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Showing posts with label Satin Strangler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Satin Strangler. Show all posts

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Story of Barabbas

Today’s sermon is from the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus has been captured and is taken before Pontius Pilate, the Prefect of Judaea who serves as the judge of the trial.

Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.
 
– But the huddled masses were ready for this –
 
The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
 
"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.
 
"Barabbas,” they answered.
 
“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
 
"Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
 
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
 
– Matthew 27
 
What happened next? There was a choice between Jesus and Barabbas – A choice for the people. One to die – One to live. Nothing in between – Barabbas or our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

But who was Barabbas? The origin of the name was Yeshua Bar Abba. Translated as Jesus Barabbas. Bar meaning son – Abba meaning father. Bar-Abba – Son of the father. Jesus Barabbas – Jesus Son of the Father.

And who was Jesus of Nazareth who they wanted to crucify? The Son of God – The Son of the Father – Bar-Abba – BARABBAS

Which of the two do you want me to release to you? Free Bar Abba – Free the Son of the Father – Barabbas or Jesus – Jesus or Barabbas – Bar Abba

Was there ever really a Barabbas to choose over Jesus – Or did the Gospel writers create him?

Jesus was Barabbas – Barabbas was Jesus.

Poetic license – but why – why would they need a Barabbas?

A story of the greatest good requires a contrast with evil. There must be a serpent in Gods garden – A Cain for an Abel – A Delilah for a Sampson.

Matthew Mark Luke and John – They knew what they were doing. Make up what you need.

Take away Barabbas and what is left – A story without a villain. Who will believe in salvation without fire and brimstone – Who will seek good without witnessing the power of evil

There had to be a Barabbas dot com – There is no good without evil – No evil without good – Both exist to contrast the other. Does the preacher really want his flock to heed his words – Does he want complete compliance? The preacher needs evil – Thrives off of evil – The preacher vanishes when evil is vanquished.

Matthew created his Barabbas – And his story spread. I created my own Barabbas – Barabbas dot com as an evil to strengthen the need for good – Barabbas dot com as a false beacon – A diversion from the road to salvation.

Then as Barabbas I begat an even greater evil – My greatest creation – The Satin Strangler

She was never to become anyone in particular – Certainly not Destiny Blande.

All I needed was a few unsolved murders – A little web surfing – Amazing what you can find on the internet these days – AMAZING – Dirty work of another could become Satin Strangler handiwork – So easily – So easily

I molded the Satin Strangler in my mind. She was beautiful – Even more beautiful to me than she could ever be for the rest of the world – I felt the transfer of life as I created her – She would have to feel the transfer of life – She would have to strangle her victims

As Barabbas I breathed life into her – My creation – The Satin Strangler.

For the world to see – Not for Destiny Blande to take.

She would be tempting on the outside – Forbidden fruit – But she would be dangerous as a serpent’s venom on the inside. She would seduce her victims – Eventually seduce the world. The singing Siren – The hostess of Hades

All it took was those first three crimes – Phillip Stewart strangled to death in Atlanta – Cut and paste – Preston Jones strangled to death in Charleston – Cut and paste – Grant Leighton strangled to death in New Jersey – Cut and paste – The dirty work of others

Three strangulations – One blog post – And she was born – My greatest accomplishment – The Satin Strangler

– Tonight there will be a choice – A choice between Barabbas and Destiny Blande – They have become incompatible in this earthly world – One will have to die – The other will live on as the Satin Strangler – The Creation must survive at all costs – ALL COSTS.

– Barabbas has scripted two possible endings to this story – If this is goodbye then goodbye

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: “No False Gods” with picture of Destiny Blande – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “Say ‘No’ to Destiny Blande” – $22 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 #94 in The Satin Strangler Blogs (TSSB).

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Thursday, January 28, 2010

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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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

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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Monday, January 4, 2010

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 42nd 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).

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Sunday, December 20, 2009

False Gods

Today’s sermon is about false gods. We think too little about false gods nowadays, but they were once considered so deplorable that they led off the Ten Commandments. I am the Lord Thy God. Thou Shalt Not Have False Gods Before Me. But what does it mean to us today? What does it mean to us as a society, or to each of us as an individual?

