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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JULY 19, 1985
Why? Because Satan is the arch-deceiver. He makes black look white spirit
ually to whoever lacks the mind of Jesus Christ as a result of not exercis
ing God's Holy Spirit. Those who want to "do their own thing" instead of
doing God's perfect will hate to have light shed on their darkness (John
3:19) •
You've probably heard many times about the frog that is placed in a pan of
cool water on a stove. As the heat is gradually turned up and the water
slowly gets warmer, the frog doesn't even notice it is in danger! Slowly
the water gets hotter and hotter until the frog is boiled to death, without
any inclination to jump out to save its life.
How did so many fall prey to the liberalism of the 1970s? It happened slow
.!,y. A little compromise here, a little compromise there. Where did it end?
They gradually drifted away from God's truth and became part of the world.
What was David's attitude toward God's Law? Notice Psalm 119:10: "With my
whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments."
David, a man after God's own heart, who loved God's Law, asked God to help
him not to wander from His Law. David saw that law as important--as im
mensely valuable. Notice verse 14: "I have rejoiced in the way of thy tes
timonies, as much as in all riches." He put his joy and delight in God's
Law and what it produces.
Throughout Psalm 119 David displays the attitude God's people should have
toward His Law. As you read it, notice how often David made such statements
as "keep thy law," "keep thy word," "keep his testimonies," "respect unto
thy ways," "will not forget thy word," "meditate in thy statutes," "forsook
not," "not forget," "heritage for ever," etc. The focal point of David's
life was the Law of God. He held� it with great zeal!
But the devil's way, which is the way of deceit that some in God's Church
have gone, and some no doubt will continue to go, is to respect one's�
ways, to meditate on one's own excesses, to forsake not one's own personal
aims, and to seek a "heritage" of self-importance, possessions, power, or a
modern lifestyle of "fun and pleasure." Once a person in God's Church be
comes consumed in these things, having devised clever excuses and explana
tions for himself every step of the way, he generally will despise and brand
as "self-righteous" anyone who dares stand up and speak the truth about the
dangers of permissiveness in the Church of God. Notice God's view in Isaiah
5:20-23:
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put dark
ness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for
sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their
own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are
mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteous
ness of the righteous from him!
In II Corinthians 2:11, the Apostle Paul reminds us that Spirit-led Chris
tians are not ignorant of Satan's devices, of his methods of trying to get
an advantage of us. Yet in Hebrews 2:3 Paul tells us that it is possible to
"neglect so great salvation."
Let us not be ignorant of the subtlety through which Satan the adversary
will try to divide and conquer. We in God's Church, as the salt of the