A Famine of the Truth
God said that his people are perishing from lack of knowledge, and the many that proclaim that they’re in charge, and us buying- into-it, with all their formulas and intelligence, makes His statement true; many are literally starving to death. The masses are being told that the great stronghold of satan will send them to hell, producing a group of folks running to escape instead of running to the Love of God. And when they continuously preach about the dark side, and its guts and gore; aren’t they spreading a form of worship in the wrong direction? I’ve always heard all of my life that one will become that in which they hate, or at least dwell on. And if Jesus has already made every enemy His footstool, and He has, then can someone really have the ability to name my enemy? I think not. Are we to come to Christ, and His Truth, by the vehicle of fear? Or is it the Love that’s shed and spread throughout every molecule of space that draws us into His bosom? Of a truth, fear is a motivator, but it’s Love that holds us steady and on course.
For more than several decades the ‘church’ leaders have known that their attendance was going down, and therefore their coveted tithes, and many-a-conclaves and round-table meeting has been held to combat it, and instead of preaching the Truth, they have developed scores of programs and schematics to capture the attention of those that are still young in Christ, therefore leaving many hungry for the void in their heart to be filled. Not all wakes are destructive, but the wake of these man-made schemes, and the egotistical thoughts of the mind are; and at a price that no-one with the mind of Christ wants. We can forward our own inventions, or the Kingdom, but not both from the same source.
When someone forms a committee, has an idea and presents a program to those under him or her, and then using techniques to make sure that their egos are not let down, and they think that they can sell a drowning man a cup of water, stir up a people into believing that this is from God, and will please Him, but all it really is, is their fear of failing, thus overriding the righteousness of God. All these silly plays and programs might have worked for a while, but people will always be people, they want the Truth, and they want the void within each and every man to be filled with the Peace of God; and these formulas haven’t, and will never work, for that void can only be filled with the presence of our Christ. And I’m not speaking about knowing about Him, but actually having an intimate relationship with Him.
Consistent patterns and formulas of false teachings, and the years it took for the masses to buy into it, has brought about a diversity of inconsistencies that have most folks confused; some of the disorders are called denominations. With our freedom of religion, which I endorse, means that anyone with any formula has the right to lay down a foundation of their choice, and find as many would-be follows as possible, and promote their form of godliness; and that is exactly what has happened. Those that had the biggest stick, the greater power of influence and muscle, and willingness to use it against any who oppose them are now one of the denominations that rank at the top; we all know who they are. In the past, many lives were lost and taken by those that opened the womb at the birth of this man-made creation; it certainly wasn’t of or from God, it was all man, but, as a whole, we bought into it.
Can you imagine a man, wanting heaven, thinking he’ll get there on the back-bone of being a catholic, or a baptist, or methodist, or presbyterian, or any other main-stream, or non-main-stream religion? Thinking about it, no one would answer yes; but in fact, millions think that way, or they’re not thinking at all, for these vehicles of religion have been ridden for centuries for just that purpose; that my friends, is exactly what this consistent and long- term indoctrinations have done to Gods’ people. So, I hope, it now begins to be understood why God is calling His people to pray, seek His face, and turn from this wickedness, that a people would be healed, forgiven, thus enlightened into the arms of a forgiving and loving God.
There are tens of thousands of ‘preachers’ out there that have observed what has worked in the past, or so it seems, and followed the same patterns of the congregations of those that proceeded them have already tried and tested. What I’m speaking on is the attempt to involve and capture as many parishioners as possibly with their schemes and programs of appealing to the flesh. This, the tactics, are not something new, nor is it uncommon among preachers, and although many are sincere, the normalcy and acceptability these acts of the carnal flesh are so customary, that most think them to be recognized as a godly way of entertainment, and pleasing to God; but they are not. Just because it seems that many have gotten away with these ploys of trickery, others do the same things, believing it will also build their own self-centered status among their peers. If a youth group is started so the ‘church’ can continue their growth far into the future, and do it by capturing these young folks with fun and games, how is God served? If we make a big-deal out of mothers’ day, or fathers’ day, with the flowers of praises, and the acknowledgements of appreciation, how can we justify that God is being worshipped instead of the abilities of man in his flesh? We can’t, these are all methods to build up man with praises and honor at the expense of true worship to the only God that all thanksgivings belong. The true Church, the called-out- ones of God, might make mistakes, and we probably make them often, but when understood that that which we’re doing is not pleasing to the Father, will lay down our own thoughts and ways to follow He that is worthy, for each will readily confess our mistakes, grow from it, and then move closer to the Lord.
