I’ve now been in full time ministry work with Wisconsin Christian News for over 25 years.  For over 25 years, I’ve been sounding the alarm and doing my best to send out “wake up calls” to Christians, who see the evil in our land, but feel powerless to do anything about it, because they’ve never been trained for the work of the ministry.  They’ve never been asked to do anything, other than greet people at the door, hand out programs, pass the collection plate or work in the nursery — all within the four walls of their own churches.

Others have been watchmen on the wall much longer than I have.  Some 50 or 60 years longer than I have, and they’re still faithful servants.  Some have passed away since I began my work, but they served our Lord and Savior right to the end.  They never “retired” from the work God set before them.

One such minister was Don Wildmon, who was the president of the American Family Association.  He stepped down from that position in 2009, only because he was diagnosed with serious health issues.  He passed away at the end of last year at the age of 85, though few noticed or even knew about it.

In the year 2000, as America was well on its way down the slippery slope into the pit of depravity we find ourselves in now, Don wrote an essay that I’d like to share with you here.  It’s called, “That’s What Christians Do Now.”  It was meant as another one of those “wake up calls” I mentioned; and the American Church has received so many over the decades, but sadly, most pastors and churches have just continued on in their slumber.  So here we are today.

I’d like to share his message with you now, and as you hear what he wrote back in the year 2000, I’d like you to consider how our nation’s morality and spiritual condition has fallen deeper into the abyss than Don likely could ever have imagined back then… and yet, for most Christians, they’re still doing now what they did then.

Here’s what he wrote, under the title, “That’s What Christians Do Now.”

“In 1973 the Supreme Court said it was OK to kill unborn babies. Since then, we have killed more than the entire population of Canada. And it continues. A woman’s choice? Half of those who have died in their mothers’ wombs have been women. They didn’t have a choice. It is called abortion.

“Me? I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home. That’s what Christians do now.

“First, it was in dingy, dirty theaters. Then, convenience stores. Then, grocery stores. Then on television. Now it’s in the homes of millions via the Internet. It’s called pornography.

“Me, I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home. That’s what Christians do now.

“They call it ‘no-fault.’ Why should we blame anyone when something so terrible happens? Haven’t they already suffered enough? Half of the marriages in America end this way. The children suffered. The family broke down. It’s called divorce.

“Me, I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home. That’s what Christians do now.

“At one time it was a perversion. We kept it secret. We secured help and hope for those who practiced it. Now it is praised. We have parades celebrating it, and elected officials give it their blessing. Now it is endowed with special privileges and protected by special laws. Even some Christian leaders and denominations praise it. It is called homosexuality.

“Me? I go to church, the minister preaches, I go home. That’s what Christians do now.

“It used to be an embarrassment. A shame. Now a third of all births are to mothers who aren’t married. Two-thirds of all African-American children are born into a home without a father. The state usually pays the tab. That’s why we pay our taxes, so that government can take the place of parents. After all, government bureaucrats know much better how to raise children than parents do. It is called illegitimacy.

“Me? I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home. That’s what Christians do now.

“At one time it was wrong. But then the state decided to legalize it, promote it and tax it. It has ripped apart families and destroyed lives. But just look at all the money the state has raised. No longer do we have to teach our children to study and work hard. Now we teach them they can get something for nothing. We spend millions encouraging people to join the fun and excitement. Just look at the big sums that people are winning. They will never have to work again! It is called gambling.

“Me? I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home. That’s what Christians do now.

“Not long ago, Christians were the good guys. But now any positive image of Christians in movies or on TV is gone. We are now depicted as the bad guys — greedy, narrow-minded hypocrites. The teacher can’t have a Bible on the desk, but can have Playboy. We don’t have Christmas and Easter holidays — just winter and spring break. We can’t pray in school, but can use foul language. It’s called being tolerant.

“Me? I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home. That’s what Christians do now.

“Yes, all these things came to pass within 30 years. Where were the Christians? Why, they were in church. All these things are for someone else to deal with. Times have changed. Involvement has been replaced with apathy.

“But don’t blame me. I didn’t do anything. I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home. That’s what Christians do now.”

