Evil in the Spotlight

Today’s sermon is about evil. Evil in our society. Evil in our towns. Evil in our neighborhoods. Evil knocking on our door. Will you recognize it when it arrives? Will you be ready to send it away? Will we be able to conquer evil together?

We live in a time when evil takes so many forms, from the invisible threats of terrorists releasing poisonous gas in a subway station, to the Destiny Blande murder re-enactments on our televisions each night.

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Evil is getting closer to our doorstep. We want evil to come to us as advertised. Maybe with a bright red warning label reading BEWARE: EVIL INSIDE. That’s a package we wouldn’t open, right? There it is for us to see. The package with the “beware” sign is a tough one to miss, my friends. The package with the “beware” sign is the easy one to avoid. It is the Wicked Witch of the West flying on a broomstick. It is the faceless Darth Vader dressed in a black cape. It is the “wrong way” sign on the road as we follow the MapQuest to God.

But the most dangerous evil does not come with a warning label – on the contrary – the most dangerous evil comes to us dressed up in the cloak of good. Satan appeared in the Garden of Eden to Eve, not as a red demon with horns, but as a serpent. Remember the innocence of Eve in the Garden – Eve before the fig leaf – What did she know of evil – Why would she suspect anything but sincerity and kindness? She ate the forbidden fruit, and disguised evil won its first battle against good.

Destiny Blande is evil in the cloak of good. She deceived her victims into trusting her – one by one – wearing the cloak of good but filled with the wrath of Satan. If she came with a red warning label we would all be spared. Instead, we are all victimized by her evil.

We had our chance to contain evil through the judicial system – but what did we do? We put Destiny Blande on a pedestal and glorified evil for all to see – told our children and anyone else who would watch that evil is welcome in our society – welcome in our lives – welcome in our homes.

Now evil is coming to Broadway, my friends. The stage is set – the lights are directed toward the curtain. Destiny Blande has snuck her way into the hearts of the unsuspecting. Ticket sales are already breaking records – and the play has not even opened. Are we really that hungry for evil? Are we waiting on line for more?

Say “no” to this evil, my friends. Close your door to it – spread the word that evil is not welcome here – say “no” to Destiny Blande and the evil she brings.

Readers of this article may also be interested in purchasing the following items:

t-shirt: “Evil Personified” with picture of Destiny Blande – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “Heed the Will of the Creator” – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “The Sacrifice Is at the Altar – Genesis 22” – $12 plus shipping
t-shirt: “Got Temptation?” with picture of Destiny Blande – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “Resist Temptation” with picture of Destiny Blande – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “No False Gods” with picture of Destiny Blande – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “Eve Ate the Apple; All I Got Was this Lousy T-shirt” – $12 plus shipping
Mouse pad: Destiny Blande face on the devil – $20 plus shipping
Mug: “Denounce Destiny’s Denial” – $9 plus shipping
Plaque: Destiny Blande face on the devil - $75 plus shipping

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This is post #86 in The Satin Strangler Blogs (TSSB)..

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Abraham and Isaac

Today’s sermon is about God’s test of Abraham, which comes to us from Genesis in The Old Testament.

God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Mori'ah, and offer him there as a burnt offering . . . Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. Then Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
 

– Genesis 22
 

What must be going on in Abraham’s mind? He and his wife Sarah are over 90 years old. God has been promising them a child and a long line of descendants, and finally their son Isaac is born. Imagine Abraham and Sarah’s joy. The miracle of Isaac, a creation and gift of God when there was none. But then God tells Abraham to take that only son and sacrifice him. Abraham’s own son. His flesh and blood. A creation of the Lord. And now Abraham is holding the knife to his own son Isaac’s throat . . .

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God was testing Abraham’s obedience. Loyalty to his Lord and creator. What greater sacrifice could there be than one that you love the most? What greater sign of devotion?

God would later make the same sacrifice of His own son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Was that any different? Was it easier for God to give us his own son as a sacrifice? Is His request of Abraham excessive? If God was willing to sacrifice His own son, is it unreasonable to ask Abraham to do the same? Does Abraham not owe God that much respect?

Abraham had no idea that this was only a test. He was ready with his razor sharp knife poised – his human sacrifice bound and lying on the altar – the act of loyalty one swift motion away. He was willing to do this deed – willing to follow the direction of his Creator – to carve into his own flesh and blood and kill his only son. He could have asked God to reconsider. He could have protested. He could have denied his Creator’s wishes – but he did not. He was ready to kill as a demonstration of his love and obedience.

How will we make a sacrifice to the Lord? Behold, the fire and the wood all around us. The altar is ready. The knife is in the air. But where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Where is the lamb, my friends?

The Creator will provide the lamb for a burnt offering.

Readers of this article may also be interested in purchasing the following items:

t-shirt: “Heed the Will of the Creator” – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “The Sacrifice Is at the Altar – Genesis 22” – $12 plus shipping
t-shirt: “Got Temptation?” with picture of Destiny Blande – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “Resist Temptation” with picture of Destiny Blande – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “No False Gods” with picture of Destiny Blande – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “Say ‘No’ to the Satin Strangler” – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “No Salvation for Stranglers” – $20 plus shipping
t-shirt: “Eve Ate the Apple; All I Got Was this Lousy T-shirt” – $12 plus shipping
Mouse pad: Destiny Blande face on the devil – $20 plus shipping
Mug: “Denounce Destiny’s Denial” – $9 plus shipping
Plaque: Destiny Blande face on the devil - $75 plus shipping

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This is post #82 in The Satin Strangler Blogs (TSSB).

