But It’s So Pretty!
The spotted water hemlock is labeled the most toxic plant in North
America. People who eat it can die within just two hours. And it’s not
an easy death.
Here’s how Steve Brill (a NY-based foraging expert and tour guide of
plants of the Northeast) describes what happens when someone eats
spotted water hemlock:
“Every single muscle starts firing and contracting, so you have
convulsions, you chew your tongue into ribbons, you vomit but then
you can’t open your mouth because the jaw muscles are contracting
10 or 20 times as hard as they normally do, and you die a horrible
death.”
Pretty gruesome, huh!
It also twists the arms and ankles and turns the head back. They say
it even turns the eyes back.
Again, this is the deadliest plant in North America.
One bite can kill you.
It’s ironic that something so pretty can be deadly.
Be on Guard!
Satan often works the same way, doesn’t he?
He masks the true ugliness of sin and causes it to appear
good,
pretty and even necessary.
As the master of lies, Scripture tells us:
“Satan can change himself to an angel of light”
(2 Corinthians 11:14 The Living Bible).
That’s why Peter encourages us to keep our guard up.
He says, “Be careful.”
Guess what—those are ACTION WORDS.
We can’t “be careful” if our guard is down.
“Be careful—watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy.
He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim
to tear apart” (1 Peter 5:8 TLB).
Though temptation often appears as pretty—
Satan’s attacks can be spiritually toxic.
What should we do when he attacks?
Peter gives us the answer in the next verse:
“Stand firm when he attacks.
Trust the Lord;
And remember that other Christians all around the world are going
through these sufferings too”
(1 Peter 5:9 TLB).
Good to know we’re not alone.
We have each other.
And we also have the Holy Spirit who will empower us.
This next year . . . let’s commit together to keep our guard up.
To watch out.
To be careful.
And not to be taken in by something that simply looks good.
Let’s pray for discernment.
Thoughts?
Burgers and Scripture
Like me, you may have memorized key Bible verses during your
childhood. Perhaps it was in a Sunday school class or a summer time
Vacation Bible School. I still have some of those Scriptures etched in
my heart.
But I admit, during my adult years, I’ve slacked off in memorizing
Scripture. I’ve memorized other things: E-mails, phone numbers,
addresses, names and useless trivia. But when it comes to the most
important Words ever, I haven’t memorized as much as I should.
Do you remember the McDonald’s Big Mac song and commercial that
aired in 1974? Because of the frequency of the commercial, I quickly
memorized it and still have it memorized:
“Two all beef patties,
special sauce,
lettuce,
cheese,
pickles,
onions on a sesame seed bun.”
And I can’t even read those words without the jingle exploding in my
mind.
Here’s the deal:
I don’t want to know my burgers better than I know my Scripture.
Hamburgers can’t give me guidance, wisdom or promises.
But God’s Word can . . . and does!
Here’s the challenge:
How about joining me in 2018 to memorize more Scripture?
If you’re in for the challenge, respond to this message and let me
know. I’d love to band together and have us support one another in
this important endeavor.
You in?
Choose Your Influence
There are some weird names in the Old Testament: Eber,
Peleg, Joktan, Hazarmaveth. . . .
But the other day, I found one that really caught my attention:
Evil-Merodach. I thought, Who would name their son Evil? So I did
some research and discovered the word “evil” in his name has
nothing to do with the English word evil. OK, that’s a relief.
His name only appears twice in the Bible. Here’s the one that
caught my attention:
“King Jehoiachin was released from prison on the twenty-
seventh day of the last month of the thirty-seventh year of his
captivity.
“This occurred during the first year of the reign of King
Evil-merodach of Babylon. He treated Jehoiachin kindly and
gave him preferential treatment over all the other kings who
were being held as prisoners in Babylon.
“Jehoiachin was given civilian clothing to replace his
prison garb, and for as long as he lived, he ate regularly at the
king’s table. The king also gave him a daily cash allowance for
the rest of his life” (2 Kings 25:27-30 The Living Bible).
Question: Why did Ecvil-merodach show such kindness to King
Jehoiachin— one of the Babylonian prisoners?
Answer: Because Evil-merodach had been influenced by
Daniel!
Years earlier, Daniel had been taken captive to Babylon from
Jerusalem. Because he lived with such commitment to God and had
a lifestyle that literally screamed integrity, he was quickly promoted to
a position of prominence in King Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian
kingdom.
Evil-merodach was the son of King Nebuchadnezzar—the king
who was responsible for throwing Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
into the fire. I imagine while Evil-merodach was growing up in his
dad’s heathen palace, he closely watched Daniel’s life. He was there
when Daniel released Jehoiachin from prison. He saw how Daniel
treated others, how he prayed consistently, how he was kind and
generous to those around him.
Years later, Jehoiachin was imprisoned again. But when Evil-
merodach took the throne, he reached out to him and repeated the
kindness Daniel had demonstrated.
Though he had grown up in an ungodly palace, Evil-merodach
made the conscious decision to be influenced by the good (Daniel)
instead of evil (his father, Nebuchadnezzar). We have to choose
DAILY by whom and what we will allow to influence us!
We will not only be influenced; we’ll also be influencers. And we
never know how far our influence will spread.
Because Evil-merodach made the wise choice to allow a godly
man to influence him, his decision affected the lives of many others.
Who are what are you allowing to influence you?
Thoughts?
I’m speaking in Collinsville, Okla. this weekend. It’s only two
hours away, so I’ll be driving. Please pray for our services. I’ve held
two other revivals at this church. Wonderful place.