BROKEN JAR:

BROKEN JAR:
365 DAYS ON THE POTTER'S WHEEL

Monday, May 7, 2012

REVENGE OF THE IGNORANCE MONGER



“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God…” 2 Corinthians 10:5
“…She gave birth to a son, a male child who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.  And her child was snatched up to God and to His throne…And there was war in heaven…The great dragon was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him…The the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”  Revelation 12: 5,7,9,17
          There is more than one reason that Satan wants us to become ignorant about God, but certainly a foundational one is revenge. Revelation 12 tells us all about it. We are given fits by him because we are those offspring in this story. We are the targets of the Enemy’s wrath, simply because we hold to the testimony of Jesus. 
          When weak ones are taken captive by cults or gangs, crafty leaders know that chains and cells are not strong enough to cause their victims to become submissive followers.  A submissive and subservient following is the core motivation of any cult leader; unreserved adoration and obedience is what he feeds on. And just controlling and limiting the freedom of the body has nothing to do with inspiring adoration.  The leader must control the victim’s thinking; he must have power over the mind of his captives.  Thus, the victim’s mind must be washed clean of its definition of truth.  No lesser degree of brainwashing could go far enough to achieve total dependence and trust. 
          It’s hard for me to imagine how that could happen so completely—
how someone’s whole framework of truth could be torn down and obliterated in a relatively short period of time.  But if I stop and recall some of the things I have done that have made me ashamed of myself, I realize that I should have at least an inkling of an idea how, on a less drastic but still dangerous level, brainwashing happens to most of us.
           I find some new truth in the Word and become so excited that my tongue practically knocks my teeth out trying to tell people about it…for a while.  It feels, for a while, like the most important thing I have ever learned, and woe be unto me if I do not help others to see it. It changes my life…for a while. 
I don’t know exactly what happens that changes things—
probably that answer is many pronged— but I think a lot of it has to do with some kind of sinister and perverted idea of vacation I buy into from time to time. Perhaps I have spent so much time studying and writing and teaching that I listen to a voice that starts yammering on about “balance,” so I taper off and give my brain some less crucial and more relaxing fare for a few days. With me it doesn’t have to be anything immoral or even borderline; just something mild and harmless that leaves my thinking in neutral. I simply quit growing for a while.
Then pretty soon I realize I am not only not thinking about much that matters; I am also not doing much that matters, and although I won’t go so far as to say I am not saying much, I really am not saying much that matters.
          If anybody can relate, can we just admit right now to each other that too much of this kind of thing can kick the teeth out of our holding to the testimony of Jesus?
          Please don’t think I am not for playing.  I am BIG for playing!  I just think we need to be watchful about subtle ways that enraged, vengeful dragon might be trying to weaken our memories of the knowledge of God, just like Paul is talking about in 2 Corinthians 10:5.


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