Remember the cute cartoon called the Pied Piper?
If you are not familiar with the story, it begins in a small shipping town called Hamelin. The town was infested with rats. In fact, the opening scene of the cartoon showed the rats roaming thru the streets, and climbing the city walls. The rats were so bold that they used an old fashion mouse trap to launch a brick through a market window to eat the meat. The rats were even dancing on the coattails of people while they swung sticks at other rats. The rats looked like an evading army looting the town of its precious goods.
Next, the angry and frustrated people gathered together in the town’s square demanding that the Mayor solve the rat problem. Of course, the Mayor, being a politician, addressed the people by stating the obvious; “The rats have overrun the city.” Then, the Mayor vowed to give a bag of gold to the person who would rid the town of rats.
Suddenly, a thin, tall man named the Pied Piper, walked into the city wearing a colorful outfit, and a horn in his hand. The Piper agreed to rid the town of the rats, and for payment, he would receive the bag of gold. The Mayor agrees, and the Pied Piper begins to play his instrument. As the music played, the rats dropped their food and followed the Pied Piper.
The Pied Piper led the rats out of the town unto a countryside road, where a giant block of cheese suddenly appeared. All of the rats ran towards the irresistible block of cheese, and the cheese disappeared.
Rat problem solved!
So, the Piper headed back toward Hamelin. As he approached the town, the Piper noticed that the doors to the town were shut, and the Mayor and the towns’ people were standing on the top of the walls. The Pied Piper demanded payment for ridding the town of rats, however, instead of a bag of gold, the Mayor told the Piper that he would only give him a small piece of gold. The people of the town agreed with the Mayor and laughed at the Piper that was outside of the gates.
Obviously angry, the Pied Piper told the people that they were dishonest and ungrateful. He also said that it will be a shame if the children of Hamelin grew up to be the same as their parents. So, he vowed to save the children from their terrible parents.
So, the Mayor and the people laughed at the Piper, and they told him to do his worst.
So, he did.
The Pied Piper began to blow his horn, and all of the children, just like the rats, followed him outside the town. However, instead of cheese, the Pied Piper led them into a mountain filled with candy. So, the children never grew up to be like their terrible parents, and like many fairytales, the children lived happily ever after. The End!
Unfortunately, the actual story of the Pied Piper didn’t end happily ever after. The Piper led the children out of the town, and 130 of them drowned.
So much for a happy ending.
I apologize for the abrupt and dark change from the fairytale’s story ending to the real ending of the story. But, as we all know, life is no fairytale.
There is a saying that history repeats itself. Likewise, there is also a saying that history rhymes.
It seems that throughout history, children have been under attack by the enemy (Satan) to steal, kill, or destroy their lives. And today is no different. Like the Pied Piper who wooed away the children of Hamelin, children today are wooed through music, social media, videos, video games, and movies.
There is an all-out assault on the minds of our children. I remember back when I was a teenager, and a very racy entertainer was asked why their performances were so edgy, and the entertainer responded, “So people will be desensitized to it.”
I hate to say it, but it worked. Now, what that entertainer was showing on stage, anyone can see on shows that are geared toward young kids.
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10 KJV)
When you hear this Bible verse, the list seems to be in the wrong order. Shouldn’t kill be last?
No!
Remember the parable, the Sower sows the Word. When the word is sown by the wayside, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. The word was stolen away, in order to prevent the word from developing any roots. When the word is not in their hearts, it can not produce fruit.
The second part of the parable is they which are sown on stony ground. They happily receive the word, however, because their foundation is shallow, they have no roots. So, when they are tested, the word easily dies in their heart.
Next, are those that are sown among the thorns. The word is sown in their hearts, they receive it, and it grows. However, cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and lusts choke the word, and it is destroyed.
However, those that are sown on good ground hear the word, receive it, and bring forth fruit. Some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold. (Mark 4:14-20 KJV)
This parable had to be explained this way because this is how Satan has and will always operate with the word, and with our kids.
To Steal
If Satan isn’t able to kill babies at an early age, he then focuses on stealing them. Satan has been able to use different methods in order to steal children away from their purpose. The Hebrews were given the law of GOD to live their lives. However, in Biblical times, when one kingdom conquered another, they would take the children and raise them under their ways. Oftentimes, the children would grow up and forget, or forsake the ways of their own people, for the ways of their conquerors.
Satan uses the same strategy with children today. GOD is the one who places the spirit and souls in our bodies. When a child is conceived, GOD places everything within that child to fulfill the purpose that GOD has for their life. So, Satan attempts to derail the child from that purpose as soon as possible.
Another way Satan steals children is thru lost innocence. He does it thru types of abuse. Emotional and physical abuse oftentimes starts in the very place the child should feel the most protected, in the home. Life can be hard. Unfortunately, sometimes parents take out their hardships on their kids. They can be overly critical, intimidating, and humiliating to their children. When that’s done, it can cause the child to feel rejected, and then they isolate themselves.
