November 2000

[Part Thirty-five]

The path of apathy!

The word, apathy (Dict) is from the prefix “a” meaning: “not”; and “pathos” meaning: “Suffering; to experience by feeling!” So many professing believers that were scared into salvation by horror stories of hellfire and tribulation, have no foundation of faith based on the Truth in Love! There is no place in the Body of Christ for “men of straw” who flee from the sights and sounds of \ “Suffering.. (or being)...persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake”! (1 Pe 3:1; Mt 5:10) For God says to true believers, “It is given to you (as a priceless privilege) on behalf of Christ, to not only believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake!” (Php 1:29) Today’s many religious organizations display a strange mixture of sincere sheep that earnestly seek after their Good Shepherd; and gullible goats who are content to let others prepare their spiritual food for them, remaining blissfully ignorant of whether they are being fed “Fishes and Bread” or “serpents and stones”! Teachers and preachers invest a lot of time preparing sermons that could possibly contain serious doctrinal error but a lack of spiritual discernment or a bad case of spiritual pride prevent them from seeing! Christ addresses both these groups. To “goats” He says, ”You err (miss the mark) not knowing the Scriptures” (Mt 22:29); then to “misguided guides” He says, “You do search the Scriptures but (you also err) for you think you have Eternal Life just by studying (the letter, not the Spirit of) them! While they do testify of Me, you still do not come to Me in Whom, and from Whom, is Eternal Life!!” (Jn 5:39)
                In recent years, apathy has become prevalent in this nations’s governmental elections, that is, until this year 2000 presidential conflict. In these amazing happenings, America is demonstrating its “double-mindedness” as these two top dogs fight over the same piece of meat in a “do or die” struggle for power! For the past year our small fellowship has interceded for this presidential race- not for one particular candidate, but for Father to “Give this nation the natural leader it deserves!” Ages ago, God’s people cried out for a “human leader” as they feared hearing directly from Him! A “one-on-one” relationship with God requires commitment, consecration and accountability to His high standards of holiness! The carnal mind is incapable of rendering such- for his thoughts of “wood, hay and stubble” would self-destruct in the “All-consuming Fire” of Divine Presence! So natural men seek out willing go-betweens to stand in the Fire for them, figuring that if these agents can withstand the heat, they are willing to receive God’s Word “from a safe distance”; but if their mediator should burn up in the flames, they need only secure another mediator for themselves!!
                It would seem that history has not sufficiently taught this world the terrible results of apathy for they still travels its paths that lead only to destruction! But soon the manifested Sons of God will shine forth His Shekinah Light on a far better Path which leads to Everlasting Life and Peace! The dawning of their Light approaches quickly now, but in the meantime Christ exhorts, “Beloveds, do not believe or base your faith on every spirit, but try, prove, and thoroughly test every spirit (even mine) to see if they come from God; for many false prophets are gone forth into the world!” (1 Jn 4:1) We teach our children not to take food from strangers, yet we will allow ourselves to be indoctrinated by false or confusing creeds we accepted as Truth without proving them ourselves!! Jesus said, “The prince of this world (perpetrator of carnal thoughts) comes and finds nothing in Me!” (Jn 14:30) Then He warns us, “Give no place to the devil!” (Eph 4:27) To rely solely on others - even truly anointed ones, for ALL our Godly instruction, yields unwarranted power to them; as well as giving too much opportunity for spiritual error! We cannot blame false messengers for erroneous judgments if our lack of discernment and time in God’s Word are the real reason we are deceived! God looks on the heart and readily forgives those Godly ones who simply “miss the mark” in their zeal to find Him in the Scriptures; but He reserves chastisement for those who distort- or disregard their responsibility toward- His Sacred Gospel, for which Jesus laid down His Life!!

[TO BE CONTINUED]