Snakes that gather form a brood ... I have included an image of snakes as a visual for this bit of writing. If we are known by the company we keep, then this is an alarming comparison to read of:
Matthew 3:7
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them. O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
When John the Baptist saw the Pharisees and Sadducees approaching as he baptized those that repented of their sins, he called them vipers; he was forthwith in his noticing and naming them. as the seed of the devil, otherwise known as the serpent.
What manner of man was John the Baptist, one might ask, that could so callously refer to other human beings, as snakes, as vipers? and; he asked them a question of Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Can snakes be warned about the wrath of God, like the sinners that John was baptizing? Do snakes heed warnings, and slither the other way to preserve themselves, to flee from the coming wrath? Do the two mix and mingle with one another, meaning, do the lambs of God have any fellow or follow ship, with snakes? Seed of God, seed of Satan ... do they have enough in common to keep each other company?
Look with me once more, at what John said: O generation of vipers ... It was the religious, the rulers over the Jews that were meant to be God's men and keepers of his law, that John refers to as vipers. These men came to see what all the commotion was about; they had heard of John baptizing and warning:
Matthew 3:1-2
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
If I go out into the middle of a shopping centre, and speak what John the Baptist spoke in the wilderness, I do suppose many a viper will slither their way in my direction, to sneak a peak at me with their slit and snaky eyes. Fact is, people need to do some conscience-convicted repenting. Fact is, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Fact is, souls are in jeopardy, but people like John the Baptist get their heads lopped off and served up on a platter, for speaking the facts. Lastly, fact is, no one likes to be called a snake ... it gets their hooded hackles up.
Recently, I dared to suggest that someone like Charlie Kirk, was of the same ilk as Donald Trump, and that they kept the same circles. I wasn't off base, since the two of them spent time together, posed hugging for at least one photo shoot, defended each other if one or the other was maligned, discussed their plans for the young people of the land, collaborating on projects of a political nature. Donald is an unrepentant mass murderer, and Charlie was his happy sidekick, promoting a demonically motivated and activated "political" plan: These are facts, and yet ...
Somehow facts get separated from reality via feelings. Here is an example. I like you, so I have feelings that border on affection. Because I like you, I cannot believe, or accept, the concept, with corroborating facts, that perhaps, you aren't the person I think you are, or more pointedly, the person I wish you were, so I will:
1. Pretend the facts are liars, and continue to believe what I want to believe, or possibly consider the option of;
2. Facing the facts, admitting I was wrong, duped, misled, ill informed, and course correct my thinking to align with the verity of truth, or;
3. Reject you forthwith, for daring to challenge my thinking, my beliefs, my feelings
When sinners heard John the Baptist saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, they were also there to witness him speaking these convicting words to the Pharisees and Sadducees, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
The kingdom of heaven
The wrath to come
The seed of the Good Shepherd
The seed of Satan
Matthew 10:16
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves
Pack of wolves
Flock of sheep
Brood of vipers
Do you see the lamb sandwich, dear reader?
Jesus was concerned for the sheep and he warned about the wolves; before him John the Baptist, called out the vipers publicly. How is it, that Jesus wanted his doves to be wise as serpents, while being naturally gentle, as a dove?
Jesus called people what they were and compared them to animals with certain traits that made them identifiable, to make it easier for people like you and me, to comprehend just how vicious a human can be to other humans, ripping them apart for meat, or killing for sport if their victim is inedible. Wolves are ravenous, snakes are venomous. Some humans are filled with blood lust, and murderous desire; but little lambs, they are oblivious to danger.
Wolves like Donald Trump spend time with vipers like Charlie Kirk. They are a slightly different type of sinister animal, that present themselves as angels of light, while the sheep ignore, evade, wash their eyes of the facts, and tip their heads in the direction of one or the other shoulder, to expose their necks for dripping in saliva and blood, fanged teeth.
I often joke that my very best line, the one I am most proud of as a reminder to the sweethearts of the world that do not yet believe in evil, is the one I most want people to heed:
Drop naiveté on its head, and make sure it is dead.
The lambs are willingly going to their own slaughter, while remaining willfully ignorant. It does not matter if they have heard the voice in the wilderness, or read biblical warnings, they will fraternize emotionally with wolves and snakes, because their feelings lead them into packs and broods, and they believe they will never be bitten, despite all the evidence piling high, and up around their vulnerable and exposed necks.
Do you, dear reader, fraternize emotionally, with wolves and snakes?
You can not wrestle with one or the other of this type of animal, without risking your life ... evil is an element, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and when all the John the Baptist types have been beheaded, who, will stand between you, and the ravenous wolves, and slithering poisonous serpents?
We are promised persecution as purveyors of gospel truth. When a murderous, lying, and malicious figure like Donald Trump is popular, untouchable, and admired; and when people like Charlie Kirk who spoke hatred and death to his enemies (Muslims), and out of the same mouth, speak of Jesus our Saviour, are spoken of as saints, we know we are living in the midst of a wicked generation, that calls evil good, and good evil. The company we keep, the plans we propagate and push, indicate who we are ... wolves and vipers are not good company for sheep, they are predators, and look to strike at the first opportunity.
NOTE: Christians pray for the lost. Muslims do not know the Lord, and Charlie Kirk mocked Muslims, and joked about them being killed. He did not have a heart for the saving of souls, rather, he was a silver tongued devil that spoke from both sides of his blackened mind, heart, and mouth, winning and wooing when need be to garner approval from Christians that want to believe in the goodness of mankind, and cling to hope, in a vile and murderous atmosphere, and alternatively, whipping with forked tongue too, when a lashing was necessary to silence anyone that challenged his rhetoric. The man with the microphone, and cameras, commanded an audience, but did not do it for the kingdom of God ... it was for his father the devil.
"Maybe you shouldn't kill Jews, stupid Muslims" ... a quote from the much venerated, supposedly late and great, Charlie Kirk.