Shake the Deadly Snake

 

Pretty, and dangerous

"We must not part with sin, as with a friend, with a purpose to see it again and to have the same familiarity with it as before or possibly greater ... We must shake our hands of it as Paul did shake the viper off his hand into the fire" Erwin Lutzer

This quote had my mind racing in multiple directions, with a couple of questions, and some Bible story remembrances:

1. Has sin been my friend?

2. Do I part with it only to pick it up again and reengage?

3. The story of Paul on a beach on the island of Melita (Malta) after surviving a ship wreck, collecting kindling and being bitten, only to shake the deadly snake into the fire!

4. The natives thought Paul was a god, but alas, he was a messenger of the living God.

Let's take a closer look together:

And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand (Acts 28:1-4).

I always found this story exciting, but today I am astounded anew! For the purposes of time saving, I simply cannot recount how heroic, brave and wise Paul was on the ship prior to the wreck: you must go into Acts yourself to experience the wonder of his presence in the midst of chaos. Suffice it to say, that Paul had a peace that truly does surpass all understanding And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). I will say this ... Paul was being transported for trial in Italy, and yet, he treated all with kindness, and a love that is worthy of aspiration. 

Going back to Acts 28:1-4

• They escaped ~ everyone on that ship survived because they finally listened to Paul
• They landed on Malta
• The people were barbarous according to the Romans. The islanders were far from barbaric, showing much kindness by kindling a fire, and receiving each of the men, sailors and prisoners alike, that had been on that ship
• The men were already wet, it was raining and cold. They had endured life threatening conditions for an extended period of time 

Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire ... dear reader, what kind of stuff is this man made of? Where is the limit to his energy, inclination, devotion, and desire to serve? In this vignette, we see a man thinking of others, admiring others, appreciating the Maltese for welcoming strangers with grace. And yet, it is Paul that is hard to ignore. He is Christlike and I cannot help but hope, to be like Him too ...

... there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand ... slithery snakes hide in the most dangerous places, don't they? A fire was built and Paul was adding sticks to keep it aflame. Out of the heat, a viper fastens to his hand: fascinating!

And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm (Acts 28: 4-6).

• I am picturing the faces of the witnesses, seeing a venomous beast hanging by it's fangs, from Paul's hand!
• The islanders believed in the universal law of sowing and reaping. They assumed that while the man survived a shipwreck, clearly the snake bite and pending death by venom, was a natural consequence for being a murderer. You get what you give ... vengeance suffereth not to live
• One good shake and the deadly snake was returned from whence he had come. This has me thinking about my sin, and how important it is to know that when it tries to sink it's fangs into me and spread poison, I can shake it off and send it back to the hell fire from which it came 
• ... and felt no harm we cannot be injured by something that does not have a hold on us, dear one. Paul saw the snake for what it was, a harmless beast that had no power to persuade him to feel weak, subjected, or swayed into swooning!

Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he is a god (Acts 28:6).

This is just plain old fun to read and suss out, dear one! How very exciting and as I said above, astounding, to envision this scene. Imagine the facial expressions of the islanders, watching, waiting, anticipating what they had witnessed before! They knew the viper was venomous and they knew from previous experience, what to look for ... swelling, and falling down dead. When they did not see this after a great while, and saw no harm come to him ... they:

• changed their minds
• and said he is a god

Life shipwrecked

Paul went from probable murderer, to a perceived god in a very short time span. There is an interesting point in this that I nearly missed: people really do believe that God has power over life and death. People really do believe that their sins are damning, and that we must pay for them, even when we sometimes, and perhaps often, (think of a life shipwrecked many times over) get a free pass. Eventually, there is a comeuppance, where we must pay for our past. Paul is a wonderful example of not only surviving his wicked past, but being a messenger of the saving grace that God bestows on all, because let us face the facts; you and I ought to have died long ago from all those snake bites we somehow survived, which takes us to the rest of this story. 

