Maturity

This week, I had an appointment at the Veteran's hospital (Durham, NC), any time I am at a veteran's hospital, I am humbled by the men and women who are there. The veterans, who have given so much and asked so little. Things have improved in recent years, but generally speaking, the abrasive, callous attitude of the employees in government facilities, never ceases to amaze me. Most of these people have jobs because of political party, skin color, or cronyism. The greatest shame of this nation, next to slavery, is it's treatment of disabled veterans and handicapped citizens.

On returning to my city, my driver stopped to fill my car with gas, a car drove up, blocking our exit. Four young black males, and one young white female got out of the car to get something from the store, leaving their blasting radio on. Every other word in the music was profane, the f-word over and over. My driver said, “I don't want you to be forced to listen to this, I am going to say something.” I said, “don't say a word, people with this little sense and rage, had just as soon hit you as look at you.”

I ask you, as I ask myself, what has happened to our world? Was that just a sign of immaturity, or was it an indication of the senseless lack of education, and proper rearing? But, every veteran at that hospital, every warrior in every war, including the present. Has fought for the right of these young people to destroy themselves. I believe this slide into decadence began around the end of WWII. Mothers had left the home to work, fathers had become less family-oriented, educators and society had become politically correct, afraid to offend anyone (if it feels good, do it). Most striking, the loss of the influence of the church, it seems to me that believers become more concerned with what people thought of them, than what God knew about them. Believers became more attached to personalities than to the Person. Then until now, more emphasis on preachers in the pulpit, organization of the church, than the Reason for the church.

I remember the funeral of Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the Foursquare church, now headquartered in California, now 8 million members worldwide, started small. When she died, there was an outpouring of grief from her members, many cars loaded with flowers, escorting the hearse to the cemetery. Her expensive casket was so heavy that rest stops had to be taken. Often, with these church and cult leaders, it was all about them.

Recently, the funeral of Senator Kennedy in Boston. A man who supported abortion, same-sex marriage, every Democrat corrupter and corruption, the one who left a young women to drown in his car as he rushed back to his hotel to initiate his defense for his drunk driving. Yet, at his funeral, Catholic hierarchy, praising him.

I was in New York City, Madison Square Garden, for the first Billy Graham crusade. Another doctor friend and I stayed at the Sloan house, YMCA, because there were no hotel rooms available in the entire city. I thought, how economical, just preaching the Gospel, giving an invitation, and people signing a card. The economy of simplicity, little talk of repentance or redemption, just go on your merry way, the security of heaven.

Church membership has become the Goliath facing God's warriors today, not unlike the Valley of Elah, where David slew him. Smiling, unchanged, people just walk the aisle and sign a card think that church membership is a one-way ticket, most do not understand the initial ordinance of the New Testament church, baptism. It is surprising how many people have never participated in the second ordinance of the New Testament church, the Lord's Supper.

I have one friend who asks everyone he meets, a question most important to him, “which church do you belong to?” The church is just a building, a meeting house, the real church is not an organization but an organism, and until a human organism has a one-to-one, heart-to-heart experience with almighty God, leading to repentance, leading to a filling of the Holy Spirit, leading to baptism by immersion. Leading to showing a complete change, new creation...wanting to study, grow in discipleship, willing to give tithes and offerings, I have doubts about salvation. Soul winning is a serious business, Christ told them to occupy until I come. (Luke 19:13) He was not talking to cowards, the world, and, I am sorry to say, many church-people do not respect anyone. And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it. (Habakkuk 1:10)

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, deceivers, pretenders; children of the devil have largely taken over the churches. Just as only one thing can destroy the New World Order, only one thing will preserve the Christian church: Christian faith.

It was not until Barry Goldwater's In Your Heart You Know He's Right, and John Stormer's None Dare Call It Treason, that I got a real understanding of what is happening in America. I was a speaker for Dr. Fred Schwarz's Anti-Communism Crusades. As Communism weakened in other parts of the world, it had strengthened here. As Christianity has strengthened in Communist countries, it has weakened here. When will Americans mature enough to realize what has happened to their country.