Heart Tracks - Deceived By "The Wrecker"

     The first lighthouse in America was built in 1718, and marked the entrance to Boston Harbor.  It was called Boston Light.  Previous to the building of this lighthouse, fires were lit upon shorelines to warn ships of rocky coastline upon which they might be wrecked.  This gave rise to a group called "wreckers" who would build fires along dangerous areas of the coast, hoping to lure unsuspecting ships to come near, whereby they would be wrecked upon that coast, and these thieves might then plunder the ship's cargo.  Thus the need for a true light to be placed where all could see, and know its welcoming safety.

    There has always been a spiritual wrecker lurking about, seeking to lure the unsuspecting to their destruction, lighting false fires that entice us to come near to what we believe is safety and truth but in reality seeks to destroy us.  We know him as satan, but perhaps its more correct to say that we know something of him, but seemingly, not enough to make us aware of the difference between his false light, and the light of the true and risen Christ.  The truth of this need only be verified by the many shipwrecked lives that lie upon the coastlands that mistook his "fire" for the real thing, and suffered as Paul said, "spiritual shipwreck."  As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:14, the enemy "disguises himself as an angel of light."  Our great problem is that we too often lack the ability to see through his disguise.
    I think the majority of us would say we have little use for the philosophy of humanism, a philosophy that finds its strength and life within the power of the human intellect and ability.  Yet, in reality, how many of us live our day to day lives in very much the same way as those who would adhere to that philosophy?  How many of us rely far more upon our own common sense, centered in ourselves, than upon a spiritual discernment that can only come from God?  We're far more comfortable in the natural realm than the spiritual.  After all, the Father gave us our minds and intellects in the first place didn't He?  Wouldn't He expect us to figure things out in their power?Oswald Chambers makes a powerful statement concerning this error.
   Chambers said that "Common sense is a gift that God gave to human nature, but common sense is not the gift of His Son.  Supernatural sense is the gift of His Son; never enthrone common sense.  The Son detects the Father, common sense never yet detected the Father and never will."  If it cannot detect the Father and His ways, how can it detect the devil and his?  If we live by common sense, than being the victims of deception and delusion will always be our lot, and I think it is the lot of far too many today.  The supernatural, the mystical, make no sense to common sense.  At best there is a tense wariness concerning them.  Outright rejection is a very common response.  The supernatural is reserved for TV shows and movies.  Real life is something else.  all of which the enemy responds to with great glee, and Christ with great sadness.  All the while, more and more shipwrecks pile up along the coastline.  Will yours or mine be one of them?  Will our family, our church fellowship?  Are we living in the power of His spiritual discernment, seeing where He is, and where He isn't?  Or, is it the realm of those "fringe fanatics" who are just a bit too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good? 
  T. Austin Sparks said that we have reduced the wonder and mystery of God to what our human intellects can comprehend.  We miss that God and the things of the Spirit are not to be logically figured out, but received and entered into as He unfolds to us the reality of Himself.  What will lead your life in these days?  Christ light, or the false fire and light of the wrecker?  One will get you home, the other will get you destroyed.  Which will it be?

Blessings,
Pastor O