Coca-Cola,

McDonalds, Levis Jeans,
Rock Music,

...and the Gospel

General James Green

T HE FOLLOWING is the recollection of a troubled Polish priest during the Cold War: “We listened in basements to illegal radios to Radio Free Europe so we could get a little bit of hope, a little bit of truth, from the magical land of America.” This priest sadly said after the collapse of Communism, however, America’s message seemed dangerous and decadent rather than hopeful; he writes, “All of a sudden, we’re struggling against drugs, and free sex, and AIDS, and crime and all of that seems to be an import from America. It’s like the message of freedom that we heard before, was only the freedom to destroy ourselves.” The above has been repeated hundreds of times all over the world. One of the biggest gripes coming from the Islamic Middle East is that America is ruining their culture with all the filth from America.

Peddling of Culture

America and Britain used to be known for their missionary work globally. Men/women/young people risked their lives/gave their lives in order to spread the gospel of Christ unto all the world (Matt. 28:19, 20). The West was known for its willingness to “take Jesus to all the world,” obeying Christ’s last commission to His followers. Church organizations sprang up to meet this challenge—the Christians PUSHED the GOSPEL. This great and worthy task sent missionaries into every nation of the world.

The Gospel preached centered on REPENTANCE and FORGIVENESS of sins (Luke 24:47), the promise of receiving “the gift of the Holy Ghost (baptism)” (Acts 2:38), and the exhortations to SEPARATE from this “present wicked generation” (Acts 2:40).

Today

TODAY IS a very different story. If there are any missionaries being sent to foreign fields, they are more Westernized than Christianized! In my years of foreign travels/mission work, we have seen all too many of these types—addicted to coca-cola, BIG Macs from McDonalds, can’t live without their blue jeans and Nikes, got to have both their “Christian” and “secular” contemporary music etc., etc., etc.,

During our work in Mexico in the mid 1970's, we met an old-timer from Canada. She told us that at the age of 19 that God spake to her to go to China. She left without any Church backing or training (although she was part of a revival Church), went to China, and stayed there most of her life, learned the language, got married, had kids. Then WWII came, she got locked up in prison with 6 small children, her husband died, she almost starved, and some of her children died also, but some survived. She came back to America and left again for foreign missions in Mexico. This lady was a real warrior for Christ. She taught us not to complain, accept things as God’s will, keep the faith etc.. We also met others like her “out there,” but they were rare, very rare. Most were spoiled and pampered, weak in the faith, a sorry example of Christianity.

MOST OF THE MISSIONARIES TODAY ARE PART OF THE WESTERN CULTURE. They are part of the plague being sent from the Western nations. Just as America/Britain/Canada etc. have sent out damning “stuff and things” that pollute, so has the Church. All this “liberalism” the modern Church exports is every bit as bad as the filth America/Britain/Canada etc. sends out.

Globalization

WE ARE IN an era in which the evil forces of globalization have brought entire civilizations, rather than a mere nation, into conflict, internal conflict with each other.

No matter where one goes, one will find McDonalds, Pizza Hut (Glut!), Kentucky Fried Chicken, the latest in Rock/Rap music, X/R rated movies, blue jeans, sneakers, and T-shirts with messages on them—all from the West. While on the other hand, we have to look far and wide to find any sort of Christian work that is Biblical! What is exported is an anemic brand of churchianity, the missionaries looking, acting, smelling like the world: tattoos, piercings, and all…embellished with Western slang. Liberalism and Political Correctness have taken the place of Bible teaching/preaching. Even in my 43 years of service, I feel nostalgia for our early beginning—the outpouring of the Holy Spirit went beyond Church/organization/denominational boundaries. Now, the modern Church packaged up its anemic brand of churchianity and pushed off as “Cutting Edge” Christianity.

I’m not against modernization, but we can’t compromise God’s time-tested Word: it must remain as the “Sword that Cuts, and the Fire that Burns.” When “religious” men/women take away the cutting/burning, they take away the life!

Magical-Religious

THIS CONCEPT of“magical-religious” Churchianity has not built strong Christian soldiers in God’s Army. The Western brand of churchianity is more concerned with “cultural identity” than the righteousness of Jesus Christ: “be ye holy, for I am holy.” Churchianity has all but abolished any sort of godly standard, most Church-goers literally disdain a dress code or code of conduct. Why?