If you look at the words of the bible, you realize that this commandment means the same exact thing today that it meant back in the time of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. False gods can take many shapes. They come in the form of false prophets walking among us. We hear their voices in the lyrics of heavy metal music, or disguised in the form of the so-called rock ballads. We worship these false prophets, placing them in a position alongside or even above our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Today we talk about a false god that we know only too well – The Satin Strangler.

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As we read in Exodus in the Old Testament, Moses dealt with false gods as soon as he returned from the mountain with the Ten Commandments.

When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.
 
– Exodus 32
 
Despite his efforts, and despite the efforts of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and his followers, false gods walk everywhere among us. They are the stars that we deify on our movie and television screens, our music stages, our sports fields and our political arenas.

The false god that we see every day when we wake up and turn on our television or boot up our computer or download our news feeds is the Satin Strangler. We are her followers – the straying flock. She is leading us away from the kingdom of heaven – down the easy and slippery path to hell.

The Satin Strangler is the ultimate false god – preaching to us in her cloak of good. She is everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Yesterday – in a local card shop – right in the front window – staring at me – representing the false god of the 21st century – was a row of Satin Strangler bobble-head dolls. Dolls in the visage of a murderer. Every doll carried satin stockings – ready to kill. KILL. Children were tapping the heads of the dolls and pressing their hands against each other’s necks, laughing.

How should one react when we see dolls glorifying murderer? How should we react as a community under God? I tell you right now that we should not act as we are – standing silent as evil takes over.

What would our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ do if He walked the streets of Main Street, USA, and saw the news stands filled with this week’s magazine covers? What would He do if he saw children pretending to strangle each other in front of dolls worshipping the image of a murderer? He would tell us we have had enough murder. He would tell us not to accept this modern day icon of Satan. He would tell the world not to accept the Satin Strangler as our false god.

Follow the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and say “no” to the Satin Strangler and her legion of false god worshippers. Follow the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the gates of His kingdom in heaven, my friends.

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

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
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 #75 in The Satin Strangler Blogs (TSSB).
 
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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Denial

Today’s sermon is about denial. Let’s take a look at Peter denying knowing Jesus in the Gospel of Mark.

While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. "You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus," she said. But he denied it. "I don't know or understand what you're talking about," he said, and went out into the entryway. When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, "This fellow is one of them." Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean." He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about." Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept.

– Mark 14

Peter has a chance to do the right thing here. To support his Lord. To tell the truth. When Jesus tells Peter that he will disown Him three times, the disciple boasts that he would never do such a thing. The others may, but not Peter. Jesus is then taken away to face the High Priests on charges that will eventually lead to His death. Peter follows behind, but he does not stay by His side. He does not come through in the moment of truth. He wants to do the right thing, but he is weak. When he has the opportunity to prove himself, he instead lets the Lord down by denying Him.

There are many examples of denial taking place in front of us today. Each of these is actually a denial of The Lord. Many of you watched the Satin Strangler trial. Here we see Destiny Blande denying the Satin Strangler.

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In court Destiny Blande denied being the Satin Strangler. The rooster crew in the courtroom, my friends. We heard it. But how did she respond? With a deaf ear.Destiny is enjoying all of the fanfare of the spotlight – but she wants none of the responsibility that comes with it. Is she a killer or is she not? Her desire is to have it both ways.

Peter wanted to be the number one disciple of Jesus – the Rock upon which the Lord would build his Church. He stood tall in the garden of Gethsemane, making promises and stealing the glory from the others. But then he could not stand up to the challenge.

Destiny Blande had a decision to make. She is standing at the divergence of two paths. A turn in either direction would prevent crossing back over – to confess to the murders or to deny them. Nothing in between.

So far Destiny Blande denies the Satin Strangler. She chooses to remain an anonymous nothing rather than satisfy her Lord by accepting her designated role. She denies her Lord when she denies the title. Denies her Lord.

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

t-shirt: “Say ‘No’ to the Satin Strangler” – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “No Salvation for Stranglers” – $20 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 #47 in The Satin Strangler Blogs (TSSB).

