Wise as Serpents

I originally wrote the post below on Sept. 22, 2014 when my husband and I were searching for a new home (moving from Caldwell, ID and eventually to Cascade, ID - we now live in WA). I was thinking of it yesterday and realized how I could apply it to what it going on in today's increasing violent society.  Every day we read in the news of mass shooting, road rage turned deadly, and children being brutally tortured and murdered. Men, women, and even children are becoming more violent as Satan rages.  We are close to the end of this planet's life and Satan knows it so he and his demons are increasing their oppressive and possessive ways.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:12-13

In Matthew 10:16 Jesus says, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." While the verse in its entirety is important, I want to focus on being "wise as serpents."  I am not trying to instill fear in anyone, but we need to pray for discernment and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's warnings every time we leave our home.  As you will see in the blog I wrote almost 7 years ago, God does indeed give you a check in your spirit when a situation is not safe.  Therefore, we need to use wisdom and heed the Holy Spirit's warnings and walk away when He tells us to.  God will give His angels to protect those who FAITHFULLY serve Him (Psalm 91:11), but we are not to be foolish. You cannot intentionally delve into a dangerous situation and arrogantly say God will save you. Yes, God has miraculously protected many, many missionaries and pastors in life threatening situations, but they were working for the Lord at the time.  God wants us to use wisdom not just spiritually (which is what Matthew 10:6 is about), but also in every day situations.  He does not want us or our loved ones to suffer because we stubbornly refuse to listen to the instincts He graciously instills in us.  

In Matthew 24:12, Jesus  tells us that in the last days that, "because iniquity [sin] shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."  Because people are growing colder toward the Lord, the ice in their hearts is making them dangerous to all around them.  They are more susceptible to Satan's influences.  Therefore, we must be better armored for God.  I will be writing a new series soon on the full armor of God, breaking it down piece by piece, so I will not say more on that subject at this time.  Instead, I will move in to the post I mentioned.

Anyway, here is the original post, once titled "Listen to God's Voice" (with a few edits):

Mel and I have been looking at places to live the last few weeks.  We are on a limited budget until I find another job. One of the things we do before we leave the house is pray that God will give us discernment about the people and the property.  On our trip to Twin Falls, ID, we both had a very strong sense that the people showing us the first room they had for rent were full of deceit.  We still chose to see the second property since we drove approximately three hours down there.  While at the second place, I had an overwhelming sense this was not a safe place. I had the strongest urge I have ever had  that we were in danger; we needed to get out of that apartment!  I even stood with my hand on the doorknob while Mel looked at the bathroom because I felt such a strong need to bolt.  Some of you may call this intuition, but Christians can call it God's Voice.  The Holy Spirit will speak to you, guide you, and give you warnings if you are willing to listen. 

 

The funny thing is that when I took the picture that I used for this post's meme, I was not even aware that I was taking a picture of the sign.  I was trying to take a picture of a large bird that was flying overhead.  When we got home that evening and I was downloading the pictures, I had to laugh when I saw the "Wrong Way" sign.  If I was not certain that apartment Twin Falls was the wrong place before then, I sure got the message when I saw that picture! (Updated note: Shortly after we moved to a different city - I don't remember the exact time frame - there was major gun violence in that same neighborhood where we had been looking to rent.  In fact, I just found an article stating that "Twin Falls, Idaho is More Dangerous Than Most U.S. Cities." https://247wallst.com/city/why-twin-falls-idaho-is-more-dangerous-than-most-u-s-cities/  )

 

It may seem as if I do not have any grand advice or point today, but I am simply reminding you to pray before making any kind of decision.  Pray for wisdom, discernment, and even signs. Be willing to believe that God communicates with us in many different forms if we are sensitive to His Holy Spirit.  Heed all warnings and take them seriously.  You never know when turning around when God says, "Wrong Way" will save your life!  Discuss all feelings with your spouse, no matter how insignificant because you very well may be confirming each other’s feelings.  It will be much easier to make a decision knowing what your mate is feeling.  God will often give couples the same discernment so your experiences can be confirmed. 

 

We are going to be looking at another potential apartment later this week, and believe me, we are already praying before we head out the door.  And we will be closely paying attention to anything God has to say about the landlord, the room, and the location!

