| Has America moved past the point of no return to | | | | descending darkness; we must ask for God's |
| God? Is our nation experiencing a fadeout into | | | | forgiveness for contributing to it, consecrating what little |
| darkness by having departed from Him? This author | | | | time is left us to His service as Heaven's nightshift |
| thinks so. He welcomes your opinion, and will be | | | | workers. Past generations experienced powerful |
| overjoyed to be proven wrong in his opinion of | | | | revivals to call the people to God. Jonathan Edwards, |
| America's fadeout into darkness. | | | | Wesley and his fervent Methodists, Charles G. Finney, |
| Most of us have seen it, those fadeouts with which | | | | Dwight L. Moody, and the Pentecostals of past |
| movie and television producers conclude a scene. The | | | | decades, among others, were all agents of the Holy |
| scene gradually fades into darkness before the | | | | Spirit, used to recall their respective generations back |
| following scene blends in. This is appropriate for | | | | to God. At times, entire communities including major |
| movies, but not for a nation. Perhaps I puzzled you | | | | cities were shut down, as the Holy Spirit preformed His |
| with that last statement; after all, how does an entire | | | | work in the hearts of the people. |
| nation fadeout into darkness? That's a good question, | | | | Our generation looks back with longing to those days, |
| but answer is saddening, dispiriting. | | | | wondering why we haven't been empowered with |
| A nation's fadeout into darkness doesn't occur | | | | such a revival; why we haven't experienced even the |
| overnight. It takes generations, centuries - sometimes | | | | initial smoldering of such a spiritual awaking. But we did |
| millenniums, as in the histories of several ancient | | | | have the smoldering of an awakening intended to |
| empires. The society gradually decays from within. The | | | | initiate such a revival. We did experience the flicker of |
| original foundations that once made it strong weaken. | | | | such a revival. Descending from heaven, the spiritual |
| There may be attempts by conservative leaders to | | | | spark fell upon youth who labeled themselves, "The |
| strengthen them; however, grassroots conservatives | | | | Jesus People." It ignited into a flame, enkindling Christian |
| shake their heads, sigh, give verbal consent to these | | | | businessmen who, cultivating the blaze, used it to burn |
| leaders, and go about their business as usual. It's | | | | through sectarian partitions with an emphasis on being |
| lamentable that Bible believing Christians seem to | | | | Born Again and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The |
| predominate among these sighing head shakers. | | | | blaze appeared destined to ignite a revival at least |
| The fadeout deepens, and the darkness grows more | | | | rivaling, if not eclipsing, those of yesteryears. However, |
| intense. Tag me a pessimist, if you will; should you do | | | | the by in large rejection of the Jesus People by many |
| so, it's with good cause. I confess I am pessimistic | | | | church denominations, materialistic greed, personal |
| about the future of our nation. I believe America is fast | | | | ambition, carnality, and unacknowledged spiritual |
| fading out into darkness. I'll not bore you with | | | | immaturity quenched the work, stumbled many |
| evidences of this. No doubt you're aware of them, | | | | newborn Christians, and brought evangelism (especially |
| have clicked your tongue in exasperation over them | | | | of the televised variety) into mockery and disrepute a |
| and done nothing. Perhaps you haven't even prayed | | | | costly comment on the anemic state of the |
| regarding them. Suffice it to say, the old foundations | | | | contemporary American church. Only eternity can |
| have mostly disintegrated; we are well into the fadeout | | | | reveal what might have been had not the fadeout |
| process. | | | | occurred. |
| The next scene is about to begin! | | | | Despite what some may claim, no hint of a revival of |
| Since it is my pessimistic opinion that America has past | | | | national proportions emerges on America's spiritual |
| the point of no return with God, and understanding | | | | horizons. And, should such a revival still be possible, as |
| through Scriptures what lays ahead for a nation that | | | | believers, we have not prepared ourselves to receive |
| forgets God, I grieve! Yes, I grieve! I grieve for the | | | | it. We know what we should be doing, but seem too |
| liberties we are loosing, I grieve for the demise of the | | | | preoccupied to do it! As a result, even the "mercy |
| last bastion for the spreading the Gospel throughout | | | | drops," enjoyed by those long ago hymnist, D. W. |
| the world, I grieve over the corruptions within the | | | | Whittle and James McGranahan, no longer " . . . round |
| clergy, I grieve over the pulpits across which the true | | | | us are falling." After all, we are not pleading for |
| Gospel no longer is preached, I grieve over Christians, | | | | showers of blessing. |
| pastors, evangelists, politicians, husbands, wives, senior | | | | Revivals are generated through confession, |
| citizens, and everyone else, who seem unaware of | | | | repentance, prayer, and fasting. Overall, the American |
| how close to the end we are. But I especially grieve | | | | church is not a praying church, much less one that |
| for our children. | | | | fasts, so the fadeout into darkness progresses. Soon, |
| What kind of future are we bequeathing them? | | | | only those who have within themselves the light of life |
| If I weren't so pessimistic about the future, I would say, | | | | will be able to navigate the narrow road, guided by the |
| "God has America under His control." However, should | | | | still small voice of their Pilot. Those not so illuminated |
| I do so, my pessimism surely would respond, "Yes, | | | | and directed shall fall by the wayside, sad victims of |
| that's so, but God also had ancient Israel under His | | | | the Laodicean spirit so prevalent in the churches. |
| control. Still, because of Israel's disobedience, He | | | | Given a continuance of the current societal climate in |
| permitted the Babylonians to conquer the nation. | | | | the nation and the impoverishing spirit of Laodicean |
| And Israel experienced a fadeout into darkness. | | | | carnality in the churches, it is not inconceivable that, in |
| I realize I should conclude this pessimist article on an | | | | the not too distant future, those who desire to remain |
| optimistic note. But how can I when I already have | | | | true to the Jesus Christ will face persecution, prison |
| confessed my opinion that our nation has past the | | | | and martyrdom, as many of our fellow believers |
| point of no return with God? How can I when God | | | | already do in other nations. |
| drew His line in the sands of history, in essence | | | | If you're a casual, non religious reader of this article, it |
| warning the nation to not step over the line into | | | | should give you pause for serious reflection. It should |
| immorality, mockery of His Word, religious corruption, | | | | drive you to receive Christ Jesus as your savior. And, |
| and vile social sins? | | | | if you're a born again Christian, this article should drive |
| And America stepped over the line! How grievous! | | | | you to your knees in prayer. |
| Each of us must confess our contribution to the soon | | | | |