January/February 2006
"INDIFFERENCE"
James Russell, Elder
Dear Brethren,
"INDIFFERENCE." Webster defines this word "indifference" in several ways: 1.) Having a neutral or unbiased disposition. 2.) Not interested in or concerned about something. 3.) Apathetic; not easily interested or moved. 4.) Characterized by lack of active quality. Some of the synonyms of the word "indifferent" are: Unconcerned, incurious, aloof, detached, disinterested, unimportance, insignificance, coolness, carelessness, apathy, insensibility, and non-chalant.
As the Church of God, in Truth works at trying to help God’s called to understand His truth and His calendar, we are often amazed at their colossal disinterest in God's holy truth. They probably will never fully know the truth at this time, because they are so indifferent toward it. The Apostle Paul wrote in his second letter to the Thessalonians, "with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" ( 2 Thess. 2:10-12 ).
M.. Scott Peck wrote in his book "The Road Less Traveled" pg. 50, "Truth is avoided when it is painful. We can revise our maps only when we have the discipline to overcome that pain. To have such discipline, we must be totally dedicated to truth. That is to say, we must always hold truth to be more important, more vital to our self-interest, than our comfort. Conversely, we must always consider our personal discomfort relatively unimportant and, indeed, even welcome it in the service of the search for truth."
An indifferent person that’s been called to salvation, will not accept any truth that will be painful to him, even if he knows what the inspired Proverbs tell him he is to do: "Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding" (Prov 23:23). You may know brethren that are indifferent toward any number of spiritual things. Some brethren are indifferent toward keeping God’s Sabbaths - that we are reminded in the fourth commandment to "remember." Many want to postpone God’s Holy Days, while others are "bored to tears" with the whole Sabbath service. Yet, truth is a treasure to be gained at any cost and never to be relinquished, whatever the temptation!
There was a ship discovered many years ago among the icebergs of the Arctic ocean, with the captain frozen while making his last entry in the logbook. The crew was found, some in their hammocks and some in the cabin, all frozen to death. The last date in the logbook showed that for thirteen years that vessel had been moving among the icebergs: "a drifting sepulcher, manned by a frozen crew." Brethren, don’t let "indifference" cause you to drift like the Laodiceans. Jesus Christ said, "I could wish you were cold or hot" (Rev. 3:15). Thus, the Lord wants us to be one way or the other. In other words, He wants us to be either zealous or dead, but not somewhere in between. It is the lukewarm, the indifferent, who can't be reached. They think they are fine the way they are. The Lord told the Laodiceans to repent in Rev. 3:1, "as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent!!"
We’re living in a time of the greatest gospel revelation in history. There are more preachers, more books, more gospel-media saturation than ever. Yet there is more distress, affliction and troubled minds among God’s people. It appears that God has begun to wrap up life as we know it. He is accomplishing this by allowing more world problems, a great magnitude of personal problem and a wave of evil that we have not experienced before.
Consequently, the called of God are being forced to choose sides. The Lord is not letting us be "fence sitters" any more. Lukewarmness is not longer being tolerated. And, no one is exempt from God’s purging. We’re all in the "fire" together. But, rather than get burned up from indifference, ignorance, apathy and fear, we should find out how to use these difficult time to our advantage to grow in Godly character!
Some are indifferent in their concern for one another. Jesus requires a new and higher standard of love. "A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, [students] if you have love one to another" ( John 13:34-35). If we have genuine love for one another, other things will take care of themselves "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: [earnest out going concern] for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law" ( Rom 13:8).
The legendary football coach Vince Lombardi was asked what it took to make a winning team. He said, "There are a lot of coaches with good ball clubs who know the fundamentals and have plenty of discipline but still don't win the game. Then you come to the third ingredient: if you're going to play together as a team, you've got to care for one another. You've got to love each other. Each player has to be thinking about the next guy and saying to himself: 'If I don't block that man, Paul is going to get his legs broken. I have to do my job well in order that he can do his.’ The difference between mediocrity and greatness is the feeling these guys have for each other" (Quoted in "Leadership," Vol. 15, No. 3). As faithful called members of the Church of God, let us truly love and care for one another. Let us take seriously the Lord's "new commandment" to truly learn to love one another, so that we can be a winning team, not the indifferent team. "Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name. And they shall be Mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not" (Mal 3:16-18).
Several years ago, the London Transit Authority had a problem. Buses were going right past passengers who were waiting at designated places to be picked up. They were at the bus stop, and the buses were sailing right past them. The London Transit Authority released a statement to explain their actions. The statement said it was impossible for them to maintain schedules if they always had to stop and pick up passengers! The London Transit Authority could have easily maintained schedules if they picked up no passengers at all. However, they would have destroyed their very purpose for existence! When we become "indifferent" in the very things God designed for His people, we lose our identity as His people. Indifference is easy to recognize because change in action stands out like a sore thumb! As John 13:35 tells us, "they will know we are Christians" by what? By our flowery words? I don’t think so. By our good deeds? Lots of people do good things. No, they will know we are Christians by seeing Christ’s genuine love and compassion in and through us.
President Abraham Lincoln said on April 30, 1863; "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to God that made us! It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness."
There is a tendency to forget God and friends when we have plenty. We are reminded of that in the book of Deuteronomy: "And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which He swear unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou built not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filled not, and wells dug, which thou dug not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou planted not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." (Deut 6:10-12).
Brethren, don’t let this 12 letter word "Indifference" influence your life and cause you to sin against your creator God and stop you from having the proper concern and love one for another. Paul was inspired to tell us "There should be no schism [division ] in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular"(1 Cor 12:25-27).
Church of God, In Truth
Contact: James Russell, Elder Or Pete Fleming, Elder
Tel: 951-737-0559 Tel: 512-847-1131
E-mail: cogit@flash.net E-mail: pmf@asapchoice.com
Sabbath telephone conference: 1-888-330-9937 Access code: 346041#, after the beeps. 11:30 AM Pacific time zone Sabbath Internet conference: www.postponements.com Click on live sermons Time: 11:30 AM Pacific time zone
2006 Holy Day Calendar
Abib 1 March 29, 2006
Passover April 11, 2006
Days of Unleavened Bread April 12-18, 2006
Pentecost June 4, 2006
Feast of Trumpets Sept. 21, 2006
Day of Atonement Sept 30, 2006
Feast of Tabernacles Oct. 5-11
Last Great Day Oct. 12, 2006