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Monday, April 16, 2012
Jeremiah 18:15"Because My people have forgotten Me, They have burned incense to worthless idols. And they
have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in pathways and not on a highway,” (NKJ)
Jeremiah 18:15
“But my people have forgotten me; they make offerings to false gods; they made them
stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk into side roads, not the highway,” (ESV)
We are facing an unusual dilemma in the Christian world these days. It seems that there
are at least 4 camps of people that make up the “church” in today’s world.The first camp is made up of those who are in a “Spiritual Coma”; nothing and no one is
able to wake them up. Spiritually they are officially “out of it,” totally unaware of anything of a spiritual
nature. Some may still be “dead in trespasses and sins” and others may have had some measure of awakening,
but soon fell into a prolonged coma out of which they have never recovered. These folks believe that somehow everyone is going
to get to heaven, so there’s no need to be concerned about anything or anyone.
The second camp is made up of those who are “Awake but Unaware.” These folks go to church
on a regular basis; do their Sunday thing and live the rest of their lives like the rest of the world. They may even pray
occasionally and give in response to some crisis situation out of emotional pains, but for the most part, walk by sight, live
by pure common sense and know little or nothing about “walking by faith” or having a serious commitment to Jesus
Christ. They have “been saved” or at least think they have because they walked down a church aisle or came forward
during Bible School, filled out a commitment card, prayed the sinners prayer and got baptized and that’s enough for
them. All they desire is “just a little cabin in the corner of glory land”; just get into heaven by the skin of
their teeth with their coat tails smok’in. Just so long as I get there is all that matters to me.
The Third camp is made up of those who have seen that the first two have left the
highway of the Christian life and run into the ditch on the side of the road. They want something more – none of that
dead Christianity – they want life! Consequently they have overcorrected and run into the ditch on the other side of
the road. They have somehow been convinced that the cure for apathy is epilepsy, so they meet together, throw doctrine to
the wind and act as if they have a chronic case of the Saint Vitas Dance. They believe that all the gifts of the Spirit are
theirs, all their sicknesses are of the devil and death is a lie that can be overcome by the truth. Many of these folks have
become so enamored with the gifts of the Spirit that they have completely forgotten the one who gave the gifts in the first
place. They believe that if they believe enough, have faith enough and refuse any negative thoughts that would creep into
their heads they can live healthy wealthy and wise for the rest of their lives and then be translated into glory.While these wallow in the ditch, or take their detours down side roads, the ancient paths are wide
open and it is there that the Lord Jesus stands and beckons us to take up the Cross and follow Him.
Then there is the “remnant.” God has His “remnant” in every
generation. They are the ones who are sometimes hard to find in the morass and madness of the other three, but they are there
just the same; quietly going on with the Lord, walking by faith down the narrow road that leads to eternal life. They are
the praying ones, who are so in love with the Lord Jesus that they aren’t swayed by the things of this world, nor are
they infatuated with the exercising of spectacular gifts. They just exercise the ones that the Lord has given them and walk
by faithfully day by day.
Keep praying!
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