Have you ever stood at the edge of a pond that was frozen and left one foot on solid ground while placing your other foot on the ice to test its strength? Once you felt the strength of the ice did you make a step of faith in lifting your other foot to stand on the frozen pond? Can you recall the uncertainties of stepping on the ice and the relief that was gained once you realized the ice was strong enough to hold you up?

 Here is another interesting part of stepping into the unknown. Did you calculate the risk before you took the step? Were you certain of the steps that you took due to the wisdom that God had given you on how to walk on the ice? Could you tell when you had pushed it to the edge and it was time to not go any further while you waited on God to make the way to reach the other side? 

 Did you insure that someone you trusted was close by in case you needed a helping hand? Was there someone behind you in your walk on to the ice or were they to scared of the unknown so they just stood on the bank to watch you in case you were to fall? How far were you willing to go out on the ice even if you had to go alone? Were you willing to go all the Way to reach the other side? Or, did you lose hope and give up the first time you fell?  

 Now lets look at this in another light. If you saw a child abandoned on the frozen pond and being held captive in fear how far would you be willing to go to help rescue that child from their captivity? What if a bully was out on the ice pushing that weak child out further from safety and causing them to cry out to God to set them free? Would you be willing to risk your own life for the sake of another?

 This is exactly what Jesus did for you and me. He went into the unknown and reached the other side in giving His life for ours. The captivity and spiritual bondage of Satan had to be broken from the bullies that were causing the water to freeze because they simply failed in how to believe. See spiritually Satan  does not want to see us skating on the ice and having fun in the freedom of Jesus Christ so he in turn works through others to hold us back in suppressing our joy. Jesus spoke against this to the Pharisees and to the world to deliver a message of spiritual freedom and the obedience that comes in true love.  

 When someone is being bullied or controlled by another individual due to evil spirits or selfish motives which are misguiding their actions, this is often due to their own insecurities and lack of knowledge between good and evil. This happens in every age of life from the young to the old due to the deceptive spirit of Satan that develops in power and in our sinful nature of trying to be the one in control. Popularity, prosperity and power that are driven by selfish ambitions or lets say by Satan are very dangerous spirits that can grow out of control as a child matures into an adult.  

 It never fails though in evil only prevailing for a short time before God sends His justice and for the good to overcome the bad. Look at Hitler or Saddam Hussein for instance in how their spiritual misguidance not only destroyed the lives of others but it eventually brought their own destruction back in return. This lesson was taught in Esther 7:10, “So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.”

 Satan uses fear tactics through individuals who do not know how to trust in God to control an environment and through individuals who fail to realize that we are accountable for our words and actions. The spiritual deception that can develop in someone that does not understand what the Word of God teaches in obedience and self control is vulnerable to Satan simply because they do not realize that true love brings obedience in our homes, in our schools and in our nation.

 For instance,  look at Kim Jong-il the leader of  North Korea and the fear that he places upon his own people and surrounding countries due to lack of seeking peace out of love verses maintaining his position out of fear. This is why it is so vital that we teach our children the self discipline and love that is taught in the Holy Bible to maintain our homes and our country. For without the discipline of God man can not handle power! The object is knowing when and when not.

 This same lesson of spiritual misguidance by Satan that tries to suppress the children of God has been repeating itself since the beginning of time. Good will always overcome evil even though we might not be the ones to see it at the time. For the lessons learned in the disobedience to God help us to develop a better and stronger foundation for our children’s future. 

 If America does not Wake Up to these spiritual facts and return to God in repentance for our national sin then we should not be surprised in what is sure to come in the discipline of God. Discipline comes to make us stronger and to remind us of our dependancy on God and not on man. It is imperative in life to stop and listen maintain our balance before we stumble and fall.

 Life is not that hard when we learn who is in control and how to follow as the Lord directs.

 James A. Harrison

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