Welcome to Terror. Hell's Tactics, part 2

In the 10th century Quetzalcoatl reigned over the Toltecs in an affluent town named Tula in what is now known as the country of Mexico. His people considered him to be a god, as he had offered them the cacao tree, from where chocolate is made, as well as the know-how of how to cultivate it.

According to the legend, he was a proud man who desired the worship of his people. But there was something he desired even more than their worship: He wanted to be immortal. This was the motivation behind his visit to the sorcerer Tetcatlipoca: He came to acquire a potion for immortality.

Now the sorcerer was jealous of the king, and he handed him a potion that made him turn mad. Quetzalcoatl fled aboard a raft of intertwined snakes, never to be seen again. Before leaving however, he prophesied that he would return to bring great calamity in the "year of the reed".

In 1519, which was a "year of the reed", Cortez arrived on the Mexican coast. The emperor, Montezuma, blinded by the Spanish conquistador's glittering armor, mistook him for the reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl, and as a result, Cortez was welcomed with open arms. His coming, however, was hardly desirable, for it marked the beginning of the Spanish conquest of Mexico...

When someone tells us a total lie, it's generally quite easy to detect. Those who mix a small amount of lies with a large amount of truth, however, are the dangerous ones. Since part of what they are saying is true, we assume that the rest must be true as well.

The one who specializes in such mixed-up truth-lies is the evil one himself. Every one of his statements, as recorded in the Bible, contains a large element of truth mixed with a few white lies. His temptations are done in the same manner. It's in his nature. He discovered long time ago the power of mixing truth with lies. Like Cortez, he disguises his true intentions: "The thief (evil one) comes only to steal and kill and destroy." (John 10:10a, NIV2)

Every time you hear that inner accusation that you are really no good, remember where it comes from: It's just a bunch of lies, with just enough truth thrown in to make it believable, just enough to make you believe that you truly are the scum of the earth.

By the same token, whenever you focus on the inner applause that you are "better" than any other employee in your organization, you had better remember the evil one's tactics as well! He mixes truth with lies in just the right ratios to lead to utter heartache!

One thing is for certain: Discouragement, along with any inclination towards pride, comes from the evil one himself. Both are nothing more than a pack of lies built on the foundation of one small truth.

Would you like a cup of chocolate?

Rob Chaffart

Welcome to Terror. Hell's Tactics, part 2

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