time, even the television and the computer).
From the beginning of time, I do believe, because of the conscience instilled in all of us, men have tried to do right. The Old Testament is filled with the keeping of Jewish law. At the Jewish Passover, Jewish priests would slaughter, as a sacrifice, 250,000 sheep, blood would be up to the priest's ankles. The New Testament church preaches sin's ruin and Christ's redemption.
Yesterday, David Wilkerson, one of America's best known preachers, author of The Cross And The Switchblade was killed in a highway disaster. Every time I passed by, or went into, the church he founded in Times Square in New York City, and today, I realized and do realize that God has blessed humanity with real messengers of deliverance, delivery from doubts and fears. Politicians spend their time and efforts trying to get reelected, pastors spend their time and efforts putting on a front, merchants spend their time and efforts in survival, educators and social workers spend their time and efforts in man-made solutions to Satanic evils. We, who claim the name of Christ, live by faith and must spend our time and efforts with those of faith.
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