A House Divided

By Don Wigton

It was November 3, 1992. President George Bush Senior had just done a good job of doing very little right in his campaign for a second term. A loud-mouthed Ross Perot managed to capture just enough votes, by proclaiming that he would clean up Washington, to make a mess of things. And before you knew it the era of Reagan was gone. William Jefferson Clinton took his baggage of lies, corruption and sex offenses into the White House to defile Washington in a new and unique fashion.

Those of us who were Reagan Republicans were angry and devastated. I was beside myself. I remember soon after we were having a discussion about religion and politics in Sunday school. When I brought up my contention that Christians should be involved in society and making a difference one young man asserted with all the authority he could muster up, "We need to focus on heavenly things!" as if the affairs of men are no concern to God. At the same time this same church was busily formulating an inclusive theology in order to conform to President Clinton's efforts to normalize homosexuality and give special rights to gays.

It was not long before I turned to Vanessa to complain about a society and church that would have sunk to such lows as to elect such a scoundrel. She could see my helplessness and responded, "So write a book."

This simple phrase changed the course of the next eight years of my life. I ended out spending the bulk of my free time during the Clinton Presidency logging down current events and researching subjects such as religion, politics and US/Western History to get to the bottom of the matter.

Out of this intense time came five books that I put under the umbrella of the title Gray Matter. The idea was that people ought to put their minds into action and think about what they are doing rather than just doing what the "feel" is right. For years this book has set on my shelf unpublished. It was just too long!

And then it was, in April of 2012, after more than a decade that I decided to dust off the pages and read the book once again. As I was once thumbing through those pages that I began writing nearly 20 years before I came to the realization that the story was really about a house divided. America is besieged by an malevolent faction that is driving us all apart, American against American -- Christian against Christian. As I delved deeper in this discovery I suddenly realized that if these evil doers are allowed to continue with their divisive schemes unchecked that our nation is doomed!

But thanks to the wonders of the internet and self-publishing I have finally been able to release the results of this intense effort. In wandering through these pages penned decades ago I have found that they explain a lot of what we see going on in America and the world today. As it turned out, the volumes of literature wound out being a prophecy of sorts as what I discovered was unveiling in our culture has finally come to pass.

With that in mind, I pray that the revelations that I uncovered during those morally dark times in American history will prove of benefit to you as well. So read on and take the journey that transformed my thinking regarding who God is and how He relates to individuals and the nations.
The first book looks into a pivotal moment in American history that changed the world forever. It was a time when the United States was on the brink of destruction. It was and era when an American prophet and patriot stood up to eco the words of Christ: "A house divided cannot stand." Today we live in a similar era today where America is torn asunder between truth and error.

May God bless your endeavors to find the truth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Don Wigton
• Release date: Jun 8, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476348209

Don Wigton

Don is the leader of the popular Internet Christian Band Southern Cross. For decades now he and his wife Vanessa have dedicated their music talents for the body of Christ by publishing the website at www.praisesong.net while providing a vast amount of worship materials for the edification of all. Millions of song downloads have resulted. During the last two decades Don has authored a number of books depicting the state of Christianity in the world today. These dramatic pieces delve deep into the heart of the matter to uncover the truth of what has gone wrong and what we need to do about it.

Book preview

Divided We Fall

Book 1: A House Divided

Copyright 2012 Don Wigton

Smashwords Edition

Connect with Don at Wigtune Company for an online worship study, free music, recording studio services, hymn and praise song lyrics, song stories, charts and more!

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Foreward

Warning

Chapter One: Another Self-Help Book?

Whatever Makes Me Feel Better

Take Your Time

Chapter Two: The Great Revision

Looking Back

Rewriting History

Why Does it Matter to Me?

Being Aware

Confused Rights

Where Should We stand?

Will America Lose Its Soul?

God's Ministry Gone Bad

In a Nation of Christians

Chapter Three: The Great American Legend

Deceiving Children

Brand New History

Everybody Get Together?

Bashing the Framers

Setting the Record Straight

The So-Called Lincoln Legend

Through His Own Paradigm

A Heartbreaking Ending?

