Chapter Six – Mass Amnesia
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Everyone has experienced forgetfulness at one time or another. Any problem that results is usually minor, and most of the time there is none. However, forgetfulness can be serious, with very bad consequences, if the event, time or item forgotten was important. People can get hurt—think of appointments missed, jobs lost, car keys misplaced, purse or wallet containing all of one’s credit cards, identification and personal effects forgotten, etc.
The problem of forgetfulness can grow worse if one permanently “forgets that he forgot.” In other words, while most people eventually remember what they forgot to do…or bring…or say…, some completely lose track of these things until someone else brings them back to mind. Of course, this can be very embarrassing, depending upon what was forgotten and the problems caused.
This has been the case with God’s people regarding certain elements of the Work of God—elements that most would have once believed could not possibly be forgotten in the first place.
Contents
“Those who sigh and cry”—But Over What?
We just read about those who are overwhelmed with feelings and human reasoning about how they must dosomething for disaster victims and others in the world who are in need. God is aware of this natural human tendency and gives instruction for how to direct it. At this point we will return to elements of the social gospel, but in a different context.
The true Christian certainly does feel the suffering of the world in a very deep way, and actually this should be with greater depth of anguish and understanding than do his worldly counterparts. This is why God inspired Ezekiel to record, “Set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that SIGH and CRY for all the abominations that be done in the midst [of the modern nations of Israel, and, to some degree, the world at large]…” (Ezekiel 9:4).
This passage certainly does describe a real and heartfelt response that God expects from His people to what they are witnessing. I have previously mentioned that those of brotherly love truly care about their fellowman. (Of course, these brethren are also to have the LOVE OF GOD [agape] toward all others.)
A Christian is not to be unfeeling—far from it! However, sighing and crying over national SINS is one thing. But to in any way mitigate—soften—mute—neutralize—God’s punishment because of them is entirely another, and not something that He desires—or tolerates! God knows that human solutions to man’s big problems have never worked, and that only His solutions bring real, long-term relief—and He expects His people to remember this!
A closer look at Ezekiel 9:4 offers the vitally important key for the Christian to keep in mind. Let’s more carefully examine a point in the last paragraph about exactly what it is that causes the anguish in those who receive God’s mark.
On the one hand, this verse describes those who feel compassion—who can hurt when the masses hurt—who can mourn when the masses are mourning—but…BUT…the passage—and this is plain!—describes godly people who are reacting to, and are horrified by people’s (and nations’) “ABOMINATIONS.” This means they are horrified by lawlessness—evil—wickedness—debauchery and degeneracy—SINS!—not merely by the resultant travail or plight of people and nations who have brought on themselves punishment (including natural consequences from broken laws) from a longsuffering God.
There is a difference and God’s people discern it!
Special, Detailed Sermon
All of the understanding from God’s Word on this subject requires the correct explanation of many scriptures to explain why God’s people are not called to assist man’s efforts to address his problems through human solutions, and why this blurs and diminishes the Church’s task. If you are confused about this subject or do not remember what Mr. Armstrong taught straight from the Bible about it, take the time to listen to the sermon “Do Christians Give to Relief Organizations?—What Jesus Actually Taught!” If you do, you will no longer be confused, even a little bit. The sermon examines this subject in detail and merely reteaches from God’s Word all that the Church once understood, but that the splinter leaders and most of their followers have forgotten. Together with what is written here, it explains how a hypnotic, powerful MASS AMNESIA overtook God’s people. The sermon goes far beyond what can be addressed in this book and includes more of what Mr. Armstrong taught.
You must hear it!
The “Blessings and Cursings” Chapters
Members of the Worldwide Church of God used to hear regularly about the “blessings” and “cursings” listed throughout the long chapters of Leviticus 26 ALL and Deuteronomy 28 ALL. These were foretold to come on latter-day Israel depending on whether she obeyed or disobeyed God over the long haul. That punishment was to come after God fulfilled a prior promise to Abraham about national greatness. While many have forgotten what these chapters reveal about what is at stake for the blessed, powerful nations of the West, God has not! His plan for His people (Israel) is sure—it will not fail—and someone has to warn these nations of the consequences of their actions. Of course, Mr. Armstrong saw how this was directly tied to the Ezekiel Warning, mentioned earlier and explained in more detail later.
