"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me."
Gospel hymns were always one of my biggest perks about church. The music alone seemed to make all my worries and discomforts fade away, and the lyrics were the icing on the cake. Occasionally, I'd catch myself humming along to one of the tunes, and then I would quietly sing the rest of the song. I couldn't really sing; my voice could shatter a window. I used to dream of being in the church choir, but now I didn't care because I got stage fright too easily in front of big crowds.
Brother Taylor walked past each isle carrying the collection plate. I smiled when he stopped beside my pew and laid five dollars on the heap of money. Last year we raised enough money to redecorate the church. It was painted inside and out. New pews replaced the old ones, and we added another small room for a children's church. After that there were hundreds of dollars left and we donated it to one of the local charities.
The song ended and everyone sat down. The pianist and singers returned to their seats, and the offering was taken to the office to be counted. Everybody pulled out their Bibles as Brother Thomas Barnwell walked up to the podium.
"Good morning everyone. I am so thankful to see all of you here today," he began. "I hope all of you had a good week, and I hope that all the trials and temptations you've faced have been overcome with the help of God's grace." He pulled out his reading spectacles. They were old—the frame was nothing but a thin wire. He wiped the lenses clean with the hem of his shirt and put them on.
"Today, ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to give you a lengthy sermon. The lord spoke to me this week and said he wanted me to preach about something very outspoken in today's time. It is something that people tend to forget but is always there, leading us in the wrong direction, taking us farther away from our relationship with the lord." He looked around, patiently waiting to gain everyone's undivided attention. When the hushed whispers faded he opened his Bible. "There are seven major topics that are going to be covered today. Now, please turn to 2 Corinthians 11:14. " Pages shuffled. I flipped to the page and circled the chapter—it helped me remember what I'd read and what I lacked.
"The devil is a sly creature. He often makes himself appear to be the good guy when he really is not. His presence could be in anyone. He could be in someone you know, a relative or a stranger. He is often all these things, all at once. He could be an animal. He already presented himself in the form of a serpent. It is sometimes hard to distinguish his unholy presence from the righteous.
"In Hebrew, his name means 'shining one' or 'morning star'. The Bible says, "And no marvel; for Satan is transformed into an angel of night." This means that he masquerades and acts like he is a true apostle or has a God-given ability to preach with the lord's tongue. But neither of those people are really speaking the words of the lord. It is just one of the many ways the devil tries to deceive mankind to fall prey to his lies; because he wants you to worship him, not the true Savior.
"In Isaiah 14:12-14, God says, "How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my thrown above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."
He paused and lowered his glasses down on the podium. "Ladies and gentlemen, the devil will place himself in people you look up to. All those sit-coms with phony priests asking for donations with the promise of God's unending glory are evident ways that his presence is here on earth. Our lord would never shed a speck of his love towards any sinner that donated any sum to a preacher. A real preacher would never ask for money. I don't ask for money." He put his glasses on again. "As you can see, the devil will do anything to deceive the people our God loves."
