SNOW CONES ARE DECEIVING AND OTHER TRICKS

Last week I was  blessed to spend an entire week in Tulsa with my sister and her family and had a wonderful time. One of the things we did was to go to a very popular hang out that had all sorts of flavors of snow cones. I have been extra careful in the past year watching what calories I put in my mouth but somehow these tiny cups of ice with a squirt or two of flavor on top of them hardly seemed like anything. Wow was I surprised when I looked up the calories later in my fitness ap.Yikes, who would've thought they were so many calories!

Sin is kind of like that snow cone. It may look good and appealing and you may feel like it will not harm you or it is only a "little sin" but to God sin is sin. Sinful things can come wrapped in beautiful packages too in order to captivate and lure you off the course God has set for you. 

2 Corinthians 7:14(NIV) says 'And no wonder for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light'. When you celebrate Halloween you are masquerading in a costume as someone or something else. You are hidden. Well Satan hides himself in many foolish pleasures as he is after your very soul. He wants you to be consumed with the world and not God. He tries to trap and ensnare you. You are tempted to lie, cheat, steal, go someplace you would never tell your own mom, or engage in risky behavior. The devil loves it when you do. He is evil and God is good.

Romans 12:2(NIV) is a good memory verse to help you stay in tune with God. It says '

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.' Are you living and walking with Jesus or caught up in things that would bring shame upon his name? Are you trapped in a lifestyle or have done something you think you can never escape from? First of all God is waiting for you to confess your sins to Him. He wants you to be doing things for His kingdom, not Satan's. 1 John 1:9(NIV) says 'If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and purify  us from all unrighteousness.'  Can you do that today? PRAYER: Thank you Lord that I have forgiveness from you. No matter what I did in my past you have forgotten it. Keep me on the right path of life. Convict me of my sins. The devil tries to distract me and I will resist and rebuke him. In Jesus' name. Amen.

SIN IS SIN, PERIOD!!

I have seen a tactic in our United States government the past couple
years that is similar to what the enemy does with sin and that is to "sugarcoat"
it. Within the power of the executive branch they like to rename unpopular things they know
will be distasteful or a majority of Americans do not want, in order to try
to slide something through that is not good for America. One example I
think of now is calling the Fort Hood deaths at the hands of a terrorist, "work place violence". A war is called an "action" or something more gentle. Destroying the best health care system in the world is
called "The Patient Affordable Health Care Act". Crafty words are used to imply something is not so bad when in fact it is a lie or a disaster waiting to happen. Amnesty is being renamed something like "Pathway to Citizenship". Sort of deceptive wouldn't you say?

 Satan loves to trick us into making sin not look so bad. It all started in the Garden of Eden when God had specifically told Adam and Eve to not eat from the tree in the midst of the garden. (See Genesis 3:3).

Satan also makes alcohol not look so bad but if you read Proverbs 23:31-35(NIV) it says "Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like an viper. Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind will imagine confusing things. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. "They hit me!" you will say, "but I'm not hurt. They beat me but I did not feel it, when will I wake up so I can find another drink?"' Alcohol consumption is not a sin in and of itself, but this verse illustrates how Satan could use it in his arsenal to get you drunk and doing stupid things, maybe even that lead to violence, death, or the break up of a family.

There may be flashing neon lights outside a strip club but inside sin lurks and is waiting to tear apart families and destroy lives. A loose woman may be pretty to look at and entice you to commit adultery by her smooth talk but that also is a tool the enemy uses to destroy lives.Read Proverbs Chapter 7 to learn more.

A lie whether it is called "misspeaking" or a "white lie" is still a LIE and we are not to lie. Stealing even an office ink pen, cause "they owe it to me" is still theft of property. Remember it says in
John 10:10 'The thief comes but to kill, steal, and destroy. I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly.'

The Bible says we are all sinners. Romans 3:23(NIV) states 'we all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.' Don't do things you know are sinful or may lead you down the wrong path. Staying in the word of God and saturating your life with good praise and worship music will lift your spirits and helps you to avoid the pitfalls and traps that Satan sets for us. Do you desire a life pleasing to God? He is waiting for you to call upon Him and He will give you strength for your challenges.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus thank you that you are there for me in the daily struggles of life. I know it breaks your heart when I sin so Lord bring conviction of wrong and evil to my heart. Help me lead a life pleasing unto you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click on link below and worship God in song:
http://youtu.be/FqXZD_z3eCc

Note: Here in the Huntsville area on Monday February 11 we are blessed to get to have several Christian artists come for the Rockin Worship Road Show. Jeremy Camp, the artist who sang the song I included today, is one of many who will bless us with his praise and worship music.
Check out the link I have included and if close to you go for a night of praise and worship and benefit Compassion International.
http://therockandworshiproadshow.com/

SNEAK ATTACK

Usually attacks against a country by another are total surprises. Take Pearl Harbor for instance or the attacks on the World Trade Center. No one really expected these things to happen. Some evil things happen and are very subtle and catch even countries like the USA by surprise. 

