DRIFTING AWAY

We just finished Thanksgiving what a wonderful time we had with most of our family for dinner and of course the pictures. Walter Beuttler said the Holy Spirit is like a camera, He always tells the truth and one can not lie against it. As I was reviewing the pictures I shamefully noticed I have drifted away from the once bronze god-like physique I had in my younger years. This drifting away has been slow but a deliberate process over time. Two pounds here, another pound there and before I knew it I had tipped the scales beyond my healthy limits. I am now going to the gym and pushing away from the table sooner. Now here is what surprised me; until I saw the pictures of my fat body I thought everything was okay. I thought I looked fine, after all my clothes fit. I eat mostly fruit and vegetables, and only get off my vegetarian diet sometimes. It really never caught my attention like it did last week. I thought everything was okay and I was moving well, but in truth I was fat and over weight and needed to change my direction for some time from drifting away. I have been blind to the truth. Funny when I was younger I was always heavy and lost over 120 pounds, then God opened up the Navy to me, but even when I was really skinny and emaciated looking I thought I was fat and needed to lose 5 more pounds. I was blinded by my routine and caught up in the rituals of losing weight to the point my face and chest was sunk in and I looked really bad. As I look at both experiences, I know the skinny Dave is better than the fat Dave, but in both cases I was blinded and deceived myself from the truth. Just like the Church of the Laodiceans, “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” (Revelation 3:17) Many Christians believe this verse pictures the world Church of today, well I am not so sure about that. I have seen the Church around the world, and my friend many Christians are paying a great price, some with their lives, for the Gospel they know the truth, but if any truth is to be found in Jesus’ words I would say this verse fits me at times and the Church of America all too well. I too thought all was well, I needed nothing, but in truthfulness I was sick and blind. And, this my friend comes from a slow deliberate drifting away.

I am afraid many Christians who have put their eternal life in a denominational “once saved always saved” doctrinal belief will be sadly surprised when they stand before the Lord. Now please understand I strongly believe as long as we walk with the Lord and allow Him to have His way in our lives, through His dealings and judgments, nothing can remove us out of His hand no nothing. But, if we turn our backs on God and choose to walk away from His mercy, precious saving grace, and love we will receive the fruits of our actions. Many Christians would say once really saved someone would never turn their back on Christ, well the Bible is full of names of people who started off in God (once really saved) and then walked away from the truth. Over my many years I have known many Christians who have walked away from God, their names and faces still haunt me. My friends there are consequences for our choices and actions in God. The Bible is full of examples like in Act 5:1-11 with Ananias and Sapphira’s disobedience to the word of God. Paul too knew such people, “Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.” (1 Timothy 1:20) and “Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: 15Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.” (2 Timothy 4:14-15) They both embraced the truth of Jesus’ words, but in the end Paul had to deliver them over to Satan. Please my brother take heed.

Today we live under God’s grace, but if we turn our backs on God’s grace and longsuffering mercy, even if we walked the isle at some point in our lives, God will have to judge us not with His unending grace, mercy, and loving Spirit, but by the law and my friend the Bible says, “the law killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.” When we adopt such a doctrine we are often blinded to the great need in our lives and opportunity for God to work in us so that we will be able to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, as Paul encouraged us. After all I am saved, why do I need to; read my Bible, go and give to the church, pray, be obedient to God’s word, when I die I will go directly to heaven and live with God forever and ever anyway, well . . . not so fast my friend. This type of thinking does not even pass the common sense test; getting something very wonderful when you do not play by the principles. God is sovereign, the final judge, and will do that which He wishes to do, but let us not put our eternal hope and life in the interruptions of Bible verses by men, that make up religious doctrines of men, but in the precious blood of Jesus Christ and His saving power.

When I think of drifting away my mind and heart often goes back to a very tragic story that happened at Christliche Gemeinde Stuttgart, our church in Germany. Tony, a Nigerian brought his wife and daughter to our church during the early years. Tony was very soft-hearted, really loved his family and the Lord. I could see in him a genuine desire to be used of God. He was very obedient and would do anything I would ask the first time without asking allot of questions. As time went on our church grew and we started a men’s fellowship. I asked Tony if he would pray and talk with his wife to see if he would feel comfortable in leading the men’s fellowship. In time he came back to me (I knew he would say yes) and said yes he would be honored to led the monthly men’s fellowship. At first he did outstanding; coordinating activities within the church and sharing the word of God, his heart was open and God was filling it, but as time went on he began to change. It was not over night it was a slow gradual change. The only way I can describe it was a slow and steady drifting away from where he began. I continued to watch and pray for him. One day at church I spoke to him about next month’s meeting and he really got ugly with me, I was shocked. I scheduled some time and Pastor Joe and I went by his home for a visit to see what was going on with him and his family. Never forget, when married, God’s call to you is to your family also. Well, we discovered Tony had become great friends with another Nigerian in the church named Osita. Now Osita had some seminary Bible training in Africa and was full of himself and doctrine. Rarely did Osita ever say anything good about anyone he was cynical, mean-spirited, and seemed to enjoy manipulating people a sign of great ambition. As time continued Tony drifted further and further away from Pastor Joe and I and even stopped coming to church. Two times in a two week window the Holy Spirit sent me by Tony’s home to see what was going on. Both visits Tony rejected me unless I would sit with him and watch TBN Christian TV, his new church. Osita had convinced him he does not need to attend church services and help out, oh no all he needs to do is watch TBN. Osita had poisoned Tony heart towards God, His children, and us. Tony did not guard his heart from the lies and deception of Osita which in the end may have cost him his soul. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) The word “Keep” here is translated; to guard, observe, or give heed and is the word used by God to give Adam commission Adam into service and give him some responsibility. “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” (Genesis 2:15) Adam’s job was to “keep” or guard, observe, or give heed the garden. I wonder what Adam was to guard or “keep” the garden from? Tony did not keep his “heart with all diligence” and allowed Osita’s words to steal the issues of his life. Not only did he drift from his walk with the Lord, but his relationship with his wife suffered to the point he was beating her so bad she could not be seen in public and his work attendance also drifted to the point he was sacked. A third time the Holy Spirit sent me to his home and a third time I was rejected. As I was leading his home (in my spirit) I felt the Holy Spirit saying, “take your hands off and I will deal with him.” About two or three weeks later I received a call from Pastor Joe and we went to Tony’s home to rescue his wife and baby from his abuse. Their home was trashed and Tony was drunk on the floor. His family stayed with us for about a week and then moved to another city for safety. From time-to-time I would see Tony walking on the road and would stop to talk, but his thoughts were crazy it seemed he had lost his mind. Then one day Pastor Joe called and told me, “Our brother Tony had committed suicide by hanging himself.” I am glad God is the final judge and knows all things, but my friend there are consequences for our actions and words.

My friend let us please take heed, be on our guard, and keep from drifting away. Paul teaches us, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip (or drifted away in the Greek). 2For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;” (Hebrews 2:1-3) To be honest this sad story of Tony is a vivid reminder to me for I can see in my life so many areas I am drifting away in, so many areas of my Christian walk I need to anchor myself again. Now the Lord is still real to me and His presence still goes with me, but I can see my dedication to fasting, prayer, and studying the Bible has lessened since when we first went to Germany. I can see areas in my life where I must repent or about face. Paul sums it up well when he says, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which was first began to be spoken by the Lord . . . ” The neglecting is not on God’s part, but ours. Our drifting away is nothing more than us neglecting a great salvation, which is much more than having our sins forgiven. My friend let us stop this drifting away from God and draw near to Him while there is still hope, salvation, and life. Written by David Stahl.