CHURCH: The Bride is bloodied and bruised by not down or out!

THE DAVIE POPLAR: [Ephesians 5:27]

Clearly the contemporary church in the Western world is not what she should be; in fact, she's pretty beaten up for a gal who's engaged to the King of kings.

Davie Poplar is a large tulip poplar tree, approximately 300-375 years old, located on the campus of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, named in honor of a Revolutionary War general, and founder of the university, William Richardson Davie.

The most enduring legend associated with the tree is that as long as Davie Poplar remains standing, the University will thrive. If it falls, the University will crumble. As such, many attempts have been taken to preserve the tree.

In 1918, it was struck by lightning, and fear that the tree was dying led the University to make a plant grafting, called Davie Poplar Jr. Later, another tree called Davie Poplar III was planted nearby from a seed of the original tree.

In 1996, Davie Poplar was badly damaged by Hurricane Fran, after which the trunk was filled with cement and strung with cables to keep it up.

The Church of Christ (not the denomination) was founded by another military hero, the Captian of the Lord's Host; this officer is far greater than Gen. Davie.

His Bride has also been hit by lightening, and on several occasions, out of fear that she was dying, grafts were talen. And her seed has birthed children everywhere.

But here in the last century, as a result of the beating the church has been receiving from the enemy, you would think she had also been "filled with cement and strung with cables to keep her" standing.

But, glory to God Almighty, He will neither forsake her or depart from her.

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