Watch This!

 There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12

“Looks good to me!” shouted Tex. “No way I won’t land in the water. This roof ain’t that high.” He turned to his buddies with a confident grin. “Watch this!” Those words were engraved on Tex's tombstone a few days later. It’s easy to see the foolishness of some people’s choices, but not so easy to see our own. We may not be jumping off four-story buildings, but we may be jumping into toxic relationships, dangerous financial debt, or sexual sin with that same confident grin. And like Tex’s fatal jump, it all leads away from the plan of God and eventually to death: spiritual, emotional, or physical.

The Bible warns us that there are always two roads before us. Always. With every breath, every choice, we have the option of stepping off the path God designed for us because there is another one that looks so inviting. We stop to gaze at its smooth stones, shady trees, and beautiful flowers. We weigh its seduction against the red flags in our conscience, then decide with Tex: “Looks good to me! No way I won't end up where I want to be.” What we don’t realize is that Satan has laid camouflaged traps all along this pathway. We won’t see them unless we study the Map. The Bible is a road map that shows the location of most of Satan’s traps, but if we don't bother to check, we don’t see them until it’s too late.  Whenever we choose our paths based upon what looks and feels right, we often forfeit the good plan God has for our lives. But His word leads us to it.

 How do you know you're on the right path? Compare your life choices to God's word.

Don't Be a Fool!

What is a fool?

A fool is not merely someone with whom you disagree. The word "fool" means "a senseless fellow, a dullard." The Bible lists many characteristics of such a person, often contrasting  him with one who is wise. Ecclesiastes 10:2 says, "The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left." 

A fool is one whose heart turns continually toward foolishness. "Fools speak foolishness and make evil plans" (Isaiah 32:6). Proverbs 26:11 says, "As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly."   Fools do not learn their lessons from the mistakes they make. They continue doing the same foolish things to their own destruction (Proverbs 18:7).
 
The following is a partial list of some characteristics of a fool from the book of Proverbs. A fool hates knowledge (1:22), takes no pleasure in understanding (18:2), enjoys wicked schemes (Proverbs 10:23), proclaims folly (Proverbs 12:23), spurns a parent's discipline (15:5), speaks perversity (19:1), is quick-tempered (12:16), gets himself in trouble with his proud speech (14:3), mocks at sin (14:9), is deceitful (14:8), and despises his mother (15:20).  A foolish child brings grief to his or her parents (17:25; 19:13). A foolish man commits sexual immorality (6:32, 7:7-12). A foolish woman tears down her own house (14:1).
 
The ultimate description of a fool is one who "says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good." (Psalm 14:1, 53:1). Although fools can choose to become wise by learning from the wise and applying it (Proverbs 8:5, 21:11), the Bible warns against associating with fools (Proverbs 14:7). Proverbs 13:20 says, "Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm." 
 
The bad news is that there are fools all around us who have no intention of changing their ways. The good news is that you don't have to be one of them.

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Who Are the Victims?

As I watched the videos of the Boston bombings, I was struck by something. While understandably masses of terrified people began to run away from the site, there were some who began to run toward it. Their focus was on rescue, helping, offering themselves if needed to save someone else.

How like God. As I watched these brave rescuers, I was seeing the hands and feet and face of God Himself. He always shows up when human beings are in trouble. His image, which is stamped on the heart of every person, shines through human skin. His heart , planted inside every human creation, beats with fierce desire to right wrongs. His passion to save, help, and comfort blanketed that scene of horror. His image is seen in every act of human kindness.

The ones who planted those bombs have His image too, but they have numbed it. They've done everything they can to kill it. But it's there. God wants to rescue them too. They are victims of Evil just as much as the ones who were injured. They have allowed their enemy to mold them into his image, which will result it their ultimate destruction.

No one is as maimed 

as the one who has carved God's image 

out of his own soul.

Let's pray for ALL the victims of this terrible act.

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