BE anchored in righteousness so as not be swept along with wickedness. A significant number join-in with evil because they’re not anchored enough; neither to resist nor discern. This morning, a memory was brought to mind with such clarity that I wondered why. It was about a nearly harrowing experience involving a lead thug and two others acting as though they’d been swept along. The usual Thursday night choir rehearsal had just let out, and three of us stood on the sidewalk just outside of church for about two or three minutes saying our goodbyes. Just as we were about to end our brief conversation, I noticed three young men walking on the opposite side of the four-lane street, nearing the spot where my car was parked. The lead thug broke-off from the other two, and headed toward us. So, I abruptly said goodnight sans alarm as I perceived what they hadn’t; that by dispersing the thug’s intent to harm might be curtailed. The two “thugs-in-training” remained across the street (relatively close to my car) to observe the actions of the lead thug. As I approached the middle of the four-lane street I looked back to see that the lead thug had boldly (sans pretense) turned, and was now headed directly for me. The thugs-in-training stood, nearer to the rear of my car, watching attentively. As I opened my car door, realizing there wasn’t ample time to get into it, I stood with the car door open and turned to face the thug. (Oddly enough, I had no fear as well as absolutely no idea how I was going to defend myself.) Suddenly, the man hired by the church as a kind of guard in plainclothes was quietly walking straight behind him. (The church hired him as a kind of plainclothes guard and he usually sat in his car in the church’s smaller parking lot where we exited from activities other than Worship Service.) A few minutes earlier, I’d seen the plainclothes guard walk-off to escort other choir members to their cars. Neither, the lead thug nor I realized that this Brother had reappeared until I looked over my left shoulder and noticed the two thugs-in-training glancing sort of wide-eyed directly behind the lead thug, and at that moment I looked over the right shoulder of the lead thug. All of which tipped-off the thug who was steps away from me that someone was approaching from behind him. At that point the lead thug pretended to be joining the other two thugs-in-training, and all three left as though they just happened to be walking down the street. Throughout that situation the only sound made or words spoken between me, the lead thug and his comrades-in-training, and the plainclothes guard were by the Brother who held my door as I got into the driver’s seat and said before I drove off: “have a good night“. I’ve thought about the plainclothes guard every now and then, even contemplated bringing him a sweet potato pie as a thank you but I never saw him again. (The church started using their own members in that capacity though I only saw them on Sundays.) Several years ago, while watching a Worship Service via internet, I heard Bill Winston say something along the lines of: “you have no thoughts of your own; all thoughts are either from GOD or the Devil.” I wondered why this memory re-surfaced so vividly this morning. (The night prior, I fell asleep watching a chocolate-candy-cake competition; not quite the thing to stir-up such a memory.) Perhaps, it was to remind that the LORD was with me then as He is now; for The One who never reneges on His Word has said that He goes with and never forsakes (Deuteronomy 31:6-8; Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5). The Lord God Almighty commands His angels concerning me; He rescues and protects me; He is with me in trouble and delivers me (Psalm 91). The love, joy, peace, patience, wisdom, revelation, soundness of mind, deliverance, protection, healing & health, and prosperity that I often speak over myself and others, in the Name above all names, is by the finished work of Christ Jesus; for I’m anchored “in Him”. On this side of Heaven, there will always be those who are encouragers of evil; for the fallen angels are those who joined-in with Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-15; Luke 10:18). Discernment will assist in the prevention of being unwittingly led astray; and those “in Christ” are privy to discernment by the Teaching of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26 & 16;13-15). May those rendered sons & daughters of God by the blood of Jesus BE increasingly sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit; that we might serve God better.