In the animal world, wolves, sharks and the big cats are categorized as predators. Some birds, such as hawks and eagles, also are predators. They prey on live animals and simply stated, kill their prey in order to eat it.

When working missions in Africa, I had several opportunities to go places where there were big animals. In Kenya and Tanzania, many times I saw the big cats such as lions, leopards and cheetahs stalking their prey. I never actually witnessed a “kill,” but several times saw the results of one.

I well remember seeing a wildebeest being devoured by a pride of lions in Tsavo West in Kenya. Six full grown lions were on their bellies gorging themselves, surrounding the bloody carcass of the wildebeest.

There is a pecking order in the wild. Female lions made the kill. Then the rest of the pride comes for dinner. After they finished, the hyenas show up for lunch and then the vultures come in to clean up the mess.

This sounds pretty gruesome, but it is a fact of the animal world. Our house cat is a predator. A few times when The Bearcat has ventured out at night to prowl the forest surrounding our home, he has come in the next morning with the remains of a dead mouse or other vermin. Other cats we had when living on the farm brought in snakes or lizards to share with us.

In today’s world, the term predator takes on an entirely new meaning. The 21st century predator walks on two legs and uses a computer or other media to stalk his prey.

Predators today prey on ignorance and a trusting people. A few weeks ago, I wrote and published the article, “God made electrons and galaxies.” The gist of the article concerned the concept that those promoting the use of electric vehicles, mowers and tools are using the fact that many do not understand the technicalities of electricity production, storage and the actual use thereof.

The electricity to charge the batteries of an electric car has to have a source and that source is a generator. The generator has to have a source of power, and that power is in many cases — coal or nuclear, thus presenting another environmental problem. The fossil fuel required to produce the electricity is usually greater than that consumed by internal combustion engines in gas or diesel vehicles.

I received an email from a reader and she stated, “I did not fully understand the part about electricity, but I did get the point.” I emailed her back and told her, “It’s good you didn’t see it before Margie simplified it.” Electricity can be complicated!

I must restate, “Predators today prey on ignorance and a trusting public!” Keep in mind, ignorant doesn’t mean stupid; it simply means someone is not aware of certain information. We are all ignorant of many subjects.

I have a friend who, when buying a product, asks a question to which he knows the answer. If the salesperson lies to him, he knows the lies will be told concerning other information. But it is not always this easy to identify the predator.

The online predators that take advantage of an unsuspecting prey, especially children, are abundant. Parents who actually care about their children must monitor their computer usage to keep them from falling for one of the many schemes perpetrated by these predators.

Another type of predator is the religious predator.

Beliefs and opinions vary greatly in the world concerning religion. One trait we all have in common concerning our religious ideas and strongly believe is that, “I am right and everyone else is wrong.” Keep in mind everyone is an infidel to someone. An infidel is someone adhering to no religion or another religion other than one’s own.

Jesus stated numerous times, “Beware of false prophets (teachers) for they will deceive many.” In just one chapter in Matthew, chapter 24, Jesus made this statement three times. In verses four, 11 and 24, Jesus warned us.

I am convinced there is a Creator God and the Holy Bible is His word/mind revealed to us. Being skeptical as I am, convincing me of anything is difficult at best. However, with the fulfilled prophesy and the science in the Bible, the Bible is truly the inspired and divine word of our Creator. A Creator is the only reasonable explanation for why we exist.

So what is the truth to counter the false prophets and religious predators? The Bible states that Jesus was and is God (John 1: 1) and He was/is the creator of all things (John 1: 3, Colossians 1: 16).

This concept of a Creator God and Him being our savior is simple enough to understand. Yet the religious predators target their victims by complicating this simple Gospel. If they can manage to tangle the facts, many will fall for their words and be led astray.

As with most every clandestine effort, the bottom line is stated in terms of money. Once those unsuspecting souls are convinced, the demand for money is presented. In some cases, eternal damnation is certain if one does not get out the check book and cough it up.

We must be wary and vigilant in this world of lies and deceit more than ever. The predators believe they must work smart, not hard, and that is to prey on ignorance and trust.

The simple Gospel is, Christ Jesus was crucified for the remission of sin and resurrected. Salvation for the human soul is a simple faith-based belief in this truth.

We have choices to make and what we believe is one of those choices. Another choice is to be careful what we fall for. The predators are alive and well and there is no stopping them until Jesus returns. So, be alert and aware! They’ll soon be coming for you!