Paul stays on the island for three months. Three days into his stay, he prays over the ailing, starting with the father of the chief, who lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux (Acts 28:8). He heals many more, but the point is, God had him begin with the most influential, those that should have been able to connect with their "gods" and be healed. This is important to note: there is only one God, and Paul demonstrated to the islanders that prayer to the living God, with faith in His healing power, is all they needed and, dear one, He is all we need too.

I am going to the top of this writing piece, to answer these questions, and I invite you to do the same:

1. Has sin been my friend?

2. Do I part with it only to pick it up again and reengage?

1. I do believe sin has been my friend in the past. There were things I knew weren't right in God's sight, but I disobediently did them anyway (because I liked them), only to suffer remorse with promises to him that I would never do them again, and yet I did! When I look back on the things that appealed to me then, I am relieved to say that they no longer attract me. Now, when a venomous sin viper attempts to attach itself to my hand and fill me will poison, I shake him back into the hell fire more quickly than ever before! I'm not perfect, but I am progressing. 

2. Yes, the pattern of parting with sin and picking back up again was me, and sometimes still is, but less and less. The more time I spend with God, the less appealing sin becomes. 

The Maltese were exposed to a godly man. Godly people direct others to the Sovereign, not to themselves. I will end with this guiding principle, as a way for us to stay the course of living sin free, by resisting ungodly company, and by delighting in the law of the LORD. 

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he mediate day and night (Psalm 1:1-2).

Covenant & Common Christian Sense

For this is the new covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people (Hebrews 8:10).

Common Christian sense, dear one, is what comes to my mind when I read scripture, with the God soaked truth resonating soundly in my soul. The law of the Lord, is written in the hearts of his people, and to those that belong to him, he is their God. Does this, make sense to you? Do you know the law of God and abide, because it is lyrical to your ears, and a song in your heart? When you read about the gospel covenant, assigned by God, and enlivened in us by him too, do your thoughts ignite with brilliant light, as a follower of Christ? 

Read now, what happens in the being of believers, according to Matthew Henry: 

God articles with his people that he will put his laws into their minds and write them in their hearts, v. 10. He once wrote his laws to them; now he will write his laws in them; that is, he will give them understanding to know, and to believe his law; he will give them memories to retain them; he will give them hearts to love them and consciences to recognize them; he will give them courage to profess them and power to put them in practice; the whole habit and frame of their souls shall be a table and transcript of the law of God. This is the foundation of the covenant; and, when this is laid, duty will be done wisely, sincerely, readily, easily, resolutely, constantly, and comfortably, Matthew Henry's Commentary, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 743. 

The stone tables upon which the finger of God inscribed the ten commandments for an outward reminder to the Israelites, how to abide in the first covenant, has been replaced by God's law, written in the minds and echoing in the hearts, of his redeemed people, through Christ the Lord, our mediator. Moses foreshadowed the mediatory Saviour, and so did the covenant of old, now replaced by the gospel. What I love about Matthew Henry's commentary, is the list of gifts he records to edify readers, and reassure them that all we need, is lovingly provided by our Law Maker and soul preserver! 

He will give them:

Understanding to know, and believe his law

Memories to retain them

Hearts to love them

Consciences to recognize them

Courage to profess them

Power to put them in practice

Habit and form of our souls to be a table and transcript of the law of God

With this foundation laid, duty will be done:

Wisely, sincerely, readily, easily, resolutely, constantly, and comfortably.

What a relief dear one, to read the above. God equips his people and empowers too, so that we do not have to struggle, fuss, fight. When I am at a loss, and I pray, God, please do me a solid, he never fails to give me what I need to face a difficulty, or a challenge. It is to God I go, when an SOS is in order, and it is to him I go, to nuzzle in and feel loved up! 

