THE TRAPS ARE OUT OF SIGHT

Prov. 1:17

Morning Meditation 2/8/2014

Verse 17 says, “Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.”

In other words, if you are going to catch the bird, the net needs to be hidden. It needs to be out of sight so that the bird is unsuspecting. The word “vain” in the Hebrew means “without cause, for no purpose.” It means of no value. Even the bird is smart enough not to get caught if net is in sight. The “net” is a trap. It is a trap set for catching birds. The word “sight” means where the eye can see. It is vain to spread the net in the sight of the bird. It must be set where it cannot be seen. Then the unsuspecting bird can be caught when he is lured into the net by something being positioned strategically that he wants.

Satan is a master at spreading nets to catch the unsuspecting. There is the net of the Christ rejecting life. The net is there. If death catches us in that net it is too late. The camouflage of the joy of the world. People are caught up in having a good time. “If it feels good do it” is the philosophy of our age. Popularity is important to our youth. They are so busy being popular and having a good time that they do not take the time to think of their eternal destiny. The most vile and wicked people are held up before the youth of our day as role models. The hair styles on our young ladies come from Hollywood, or some beautiful model. It makes no difference that this person that they admire is the personification of wickedness and wastes his/her life in the playboy - playgirl scene. They have the money and spend it. So they become role models for our youth. This is a camouflage. One is lured by this playboy - playgirl scene into the net, and the trigger will snap and the trap is final.

Sports is another camouflage. I know I am attacking the false god of America and the world. I remember one of the national pro teams has had its team members involved in awful sin and his reputation has been tarnished. What is done to those team members who have been caught? They are still playing.. They are excellent players and the team must win you know. What is this teaching our youth? What kind of lessons are being learned? Of course, God never raised up sports to produce role models for our youth. The role models for our youth should come out of the Church. How many of our youth know about Hudson Taylor, William Cary, Adoniram Judson? How many of our young ladies know about Ann Judson and the fact that she gave her life for Christ in Burma? Her husband was not even present when she died. How many know that Adoniram went into seclusion and built a hermitage in the jungle and cut himself off from the rest of the missionaries because of the pain of that awful loss? Did you know that Judson dug a grave out in the jungle and sat on the edge of it for weeks trying to get victory over the fear of death after he lost his dear wife Ann?

Satan has nets set for the Christ rejecters and those nets are well camouflaged with attractive things that will lure the unsuspecting into the trap. Now you don’t mind be trapped if there is just a slap of the hand. But the Bible teaches that there is an eternal hell from which there will be no appeal. And Satan has those religious people and groups who will tell you that hell is not eternal. It is just another lie of Satan to take the edge off the penalty so that if we get caught in the net, we may not go to heaven, we will just be destroyed never to exist again. Friends, to most people that would not be a bad end. Just burn up or be destroyed out of existence. Having a good time down here at the expense of the will of God would be worth it. Mark 9:44: “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Mark 9:46: “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Mark 9:48: “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” How many times does God have to say a thing for it to be true?

Then there is the trap of the castaway: “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Cor. 9:27). Here the trap is set for the Christian including men of God like Paul. Paul uses the personal pronoun “I.” The words “Keep under my body” (hupopiazo) is a present tense active voice and indicative mood. It means “to beat black and blue, to smite so as to cause bruises and livid spots, like a boxer; one buffets his body, handle it roughly, discipline by hardships.” The present tense means that Paul keeps on doing this. The body has woven into its very fabric an old sin nature. And the man who says he has no temptation to sin is a liar. In other words, Paul is saying in order to avoid being a “castaway” I have to so discipline my body that it is constantly bruised by my resistence to do what it wants. The word “castaway” (adokimos) means “not standing the test, not approved.” It is used for the testing of metals and where the metal is not found to be the quality that is useful, it is rejected. “Adokimos” is the word that is used for rejection. This is not a rejection of salvation. It is a rejection of service. I have known preachers who, I believe, were God called, but they succumbed to the trap Satan had set for them. It was well camouflaged. In a moment of lust they were caught in the trap and a life time of ministry went with the snapping of the trap. God have mercy upon them. They were good men who were used mightily of God. But they are now on a shelf. God will no longer use them. The reproach they brought on themselves, though forgiven, will never be removed (Prov. 6:32-33).

More and more Christians are succumbing to the pain of the rejection of the world. Peer pressure is great. Our youth are constantly being ridiculed and gradually broken by their classmates as they are lured into activities which are clearly forbidden by the Word of God. It does involve pain. You can’t isolate yourself from the world. But it is a life and death struggle. You cannot neglect your commitment to Christ and to His Word and survive. Lot lost his family in Sodom. My friend you are living in Sodom. I don’t know if you have discovered it or not. But it is true. We are in a world that is rushing to judgment. There is a way out but it is not fun. If you can’t say no to the world, you have already taken the bait that Satan has for you. The trap is out of sight. If it were in plain view, you would not get caught. But Satan is more subtle than to set the net where it can be seen. When he trips the net, it will be too late. You will be caught. And then you will see what a fool he has made of you.

There is the trap of ecumenism. I’m not talking about the big ecumenism. I am talking about people in Scriptural Churches being lured into groups where people from all faiths participate and you get that ecstatic feeling that you are a part of a host of people all going to the same place, i.e., heaven. They are all your brothers and sisters in Christ. The Church is the place of learning and worship (Eph. 3:21). There is no Para church organization that is right for the Christian today. How can one fellowship in a group where a person who believes a perverted gospel is accepted just as you are when you believe that faith in Christ alone saves? Paul says a perverted gospel will cause a person to be accursed (Gal. 1:8-9). Just remember this.. I did not make the rules and you didn’t either. Satan is luring many believers into the Para church groups that have no authority for existence in the Word of God, and they will lure the Christian away from the local assembly or make him so critical of it, they will withdraw. Either way, Satan has accomplished his purpose, and the Christian has been caught in the unsuspecting net.

May the Lord bless you.

In Christ

Bro. White