By HERB EVANS, Ltt.D.

157 PATTIES PLACE

PORTERSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA 16051

E-Mail: herbevans@juno.com

America loves sin, that is indisputable. Nevertheless, America is no different than other nations that forget God and that wallow in sin. What is worse is that America's churches are into loving sin. Check out the following headlines from Abom.com, and then, tell us that America is not sin sick and that she does not need to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrha.

Abomination Headlines

From Abom.com

America Has

Forgotten God

The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. – Ps. 9:17

. . . a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked. They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image. Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.  They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt; Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea. Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. -- Ps. 106:18-23

Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. – Ps. 50:22

When Christians turn to sin and idols, be sure of one thing; they have forgotten God and His wonderful works.

Asian, African, and European problems have abounded for years. Why? Because of their rampant sin and lack of the fear of God! We are next in line, so why should it be a surprise to us? If God did not spare His chosen nation, what makes you think that he will spare America? Do we believe God's threats above? Yes, God threatens folks and warns them, in case you have lace on your drawers.

America can be torn to pieces and turned into hell as easily as the other nations. The only thing saving us is that God seems to be dealing with the worst offenders first. Yes, we are next in line, and we have no Moses to intercede for us. Oh yes, Christ will intercede, if we repent. IF!

America No Longer

Fears God

The world's trade center and the devastating hurricanes have not caused America to fear God, except for about a week afterwards, due to shock.  Why New York? Why New Orleans? Because the fear of God was not in those places in a major way. 

America And Her Churches

Are Mocking God

But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. – 2 Chron. 36:16

I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; -- Pro. 1:26

Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour. – Pro. 14:9

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. – Gal. 6:7

America and her churches are mocking God. They are mocking God in their:

1.   Sinful values

2.   Sinful dress

3.   Sinful music

4.   Sinful morals

5.   Sinful behavior

6.   Sinful bibles

7.   Sinful churches

8. Sinful association

Of course, it was all prophesied that men would become worse and worse, but have we reached the point beyond "remedy?" We are persuaded that America’s judgment has been delayed dozens of times due to God’s long suffering. But be sure that God is not mocked, and our country and our churches will be reaping what they have sown, if they do not repent.

Christian Churches In

America -- Sin Is In The Camp

A report by Don Jasmin in two recent issues of the Sword of the Lord has the following excerpts. It concerns a recent three day meeting of the International Baptist Network (IBN) which was called The Global Connection Conference.

In case you are not familiar with it, IBN is a coming together of the Bible Baptist Fellowship, The Southwide Baptist Fellowship and the World Baptist Fellowship. The latter group is very ecumenical and the other two have many who have much in common with New Evangelicalism.

Christians mutually affect or influence one another and their country for bad or for good. Yet, why such apathy, compared to by gone days, while our enemies triumph? Why is it so hard to get Christians and preachers concerned about the real spiritual problems?

Why did Jonathan Edwards merely read a sermon and revival broke out, while we can spit, sweat, sputter, yell, walk on the pews and pulpits, foam at the mouth, hand out prizes and candy, play and sing worldly songs, and end up with a hand full of air? Why? No perfecting of holiness.

Somewhere, along the line, we have been fed a bill of goods that holiness and "standards" are legalistic, unnecessary, or unscriptural. Gradually, as such a consensus grows, peer pressure and the fear of being branded Pharisees come into play until the more liberal, compromising brethren establish a worldly, unconcerned, apathetic, antinomian, majority that will not even support their own causes.

To be of a traditional, conservative persuasion is to be in the minority with these compromising brethren looking down on us radical, kooky, and discarded relics of the past from their point of view.

Oh yes, we know what the scriptures say about Christian liberty and how all things are lawful, but we also know that all things are not expedient nor consistent with holiness. The result has been a powerless people, who are losing spiritual battle after battle, a people without victory, who may just loose their country. Why? No perfection of holiness!

The Political Solution?

Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help . . . but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! -- Isa 31:1

We are a government of the people, and when the nation turns sour, government turns sour, and no good man can get elected with a majority of Hedonists and Nihilists without compromising.

Men, indeed, shall become worse and worse, regardless of what we do, except to get folks saved and to lead righteous lives.  Yes, sin is a reproach to any people, and Americans love sin. If you trust and go down to Egypt for help, seeking out political remedies, you will be sadly disappointed.