Now look with me again, at Matthew Henry's commentary, in reference to God, being the God of his people: 

He articles with them to take them into a near and very honourable relation to himself. He will be to them a God; that is, he will be all that to them, and do all that for them, that God can be and do. Nothing more can be said in a thousand volumes than is comprehended in these few words: I will be a God to them. They shall be to him a people, to love, honour, observe, and obey him in all things, complying with his cautions, conforming to his commands, comporting with his providences, copying out his example, taking complacency in his favour. This those must do and will do who have God for their God; this they are bound to do as their part of the contract; this they shall do, for God will enable them to do it, as an evidence that he is their God and that they are his people; for it is God himself who first founds the relation, and then fills it up with grace suitable and sufficient, and helps them in their measure to fill it up with love, and duty; so that God engages both for himself and them, Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 743. 

Evidence of belonging to God can be looked for in others. We need not wonder - they are marked with a deep desire to:

Love, honour, observe, and obey him in all things. 

God's people: 

Comply with his cautions

Conform to his commands

Comport with his providences

Copy his example

Take complacency in his favour

Are filled with his grace, suitable and sufficient

And his love, giving us an awesome sense of duty

Christians know they have a part to play in the contractual agreement they have signed with the love of Christ in their mind, heart, and very soul. God is our everything, and we want to abide in all that is his, in every way possible. There must be evidence of the love of God in a Christian, and the law written in the mind and heart will be obvious, to those that do not know God and wander from his commands. It is a pleasure to be dutiful as a Christian, and it seems doleful to observes of Christ followers, that cannot comprehend why anyone would want to be a Christian. 

Lord, I want, to be a Christian, in my heart, in my heart... The Proclaimers wrote these lyrics and they echo the sentiments of those that love the Lord. Do these lyrics, dear one, echo your sentiments too? If not, here is a little god loving advice for you: 

Go to the foot of the cross and see the Saviour hanging there for your sins, and fall at his feet. Next, thank him for dying for you, and plead for forgiveness, and just as Christ resurrected on the third day to life eternal, you too, will go from death to life, in Christ the Lord of glory, AMEM. 

Clean As You Go

Pots and pans, encrusted with remnants from a meal recently cooked, need soaking in soapy water, and perhaps a little scrubbing, to get clean. I am a clean as I go kinda gal, since a messy kitchen can add unwanted mental strain, to a wanna-be chef extraordinaire. 

If left, without soaking, without light scrubbing, those pots and pans can turn into an annoying hour long cleaning event, to return them to spick and span ready, for the next bout of cooking. What could have been quick and easy, can turn into an activity that is unappealing, and feels like drudgery. 

Now look with me, dear one, at relationships, that are marked with remnants of unresolved issues, left to get crusty, to harden, and to mar intimacy and trust. Are you, a clean as you go kind of person? I am: I like to discuss, to rectify, to make clear, in order to get what stands between me, and someone I care about, out of the way. 

The olive branch can be light when first extended. The olive branch of peace is an offering that when accepted, reunites two, that may feel pulled ever so slightly apart. If the branch is never extended, never offered, and therefore, never accepted, the pulling apart continues, until the separation between two, is so great, there is never a path back to unity, in sight. 

What of someone that extends the branch, but the other refuses to accept, turns their back, and walks away? Have you had this happen to you? I have, and to say it is an unpleasant experience is an understatement, especially when previously, there was a lot of soul brushing and compassionate caring. 

I think of all the conversations that have never been had. I think of all the times that I haven't listened, or the times when someone hasn't listened to me, and how damaging this was to the fraying relationship. Drudgery again comes to mind, when I consider how impossible it has been to reconcile with some people, and conversely, how exciting and inviting too, it has been, to have heart to heart connections with people I feel are my others, in the resolving of minor or major, differences of opinion, perceptions, or points of view. There can be a meeting of the minds, but I find this to be a very rare and brilliant experience to have, and mostly, this happens for me, when I relate to God fearing, Bible believing, Christ adoring, Christians. 

