In the 1950's my brother-in-law attended high school in Liverpool with John Lennon. He was already entertaining his school mates with various gigs and by 1960 his band, the Beatles, were performing in clubs in the Mersey Side area. The British Invasion of America took place in 1964 and by then their music cult was established.
The Beatles used to play in a club called the Cavern in Liverpool. I was preaching around the corner in a place called Queens Road Fellowship. They didn't come to my meetings and I didn't go to theirs.
Shortly after, the Fab Four went off to India and graduated from Christianity to higher forms of revelation with their guru, the Maharishi Yogi.
Now,at the peak of their fame, they declared with full conviction that they were more popular than Jesus Christ.
These boys were in trouble and didn't even know it.
At this time, during a concert at The Montreal Forum, Lennon issued a challenge to God.
The brash pop star announced "God, if you are there, strike me down dead.." As silence reigned he then said. "You see what I mean."
Two years later the band disintegrated, Lennon was divorced and had struck up with Yoko Ono, and the pair of them had given themselves over to cabalistic howling as a new art form.
Then in 1980, outside his Manhattan apartment David Chapman appeared and shot Lennon dead. Apparently Lennon's challenge of 10 years earlier had been answered!
Today, in 2014, I am still preaching the Word of God in my own small way. The message hasn't changed since Liverpool days.
The Beatles are long gone but, I am happy to announce, Jesus Christ and His gospel are still alive and well.
Jubilate
Ian
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