Text: "... God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast hem down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto Judgment; and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly...." (II Peter 2:4-6)

The recent riots in Los Angeles clearly demonstrate the fact that America is expendable. This truth is reinforced by the unconscionable looting and price that followed hurricanes Hugo and Andrew. Sin makes people expendable, and sinful people make cities and nations expendable. By the term "expendable," I mean "killable," "able to be destroyed."

America has chosen to follow in the way of those whose sins have already called down God’s Judgment upon them. It was open defiance that brought God’s judgment upon the angels that sinned. It was deep corruption that precipitated God’s wrath upon the antediluvian World. It was gross immorality that fired God’s wrath to the place that He burned into ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God has given men

HIS Word that these judgments are examples to all who after should live ungodly, and said, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that forget God."(Psalm 9:17)

The United States Supreme Court, to its everlasting disgrace, has ruled it illegal for this nation’s school children to pray or to read the Word of God in public schools. So, In New York City, school children beginning at the first grade level are required to read books condoning the homosexual lifestyle.

The state of Kentucky has now become the 25th State to abolish its anti-sodomy laws, while in New York City, Mayor David Dinkins has given $225,000 to fund a new homosexual television station.

A homosexual bill sponsored by Senator Edward Kennedy (S.B. 574), and a companion bill sponsored by Representative Barney Frank (H.R. 1430) has been endorsed by several members of Congress.

The psalmist spoke prophetically when he said, "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.’ He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision." (Psalm 2:2-4)

A high school teacher in the mid-west was required to remove his Bible from his desk. A university professor has been forbidden to discuss his religious views with his class. And, in Houston, Texas, some distributing Gospel tracts in a public park have been arrested. This latter case has been dismissed -this time.

The use of tax monies to fund anti-Christian and homosexual art, and abortion forces Christians to blaspheme the Lord Jesus Christ every time they "pay" their taxes. God forbade there to be a whore or a sodomite in Israel, yet every day in America, men and women act out their depravity. Does America think she can win her war against God? And, who can argue that America is guilty of deep corruption?

Who will presume to question the fact that America is guilty of gross immorality when that which people "know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves’"? "who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." These, as natural brute beasts, are "made to be taken and destroyed." (Jude 10; Rom 1:32; see: II Pet. 2:12a)

America is guilty of deep corruption, and gross immorality; and America is openly defiant.

America’s defiance is nowhere more apparent then when God sends judgments to correct society, America attacks the judgments of God. For instance, since God has sent the AIDS virus, America has demanded a cure be found; yet she will not tell her people, "Cease to do evil; learn to do well." (Is. 1:16c, 17a) The reason America wants a cure for the AIDS virus is that people may be able to sin with impunity.

Far from repenting of her promiscuity and immorality, and returning to the practice of virtue, America pretends she has the right to murder the children born as a result of her sin. And, the reason America cries for the distribution of needles and other drug paraphernalia that people may be able to sin "safely," but there will never be a way to sin safely so long as God is.

Americans would rather their children be shot or stabbed while attending school than that they should have prayer and Bible teaching restored to the nations classrooms. Christ is the answer to America’s educational, economic, and social woes but she continues to pull away the shoulder and to stop her ears. She shall eat the fruit of her ways.

But where is the Church in all this? Is not the Church "the pillar and ground of truth" to lead men out of this morass? Why, in the midst of so much religion does society continue to grow worse?

The Church Under Judgment

It is a testimony of Peter that "Judgment must begin at the house of God." (I Peter 4:17) When God’s judgment is evident all about us as He delivers this society over to "a reprobate mind," why do we fail to see God’s Judgment upon the Church? It is because God has already begun judging the Church, and we are not even aware of it! "Judgment must first begin at the house of God!" There are several obvious signs that the Church is under God’s Judgment.

The Church is already experiencing God’s judgment when she sends her children into the world and is content so long as they earn a handsome salary, or land a job of which she can boast.

The Church is already suffering the judgment of God when she respects the godless education that the world has accredited. She is already being judged when it does not matter to her that the Scripture pronounces them blessed who do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. (Ps. 1:1) Why, oh, why have Christian schools sent their teachers to heathen institutions where they will be indoctrinated by the venom of their philosophy? Oh Lord, forgive us!