 

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  John 10:27

 

Religion Versus Relationship

As we have been speaking with others about the Lord, a common thread keeps reappearing as we realize that most seekers have the same types of doubts.  The below discussion is based on a conglomeration of several encounters blended into one. 

“I know all about God,” he insists, “I know all about religion.  In fact, I was married in an Assembly of God Church, and I’ve been a Lutheran, a Mormon, and even a Catholic, but I don’t go to church any more.  I’ve read the Book of Mormon, The Koran, and The Talmud, so I know what you’re talking about.  Jesus was just a good man, and there are many different gods, but none of them are for me.  Oh, I’m not an atheist; I just don’t think any god cares about me so I don’t care about any one god.”

We are not into religion, but into a relationship with Jesus Christ, the only way to salvation.  Jesus loves you and wants you to accept Him as your Savior.  It is okay to ask the tough questions because God wants us to seek His face and make an intelligent decision when we choose Him for our Lord.

“But how do you know your way is the right way?” he taunts, “Jesus was just one of many good men.  There are many other good men too.  Why should I choose your way?”

Because Jesus died on the cross for your sins.  No one else has done that for you.  He chose to leave Heaven and suffer a horrible death to pay the price for your sins.  He rose again from the grave so that you may also have eternal life. Did Joseph Smith, Buddha, or Mohammed do that for you?

Unmoved by the love of Christ, the next question is, “If Jesus is all-powerful, then why did He need to go to the cross?  Couldn’t He just simply choose to forgive my sins and just, well, do it from Heaven?”

There are things we cannot understand.  The Bible says Jesus had to repurchase us back from Satan.  On this side of life, we can never fully grasp why, but the Bible tells us that when we get to Heaven all will be made known and we will understand it all clearly.  The Bible says there are spiritual wars going on that we cannot see nor comprehend.  What we do know is that Jesus is our protector from a life spent in Hell and He is willing to send His angels to do battle for us when we live holy lives. 

“Humph!  If God is so wonderful, then why is there so much suffering?”

We live in a fallen world because God chose to give us free will, and man rebelled.  Adam and Eve chose their own selfish wants over fellowship with their Creator.  Adam and Eve betrayed this gift and chose to listen to the serpent’s lies rather than God’s warnings simply because the serpent’s lies were more appealing than God’s Truth.  This is why we live in a world full of death and tragedy, not because God is cruel, but because man chose to alienate us from God by using his free will out of the desire of wanting to be like God.  Humans do not want fellowship with God, nor do they want His advice, protection, or correction, they want to be gods!  They want to be independent.  They want to use their free will to do whatever they so please, then cry out, “God save me,” when it’s convenient.  Or curse at God even though they have made no effort to live a holy life and only pray when they want something. Therefore, suffering exists not because God is cruel, but because man chose to defy God.  Man caused this fallen world and the good suffer because of it. 

A few moments of silence from the antagonist, before asking, “Well, how do you even know this Jesus is real?  There are many myths and legends of virgin births and men who rose from the dead.  Why should I believe your Jesus is the only true story?”

Because of a historian named Flavius Josephus.  He was alive during the time of Christ and testified to all he saw.  His writings prove the Bible is real.

“I’m sure this guy was just some believer that wrote those things to make Jesus look good,” the scoffer insists.

No, Josephus was not a believer.  He was a famous historian that worked for several Caesars. In fact, he was an orthodox Jew who opposed Christianity, also called The Way back then.  If he could have disproved all the disciples had reported, he absolutely would have.

“Hmmm.”

You can look it up for yourself.  Do your own research; see what Josephus wrote.

A flicker of light shows in the person’s eyes, but soon is clouded over again as he says, “Well, I still say churches are all a bunch of nonsense.  They just want your money.  And most churches wouldn’t accept someone like me.”

The Lord spoke to us and told us to step away from churches a while ago.  Jesus in not about religion or the prosperity preachers, He is all about relationship.  Living a life set apart from sin and choosing to daily walk down paths of righteousness, having compassion for others, and serving those less fortunate, that’s what being a Christian is all about.

There is silence again.  The person on the other side of the fence is seriously contemplating all we have said, and we are fervently praying a seed has been planted.

