— To uplift, inform and challenge followers of Christ —

Dear Reader,

Test yourself: try to NOT picture a 6000 pound pink elephant.  Easy; right?  You simply swivel your head and see there’s no huge, PINK elephant in sight.  No pink ELEPHANT.  Don’t even THINK of pink elephants.  Tell yourself, “NO pink elephant in my living room, bedroom, office, or on the hood of my car.  Not even on TV.”  None.  Nada.  Zip.

Now, close your eyes to confirm none are lurki ... oh, oh!  THERE’S that pink rascal — hiding in the dark.  But, hey ... ignore him.  Say to yourself: “Ain’t NO pink elephants here.”  Did it, right?  The 6000 pound pink pachyderm is gone!  Sure; it’s easy.  Whaddaya mean, you see ‘em?  Post a sign: “Pink Elephants NOT allowed!” Worse case: edit it out of view.  Look the other way; give it the “blind eye” treatment.

Pink Elephants

We “see” all, but perceive only those things of our choosing.

"... For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind." — Jn 9:39

I felt rich this frosty and final morning of the year as I settled into a cafe booth with the sun on my back and a welcome table before me.  A brief inventory revealed that, cap to ankle, I was clothed in fresh cotton (albeit, garage-sale/thrift-store retro style) and my feet were covered with blue, store-closing canvass shoes.  Best of all was this favorite light blue and white striped shirt, lovingly resurrected to another year’s service by Diane’s skillful needle work.

A-hh, the table: a hot mug on my right, a warm plate in front and an open (25-cent) Bible atop my briefcase.  Diane had cleaned and massaged its mildewed and cracked cover back to suppleness with hand cream.  Oh, also brown, cotton work gloves.  Confirming my good fortune was a view of palm trees, massive water oaks and a towering mid-lake fountain.  Rich!

Belly-buttonitis

Finishing the food and with my hand wrapped around that warm mug, I opened my Bible. But, wait. First I’ve got to tell you about a pink elephant that leapt into view.

On the way to the cafe, I passed a sight that had caught my eye twice yesterday.  Parked on a corner was an old rust-bucket of a pickup truck, to which was attached a decrepit looking utility trailer filled with household items.  A crude, black-spray-painted sign read: “Stuff For Sale.”  Like a 3-ton pink elephant, the scene loomed, and each time I reasoned that I didn’t need any more “stuff.” Today, however, I impulsively swerved in and got out of the van about the time a big, scruffy looking guy emerged from the truck to greet me.

“Are you looking for something?” he asked, as I slowly began circling the trailer, eye-balling its wet, deplorable contents.  “Not really,” I said (while wondering: “What the HECK am I doing here?!”).  I’d two twenty-dollar bills in my wallet and I sure didn’t want to trade either for “stuff” we didn’t need.  Looking up from a disintegrating, particle board bookcase, I asked if he was moving.  “No.  I’m trying to survive; been unemployed,” was his heart-rending response.  Quickened to help, I looked again to see if there was something I needed.  Nothing.  I then made some small talk before climbing into the van and continuing on to the cafe.  But then, I was bugged and wished I hadn’t stopped; hadn’t seen it.  G-rr! ... hate pink elephants!!

Scripture AIDS VISION!

After breakfast, I adjusted my Bible, which had settled at Proverbs.  A-hh.  This would be a nice cap to my earlier study time and a good launch pad for the day.

With pencil in hand, I begin reading chapter 28 and didn’t make a mark ‘til verse 20.  "The faithful will abound with blessings, but one who is in a hurry to be rich will not go unpunished."  “Yeah, you bet!” I said to myself, as I circled its number.  Verse 23 then lit up: "Whoever rebukes a person will afterward find more favor than one who flatters with the tongue."  “Thank you, Lord,” and I circled it.  But it was vs 27 that harpooned my heart and exposed my blindness: "Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but one who turns a blind eye will get many a curse."  Ouch!  Accompanying the verse (in my mind) was a picture of that guy on the corner.  Now, like a big pink elephant, he and God’s Word stared back from the table.

Eee-yow! Conviction.  Being so wrapped up with I, my, me and mine (bellybuttonitis) I couldn’t even “see” why the Spirit drew me to that man.  I had been so preoccupied with yours truly, another’s glaring needs hardly registered.  Here was I, basking in God’s blessings, but not responding to another in conspicuous distress.  Selective blindness?  Quite probably; as said earlier, because I didn’t want to part with either of the 20s in my wallet.  Niggardly wretch that I am!  (Roman 7’s “why do I do?” lament then began drubbing.  G-rr!)

Upon hustling back to aid, I learned that he was a discouraged Christian who thought God no longer heard his prayers.  Not only was he hungry, but starving for encouragement.  We had a good time and there’s more, but the point is, I had been blind to his need, though it paraded before me like a huge pink elephant.  Worse yet, I might have been willfully blind; a cousin to, or fruit of, willful ignorance.  OK; let’s shift the focus.

Now, please prayerfully consider this infirmity as it relates to you and your church — for blind eyes could be symptoms of unbelief or rebellion (biblical ignorance, at the least). All such are serious threats to spiritual health and need  be confronted before it’s too late.  Before more end-time horrors flood in and we’re swept away with unbelievers.

Christian Blindness

Putting the best construction on the Christian community, any objective observer would have to conclude that it’s blind.  A more detailed assessment might include: compromised, deceived, disobedient, rebellious, unholy and lacking in discernment; even apostate.  That we cannot see our own sorry state or signs of the times, is frightening.  Such wholesale blindness suggests having been turned over to a reprobate mind; loosed to go our own way.  Consider the symptoms of our blindness.

• We are blind — if we accept the Message Bible and other “dynamic equivalents” as the Word of God.
 

• We are blind — if we do not “see” that the New Apostolic Reformation, Purpose Driven, Emergent Church, Hebrew Roots and such movements are devilish end-time deceits.
 

• We are blind — if we view the RC Church as other than the monstrous and murderous institution history has proven it to be.
 

• We are blind — if we think it wise to study the works of cross-rejecting writers (mystics, et al).
 

• We are blind — if we cannot discern the difference between a biblical shepherd (pastor) and a hireling.
 

• We are blind — if we attend a local “church” that allows any such evils to access and ravage the flock.
 

• We are blind — if we do not see that most Christians are so spiritually emaciated and feeble, they are apt to be blown away by the first gust of end-time wind.
 

• We are blind — if we don’t see how morally & doctrinally compromised the church has become.
 

• We are blind — if we cannot sense how rapidly history is racing to its grand climax; that world events are nearly ready to trigger the horrific times which lie directly ahead.
 

• We are blind — if we labor under the delusion that the church is going to be ushered out before the final curtain even rises.
 

• We are blind to the fact we’re blind!

Be encouraged

Spiritual blindness is curable, but the only sure medicine is heart-rending repentance and a steady I-V of God’s undiluted Word (which prescription has been dispensed by Doctor Jesus to each of His patients).  For certain, pastors/elders are charged to so treat the flock, but in the end, it is an individual order to self-medicate.

Jesus warned that in the end-times, there would be false teachers.  "Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many" (Mt 24:11). As did the apostle Paul: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock" (Ac 20:29).  He also told of their end and consequences of spiritual blindness ... "Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.  Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch" (Mt 15:13,14).

End-time signs dot the landscape like a vast herd of pink elephants.  In a rising chorus, they trumpet: “Open your blind eyes; the Day of The Lord fast approaches.  There is still time and hope; confess, repent and return to your first love.”  (Any pink pachyderms within your view?)

ABOUT US:  Founded in 1993, Hallelujah Living Ministries is a donation-based, non-denominational Christian outreach to uplift, inform and challenge followers of Jesus Christ.  For more information or a copy of our always-free print newsletter, please include a  postal mail address along with your comments and prayer requests. Thank you for visiting  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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