Ideological

WHAT WE have, dear readers, is a ideological abstraction of all that was once sacred and holy. The Church has failed, FAILED! in resisting the enemy, but instead assisted in the enemy’s plan to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). Has not the enemy stolen the Church’s virtue? Yes! Has not the enemy killed the desire to be holy? Yes! Has not the enemy destroyed the very plan of redemption—to save man from their sins? Yes! Now we preach a “social gospel,” a gospel compatible to other religions: “all paths lead to God” BULL!

“PC-ism”

THE “POLITICAL CORRECTNESS” scheme has as its goal the “full spectrum dominance.” That is to say, all the world comes under humanism (man is his/her own god!). This chilling and merciless agenda is marching through the land like a marauding army, destroying all that is sacred. Humanism and communism are interchangeable. Both the modern, progressive Church and the State are unequivocally aiding and abetting the enemy.

Change?

AMERICA’S PREZ (not mine!) has promised “change,” but you dupes have no idea what he is talking about. “Change” is a piece of presumptuous arrogance at that. Just as former Prez George Bush 2 declared war on terrorism, yet he helped to increase terrorism. He never got rid of evildoers. They increased—many in the America’s political arena. Terrorism is the symptom, not the disease. Terrorism has no country; it’s transnational in global enterprise such as Coke, Pepsi, Nike, McDonalds, Levis blue jeans etc. You think Bush 1 and 2 were mad men, wait and see what Obama does before he has finished his term!

A Christian America?

I WISH! America may think she is a nation guided by the Christian faith, but in reality, the opposite is true: she is guided by Satan! It is reported that some forcing politician called America “a nation with the soul of a Church.” This may have some truth, but the Church is that of a fallen, backslidden Church. Just wait and see how far the State pushes the true Church into silence. You’ll see.

Islam may be right in calling America “The Great Satan!,” but ISLAM IS “THE GREATER SATAN!.” If American politics would stop “playing God,” we the people could look at this nation in a more hopeful way. Men are not gods! If this nation was godly, she would NEVER permit, let alone push, abortion, homosexuality, greed, drugs, filthy entertainment, etc. The fear of Christianization of the world is more ideological paranoia than reality, as far as the world is concerned—at least presently.

As long as liberalism/PCism/humanism/socialism etc. vigorously grows in the Church, the less that the great commission will be heeded. AS LONG AS THE CHURCH IS EXUBERANT IN ACCEPTING AND PROMOTING HOMOSEXUALITY AND OTHER DISEASES, THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST REMAINS STATIC AND NOT ACTIVE. The renaissance of forbidden sins has crippled the Church’s “go” power. With the help of the State, the Church must be “tolerant” of this “tolerance” of nation-state—forcibly imposed as a dominant culture itself, or lose its 501c3. Therefore, the Church has worked at becoming a Wal-Mart type model.

Speculative Fiction

AMERICA BEING “Christian” is a speculative fiction indeed. I really feel for those who come here looking for religious freedom, and find the opposite. Real Christians are persecuted and silenced. We may have a culture of sophistication, but also a culture of DEATH. What was once called Christendom—Western Civilization—is now pretty much Christ-less.

The West and the Rest

AMERICA, they tell us, is the last and only superpower on earth. Really? We’re in dept to China so deep that China could rightfully claim most of America right now for payment. America, dear ones, is literally BANKRUPT. We only survive by China’s help. Wait and see how the politicians handle this sorry state of affairs. It is possible that red-China could plant her communist flag upon American (now owned by China) soil, and claim all for communism, without firing a single shot. Bye, bye, constitution and Bill of Rights, the only right the masses will have is the right to Work, with little or no pay. Amen.

Everybody’s got to serve somebody!
General James Green
M ANY BIBLE SCHOLARS believe that the Bible teaches four kinds of covenants under God Almighty. They are:

1) Personal or (individual)

And three are institutional covenants:

2) Ecclesiastical

3) Civil

4) Family

Rightly stated, all other human institutions are under the jurisdiction of one or more of these four covenants. No single human covenant is absolute; therefore, no single human institution is “all-powerful.” I could classify the whole human race under the heading as Christian and non-Christian or saved and un-saved.

In the BIG picture, we could rightly state that Christianity teaches pluralism: a special kind though—plural institutions under God’s single comprehensive law system. As one scholar pointed out: “structures, or a pluralism of moralities, for this sort of hypothetical legal pluralism (as distinguished from institutional pluralism) is always, either polytheistic or humanistic.” I agree.

