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You See Many People Want The Benefits Of Being ...
Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007 (message contributor)
You see many people want the benefits of being in the Son without actually “being in the Son.” They want ‘heaven without the hassle’. So it is pretty common for people to believe in Christ and yet still walk in darkness. In 2 Corinthians 11:14, “And no wonder For Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” His purpose is to deceive and to destroy -- and many are being overcome by his schemes.
In Andrew Lloyd Webbers “the Phantom of the Opera” The phantom becomes infatuated with a chorus girl. So, he poses as an angel of music, hides behind her dressing room, and gives her voice lessons. At one point he takes her under the opera house. While down there, he sings these words to her:
Close your eyes, for your eyes can only show the truth… And the truth isn’t what you want to see…
In the dark it is easy to pretend… that the truth is what you want to be . . .
Open up your mind… let your fantasies unwind… In this darkness, which you know, you cannot fight… The darkness of the music of the night…
Close your eyes and let music set you free… Only then will you belong to me… For I compose the music of the night…
So he’s singing:
“Close your eyes, don’t see the truth, let darkness overwhelm you.” Then, interestingly, he proposes that this disregard for the truth will set her free.
Posing as an angel of light Satan wants us to close our eyes to the truth as well -- so that we too will be overcome by the darkness. But God wants us to open our eyes, and to walk in His light so that we can overcome the schemes of the devil. And God has given us everything we need to do that.
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In 1978, Thomas Hansen Of Boulder Colorado, Sued ...
Contributed by Darrell Stetler Ii on Feb 6, 2005
In 1978, Thomas Hansen of Boulder Colorado, sued his parents for $350,000 on grounds of "malpractice of parenting." His lawsuit claimed that Mom and Dad had botched his upbringing so badly, that he would need ...read more
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Who Can Ever Forget Winston Churchill's ... PRO
Contributed by Darrell Stetler Ii on Feb 6, 2005
“Who can ever forget Winston Churchill’s immortal words: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the ...read more
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It Is In The Hours Of Loneliness That God Does ...
Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Feb 8, 2007
It is in the hours of loneliness that God does some of His greatest works. It was in the lonely dejection of Elijah that he heard God’s voice. It was in the wearying lonely path of faith that God came again to Abraham. It was in the lonely hours following failure that Peter found God. It ...read more
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Hold Up The Light PRO
Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Sep 11, 2003
Illustration: Hold Up the Light The famous Eddystone lighthouse off the coast of Cornwall, England, was first built in a fanciful way, by the learned and eccentric Winstanley. On its sides he put various boastful inscriptions. He was very proud of his structure, and from his lofty balcony used ...read more
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I Am
Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Sep 11, 2003
Tenney also states the following: The most distinctive name by which God was known in Israel is Yahweh (Jehovah), which comes from the same root as “I AM”…(238) “I Am’s” significant meaning here in Exodus is that Moses credentials for being the one to lead Egypt out of bondage are found in him ...read more
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