True evil

It is easy to see evil when it is staring you right in the face! However, for true evil to behave this way is stupid. If evil is so easily recognized, then why would anyone fall prey to it? The “smart” thing to do is to mix goodness with it so as to disguise it, then we would become more likely to fall prey to all sorts of wickedness. Consider the following passage from the book of second Corinthians:

2 Cor 11:1-15
1 I earnestly wish ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very greatest apostles.
6 But though I am rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things.
7 Have I committed an offense in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God without reward?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so will I keep myself.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? because I love you not? God knoweth.
12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them who desire occasion; that in what they glory, they may be found even as we.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also are transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

The Webster Bible

The true evil of Satan (and his followers) will always be disguised and so the picture above may be true evil, but its not the everyday sort. Seeing evil amid truth may not always be easy, but we do have guides; common sense, The Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. God has supplied us with everything we really need to avoid evil; it up to us to just do it! By the way; no, I won’t stare at this picture before I go to bed tonight, I might regret it!

Mother, may I?

The relationship between this couple is off to a shaky start, Isn't it? Looks like the groom is asking one of those "Mother may I" questions. I would like to say that there is a "normality" in marriage today, but I can't. People seem to think marriage isn't very important; they often get married after several years of living together or if they have several children together, or if its convenient or if its something they would like to try "to see if it works". Commitment is a thing of the past, whatever feels good is today's new standard. In the book of Genesis, God puts the first man and woman together and I think that's a good place to begin to consider how things should be!

Gen 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it, and to keep it.
Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest of it thou shalt surely die.
Gen 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone: I will make him a help meet for him.

Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.
Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, he made woman, and brought her to the man.
Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man.
Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Gen 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

The Webster Bible

Man needs woman and the reverse is true. Neither party should put their spouse on a leash, but love and respect one another. Face it, life is not a piece of cake and neither is marriage. However, if the Biblical pattern is followed, then a Biblical marriage is the result. If there are problems (and there will be) give them over to God and let him work on on both of you. "Mother may I" is not the way to get started, "God may I" is far better.

Yes!

We could never see this happening in real-time, but it is happening. A lot of things in life are like that, we can't necessarily see it happening, but we know that it is occurring. Take starting your car for instance; you turn the ignition key and trust that the battery is charged and the spark plugs will fire and that no one has attached a stick of dynamite to your vehicle. This trust when applied to spiritual matters is called faith, but lets just read a few verses from the book of Hebrews:

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Heb 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which appeared.
Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained testimony that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. Heb 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The Webster Bible

Faith: Yes, you can't see it. Yes, you can see the results of it by what you do. Yes, it involves life and death. Yes, Yes, Yes! It is our way of saying, Yes to God! It is the spark of belief, the beginning of hope and the goal of life. It gives light to an otherwise dark and mysterious life. It has been revealed in Jesus and offered to you. The questions is: Will you see what you can't see?