Yes, unfortunately, that’s what Christians do now — and have done for so many years.  Jesus sent His disciples into all the world to preach the gospel and make more disciples.  That small band of Christ-followers turned the world upside down and caused “no small stir” wherever they went.  They were counter-cultural.  They were “radicals,” but they impacted the world and held back the forces of darkness, and souls were saved.

God’s “Church” is meant to be a restraining force against evil, darkness and wickedness in this world.  God gives His Holy Spirit and the very power of God that raised Christ from the dead lives within those who are truly, soundly saved.   I have to wonder how many are truly, soundly saved in our American churches today — and how many think they are, because they’ve been deceived by cowardly false teachers, who tell them God requires nothing of them, and as I said, they’re never taught or asked to do anything outside the four walls of those buildings.

Our lifetimes in this world are short, just a vapor, Scripture tells us.  They go so quickly, yet so much can happen in a lifetime.  We can “turn the world upside down” and cause “no small stir” within the culture — holding back the deluge of evil Satan has always sought to bring upon this earth, or one can simply go to church, listen to the pastor talk and then go home.

The risen Christ spoke of the Church of Laodicea in Revelation 3.  His description fits the modern American Church to a tee: “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”  In other words, lukewarm people make Jesus sick.  They cause Him to vomit.

As we look around at our nation and our world today, we should be ashamed of ourselves for sitting back in lives of luxury and ease and doing nothing for the kingdom of God. And one day, when we stand before the Lord, we certainly will be ashamed.  But for most, it hasn’t been entirely their fault.  They were never told.  Truth never reached their ears.  Their pastors never spoke, nor did they train them up, nor did they ever lead them out of the church house and into the culture to confront wickedness and stand against evil.  Not even once.  The pastors should have been the shepherds, leading their flocks.  Instead, they just kept them “penned up” in stained-glass sanctuaries while the government removed God from every institution and enterprise, and replaced Him with abomination.

One might say it was up to the individual to read the Bible for themselves, to study for themselves, and show themselves approved workmen, who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.  But that was never taught either, or even encouraged.  The most precious writings we have, directly from God Almighty Himself, have just been sitting in most American homes for years, collecting dust.  Most who attend church don’t even bother bringing a Bible with them anymore; whatever cherry-picked Scriptures the pastor might want to build his “talk” around are put up on the projector screen, and then quickly forgotten.  No need for deeper study.

Charles Finney once said, “If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discernment, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the Church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in Christianity, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it.”  Indeed.  One of the greatest frustrations in my life is that our pastors have so much power to direct and lead the public discourse, but they refuse, preferring instead to be well-liked and popular among the people.

Today we have a raging LGBTQP+ movement, and we may disagree with it, but don’t dare say so for fear of being thought of as “bigoted.”  Today we have hard-core pornography in our schools, pushed by the teachers, and few will show up at a school board meeting to object, or dare speak against it. Today we have mentally ill people who can’t even say for sure whether they’re male or female, and laws have been made to punish those who would speak truth about it. Today we have a federal government beast system that’s more corrupt than any government in history.  It’s clearly wicked and evil, yet we still obey it without question.

There are ministries out there that really do teach and train people to be bold, courageous leaders wherever they are, whatever they do, however old or young they may be.  But these ministries are not located in your local church.  But as an individual, you can connect with them, whatever your particular area of interest or calling of God may be.  There are ministries saving unborn babies, ministries to those in prison, ministries for those trapped by addiction, ministries to the victims of the LGBTQP+ and “transgender” movements, ministries for families and those with troubled marriages, ministries to rescue children and adults who are victims of sex trafficking and satanic ritual abuse, and so many more.  But they’re not in your church.

Wherever God is calling you to serve in His kingdom today, there are many excellent organizations out there that you can join.  They’ll train you for the work of the ministry, lead you out and show you how to do it.  You can have a life-changing and soul-saving ministry work of your own, but you’ll need to do the work to learn how; and you’ll have to step out of your comfort zone, muster the courage to engage with those who will not agree with you, and get busy.  But the time is now. When you stand before Jesus at the end of this life, I truly hope you’ll have more to say than, “I went to church. The pastor preached. I went home.”  You were saved to serve.