The Bible is a make-no-mistake go to place. God is consistently God, and he is repetitive in the Word, because we learn by repetition. Repeatedly God gives instructions and repeatedly, we either ignore them, deny them, pretend they are something they are not; we misconstrue, we adapt, we adjust, and we accommodate ourselves and others in ways that suit our current beliefs, and all this while deviating from commands. We compromise ourselves, our very souls, when we deviate from his commands!

There isn't a human being that has not compromised their own integrity to accommodate someone, or a group of someones, that they want to please. One of the biggest insults I received from a personal training client, when I was a freshly minted entrepreneur, was to be called accommodating. That stung and stuck with me. I have had to really look at what this meant as it pertained to my character. As a daughter of strong minded and imposing parents, I know I have had to work extra hard to learn where they ended, and I began - in other words, I had to figure out what I believe, separate from outside influences. The Bible, has been my single best and forever teacher, and while I appreciate (generally speaking of course) the opinions and perspectives of other human beings, it is God that I want to please, and God that I trust to steer me in the right direction; accommodating the wants, the demands, the impositions of other humans, does not factor into my choices, nearly as much as it used to, and yet still, there is that desire we all have, to accommodate, so that we can connect with someone that seems out of reach. 

I love all of the Old Testament accounts of faithful men being fallen men. Recorded for posterity, we see men of God given his commands, and speaking to him directly, and then foolishly, compromising their relationship with him, because they just couldn't get past themselves! They just couldn't get past being friends with people that did not love, honour, and obey, God Almighty, despite all he had done for them!!! Man alive, is this not exactly how we are, as modern day humans, with old as sin souls?

Think with me:

Aaron, the first priest, crafted a golden calf for pagan worship

King David, took Bathsheba to please himself, and had her husband killed

King Solomon, David's son, worshipped idol gods, to please his heathen wives

These are just a few of the major missteps noted for our admonishment. When we go against God's will, there are repercussions: read The Bible and learn for yourself, what happened to these men, that disobeyed God's commands. God forgives those of us that repent, and dear one, we must all, repent. 

We return now to the clean up imagery, and I suggest to you, that there may be in your life, some pots and pans that are encrusted and need some soapy scrubbing attention. It may be that you have left them a little too long, and your attempts to get them sparkling again will require much elbow grease, but it is worth the effort, dear one. You do not want to throw out pots and pans that are of value, and worthy of the work... it other words: start a conversation with that certain someone that you care about, that you love, that you see is slipping away for want of knowing what you think and how you feel. It may be that they are hoping to hear from you, and that it is your turn, to make an effort to put things right. 

Conversations can be difficult to start, and daunting to consider, but it is in the communicating that critical change happens, and you have within your control, the ability to be the one, to start the flow of words, that cleanse away the ugly remnants, of misunderstanding. 

Following Crazy

I had a friend once, called Crazy. Crazy liked to take chances, and when Crazy decided on something, Crazy did the thang. Ain't no thang, is what Crazy used to say... but I suspected, it actually was a thang, I mean thing. 

Crazy talked a lot, and it didn't matter to Crazy what anyone else thought or had to say. Crazy could slant eye stare, without blinking, and it kinda reminded me of a slit-eyed snake; it was a sideways assessing type of stare glare, that gave me the willy's. Crazy didn't like anyone talking, other than him, and he talked loudly over anyone that did dare to speak when clearly, it was his turn, again. Somehow, it was always Crazy's turn to speak. 

Crazy thought everyone else was crazy, and not in the good kind of Crazy way he was. He knew he was different, and Ain't nobody worthy of comparison, he used to say. I am the best, better than all the rest, better than everyone really: that is what Crazy believed, and I hear tell, he still does. 

Have you heard of Crazy? Have you met him? He gets around, and seems to appear everywhere. I imagine this appeals to Crazy, being seen and heard are his favourite pastimes. Having a crowd around him gets his verbal juices flowing, and he never seems to run out of things to say, even if he has to repeat himself, and then repeat himself again. 