The former moral majority political efforts were a failure in the long run, and they had political numbers that exceed the new Conservatives. Politics will always be what they are--politics. Christianity will always be what it is —Christianity, and never the twain should meet, whether as a Christian State Church or a religio- politico party

Many of our freedom and constitutional brethren do not realize this and are seeking solutions through the ballot box and by organizing Christian/Conservative movements (usually ecumenical) against the ills of America. Now, some of these religious and politically right groups may delay the inevitable, and we are not against doing that, if they do not know how to do anything else, for we are in no hurry for what is coming upon us.

What really amazes us is that some of those crusading Conservative Christians, who crusade for freedom, constitution, and God and country, are just as sinful, dishonest, deceitful, immoral, corrupt, and un-separated as the secular world and government that they are fighting. No wonder they choose secular weapons.

The Election Results Are Of God Regardless Of Politics

If America was what she should be, under God, Teddy Kennedy would be forced to do a good job. As America is now, even George Washington or the early founding fathers would do miserable jobs. So shall we substitute political solutions for our spiritual failures like we substituted gimmicks and hot dogs for our soul winning failures?

Conservatives suppose that money, good campaigns, and politics are the solution for what ails America. Nevertheless, we are a government of the people and by the people, so when the people are lousy, the government is lousy.

Also, we cannot discount the judgment of God on America, for sin is a reproach to any people (and system).  God will give America what she deserves. We must teach our people scripture and scriptural precepts and not merely political agendas and precepts.

Having been sidetracked, myself, in the Moral Majority thing, the George Wallace campaign, and the Reagan campaign, I have recovered myself from political, pipe dream solutions. They do not work without a godly America. And America, at present loves sin.

We must not allow politics to sidetrack us from the spiritual warfare in which we are admonished to be engaged.  As Independents, we will continue doing the best we can against liberalism by voting for the most conservative people that we can find among the major parties. Still, if there are credible third party candidates, who stand a ghost of a chance of putting up some decent numbers, we will vote for them.

We must also consider the scriptures in regard to the unscriptural, ecumenical, religio/politico coalitions that have developed in recent times. Why were there no politics in the early Christian system? Why do we not find Jesus, Paul, and the early Christians preoccupied with politics in their wicked system? Where is the biblical injunction to do so? Be sure of one thing, God will give America what she deserves.

The Spiritual Solution

The American problem is a spiritual problem and must be dealt with spiritually and not politically.

In searching the scriptures, we find no political solutions to the problems facing the early Christians or us. Obviously, neither Paul nor Christians (the moral minority), under Nero, bothered themselves with politics. Christianity prevailed against the evil and corrupt Roman Empire without the Christians ever getting involved with politics or protesting.

If between 12 and 500 plus men can change the Roman Empire with the Gospel without political activism, it seems to me that their methods have to be the battle plan, if we are to have one.

In the scriptures, we do find prayer, preaching against sin, leading separated lives, witnessing, preaching the Gospel, and seeking Christian revival to be remedies and solutions for such problems.  Of course, the great fourfold spiritual solution is found in 2nd Chronicles 7:14, giving us the minimal four things necessary to heal our land, America:

Only THEN will God forgive America's sin and heal their land. Christian! Preacher! Revival is the only answer, but that does not appear to be on the horizon. So, we will just have to make the best of what we have left and preach to men as they are in season and out of season.

Let those who want to try to solve the problem another way alone to do what they can do; we are afraid that the "CAN" is not big enough, however. Politics and its carnal weapons are a negative energy drains for the Christian.

Our approach should be the local approach and not the Federal approach. All our efforts should be concentrated in our own local churches in our own communities. If the battle is to be won today, it will be won spiritually not politically.

The problem with seeking a "Christian/Political" or a "Religio/Politico" government is that if you ever could get one of those in these evil days, Baptists would not be allowed to preach unless licensed by the government’s particular brand of righteousness as had already happened in early New England (see O.K. Armstrong's book, Baptists that Built a Nation).

What happens if an atheistic type government allows religious freedom and the so called "righteous" government does not? It may be noted that righteousness exalteth a nation and not righteous or religious government.