Chapter Four: The Faith of One Man

A Journey Begins

All Grow'd Up

Christ and Freedom

A House Divided

Chapter Five: Find the Cost of Freedom

The Contest

A War Gone Bad

A Turning Point

Chapter Six: The Faith of a Nation

Ancient Lessons

Swimming Against the Current

A Nation Gone Bad

Blessings and Cursings

Christian or Not

Chapter Seven: The Path of the Just

One Man's Faith

A New Course of Action

Chapter Eight: The Benevolent Heart

Bringing Order to the House

Chapter Nine: A Dream Cut Short

A Night at Ford's Theater

Shot!

Chapter Ten: The Wrath of a Conqueror

An Awakening

A Time of Change

Revenge!

A New Reconstruction

The Carpetbaggers

Affirmative Carpetbaggers

Lost Opportunities

Chapter Eleven: The Harvest of Sin

Race Wars

The Clarence Thomas Affair

Bending Over Backwards

Nothing Gained

Rising Above Racism

An Unlikely Pair

The Roots of Equality

Disciples of Hate

What a Riot

Class Hate and Envy

The Jackson Faction

Sanity at Last

Enough is Not Enough

Victims of Everyone

The Leopard's Spots

OJ Simpson and the Goal of Control

A Verdict With an Agenda

A Case of Race

Crying All the Way to the Bank

Racism Goes Both Ways

A Fair Proposition

Out Living Usefulness

A Bright Light

Feudal Beginnings

Chapter Twelve: Free or Slave?

The Author of Freedom

Racism or Necessity

Overcoming Oppression

Slavery is Slavery

The Grand Design

The Sin of Generations

Looking Out for Number One

Divide to Survive

The Fat Minority

By All Appearances

Whatever Happens in Bed Stays in Bed

It's Our Problem

We'll Have Nunn of That

Courting the Gays

Where Does it Leave Us?

When There is Sin in the Camp

The Better Way

All is not Lost

Chapter Thirteen: A Tale of Two Cities

How Can We Endure?

Who is to Blame?

Divisive Outsiders

The Eternal Conflict

Of Angels and Men

The Holy City

Epilogue

About the Author

Appendix: An Argument for Truth

References and Suggested Readings

Gray Matter,

1. the grayish nerve tissue in the brain and spinal cord that contains nerve cells and some nerve fibers.

2. (Informal, Figurative.) intelligence; brains.

World Book Information Finder

Foreword

It was November 3, 1992. President George Bush Senior had just done a good job of doing very little right in his campaign for a second term. A loud-mouthed Ross Perot managed to capture just enough votes, by proclaiming that he would clean up Washington, to make a mess of things. And before you knew it the era of Reagan was gone. William Jefferson Clinton took his baggage of lies, corruption and sex offenses into the White House to defile Washington in a new and unique fashion.

Those of us who were Reagan Republicans were angry and devastated. I was beside myself. I remember soon after we were having a discussion about religion and politics in Sunday school. When I brought up my contention that Christians should be involved in society and making a difference one young man asserted with all the authority he could muster up, We need to focus on heavenly things! as if the affairs of men are no concern to God. At the same time this same church was busily formulating an inclusive theology in order to conform to President Clinton's efforts to normalize homosexuality and give special rights to gays.

It was not long before I turned to Vanessa to complain about a society and church that would have sunk to such lows as to elect such a scoundrel. She could see my helplessness and responded, So write a book.

This simple phrase changed the course of the next eight years of my life. I ended out spending the bulk of my free time during the Clinton Presidency logging down current events and researching subjects such as religion, politics and US/Western History to get to the bottom of the matter.

Out of this intense time came five books that I put under the umbrella of the title Gray Matter. The idea was that people ought to put their minds into action and think about what they are doing rather than just doing what the feel is right. For years this book has set on my shelf unpublished. It was just too long!

