The empire had become wealthy. They hired other nations to fight their battles. The rest is history. Christianity calls for its disciples to give their lives for the cause of spreading the news of Jesus Christ. The threat to the church is the prosperity of America.
Secularism is a creeping force invading every home.
Pleasure-seeking numbs the spirit and dilutes the soul. Success in and of itself is not an evil. Elisha killed the oxen and burned his plow when the prophetic mantle fell on him. The secret to the abundant life is death to self. Sacrifice is the key to vitality in the church.