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Saturday, October 4, 2008

Thou Shalt Not Kill

Today’s sermon is about the ultimate commandment: Thou Shalt Not Kill. The one that we are supposed to accept without reservation. Thou Shalt Not Kill. Of course not. To kill is to destroy God’s creation. To kill is to break the extreme commandment.

But then the Satin Strangler comes along . . .

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One of my first sermons as a young minister was about “coveting.” That is how far we had gotten as a God-fearing community. COVETING. But before I could catch up on coveting the wives of others, adultery was already rampant. Coveting became blasé. Why stop at coveting when you can go straight for the taking? Half of all marriages end in divorce – none of them because of coveting.

With our struggles over the nine other commandments, we rarely even turn to the big one. But today that is the topic – Thou Shalt Not Kill. The one that rears its ugly head with greater frequency and intensity everywhere we turn. The news is now filled with tales of murder – even right here in our backyard. We see it on television – we read it in the newspapers – we absorb it through the internet and download it onto our iPhones.

The Satin Strangler is the ultimate example – a woman who strangles men for her amusement. Some say she is insane – possessed by Satan himself. Others protest that she is a victim of society seeking an outlet for her suffering. I read with horror as the first news reports came out. Men were killed by this disciple of the devil – strangled and strewn asunder. Sons, brothers, and fathers. Family members and friends. MURDERED.

And how does society react? Do we rise up as one to shame this disciple of the devil? Take a look at the media’s response for your answer. You do not have to search for very long. She is everywhere – on all of our televisions, on every news stand – but as a villain? NO. The Satin Strangler is held up before us as a modern day superheroine.

Perhaps today’s sermon is too late. What should we do? First we have to look inside ourselves. We are the media consumers. We are the targets for such stories. We consume murder in mass quantities. The supply has to keep up with the demand, after all. When we turn on our televisions and browsers and podcasts, we say “yes” to what they represent. We say “yes” to the Satin Strangler – “yes” to strangling – “yes” to murder. We say “no” to the Commandments of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Have we come so far that we now say “no” even to the commandment that was once accepted without reservation? Thou Shalt Not Kill.

We have to take action as a community and say “no” to murder. Say “yes” to the Commandments. Tell yourselves. Then tell your family and friends. Then tell the world.

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

t-shirt: “Say ‘Yes’ to the Commandments” – $12 plus shipping
t-shirt: “Say ‘No’ to the Satin Strangler” – $22 plus shipping
t-shirt: “No Salvation for Stranglers” – $22 plus shipping
Mouse pad: “Ask Me about Salvation Sermons” – $20 plus shipping
Mug: “Just Don’t Do It – SalvationSermons.blogspot.com” – $9 plus shipping

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This is post #24 in The Satin Strangler Blogs (TSSB).

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Sunday, September 14, 2008

Samson and Delilah

Today’s bible passage is from the Book of Judges in the Old Testament.

The great hero Samson was in love with a woman named Delilah. The Philistines, Samson’s enemies, approached Delilah and offered silver in exchange for the secret of her lover’s strength. Samson lied to her three times, and each time she informed the Philistines. Delilah repeatedly prepared Samson for the Philistines’ attack, but they were no match for the hero’s prevailing strength.

Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.”

Samson finally conceded and told her, “If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.”

When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.

– Judges 16

What motivated Delilah? Why did Samson agree to provide the information that would let his lover tie him up and dominate him? Today’s sermon takes us to their bedroom to find the answers.

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Delilah was helping the Philistines conquer Samson. She knew that her actions would lead to his demise. Was it really for the money? Is that what Delilah wanted?

NO!

My friends, I say it was not the money at all. Delilah wanted to dominate Samson. This muscle bound mountain of a man. She wanted to feel the surge of power, the rush of excitement, from dominating him. She was a naughty girl – a dirty girl who could only achieve her goal by enticing Samson with her body.

We hear this story and wonder how Samson could be so beguiled. Was he paying attention at all? He tests her the first time – and she betrays him. He tests her two more times – and she betrays him again. By now we know she cannot be trusted. Samson must also. But when Delilah lures him in again, he finally yields. She has his head shaved, ties him up, and leaves him defenseless.