And then it was, in April of 2012, after more than a decade that I decided to dust off the pages and read the book once again. As I was once thumbing through those pages that I began writing nearly 20 years before I came to the realization that the story was really about a house divided. America is besieged by an malevolent faction that is driving us all apart, American against American -- Christian against Christian. As I delved deeper in this discovery I suddenly realized that if these evil doers are allowed to continue with their divisive schemes unchecked that our nation is doomed!

But thanks to the wonders of the internet and self-publishing I have finally been able to release the results of this intense effort. In wandering through these pages penned decades ago I have found that they explain a lot of what we see going on in America and the world today. As it turned out, the volumes of literature wound out being a prophecy of sorts as what I discovered was unveiling in our culture has finally come to pass.

With that in mind, I pray that the revelations that I uncovered during those morally dark times in American history will prove of benefit to you as well. So read on and take the journey that transformed my thinking regarding who God is and how He relates to individuals and the nations.

The first book looks into a pivotal moment in American history that changed the world forever. It was a time when the United States was on the brink of destruction. It was and era when an American prophet and patriot stood up to eco the words of Christ: A house divided cannot stand. Today we live in a similar era today where America is torn asunder between truth and error.

May God bless your endeavors to find the truth.

Back to Top

Warning

This book is for those who intend to take holiness seriously. To get anything out of it you must resolve to be decisive in your view of God. If you are into playing church games or filling a pew with just another cold body, then you must be ready to change your stance. If you embrace the theology of the modernists who enables you to be the center of your own life, then you should be ready to modify your opinion. If you deny the reality of the absolutes initiated by God from the foundation of the world, then you will have to change your mind. If you are of the persuasion that the interpretation of Scripture is a matter of opinion, then you will need to correct your view. If you think that morality is a matter that is subject to the whims of each individual, then I would have to wonder why you picked up this book to begin with!

If everything is relative in your mind, then there is nothing we have to talk about. . . unless you are willing to consider something that will challenge your entire belief system.

Now you can call it arrogant and opinionated if you want, but the views of this book come from a conviction that transcends my own personal views: it is predicated on a higher authority. If you, on the other hand, are one of those who insist that truth is relative then you have no authority beyond yourself; for it is according to yourself that you would measure everything that you believe in.

* * *

Now, before we progress any further, I owe it to you to offer another warning. You see, I am an avid fan of the cartoon strip Calvin and Hobbes.

If you were not reading my book this would not be a problem. However, since you are, you must understand from the very beginning that you will be intermittently subjected to the perceptive wisdom of this wild and mischievous tot. These instances will occur without any notice. They will pop unto the page without any warning, to bewilder anyone who would become a critique of this very long book. And now is time to allow Calvin to interject. You have been warned.

* * *

Calvin is laying down, bemused over his current chore. In walks dad who announces, OK Calvin, let's check over you math homework.

Let's not and say we did, the procrastinator replies.

It's time for the boy to get up and get serious as dad demands, Your teacher says you need to spend more time on it. Have a seat.

More time?! Calvin protests. I already spent ten whole minutes on it! Ten minutes shot! Wasted! Down the drain!

Father will not be dissuaded. As his son slinks down in disgust he begins, You've written 8 + 4 = 7. Now you know that's not right.

So I was off a little bit. Sue me.

You can't add things that come out with less than you started with!

Now Calvin is perched up high. With his one fist shaking while his other hand points to himself, he blurts, I can do that! It's a free country! I've got my rights!

* * *

The reasoning of those who think that rights and freedom is license to do your own thing just doesn't add up! But people in our society are not use to hearing someone come out and say that there is only one way of doing things. We are a nationality who is mostly concerned about rights. We believe that if someone wants to believe or act in a particular way, that he has a right to do it. Someone who comes out to declare that another is wrong is subject to insults and labels that brand him as un-loving, bigoted, hateful, rebellious, and definitely un-Christian. It's the way we think today!

* * *

The more you know, the harder it is to take decisive action, Calvin, the youthful philosopher, interjects as his attentive friend stares in utter amazement.

Once you become informed, you start seeing complexities and shades of gray, Calvin continues with his hand resting on the open book that has drawn his attention.

