Trappings

Ever get your finger caught in a mouse trap? You thought you knew how it worked. You thought you knew how to set it. You thought you were doing it right...... Then...ooouuuccchhhh!!!!.. We can do everything right and still get caught in the trap. Accidents happen. Can we blame the trap for doing what it is designed to do?

Psalm 91:3 says, "He will rescue you from the snare of the fowler". God WILL RESCUE you from the trapping devices of the enemy. II Cor 2:11 clearly states we are no longer ignorant of satan's devices/traps.

Yet, we (The Bride) fall prey to one of his most common tactics.. Oh, it's not because we don't recognize the trap. It is because we think we are above/beyond/smarter than its capabilities.

When you have been in church for as long as I have, like me, you will find that it is easy to put your Christian service on auto-pilot. Go through the motions. Quote the scriptures. Sing the songs. Use the cliches". But those things are merely the appearance of Christianity. True Christ-likeness is borne from the heart and is revealed in our secret actions as much as it is in our open gestures.

To be set free and remain free of the fowler's snare, we must remain fully aware of satan's trapping methodologies. And we must be fully committed to following biblical principles in our everyday living. As believers, there are certain principles that we have come to accept as absolutes. Principles that directly affect our relationship with the Lord. Principles that, when followed, will enrich our lives; yet if neglected, will bring us ruin.

One such principle is found in Matthew chapter 18:15, quoted here from the NKJV "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother". Closely related to this idea is, Matthew 5: 23, 24. The NKJV renders it this way, "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

I'm just going to leave it "as is". You know, when a seller says that an item is being sold "as is", that means you take it for what you see and for what you may not see about it.Those things unseen at the time of purchase, tend to come to light upon closer inspection. That's all the Lord is asking us to do with these passages. Bring them close to the eyes of your heart and see what will be revealed in the Light that is within you.