There is an old saying, “An idle mind, is the devil’s workshop.”
When the child is isolated, they begin thinking about what their parents said or did to them. They replay the event over and over in their mind. Satan will see the child in that state, and he will add additional bad thoughts to their mind. And before you know it, depression sets in, and the child has lost his joy.
I don’t want to spend much time on the other abuse that Satan uses to steal a child’s innocence, sexual abuse. There are so many unspeakable things that children are exposed to. Whether inside or outside the home, children are being targeted sexually.
Over the years, parents have developed sayings to remind their kids of the dangers of talking to strangers. Sayings like “Stay away from strangers, stranger danger, and you don’t want to end up on the milk carton.” (They used to place missing kids on milk cartons). These sayings were developed to help protect children from harm.
Fast-forward to today, children are being sex-trafficked, they watch inappropriate material online, and some are even being sexually groomed in schools. Even the cartoons aren’t safe. Years ago, a parent would be able to sit their child in front of the television to watch cartoons, while the parent did work around the house. They can’t do that now. No telling what’s on the television. But all of these things are done as avenues to steal innocence away from children.
GOD is very serious about those that harm children. In Proverbs 6: 16-17, “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood.”
To Kill
Satan wants to kill humanity, and over the years he has used the same strategy to carry it out. Satan doesn’t separate human beings into categories as we do. If an older person dies suddenly, some may say, “Well, at least they had a long life”. But when a child dies suddenly, most view it as tragic. Satan wants to kill humans as soon as possible.
We are all aware of the stories of Moses and Jesus, when the Pharoah and King Herod killed the boys two years and below, in order to prevent Moses and Jesus from completing their purpose in life. However, there were other stories of Satan causing babies to be put to death.
There are several references in the Old Testament referring to Molech. Molech was a false god that some would sacrifice their babies to on the outstretched hands of the statue. The bronze statue would be heated to extreme temperatures, and the babies would be placed on the scorching hands of the statues.
That is satanic!
Most of the time, the reason for the people sacrificing their babies was in order to receive a blessing of prosperity from that god. It’s amazing throughout history, civilizations in different times, and different regions, who had no knowledge of one another performed the same practice. Sure, the name of the gods changed, but the reason for the sacrifice was the same.
In Leviticus (20:2-5 KJV), GOD says not to perform this act, and HE explains the punishment that is to be done to the people who do it. Also, GOD goes even further, GOD says that the people of the land that hide their eyes from the man who does it, GOD will cut them off.
These practices are not of GOD, they’re satanic in nature. With the advances in technology, Satan is now able to convince humans to kill the babies before they’re able to breathe air. He comes immediately to take away the seed that was sown on the earth.
To Destroy
When people mention names like Columbine, Sandy Hook, and now Uvalde, what comes to mind? If you said school shootings, you would be correct. Satan uses people to kill children. Although the children and the teachers who were killed deserve respect and honor, I want to discuss the other lives that were destroyed; the shooters.
Out of respect for the families of the victims, I will not mention the shooters by name. However, just like they used tools to destroy many lives, they were also used as a tool by Satan. When you think about what they did, you see them as monsters. But have you ever asked, how did they get that way? It was step one of Satan’s tactics; to steal.
There were several things the shooters all had in common, they were picked on, they felt rejected, and they isolated themselves. This is exactly how Satan destroys, isolation. They stayed among themselves, rehearsing the wrongs that were done to them, and then Satan came in and convinced them to act on their pain. Satan convinced them that their lives were already destroyed, and he then convinced them to destroy the lives of others.
An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
Like the Pied Piper, Satan wants to kill, manipulate, isolate, and destroy our children. As adults, we must be aware of the tricks that Satan has used in the past, in order to save our children today. Remember, he uses the same tricks, but he disguises them differently.
You may be surprised, but there is still child sacrifice taking place today. Some people are looking to witch doctors for prosperity, and in return, the witch doctor asks them for certain body parts of children. Yes, these practices are mostly taking place in undeveloped and third-world countries. But what about in developed countries, where doctors perform partial-birth abortions? Several years ago, there were people from a very popular organization, caught on video discussing the sale of baby body parts.
Same old devil, same old tricks.
We as the body of Christ must stand against Satan and all his tricks. We must protect our children from Satan from the womb to adulthood. We must raise them in the ways of the Lord. That means we must also live a Godly lifestyle before them.
We need to protect our children from predators that are trying to take their innocence on the streets, and on television. That means we need to protect them at home, and at school. We have to show them how to interact with others, how to vote, and how to serve GOD. Keep the children far away from all forms of the ways of Molech.
Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world!
I will let the Bible have the final word, as to what GOD thinks of the children and those who harm them.
“I knew you before you were formed within your mother’s womb; before you were born I sanctified you and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.” (Jeremiah 1:5 KJV)
Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not: Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people. (Leviticus 20:2-5 KJV)
G. Ed Wyche