Jesus is coming (David Wilkerson)

[Lou Newton]

[Lou Newton]

Glen sent this email:

Glen B Smith
To:Lou Newton

Jan 11 at 2:43 AM

Jesus is coming David Wilkerson


He states that American Christianity does not expect or preach Jesus is coming soon.

I wonder what rock he is living under?

Most of the recording is typical Wilkerson whining over the defeat of the American Church.

In the more idealistic days of youth and young adulthood I agreed with Wilkerson. Such a perspective assumes to correctly evaluate other's relationship with the LORD. To equate the Church with American culture is like equating the Lord Jesus to the false preachers of today.

But as grew in faith and grace such a perspective was recognized as pharisaical and self-righteous. The LORD has allowed me to live long enough to see those tender sprouts I thought were tares matured as wheat. Also, His Grace is recognized as sufficient for all types of rebellious sinners.

Thank you for the reply Glen..

I understand your point and I agree we all can be like Pharisees at times. But I think Wilkerson had some really good points.

You make the point that many Christians are not mature and they will mature. But preachers like Wilkerson are the reason some do mature. It takes prophets to point out the sin of the church for the church to repent and change.

Wilkerson makes a point that much of the church in our nation is focused on material things instead of getting ready for Jesus to return that night. I see that as a very accurate picture of many churches. They may act different in their church meetings but then live as Jesus is never coming back. Further we all could use this word of encouragement to repent of following our own desires instead of following His Holy Spirit.

Glen do you think the church is following The Holy Spirit perfectly and prophets should not then call for the church to repent and follow The Holy Spirit more. I for one am encouraged to repent and follow His Holy Spirit more by messages like this.

[Lou Newton]

I received this email from Glen:

Glen B Smith
To:lou newton

Jan 12 at 3:53 PM

Lou posted -

Thank you for the reply Glen.

I understand your point and I agree we all can be like Pharisees at times. But I think Wilkerson had some really good points.

You make the point that many Christians are not mature and they will mature. But preachers like Wilkerson are the reason some do mature. It takes prophets to point out the sin of the church for the church to repent and change.

Wilkerson makes a point that much of the church in our nation is focused on material things instead of getting ready for Jesus to return that night. I see that as a very accurate picture of many churches. They may act different in their church meetings but then live as Jesus is never coming back. Further we all could use this word of encouragement to repent of following our own desires instead of following His Holy Spirit.

Glen do you think the church is following The Holy Spirit perfectly and prophets should not then call for the church to repent and follow The Holy Spirit more. I for one am encouraged to repent and follow His Holy Spirit more by messages like this.

Last edited by Lou Newton; Yesterday, 01:08 PM.



Reply: "sin of the church . . . focused on material things" –

Americans and people who live in America are focused on material things – consumerism. Only a very few are material reductionist attempting to live on as little as possible – and some of these are survivalist.


Free market American capitalism depends on consumerism. For anyone in America it is virtually impossible not to be infected by consumerism.


When the Soviet Premier Gorbachev visited America, he wanted to see a supermarket. Even though he had heard of the American supermarket, he was astounded!


Americans with social security, health insurance, and comparative low taxes to other nations where such benefits are the norm, are rich compared to the other seven billion world population. Household annual consumption expenditures per capita are about $38,000. Except for Hong Kong, this is $10,000 higher than Switzerland, the next highest. System heating and air cooling are not available to most of the world's population. Yet, even most of the poor in America insist on this luxury.


Toilet paper – yes, toilet paper is a luxury for most of the world. People don’t use toilet paper because they can’t afford it. Most Egyptians don't use toilet paper. Toilet paper is available in Egypt's tourist hotels and resorts.


About four billion people in the world do not use toilet paper (that's nearly 75 percent of the world's population) because it's too expensive and they do not have sufficient plumbing.


A study in Environmental Science & Technology estimates six out of 10 people on planet Earth don’t have access to flush toilets or adequate water-related sanitation. In other words, 4.2 billion people desperately need a technology we use every day.


Aside from hookworms, do you know what happens when humans don’t have toilets? Dysentery happens. Typhoid happens. Cholera, hepatitis A, and diarrhea happen. And real diarrhea isn’t like when your “stomach” hurts and you get to call in sick and spend the day watching Game of Thrones. In Third World countries, real diarrhea kills more people than AIDS.


Accordingly, what is meant when we state the "sin of the church . . . focused on material things?" Should the Holy Spirit convict us of sin for living in air-conditioned housing, for having indoor plumbing and clean water, or even for using toilet paper? Consider separate bedrooms, lawns that need mowing, autos, government provided roads, cheep gasoline, military protection - where do I stop?


Comparatively, Wilkerson, Lou, and I are among the wealthiest people in the world, yet we are members of the body of Christ, the Church in America. Do we represent the "sin of the Church?"


Another issue I care to address: Lou wrote, "They may act different in their church meetings but then live as Jesus is never coming back." I am disillusioned by the opposite observations. Of course, I live on the buckle of the Bible belt, so my experience might be different from yours and Wilkerson's. It is the lack luster act of worship, the engineered excitement, and absence of proclamation of the gospel that bothers me. I find Christians outside of the congregation acting very Christian in their beliefs and attitudes. It is the non-Christians who are destroying American society in the Bible belt

Last issue: "Glen do you think the church is following The Holy Spirit perfectly and prophets should not then call for the church to repent and follow The Holy Spirit more."


Answer: Since the Lord Jesus who has followed the holy Spirit perfectly, and who determines who more closely follows the Holy Spirit?

And, yes, prophets (or proclaimers, teachers, preachers, evangelists, shepherds) should call for the church to repent and follow the Holy Spirit, but Christians do not agree on those who are proclaiming the guidance from the Holy Spirit.


12 January 2020 the old scribe

[redsoxmaloney]

I received this email from Glen:

Hi Glenn, hope you are well.
I agree with alot of what you wrote, bud God is not a liar; we certainly are. We are certainly responsible for our church's collapse. God cannot be held responsible. He says that all men have fallen short of the glory of God. That would certainly include myself, Lou, Wilkerson, and you. That's fundamental to the gospel, and extremely hypocritical of us to assume otherwise. God says he's coming back to those that need a doctor, not those that are well. We imply that we are well if we say we have no blame for our church's collapse. And indeed, it has collapsed. God says that if the land is doing well, so should the church. Our land certainly is one of the worst that it's ever been, so that means so is the church. We have no hope but to plead the blood and ask God to change us.