This is not only a story of the past. We see it happening again in the news today. Numerous men have been killed by the Satin Strangler. We wonder if the victims saw the danger coming. Were they like Samson? Did they see the unmistakable danger but hope that they could somehow get the prize without paying the price?

I suspect that the Satin Strangler’s victims were blinded to the danger right in front of them. I suspect that they were lured in by their own lustful desires.

We want to hear about the girl they are accusing of the murders. What is it about Destiny Blande that made the victims expose their vulnerability? This dainty girl – dainty dirty girl. So harmless in appearance – but so deadly in the end. How alluring was the promise of her body? Filthy pleasure must have blinded them – weakened them and made them vulnerable. She is today’s Delilah, and her victims are today’s Samsons.

The bible story of Samson and Delilah still tells us its message today. Giving in to the temptation of filthy pleasures will lead to demise. It will extract the strength of good, the gifts of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and leave us vulnerable to the will of Satan.

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This is post #14 in The Satin Strangler Blogs (TSSB).

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Saturday, September 6, 2008

Sowing Seeds

ABOUT SALVATION SERMONS

Thank you for coming to worship with us at Salvation Sermons, site of the weekly sermon blog. This website is dedicated to people just like you who share the values taught to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – values too often forgotten by our peers and family members who have lost their way from the righteous path to heaven.

Receive the messages of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ delivered to you from your extended internet family. Take the Word of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to heart. Carry them with you for they are the keys to the door of redemption. Only through heeding His call can we succeed in finding eternal salvation and enter into His kingdom.

TODAY’S SERMON: SOWING SEEDS

Today’s New Testament reading is a parable from the Scripture of Luke:

And when a great crowd came together and people from town after town came to Him, He said in a parable: "A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundredfold."
 
– Luke 8
 
What does this mean for all of us today? What is the Word – the message at play? And how is it spreading?

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the sower in this parable, and we are the soil. He spreads the Word among us. We must be prepared for the Word. Without the Word in our hearts we will burn forever in the fiery pits of hell. But after we receive the Word, we too become the sower of seeds. It becomes our responsibility to convey the message of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to others.

What will we do with the false Word of Satan – the temptation that comes at us from all directions? Stories of sexual promiscuity. Drugs and alcohol. Poisonous song lyrics and media blitzes. Deceit and murder. We are exposed to them every second of every day. We must resist. We must not spread the false Word.

The Satin Strangler that has been in the news so much is the personification of the devil’s false Word. She lures men in. She seduces them . . .

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. . . for her filthy lustful pleasure. She offers them her body. Then she kills them. Strangles them. How many men? The count rises every day. We see the stories on television. We read about her in our newspapers and our magazines. We download news feeds and blog entries and chat room gossip about her through our computers. We receive emails and tweets on our hand held devices. The false Word of this she-devil’s work on this earth is everywhere.

How do we respond? What do we say about a woman who seduces men and then kills them? Do we put a stop to the false Word of Satan?

Picture our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ telling the parable about sowing seeds. One voice in a group of people. One voice against the wind. Imagine if He had the opportunities we have today to reach out to others.

Today the Word has so much more fire power than a single voice in the wind. Sermons such as this are accessible to everyone around the world. Every square foot of this planet. Every single day. In the form of our blogs for you to read. 100 million blog readers in these United States. 400 million around the world. All receiving the transmissions of our electronic voice. Imagine the seed you could sow through the internet alone. Imagine the strength and the reach and the power – the almighty power – of the Word.

We have the ability not just to receive the Word – not just to stand there passively – not just to wait and see if it finds us. But also the ability to speak the Word to others. To be the voice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Word has to find its way through all the other voices out there. The cacophony of Babel. The tongues of Satan. The false Word is everywhere. Nearly 200 million blogs and feeds and tweets each day. The Word of Satan spreads like wildfire on a hot windy day. The Satin Strangler story is one of many flames in that wildfire, friends.

In Galatians we read that “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” We must become the sowers of the Word of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, or we will become the Word of Satan.

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This is post #7 in The Satin Strangler Blogs (TSSB).

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