Victorian culture warrior

Charles Dickens, whose bicentennial is celebrated this year, was both a literary giant and a Christian activist. Like William Wilberforce a generation earlier, Dickens took on the overwhelming social and moral problems of his day. Motivated by his Christian faith, Dickens used the power of his pen to awaken compassion, change public opinion, and inspire social reform. Christians 200 years later could learn from his example.

Although "Victorian" has become a synonym for moral rectitude and middle class propriety, 19th-century England also had rampant prostitution, sickness, and starvation. Those lucky enough to find work labored as much as 16 hours a day in toxic factories, earning just enough to stay alive. Thirty people sometimes crowded into a single room in disease-ridden tenements.

Unwanted children—orphans, the offspring of prostitutes, and those whose parents simply abandoned them—roamed the city in packs. Boys as young as 5 earned a few coins cleaning chimneys or working in factories, but others made their living picking pockets. Little girls might also find work, but many eventually entered the sex trade with "Victorian" gentlemen as their customers.

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Bill Wilberforce

The key here, is that humanism didn't bring an end to the misery of which Dickens spoke and wrote about; it was the sentiments of God-fearing Christians which ultimately changed the society from what it was, and in that squalor.
- http://twitter.com/lambsev11 @lambsev11
  
  great point Bill!
http://www.missiontoisrael.org TedRWeiland

It's called salt that hasn't lost its savor, good for something more than to be trampled under the foot of man. May God help this generation of Christians toward, once again, being the salt of the earth and light of the world, instead of so heavenly minded they are of little good here and now.
- http://twitter.com/lambsev11 @lambsev11
  
  I think most christians are not heavenly minded enough. The mind of Christ, which brought to Paul the joy of the Lord, (see Philippians ) that Holy mind came from heaven and returned to heaven. If we KNEW Him who is in heaven we would pray HIS will which is done in heaven be done in earth. We don't really know enough about heaven which is to say we don't know the One who dwells there!
  
  If yo ask me too many christians are so worldly/earthly minded they are no heavenly good!
  - Winston
    
    It isn't the fact that "most Christians are not heavenly minded enough" as it is apparent that most Christians never fully understood what their personal "baptism" meant or even means to them in an active sense. Most professed believers are Christian in name only and are actually social church goers which is a self-centered activity rather than glorifying God in and with their lives.
http://www.missiontoisrael.org TedRWeiland

To be Christ-minded and heavenly minded, in the sense that I'm using the term, are not the same thing. For example, many modern Christians are so raptured-oriented that they have become the modern fulfillment of what Christ described in Matthew 5:13 – salt that's lost its savor, good for nothing, but to be trampled under the foot of man, which is what is happening to Christians today. As the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding.
Evermyrtle

I really do not know how much is too much, about any subject. I do know you cannot read very far in any book of the New Testament before running into something relating to the end days and the Rapture of HIS people. There are many scriptures in the old Testament relating to the end days,a s well. I am looking forward to the return of JESUS CHRIST for HIS people.The conditions described in HIS WORD, described exactly, as are present, today, not only the evil but the ability to destroy the world, ourselves. We have gone from the most Christian nation in the world to one of the most evil nations when we started legalizing abominations of GOD. There is not much that we can do in America that can make us a more evil nation, when we started legalizing everything that I can think of that is evil., which are hateful ot GOD. It has been a good many years since we have been able to destroy the world ourselves, if GOD would allow it.

Matt. 24: 21-22
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22. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
- Evermyrtle
  
  Matt. 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was ot since the beginning of the world, no,nor ever shall be
http://zionica.com Grant

We still have that 'working out the Spiritual faith' of His works. Js. 2:26…as the body without the Spirit is DEAD, so FAITH without deeds is DEAD. I'm trying to memorize this one…like anyone can be a 'reader' of the Word, but most of us struggle with being 'DOER' of the word. It is important to reach 'soul' by faith. Because they may not have tomorrow to be discipled.
I can't say too much about worldly issue(s), the churches are at their faults' too. They have allowed the world to come in and take over…culturally speaking. They are scared to take a 'bold' stand and quote: 'this is what God's words says about this and that…kind of scarey to watch…people are tired of being preached at. They want to hear what God has to say, what is He bringing as a message. . . God is good, he created everyone. But not everyone will receive His Son Jesus.
- msjallen
  
  Yes, all believers should be "doers of the Word" but how many know God's Word enough to apply it in their eveyday lives? If a believer does anything apart from the filling of the Holy Spirit it will be not be rewarded.
  - Winston
    
    Amen. The Bible is very clear in point out that believer are to "be" Christian in every application of their life… It is an ongoing thing to be Christian… I call it "being fully orbed".