To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. (2 Cor 2:10-11)
Once again we are reminded that the enemy will not shrink from using any device to lure us away from God. His cunning, sly and almost honorable tactics are seen as worship and praise by unsuspecting and misdirected Christians. I cannot emphasize this enough (nor could Paul). Be careful - VERY CAREFUL - that your religion is sound and that its teachings - ALL OF ITS TEACHINGS - are based in the word of God!!!
Once you leave this life, you do not get a second chance to do it "right". There is no purgatory and there are no excuses acceptable. Too often the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention when I listen to others tell me how they've asked someone other than Jesus to intercede on their behalf or on the behalf of a loved one. Too often I've seen family and friends give their acceptance to sin and all it's trappings in the name of fun, or even worse, someone's "right" to be happy. Take your cue from the Bible. It's not a book we need to evaluate as being accurate or out dated. The lessons we are given is the guide our heavenly Father has decreed we use to fashion our lives. There are no mistakes in it and it is not outdated. Some times those lures used are beautiful, joyful and seem innocuous. In that lies his plan. He is the master of deception. He creates false images and visions and has a whole army of creatures just like him (demons) to help do his work. He's held generations captive without their even knowing that they were not only on the wrong page, but they weren't even in the right book!
Stop fueling his army, stop bolstering his lies! Take a lesson from Paul with his second letter to the Corinthians - forgive in Jesus' name, pray in Jesus' name, worship God and God alone, offer nothing to anyone other than the Creator of all things through Jesus, whose blood sets you free! Be wary of any "saint" or "blessed" individual that is said to offer you saving grace, peace or salvation - they cannot! Praying to them only stands to strengthen Satan's army. Find your sin and cut it loose - find that false god you worship and get rid of it! The dead cannot hear your prayers, nor can they offer any defense to the Father on your behalf. Pray to the one, true God - through Christ who reconciles us before Him! Anything other than that is feather in the enemy's cap! Have no greater love for anything earthly above that which should be given to God. Let His light be the spotlight that attracts you - no one elses! His light will shine forever!
(photo by Rosemarie Scott)
