Puff the Magic Dragon and Dropping the “F” Word Purity 940

To see today's photo, go to mt4christ.org or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter. Good morning. Today's photo of a dragon cloud in the blue skies over an unnamed frozen pond and a somewhat bleak January landscape comes to us from yours truly as I paused for a moment to capture it while working on Skyline Drive in Melrose, New York. When I took this photo, I thought that the frozen pond would stand out and it was worth taking for that, but after getting over the disappointment that my iPhone's camera didn't see what I saw, I realized that Puff the Magic Dragon was floating just above over our head. And so instead of ditching this photo, I am sharing it to remind us all to take a second look at what is happening around us and to remind us of the presence of the spiritual forces of darkness in this world that are hidden but that are actively looking to steal, kill, and destroy. Yeah, as cute and cuddly as the cartoon of Puff the Magic Dragon may have been, and as much as some of us may think that dragons are cool, I have to put forth the truth of what dragons represent. Revelation 12:9 says, "So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." So sorry, Game of Thrones fans and dragon enthusiasts, dragons represent Satan and his demons. And when we display them on our lawns, at Christmas time or keep images of them in our house, in our homes, we are unwittingly giving a place to the devil in our lives. Although Puff the Magic Dragon was never intended to be anything other than a children's song, many people associate the song with marijuana use. Puff the Magic Dragon, little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff, autumn mist Come on, man, that's about smoking a joint. Uh, the song's lyrics were written by Leonard Lipton, uh, who was interested in writing poetry, and later they were put to music by Peter Yarrow, uh, the Peter of Peter, Paul, and Mary. Lipton said the track is about the loss of innocence and having to face an adult world, and that issue— and that it surely is not about drugs. The writer is annoyed at the drug interpretation of his words and said it would be insidious to propagandize about drugs in a song for little kids. Peter Yarrow also said someone would have to be mean-spirited to insert drug references into a song for children. While Lipton and Yarrow's comments may have been criticizing Newsweek's columnist Dorothy Kilgallen, who originally made the claim that Puff was about cannabis. I can think of an insidious and mean-spirited person that would love to corrupt the innocent and encourage drug use— that old dragon himself, Satan. He tried to tempt Jesus. That's pretty bold. So we really can't put anything past him and have to realize that he is actively trying to steal, kill, and destroy anything good in this world. Anyway, the thoughts of the evil that men do and the spiritual forces of darkness are at the forefront of my mind this morning because I had an honor last night, which could reveal the fact that Satan is quite active in trying to stir things up. On the way to last night's final evening of prayer at the Pray Together event that 4 churches in the Coulson Park area decided to do this week, I stopped to get gas only to discover that all 4 pumps were occupied. I waited, and when a pump that was facing the opposite side of my gas tank became available, I maneuvered my car to back up to the pump. But as I was backing up, another vehicle pulled into the parking lot and appeared to be attempting to pull in nose first to that spot. Um, but I was already committed, uh, to backing up, and even though this vehicle tried to nose up into the spot, I continued backing up and got in position to pump gas. The other car pulled around me and parked elsewhere. As I was pumping the gas, The car's driver got out and angrily started shouting profanities in my direction as he began walking to go into the convenience store located there. In retrospect, I'm still not sure if they were trying to get into the spot to pump gas or not, but it appeared that I either got in their way or blocked their goal of getting gas. So this man apparently felt justified to chastise me with some pretty heavy profanity. Now usually I avoid any confrontation and just remain silent when I run into negative people or criticism. I know what spirit runs the world— Satan, right? So I'm not surprised by the anger and hate that is out there. But when this man kept jawing as if he had a right to the space, I was I was backing into, righteous indignation apparently rose up in me, and I fought fire with fire and responded, "Brother, I was here first. I was backing into the space, and I was here first." He went on to say something about me being an unsafe driver, and when that apparently didn't seem to not be satisfying enough, he just started cursing at me. I just kept pumping gas and he just kept swearing. And then I said, "I forgive you!" I kid you not. I almost can't believe it myself. Anyway, unswayed by my offer of forgiveness, he just continued to swear before going into the store. I was quite shaken by our little encounter, but just kept pumping the fuel into my car. I wasn't done pumping when he— this man reemerged from the store, and he was— and he still wasn't finished. He swore at me a few more times and stated that I was lucky because he didn't want to go back to prison, because otherwise he would beat me up, or something of that effect. I paid him no mind, and that just seemed to make him even more angry as he shouted out some more curses. Oh yeah, and I should tell you that he apparently had a buddy with him in the car riding shotgun. And while I never saw his friend, I sure heard him because just like a rapper's hype man, he was also throwing out his curses and threats like, "Yeah, what he said!" "Yeah, boy!" So being wise enough not to respond, I just finished my— finished gassing up my car and got in the car to drive away. Like I said, I, I don't know if they intended to get gas because as I pulled out of the parking lot, they rushed at me with their car as if they were going to hit me. I was mildly annoyed at that, but I somehow knew that this gesture of coming at me with their car was just another empty threat, although I was a little concerned when they continued out of the parking lot following me. Great, I'll drive them to the prayer meeting, I thought, just before they pulled off— turned off and disappeared. Maybe to turn around and go back to get the gas they