All is Not As It Seems

In 2nd Corinthians chapter 11, the apostle Paul issues a stern warning to the people of God:
3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it! Verses 14 and 15 highlight the father of lies, the deceiver, who wants to lead us astray from the truth of God:(14)...Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.    Discernment is a critical component of the Christian life, because all is not as it seems.   The enemy will disguise himself - he will adjust something that is destructive and make it seem good.   He will lure us to selfishly satisfy our fleshly nature, our sin nature, when these things contradict the law and principles of God.   We have to be sensitive to recognize temptation and take the necessary steps to resist it - and even run if necessary.

1st John 2 warns us against loving the world and allowing the enemy to deceive us into thinking that temporary things can truly satisfy us:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.

We are continuing to keep in our prayers the residents of numerous Northeastern states who are facing flooding, loss of power, and other effects of Hurricane Sandy, which continues to barrel through Pennsylvania.

And, through social media outlets, pictures of the storm are being posted in significant numbers, really giving us a real-time view of the destruction that is occurring.  

There are a few photos, however, that may not be giving a true picture.   The website, Mashable.com, which is devoted to covering social media, highlights 7 fake Hurricane Sandy photos that are commonly being shared.   One of these photos has become especially notable - it was shot back in September in a driving rainstorm and features 3 soldiers standing guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, DC.    And, while the photo is a reminder of these guards who stand watch over the tomb 24/7, and have done so since 1948, the picture itself was not taken during the hurricane, as it has been billed.

There are a few pictures of New York City that have made the rounds - I almost got taken in by the picture of the Statue of Liberty being besieged by waves...that is actually a screen shot from the movie, "The Day After Tomorrow".   There are other pictures of ominous clouds over New York City, which were taken in other weather events.   Also, apparently shark pictures in water are making the rounds - again.   And, the flooded McDonald's photo is out there, another screenshot from a movie, depicting one of those life-sized Ronald McDonalds being displaced by the water that has trashed the restaurant.

The advent of software such as Photoshop and Instagram reminds us that things are not as they appear.   And, while these may be basically innocent forms of deception, we can think about the one who is known as the deceiver, who attempts to lure us to turn away from God by his false promises.  And, on this day before Halloween, we do want to call attention to the presence of the evil one, who has tantalized people to follow him in a religious sense, or to participate in ungratifying works of darkness that also bring glory to him.

The enemy will tempt us in a number of ways:  He will deceive us into thinking that we can run our own lives better than God can.   He will also deceive us into thinking that pursuing sin or a sinful lifestyle is a better path for us.   He will attempt to satisfy us with worldly possessions, which will take our eyes of the Lord.    He will dangle before us something that seems good, but that leads to destruction.   Because, ultimately, following in the ways of the devil will not lead to abundant life, but bring misery and death.   Beware of the deceiver - he wants to either keep you from accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, or to render you unproductive in your Christian life.