After stepping inside for just a few feet, something did not feel right!\u00a0 It was an uncomfortable, odd feeling that our pastor had never experienced.\u00a0It was as if he were in the presence of satan, himself.\u00a0Quickly, he told his boys they were leaving.\u00a0Once outside, and with no explanation or prompting from their father, one of the boys commented how he had an eerie feeling inside and asked why that would be.\u00a0The other son concurred that he felt the same way!\u00a0Our pastor did not investigate this business or pursue what was going on but he just knew that something was not right or where God wanted him or his family to be.<\/span><\/p>\n I had a similar experience several years ago.\u00a0My husband and I stopped at a McDonalds for coffee to kill some time.\u00a0The order was off and things did not seem “kosher” for some reason.\u00a0I just had an odd feeling in there but, after all, it was just a McDonalds!\u00a0What could be wrong?<\/p>\n Several months later, we stopped at this same restaurant for a quick lunch.\u00a0Again, the order was wrong but I began noticing something else.\u00a0Nearly all of the employees, even the manager, all seemed to have a druid type look in their appearance.\u00a0You know, the jet black hair, piercings, wicked tattoos, deep colored lipstick and lifeless makeup, etc.\u00a0It really gave me an uneasy feeling.<\/p>\n Then, during the course of the meal, I needed to visit the “little girls’ room”.\u00a0In most any chain-store-type restroom, the decor is pretty much standard, whether high-end or more moderate.\u00a0This one was none of that!\u00a0Deep, dark mood colors of blood-red and black dominated the room!\u00a0 decor on the sink and walls were not typical or inviting.<\/p>\n That was the last straw!\u00a0 I got out immediately and hurried back to our table. I asked my husband if he could gather our stuff and get out quickly.\u00a0(He thought I was ill!). Once we were back to our car, I explained how I felt very uneasy in that restaurant and the satanic influence it seemed to portray.\u00a0He admitted he noticed that something was off but hadn’t quite put his finger on it.\u00a0As we continued to talk, we agreed that, for whatever reason, that restaurant was overpowered by the presence of evil spirits.\u00a0We never went back.<\/p>\n Why is all of this significant?\u00a0The Bible tells us that we are to try the spirits because of false prophets.\u00a0In this case, I wondered if this restaurant was really a “front” for something evil!<\/p>\n Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.\u00a0 I John 4:1<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n If we are students of the Word, we will recognize what is right and wrong.\u00a0The Holy Spirit gives us discernment.\u00a0The devil has many strongholds in this world and would like to capture Christians in his deceptive net.<\/p>\n Abstain from all appearance of evil.\u00a0 I Thessalonians 5:22<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Maybe everything was on the upside and legitimate at this establishment but the voice of God wanted us out of there!\u00a0I often wondered what would have happened if we had not obeyed the voice of God and remained.\u00a0Perhaps we or our car would have been robbed.\u00a0Perhaps there would have been a confrontation with another customer or an employee.\u00a0Perhaps, maybe nothing at all!\u00a0We will never know!\u00a0What I do know is that God put an urgency in my soul to get out of there.<\/p>\n And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, and in obeying the voice of the LORD?\u00a0 Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.\u00a0 I Samuel 15:22<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n The lesson I took away from this is to be mindful of God leading us.\u00a0Regardless of the circumstance, whether something seems innocent or not, we need to obey God.\u00a0Some tests may merely be for a “drill” to prepare us.\u00a0Other tests may be for our own good or safety.\u00a0(How often I remember fire and tornado drills in school yet, I never went through a real fire or tornado at school!).<\/p>\n The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. Proverbs 21:31. Often, we want to do things our own way.\u00a0In our finite minds, we have everything planned and it all works out.\u00a0A little phrase I learned many years ago is,<\/p>\n \u00a0“When in doubt, DON’T!”<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n In other words, if God, through His Holy Spirit or His written word, casts doubt on something we want to do, rather than question it or come up with a list of reasons why it is okay, we need to put the brakes on and follow His leading.\u00a0It may not necessarily be a spiritual issue but God wants the pre-eminence in every part of our lives.\u00a0Can we obey Him in everything?<\/p>\n If ye love me, keep my commandments<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0John 14:15<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.\u00a0 I John 4:4<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Gail Alford<\/em><\/p>\n *DISCLAIMER: Some words were purposely\u00a0not<\/u>\u00a0capitalized so as not to give undue credit to such words.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I love October weather but always dread this month as well because of the demonic influence in the area of decorations.\u00a0It seems that every year, … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/604"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=604"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/604\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":612,"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/604\/revisions\/612"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"http:\/\/sonbeamsandshadows.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/October-Calendar-3.jpg\")
<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n