Hoodwinked

Before a fisherman throws his line into the big deep blue, especially when targeting sharks, he baits the water with entrails and vial smelling slop and blood. His reason, to entice the prey towards his baited hook…

I see so many similarities to the fisherman’s techniques in everyday life. It has become rather frightening on the one hand whilst on the other somewhat the norm to my inquiring mind as it probes from thought to thought in relation to what my eyes witness throughout any given day. In conclusion it is obvious that the undertones of so many underlying messages carry great weight with a hook so enticing that people are willing to bite at the same traps over and over, oblivious to the end game. What is needed by Satan to hook his prey? “The lust of the flesh”, it’s as simple as that. The Apostle John words it like this; “For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world.” (1John 2:16) – But before I take this thought any further we need to establish a truth that exposes and confirms the one behind it all.

“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” His life was all about the will of God outside of his own selfish wants. He was a man that God acknowledged! Wow what a beautiful thought, to be acknowledged by the great “I AM”! However he had a family who were not like minded and it was all about satisfying their own carnal desires. Their lives were filled with self-interest and it was all about what they could take from this life and this world. Does that sound familiar when we gaze into our mirrors? Bigger houses, with more money and the like; Job was different in character and he shunned all that was evil! And it was God who put him to the test! This is how it happened; (see Job 1:6-12) - God looks out for His own, and Satan and all his fellow workers can do nothing to His children without God’s permission; this is a given! Why then do certain tests come our way? God understands our hearts, but we often skew a right understanding of who we are and what we are all about. It’s the trial of life that refines us into obedient children of God. Satan has one objective and that is to get us to curse God so that we too may die with Him in the Lake of Fire. But in order for Him to accomplish this objective He “chums” the waters in our paths to entice us to take the bait. He has become so skilled at this that even the professing Christian ends up believing that the “Prosperity Gospel” is of God and not from him, with bigger houses and more luxury for the Christian when in fact the opposite is true. True faith does not will us to have a cushier life, but it drives us to have peace even when we are surrounded by great trial. The Lord Jesus Christ is our example; with many other who have followed suit. This is how God views those who please Him; “... Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.

Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.

They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated--

of whom the world was not worthy--wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” (Hebrews 11:35-38)

In God’s opinion the world was not worthy to have these characters living in it, because of their own unselfish wants at the expense of a right relationship with Him. Satan the mastermind, luring men and women away from God through the lust of their flesh! A cleverly thought out intention by Satan as he probes the world with a numbing to all things pure and holy. How is this done, rather easily in fact considering that the persona of my brilliant God and Father is pure and holy as He only ever reflects His own righteousness, He is the great “I AM” the One who has no beginning nor will He ever have an end, He has scripted His plan for time and beyond and we are characters within that script. He has so loved the world and given us His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ as our own personal sacrifice for our sins. But so many are led to believe that they are good people and in no need of a Saviour. Sadly this is the truth of our world today. Satan has lured them, as I too was once a part of that number, but God took pity on my soul in spite of who I was, a sinner in desperate need of rescue; and He graciously opened my eyes to these truths. Praise the name of Jesus now and forever more, Amen and Amen!

How then has Satan tricked so many people into believing his lies? Simply put, our love for sin is what drives the majority of the human race. And through the process of time we are in the throes of a downward spiral. It is getting to a stage of such proportion that we are now as a nation even honouring same sex marriages. Wow! However there will come a day in the not too distant future when God will say enough is enough and bring great tribulation upon the earth, in fact such tribulation that the world has never yet experienced. Considering that four thousand years ago God did destroy the earth with a flood and only eight souls were saved.

What is this “chum” I speak of? You needn’t look further than our very television sets to understand the corruption that is evident in our society today. A show like the modern family, with gay couples the norm, or women in leading roles ruling the world with their dominance and ruling men whilst twisting the Word of God and His order. No different to the beginning, in the Garden of Eden where he deceived Eve to disobey God; the evidence of Satan’s influence over the general population with human rights high on the agenda of most governments as they disregard the order of God. The devil has and is in the course of luring men and women into his deadly trap that will bring with it eternal consequences, hell the final destination.

However, today is a day where we still have hope and we can turn from our sin and cry out to a forgiving God as we seek out His forgiveness?

I will leave you with this thought; “As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."” (Hebrews 3:15) – In other words; “For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."” (Romans 10:13) – But we must all call out to Him if we are to escape the hook of Satan with today being a day that His offer is still on the table, and yet there is a day coming that is almost to treacherous to speak about but nevertheless knowledge about it may just save us from it; “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” (Matthew 24:21) 

Signing off

Tyrone