The Church cannot serve as "the pillar and ground of truth" when she sits at the feet of Freud’s disciples. She cannot remain unpolluted when to obtain the approval of psychologists she is willing to study and then to regurgitate their anti-Biblical postulates. The Church has not merely adopted the impious teaching, but she has attempted to baptize it by calling it "Christian" psychology. It belongs on the same heap as "theistic" evolution, and "Christian" socialism.

Pastors across America are being re-educated as "counselors." They are told never to give the Gospel to the dying because it is "poor bedside manner." They are being told never to give the Gospel to children because it can warp their personality. Pastors are being conditioned by psychologists to substitute the word "punishment" with the word "correction." They are being trained not to use words like "guilt," "shame," and "fear;" but Calvin was right when he said, "He who is ashamed is yet healable." There can be no healing where there is no guilt, or shame.

The week of May 3rd, Dr. James Dobson was heard to say that drunkenness lies in a person’s genes. Where, then, is the sin? And, how can God send drunkards to Hell because they were born with "messed up" genes?

The Church has courted the world so long she can no longer discern between the precious and the vile. She has brought the unrepenting world into the congregation, and has willingly agreed to alter her music, her dress, her worship, and her academic credentials in order to make the world feel at home. Now, she thinks herself to be "rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;" and she does not know that she Is ’Wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, naked." (Rev. 3:17)

The Church cannot serve as the "pillar and ground of truth" when she vacillates, and agrees to change her creed in order to accommodate the world such as by placing women in the pulpit, or by creating an office for deaconesses.

The judgment of God is upon the Church when she leaves off preaching the everlasting Gospel of salvation by grace and becomes absorbed with social issues like abortion, poverty, sanctuary, and taxes. While the Church must not shrink from preaching righteousness as it concerns every sphere of life, yet these are but symptoms of moral degeneracy, and are not the reason for spiritual bankruptcy.

The Church is already being judged when she is scarcely righteous in the work place; when the Health Department must force Christian landlords to maintain healthy conditions for tenants; when Christian businessmen take advantage of others by charging oppressive interest rates; and when Christians are given over to pride, and to arrogance.

Often I sit utterly dumbfounded, and frustrated, and weep. I see men and women who unless God gives them a repentant heart, they will be in hell before their toes curl up. I am saddened because they are but one heartbeat away from eternity, and I am powerless to deliver them. Among them, I see a vast number of deluded church folk who try to convince others they have been converted, who have not enough understanding to know what true religion is.

I weep, because it is all I can do. Those who have financial means and resources available to publish the Gospel of the blessed God, are part of the problem.

I weep, because I have presented the Gospel to people as faithfully and as earnestly as I can, but after more than 20 years, many continue as they always have. I would like to be able to say they are better for having known me, but I cannot.

"The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end of them be that know not the gospel of God?" (I Peter 4:17) Paul wrote, "If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged." (I Cor. 11:31) If the Church would repent and take care of her problems herself, the Lord would not have to judge her. But there is no repentance.

So, Christians do what Jereboam did ‘who taught Israel to sin:" they set times for prayer, and they praise the god of their imagination; but like Eli, they do not have enough spirituality to make their children do right. Neither is there any godly sorrow. Like Jeremiah wrote of apostate Israel, so the Church today has lost the ability to blush. (Jer. 6:15)

There is no repentance; neither do we anticipate any. Scripture tells us, "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse;" and "because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (11 Tim. 3:13; Matt. 24:12)

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Joe Mehesy writes that In Cortez, Colorado, two Navajo grandmothers, Eleanor Clah, and Lillian Trujillo have earned a diploma from the Four Corners School of the Bible. In 4 years of commuting from Shiprock, New Mexico, they have traveled 12,000 miles to team God’s Word, or a distance equal to halfway around the world.

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Ibadan, Nigeria --"Sir, I saw in one of the booklets that you sent to me that you have other copies available. The title of that book is God. It is a Bible correspondence course by -Charles Shofstahl. May I request more copies? Emmanuel Ade Adekolu.

Accra, Ghana: West Africa -- "...Religious charlatans are having a field’s day --taking advantage of our people’s ignorance; while the practice of heathenism, witchcraft, worshipping of dead gods, wicked rituals, drug and sex abuse are very much alive! But we are handicapped. We lack materials --literature and formal training to counter all these wickednesses." --Elder Dennis K. Opuni--Boadu

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