August 9, 2007

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Where have all the Christians gone? I wish I were writing this paper to give you an answer to that question. I feel that it is one of the most important questions of the day.

What prompts me to ask the question? One thing is the dismal approval performance rating that our news media shows for President Bush. Obviously many Christians are negative about his performance. Christians should be 100% positive to give him support. He is not ashamed of his salvation and refers to it frequently. That makes me believe that he regularly prays to Almighty God asking for wisdom and direction in the decisions he makes. That’s the kind of leader I want

What's the alternative we have today? One who promotes homosexual relations, same sex marriages, abortion on request, disregard of our constitution, opposition to preaching the Bible, etc.

Where have all the Christians gone? I'm sure you have heard the illustration of frogs and hot water. If you put a live frog in a bucket of boiling water it will thrash around, scream, and struggle until it escapes or dies trying. On the other hand, if you put one in a bucket of comfortable temperature water and slowly heat it, it will continually swim around until it dies. I'm afraid that too many Christians are swimming around in luke warm water not realizing what danger they are in. We may be taking the biblical teaching of loving and caring for our enemies too literally and not fighting for God's work to be accomplished.

I understand that 11 of the 12 original apostles were martyred. Surely it was not because they were complacent and did not resist ungodly government and leadership. They resisted and struggled until death. Today there is not much physical opposition to the Christian in the United States. Perhaps it's because the followers of Satan feel that we are weak and powerless and not worth getting aroused over.

Where have all the Christian leaders gone? A writer by the name of Josiah Holland once penned:

God, give us men! A time like this demands;

Strong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready hands;

Men whom the lust of office does not kill;

Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy;

Men who possess opinions and a will;

Men who can stand before a demagogue

And damn his treacherous flatteries without winking;

Tall men sun crowned, who live above the fog

In public duty and in private thinking;

For while the rabble, with their thumb-warn creeds,

Their large professions and their little deeds,

Mingle in selfish strife. lo! Freedom weeps,

Wrong rules the land, and waiting Justice sleeps.

Are there any leaders left in our Federal, State and local government and church pulpits that have these qualifications and can provide leadership to us commoners, or are they all swimming in the warm water?

Where have all the praying Christians gone? ]n a way our Nation was founded in a prayer meeting. Representatives of the thirteen original states had assembled to draw a constitution for our new nation, but things weren't going well. It actually looked like they were going to fail.

Then Benjamin Franklin stood up and proclaimed, "I have lived a long time sirs, and the longer I live the more convincing proof I see that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it possible that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, sirs, in the sacred writings that except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. I believe that firmly, and I also believe that without His aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.”

From that point on, significant progress was made.

If we prayed for our leaders as much as we criticize them perhaps our nation would be more united and more godly. Not long ago most evangelical churches had active, vibrant and well-attended prayer meetings. Many of them are gone now and those that still exist are fortunate to have 10% of the Sunday morning crowd attend. Where are all the rest of them? Are they all swimming in the comfortable warm water unaware of the fate that lies ahead?

Where have all the good things gone that made our country great? Over a hundred years ago a French statesman toured America. When he finished his trip he wrote a book about it. He said, "I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there-in fertile fields and boundless forests, and it was not there-in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there-in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution and it was not there. Not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great".

What if that Frenchman could retrace his steps today? What would he find? Sin is rampant in our churches today. Preachers are compromising their view of right and wrong and even supporting evil activities. Would he say, "America has ceased to be good, America has ceased to be great".

Where have all the Christians gone? I do have one thought about this. They are swimming around contentedly in the warm water, waiting for heaven. They feel that their eternity in heaven is secure so why exert themselves in a struggle here on earth. After all, aren't Christians supposed to suffer here on earth but it is as nothing compared to the glories of eternity in heaven.

I'm afraid that today, by far, the majority of Christians do not have a concern for the lost souls in the world, even our next-door neighbors. There are some huge churches today, but do people go there just to ease their consciences and hide in the crowd so they don’t really have to serve? Sure, there are a few true evangelists, some missionaries, some pastors who are true to preaching the gospel and opposing the forces of evil and even some lay people who stand up to be counted as witnesses for God. But are they enough to keep our Nation a Godly Nation?

…I doubt it.

Bob Haarer

Bob is a retired Ford Motor Company executive.