Category: faith

A Cosmetic Evil

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”

2 Corinthians 10:3-4

“It’s time to put on the warpaint.”  I remember hearing the president of my Bible school say as he spoke to the girls in a class.  His folksy comment broke us all up, as we visualized the women putting on make-up to go to war.  His rustic comment, however made us think about what makes someone beautiful.

There is certainly a camouflaging of evil in this world.  It dresses up, and does its very best to attract us.  Its real intention is to lead us into an alley and then attack us.  It is a dark thing, and we do our best not to make it our focus.  Nevertheless, it is quite evil, and it attacks us without any regret or misgivings.

The darkness has decided to assault us, without any provocation.  We are living targets for his archers, and just to bring one of us down is a tremendous feat for them.  The evil that resists us is trickery, and deceitfulness, and we dare not diminish its evil and treachery.

“Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world.”

Ephesians 6:12

The reality is that evil will wear a mask.  It dresses up, to entice us.  The dark is now wearing make-up, and it looks different to us.  The subtle work of the serpent is doing his work on us.  He has not really changed, his dark work still moving on us, “the sons of Adam.”

He injects confusion and deceit directly into our minds.  He administers this and we start to grow restless in the pitch-black.  We have lost the ‘morning-star’ and we have become adrift.  This dismal place has brought us nothing but pain and regret.

Our law enforcement are now working wearing bulletproof vests to protect them.  Perhaps the cautiousness should be afforded to us on a spiritual level.  We would do it best to take some of the same precautions, only on a ‘heart place. ‘ He provides us with an armor that can keep us safe. We must wear what He gives.

Related articles

Dealing with the Ultimate Fear?

When I was a boy I was terrified of death.  The very thought of being six feet deep in a small box, with maggots, rottenness and decay terrorized me.  I also had an incredible fear that someone would make a

mistake and that I would wake up entombed in a buried coffin.  Just thinking about it now unsettles me.  It was an anxiety that required diversions. Which I suppose led me down the road of escalating drug and alcohol abuse.  It undoubtedly led to much of my psychological issues that I deal with today.

Here is 2 Timothy 1:10, “Which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.  Scripture says that  Jesus has ”abolished death”.  I have learned to love that word, “abolish”!  It means to nullify, eliminate or make obsolete.  This is a decisive and a dramatic word which soothes my fear, and calms my mind.

It’s like he pulled the plug.  Death does not operate for the believer, because he did a disconnect for us.  I used to think my terror was unique to me.  I felt like I couldn’t tell anyone that I had those moments alone when I would be overwhelmed by morbid thoughts of death.  But Jesus destroyed the devil!

“We are people of flesh and blood. That is why Jesus became one of us. He died to destroy the devil, who had power over death. But he also died to rescue all of us who live each day in fear of dying”,  Hebrews 2:14-15 NCV.

 “The fear of death is ingrafted in the common nature of all men, but faith works it out of Christians.“– V. Powell.  When an athlete goes into intense training he/she will develop in their muscles “lactic acid” (or for the geeks out there– 2-hydroxypropanoic acid)  Lactic acid is what causes the soreness and cramps in an overworked muscle.  Trainers will stretch and manipulate the athletes limbs to extract this acid.  Death has infused our souls, faith works it out of us.

Fear of death is nothing to be ashamed of.  Almost all of us have had those disturbing moments that seem irrational.  But it’s not a question of rationality, but of faith.  Do I really believe that Jesus unplugged death for me?  He made the deliberate decision to change the status quo for me.  It wasn’t an afterthought, but a definite act, purposeful and well thought out.

“I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone observes My teaching [lives in accordance with My message, keeps My word], he will by no means ever see and experience death.“ John 8:51, Amplified.

A tremendous promise for the believer, especially the believer who is anxious about death.  We are free now, free to live life in outrageous freedom! I proclaim Jesus’ promise to you, you are free!

———————————————————————————————-

These are odds and ends that would not fit in this post. I didn’t want to trash them so here you go. <3

“Christian! Death cannot hurt you! Death is your best friend – who is commissioned by Christ to summon you from the world of vanity and woe, and from a body of sin and death – to the blissful regions of glory and immortality, to meet your Lord, and to be forever with him.”   –Wm. Mason

“Death is no more than passing from one room into another. But there’s a difference for me, you know. Because in that other room I shall be able to see.” —Helen Keller

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Related articles

Flight Control

” But the people who trust the Lord will become strong again.
    They will rise up as an eagle in the sky; 
       they will run and not need rest; 
       they will walk and not become tired.”

Isaiah 40:31

To ‘renew’ your strength carries the idea of change– just as if you would change your clothes to go somewhere special.  The NCV translates this to “become strong again.”  I trade the clothes of weak patheticness, and wear intended strength that He gives.  God fully intends that we put on His greatness when we come before Him.

He does not want us to merely have a ‘changed life,’ but He really wants us to have an ‘exchanged life.’  He doesn’t intend to better us.  But He insists on exchanging His life for ours.  A trade if you will– the ugly for the pure, and the black for the white.    He absorbs our sin, and He gives us His righteousness.  We give Him desperate weakness, and He gives us an awesome strength.

But there is a time thing.  We will need to wait.  The transaction has already taken place.  It all has been transferred to your account.  Our waiting will never be too long.  The ultimate end will happen.  Until then, we must trust and obey, in anticipation of a wonderful thing.  We will not, or never be– ashamed.

Related articles