As for the "Older Generation," if you are one of the 1960s groupie culture left over, how about taking stock of your groupism, it isn't too late to change for the better. Do a reality check on yourself. I can tell if I see you if you are still dictated to by the opinions of others. But you are there, and I am here, so do your own check, please. Otherwise, you would take my opinion, and that is not helping you one bit get free!
Do you still look to see how others are taking something first before you do your own thinking about some issue? Do you refrain from doing it, if the group turns thumbs down? If so, you are an addict to other people's thinking, and need to do your own for a real change. The Lord can set you free from groupism that is dominating you from the 1960s, friend. I know I have relatives still in that bondage of a 1960s mindset, and so they are easily made dupes by the popular culture deciding something is right or not. They tend to agree with it, though it doesn't square with the Bible. It isn't "the Bible tells me so" for them, sad to say. That mindset can lead you and the majority right over the cliff, which is where the 1960s generation went. I was there and saw it all around me in the 1960s, and yet I never jumped every time the Beatles said "Jump!" Damnable Pied Pipers, they GOT SUPERRICH WITH THE DEVIL'S BLESSING while they led millions over the cliff with their sweet strawberry fields and Imagine demons urging them on.
Nobody can tell me this devilish mindset is not something to avoid like the plague. It destroys the majority, so if you escape, you are in a tiny minority--no? Christ said it. Believe the Bible, as it states that clearly. Time to change, 1960s-ers! It is not too late while you are still drawing breath!--Ed.
A GODLESS SKEPTIC AND A TOUGH, WICKED-LIVING JOURNALIST IN CHICAGO THOUGHT HE HAD CHRISTIANITY FIGURED OUT AND COULD DISCOUNT IT AS A FAIRY-TALE YET WAS PROVEN COMPLETELY WRONG AND HE CONVERTED TO CHRIST.
This article comes from a pastor and his wife who are engaged some years ago in starting a magazine that would minister to Christians, most often Lutherans, for he is a wonder Lutheran pastor and superlative man of God. His wife Sylvia is the same, and their son who is now taking charge, is the same right stuff.
This article speaks of faith and how it begins small, but through perseverance impossible things can be done, because with God everything is possible and nothing is impossible. Any saint must sometime step out in faith or faith in that person will not grow but shrivel up and die. Once risked, faith will grow, and there will be much fruit if the believer will not give up when challenged by difficulties and roadblocks and the Enemy himself come to stop the work of faith in the bud or somewhere along the way later on. Believe he will come, if your work is of a nature that will upset or penetrate his kingdom! He will not stand for it. You can expect attacks from your dearest ones, even family, or from your church or your own parishioners! The finest people will cross swords with you. But the Barnharts did not give up, and the rest of the story is that the magazine, "The Vine and the Branches" has flourished as a major part of their ministry called "Abiding Word Ministries," which is now based in Florida. Go and get a subscription, it is free, by going to their website of Abiding Word Ministries. You will be thankful you made the effort.
This is taken from Stuart Maxwell Hawkins's book, and it recalls to mind a story I heard recently. A chess master was shown a painting by someone. But the chess master kept looking and looking at it, from various angles, until he finally said, "I am a professional at chess. Either the painter is a liar, calling this painting, 'Checkmate,' or he will have to change the name." He kept saying this as he examined the famous painting. Finally he said why: "The king still has one move," he said.
Isn't that tremendous? It may look like the game is up, we are finished, the Devil has defeated us, the wicked old world has us tied and trussed like chickens in the slaughterhouse, but no! It isn't over yet! Our King Jesus still has one more move!
There IS only one way of salvation, the Bible declares and the Lord Jesus Christ himself declares, which is considered the most hateful thing to say in this secularized world. But that is the absolute truth, in a world that denies absolute truth! Look for the coming excerpt on this:
You could say that to the other prisoners and they would probably agree, but not to Dietrich Bonhoeffer!
The Nazi prison that held his body could not hold his spirit. "Walls do not a prison make" was not a cliché with him but a true reality for Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the greatest churchman and possibly greatest theologian of the 20th century, who died standing for the cause of truth and justice and the Gospel in Nazi Germany, hanged by Hitler in the closing weeks of the war in 1945. He was engaged to be married but he counted himself as the Bride of Christ, the Church, better than becoming the husband of a beautiful young woman. His martyrdom, for such it was, makes his name shine for all time as a saint who refused to compromise to the politically correct falsehoods of Nazism in order to save his life, his career, his coming marriage, and the friendship of many who did choose to compromise with Hitler.
Did he ever doubt his stand or his motives? Was he ever fearful that the fatal word might come down to the prison as a directive from Hitler? Yes, if this poem is an indication of that. But his doubts only made his faith grow stronger, and he needed that resolve as the day of reckoning did come for him, and the order from Hitler determining his earthly fate came with a guard to follow him out to the execution yard.
Ever heard of the "Machine Gun Preacher," Sam Childers? You should check him out, if you want to know about a former hell-raising biker who was saved sovereignly from his life of crime and violence, addiction and sin and now isn't ashamed of soldiering for Jesus Christ his Savior, but who takes up the machinegun to defend helpless orphans in East Africa against the savage, merciless militias that prey upon them to make them child soldiers who will kill for them.
He saw the need for someone on the ground to do this work, and he and his buddies are doing it! Orphanages are established to care for the children, who otherwise would be either killed or trained as killers.
Care to get involved for the sake of the children, at least with your support, financial, and through prayers?
We don't recommend that just anyone who wants to use a gun and live Rambo-style in the wild African bush go take up the sword as this man does--but if he is called to defend the orphanages under assault by armed gangs and militias in Africa who are seeking to exploit innocent children--well, can you condemn him? I can't!
He is doing what the African governments are refusing or unable to do to protect their own people (often they are so corrupt, they could not care less about the children being murdered, kidnapped, raped and sexually exploited or inducted into militias and made killing machines).
More power to the Machine Gun Preacher! He is a modern Gideon in defense of the innocent children of Africa and will not turn a blind eye to the tragedy going on in Nigeria and all over Africa as Christians are slaughtered and mistreated without a peep from the United Nations or the many human rights NGOs.
We have saved the best for you for last on this page! Don't let the term "pietism" turn you off. It may sound strange, but go see what it is, it is a treasury you will find that is inexhaustible in meaning for a genuine Christian. Find out what you have been missing probably all your Christian life, unless you were fortunate enough to be in families or churches that cultivated the pietistic way and believed the pietistic way and loved others in the pietistic way. I came from a pietistic background, though we never heard it called that. It was what it was. We took it for granted. I had to dig out the facts late in life to find out what I am sharing here with you fortunate people. You came to the right place! Here it is: