“We´ll Meet again -  some Sunny Day!”  (Vera Lynn)

”It cannot be emphasized strongly enough and too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists nor by Christians.  It doesn´t build on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!”  (Patric Henry, one of The Founding Fathers)

We are about to go home and have with us strong impressions which even the best camera can´t catch, even though cameras have been used.

Here in this wonderful Fresno valley we´ve met an extremely kind population.  In Germany they greet one another as soon there´s eye contact.  Here they not only greet but smile at you, even the car drivers sometimes smilingly wave at you.  I don´t think I´ve ever been in such a smiling country.  The outgoing style of the Americans makes it easy also to start a good conversation with them.

As the use of my limbs has been temporarily affected by a bad back which is going to be operated on in Denmark, I use a cane when I walk.  It seems as if this friend (cane) of mine has made people even more kind to me.  Cars would stop up and wave me over even if they don´t have to, and again they do it smilingly.

I´ve previously mentioned the good service in the shops.  It has to do with the keen competition, I know, but it does give you a nice experience as a customer.  As the U.S. is a multi linguistic country, the Americans don´t mind a foreign accent. “Don´t lose your accent”, some would even say very politely.  I think they mean it.  The Americans loved the Danish entertainer, Victor Borge, (the one who made a lot of fun at the piano), and he spoke with a heavy Danish accent through out his whole long life.

U.S. has a different culture all right.  They never invite you home. That doesn´t mean that the Americans are inhospitable.  But “hospitality” is not in their vocabulary anymore. It may have to do with their chronic hurry. A certain lady in Denmark writes me several e-mails a month where she usually tells me what a great time of fellowship she had with so and so or with this and that company of friends.  It could be for lunch or just for a couple of hours in the afternoon.  We have a word for that kind of a cosy atmosphere in Danish, but an accurate translation isn´t possible.

As I said the Americans are not inhospitable, but you have to take the initiative yourself.  I did that at one time in San Diego with an American/Italian contractor.  “Why don´t I come to your house one evening?” I suggested.  No problem.  My wife and I had a very wonderful evening with that family, and I remember the enthusiasm of his wife in particular.

I think I´m very objective when I contend that I have a greater chance over here to meet a fellow believer out in the open than in my own country.  And it´s also true that in a Bible believing church in America you´ll hear more sound teaching than in a Danish church.  Our so called ”Evangelical Lutheran Church” (under the auspices of the secular state) is an apostate church, but by and large the secularization or worldliness of the Christians in Denmark has paralyzed an out-and-out witness for Jesus Christ.

There are, as I see it, three reasons why God has spared this country till now: 1) It still has disciples of Christ who mean business with the Lord. 2) USA have also been the greatest contributor to foreign missions (without this country we would have very little world missions). 3) And finally I believe that God has honored the friendship with Israel over the years.

However, this country as well as my own will be heading for judgment.  The sulfurous ash rain upon Europe these days could be a warning of a much more severe Sodom and Gomorrah judgment yet to come.  In one of his last great speeches in the House of Commons Winston Churchill expressed his fear that God may some day be tired of mankind.  That was his way of airing his feelings about a righteous judgment lying ahead.  Was it Jefferson who said something like this, “I tremble for this country when I think that God is a righteous God!”

Some frivolous souls would call this kind of speech ”Old Testament like” or ”hell fire” preaching, but to deny it would mean a denial of God´s word and its prophetic truth.

Should I never come back to the States again, I can say to God´s people over here like I´ve heard some say, “We´ll meet again, either here or there or in the air!”

Clovis, Ca., April 19, 2010

-jn-