The Glory Has Long Since Departed

                I woke up and looked over at the clock....3 a.m....this a Lord's Day morning....it is not an unusual occurrence....so I began a short prayer for the men who will be entering pulpits 6 and 7 hours from now....."Lord I pray that Thy Holy Spirit will not let Thy shepherds sleep this night either....that they might be tossing and turning over what to say to their sheep in the morning....and that words might come out of their mouth that neither they nor their congregations expect." That is a weekly prayer of mine.
                So as I lay there my mind wandered and came to something that happened to me a few days ago. I was in a situation....watching an elderly loved one....oh about 9 or 10 in the morning....where I could not avoid hearing a television that was on. I tried my best to ignore it but heard the word....'Christian'....so I purposely focused in for a minute. It was one of those morning live broadcasts. I will come back to this but first I have to go back quite a few years....
                David Wilkerson told this story. Out of curiosity he went to a concert of the most popular Christian woman singer of the day and was horrified at what he saw. Folks this was probably back in the 80s! The singer's husband was playing the guitar....and had a rose clenched in his teeth. I know this experience of Wilkerson's to be true for I was also at one of this singer's concerts....and apparently her husband often played the guitar with a rose clenched in his teeth. You would have to be familiar with David Wilkerson to understand this....but he said that he saw demons on the stage....and ran up the aisle yelling....Ichabod....Ichabod....the glory has departed!
                Let me now go back only about 10 years.....where I read an article on the most popular Christian woman singer of the day....I can't even remember her name. The article described beliefs that she had and sang about that....(what word should I use.....we can't use the word 'heresy' today....no one really has to be born again anymore).....that were opposite of what God's Word proclaims to us.
                Now let me go back to that morning television show a few days ago. The young singer was absolutely beaming for being on the show....a show that she watched her whole life....she was so honored! This is one of the shows that I have posted on at times....where while watching that same elderly family member....I have no choice but to listen....and it always makes me want to cry....literally break down....for all of the nonsense and celebrity idolatry worship that is the essence of these shows that keep people in bondage! This Christian singer then played her music. I didn't have an aisle to run down.....and I wouldn't have the courage to do it anyway....but the word went through my mind.....Ichabod....the glory is long....long gone from the evangelical church of today! Lord have mercy on all of us for Thy name's sake...if it be Thy will.