Pick up Snakes?

Pick up Snakes?

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19 KJV

¹⁵ And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. ¹⁶ He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; ¹⁸ they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

¹⁹ So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.   Mark 16:15-20 NKJV

“Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.” Psalms 91:13 KJV

¹ Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. ² And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. ³ But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. ⁴ So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.” ⁵ But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. ⁶ However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

⁷ In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. ⁸ And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. ⁹ So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. ¹⁰ They also honored us in many ways; and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary. Acts 28:1-10 NKJV

You can’t deceive God

You can’t deceive God

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7 KJV

       You cannot deceive God. Whether you like it or not, nothing can be hidden from Him. He sees everything! He witnesses every time that a man is unfaithful to his wife because of a lust problem. He witnesses every “stolen cookie moment.” He witnesses every young adult that commits fornication. He sees each man in the act of viewing pornography. He watches each young woman that is leading His men astray. He watches our painful battles.

You cannot hide anything from God, but you can steal from Him.

“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.” Malachi 3:8 KJV

     Many people steal from God and each other all the time. Each time someone refuses to pay his tithe, he steals from God. Likewise, each time a man looks lustfully at a woman he steals something that belongs only to the husband, or future husband, of that woman; and he sins against God.

      Yet it the midst of all these problems, God has sent us His Son. And you know what? God accepts the blood of His only Son as full payment for our debts, our sins,  our transgressions. Christ Jesus’ veins never run dry!

Be still and know that HE is God.

(Psalm 46:10, Ecclesiastes 8:12, & Exodus 9:30)

In our own strength

In our own strength

      In our own strength let’s face it: we really don’t do anything of value. We can earn rewards, medals, treasures, wealth, etc…, but none of those things really have any eternal value in and of themselves. O sure we are excited and filled with pride for a short while, but it doesn’t last: it is temporal.

 Life isn’t about self-confidence or believing in yourself: Life is about following Jesus! When we acknowledge that we are no more than a wretch and that without Christ we are nothing we come to a point of true humility. Pride isn’t healthy—Biblically there is no proof to take pride in yourself. Biblically, we are to acknowledge God as Master of all things; we are to work as unto Him, doing our best; and acknowledge that our works are not perfect, because we are imperfect.

It is all about Him, not us!

 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Mark 16:15-18 KJV

A Leader – the greatest servant

A Leader – the greatest servant

        Jesus taught that the greatest must first be the least (Matthew 20:26); they must be the servant of all if they wish to be great. Why are we to serve others? Because it is the character and teaching of Christ. Christ was the world’s greatest servant, teacher, and lover. Christ loved with an authentic love and because He was love and laid His life down for sinners. He laid down his life.

How can you serve? Service, true Christ-like service; is the only way to be a leader in the Kingdom of God.

“…Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be the servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:42-43 KJV (also check out Matt. 20:26)

Be Careful

Be Careful

“When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.” Proverbs 26:25-26 KJV

      This passage warns about charming speech. Many a young woman believes that a “prince charming” will appear one day and sweep her off her feet. The problem is that this notion is a fantasy and certainly has no Biblical basis; instead it is rooted in a cartoon world of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, not to mention Sleeping Beauty.

        God loves us, and He desires to protect His daughters and His sons. One warning that the Lord gives us, as He a spoke through Solomon, is that charm is really of no value. Charm is a deceptive tool, in most instances. However, the young man who is living in the Lord’s will and yet appears to be charming to the young women in his  fellowship is quite different issue. Young women and men should “keep their eyes open” for the young man or woman who is following the Lord, not for charm.