Crazy is grand, or is it grandiose? Sometimes I get the two ideas mixed up. Crazy would know the difference, I am sure: he knows everything, according to him. so I can't imagine he would be at all confused, on any topic, or any issue, or any word definitions! 

I wonder if following Crazy, where Crazy goes, and doing too, what Crazy does, makes a person crazy about Crazy? I suppose it does. Crazy is as Crazy does.... where did I hear that expression? I think it was some movie about forests and trees and stuff like that - anyways, it is neither here, nor there, the expression is fun to use, regardless of where it comes from.

Crazy and I used to be friends, I think I told you this earlier. Crazy stopped liking me though, because I didn't like what Crazy was saying, and I went out on a very thin limb, and told Crazy, I disagree. It didn't take but a moment for Crazy to call me a bunch of names, and I have to admit, I was a little shocked, since I had tiptoed around Crazy for a long time, and all it took was for me to disagree, for him to aim and shoot words, with insults, slurs, slights, and the like, all mixed up in there, with some accusations too. I had seen Crazy do this same thing to other people, but I thought we were friends and he would never do this to me? Imagine my surprise.

It has been quite a while since I last spoke to or saw Crazy, and I can't say that I miss him. I always felt a little, well, off balance or something, in his company. I never knew what he was going to say or do, and sometimes I would get embarrassed for him and myself, in front of people he said mean things to. I am sure you can understand why life is easier for me now, without Crazy, and how I just don't want that kind of a fella around. 

I have noticed there are lots of people that follow Crazy faithfully. I wonder, if they too, think he is a little too Crazy, at times? If Crazy asks them to do something they know is wrong, and they do it, are they diabolical, or copy-cat-crazies, that believe like he does, It ain't no thang. 

Crazy is as Crazy does, and if Crazy is your favourite guy, then you ought to expect some craziness in your life. 

NOTE: I have never met the nameless man in the picture, but I most certainly have, met people cut from the very same clothe.

Elusive Awesomeness

I am not bragging, except...

• My first time playing golf on a real course, I got a hole in one
• My first time attempting to water ski, I managed to ride the boat wake waves
• My first roll of a bowling ball, often results in a strike, without bumpers of course
• During my first game of pool in a pool hall, I put the cue behind my back, and the ball I was aiming for, went straight into the intended corner pocket
• As a petite, meaning short, grade schooler, I won first place in high jump

All of the above achievements, were much to my surprise, and some label this sort of thing, beginners luck. I like to pretend and joke, that I am naturally good at everything, thus the first time awesome results; and yet, after accidentally getting it right on try number one, I did notice that the second swing of the golf club, the second and third and fourth attempts at water skiing, the subsequent throwing of a bowling ball, along with shooting pool and attempting to win for a second year at high jump, did not yield similar results. There is an expression meant to encourage: When at first you don't succeed, try, try again. What happens when at first you do succeed, and trying again, makes the whole scenario go sideways, and you recognize, that initial success was a fluke, not talent; the first try did not exhibit skill; and there wasn't any natural ability displayed, that can be counted on in future endeavours. I don't like golf, bowling, pool, or high jump; I really liked water skiing though. I didn't have any expectations. or grandiose goals, that I had fixed my eyes upon when trying all of the above - all I had each first time, was an opportunity to attempt. As it turns out, my first go at many things, have been pleasant experiences, and I ask you, should I rest on my laurels, and just call myself a pro, because I did, accidentally, what many mean to accomplish purposefully, the first time around? 

I see that Donald Trump is an accidental president. I see that he says things that are despicable, and reportedly, always has; somehow, the words he speaks strike a chord in others, and it encourages him greatly, to continue to be a horrible, really horrible person. Except now, after much repetition, he has ingrained horrible into every ounce of his being, and Donnie is a wonderful example for us, of bad habits being hard to break, especially when there is absolutely no desire to change, and especially when a person sees themselves as perfect, the ultimate human, and the one everyone ought to envy and strive to be like. Should Dumpy Trumpy, rest on his laurels?

