The Big Swindle

The Big Swindle

I was looking for love in all the wrong places
Looking for love in too many faces
Searching their eyes looking for traces of
What I'm dreaming of

"Looking for love"-Johnny Lee

            So unreasonable, defying human understanding, does not make sense, the creator of the universe, sovereign, omnipotent, omnipresent, designer of the magnificent rose, the cell structure of an ant, actually loving his creation enough to send his only son to die for sin-healing, past, present, future of the entire world, to have his hatred-wrath toward sin and disease heaped on him as a sacrificial atonement. Then to think that most do not pay any attention at all to this free gift of salvation-redemption. That many, having believed, turn away, bewitched by the world, flesh Devil. That many just do a good job pretending. That most of the world's population cling to their own wisdom, their own plodding-plotting lifestyle.

            A banker friend of this writer, a great music talent that did not choose it for a career, had a concert organ in his home. Often, when the organist at St. Stephan's Episcopal church would be away from the church-organ for some reason, he would be asked to fill in at the keyboard. The pastor told him, "We do not want to hear any music about sin, blood."

            This writer was told at one civic club, by the president who had asked him to speak, "Now remember Tom, we know you are a committed Christian. We do not offend our membership-a dualistic group. Please do not talk about sin or discipleship." The same thing was said to me once before giving a graduation address. This civic club had the motto, "Service before self." You see we have become a civilization mocking the power of the divine, rather looking for love-power-satisfaction "in all the wrong places".

            For 1,950 years, churches have preached the gospel-good news of salvation. God told us that the upward struggle toward eternity in Heaven prepared for his chosen, would be a struggle....that the rapid slide downward into Hell, would be quick and easy. The persecuted church grew just as the persecuted groups in China and other "anti-Christ" places grow today.

            As a young Christian, young university student, coming from poverty, the poor country church, having been thoroughly exposed to the smiling weak recruits of revival services, most not knowing or studying what they had become involved.  Most "supposed" Christians showing a wimp, timid, tepid, meek, discipleship, along to see solid, CONFIDENT believers, men and women, people of gravitas who knew and were willing to defend their faith, who were successful in the eyes of the world.  

            How happy I was to observe professors (PhD's) of chemistry, pharmacy, zoology, physics, etc. active in the university Baptist church. How happy I was to observe men with large bank accounts, store owners, factory owners, teaching The Bible and defending their faith. I well knew that Jesus and his disciples owned nothing. That his disciples were unlearned men. "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). In those country churches, the dirt roads where I had sold Bibles in the summer, I had witnessed real Christianity, I had known those who had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who loved the word of God.  But, still, it is good to know that there are those in the professions, business, academia, who have climbed the ladder to success in their chosen fields, but know the CERTAINTY of salvation. This writer so admires the "alpha Christian," male or female, standing tall, wearing the whole armor of God, not backing up one inch in warfare, against the world flesh Devil, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]" (Ephesians 6:12). They are out there, not all preachers have bowed to political correctness, not all men of wealth and position have bowed to popularity. Most denominations, and I'm sorry to say including the Baptists, have succumbed to the attacks of Satan's forces seeking rather to "be fair" with sinners, the gay agenda crowd, the "end justifies the means" crowd, Madison Avenue techniques rather than the hardcore, unrepentant instructions from a holy God.... "Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16).

            The brand new, resurrected soul has a need for God's guidance and has a need for a guide to get him around the post of his new found walk. It is more than talk, even forgiveness. The new birth, the old man of sin and rejection moving out, the righteousness of Christ moving in, new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), grace, faith (action based on belief sustained by confidence), causes one to stand tall, the greatest joy of the universe, just to know, that you have been chosen by God before the very foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) to spend eternity with him, that he will showcase you-parade you around Heaven for all eternity as his own.

            This writer was around during the worst of segregation, Jim Crow-ism. Still, there were African Americans (blacks) who stood tall, knowing that the color of their skin, the plight of cultural deference did not disparage their convictions as a child of God. There are not many R.G. LeTourneau's, John Templeton's, Ben Carson's left among us, men of wealth and influence who hold up the banner of Jesus Christ. God needs transformed persons of faith not those conformed to the world (Romans 12:2). Give our young boys and girls even from Christian homes, heroes of the world as well as heroes of scripture to talk and sing about.