THE SUBTLE DECEIVER

i was a Disney kid. Growing up in the 50's and 60's there was a feeling of magical innocence in the Disney idea. Walt Disney, a dreamer growing up in Missouri and Illinois, had a desire to build a place of joy and happiness for families, "kids of all ages." Well, i grew up going there almost every summer. We stayed in a place called Laguna Beach and lived for two weeks each summer right on the beach and going to Disneyland a few days a week. i truly did have a happy childhood by worldly standards. We did not take God with us, we were distracted by the world.

i also saw all the Disney movies and my all time favorite has always been Peter Pan. (You can analyze that later)

There is a line in Peter Pan where he says, "Oh, the cleverness of me." As i was in my daily thoughts of things eternal today, i thought about that line. i thought about how the cleverness of our selves, our self wills, our self desires, our foolish putting off of things of holiness and righteousness will wind so many up in the eternal lake of fire.

clever...showing inventiveness or originality, superficially skillful, inventive, witty.

The world in all its God given splendor and beauty, does not see God in it all. The world is good at making up stuff to occupy time and space and minds that have no lasting value in God's economy. We Christians like to say things like, "the enemy did it", "the enemy has his hand in it", we like to blame Satan for many things, but in reality it, much of the time, it is us that need to take a good look at our hearts, at our selves, our desires, our motives.

Two scriptures jumped out at me today as i was yet overcoming another subtle temptation of the world. As i was being convicted of being part of the world i so desperately want to bring to Jesus. i was realizing how easy it is for well meaning followers of Christ to think we are so clever.

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because thou hast rejected knowledge, i will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me, seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, i will also forget thy children." Hosea 4:6

"And then i will profess unto them, i never knew you, depart form me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7:23

Knowing in these verses is meant as an intimate relationship with God. Us making an effort to know Him in His word and in prayer and in worship that he may reveal himself to us and know us. As the last days click by and most people are going about their lives with never a thought of things eternal, Jesus will return and as in the days of Noah and Lot, they will be swept away forever. The sad thing, they will not even realize it till it is happening.