UNRAVELING

This old writer received his undergraduate degree from the university 60 years ago, today. Today's college graduates do not realize that they are Marxist, Satan has them marked for his work. The world, flesh, Devil does not want them to have any common sense, spiritual, financial values. Most do not realize that 20% of today's American population, nearly 50 million, have always depended entirely upon government, never known the value of hard work, have just depended on the productive work of others and, it is not just poor whites or people of color. Children, heirs of the most affluent homes totally seduced by Satan to live a life of pleasure, non-conformity.

The best example I could ever give, a college roommate. Harry came from a small NC town where his family were the blue bloods, father a member of the legislature and Harry was elected to Congress, his wife, CEO of the large family business. When Harry's son, an only child, graduated from the university, he took some of the money – graduation gifts and purchased for himself a new Harley Davidson motorcycle. He really had no experience in motorcycle riding, just thought he would love the excitement of such.

His grandfather, always so proud to show him off before his fellow legislators said to him, “I will give you back the cash you paid for that motorcycle if you will let me take a sledgehammer and destroy it.” Of course, this was the furthest thing from his mind, he went tearing off down the highway, hit a railroad track the wrong way, went up into the air, killed instantly. It was one of the largest, saddest funerals in the history of the town but he was dead and it led to the slow death of his grandparents and even his parent. The unraveling of many lives.

I was in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) where textile units are often under tents, entire groups - families manufacturing fabric. I saw one of the threads of a large tapestry on which a group was working, get tangled in a bicycle wheel, the boy leaving rapidly on the bicycle, unraveling - destroying an entire piece of fabric, many days work.

One hundred years from now, if America and the world survives, people will look back and say that patriotism and Christianity unraveled during the 20^th and 21^st centuries. Only one more blind than me cannot see what is happening, POLITICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY.

Jesus was outside the city of Jericho (the fortress city, first to fall in the promised land, still a vibrant city; the thing I remember most about Jericho, I bought the best oranges I have ever eaten there) a blind beggar Bartimaeus, because of the always present onlookers and even scorners of our blessed Lord, knew that Jesus was approaching the city. He had certainly heard of Jesus' healing ability, he began to cry, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark 10:47). Significant that Jesus asked him, “What would you have Me do?” The blind man replied, “Lord that I might receive my sight”. (Mark 10:51). Of course, as always, the scorners had tried to quiet him, they did not and do not understand what it is like to be blind. (This totally blind writer has often said, “Don't even try to imagine what it is like...even worse then than now, at least I have some modern conveniences.”) All disabled people depend on the mercy of God.

Just as God, in the Garden of Eden, asked the whereabouts of Adam, even though He knew where Adam was, Jesus knew the needs of this blind man. God always wants and expects honest – interaction with those who need and seek mercy. The scripture tells us that Bartimaeus seeing the sights of the world for the first time, followed Jesus (Mark 10:52). It reminds us of the crippled man who had laid begging by the temple, gate Beautiful, for 40 years. When he was healed by Peter and John, he was holding on to them leaping, praising God with them in the temple (Acts 3:8). The religious people who had passed these two disabled members of their fellow human race every day, for years, could not imagine the mercy and grace of “Jehovah God who heals”.

I well remember the first Billy Graham crusade, Madison Square Garden, New York City. I was there. It still amazes me that in my lifetime well meaning evangelists, Graham, Oral Roberts, Oliver Greene, preaching the doctrine of salvation, think that someone just walking the aisle, signing a card, takes care of the situation. Conversion, repentance, is a matter of heart, constant commitment. Evangelists, churches, busy counting numbers instead of making numbers count. Much like the girl at one Southern Baptist church, baptized on Sunday night, did not stay for worship service, instead went uptown to a movie. In one large American city, Cleveland, only one church with a Sunday night service (Alistair Begg). How many do you have on Sunday night, Wednesday night, the times when you observe the Lord's Supper? Most Baptist churches must furnish a meal in order for “supposed” saved members to show up for a prayer service. How does your preacher dress, golf shirt – jeans – sneakers in the pulpit? Most stay in the golf house more than the church house. Perhaps a blind man playing golf might need them.

I send my seminary professor son fundamental publications such as “Sword of the Lord”. He said, “Dad, it is so wonderful to see pictures of preachers dressed in suits.” One of my friends told me this very morning that his assistant pastor was in the pulpit in shorts, flip flops, pullover golf shirt. When the pulpit goes the way of Baal, dancing to Satan's popularity, the congregation will not be far behind. The unraveling of the church.