Thursday; August 19

I am not sure how many of you noticed this, but Homeland Security issued a new National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin about a heightened threat environment across the United States. The warning which is in effect from August 13 to November 11 warns Americans to be on alert for foreign and domestic treats to our safety. The agency cited the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 and news about COVID-19 health issues and constraints as possible rationales for terroristic activity. I won’t detail the warning, but a summary of the bulletin says “Be Prepared and Stay Informed”.

As I read the bulletin, I was reminded of another warning that was issued centuries ago – not to Americans, but to Christians. When the Apostle Peter addressed the early disciples, he warned, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (I Peter 5:8). Satan’s power and presence in our world makes him a perennial threat to our spiritual welfare and safety. He is out to get us and will do whatever it takes to separate us from our God. He will use deception, distractions and even violence against us to accomplish his goal. Even if he doesn’t personally attack us, he has his minions spread around the world to do his bidding for him. As long as they can keep us stirred up and distracted from our main focus, their prince of darkness can continue to strengthen his spiritually subservient network.
Let’s be on alert against physical attacks against our nation and our communities, but more importantly, let’s be vigilant in our defense against satan’s influence in our lives and our churches. When we do, we’ll all be safer.

Think About It!

Popular posts from this blog

Thursday; May 3

I have a fish tank that allows my three Bettas (Larry, Darrell and Darrell) to live in the same structure, but remain hidden from each other – well sort of.   When I go to feed the fish, I believe that one of the Darrell’s can sort of see that the other Darrell is getting fed and he will linger over on that side of the tank even after I put his food in his tank.   I have to tap on the side of the tank where his food is floating to help him refocus and eat.   I get the impression that he is so interested in what is going on in the other Darrell’s tank that he can’t enjoy his own food. I have been told that the brain of a fish is pretty small – which explains their inability to process “blessings”, but are we guilty of the same malady as Darrell?   Are we so worried (or consumed) by what happens to the people around us that we fail to realize what is going on with us?   Are we envious of the blessings that others are receiving and end up missing out on what we have been given?   Are w
Read more

Thursday; February 14

         While most of us are familiar with today being Valentine’s Day, there are some who actually refer to February 14 th as “St. Valentine’s Day”.  This title is often affixed to a criminally historic event known as “The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” on February 14, 1929 in Chicago, but that is another story for another time.  Not knowing much about the history of “Saint Valentine” I did a little research and found out he was a Roman religious leader who was martyred in 269 AD.  According to my limited research Valentine was killed because of his encouragement of Roman men (especially soldiers) to marry which was in violation of Claudias’ edict that prohibited marriage to keep their minds singularly focused on their task of defending the Empire.  Somehow, from this beginning – and possibly embellished by Chaucer – St. Valentine became intertwined with the concept of romantic love.           I am not really sure how February 14 th became connected with love, but inspired by thi
Read more

Wednesday; December 6

What does it mean to be a leader? I subscribe to the belief that a leader is someone who seeks the best for others and works with them to achieve their potential. There are others; however, who define leadership as the ability to have a vision and the tenacity to get their own way. Leaders who are this way are often portrayed as having developed the maturity to manipulate people to do things their way. However, is the ability to drive people in our direction mature or is it childish? The Christians of the 1st Century came from a lot of different backgrounds and had to work hard to work together. As the Apostle Paul challenged Christians in the city of Ephesus he challenged them to accept individual differences, “… until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. “ (Ephesians 4:13). Bossiness was not to be viewed as a sign of maturity, a willingness to wo
Read more