Fay, last week, wrote:
I
had grown up catholic, and the day I was saved, I had to
choose between the queen of heaven or Jesus.
Prior to that, I prayed to her all the time, and
even left food by her image, in the backyard, during the month
of May.
However, after the gospel came to me, I knew that
I had to choose one or the other, but absolutely not both.
I would either remain a goddess worshipper or
become one of those "Jesus freaks".
I denounced her, called on Jesus, and was saved.
Then, going to mass, after I was saved, was liking
spending the night in a cemetery, on halloween, it was way too
spooky.
Being a Christian was incompatible with mass, they
knew it, and I knew it, but all my family and friends were
there.
The man that brought me the gospel, was from a
Bible church north of O'Hare Airport.
Then, some time later, about 35 years ago, I began
going to that Bible church.
That church had a rich history of evangelism and
supporting missionaries, many who were their own children.
The older generation was satisfied with things
going as they had with evangelism, the old book, and the
hymn of the faith.
Those in my generation, 20', 30's & 40's,
wanted big changes, instead.
Most wanted the church to re-image itself after
a large church, 12 miles west, Willow Creek.
I had wondered why, if people wanted a Willow
Creek style church, why not simply go there, instead?
No, apparently, what they thought that they
wanted was to change the Bible church into the image of
Willow Creek.
In very short order, the leadership changed, a
new bible replaced the use of the King James,
the
hymns were replaced with upbeat choruses, the midweek
service changed to small home cell meetings,
and
evangelism was relegated to the back pew - i.e. only those
in their 60's & 70's continued it privately.
Those older Christians continued with the
evangelism, and as a young man, I joined with them, instead,
and also learned from them.
So, though no longer appearing as functions of
the main church, evangelism went on, even when the younger
generation was not pleased.
There was preaching at Cook County Jail, at
Pacific Garden Mission, at numerous nursing homes, and even
open air preaching.
Tracts were handed out, and lots of personal
evangelism continued - and there was fruit from all of
these.
They even supported Chosen People Ministries,
who made that video Fay linked to, and came and spoke with
us.
One of the most successful was the start of
evangelistic home Bible studies.
The objective was to invite unsaved neighbors,
friends, coworkers, and family, that would never darken the
door of a church.
Many people were saved in those sessions.
The younger generation put on pressure, and even
mocked the street evangelism.
I bumped into some other young people my age,
who were evangelizing also, but they were from a Baptist
church.
I was strictly warned by the younger generation
to avoid anything to do with that Baptist church, because
they said it was a cult.
They called it a cult, because that Baptist
church had the audacity to believe that the LORD preserved
his inspired word, and that they had it.
The new way of thinking at the Bible church, was
that only the "originals" were inspired, and that the
doctrine of preservation was heresy.
The older Christians, and even the pastor, with
the right hand of fellowship, committed me and my family to
that Baptist church.
Both of my brother-in-laws, the first time they
went with us, got saved at the Baptist church, and we knew
we were in the right place.
Those older Christians had spent 70 years of
their life building the Bible church, and didn't have the
heart to leave.
Not long after, the Bible church fired the
pastor, and many younger families did leave.
If they ended up in Willow Creek, they may have
finally been satisfied.
It is not even called a Bible church anymore.
So, now I wonder, which one, the church of Rome,
the Bible church, or the Baptist church, was a cult, or had
become a cult?
Maybe, rather, this has been how it has always
was, since the gospel began to be preached.
Not that some places or groups are necessarily
cults, but that it has always been tough choices.