Awesomeness is elusive. Being really good at anything, takes a lot of practice. What are you really good at, dear one? If practice makes perfect, and someone perpetually practices mean spirited vitriolic venomous and vile speaking, does it not make perfect sense, that they have become proficient in their viciousness, and said viciousness, speaks volumes about who a person actually is? 

If you practice kindness, patience, virtue, gentility, generosity, and decide that this is the life you want to live in relation to other human beings, and you practice these behaviours without ceasing, doesn't it make perfect sense, that these behaviours become the traits by which you are recognized, and known? 

Character building requires much conscientious effort. I love that The Bible reminds readers, to work out their own salvation, with fear and trembling. Choosing to not steal, lie, cheat, get what we want at the expense of others, is unnatural: humans must be taught morals, empathy, and ethics. We must be taught right from wrong, and we must also be taught, that there are some things we must never say, or do. Practicing honesty, integrity, and fidelity, takes effort, and thankfully, there is a blessed yield in the results, and a heavenly reward, for those that rely not on their own strength, but the Holy Ghost power promised, to those that are in Christ, to resist temptation. 

Now I will get pointed: did Donald's first attempt at cruelty and vicious verbal assault, work out really well for him, giving him a sense that he is above reproach? And how about now: does he believe that he can continue, minus repercussions, with grotesque displays of insulting and demeaning others, no matter how embarrassing the comments? It appears to me, and perhaps to you too, that Trump believes he is entitled to continue to verbally vomit, and spew vulgarity in all directions, coating his devotees in sick, along with all those that have unfortunately, hitched their wagon to the wrong pony. 

I am a self-conscious kind of person. I self-assess, and cringe sometimes, when recalling some things I have said and done, as a professing Christian. I am not above reproach, nor am I in any way perfect, but I do have one thing going for me, that helps me remember to remain humble: the cross of Christ. I cannot look to Jesus without feeling that I have some work to do, to be more like him. I am saved by the grace of God, and I know the entrance price to heaven has already been paid for me with the blood of the perfect lamb, but I must not rest on my moral laurels. I must continue to improve, until the day I die, because my ultimate goal, is to hear these words spoken of me: Well done, good and faithful servant. 

You may think that I pick on Donald Trump, but I tell you, if I lived during the days of Herod, I would speak about him similarly. The puffed up with arrogance fellas are big balloons ready for popping, and Donald Trump now flabbergasts, agitates, irritates, the citizens of the United States of America, and rightly so. Rulers must be above reproach, as governors granted power by God, to rule righteously, honestly, fairly, and within the guidelines of the law. Donald does what he does for his own vainglory, and all else, is disregarded. 

As an accidental president, Trump is dangerously arrogant, and we have all heard the expression, pride comes before the fall. Don's days are numbered in countless ways, and I can see why so many are working hard, to disassociate from that bloated and sinking ship. 

Job 15:31

Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompense.

Psalm 62:9

Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.

Praying to Angels

There is some confusion, and there always has been, when humans have had close encounters with angels. The natural inclination is to be instantly awed by the celestial, and to bow down before them, and yet angels know who they are, and who is worship worthy, and they never accept what is due in honour, to God. 

Angels are God's messengers, his heavenly warrior host, and they are sent on missions on behalf of God's human creatures; isn't it delightful when we consider, how many times our bacon has been saved, from accident and injury, via a massive and mighty angel, interceding invisibly? You know that phew feeling of relief? when you could have had your guts splatted across the pavement after a narrow escape from an oncoming vehicle? Did you ever consider there was a heavenly being standing between you, and near death? If not, think on it now, and let the sense of being taken care of, lift the corners of your mouth, into a grin of appreciation!

Look with me to scripture: 

God putteth no trust in his holy ones, and he chargeth his angels with folly (Job 4:18). 