Eventually we part ways on friendly terms, the other person refusing to admit we are right, but promising to think about all we have said.  Fair enough, that is all we ask, but please pick up a Bible and discover Jesus on your own, apart from what the false churches are teaching. 

We continue to pray for the people of our encounters, as we pray for you, our readers.  We pray for others to enter your life that will water the seeds we have planted.  Perhaps we are an answer to someone else’s prayer.  We pray God’s Truths will seep into the fibers of your soul so deep that you cannot let them go.  We pray God will grab a hold of your heart until you give in and grab ahold of His garment.  We pray for salvation and an eternal walk with the Lord. 

Do you accept or reject the love of Jesus

 If you ever went to church, chances are you have heard and even memorized John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  This is God's love in a teeny tiny nutshell.  God loves us, Jesus loves us, and even the Holy Spirit Loves us.  If you really stop and think this over, it should overwhelm, awe, and inspire you.  The love of the blessed trinity toward us cannot be measured and cannot even fully be explained enough for our finite minds to grasp.

God giving up His beloved Son was a huge sacrifice because He knew how much His Son would suffer when Jesus gave up His peaceful life in paradise.  Would any of us willingly give our child or loved one  over to be brutally beaten and murdered just to save someone else?  For me the person I love most in this world is my husband, Mel, and I selfishly would not give him up.  What makes this even more of a beautiful gift is that God knew His gracious son would be mocked in His ministry not only while He walked the earth but every single day before and after.  Few would believe and receive such an amazing gift.  Yet, even in this foreknowledge, the Father and Son still gave us the death on the cross to save all who would receive it, even though few will (Matthew 22:14 & Romans 9:27).  Salvation is a free gift willingly offered at a bloody price, but we must actively choose to accept it in order to obtain it and we must strive to live holy lives in order not to lose our salvation and fall away from Christ (Luke 8:13, II Thessalonians 2:3, II Peter 3:17, Revelation chapters 2 and 3, to name just a few verses).

Philippians 2 paints us a beautiful picture of Jesus' love for us: 

Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2: 5-8

Even though Jesus allowed Himself to be tortured to death just to save our souls from hell, this un-matchless gift has rarely been fully understood.  And worse yet, has rarely been reciprocated.  Isaiah 53 explains it so perfectly:

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  Isaiah 53:3 & 6

Yes, we say we love Jesus, we sing pretty songs and call ourselves Christians, we even go to church or stream it online.  We practice good works and treat one another with kindness in the name of Jesus, but showing our love for Jesus is so much more that that. 

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 7:21

Yes, faith without works is dead (read James chapter 2), but we still need to honor the Lord with morality as well as kindness toward others or our our hearts will be considered far from Jesus. 

He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, "This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." Mark 7:6

We say we love the Lord, but we refuse to follow down the paths of righteousness.  No one is capable of being perfect, but few even strive for holiness anymore.  Those who preach holiness are called judgmental and legalistic, even though we preach our messages from Jesus' own words (and from the Books of the Bible directly inspired by the Holy Spirit). 

He that saith, "I know him," and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2:4

How can we say we love Jesus when we refuse to do what is right?  According to Mark, 1 John and other verses, we are all hypocrites and liars when we actively rebel against the laws of Jesus Christ.

When we can read the list of actions that will keep us out of the Kingdom of God* but pick and choose what we will and will not obey, we are rejecting the most beautiful gift we have ever been given (*these lists will be at the end of this post).  

Let's face it, we have all been there and nobody likes to love and not be loved in return.  Yet whether that person is the object of infatuation or a family member, the feeling of rejection cannot even come close to comparing how God must feel when we willingly slap Him in the face by saying we will not humble ourselves and bow our will to His own.  If you say you love your spouse you would never, ever cheat on him/her.  Yet when we say we love Jesus but we let our souls rot in front of ungodly television shows, go to bars, watch pornography, lie, cheat, steal, etc., then our love is every bit as tainted as the person who actively cheats on their spouse.

Today is the day to choose to accept the love of the Lord by honoring Him with your life style.  It is never too late to give your life to Christ and ask for forgiveness of your sins either for the first time or to rededicate your life to the Lord and repeat your first works of salvation (see Revelation 2:5).  

For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. II Corinthians 6:2

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15    

Jesus is waiting with arms open wide, please won't you accept His precious gift of salvation and eternal life?

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:8