History is filled with
stories of those who have stood for truth, many of whom gave
their lives to defend the faith God had put in their hearts.
History is also filled with those who tried to squelch that
truth.
In his riveting account of the Nazi empire, historian
William L. Shirer meticulously documents the internal
workings of a system that once threatened to take over the
world. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich is a chilling
account of the effects of mind-numbing propaganda.[1] The
endless barrage of misinformation, incredibly, molded a
once-beaten and fragmented people into the icon of elitism,
which culminated in grisly death camps and the cold-blooded
murder of those deemed lesser humans.
A firsthand witness
and opponent of the Nazi regime, Shirer recounted instances
of conversation with German people, when he dared contradict
the ludicrous governmental and media declarations of ethnic,
cultural, and military superiority. He was met with shocked
silence or an amazed stare. He noted that to question the
Nazi machine's view of anything was considered blasphemy of
the highest order. It dawned on him that the minds of many
of the people had become so warped that they were no longer
able to think for themselves or evaluate anything by a
higher standard. Shirer observed that with the rise of the
new German empire, the truth had become whatever Hitler and
Goebbels said it was; they were the final arbiters of
reality -- spiritual and otherwise.
Some may think it is
extreme to compare the spiritual deception and control
tactics within the church today to that of the Nazi regime
and the death camps, but we should remember that the church
in Germany in the 1930s was very much like the church is
today -- having a head-in-the-sand mentality about spiritual
deception and turning religious leaders into super-human
heroes who can do no wrong. Perhaps we are not all that
different than Christians in Germany back then. We should
not fool ourselves and think we would never be duped like
that. The apostle Paul issued a warning to Christians:
"Now all these
things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are
written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the
world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he
standeth take heed lest he fall." (I Cor. 10:11,12)
Despite all of this,
there is hope in the Lord; He is "Faithful and True" (Rev.
19:11). And He promised to preserve His church, that true
body of believers whom He calls the Bride of Christ. Praise
His name -- there is hope. When truth is challenged, mocked,
and thrown against the wind, we can be sure, it will never
be altered. And that Word is a lamp unto our feet and a
light unto our path.
The Lord is calling
His people out from the midst of the false, to adhere to His
truth, no matter what the cost. Let us respond with joy and
thankfulness, knowing His grace is sufficient to strengthen
us and give us courage.
"Let us go forth
therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his
reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we
seek one to come." (Hebrews 13:13-14)
Notes:
1. William L. Shirer,
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
(New York, NY: Simon and Schuster/Touchstone, 1959).
(From
The Other Side of the River by Kevin Reeves, pp.214-215)
