The Babylonian Gospel and mixture is the only message I ever heard. Even five years ago, if you had asked me to tell you what I believed, much of what I told you would have had its roots in Baptist Denominational Distinctives, the Masonic Religion and the Great American Lie. Even after years abroad, where I was confronted by a Gospel not mixed with American Patriotism, much of what I believed was more American than Christian.
My Grandfather was a 33rd Degree Mason and a “Lifetime Deacon” at First Baptist Church in West Palm Beach, Florida. I do not know how many of the men on that board were Master Masons, but I would imagine that it was a clear majority. This was an upscale church… a church where the Rich and Famous could feel at home.
It was my Grandfather and his Masonic buddies who planned the new Sanctuary as a Greek Temple, designed and built with strict Masonic Architecture…
We would sing the right hymns. The basics of the Gospel were preached, but it was all about walking the aisle, shaking the Preacher’s hand, repeating a canned prayer and getting dunked in the ornate, marble baptistry. With “Once Saved, Always Saved,” as a core doctrine, what you did after that was relatively unimportant. A strict moral code was taught but more from the Masonic point of view than the Gospel. The thrust being that you need to live right because it is good for your country, society and your community, and living right will make you healthy, wealthy and wise.
It was always assumed that if you had walked an aisle, shaken the preacher’s hand, repeated the prayer and got dunked, you were going to Heaven… No one dared question that formula.
Some of the old men in the church had fought in World War One. Most of the adult men had fought in World War Two and or Korea. The young men were going off to Vietnam and returning, often in a box. No matter what the truth about Vietnam, Korea or any other war, if you were a Christian, you supported America, the Flag and the latest war. The most ungodly and unchristian thing a young person could do was to question America. They probably never said it but we all knew that America was the Kingdom of God and God was an American.
The Methodists could lose their salvation, but they too thought that God was an American. The Presbyterians knew that God was an American and a Presbyterian… We all could agree that to be a good American was very important and that if America did it, it was God’s will and God’s way.
On the Fourth of July, the National Guard Color Guard would march the American Flag down the Aisle and we would all stand and sing the National Anthem as they stood at attention, flags in hand… The Pride was palpable…
At Christmas, the children would perform a passion play, baby Jesus in the manger, under the Christmas Tree…
For Easter, we would hold a Sunrise Service. That was followed, at Sunday School time, by an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids and then the 11:00 Church Service where we would all sing “Hallelujah, He arose!” at the top of our lungs…
Then, I went off and became Pentecostal… I spoke in tongues, prophesied and saw real miracles… But they were still sold on the America thing, Christmas Trees and the Easter Bunny. More than that, they were frightened and legalistic to the max. I could tell how spiritual a man was by looking at his wife. If she was ugly, wore dresses to the floor, kept her head covered and wore neither jewelry nor makeup… that was a Holy and Righteous man!
The question that continually surfaced was, “If I get in an accident and I say a bad word and I die before I can repent, will I go to Hell?” Not pleasant people to be around…
Over the last twenty years, I have watched Pentecostals go through a great change. They started a rapid flight away from legalism. Unfortunately, they passed the truth going ninety miles an hour and slid right into what some have called “Sloppy Agape.” The current, approved term is Hyper-Grace. This is a politicly-correct religion… You NEVER preach on sin or call for repentance. You preach on the importance of accepting everybody and offending nobody. Scriptures to be read and sermons to be preached are carefully scrutinized. If there is any way that a verse could offend anybody, it is not read. If there is an offensive phrase or word in a sermon, it is scratched out and never spoken. Only Happy Verses and Happy sermons are allowed.
It no longer matters what you wear. As a Sailor, a lifetime ago, I saw Pole Dancers better dressed than some of the young ladies in church…
Altar-Calls are for Happy Prophecy, Blessing and Miracles, NEVER for repentance or salvation.
But still, the lie of American Patriotism pervades the American Church. You cannot be a Good Christian if you are not a strong patriot. You cannot have a cross unless it is draped with a flag…
President Trump must be from God… America and the Kingdom of God are one and the same… God is American and Jesus lounges around Heaven in red, white and blue pajamas… Surely Trump is a Prince, sent from God to save God’s Country, in her sin, and grant her time and freedom to sin some more…
I see that attitude, in posts and comments on my Facebook Page…
Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8) I am leaning more and more to the negative reply… “No, none or very little.”
If you just go back, with a prayerful attitude, and throwing out everything you were taught, read the Book, you will find that it is very simple and straight forward… I think that you will discover that America is not the Kingdom of God but rather Babylon. Jesus is nothing like what you always thought He was, and being a Christian has nothing at all to do with walking an aisle, shaking a Preacher’s hand, repeating a little prayer and getting dunked in a baptistry…
Not even an ornate, marble baptistry…
David…
End Time Thinker 