One of my lesser known ‘skills’ is catching live flies in my hand. My young children were impressed, now my grandchildren are. It works every time – if you know one secret. You don’t grab for where the fly is but where its going to be. Every time they see movement they fly straight up extremely fast, so don’t grab where they are or you’ll miss them. Instead grab the air about 5” above them and they’ll fly right into your hand. It works every time. It looks impressive but is really simple for every fly does the same thing when startled.
I wonder if it is that easy for Satan to startle us and know exactly where we’ll go, then set up his trap there for us there! Maybe that’s why we often get caught time after time after time. Stress comes so we run to our drug of choice: shopping, eating, watching TV, impatience, worry or ungodly web sites. Perhaps we have conflict with our mate or children so we withdraw, become passive aggressive, nag or pick on everything they do. It could be anything. Just think about it in your life. (November 21, 2016 Doylestown, PA)
What seems to hit you often? How do you automatically respond? Ask God to give you wisdom about this and how to apply it to your own life.
Psalm 141:9 Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers, from the snares they have laid for me.
2 Timothy 2:26 6 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
2 Corinthians 2:11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
INDIA UPDATE: Most churches meet in homes in India, but they are always small, crowded, hot and inconvenient to use. When possible a church building is built, usually by he people in the church. People come to these buildings throughout the day to sit and pray. Most evenings groups gather for formal or informal times of prayer, singing and Bible study. These are often the nicest buildings in the community and are a good testimony to God’s faithfulness to His people. The pictures below are of a church that was just build with the help of money donated to CTO specifically for this church. The men who pastor it are part of our group of pastors in India.
PRAY FOR these small churches throughout India. Ask God to bless them and make them a light in their community, a place of peace and encouragement for the Christians who live near them as well as a welcome refuge for those who don’t yet believe in Jesus. They often get attacked, vandalized, burnt and destroyed, so pray God would protect them and those who worship in them.
Jerry Schmoyer
Christian Training Organization
india.christiantrainingonline.org/