2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
In 1941 the United States and Japan were in negotiations to resolve their difference as the rest of the world was at war. The special delegation of Japanese ambassadors, ostensibly sent on this “peace” mission, arrived shortly before the massive surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, in which 2,403 Americans were killed, 1,143 were wounded, eighteen ships were sunk or grounded, and 300 planes were destroyed or damaged. President Franklin Roosevelt called it a “date which will live in infamy.”
The ambassadors from Japan must have been good actors, carefully trained to set the Americans at ease and completely assuage any suspicion of their nations’ true intentions, thus disarming their enemy with subtle subterfuge.
So, we wonder, how does a serpent, or a dragon, appear as an angel of light? Or how does a self-centered charlatan or a brilliant narcissist transform himself into a “Christian” preacher or a modern “prophet”? Or, how does a power-hungry government official, or a billionaire philanthropist, or a “qualified” medical professional present himself as a servant of mankind, with a comprehensive program for benefitting humanity? …when, in fact, they are bent on destruction…
1 Thessalonians 5:3 warns us of last day’s deception: “For when they shall say, “Peace and safety” then sudden destruction shall come upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.” In the end, the deceivers will deceive themselves, but meanwhile…
The devil may have horns, but he will somehow adorn them to look like halos. Beware. Yeshua said, “I am sending you out as sheep among wolves; Therefore, be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Remember, the enemy may pretend to be your friend, but his deception may have devastating consequences.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]What is it about salt? And how do I season speech with it? Gracious speech is sweet, yet Paul says to season it with salt.
Sometimes, the more significant, powerful, or influential someone is, the less you know about him or her. There are some people of influence whose names most of us have never heard, and about whom we know almost nothing, yet they make decisions which affect millions of lives.
Charles Spurgeon wrote “Prayer pulls the rope below and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for they pray so languidly. Others give but an occasional pluck at the rope. But he who wins with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly and pulls continuously, with all his might.”
Caesarea Phillipi, where Yeshua (Jesus) revealed himself as Messiah to His disciples, was home to the Temple of Pan, a place so demonic that many of the rituals performed there are too horrible to mention in a daily devotion…
This groundbreaking conversation took place at Caesarea Phillipi, which lies today in the modern day reserve of the Banias in the Golan Heights region of Israel. The city was established by Ptolemaic Greeks, a Hellenistic community where the worship of the god Pan was centered. Reviled by the Jews of Yeshua’s time and considered by them the most idolatrous place in the entire Galilee, to this day it remains a place of nature worship and deep paganism…
David’s faith and courage in volunteering to fight Goliath was an embarrassment to his big brother Eliab, an officer in King Saul’s army. I imagine his thinking went something like this; “If my little brother wins everybody will ask, ‘How come you didn’t go out and fight him?’” The Bible records that Eliab “burned with anger at David and asked, ‘Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is…’” These are devastating words from an older brother. Before David could defeat Goliath he first had to overcome the attitudes, accusations and words, of those close around him.
The noted English architect Sir Christopher Wren was supervising the construction of a magnificent cathedral in London. A journalist thought it would be interesting to interview some of the workers, so he chose three and asked them this question, “What are you doing?” The first replied, “I’m cutting stone for a shabby 10 shillings a day.” The next answered, “I’m putting in 13 hard hours a day on this job.” But the last said, “I’m helping Sir Christopher Wren construct one of London’s greatest cathedrals.”