It shames me to see that our deserving God has been brought to a human level of foolishness. It was not by accident that the Lord left us with the scriptures of chastisements, which are really blessings for our benefit if heeded. This process of the recklessness of our behavior, and the selfishness of men in leadership have created an acceptance among their own peers, but have polluted the throne of God, at least in their world, and it is now time that ‘the called-out-ones’, those that love God more than self, come out from among ‘her’. The people, world-wide, are starving for the Truth of the Lord, for this famine is the creation of man. What does; ‘if My people that are called by My name’ mean? Are we not called by His name, or is this verse only talking about the other guy? I know that human nature wants to imitate and live up to the examples of those in their chosen vocation, but the misled vocations of the ‘leaders of the church’ are but small fragments and are not what Jesus was building upon His Rock. His Church, the called out ones, are built in faith, not works; we are built with Love, not strife and envy; we are built in hope, not wishing for the advancements of the flesh and the power and prestige that has been so coveted.
Jesus’ true Church is the Rock of stability and Love, not tossed by every wave of contention, for it, His Church, seeks to be founded in Truth. When a flood comes pushing against His Rock, it will not move, nor does it attack the waters that try to dislodge it, but instead, prays for its’ enmities, those that are hostile to her, that speak contrary to it, and when evil arrives, prepares a supper in the midst of it; for Gods’ people are established on this unwavering Truth.
The body of Christ, which is us that follow, is a many membered body, fitly joined together, with a diversity of gifts that work in harmony one with the other. Some are fed with milk, and others can eat meat, but all work together as one with Christ as the Head. There is no contention, and nobody starves, for each of us feed on the Truth from where each is at, and there are no big people, nor little people in the true Church. When a brother or sister strays from the truth, we are there to place our arms around them, to maybe show them a better way, to teach them with love the better things of God; but will not, because they are wounded, destroy any part of their growing relationship with the Lord.
Let me tell you a true story that happened in a western state during the early seventies. There was a couple that had been married for more than a few years, they loved each other, but were seemingly growing apart to some degree, maybe call it a mid-life crisis. The husband was having trouble finding himself, and didn’t quite know who he was, struggled to find himself. One night he robbed a store, and some days later, was caught, and placed in jail; he began to ponder. During his routine of life, working, managing the affairs of the home, being a husband, somehow lost himself in the shuffle of life. But being in jail gave this man the opportunity to stop and take a deeper look; he didn’t like what he saw, but was glad he saw it. His priorities were mixed up, and did not feel he was recognized by any in this fast moving life that was supposed to be on his side, and rebelled against it.
Later, the man’s trial was held, he was found guilty, which he was, and sentenced to five years in prison. At this same time he was reevaluating his own life, so was the wife. She too saw that this world offered something it couldn’t give, and had spent most of her life chasing it, and finally saw that the world didn’t have the answer that it claimed it did; she was coming to herself in this same quite time.
Both of them were hungry and thirsty for the rich things of life, but hadn’t a clue as to what it was, and hadn’t even recognized that something was missing until all the noise of the world was gone; for they both were sitting quietly by themselves, him there and her at home.
Years earlier they both went to church looking for that ‘something’, but not, as yet, knowing that the ‘something’ that was missing, was even missing; but they both silently knew things weren’t exactly right. They had lived to the standards that were customary for clean living, except for this desperate act of the husband, and although their values were mostly in order, they still yet knew something was missing, and until this time without the clatter of life, did they both come to the understanding that their life wasn’t full.
So as the wife sat lonely and with much time on her hands, she continued to evaluate her marriage, her home, and her husband that had done this foolish act, in fact her whole life. And after more than a few weeks of pondering decided that the above mentioned was worth every effort to salvage, so she made a plan.
What she had done, was to chain herself to a metal light pole in front of the jail where her husband was incarcerated, and was to stay there until he was set free, for she now knew that her marriage, home, and life was meaningless without this man beside her. Determined, the wife was bound by the chains of her past, for the hope of opportunity that they again could start all over with these changed attitudes. Night and day she was bound to the cold metal pole without provisions of comfort, not to mention food and drink.
At first the passers-by would gawk, laugh, and humiliate the determined wife, and thought her to be totally out of her mind to pull such a stunt; but she persevered. Every morning and each evening, when the pedestrian traffic was the busiest, she was there still fastened to that hunk of cold steel, tolerating the jeers of the many folks that would shout their slurs of indignations, but at night it was a little more bearable.
After several weeks of the side-walk traffic, and the insensitive verbal stones that were being thrown, the wife stood her ground and the disgraces and tones seemed to have eased-off. It was mostly the same people that walked that same path each day, either going to work or coming back, plus the regular folks that did their daily shopping, that witnessed this lady’s prolonged agenda against the correction system. But as of now the affronts from these witnesses were slowing in decibels and the rage, that at first were almost intolerable, but now, in spite of the cold nights, were easing off, but not much.
