READ: 2 CORINTHISANS 11: 1-15
But I am not surprised! Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. (V. 14)
Alarms provide a warning that something is wrong and requiring immediate attention to avoid damage, destruction or death. These marvels of technology are used to warn us of fires, poison gases, criminal activity, malfunctioning equipment, or an impending natural disaster. When properly functioning and correctly used, alarm systems save lives and prevent serious loss every day. The problem begins when alarms ring “false” rather than “true.”
We are all acquainted with the fable of the little boy who constantly cried wolf. When the wolf did arrive, nobody believed him. A similar real-life scenario is played out each day in the lives of officers responding to a significant number of false robbery and burglary alarms. Although trained to expect the unexpected, it is hard to maintain your cautionary edge when you are responding to the same alarm week after week knowing the chances of it being false are 99.8%. Tragically, we lost a brother Officer, along with an Alarm Technician, when they responded to a business with a long history of false alarms and were shot to death by men concealed in the store.
Desiring to alleviate the danger posed by an inordinate number of false alarms, I became involved in the effort to pass legislation governing their use. The proposed local law was not immensely popular with business and residential customers of alarm companies, who paid fees for their alarm systems. Many felt their taxes entitled them to a police response, no matter the reason for the alarm. However, safety and resource considerations won the day and the legislation was passed. Residential, and business owners, were now required to register their systems with the department which monitored the number of times their activation initiated a police response. They were now being held accountable by paying closer attention to the proper operation and maintenance of their alarm systems or be subject to heavy fines for misuse.
Just as law enforcement had to proactively deal with the alarm problem, Christians need to be constantly on the alert for False Apostles. These are individuals passing themselves off as authoritative ministers and prophets of the Gospel, when in reality they are doing it to promote their own self-interests. Many times, their true intent is exposed in their constant solicitation of funds. Our society espouses an over whelming number of false teachings that would have us deny or forget about Christ in favor of pursuing “things” that will bring us pleasure and fun before we die. By clinging to Jesus and consulting the Bible, we can expose the false spiritual alarms that do not merit our response!
PAUSE FOR REFLECTION AND PRAYER
When was the last time you checked your individual spiritual alarm system?
Jesus, help me sort out the true and false alarms in my life.