RECOGNIZE -- PART II

Not sure if we're allowed to write two posts for our weekly FMF challenge. I've never seen anyone do that before, but these thoughts came to me after I posted my original one and I feel they are really important to share as well.

The last ten days or so were filled with many hassles and frustrations, which led to a greater recognition and appreciation of the blessings I tend to take for granted, as well as an important insight.

As far as some of the blessings I tend to take for granted--frustration that Sun Chips has added sugar to its original variant to convert it into a "savory sweet crunch" led to recognition that there are many other snack options to choose from. It made me think of how blessed we are to have such abundance and variety available to us in this part of the world.

An emergency "boil water" alert issued by our Town because there was a break in one of the pipelines, causing the water to become contaminated with bacteria, was annoying and inconvenient, but it was quickly fixed and within a couple of days we again had safe, clean drinking water, It made me think of the people in other parts of the world who do not have that luxury. Not only is the source of their water polluted, but many of them do not even have running water. They have to walk great distances to a river or other body of water and then fill and carry heavy jugs of it back home.

Those are just a couple of examples of the thoughts that were going through my mind as I drove to church on Sunday morning for my shift in the prayer room. As I prayed over the service, I thought of the false security many of us in this great nation feel about being able to go to church and openly worship the Lord without fear of persecution. Definitely not something we should ever take for granted.

Like many other churches these days, ours also has a security team that patrols the entrance to the building, the sanctuary, the lobby, the Sunday school classes, and the parking lot outside as well, but things can still happen.

Complacency is dangerous, and it is so important for us to recognize that, appearances to the contrary, there is a real enemy (Satan) silently prowling around looking for an opportunity to catch us off guard, No one is immune.

I got a wake up call to that truth just recently when a very dear friend, and one of the strongest women of faith I know, inadvertently allowed Satan to worm his way in through a chink in her armor and derail her. Who would hae thought.

The Word tells us to be alert and vigilant, and on our guard because in these end times, even the elect will be deceived. These are truths that are very real.

I exhort you to watch this livestream on the danger of deception and take heed to the warnings it contains.

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Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8, NLT) 

The thief comes only to seal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10, NIV)

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7, ESV)

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13, NIV)

So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. (1 Thessalonians 5:6, NLT)

Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:36, NLT)

For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. (Matthew 24:24, NLT)

Put on the whole armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:11-12, NIV)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT)