not the pal it claims to be

Speaking of April Fool's Day, an intriguing deception has showed up in my email the past couple of months. Perhaps you've seen it, too. It claims to be from PayPal:

From : PayPal Inc.
Sent : Thursday, March 30, 2006 3:00 PM
To : tonymyles@hotmail.com
Subject : Receipt for your Payment.

You have added laptopseller@yahoo.com as a new email address for your PayPal account.

If you did not authorize this change or if you need assistance with your account, please contact PayPal customer service at: https://www.paypal.com/row/wf/f=ap_email

Here's the catch, though... if you click on that alleged paypal link it takes you to another site. If you want to peek, here it is: http://196.15.148.170:82/login/index.php

Look at the site... enter a fake email address and fake password... then see what it asks you for. :)


Someone went through a lot of trouble to make this email and site look legit.

Only they aren't... if you participate in it someone will steal, kill, and destroy your life. And they'll even call themselves your pal... at least, your pay-PAL.

Hmm...

How much "good religion" out there is just like this? How many people are deceived into believing that if something helps this world or mankind that it is authentically from God? Because helping the world and mankind seems pretty legit... it answers the question, "What would Jesus do?" (You know... the crazy bracelet question.)

But those "good religions" are just that... good religions.

Not legit.

Then again... before I go looking for specks of sawdust in someone else's eye is there a log in my own? Might any part of my Christianity - perhaps yours - be more "religious" than it is legit? What in my life... your life... appears to look like Christianity, only it is stealing, killing, and destroying the abundant life Jesus offers?

Hmm...

Satan is pretty sharp. There are a lot of things to believe in besides Jesus Christ... and I think he might have something to do with that. Maybe he'd even settle for us believing in something that "makes sense" versus a God whom we can't fully comprehend.

Maybe that's one way he steals, kills, and destroys us.

Be careful what you allow your soul to log on to.

"And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." (2 Corinthians 11:12-15)

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10)