Then with arms extend outward in order to underline his point, You realize that nothing is as clear and simple as it first appears. Ultimately, knowledge is paralyzing.

Being a man of action, I can't afford to take the risk, the astute logician concludes as he throws the book away in utter delight.

This has left his tiger friend with his head resting on his hand while peering up in space to assure his associate, You're ignorant, but at least you act on it.

* * *

So they say that ignorance is bliss. This unfortunately has been written into the constitution of the body of Christ. And what is it they have made themselves purposely unaware of? What book has been thrown out the door? It is the very piece of literature that rests on their laps every Sunday morning in church. It is the Bible, the Word of God, the document that was written by the hand of God to instruct them of who He is and how He can be related to.

Why is this so? How can it be that I have the audacity to say that the Bible is being ignored even as it is being read throughout our country; daily by everyone from pastors to laymen?

The answer lies in those two words, I think. America, and Christians in particular have forgotten what it is like to believe in absolutes. Everything is seen as it is compared to the environment or whatever else is convenient enough to allow them to do whatever they want. We look at the Bible in our own way now. Nothing is as easy to comprehend since that we have progressed in our knowledge. They ought to come out with the gray letter addition to the Good Book, for that is how we see it in this age.

The Bible is full of complexities, they say, and filled with shades of gray, making it seem far less clear and simple as we once thought it to be. Yes, the approach of Calvin has been administered by those who feel they can no longer take the risk of black-and-white.

If you are one of those out there who believes that all knowledge, reality, and morality are subject to each man's interpretation, may I share with you a story from my own childhood? The neighborhood in which I grew up in was filled with primarily young boys. (Apparently, we were not an equal-opportunity community.) In spite of this affront to the Women's Lib movement, the situation provided some good team sports for this group of guys who lived to play ball. Most of the time, we would pursue whichever sport was in fashion at the moment -- the most daring being tackle football.

Now this endeavor was pursued barefoot and in shorts to wherever our imagination would lead us. We bashed our shins on the brass sprinkler heads at our local elementary school to the thrill of receiving that touchdown pass. We broke our toes on the pavement of the street if we wanted to. We were the Knoxville Knockers and we were ready for any challenge that awaited us.

Now there was one boy in our group who just didn't seem to have a grip on the rules of the game. Basically, he made the regulations up as he went along. So, in those rare times when we actually played touch football, if he lodged a great run only to be touched by an opponent, he would invariably come up with an unknown rule that would invalidate the efforts of those who opposed him.

You can't just touch me with your fingertips, he would say in order to enlighten us all. It has got to be with the palm of your hands! And so this scenario went on-and-on as we became familiarized with the complexities of the game as it proceeded.

Eventually, though we got wind of what was going on. Gee, guys, do you think he is doing this so that he can win? we thought. Is this nut doing his own thing -- making up the rules to allow him to do whatever he wants?

With this revelation in our hip pocket, the jig was up. The boy lost his credibility. You see, since he refused to acknowledge that there was one set of rules to abide by, it was determined that he should have nothing to say about them at all. His opinion was worthless, for it was founded upon his own desires rather than any particular authority.

This is exactly what the stance is for the modernist today who insists that there are no black-and-whites. They are doing their own thing -- and by the virtue of that one fact, they have made themselves by their own definition incapable of coming up with moral judgments.

. . . And yet they continue to do exactly that. They make value judgments on the Biblical Christian who asserts emphatically that the ungodly are sinners.

But who in the situation is in a position to make a judgment call: the one who quotes a higher authority and insists that it is the only moral right for all mankind, or the one who contends morality is an individual matter?

The modernists insist that it is their right to judge and evaluate any group of people or past national hero they desire. They uphold the contention that abortion and homosexuality are OK, that there is nothing wrong with open and free sex, that the one who believes there is a difference in the sexes is a chauvinist pig, that the rich are filled with greed, that riots are OK when done in the name of social injustice in an unfair capitalistic system that favors a few, and so on and so on. Yet if their judgment by their own definition is no more than a differing opinion then of what value is it? The answer is: absolutely none.