Now read with me what Matthew Henry has to say regarding Job 4:18, referencing angels, from his Commentary on The Bible, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 741: 

... though they are free from sin, yet are not in themselves free from all possibility of sinning. And therefore we read, God putteth no trust in his holy ones, and he chargeth his angels with folly (Job 4:18), that is, with weakness and peccability. They may be angels one hour, and devils another, as many of them were; and that the holy angels shall not now fall does not proceed from an indefectibility of nature, but from the election of God; they are elect angels. 

The angels that became devils, were defectors. The humans, created in the image of God, that deny the deity of Christ, are defectors too. 

Now follow with me, dear one, the logic I present. Why would you, why would I, worship an angel, or another human being, that is prone, and even inclined strongly, to sin? Look at yourself, are you perfect? Now look around you and perhaps chuckle a little, as you seek and try to find perfect in others. It is an impossibly, and yet, you will find it common practice, to see your fellow man, looking up to and praising, those that they deem higher than themselves. 

Humans must not look to humans as better than: this is a misplacing of trust, and a narrative that leads to the erosion of the soul, because we are fallible, and easily fraction when our plans do not come to fruition. See the world leaders and how they are fraying at the seams, when not long ago, they were hailed as the ones to save the masses from deadly viral destruction. Angels and humans, your dog, cat, and pet rat, are created beings, that are just like you, in the sense that you ought not be worshipped, prayed to, adored beyond reason, and infatuated with, and you know precisely why no one should put little old you on a pedestal of praise, don't you? 

You and I are well aware of how yucky we are on the inside, and how it shows up often on the outside. Each person has their own yuck, AND, there is none of this in Christ Jesus, none! 

I take again from Matthew Henry's Commentary: 

It is a difficult thing to keep ourselves pure, so as not to partake in the guilt of other men's sins, by contributing in some way towards them, or not doing what we ought to prevent them. Christ was undefiled; though he took upon him the guilt of our sins, yet he never involved himself in the fact or fault of them. 

Have you tried to keep yourself pure? If you have, then you acknowledge that you have been anything but, pure. The fact that we have to try means we are already smudged with the black coal coating of our own sin. Christ is pure, undefiled, holy, harmless, and gentle - can you say the same of yourself, anyone you know, any human creature you have come across? 

There is warfare going on all around us, and some of us are aware of this fact. You may be battling in your mind and heart this day, with something dark that demands dominance in your soul, and demeans you when you try to break free. God knows your struggles, he hears your moaning and sees your wreathing in physical and spiritual pain, and he does not want to leave you there, but he does command and demand allegiance from the creatures he hand crafted, and when you dare to go to an angel, or look to another human, to lift your burdens and alleviate your pain, he will not grant you soulful relief from your sufferings:

Now we know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshipper of God and doeth his will, him he heareth (John 9:31). 

And now for some revelation on the topic at hand: 

And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not; I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:9-10). 

The entire Bible points to Jesus as the Perfectly Pure One we must pray to as our mediator, the one that goes before us on our behalf, to the Father. The warnings in The Bible are great, regarding who not to pray to, what not to do, coupled with who we must obey, worship, and how we must live, holy as he is holy. We are pulled toward sinning, but we don't have to! The angels have free will too, and can fall from grace via sin, just as 1/3 did long ago and became devils, but they don't have to! 

With requests made earnestly to God through Jesus Christ the LORD, for the strength to resist the temptations we face to sin, we can be free to enjoy this life without besmirching our own soul with repugnant to God, sin. 

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew; but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he had on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS (Revelation 19:11-16).

Heaven opened to the apostle John for him to behold. The Bible is available for you to open, and behold. The armies of heaven follow the King of kings, the Lord of lords. If the angels follow him, clothed in fine white and clean linen, it makes perfect sense, dear fellow human being, for you and I, to follow suit. 

Cosmic Breadcrumbs

The hand of Providence is ever present, and it is was deep gratitude, that I reflect on what God has done for me, my family, and the new sisters and brothers I now know, that are in Christ Jesus. 