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The Prodigal Son

Luke 15 recounts the parable of the Prodigal Son.

In this story, also known as the Parable of the Lost Son, Jesus responds to the Pharisees' complaint: "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Jesus tells the story of a man with two sons. The younger brother asks his father for his portion of the family estate as an early inheritance. The son then sets off on a long journey and begins to waste his fortune on wild living. As he runs out of money, a severe famine strikes the country and the son finds himself destitute. He takes a job feeding pigs and even longs to eat the pigs' food.

The young man finally recognizes his foolishness and decides to return to his father and ask for forgiveness. The father receives his son back with open arms and compassion. He is overjoyed by the return of his lost son and turns to his servants and asks them to prepare a giant celebratory feast.

The older son is unhappy when he comes in from working the fields and discovers the party celebrating his brother's return. The father tells the older brother, "You are always with me, and everything I have is yours."

The father in this story is like our heavenly Father, the Creator of man. The Creator waits for the return of the Prodigal Son. The kingdom of the Lord is waiting, and the Creator is patient - the Creator must be patient. No matter how disobedient and offensive the creation is, there is always a chance to change their ways and return to the Creator. The reuniting of Creator and creation will always be a joyous feast. Forgiveness is the key - forgiveness is essential - it is never too late to return. Come back to me and I will forgive you - this is what He says.

Temptation

Today’s sermon is about temptation. It starts with the story of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in Genesis.

Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.
 

– Genesis 3
 

Imagine living before the knowledge of good and evil. Imagine the time before the fall from grace. I wonder if you can. I wonder if you can close your eyes and ears to all that surrounds us and imagine that time of innocence.

Today we are going to talk about sex. Not the fig leaves of the artistic depictions of Adam and Eve with their new-found knowledge of good and evil. NO. Today we are going to talk about the temptation of deviant sex.

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Eve took the serpent’s apple in her mouth. How symbolic this is? Is the apple really about knowledge? Is the bible passage here telling us about anything other than sex? Where is Adam when this is all happening? He’s right there in the garden with Eve. The serpent is his.

With this original sin, whether it involved eating an apple or lying in sin with Adam, Eve sealed our fate. Would we rather have the story be about an apple, or about fulfilling fantasies in the Garden of Eden? Why fool around with the G-rated version when we can have something to sink our teeth into?

Eve gave in to temptation. Since then man has been losing the battle against temptation, one apple at a time. What was once the described as the bite of a forbidden apple has progressed to devious filth. Fetishes have moved from 42^nd street to Main Street. Moved from bizarre oddities and underground pornography to the living rooms of suburbia.

Devious behavior was once hidden in the depths of an individual’s mind, with little chance of finding a compatible partner to finish the matching set. But now we have the internet. A tool to bring people together – this collection of social networks that spans the globe. Regardless of your sick pleasure, a mate is only a click away. Imagine how quickly Prince Charming would have put the shoe back on the foot of Cinderella – or better yet – found a dominatrix with a foot fetish. Just a little click click – and there she is – both shoes off.

The Satin Strangler personifies this obsession with sexual deviance. Her victims enjoyed her company until it was too late to turn back. They took pleasure in her sadistic offerings, enjoyed the satin tightening around their necks. Naked and suffocating – a far cry from nibbling on an apple. This is how far we have come. What would our mothers say?

Temptation will always be with us – It has been since the beginning of time – And the choice will always be ours to yield or resist. But these are not your parents’ temptations of the past, and your children will face temptations tomorrow that we cannot even fantasize today. Every day we move beyond yesterday’s satisfaction. And why not? WHY NOT? The hurdles have been reduced to nothing – Absolutely nothing. Have an urge – Satisfy the urge – Immediate and complete satisfaction. The target of all our urges is as ubiquitous as drinking water for the thirsty – Gushing out of faucets at the turn of a knob.

We must continue to resist temptation. It is more difficult than ever – But therefore more satisfying when achieved. To have an urge is natural – To act on it is the ticket out of paradise. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is still death to those who partake.

Giving in to temptation will lead to punishment by the Creator – Sooner than you would ever think –

Readers of this article may also be interested in purchasing the following items:

t-shirt: “Tempting?” with picture of Destiny Blande – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “Resist Temptation” with picture of Destiny Blande – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “No False Gods” with picture of Destiny Blande – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “Say ‘No’ to the Satin Strangler” – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “No Salvation for Stranglers” – $20 plus shipping
t-shirt: “Eve Ate the Apple; All I Got was This Lousy T-shirt” – $12 plus shipping
Mouse pad: Destiny Blande face on the devil – $20 plus shipping
Mug: “Denounce Destiny’s Denial” – $9 plus shipping
Plaque: Destiny Blande face on the devil - $75 plus shipping

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This is post #79 in The Satin Strangler Blogs (TSSB).

Read the next post in TSSB. 

Start TSSB from the first blog post.

See links to all 105 posts in TSSB.

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