Hot and windy today, clouds covering us which creates a higher humidity that we normally get – it felt like the skies might open up, but thus far they haven’t.

One of the side effects of a couple of my meds is dehydration and I have been warned to be careful and not only have plenty of fluids but watch my activities.  In addition one of them, if I am exposed to too much sun, will cause my skin to be grey and even a possibility of blue.

Would like to get off them, and there is potential when I meet with my Cardiologist next month that I can, just have to wait and see.

2 Corinthian 11:14-15 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Con artists want people to think the best of them, so they work hard at giving the appearance of strong and reliable people, so they can take their money, sometimes their homes and other possessions and when the victim finds out, the con artist has even stolen their dignity and self-worth.

The con artist has learned how to ‘read’ people looking for cues from the victim that he can use to make them believe in him.

He is wearing a ‘mask.’  He is hiding his true identity so that he gains his ‘marks’ confidence and trust.

He appears to be an upstanding person, but in reality he is a crook.

But the con artist isn’t the only one that wears a mask; to a degree we all wear masks. 

We often want to appear different than we are, so we become actors – of a sort.  Inside we are nervous and afraid so we try to appear brave and strong.

Sometimes it fools people other times people see right through us.

Police Officers have a long probationary period.  Some departments have 12 months others 18 and even 24 months.

One of the reasons for that is people can hide behind a façade for only so long before they show what is deeper inside them.  The real person often comes out in times of stress – we watch how new police officers handle it, early in their training we put them through scenarios to gauge their ability to handle something while at the same time exposing them to things that might happen on the street.

One of the things I learned early on as a Police Officer is that when I put the uniform on my boss, my fellow officers and the citizens have a certain conduct they expect of me.

I learned that the uniform is kind of a disguise of sorts.  Things that I may have difficulty doing or saying off-duty are easier because of the expectations and the uniform.

With it comes respect and the honest citizens feel more secure knowing we are there to help them. 

We learn how to speak to someone, whether a citizens or suspect, in a way that we get compliance from the person.

It doesn’t work all the time and right now, especially in the larger departments, there is a lack of respect by citizens – where before they might have stood up for the police, now they have questions.

Fair or unfair it is going to take time to garner people’s trust.  It has happened before and it will happen again, the officers just have to do the best they can to overcome bad elements that have infiltrated the agencies – or the perception they have.

Satan uses con artists.  He strives to gain our confidence and get into our head so he can put a wall up between God and us.

He is very clever, and, unfortunately, he works through people who we have trusted with our spiritual education.  He appears to have a good message, but when we compare what he is saying to what the Bible says, we can expose him.

As Christians we take people at face value.  As a people we tend to be trussing and we do not take the necessary care in making decision to believe or follow someone.

It is a good thing, but it can be used and abused by people who have wormed their way into pulpits and teaching positions where their goal is to make us question what we know to be true.

Before we go ‘whole hog’ in support of a leader we want to make sure he is following God, that he is not trying to teach ‘doctrines’ that are contrary to the Bible.

Far too many cults and heretics are able to ‘convert’ others to their way of thinking because the charismatic leader is charming and intelligent.  He tells people what they want to hear and doesn’t give them a lot of time to investigate his teachings.

We have also seen Preachers, Evangelists and other ‘men of God’ start out correctly.  But somewhere along the way they lost their way.  They started teaching and preaching half-truths, and because they weren’t challenged, they continued on the wrong path.

We are responsible for our salvation.  We are responsible for our relationship with God.  The vast majority of our church leaders are sincere and trustworthy, we can depend on them, they preach God’s Word.

Unfortunately, like a few bad cops make it hard for the rest of them, a few bad Christians makes it harder on the rest of us.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

That verse isn’t just for teachers and preachers, it is for all of us.

Later, Art :-)