DEADLY BEAUTY...DO YOU RECOGNIZE IT?

   If you are like me and most people, the first thing you said when you saw the pictures of these fish is, "Beautiful colors!", or, "Wow! God makes beautiful creatures!", or maybe, "They look strange, but pretty!" But the fact of the matter is, what you are looking at is DEADLY BEAUTY! These fish are called, "Lionfish."

   I want to tell you a little about this fish. The Lionfish are an invasive, venomous species. They enter into the environment of its prey forcefully, as an enemy, with hostile intent, to take possession of what it wants. These fish usually swim in pairs, and their habitat consist of warm problematic waters. They are very beautiful to behold, and they are famous for their stunning fins and spines. But, the spines are loaded with venom!

   I know you are probably saying, "What is Pastor Sheila talking about, now?"...But stay with me...give me a moment! 

   Some other characteristics of the Lionfish are:

• A very large mouth! Large enough to gulp an animal nearly as large as its own body.
• They will eat their own kind.
• They have very few predators = Venomous Spines!
• They hunt their prey, corner it, and then sucks it into that large mouth.
• Lionfish reproduce explosively! They lay 30,00 eggs every 7 days.
• If stung by them, humans experience nausea and breathing problems. There is also difficulty moving limbs. And, the venom in the spines remain active for days-- so even the castoff spines are dangerous, and it takes several months for a full recovery, and if untreated, the part stung may decay!
• The Lionfish feed on fish that are important commercial fish such as snapper and grouper.
• They are a threat to native fish, and are unwanted, but are almost impossible to get rid of, since they have, some how, arrived here from the Indo-Pacific...most likely by humans trying to gain from their beauty...while missing the fact that they bring with them destruction!

   I'm telling you about this beautiful, cleaver, invasive, venomous, carnivorous, quick moving fish to contrast it with our enemy, the devil, who is quickly moving into the lives of Believers, Churches, Families, and Marriages. The enemy is on assignment and is hunting us, with the intent to corner us and suck us into his grasps, where he plans to inject us with his poisonous venom, causing us...our families, our marriages, our Churches/Ministries to die! But, HE IS A LIAR!!

   I heard this scripture in my spirit: 2 Corinthians 11:14. "...Even satan can disguise himself as an angel of light." Watch out Saints! He's disguising himself in some very beautiful, clever, invasive, and venomous ways! He's invading in the form of:

• Apostles /Prophets/ Evangelist/ Pastors/ Teachers
• Church members/ Musicians/ Singers/ Dancers, Mothers in Zion, etc.
• Ministry ideas and opportunities
• Prospective mates
• Friends and Co-workers, and Family members
• He is enticing people with Job opportunities, and ways to make money
• And the most harmful thing, in my opinion, he's speaking to the minds with thoughts that are camouflaged with things that seem right, and godly, but the end of those things, when they enter the heart and are acted upon, is death!

   It is said that the Lionfish inhabits warm, problematic waters...just like the devil! He comes in and waits for his opportunity to strike when our lives are problematic. When we are not doing all the Lord has called us to do. When we are not fasting,  praying, and reading the Word. When we become slothful, unconcerned, and unfaithful to the work of the Lord. When we begin to focus on ourselves, and our fleshly desires instead of what God actually wants. If we think about our natural lives, he comes into our marriages when we are inattentive, unconcerned, selfish, and taking each other for granted. He comes into families when there is a lost of respect for one another, when children become ungrateful, disobedient, and unruly. He waits...baits...and takes! And he does it quickly! He waits until things seem to be at their worst. Then he baits with things, people, opportunities, places, and positions that seem to be better, greater, more, sweeter, nicer, more prestigious, and profitable. And when we take the bait, he takes all that we have been given, all because we trusted what and who seemed to be beautiful!

   I want to tell you, be aware of  DEADLY BEAUTY! OPEN YOUR SPIRITUAL EYES! Sit down and go over your own life. Be careful who you allow to speak into your life. Chose carefully those you allow to occupy a space in your heart and life. Cast down, root out, the things that you may feel are beautiful, good, godly...sweet, pretty, handsome, valuable, and profitable, the things that you have become comfortable with, but they are not truly glorifying your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Do it now, because just like the Lionfish who lays 30,000 eggs in 7 days, the devil is working quickly and in many, many ways to kill, steal, and destroy! And he is loaded with plans to reak havoc in your life in many, many areas. Remember the fact that if stung by this fish , ie, the devil, and that part goes untreated, it will decay...so will your life, relationships, Churches, Family, and Ministries!

   You may feel that this is a hard thing to do. You may not know just what is really wrong in your life, why things are the way they are, or not the way that they should be. You may not even want to give up some of the Deadly Beauty the Spirit of God reveals to you! but if you truly love the Lord, and want to serve Him and live for Him, if you hate sin and the devil and his tricks and traps, and want to kick his back out,  and put your foot on his head...put your trust in the Lord, and just do it! Handle your business! Keep the things you learned about the Lionfish in your mind, and compare them to the attributes of the devil!! You can do it, IN THE NAME OF JESUS! You will recognize Deadly Beauty, and defeat and destroy it with the true and beautiful things of God!!

Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not to unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths."