Back to Corinth: 2 Cor. 11: 1-33

Verses 13-15: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”

I used to watch the old TV series called Kolchak: The Night Stalker. For a TV show back in the 1970s, there were sure some episodes that could scare you very well. I always enjoyed the premise that Carl Kolchak (brilliantly played by Darren McGavin), the dogged investigative reporter (who could easily annoy any police captain) was the only one to believe that a monster was behind the crime…and eventually was the only one to dispose of the monster, thus ruining his story on the crime. There was one episode, “Horror in the Heights”, that pitted Kolchak against a Hindu monster, a Rakshasa; this creature ate human flesh, but appeared to its victims as the illusion of someone they trusted. Carl, being cynical, was able to see through the illusion enough to kill the creature with blessed cross-bolts fired from a crossbow (think silver bullets here).

Evil doesn’t always look like evil; how would the devil ever get close to you if he appeared monstrous? As Paul stated above, Satan can transform himself to look like an angel of light. His followers can do the same. But much like using litmus paper to tell the difference between acid and base, the litmus test for false prophets will always be their works. We must always be on the lookout for those who would lead non-Christians and even some Christians astray, especially in these challenging times. What is the standard by which we can tell the truth? Simple: the Word of Jesus Christ the Lord…His Holy Bible.

Something to think about!

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Proverbs 10:23-32

verse 23: “Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool; And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.”

Why do most people participate in sports? Any sport here: football, basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey, tennis, golf, track, etc. Some folks participate because it’s their job or occupation. Some participate as part of an outreach program. Others participate as teachers of not only the rules of the games, but its principles. Some participate due to the benefits of exercise. More than often, though, people participate because they have fun and enjoy it.

The verse Solomon wrote here states that “wickedness is like sport to a fool”; they do evil because they enjoy it. My Holman reference even had a statement suggesting that they look on godly people as “killjoys” (and I’ve been called worse than that!). But Solomon suggests that the opposite side of the coin is true, too: to wise people, participating in wisdom is fun as well! So if you were going to participate in an activity that would be very beneficial or very detrimental…which would you choose?

Something to think about.

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