Perception - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Perception

- Now Think On This

by Steve Martin

“Beware of the false prophets! They come to you wearing sheep’s clothing, but underneath they are hungry wolves! You will recognize them by their fruit. Can people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every healthy tree produces good fruit, but a poor tree produces bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, or a poor tree good fruit. Any tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire! So you will recognize them by their fruit.” Matt. 7:15-20 CJB

As a kid growing up Roman Catholic in Cedar Falls, Iowa, I tried to make the morning Mass before grade school as often as I could. St. Patrick’s Church was just a block away from the St. Patrick’s Grade School where I went for eight years, and so I’d go to the 7:30 am Mass before class started at 8:15 am.

Part of me wanted to get closer to the Lord; another part wanted to skip a lot of years in Purgatory, for so I was taught back then. “Mass a day kept the years away!” Not until I personally received Jesus as my Lord and Savior years later did I realize you can’t get to heaven by good works, but only by accepting the saving grace and redemption of Jesus’ sacrificial work on the cross, suffered on our behalf.

Often in the early morning hours, before and after the Mass started, I would see an old lady cleaning the altar, moving around quietly and without hype. Dressed in what looked like a long black robe, with a black head covering, I perceived her to be rather weird and and even spooky. As a 10-year old boy, having watched a few too many TV shows such as the Twilight Zone and such, what I “saw” and what was reality didn’t match up.

One Saturday morning, being brave enough to check things out further, I followed her home as she slowly walked, stooped over, to her house a few doors down the street from the church. (Going to Mass on a Saturday especially took off a lot of Purgatory years!) The old house where I discovered she lived was probably older than her. With two wooden stories, having creepy shaded windows, and needing a paint job bad, it fit perfectly with my perception of the inhabitant.

What I didn’t expect was for her to stop, turn around, and smile at me when she discovered my following. She then spoke, asking me how I was doing. Being dumb founded and totally surprised at her kindness, I briefly replied, and headed quickly home to my house. Thinking back now, in a way this moment reminded me of when Scout Finch met Boo Radley for the first time in the movie, Too Kill A Mockingbird. What she had expected and what was reality was about the same as the understanding I then received too.

Jesus often said that we would know people by their fruit – what they did rather than by what they said, or what they wanted you to think who they were. Getting a proper perception of one’s character cuts out any false image that one may try to convey. The biblical truth remains - a bad tree will not produce good fruit.

In our world today, there are many personalities and organizations that “advertise” as being one thing, when in reality they are the complete opposite. Stripping away the glitz and glamor, removing the falsehoods put out in deception, reveal the actuality that lies below the surface. Planned Parenthood’s murderous abortions are one prime example. Another are politicians who say one thing repeatedly, but then are proven wrong when the actual truth, later caught on tape or revealed in previously undisclosed documents, exposes their real tree’s fruit. We need to develop good perceptions, so we are not among those who fall for the lies of the devil himself.

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover. In many instances that is true. Wrapping words around a fancy digital image needs our closer inspection. Same holds for what we see, hear and feel if we don’t have the spiritual eyes needed to see the truth. Being sensitive in allowing the Holy Spirit to show us what He sees will enable us to know what is right and wrong, going beneath the outward appearance to see what really lies under the surface.

Many will be deceived by the lack of integrity, honesty and humility in these times. Preparation for the revealing of the false messiah, and the anti-christ is growing rapidly. We need the proper perception to understand and act accordingly in our daily lives. The Holy Spirit will be with us to give us that, as we draw near to Him, and spend time with Him daily. Our lives will depend on this.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder

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Now Think On This #175 “Perception” by Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2015 (08.15.15) Saturday at 9:30 am in Charlotte, NC

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This