Deception or Gullibility? Apple or Orange?

Deception can be humorous, no doubt; word play working on our gullibility can be funny.  The comedian, Mr. Bean, reveals how our ears can let us be deceived, if we embrace the deception long enough.  Mr. Bean muses, “If you say gullible very s l o w l y … … it sounds like orange!” 

Apple or orange, which is tastier? Deception or gullibility, who is at blame, or who is at fault?  On whom does the sin rest? A tough question, we can chase rabbits here all day.  No doubt the deceiver, but I have to ask, “What is the heart of the one who ‘bought in’ to the deception?  

 The first story God tells about people addresses just this situation.  When Satan deceived Eve, he said it in a challenge, “Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Genesis 3:1).  When the verdict came in, everyone involved, Satan, and both Adam and Eve were guilty – not for being a deceiver, nor for being gullible!  Right in the middle of the deception story, we see the desires of the Deceiver and of the Deceived unite in common desire.  When Lucifer says, “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God” (v 3:5), the fault comes to rest on both.  Because, at the core is “the” sin, disobedience and wanting to rise to God’s equal.  The deception of evil came from Lucifer, the deception was “was pleasing to the eye” by Eve (v6), and Adam, who just went with the crowd, were all placed under the penalty of blasphemy, the curse of death (vv. 13-19).    

The issue isn’t deception or gullibility, apples or oranges.  When a deceiver brings great encouragement to pacify your ego, that’ll entice you to move into pleasures of gratification and self-assurance; at which point, you dive into the ocean of pride.  The same holds true of pride in all nations or cultures, peoples.  Andrew Murray is straightforward, observing a simple notion, “The truth is this: Unless pride dies in you then nothing of heaven can live in you.”   

Tired of my Gullibility, I have to let apples and oranges be what they were created to be - just fruit, 

Owen <><

“If the Lord's people will humble themselves by admitting that deception is quite possible to them, they will be the less deceived.”  ~ Watchman Nee

HE Said, we said… Shine!

“Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
 

~ Jesus, Matthew 5:15-16

 

 

“For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
 

~ Paul, 2 Corinthians 4:6

 

“We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won't need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention to their shining- they just shine.”

~ D.L. Moody

 

 

“When we make a good impression we shine.  When that happens, we don’t want that shining moment to be hidden out of sight.  Our good, shining moments need to spill into our spiritual life as well; no one will see anything good in us unless goodness shines out of us, and when we shine, everyone gets a glimpse of Jesus!”

~ Owen Mannin    

 

HE Said, we said…

"You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”
~ Matthew 22:29, Jesus explains how people think and live incorrectly.

“It is impossible to enslave mentally or socially a Bible reading people.  The principles of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom.”

~ Horace Greely

“If you have a Bible that's falling apart, you'll have a life that's not.”

~ Adrian Rogers

Blessings,
Owen <><


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Cloak or Toga?

Is your mind transforming, are you wearing a casual cloak by thinking Christ-like?
Or, are you skimpily dressed in a toga, thinking in culture’s mindset? 

It seems silly, but how we "clothe" ourselves is a reflection of one's mindset. 

We send a message about ourselves by our clothing fashion (or lack of), hair style, tats, jewelry, “Jesus” t-shirts, cowboy duds – simply, what people first see is the introduction to our story.  I don’t wear Jesus t-shirts and cowboy boots, but I proudly use my Starbucks gold card; that tells a little bit about me.  

More to the point, what about Jesus?  Is Jesus just an occasional accessory – like an out-of-style tie or broach?   Or, is Jesus who you wear every day?

The Apostle Paul noticed how the church in Corinth clothed their life; they put on a Christ-less culture, a toga.  He remarked:  “You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.” ~ 2 Cor 11:4 NLT

Dressed casual, clothed in Christ,  

Owen <><

Are You Peculiar or Is Your Reality Normal?

Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:13b-14

Jesus redeemed us, purified his followers from wickedness or “unto himself a peculiar people” (KJV).  We Christians are peculiar. … Offbeat, odd, eccentric, abnormal, unusual, or to be nice, Christ followers are unique individuals.  We’re definitely not of, nor should be, of the reality lived by everyone surrounding us in life.

The Bible speaks of us being a foreigner, a stranger; we’re not a local, our norms don’t match our community’s lifestyle – our accent: actions, dress, language is noticeable.  As a Christ follower our life is to reflect Jesus – that makes you different – absolutely peculiar – a weirdo in the reality of this world.    

 



Peculiar or Normal?

People shouldn’t understand you, because the Spirit of God is at work in you, molding your mind.  Allow the Spirit to effectively change, transform your mind to be like Christ.  Reality TV is not a Christian’s reality, Paul wrote, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom 12:2).  Your goal is to “have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16).  You and I are to have a train of thought guided by the Holy Spirit, and we work to keep it from being derailed through a mind that is void of the Holy Spirit.  In example, Paul teaches Christians differ from a nonbeliever, who “without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him …” (1 Cor 2:14).

Pastor and author Francis Chan sums it up very simply, he writes, “Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers.”

Living Peculiar,

Owen <><

HE Said, we said…

As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.  

~ Mark 1:10

 

… all the believers were meeting together in one place.  Suddenly, … what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.  And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit… 
~ Acts 2:1b-4a (NLT) 

The Spirit-filled life is not a special, deluxe edition of Christianity. It is part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people. 

~  A.W. Tozer
 

The Holy Spirit brings more than conviction and a seal, His work is rooted in Christ’s followers who are obedient in welcoming God’s Spirit to settle on them with the power to carry out God’s mission in our world today – reaching all people, near and far, with the Gospel of Christ.  ~Owen Mannin