How many know that this world has not stopped for you? If you get caught up in it, it will destroy you. Those who were bred in the whirlwind will live by the whirlwind. Those who weren’t bread in the whirlwind, it becomes a death trap.
Do you remember when you were growing up? The things going on around you? Let me tell you a situation that went on in my life. I remember when I was young and lived on a farm. It was a hard life, being the only son. The many chores around the farm like raking the hay, filling the corn crib with corn. All animals love corn, chickens, pigs, even humans love corn.
Corn is a nutritious vegetable even bugs love to eat. Chickens were the greediest of all the animals, eating several kernels of corn or more, storing them in their crop, and quickly looking up for more food! Corn is a staple crop for the world. Now the chores of the farm were these: My dad made sure I got up on time to get the corn and put it in the crib. Our crib was all wire, 12 feet high and 15-20 wide. At the time we had 100 Muscovy Ducks. 50 Geese, small pecking ducks, 95 head of hog, 2-3 heads of chickens, Guinea, and so many different animals. My dad was old fashioned from down south and he had an old corn shucking machine. When the corn cob went in the machine, the corn kernel was removed, and the cob was left. I had to use that over and over again, and I’ll never forget how you had to crank it, and I would try to go fast. The corn had to be shelled in order to feed the animals. But what I observed while using the machine is that it would rotate and whirl, the cob going down the little hole, knocking off the kernels. To my understanding, due to the whirling motion in combination with the knots on the rotating disc, this was drawing the corn cob down. The cob was good for nothing, but the corn was the attribute of the cob. You don’t see people go into a restaurant and say they want 4 cobs, but rather, they ask for corn on the cob.
One can’t help but think that this is the same way Satan does the saints of God. You know how Satan will draw you into a thing? As he does, he would slowly pull you down into the thing, just as the wheel on the corn machine slowly pulls down the cob. As you are walking in your Christian walk, there are things that Satan doesn’t like about you. He doesn’t like that you are in love with God, that you have peace; he wants to knock all these attributes off of you, taking you into a whirlwind, turning you around, taking you through one test after another, after another, not giving you a chance to rest. He’ll draw you into one situation after another, just like the corn cob being pulled down. He uses things he knows you love, causing you to be pulled further and further down the corn shucking machine. A whirlwind moves unbelievably fast, but it doesn’t always have to be fast. If you’ve ever seen the whirlwind in a bottle of liquid spinning around, when you stop it what happens? It gets to the center, and spirals down until it gets to the bottom. This is the way Satan operates. He uses something you like, and pulls you in. Say for instance you have strong love and faith. You think he’ll come after you with anything but what attacks that love and faith? As you are being knocked about on the disc turning, it represent the trials and tests which knock away the things in your Christian identity.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 2Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
Satan goes after those attributes in your life that you are good at. He knows how to grab it and turn it against you in your walk. Its a crazy thing to think that you can get away with things without Satan trying you at it. He will set scenarios in your life concerning your faith; if its food, finances, maybe faith, he will try to knock it out of your life to weaken your walk. When the corn cob goes down in the machine, it can’t come back up. Its the same way with Satan, he takes you down, and he hits you with accusations, just like the little nobs on the machine hit the corn to loosen it from the cob. You are being challenged, making you aware of things you’ve never seen before. Sometimes when the corn goes through the machine, there are still kernels left on it. So you have to pick it back up and put it through the machine again. Satan says, “Oh you still got a little love left in you, huh?” He takes you back through and when you come out, you’ll be loveless. Every cob that came out was barren, and we would burn it up, because it was good for nothing. This is what Satan wants to do to you. He wants to take every iota of Galatians 5:22-23 from you, so you have no patience, no love, no goodness, and no faith. What are you good for at that point? Nothing. That is why he doesn’t give you rest in between times; no reprieve at all. He wants to continue to whip your be-hind. He wants you to be weak. Then when you go and cry and plead in self pity, the Lord waits for you to come out of it. He will put His Holy Ghost in you to walk in faith. He’s trying to get us to know one thing: that we are the head and not someones tail. What comes out the tail? There is a smell coming from the tail. Do you want to smell in God’s nostrils because you can’t do what He called you to do? When you do the thing that you’ve done that caused you to get in the whirlwind, Satan comes and whispers in your ear “didn’t you just do the thing that God told you not to do, again?” Then you go into self pity.
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Luke 22:31
Satan is not doing anything that he doesn’t normally do to those he hates. What you do have to worry about is if he isn’t doing anything to you, because then you may be doing something Satan loves. When you are caught in that whirlwind it won’t let you recover from the last attack before it hits you with some other challenge on your Christian identity because Satan’s purpose and attack on you is to overwhelm and to shock and awe you so that you won’t be able to make the right decision in your Christian walk. In other words, to keep you confused and away from the clarity in your life to keep you off balance. The more he keeps you off balance the more he will delay you with your relationship with Christ to the point you’re tired and wore out so that you would give up and turn back.
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
James 1:2-8
Don’t be concerned that you will go through trials, but concern yourself on how you will go through. How you go through is the key point. Patience can’t operate in you if you’re constantly moving. Patience from the very definition means to be still. Be still and know that He is God. So, we make a mess of things when we get involved. Let him ask in faith and waver not. The Lord gives you choices that won’t disturb or hurt you, because if you had the choice yourself, you’d choose something outrageous.
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Luke 21:34-36
Have you been drawn away with things of this world you shouldn’t be dealing with? Then you’re involved with the cares of this life too much. You have to realize Satan will throw every weakness that you are weak with in your face. Because Satan loves you. He loves to defeat you, delay you, and keep you from the truth, making sure you stay in bewilderment, making sure you find out nothing about who you are in the Kingdom. You need to have a good understanding concerning your walk while you’re down here. You need to be very conscientious not to be caught up with heartaches, headaches, and drunkenness. What do people with heartaches do in the world? Get drunk. When the hangover has gone, guess what? Its still there. While you are caught up with these things, it doesn’t stop the coming of the Lord Jesus. While you were getting caught up in yourself, a soul that you should have talked to goes by.
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That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Ephesians 4:14-15
There is a program going around to deceive the Children of God. We are targets for Satan when we operate in the Will of God. We can’t let man trick us and give us a false sense of salvation. The Word is very clear. Men are cunning. Women are cunning. If its for their benefit, then they will guide you away. Satan wants to keep you asleep, confused, and off balance, not knowing where to go and falling every step of the way. Don’t make your life about being one big show for this world. We are lights and examples for this world. You can’t be an example if you’re sitting there among those in the world. Don’t stage, or rehearse your salvation, so men will see and honor you. Don’t let your praise be staged. People want to know the truth. Don’t be a walking lie, but become a walking testimony.