Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Mathew 10:16.
Jesus wanted his disciples to know the dangers of going out preaching his messages among those that would do them harm. On the other hand, he wanted them to do it with his own love and compassion. I am sure that they didn't always find that an easy task. How do you and do that today?
Satan is introduced at very close to the beginning of creation as a serpent. We don't really know how close to creation, itself, but we find him in the garden, tempting Eve with the fruit that God told her not to eat. Genesis 3:1-25
He knew he could get her to do that. He just had to lie and make her fall for it. And his plan worked. Soon he not only had her disobeying God but Adam as well.
Serpents or snakes can be dangerous. They have been one of the most plentiful creatures the earth has known. Found most everywhere and in great quantities where they live. Many are, as we know, very dangerous They are sometimes well hidden so that before we know it, we can be right in their territory only to get bitten as they strike at us. They can poison and kill us within minutes. Some can squeeze the very life from our bodies.
The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corthianians 11:3 that just as Eve was deceived by the serpents cunning, we can be lead away from our devotion to Christ.
We know that there are many many and I mean many, dangerous and cunning people that live in this world with us. Many of them would love to get us to doubt enough in our faith so that we would throw in the towel in our relationship with Jesus and turn from him altogether. Maybe some before it even begins or xome even turn from him years after they have even lived for him.
There are those that put up a front of "religion" that are really what we call CULTS. Getting those to come in that want to belong. That need something, or someone, those that have led lives that have never had the things or people in their lives that we all need. It is only when they are in and sometimes programmed to believe the serpent's lie, that they sometimes cannot get out, do not want to get out or are in danger trying to get out. Many do not even know they have been lied to.
The serpent has convinced many people that Christianity is nothing but fables made up by man, good for nothing except to a weak mind that needs a crutch because they believe that they are too strong for such silliness and thinks of it themselves as nothing but hogwash. They are dangerous because they can talk even those people that want to know more about Christ, right out of not believing that he and a relationship with him are very real. That sin is very real.
Then there are those serpents that would go farther and just kill us on sight. Those in countries that have and will throw God's people into prison or behead them.
Aren't we glad we aren't in those countries (us that live in the US) that don't have to be concerned with such violence in our own faith?
Oh, but we do. From the Ku Klux Klan that still operates today to abortionists that kill our innocent babies and on and on it goes. These are the kind of serpents we find in not only our country but the world. Along with those that behead and throw Christians in prison. Oh yes, the serpents are in our country. They are everywhere. They are just disguised as people or theologies or institutions or whatever, that looks like one thing but are really something else. Something evil.
Scary? Sure. So what do we do? Ignore them? No. Mathew 10:16 says to be wise as serpents but gentle as doves. We need to be as wise as they are. Know what they are. Know where they are. Know what they do. Learn how to discern them. Learn how we can avoid them. Learn how to defend ourselves. Learn too how others can defend themselves against them. Teach them about Jesus their defender. And yet be gentle in how we teach them.
One day all the deception by the serpent satan will end. The wolves will no longer be ready to pounce. God promises us a hope and a future, one that will help and not harm us in Jeremiah 29:11. In the meantime, we have the Lamb who had sent us the Holy Spirit (the Dove) to teach us all things and to be our comfort throughout what we go through here. Jesus knew what we needed and he sent his own disciples out with that knowledge as well. We too, need to learn how to go and do his work just as he did. As wise as any serpent or any evil that exists, but gentle as he is. Therein lies our hope. Please come back tomorrow for part 2.
The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corthianians 11:3 that just as Eve was deceived by the serpents cunning, we can be lead away from our devotion to Christ.
We know that there are many many and I mean many, dangerous and cunning people that live in this world with us. Many of them would love to get us to doubt enough in our faith so that we would throw in the towel in our relationship with Jesus and turn from him altogether. Maybe some before it even begins or xome even turn from him years after they have even lived for him.
There are those that put up a front of "religion" that are really what we call CULTS. Getting those to come in that want to belong. That need something, or someone, those that have led lives that have never had the things or people in their lives that we all need. It is only when they are in and sometimes programmed to believe the serpent's lie, that they sometimes cannot get out, do not want to get out or are in danger trying to get out. Many do not even know they have been lied to.
The serpent has convinced many people that Christianity is nothing but fables made up by man, good for nothing except to a weak mind that needs a crutch because they believe that they are too strong for such silliness and thinks of it themselves as nothing but hogwash. They are dangerous because they can talk even those people that want to know more about Christ, right out of not believing that he and a relationship with him are very real. That sin is very real.
Then there are those serpents that would go farther and just kill us on sight. Those in countries that have and will throw God's people into prison or behead them.
Aren't we glad we aren't in those countries (us that live in the US) that don't have to be concerned with such violence in our own faith?
Oh, but we do. From the Ku Klux Klan that still operates today to abortionists that kill our innocent babies and on and on it goes. These are the kind of serpents we find in not only our country but the world. Along with those that behead and throw Christians in prison. Oh yes, the serpents are in our country. They are everywhere. They are just disguised as people or theologies or institutions or whatever, that looks like one thing but are really something else. Something evil.
Scary? Sure. So what do we do? Ignore them? No. Mathew 10:16 says to be wise as serpents but gentle as doves. We need to be as wise as they are. Know what they are. Know where they are. Know what they do. Learn how to discern them. Learn how we can avoid them. Learn how to defend ourselves. Learn too how others can defend themselves against them. Teach them about Jesus their defender. And yet be gentle in how we teach them.
One day all the deception by the serpent satan will end. The wolves will no longer be ready to pounce. God promises us a hope and a future, one that will help and not harm us in Jeremiah 29:11. In the meantime, we have the Lamb who had sent us the Holy Spirit (the Dove) to teach us all things and to be our comfort throughout what we go through here. Jesus knew what we needed and he sent his own disciples out with that knowledge as well. We too, need to learn how to go and do his work just as he did. As wise as any serpent or any evil that exists, but gentle as he is. Therein lies our hope. Please come back tomorrow for part 2.
Thanks for coming today my Friends. Many blessings to you and yours!
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