Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Shut the door on that jealous fool

Then Satan entered Judas (Luke 22:3) If you picture Judas sitting at the Last Supper head spinning around spewing green goo all over Jesus and the 12, you let Hollywood paint your imagination. The enemy is crafty. He sneaks in. It's a slow fade. At dinner Judas sat along with the others asking "is it I, Lord?" They had to ask because it is likely Satan can enter any of us at any time and we may not even know it. I wish I hurled nasty all over the place and started growling so the moment would be obvious. Instead, I learned years later that jealous loser infiltrated my life. Maybe I left a door open and he entered. Maybe I shut a door on God and kept the enemy in. Maybe I missed an opportunity to evict the snake. There are numerous ways the devil entered. Unfortunately he wasn't wearing a bright red suit with light up horns and a tail so I'd recognize him in the dark room. Nor did he poke me with that pitchfork or douse me in fire. No he enters our mind. A Christian author and playwright, Rob Lacey, voice from his book "Word on the Street" performance on CD plays in my mind. "Your thinkings freed!" That's what active faith does! It clears out the garbage in our minds we've accepted from a liar, a thief and a murderer. The Bible helps us sift through what seems "natural" and a part of our nature as a human to tell us who we truly are as a creation of God. By talking with Jesus daily and allowing His Spirit to enter more and more we see a transformation in our perception. We don't know how it got there but we know it brings peace, joy and a value to our lives beyond understanding. It is far opposite side of deception that leaves us feeling ashamed, guilty, struggling and dirty. Is it I, Lord? And why? Please tell me so I can shut the door daily on that jerk.