Thorns remind me of evil in how you do not see them when you are weeding your garden and a lovely innocent looking plant has them and before you know it, ouch, you have just been pricked by one. That is how the enemy works on people. He makes things look good. He lies and deceives. Satan in  scripture in 2 Corinthians 11:14 is referred to as an 'angel of light'.

The enemy is like that. He works through his subjects,  whom he has already deceived, to lie to and  trick even more innocent people. It is like Adolph Hitler who wanted total control of his people and killed the ones he did not like and dominated the rest. Do not hate the person but hate the devil and the evil in the world.

 

We in this country need to be careful. We need to pray for those leaders who seem to be wanting total control. Many people do not believe it as they are deceived themselves. Currently we are in a battle of good and evil. This is intense spiritual warfare. Look around you. Many freedoms are being threatened yet many do not seem to believe it. It is not a political thing or a Republican or Democrat thing but it is about the freedom to worship God and keep this nation as it was founded based on principles in God's word. Why is it others can voice their anti Christian opinion but believers and people of faith are mocked and ridiculed?

 

Psalm 33:11 could not be any clearer and it says "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance". My problem is how a person can say "God Bless America" then condone and make a law it is okay to kill God's creation in the womb or force a Christian medical professional to kill a baby when it is against his conscience? How can a person vote for someone who thinks nothing about that ,is beyond my understanding. When a leader stands up and declares we are no longer a Christian nation it makes you wonder why we might be having a severe drought. Something to ponder.

Recently  a U.S. Christian corporate executive had the courage to stand up for traditional marriage and has been called hateful. Since when is believing God's word hateful? No one said this man hated anyone! He simply stated his convictions under The First Amendment which he is entitled to.

Many well meaning people do not see the attacks on our rights taking place but they are in fact being trampled upon and threatened on a daily basis. Evil likes it when the people are unaware and they can run over us. Things like taking away freedoms are very subtle and before you know it tyranny and domination are the order of the day. Many here in the USA laugh at the notion that we, the supreme power, could ever be dominated and even by our own leadership.

When it comes to religious freedom, even some college campuses are being told their Bible clubs can not meet on campus. This is real. I am not making this up. Little by little little things are taking place taking freedom away from people and putting it into the hands of government.

 

We are to pray for our leaders and those in authority. We know God is in control and ultimately knows the 'big picture' so we need to trust him but we also do not want to be ignorant of Satan's schemes to destroy one of the greatest nations on earth. We became great because our founders kept God first. Little by little ungodliness crept into places of high power and men and women were allowed to be in office who named the name of the Lord but that is all they did. Perhaps they mentioned a denomination they belonged to but never said the word Christian. Some in public office today are even atheist! God's name is an offense and stumbling block to many. Christians are called intolerant and hateful yet those who say that, are intolerant of us!

 

If you name the name of Jesus you should believe and follow what is in God's word. None of us are perfect by any means but there is right and there is wrong and there is good and there is evil. 1 John 4:1 says "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

 

Some have asked that I not get 'political' or they did not want to read my blog anymore. God is political. He cares about our country. Much is written about kings and those in authority right in his word. We know there is a force of good and evil and we know Satan has the power to be cunning and trick many. We have to be alert.2 Corinthians 2:11 says "in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." 

One thing to keep in mind in all this is we are not to hate or be mad at someone but to pray for them. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

 

Proverbs 29:2 says "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan."  When there is unrighteousness going on Christians need to speak up or suffer the consequences. Proverbs 28:15 says "Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people." Ecclesiastes 10:6 says "Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones."

 

Let me leave you with one final scripture found in Proverbs 14:34 and it says " Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people."  Do not look to a man to save you or the government to save you but look to Jesus who is in control of all!

 

PRAYER: Lord Jesus help me to not be deceived by trickery and evil in the world around me. Keep my eyes open and help me speak out in love against any evils I see in my world around me. Help me Lord remember to pray for those who lead us. In Jesus Name. Amen.

 

NOTE: Excellent website to check out which is nothing to do with government but is independent is www.presidentialprayerteam.org .