never pumped. Anyway, adrenaline was pretty high on the drive to the church, but then I decided to pray for those men to know the Lord and to pray to the Lord for forgiveness in case my righteous indignation wasn't so righteous or my backing into the space was unsafe or selfish. And that's what I want to point to really. The ability to go to the Father in prayer for our enemies and to get peace. I use the phrase "block their goal" because that's what Dr. Neil Anderson says is behind our angry emotions. When we get angry it is because someone or something blocked our goal. I apparently blocked these men's goal— goals and so they were angry. So I understand, but I think there was some unseen spiritual warfare going on here. The way the guy came at me indicated to me, and apparently my spirit, that he wasn't used to being talked back to and probably was used to intimidating people and getting what he wanted. Like I said, it was quite out of character for me to respond, but apparently this man, This met— these men's hatred and tactics of intimidation and condemnation made me speak out. I was there first. Although he may have not understood what I was attempting to do when he pulled into the lot, I had done nothing wrong. And so when the barrage of condemnation didn't let up, my spirit cried out stating what was true, and in essence said that I wasn't going to accept his condemnation. Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore no, now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." That's my life verse. And while I will admit it and seek forgiveness when I make a mistake, I didn't feel I had made one. And if anything, and if anything prevented him from taking the space, I didn't feel I'd made one. Yeah, and yeah, I always love the way I write. I didn't feel I'd made a mistake. Yeah, I didn't feel— and, um, and I didn't do anything wrong and for— and taking the space that was rightfully mine. Yikes. If I, if I Monday morning quarterback this situation, I suppose I could have waited behind one of the other vehicles in order to not have to back up. But what I did wasn't necessarily wrong or unsafe. But you know what? I asked God for forgiveness anyway. I know I'm not perfect and would rather be right with God than stand on my rights. So after I prayed for myself and these men to forgive, forgive me and to find Jesus, I went into the church at Newtown Road to pray. The topic My prayer for last night was for our leaders, those in authority of our local, state, national governments and in business. My prayers were a little more passionate than you may have thought they would have been, but because of my recent encounter at the gas station, I was extremely thankful for the law and order that our society does have. After all, according to my new foul-mouthed acquaintance, if It was only the threat of prison that prevented him and his shotgun-riding hype man from putting a beating on me. So, I prayed for our leaders, with a particular emphasis on law enforcement. Just think of 2020's and other lawless riots of the past, and you should be thankful and pray for the authorities that keep people in check. Despite its auspicious beginning for me, the evening of prayer was a success, as as many Christians joined together in unity as the body of Christ to pray. After I went home, I decided to unwind using the One Minute Pause app to do the evening session of the 30 Days to Resilience program I'm doing. And as thoughts of the encounter at the gas station tried to invade the session, I was encouraged when God spoke through the app. As I was wondering about whether or not I had done it done wrong in this situation, the recorded voice of John Eldredge stated this: Crisis is what tests our convictions. Crisis reveals what we truly believe. Does your reaction to crisis affirm those beliefs? I laughed out loud. I had certainly had a crisis, and perhaps I should have just remained silent, but my loud response of "I forgive you" certainly indicated to me that the crisis revealed what I truly believe. Instead of returning evil for evil, I sought to forgive in the heat of the moment. It is only because of Christ in me that this would happen. So it's Friday, thank God. Whether or not someone blocks your goal today or not, let me encourage you to keep walking and talking with God because he is working in you to make you more like Christ. And the longer you go in his direction, the more he transforms you. God bless you all. Well, uh, this testimony took too much time, so the verse of the day from the New Living Translation Bible Promise Book for Men will be back tomorrow, most likely. But I do encourage, as always, I invite all to go to mtforchrist.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. Today we do, uh, continue sharing from A.W. Pink's Sovereignty of God. As, um, we're still in chapter 3, we're going to conclude that chapter today by sharing the last section of it, which is on God governs the angels. Um, so how about that? Yeah, he does govern the— he governs the angels, both good and evil angels. So it's sort of ironic, you know, I mentioned demons or whatever, and then this is the resource that's going to be shared. Anyway, I have to get to work, um, so I will not be rushing off, uh, to a gas station to get any more flights, um, but, uh, we do have to work today, so let's get that done. Lord God, Heavenly Father, we thank you for another day in your kingdom. We thank you for protecting us last evening, um, from the spiritual forces of darkness and from a couple of gentlemen that had anger control issues. Um, Lord, we, we do ask for your forgiveness in all that we do. Um, we never want to misrepresent you in the kingdom, and, uh, by backing up was selfish or unsafe. Lord, we do ask for that forgiveness one and one final time. Here this morning. Lord, we do pray for the people listening today, that they'd be strong in the Lord and that they would— that you would come alongside them. And as they walk through life and might run into crisis, Lord, we pray for you to come alongside their prayer request and to guide them as they go. Lord, as always, we pray for you to go before us today because we desperately need your help. And, um, we never know when we'll, when we'll be tested. And so we need your help with that. Lord, as always, we pray for you to open our eyes to the things you want us to see and to lead us into the things you want us to do. And, uh, Lord, we thank you, we praise you, and we love you. And we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.