The other day at work we had a yellow jacket infestation. It was not good about 40 were killed and still lots more were around.
I got one of those traps that allows them to get in but not out.
I watched them enter following the smell of the liquid I put in there. I saw them enter even though they saw their buddies in there and not able to get out. They blindly followed following their instincts to get to the sweets they thought they needed.
Why didn't their friends warn them? why didn't they see the way of destruction ahead of them?
And of course the inevitable thought came to me of the way that people do the same things.
Pro 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
Pro 1:11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
Pro 1:12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
Pro 1:13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
Pro 1:14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
Pro 1:15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
Pro 1:16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
Now this is true of the rough crowd. It's the way of destruction.
The path of drink, drugs, thrill seeking etc is all the same it will take more and more to achieve the original feeling. It will take bigger more quantities to reach the "high".
Soon the quest for the feeling takes over the senses and becomes the goal.
However it does not stop there. That is the obvious thought that comes to mind. What about a more sinister less obvious group that does the same?
The carnal "christian" who thinks they have all the answers, resting in complacency and wise in their own eyes?
What of the "lukewarm" group?
Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Misery loves company, and these folks are miserable.
What of the one who is so set as to the way it is they can not get out of the way to allow the Spirit to work?
What of the one who keeps finding reasons to not do anything?
Insurance rates will go up.
We will get the wrong crowd in here.
We can't do that because we don't have the funding.
It's always been done this way.
I know of one man who single-handedly stymied church growth because he was the only one who knew the church insurance policy and he used it like a weapon to stop anything he personally did not like. No growth developed due to one man!
This one can take a whole ministry down because he is respected, "pious", and well liked. But inside he is not good.
But oh they convince us and probably even themselves that they are good.
There is another type to look out for in this vein.
Jud 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
The false prophets, wolves in sheep clothing who know only the money and not the God.
The ones who would lead the way to destruction smiling and spewing platitudes the whole way.
The ones who create their own truth instead of the Truth of Christ.
The church (and I mean the body of Christ) has just as many of the sinners in her midst to watch out for as the world does.
The difference?
Most of the ones in the world do not disguise who and what they are,
Whereas the ones in the church do.
They hide and corrupt subtly, in secret to pervert and prevent the message, the vision, the mission, the Truth.
How do we prevent ourselves from following these people or of even being these people?
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
The only true way to know is to keep your heart and mind open to the Spirit.
Read the Word, the Scriptures are the truest measure of a ministry, of a man.
Never follow blindly, Read as they read try their words against the scriptures.
Do not ever follow blindly. You will fall.
I got one of those traps that allows them to get in but not out.
I watched them enter following the smell of the liquid I put in there. I saw them enter even though they saw their buddies in there and not able to get out. They blindly followed following their instincts to get to the sweets they thought they needed.
Why didn't their friends warn them? why didn't they see the way of destruction ahead of them?
And of course the inevitable thought came to me of the way that people do the same things.
Pro 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
Pro 1:11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
Pro 1:12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
Pro 1:13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
Pro 1:14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
Pro 1:15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
Pro 1:16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
Now this is true of the rough crowd. It's the way of destruction.
The path of drink, drugs, thrill seeking etc is all the same it will take more and more to achieve the original feeling. It will take bigger more quantities to reach the "high".
Soon the quest for the feeling takes over the senses and becomes the goal.
However it does not stop there. That is the obvious thought that comes to mind. What about a more sinister less obvious group that does the same?
The carnal "christian" who thinks they have all the answers, resting in complacency and wise in their own eyes?
What of the "lukewarm" group?
Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Misery loves company, and these folks are miserable.
What of the one who is so set as to the way it is they can not get out of the way to allow the Spirit to work?
What of the one who keeps finding reasons to not do anything?
Insurance rates will go up.
We will get the wrong crowd in here.
We can't do that because we don't have the funding.
It's always been done this way.
I know of one man who single-handedly stymied church growth because he was the only one who knew the church insurance policy and he used it like a weapon to stop anything he personally did not like. No growth developed due to one man!
This one can take a whole ministry down because he is respected, "pious", and well liked. But inside he is not good.
But oh they convince us and probably even themselves that they are good.
There is another type to look out for in this vein.
Jud 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
The false prophets, wolves in sheep clothing who know only the money and not the God.
The ones who would lead the way to destruction smiling and spewing platitudes the whole way.
The ones who create their own truth instead of the Truth of Christ.
The church (and I mean the body of Christ) has just as many of the sinners in her midst to watch out for as the world does.
The difference?
Most of the ones in the world do not disguise who and what they are,
Whereas the ones in the church do.
They hide and corrupt subtly, in secret to pervert and prevent the message, the vision, the mission, the Truth.
How do we prevent ourselves from following these people or of even being these people?
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
The only true way to know is to keep your heart and mind open to the Spirit.
Read the Word, the Scriptures are the truest measure of a ministry, of a man.
Never follow blindly, Read as they read try their words against the scriptures.
Do not ever follow blindly. You will fall.
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