Preface: Evangelicalism has been in a period of evolution for over a century....during which in conference after conference....and declaration after declaration....the gospel has purposely been made more palatable to the modern mind. The result of this has been in the enormous 'success' of 'ministries' such as Joel Osteen....and in a politically conservative Christianity with little to no spiritual discernment.
I changed a few names....and included the short story as Chapter Thirty in my novella....Isaac Crockett. Isaac was the rock star who gave it all up to return to his home in Ocean City, New Jersey....and open up a Christian bookstore. Shane was a know-it-all college student who more than dabbled in paranormal nonsense....and would stop in Isaac's Christian bookstore just to display his great intellect. Isaac....always polite but never compromising....would straighten Shane out....fully knowing that his warnings went in one ear and out the other.
Summarizing this little episode so that I can get to my point.....Shane was getting deeper and deeper into an absurd local myth about a ghost ship that had on occasion been spotted by passengers on the ferry to Lewes, Delaware. One dark evening.....while half asleep on a deck chair....the ghost ship appeared....passing by only feet from the ferry. With no time to think....and the ghost ship passing maybe forever....Shane leaped over the rail....and landed hard on deck of the passing ship....as it was now quiet.....sailing off into who knows where.
There was only one person on board.....the captain....behind the wheel of the ship. When Shane found him he tried to talk the captain into coming back into the 'world'....a world that would be amazed! Long story short....the captain for the first time turns around to Shane....and it is a Satanic figure.....laughing demonically at Shane....who now stumbles and falls in his attempt to get off that boat. In the now high waves of a brewing storm....Shane is rescued....and taken to the hospital. Isaac hears about it and rushes to the hospital.
Shane tells him the whole story....and then Isaac tells Shane that the ferry crew saw him jump in the water....and rescued him within minutes. There was no ship. Shane finally sees that his fascination with the occult almost caused his death....and here is my point in this story....Isaac is about to leave the hospital room but Shane stops him and asks if this isn't where he is supposed to say a prayer or something....and become a Christian?
That's what we do today is it not folks....we lure someone in....maybe with a rock star's testimony....then we get them to say a sinner's prayer.....mission complete....another person saved from hell....as we put yet another notch on our belt....but Isaac in this story essentially tells Shane....no....there is no easy way out....you were never interested in the gospel....and have no understanding of it....and no repentance....only fear at almost dying. No....he wasn't going to lead Shane in a sinner's prayer! Hmmm?
This is evangelicalism today......churches filled with people who for one reason or another....choose church....never having been....born again....only recruited into a stable conservative lifestyle....freedom and liberty don't you know....God bless America....thinking that this is God's kingdom that they are fighting for. This folks is but one reason why when a false prophet came.....an antichrist as John describes them in his letters....in Donald Trump....we fell for him.....for so many in this church of today were never really saved....while others were never discipled with warnings of remaining vigilant....or in the cost of their profession of faith. 'Don't bother reading the fine print....just sign on the dotted line!'
In my story....Isaac leaves a Bible on the bed.....and tells Shane.....read it....begin with the Gospel of Mark....I'll be back....listen this time....then maybe we will talk about saying a sinner's prayer.
