Hot Sauce That's Hotter Than Your Girlfriend

So I think I'll begin today's blog with a riddle..... Good luck!

A young man walks into a public restroom. Realizing he's alone, and wanting to preserve his privacy should another enter, he decides it wise to step up to the furthest most urinal in the restroom. Standing there between those sea foam green dividers he looks down in preparation for the unzipping. In doing so he catches a view of the stall floor next to him. Expecting to see nothing more than a set of ankles with pants bunched up around them, he's suddenly startled. There, lying on the cold tile of that stall floor, face down, eyes closed, mouth bleeding and motionless.... is a teenage boy.

What happened?......... Any ideas? Give up?

Okay, so here's the story. A few weeks back my companion and I decided we'd head out to Buffalo and spend our preparation day with the elders out there. Prior to this trip I'd heard some buzz about this "special" hot sauce all the missionaries out there had been eating and that upon our arrival we'd have the opportunity of trying it as well. So that morning we show up at the Buffalo chapel and sure enough, first thing we're invited to do is try the hot sauce.

So I don't know about you, but when I hear hot sauce I'm thinking tacos or burritos and definitely not whole wheat bread or hot dog bun. So it's only natural that I'd be a bit skeptical when presented with a hot sauce covered bread crumb and invited to "dig in". Figuring something is up, and that this hot sauce is more than what it seems, I decline the ever so tempting offer.

Fast forward 15 minutes- After a brief game of basketball I head to the bathroom to relieve myself and to my surprise....(story coming together now?) This 18 year old kid, expecting nothing more than a fun day of basketball with the missionaries is now internally bleeding and out cold on the bathroom floor.

So I'll ask again, what happened? Well it wasn't a knock to the head, it wasn't dehydration and it definitely wasn't fatigue. Rather, a simple invitation to eat an unsuspecting, hot sauce covered, crumb of whole wheat bread. Harmless right?

"And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance."

"And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God."

Harmless is Satan's middle name! And telling us that commiting "a little sin" is harmless, is his oldest trick. These sins at times can appear as unsuspecting as that bread crumb and single drop of hot sauce, but ultimately can leave us spiritually knocked out. True freedom comes only through living the gospel of Jesus Christ.