“From 1980 on, millions of Americans were energized with faith. Huge churches sprang up all over the country. Some were so popular that people actually ran to the sanctuaries from the parking lots on Sunday morning to be able to get good seats. In the 1980s, the airwaves in the United States were filled with church services, evangelistic meetings, Christian teachings, Christian testimonies, and prayer for the sick. The nation had never known anything like it.”

“Yeah, but that bubble sure burst before the decade was over,” said Carl, somewhat cynically.

“Not really, Carl, though it might seem that way. The Bible tells us that judgment begins at the house of the Lord. God had a much greater role for the Christian people in the nineties. How could a holy God use a corrupt church to offer forgiveness of sin to people all over the world? There were, indeed, a few highly publicized Christians who were guilty of conduct that was decidedly un-Christian. They were disgraced and severely punished. Then, the church grew stronger, not weaker.”

Carl shook his head. “That’s not what I read in the newspapers.”

“You’re absolutely right, Carl,” John replied. “There were many key people in the media in the United States who considered the rise of the Christian faith to be a dangerous thing. They hoped to persuade Americans to reject Christianity by trumpeting the sins of several errant evangelists.”

“I remember it well,” Carl replied. “In a sense, I was one of those media people myself. The things I produced appeared in all the media, and I was one of those who condemned all Christians because of a few corrupt leaders.”

Charley nodded. “Then, you may remember what happened next. Most Christians quickly saw through the media bias and ignored what was being said. The believing church kept on growing. People like you, however, seldom heard about the positive things because the media refused to report them.”

Lori spoke up. “But, Jack, what has all this got to do with sealing people before God’s wrath started?”

John smiled. “Lori, America was the source of seventy percent of the money for missions. During the seventies and eighties, American evangelicals gained great skills in communications. They produced television and radio programs. They produced films. They used satellites. They acquired large full-color presses. They learned cultural and language skills.

“Then, in 1989 and 1990 when Communism fell, an enormous spiritual vacuum developed all over the world. At that time, God directed certain groups within the evangelical church in America to use their skills and finances for quick and massive outreach around the world. One leading evangelical organization produced a first-class film of the life of Jesus. They mobilized traveling teams who showed that film with foreign language soundtracks to a quarter of a billion people in over a hundred countries.