As the weeks passed, the wife still tied to that metal light pole, and still in her turmoil of the issue of a missing husband, noticed that every day the taunts were getting less and less, in fact, a few would occasionally stop and talk with her. The same people that thought her completely insane, would now sympathize slightly with her, but still thought she was nuts, and were ever-so-slightly looking at her life thru empathy; for at least they could now visualize from where this woman was coming from. The more the weeks passed, the more that people would stop and talk with her, and the situation that at first was critical, was now called a dilemma, and even a few seemed to hurt for her. But this circumstance appeared to have no real effect on the judicial system at which it was aimed; she just wanted to have her man freed and brought back to the arms of a changed wife.
It’s now obvious to the reader that this state of affairs was slowly changing, for as time passed, the thoughts of the daily side-walk crowd was also evolving into a compassion for her, instead of the cruel remarks of those of many weeks ago, she began to make friends, and by-in-by, she did make many friends. At times someone would sit with her thru the night, and several would gather in the day, they were there as a support to a woman that had seemed to have lost everything, or at least, all that was now important to her; even the newspapers began a daily diary on her struggles. It was not long after this that a petition was put in place to have the husband of this woman freed, for at this time many believed that both he and she were sincere and rehabilitated, not just hundreds, but thousands signed the petition and was then presented to the mayor’s office.
It didn’t take long after the mayor had gotten this strong response that he was moved with compassion, and took action to set this woman’s husband free.
Now, if you can imagine that just this one single person could have this much effect on a whole community of folks, and her doing it virtually by herself, and through persistence and longevity, completely changed the way the town was thinking; then is it hard to understand how centuries of teaching of the wrong so-called gospel, (the teaching that does not align with the Word of God), could influence our whole world? And if one person had this much power, then how much more so did the ‘great church leaders’ have over those in times pass; and why so many bought into it? Repetition is like brainwashing, it becomes familiar after a while, and, we have all been fed a dose of a man-made religion that started in the early part of the first millennium.
Yes, it was started by men that had but little knowledge of the character of Christ, and certainly not being led by the Holy Spirit, but enough knowledge that, with their authority, could force their self- agenda on the many that wanted a relationship with the King of kings. Of course I’m not speaking of the apostles or any of those that really did have a close encounter with Jesus, but those that came afterwards envying for the same power of authority.
What this lady, from the story told, could do, was an established understanding of the men of old; if you can say it long enough, institute it as truth through the unity of those around them, and have a fleshly power group to back it up; eventually, it will be authenticated as truth, therefore accepted as truth; and that is exactly what began in the early years. Jesus Christ is building His Church upon the Rock, which is the foundation of Love; loving God, and loving our neighbor, and by faith we can put Him in charge, even when the circumstances dictate that it’s not reasonable. God is Good, and He’s Good all the time, even when we can’t, as yet, see the end results; therefore it is our faith in God when the understanding is not there that establishes the intimacy of our walk with Him.
We live in a world that’s starving to have the inner being of each of us fed with something other than that of this world, or for that matter, other than the misguided truths of the ‘church’. All of us want that inner void fulfilled with what it was meant to receive, and that is the Love of God and our dependency upon Him. Without the fulfillment of Christ taking His throne in the designed place of our heart, we will always feel empty. This emptiness has been attempted to be satisfied, through the centuries, with the replacements of what this world has to offer, and also, with what the fleshly ‘church’ says it’s offering; but it doesn’t work, nor will it ever work, for only when Christ can take His rightful throne in our heart will the void disappear.
The above story can give us an insight of how tradition and long term observance of a wrong act will slowly and subtly condition us to accept something as normal, when in fact it is completely out of place, but we know of nothing else than that of which we’re accustomed too. If the Truth was being preached, would the famine be world-wide? Of course it wouldn’t. If the ‘church’ had what it says it has, then why does so many hunger and then try to replace, in the heart, where the voids sits, with the things, people, hobbies, jobs, relationships, and a vast number of other stuff, all of which are counterfeits, with that which is TRUE and tested? It’s because we weren’t really taught the Truth with the power of the Holy Spirit that will truly affect our lives with substance. Jesus said that His Kingdom and His residence is in our heart, and that place has been reserved for Him, and Him alone, and no counterfeit will ever take His place; it’s been tried too many times, and for too many years, for that to ever happen, for Jesus is the sole owner of our heart. So the famine continues, and until many will stand up and preach the gospel of the Kingdom, will it ever happen that He can take His rightful place in the sons of the living God; us?