My morning routine is to write in a journal. While journalling, I share my thoughts, feelings, and observations, knowing that God reads my soul, long before ink soaks permanently into paper. Next, I go to his Word, and Matthew Henry's Commentary on The Bible, and it is there that I see how he has gone before me, how there isn't a fear, a doubt, a niggling concern, that is unbeknownst to him. God always, without fail, is waiting for me, just up ahead, hand extended, as I mentally meander and try to make sense of what I see and hear, out in the world. I am often overwhelmed with awe and sometimes feel remiss, when I realize how much he invests in each of us, and how rarely we recognize his Omnipresence and Omnipotence. 

We approach in unison, the seven year mark. The world came to a screeching halt in the grand and promising year, 2020. A massive universal plug was yanked, and the pause button was pushed and held in stuck position, for an extended period of time. Everything shifted, tilted, changed forever, and the righting of the listing ship of humanity, has yet to take place. The truth can be buried, but never for long, because Truth resurrected, and one cannot kill everlasting life. 

The truth is ugly to liars, self and other deceivers. When I have lied to myself, and convinced myself by trickery, to do what ought not to be done, I must look away from truth, sneak sideways glances and peaks at truth, but shamefully, looking truth square in the face, while I deviate from it, is an impossible feat. It is when I decide to stop the conniving and the self-convincing that I have done no wrong, that I start to see how I must reconcile with my own conscience, and in the dawning of truth, see the light of Christ. Covering my eyes does not shut out the realizations: they stay, and wait for me to catch up, and come clean before an all knowing, all mighty, God. 

So many lovely people that I talk to and I am getting to know, had a suspicion, an inkling, an alarm bell sounding in their soul, that warned, Do not; You mustn't; Stop, think, drop and roll... the fire's of hell licked at the feet of the unsure, and while the promises made by snake oil salesmen were not to be trusted, those that suspected the poison pushers, gambled with their own lives, by going against their natural life preserving instincts, in order to return to life as they previously knew it: life has never been the same, for any of us. 

God leaves sparkling cosmic bread crumbs, dear one. He leaves shimmering evidence of his Presence. He is our front, back, side, above, and below guard. He did not create and then leave us like little clay afterthoughts: he gave each of us a spirit to animate our bodies, and it is his voice that can be trusted, to guide and protect us. In a world that is overrun by wickedness; a world where worshipping Satan, rocks, trees, dead saints, ancestors, and other humans, we must choose to stay on the truth path, and not deviate, by turning to the left or to the right. It is deviation that takes us off course, and has us wandering, cut, bleeding, and dying: course correcting to Christ is life saving. 

Covid was a deviant path. Covid had a grip on the masses, and the living have the opportunity to course correct, and look for cosmic breadcrumbs. My God preserved me and my family during covid, and this morning, he answered the cry of my heart, before my lips made the request: 

Hebrews 7:25

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 

Jesus is able to save to the uttermost

Those that come unto God by him

He ever liveth, to make intercession for them

Uttermost, dear one! No matter the circumstances, the coercion, the threats, the pressure and persecution, God is able to save us, and man alive, I am a living witness that can testify to this truth. We are still here, and there is time while there is breath. There isn't a human alive that is not guilty of sin, and praise be to God, he is waiting patiently for us, on the path of righteousness, and all we need do is regret without excuses, repent without retreat, and reconcile without regressing. 

Regret, repent, reconcile. God forgives sinners when they are sorry, and we are all sinners needing salvation. I pray you can look bashfully toward Truth, and next, bravely run full tilt, into his arms. 

PS: Resisting all things covid, my family is blessed. We stood stedfastly, and resolutely, on our strong foundation of faith, in Jesus Christ as our Protector and Provider. 

God is forever faithful; he does not leave, nor will he forsake, his children. I pray this  knowledge is a source of great encouragement to you today, dear one.