So what am I trying to say? I’M SAYING THAT MAN, FALLEN OR REDEEMED, IS UNDER THE LAW OF GOD. We who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus (read 1 Peter 1:18, 19) are under the “blood covenant” of life everlasting; the unregenerated are under the prince of the power of the air (Satan), under the “covenant of death” unto everlasting damnation (read Matt. 25:41, 42). This “death” is NOT annihilation, but SEPARATION from God for everlasting punishment.

“Everybody has got to serve somebody”— EVERYBODY! Let us recall the reason for God’s universal law to start with. Of course, the “unsaved” think that Christianity is merely for the believers; not so my dear readers. God’s laws are universal to a great degree. Take Galatians for our example: “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made...” (Gal. 3:19, KJV). The word “law” (Gk. Nomos, Heb. Torah) means “teaching or direction.” The law can refer to the 10 Commandments in the Old Testament, (under the Mosaic Covenant).

The reason for the law was because of TRANSGRESSIONS against God, the creator of all mankind. Although the law was good (it awoke man’s sense of need for His mercy/grace) and holy, it was inadequate in that it could not impart spiritual life or moral strength (read Rom. 8:3; Heb. 7:18, 19).

What did men do before the law came? The Bible tells us (Gen. 1:26-3:24) that in the very beginning of human creation, that dispensation was an age of “innocence.” The second dispensation was that of “conscience,” (Gen. 4:1-8:14). This age was after the great transgression in the garden of Eden.

The New Testament gives us ample examples of this age. In fact, God held ALL men, covenant-keepers/covenant-breakers, responsible before Him. Even a casual reading of Romans 1:18-32 reveals God’s wrath against the transgressors: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 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. ”

The main scriptures are verse 18 and 28, in the Amplified version, it reads: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness,” and in verse 28: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient...” Because God put a conscience in every created being, all men are under His law whether we like it or not!

The Theocracy

IN THE BIGGER PICTURE, GOD’S “THEOCRACY” IS UNIVERSAL, NOT JUST ECCLESIASTICAL. The whole world (mankind) is under His transcendence (Latin= “to surpass” or “go beyond”). In Biblical context, it means there is a fundamental distinction between the Creator’s Being and the created or creature’s being (read Isa. 45:5-7). Of course, paganism has always rejected the Biblical, Eternal, and Divine origin of mankind; pagans refuse to accept the creation (Cosmos). The truth is this: it is the transcendent God who presently sustains His created creation personally which, in turn, points to the existence of a God who judges His creation continually! This means God’s providential sustaining of creation throughout time (now) and eternity (future), because He IS the Creator and Sustained. He is also present (imminent) with us.

This presence of God is equally an aspect of true transcendence: He is “omnipresent” (present everywhere). Now, my dear pagans, sinning Christians, and true disciples, how can we escape His ever-watchful eye? Not only does He judge His people now, pagans will also be judged in the end—by His LAW! “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” (Rev. 22:11, KJV).

The Apostle Paul distinguishes between law-breakers and law-keepers in Ephesians 2:1-7: “AND YOU [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins in which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [You were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious, and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God]. Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the thoughts of the mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our dark imaginings]. We were then by nature children of [God’s] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation, like the rest of mankind. But God—so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation). And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Conclusion:

In these scriptures, we see two classes of people: redeemed and un-redeemed. One class under God’s favor, and the other under His wrath (v. 3).

Dear sinners, you will give an account to God for your sins whether you like it, accept it, or not!! You will be judged by your creator in the end. Why? Because you have a conscience to know the basics of “right” and “wrong.” All of life is under God’s law, and He intends to judge ALL of life in terms of His law, PERIOD!

Theocracy means simply that God rules. In the ecclesiastical institution, we acknowledge this (at least some of us). In the American society, we have a democratic Republic, that is, the people rule (yet God even oversees this). There is no neutral safe-zone from the rule of God.

He does not rule in the pagan institutions like that of the Christian; nevertheless, He does have full authority over them, giving Satan/demons to be their governmental head! In other words, we either come directly under the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ or under Satan and his evil powers.

Why not make the right decision today: repent of your sins, accept Jesus Christ as your personal saviour, and be brought into the Kingdom of God, His Ecclesia on earth? Why delay His total jurisdiction (juris=law, diction=speaking)? God speaks through His anointed vessels, and through His written Word—the Holy Bible.                                      

REPENT AND BE SAVED EVERLASTINGLY;

REFUSE AND BE DAMNED ETERNALLY!