Quote from Forum Archives on January 24, 2007, 2:14 pm

Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>

"The Stranger in My Home"

 

 

A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger
who was new to our small town. From the beginning,
Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer
and soon invited him to live with our family. The
stranger was quickly accepted and was around from
then on.

 

As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family.
In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents
were complementary instructors: Mom taught me good
from evil, and Dad taught me to obey. But the stranger...
he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound
for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and
comedies.

 

If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or
science, he always knew the answers about the past,
understood the present and even seemed able to
predict the future! He took my family to the first major
league ball game. He made me laugh, and he made
me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad
didn't seem to mind.

 

Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest
of us were shushing each other to listen to what he
had to say, and she would go to the kitchen for peace
and quiet. (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the
stranger to leave.)

 

Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions,
but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them.
Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home...
not from our friends, any visitors or us. Our longtime
visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that
burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my
mother blush.

 

My Dad didn't permit the liberal use of alcohol. But the
stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis.
He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and pipes
distinguished. He talked freely (much too freely) about
sex. His comments were sometimes blatant,
sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.

 

I now know that my early concepts about relationships
were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after
time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he
was seldom rebuked... and NEVER asked to leave.

 

More than fifty years have passed since the stranger
moved in with our family. He has blended right in and
is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if
you could walk into my parents' den today, you would
still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for
someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw
his pictures. His name?....

 

We just call him by his initials, "TV."

 

He has a younger sister now. We call her "Computer."

 

 

"Turn Your Security System On"

 

 

A horrible thing happened to me today... a thief broke into my house. It happened shortly after I awoke this morning. I got up and began rushing about. I had a thousand things on my list and was already running behind. Quickly, I gulped down breakfast, took a shower and got ready for work. In my rush, I forgot to turn the security system on at my house. It was just about a half an hour later that the thief broke in.

 

Of course, he didn't make a sound. Just kind of snuck inside, not drawing any attention to himself. In fact; none of the neighbors ever saw him, but I did. You see, I WAS HOME when the thief broke in. He naturally startled me, as I was unprepared for his visit. He, of course, didn't announce that he was coming and I certainly had not invited him over. And yet, I found myself face to face with danger and I felt so powerless. I also felt so very stupid, because this whole incident could have been avoided if I had just taken the time to turn the security system on. You better believe I'll be
turning it on tomorrow morning! I thought I'd warn you about this guy, because he's still on the loose and chances are, he's in your area. Possibly even headed for your house.

 

His name?

His name is Satan. You see, this morning when I jumped up in my haste to get started on my busy day, I skipped my prayer time - opting to "pray later today." In other words, I DIDN'T TURN ON THE SECURITY SYSTEM. 

 

My defense wasn't on and my guard was dropped... and when the thief came into my home to attack me, I was unprepared to do battle. He tempted me and I felt powerless. Like I said, I also felt so very stupid, because I could have avoided the incident if I had just taken the time to pray.

My friend, the thief has come to "steal, kill and destroy." And, as a
Child of God, you are on his "hit list." He'll probably pop over to your house today. He may be lurking outside your door right now, just waiting to catch you off guard. Take time to pray this morning. Ask God to bind Satan from your very presence, to protect you and empower you to do battle.
In short....... . don't forget to turn your security system on.

 

Have a Blessed Day

Dave and Barbara

 

 

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