The Enemy’s Trick Frontage Road
Posted by Brother Freedom
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Theme Scripture: “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.” –Jesus [Luke 21:34]
This is a classic message that will give you the answers you were always looking for concerning the pitfalls and tricks of the enemy of your life. Brother Clint only wishes that his pastors and teachers (down through the years) could have shared this. If you are tired of hearing useless ear tickling nonsense from the pulpit please listen all the way through. Then listen again!!
Below you will find some written highlights of this message and other helpful associated information.
A major trick of Satan is that after you are born again and have come into God’s Kingdom the enemy constructs a parallel frontage road right up against God’s highway that you have entered. In fact this frontage road is smooth, broad and very classy. It has all the amenities. But God’s road is narrow, very tight, somewhat bumpy and not nearly as inviting as the super highway that Satan lays right beside and up against God’s road.
That road of Satan’s is so inviting, so comfortable, so churchy and so commodious that it appears to actually be the highway of God when a new believers notices it. Satan is such a trickster! That bogus super highway is going in the exact same direction, at first. But then ever so slowly that highway begins to gradually slip away from the narrow way of Christ. Oh, Satan has got you in his clutches if you are fooled by his terrible toll road. You will pay an awful toll if you don’t get back on God’s narrow way.
A narrow road is not easy. You can’t go very fast. But Satan’s road is so wide, so smooth and filled with such neat rest stops that you can really start moving at high speed. You can become a super saint without even trying, or at least you will think you are a super saint.
In the scripture above an old English word “surfeiting” is used. That word means heavy duty eating and drinking. Today we live in a world that is forever looking for a new dining experience. We live with people who are out looking for a new wine tasting spot. Surely you’ve seen pictures of folks down at the vintner’s, with 10 exotic glasses before them as they swirl the brew, sniff the fragrance and taste the drink. This kind of life style takes your mind far, far from God. That is the life style of the day of Noah when God had to destroy a wicked people.
Brother Freedom went through World War II as a young man. He reminds us that the United States was totally unprepared for the attack on Pearl Harbor at Hawaii. God wants us to be prepared and the verses in Luke 21:34-36 tell us that there is always that possibility that we could lose our salvation and not be able to stand in praise before Jesus at that final day.
“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 (that day mentioned above in verse 34) 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 21:35-36]
Brother Freedom reminds us that we only have ONE pass through this life; ONE LIFE PASSAGE in which to snag and receive eternal life with God in Heaven!
At the 8:40 (eight minute 40 second) spot in the message Brother Freedom tells how only a year before this message, about January of 2005, God began to tell Brother Freedom about Hurricane Katrina. Brother Freedom, not being a geography student, did not know that New Orleans was below sea level. God began to explain to him that the ocean was going to come in on New Orleans and that terrible judgment was ahead for that wicked city.
Our priority should always be: “How am I going to stay available to the Lord?”
Many of us go in the direction of “the least lines of resistance.” In other words we take the easy path. The reason we do this in our spiritual life is because we want to stay in control. We do not want to be controlled by God or anyone else. But being controlled by God is what we need more than anything else. That is our only safe way out. Brother Clint remembers that in all major harbors the captains of huge ships must humble themselves and turn the ship over to the control of a harbor pilot. The captain is no expert at harbors. The harbor pilot knows how to safely navigate that ship through the shallows and danger areas of the harbor.
God has designed life itself in such a way as to give each person the greatest chance to make Heaven. But it is not an easy road as some mistaken teachers have taught their students!
At 14:45 in the message Brother Freedom notes that in the past Christians were much more distant from unrighteousness. But today, in the modern church, believers are so much closer to unrighteousness. The distance between righteousness and unrighteousness is very, very small today. There is not much separation. But God has called us to come out and be separate.
Those who comply with God’s desires are so much happier, and their prayers get answered so much more successfully.
There are not very many intercessors in these last days. (That’s people who really know how to get God’s attention through prayer.)
Many Christians spend little time in spiritual preparations. They do not realize that God cannot use an unprepared believer. Today the church tends to thrust people immediately out into some ministry. “Oh, if we make you a Sunday School teacher you are going to be forced to grow in God.” This is not God’s best will and it can cause many to fall into pride and wrong paths. There is such great ignorance in the modern church world today.
God’s Holy Word is extremely sharp and cutting. Using God’s Word by itself will harm people. That is why God’s Word tells us that we must work in Spirit and in Truth. The Holy Spirit is so wise and powerful and only HE knows how to apply the sharp scalpel of the Word of God, the Word of TRUTH. The Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is a person in the Trinity who is like healing salve.
A soldier cannot fight against his own people, his own nation. He has too many TIES and compromised interests in his own people. So also the saint of God cannot be successful in God’s army if he or she has TIES to the world! TIES to the world spoils our sacrifices!!
As Christians we do not compare notes (sadly most Christians do compare notes). God has a unique track for each one of us and you cannot compare apples with oranges!!
We need to be content in whatever situation God has placed us in.
The enemy of our soul repeatedly comes back to see if he can infect us again with sin and wrong doings. He knows your weaknesses. He knows what turns your head!
One of the enemies most devious tricks is pride. He comes and tells you what a great Christian you are.
People, even sinners can read you better than you know. You are in a glass house and sinners can tell a flaky Christian very, very easily. Why do sinners run from so many churches?? It is partly because they know those churches are just a “do-gooder’s” club. The average sinner will join the Rotary before they will bother with a church because at least the Rotary doesn’t try to make itself into what it isn’t.
The little foxes that can trip us up are forgivable sins. God knows that we all have to clean these out of our spiritual house often. But the big fox is when we lose our trust and faith in God! That sin will open up a whole boat load of every bad thing.
We must constantly do our home work of cleaning our garden, weeding our garden and praying and reading the word of God.
Compromise is where Christians and especially the modern church has failed. The modern church has even come to believe that politicians are correct in that we all need to compromise in order to come to unity. God hates compromise!! God never compromises. The Word of God says that God never changes, not even in a tiny way! When we compromise everyone loses. No one gains any ground. Everyone loses ground!
God’s Word says that we need to be clothed with humility. But the world loves pride. The world hates humility.
When we hurt God and sin against HIM we are often like the dog that will not come back to its master for fear of discipline. But we must needs run back to God. God will only do what is good for us. If he disciplines us it us only for our good. God is a good father, a perfect father!
Lucifer’s days are going to come to an end. Do not give up hope. Keep looking up to the Lord. God is in charge. It is going to be a tough fight, but God is going to win totally!
God is very merciful and totally aware of all things. Satan has no mercy!
Nothing compares with the Holy Spirit of God!! We need the Comforter!
Brother Freedom’s calling is not mainly healing, although many have been healed when he prays. But Freedom’s main calling is getting people’s hearts totally touched from Heaven, helping them to grow in God.
God has a distinct destiny for each person, a glorious destiny if we will look to HIM.
We must NEVER be concerned over the consequences of following God. Such a fear ruins our experience. No matter what it costs we must sell out to the Lord because the prize is too big to miss and eternal death in Hell is too big to end up in. Go with God at any and all expense. Be like Job who said, “Though HE slay me, yet will I trust in HIM!” [Job 13:15]
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