If you want someone to fix your car, you won't to take it to a lawyer. If you need brain surgery, you would shun at consulting a television repair man. So why is it that it is the a-moralist, who contends there are no absolutes, that society approaches to find out the answers in moral decisions?

To find the answers for those daily situations that are far less important than the future of our society, we consult an expert in the field. Yet we go to someone who has designated himself a know nothing to tell us about such the subjects as religion, morality, and values.

Rather than doing this, the prudent one should proceed to an expert; the one Western Society has looked to for moral guidance from its beginning -- the man of The Word who has proved himself to be obedient to God's commands. He is the one capable of performing the brain surgery that Americans are so desperately in need of at this very hour.

So, if you happen to be one of those a-moralists -- one of those who deny the presence of absolutes -- then you might consider that reading on is the choice that is most consistent with your position! You will then have the opportunity to hear the multitude of voices of the past: those who made Christianity into the religion that has dominated Western civilization for two thousand years. You will be seeing how God has interacted with man during the course of his stay on earth, and how the truth of God's principles of LAW and its consequences has been consistently maintained throughout the course of history.

You will experience the Word of the One who is the foremost expert of all. He is the Creator who wrote the book on morality. Listen, and discover truth.

Back to Top

Chapter One

Another Self-Help Book?

Whatever Makes Me Feel Better

It was an absolutely perfect summer day, uniquely suited for a young boy casually reclining under the shade of a majestic oak tree. With pencil in his ear and paper in his hand the juvenile carefully contemplated his promising future.

Whatcha doin, the lad's longtime and loyal friend questioned as he serendipitously meandered up.

Getting rich, was the astute reply.

Really?

Yep. I'm writing a self-help book. There's a huge market for this stuff.

Now the little boy had his friend's undivided attention as he began to expound on the words of wisdom that had just ushered from his ecstatic mouth. First, you convince people there's something wrong with them. That's easy because advertising has already conditioned people to feel insecure about their weight, looks, social status, sex appeal, and so on.

The attentive tiger is now engrossed in perplexity as Calvin continues with his perceptive insights. Next, you convince them that the problem is not their fault and that they're victims of larger forces. That's easy, because it's what people believe anyway. Nobody wants to be responsible for his own situation. Finally, you convince them that with your expert advice and encouragement, they can conquer their problem and be happy.

Hobbes is amazed as he stands up with his paws resting on his sides to proclaim, Ingenious. What problem will you help people solve?

Their addiction to self-help books, was the instant reply. My book is called 'Shut Up and Stop Whining: How to do Something With Your Life Besides Think About Yourself.'

The captivated tiger then scratched his head in disbelief to advise, You should probably wait for the advance before you buy anything.

Oblivious to the comment Calvin continued, The trouble is. . .if my program works, I won't be able to write a sequel.

* * *

Certainly, most of the nation chuckled upon reading this adventure of the mischievous Calvin and Hobbes on the Sunday it was printed in their local newspapers. I did as well! Tears of laughter rolled down my eyes as the wisdom behind the words of this little boy began to register in my head.

Yet those same tears became droplets of sorrow, as I began to realize how true was the message of this boy, Calvin. It so accurately describes the self-centered, humanistic society that we now abide in -- a self-absorbed culture that has lost so much of what it once had.

Have you seen the books Calvin was describing on the bookshelves throughout you city? Look at the titles prominently displayed as you enter your favorite store and you will find promises of everything -- from more wealth, to guaranteed success, inner peace and freedom. All of this is so easily attained if you will just buy the copy that is being exhibited so prominently before your eyes.

The great Baptist evangelist of the late nineteenth century, Charles Spurgeon, was quite aware of the espousers of every new idea in his own day. Talking of the empty sermons that belched out of the pulpits of England, he wrote in The Soul Winner, When they select a text, they never explain its true meaning; but they go round about to find out something that the Holy Ghost never intended to convey by it, and when they get hold of one of their 'new thoughts' -- oh, dear! what a fuss they make over it! Here is a man who has found a stale herring! What a treat! It is so odoriferous! Now we shall hear of this stale herring for the next six months, when somebody else will find another one. What a shout they set up! 'Glory! Glory! Glory! Here is a new thought!' A new book comes out about it, and all these great men go sniffing round to prove what deep thinkers and what wonderful men they are. God will not bless that kind of wisdom.

