"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness." ...... Romans 1:18 ... First, a reminiscence ...... I grew up in America back in the 1950s when this nation was basically confident, prosperous and overflowing with life and unlimited opportunity. .. People were patriotic and our culture was strong and essentially moral. .. America was the undisputed leader of the world, not just militarily and economically, but in terms of freedom and generosity. .. Perfect no, but a good place to live life. .. Fast forward to today ..  America has become a totally different country - deeply divided, unable to deal with crises foreign & domestic - the world's greatest debtor nation with some 50 million people on food stamps - rampant divorce & family breakdown - unprecedented moral & sexual anarchy with 110 million with STDs - almost 60 million abusing alcohol & 70 million taking mood-altering drugs ..... and we wonder ...... and think of this .. it has all happened in just a little over a half-century! ... One can attribute many reasons for this dramatic fall from grace, but the one I want to briefly focus upon today is the Church's role in this societal debacle. ..  Not long ago, mainstream Christianity was pretty much the dominant mindset of the American way of life. .. Folks were, for the most part, following the basic teachings of the Holy scriptures. .. But then, along with all the social changes taking place, so, too, the Church joined in. .. We now see a totally different landscape.  .. So what has evolved? .. Needless to say, a total 'spiritual' disaster! .. What has taken place in this transition is a rash of false doctrine & teachings that have totally contributed to the obvious demise of this once-great nation. ..  Allow me to list just a few examples ... *The 'Emergent Church movement - A doctrine totally dismissing any judgement or consequences for one's actions. .. There is no hell .. no sin .. only enlightenment .... *Universalism - All will be saved & made happy in the future state ... *Humanism - Rejects all claims of the supernatural, or spiritual existence ... *Wealth/Prosperity Teaching - Get rich , especially if you 'tithe' the leaders (a quick glimpse of the New Testament reveals 22 specific verses that unequivocally denounce this nonsense) ... *Consumer Christianity - A lot like the 'Emergent Church' mentality where there is no judgement preaching/no consequences for a sinful lifestyle. .. The simple fact is that the churches, in their attempt to connect with modern society, have totally compromised Biblical truth. .. (The 'dumbing down' of historic Christianity into shallow entertainment in order to pamper consumers). .. One perfect example is the 'judgement preaching/no consequence' for sin elimination. .. What does the Bible say concerning this? .. Fact:  Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Paul, and Jesus ALL preached judgement in their messages. .. In fact, Hell is mentioned 12 times in the New Testament, 11 of which were by Jesus Himself! ... (Hey people! .. Hell does exist!) Simply. the 'itching ear' theology mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 has contributed greatly to the demise of America. .. History proves it! .. And you know what's really sad? .. Unlike the 50s,  we Bible-believing evangelical Christians are the ones the 'tolerant, inclusive' crowd can't tolerate! .. Here's what I consider a classic example of this scenario. .. While watching "The Voice" talent show on TV the other night, one of the contestants came out as 'gay.' .. When telling her story, she said she was raised in a Christian home & when she disclosed the fact that she was a lesbian, she was flatly 'disowned' by her family. .. Cutting to the chase, she came off as a vulnerable, neglected & rejected soul & her Christian family, in the eyes of the vast majority of those watching, became the intolerant, hateful representation of all that is supposed to be wrong with 'those Christian bigots.' .. They made a decision based upon biblical teaching and soon became the pariah for all to see. .. (How dare they!) ...... Anyway, you get the point. ... The sad truth is that in the Church's attempt to connect with modern society, they have compromised biblical truth in order to do so. .. And now we see the results. .. The brief aforementioned comparison of the 50's to now shows just how far we as a nation have fallen. .. We are witnessing first-hand the consequences for abandoning the truth of God's Holy Word. .. This nation is a living example. .. The Bible clearly tells us this .. "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days." .. (2 Timothy 3:1) .. Boy is that accurate! .. And here is another sad truth .. it's only going to get worse & worse before it is over. .. But now, here's the good part. .. All this 'human-created' mess isn't going to last very much longer! .. Hallelujah! .. Jesus Himself, as well as the prophets, foretold of these increasingly chaotic days & how they would intensify just before His triumphant return. .. People, these are the 'birth pains' Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:8. .. We were also told that there would be a strong & unwavering remnant in these last days that would come through these calamities & would stand strong for the whole truth of God's Word. .. Are you one of us? .. Are you strengthening yourself daily to withstand the 'roaring lion' (Satan) in his final attempts to destroy you? .. Trust me when I say, time is very, very short. .. Don't put off what IS the absolutely most important task facing you today. .. Put Jesus Christ first & trust in Him to 'deliver you from evil.' ..  Again, Hallelujah! ... Until next time, Red