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overcoming apathy
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By:
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Blessing-to-you
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Mood:
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Enthusiastic
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Date:
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09/05/2008 07:24:11
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Music:
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None
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AC 19:13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
AC 19:17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
Paul saw their zeal and warned them to maintain.... AC 20:25 "Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
REV 2:1 ...These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
REV 2:4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. REV 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Ephesus had a history of false God-worship, the church there overcame that and became truly a fired up animated God worshipping church. There was no doubt that they loved God, They were excited and thrilled that they had been chosen for salvation. But, as time wore on they allowed the selves to die out in enthusiasm. Their excitement turned to apathy.
There are many temptations that we are prone to, there is Pride, [you know; the one where you believe you arrived and oh look there are all those people out there who haven Wow, I must be awfully cool!] There are the sins of the flesh [you know these, sins of excess and other not allowed activities, extra-marital sex, [any sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, you know] Then there coveting [greed really messes up our walk with God.]. This is a partial list for sure; but we are all bombarded with these things every day. Because we are individuals, we have varying degrees of resistance to each but satan is very patient he knows we will succumb to one or another; but if we don he tosses out a little apathy once in a while to just cool us off and create a wedge between us and God. Years ago I was involved in a church group where I was chided for my enthusiasm, my fervor, I was asked how long I'd been saved when I replied that it had only been a few years one man said "Ah, That explains it, you'll cool at bit as you mature." Sigh, I did. a lot, but I missed that fervor, that heat if you will, and I certainly missed the ability to pray and see mountains move. I kept praying, "God, Please come back." But, He hadn't moved it was I who had wavered. I still pray that but I know I need to work up my enthusiasm in my worship.
I had moved, no longer was I able to go to my church that was Bible-based and be around a body of believers who Truly worshipped in spirit and truth. I was living in a place where there were no churches that I felt called to so I quit going to church. I went from white-hot to cold, it didn't happen all of a sudden but so gradually I barely noticed. After 8 years I knew something had to be done, I was asking, no begging God to restore me and He obliged. He told me to go to church, again, and which one to go to. I had some issues with this church, but Still He said to go so go I did. I still not back where I was in zeal, but I getting there. I certainly do not want to be an Ephesean Lukewarm and spewed out of God mouth. I want to be an overcomer.
Lord, You know I have a heart that prone to wander, my spirit is willing but I am so weak, but when my heart and my flesh fails, You are the strength of my heart. I ask that You help me to rest in You and to worship you in Spirit and truth, to overcome apathy. In Jesus' Name. Amen
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