How often do you read and remind yourself of this extraordinary and very explicit prophecy? Ever? When was the last time you even thought for a moment about these two chapters of 46 and 68 verses, respectively? How often has your pastor preached about them? When was the last time this happened? Do you remember that intense punishment was to come in three, successive, seven-fold waves after the fulfillment of Israel’s birthright, which began in the early 1800s? Do you recall exactly why punishment would occur—what would trigger it? How many of the particulars that God foretold can you recite? Can you remember the all-encompassing and absolutely horrific and unceasing nature of the famine, disease, wild beasts, war and other plagues and curses that God will use to bring complete devastation and, ultimately, captivity to these nations?
Periodically reread these chapters for the bomb-blast reality check they deliver. If you permit, they will always bring your thinking back to ground zero within God’s plan for the nations of Israel, and then all of the nations of the world.
God’s people recognize that He knows when to show pity and when not to show pity. They remember that four chapters earlier in Ezekiel (in chapter 5)—and this establishes the all-important context of chapter 9—God had said that what He was going to do was because of “all your abominations.” He had said that He was going to “diminish” the House of Israel and that when He did “neither shall My eye spare, neither will I have any pity.” God would never permit the suffering that He saw to cause Him to pull back from what these rebellious peoplesneed—the intense punishment that He foretold would come millennia ago. And He will bring that punishment!
Of course, we should not take delight in what is happening to the world’s mightiest nations. But the people of God should take the position that GOD is taking, and not try to have more “love”—more “pity”!—than He has!
Spiritual Alzheimer’s, But in Reverse
I have likened the mass amnesia afflicting God’s people to a kind of spiritual Alzheimer’s. But this is a severe memory loss with a curious twist—or what I call “Alzheimer’s in reverse.” Let’s understand what has happened.
In the case of those with actual Alzheimer’s disease, people can for some few years generally recall things from the distant past—20, 30, 50 years ago—often with seemingly every detail intact. The problem is that they cannot remember things that occurred five minutes ago—or sometimes even one minute ago! (I had an uncle with Alzheimer’s and this was his condition. He could discuss childhood experiences by the hour with my father, his brother, and yet ask me identical questions minutes apart.)
In the splinters, this is occurring in reverse. Many readily retain teachings that they learned relatively recently, those picked up during and after the apostasy, but they cannot remember that they did NOT believe these things decades ago! Part of the problem is that they cannot remember WHO it was that taught them what they now believe. The result is that many fall into the idea that it must have been Mr. Armstrong. Moreover, some will staunchly—even adamantly!—defend their current doctrinal positions, thinking that they have always held them as they now do, and that “Mr. Armstrong believed these things!” and that “the Church always taught—or practiced—it this way!” Incredibly—and so tragically—they seem to have absolutely no idea—have completely lost track of—from whom they obtained their now firmly-held belief on a matter. Reverse Alzheimer’s has set in. This is exactly what has happened when God’s people believe they should give to relief organizations and disaster victims. (Of course, others have knowingly changed positions.)
But just remembering and applying John 14:26 would have solved this problem. If people had done this, they would never have permitted themselves to lack an abundance of God’s Spirit in their lives.
A Related Problem
There is another part of this problem being reflected within the splinters and slivers.
The anemic, even pitiful, public “responses” to disasters, such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Asian tsunami and “9/11,” for instance, that have become the pattern from every major splinter, have been SHAMEFUL. But they were predictable, given the splinters’ subtle shift to the social gospel of “another Jesus”! The tepid words and obvious fear of criticism and repercussion have been evident in the soft, purring tones used in what could only be called commentaries about these events. Incredibly, one leader spoke of “encouraging the nations to repent.” (Reread Isaiah 58:1. “Encourage” is not found in the text.) However, brethren of an era that needs toreceive a warning themselves are neither capable of nor about to issue one!
Those who understand the horror foretold to come on national Israel should deeply desire to participate—to do their God-ordained part!—in warning these great nations before it is too late. And we must hurry—time is short! And make no mistake. God’s warning is going out NOW! The Work being done here has already mushroomed in size!—has already grown very large!—and will continue to grow much, much larger and more POWERFUL!
The result has been that more and more hundreds of brethren are recognizing where the true Christ is at work and truly empowering the effort put forth!
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