Masses of people today are clamoring to the racks to pick up the latest bit of insight or exciting novel ideas that will surely give to them the dynamics of life that they are certain they are missing out on. Give them a message that will make them feel better about themselves, with the assurance that they are in actuality OK and not responsible for the mess they are in, and they will with ease lay down their hard-earned cash to read the words of peace and safety.

Everybody wants to feel better about themselves! With a new way of looking at things they certainly can attain the self-improvement that will help them to better cope in a world saturated with pressures to measure up to specific standards.

To be relieved of their guilt concerning their failures is considered a blessing. It really doesn't matter how this is accomplished. . . .Just so it is. Tell them how they can look at themselves to see a more acceptable picture in the mirror. They do not want to face their own depravity. Encouragement is what they crave.

As you might have already guessed, this is not a feel good discourse. As a matter of fact, it is just the opposite! Does that concern you? Are you wondering if you made a mistake in even going this far?

Allowing one's self to probe his own inadequacy in this way might bring out negative emotions, and nobody cares to do that. Most prefer to comfort themselves with the speculation that there are different ways of looking at things. It is not a popular thing today to assert that somebody is wrong.

Yet, this is exactly what I am proposing to do! The message is, that there is a right, and there is a wrong. . . .and guess what? The book has already been purchased!

You might be thinking that you should have looked a little farther than the titles in the table of contents before plopping down your last dime for literature such as this. If you continue, you will only be subjected to a message that was specifically intended to make you feel uncomfortable with the gray areas in your life. What a bummer!

The world we live in is a very busy place. Who has the time to change one's way of thinking? Besides, we take enough hits from our bosses, business associates, neighbors, parents, and who knows who else, to spend our leisure time subjecting ourselves to more challenges. Just give us a movie to look at for a while to help us escape the madness.

Well, have I got good news for you! It's not as if you've laid down you hard-earned cash for a dog DVD rental that has to go back to the store by tomorrow evening. In that case you might have invested a whole night with friends over popcorn, while you all gaze in perplexity wondering whether the next scene is suitable for viewing by your kids. You endure the monotonous adventure anyway, only to question if the defilement you bought into was worth the bother of a wearisome plot that went nowhere but to take two blasphemous mouths into an adulterous bedroom.

A book on the other hand is an investment of a lifetime. You can read it at your own pace and put it down as you like. Tomorrow it shall be waiting for you right where you left your bookmark. It will do this for as long as you wish, quietly obeying the brush of your fingertips and the glance of your eye until you have labored to the last page. Take a lifetime as you wish. Digest each word if it pleases you, or skim through at a rapid pace if you cannot wait. The book will follow your command.

Take Your Time

Calvin is found standing on the sidewalk with his arch-enemy, the dreaded Suzie. As the young boy stares on in wonderment, the little girl exalts, I love my school books. Just think! Pretty soon we'll have to read all of this! . .I like to read ahead and see what we're going to learn next. It's so exciting to know stuff

Now hugging her close friend, Having a book is like having a good friend with you.

Now Calvin is going to assert his profundity into the situation. While vigorously thumbing the pages of his book, he advances, If you flip the pages of my book, an animated T. Rex drives the Batmobile and explodes!

Sometimes, Suzie complains to herself, I think books are the only friends worth having.

* * *

So my advice to you in contemplating the following pages is to take in as much as you can at a time. I can assure you that you will be reading a lot of candid comments regarding the condition of the American believer who has been corrupted by the world that surrounds him. That is what black and white is all about! You tell it as it is.

A lot of people today label such talk as that of Pharisees; legalistic, unloving, and filled with hate. The Word of God proclaims it as truth. Most of the time the truth is very difficult to hear. . . . So take your time.

It is my intention to provide you with information that will help to abet the severe predicament that has engulfed our nation and the Church, that has become so much part of