Old Time Religion

I would venture to say that few of us have any idea as to what is meant by the phrase that makes up the title of this post. Most of us think of the times of our grandparents or the great revivals of the past two centuries. Many thousands coming to repentance at an old fashoned alter with tears of joy streaming down as their sins were washed away by the precious blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus is still every bit as powerful as it has always been. Today however, many have succumbed to a more "feel good" gospel carefully packaged and delivered in such a way as to not offend anyone. There's a difference between the supernatural "joy of the Lord" and a revved up counterfeit. I was thinking tonight on just how far removed most christians are from the old paths. Our pastors, uncle was telling recently about his grandfather. He, along with several other saints, who were hungry for a deeper relationship with Jesus, began to assemble. These meetings took place in Tennessee and the result was a mighty outpouring of the Holy Ghost as they were in one accord and seeking wholeheartedly. This was in 1886; twenty years before the Azuza street revival. I've read accounts of Azuza street, but had never heard about this revival, that resulted in the "Church of God" organization in Cleveland, Tennesee. As if this wasn't enough to ponder, I saw a segment on the history channel about the early christians. The portion that I saw concerned those of Cappadocia; a region in central Turkey. It's a very rugged region made up of conical shaped volcanic rock formations in which houses, public buildings, and churches were "hewn out." Despite Roman persecution, the message of Jesus Christ continued to spread. Cappadocia was on a major trade route between Asia and Europe. In the fifth century, the Roman Empire was coming apart at the seams which created a vacuum for Arab invaders to move in and make havoc. The christians began to live underground where they built hundreds of miles of tunnels, complete with ingenious ventilation systems. (This was prior to Islam coming on the scene.) Natural water sources were integrated and it reminded me of Proverbs 8:12 which reads "I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions." More information can be found at www.focusmm.com/religion/re_h_a04.htm You can view photos at www.photographersdirect.com/stockimages/c/cappadocia.asp When you read about the earlier saints, you can almost become discouraged by what you see going on today. Most have opted for a diet of smooth things wrapped in a "rock concert" atmosphere with an ever-increasing array of special effects. We justify it by saying that we have to reach people at their level. Messages are compromised as to draw in a larger crowd; confusing "numbers" with being spiritual. Try reading ""Fox's Book of Martyrs" and compare it with what goes on today. Better yet, compare the words that Jesus spoke and see how it lines up. For example, Jesus stated that houses would be divided and that we would be hated. They would kill us all the day long; something that's happening right now in Dafur, Eritrea, India and a host of other nations. Do you know what that does? It makes you draw closer to the Lord. The early saints were "tried and true" as they were fed to the lions in front of screeming fans. In the middle ages, true saints were often charged with heresy, subjected to unbelievable torture; accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake. The men who were administering this persecution really believed that they were serving God. Saints in America: persecution is coming to these shores as the beast system is almost in place. Such a concept never even crosses the minds of most. As the final scene is played out, I would almost expect it to come primarily from the "church." That's been a pattern throughout the ages. Many mainline and even evangelical churches have succumbed to a new-age way of looking at things. (thus the fascination with Narnia) This is only going to increase as time progresses. I had a strange dream about a year and a half ago. I've never shared it until now as I was unsure if it was the Lord or just an unusual dream. (You need to be careful) I was only an observer in this dream which began in what looked like a warehouse. There were two entities and the greater one was talking to the lesser one. The room was very dark and the tone was as one would talk over a cup of coffee. Then the talk began to intensify gradually. Suddenly these "beings" went out in all directions at incredible speed. The entity was speaking in increasingly loud tones until he reached a level that sounded much like Adolph Hitler at one of the Nuremburg rallies. The army of entities were going everywhere and one thing that I noticed was a very large church. They went right through the walls and out the other side. I saw inside the church that was now under their control. The people were just sitting there and some began to casually look around as to say "did something just happen?" The army of beings conquered the world in a very short preiod of time as the one kept speaking increasingly louder and defiant. I woke up at that point. I very rarely remember dreams but this one is like I saw it yesterday. Again, I want to be careful which is why I've never told of it until now. One thing is for certain. Jesus is returning and we need to strive to be found of him without spot and blameless. When you talk of perilous times, I think that by far the most perilous of all are those identified with peace and safety. Remember the parable of the ten virgins? Five were wise and five were foolish, but all were asleep. Generally, in order to fall aleep, it has to be quiet and dark. "But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (I John 1:7)