There once lived a young beautiful princess in a far off land. Foreign to the land that she lived in her home was made in a mighty castle. Bright and adventurous she was, inquisitive to every new discovery.The king and Queen gave her free reign of the castle and the interior grounds but do not go outside the gate and never to the meadow by the brook.Why not she would ask. The king would reply it is not safe for you there. Trust me my dear the snakes there are deadly. It is not safe for you there. The meadow is so beautiful and the brook so calm how can such a place be so bad as not to be enjoyed especially if one were to only look and stay on the path. Most all dangers can be seen and avoided when in the open. I can slip out by the side gate after morning class, walk down to the edge of the meadow, and back into the side gate before anyone notices. Ill just stay to the path. A quick adventure. What can be the harm. There will be so much to learn and discover. The very next day right after derivatives in calculus 2 she made for the side gate at just the right moment. She darted out and made for the meadow path. No one had seen her. She was free! What a beautiful day, a cool breeze, warm spring sun. One could see so much more from the path. The flowers and the trees and even the grass had so much detail. What an adventure this was. How could anyone keep such a place from me, she thought now, becoming a little mad that she had never been allowed to visit such a beautiful place as this.With all the beauty of the land she never realized she had walked all the way to the brook. Danger indeed, she thought, as she looked at the calm water. Princesssss, she heard with a start. She had not noticed but she was standing at the edge of the path next to a large rock and on the rock was a snake! Oh my what have I done, she said as she jumped across the path. Calm yoursssself young princessss why are you sssso frightened. YOU ARE A SNAKE and a poisonous one I know I have studied and seen pictures of you in books. I must run back to the castle before you strike. Sssstrike but my dear only a moment ago you ssssstood next to me. If I wanted to harm you my dear it would have already been done. Typical human, blaming otherssss you do not know. I suppose you are going to say you are harmless when your poison is deadly, the princess said already knowing the answer.It is true I am poissssonousssss. It is for my defense. I am small and am stepped on easily. So you dont hunt, lay in wait, and ambush your prey or passer by, she said pointing at the snake with an accusing eye. I know what you are. Really, said the snake turning her gaze towards the young girl. Sssso you know all about me, just like you know all about the meadow and the brook. An amazing thing to know sso much from the top of a casstle wall. Oh I know who you are. I have been taught about you and have studied your kind in books and from my teachers you are a murder. And yet here you are alive talking to a snake still alive and well. Come now my dear what do you really know of thiss place or me.If murder is what my kind is all about then clearly we would not be having this conversation would we my dear. It is such a beautiful day and this rock so warm after a long winter. The beauty of the meadow calls out to the heart does it not. Yes the meadow is beautiful, more beautiful than I could have imagined, she said, but you are still a snake.Yes thank you I am and the meadow is a forbidden, wretched, and dangerous place. Tell me young one is that what your eyes see. Stepping to the middle of the path she answered, no. This is truly a wonderful place. Turning away to show the young girl her back, the snake said look at me. Look at my color and skin how it glistens in the sun. Am I not beautiful? Stepping closer next to the rock, the young girl could see the beautiful pattern of colors and scales of the snakes skin.You are beautiful, the young girl admitted.Tell me young one did your lessens teach you this asked the snake. No they did not. I dont understand. This is supposed to be a dangerous place, forbidden and only traveled in with great precaution she said.Typical humans, said the snake, how can anyone be tolerant of others or teach of such a place from a far off like a house or classroom, church, or in your case a castle. As the snake moved to the other side of the rock she asked from what you see did they tell you the truth my dear. This question touched the girls heart wondering now what was the truth. No or I dont think so, she replied in a low voice. Come my child sit and enjoy the the beauty of the meadow. There is so much to learn and see.Cautiously the young girl sat on the edge of the stone. I cant believe such a place has been kept from me all this time, so beautiful, so wonderful. I will set this straight when I get back. Im sure you will my dear. OUCH screamed the princess YOU BIT ME. How could you. Quickly the poison began to take its toll. She fell to her knees already unable to walk. How could you. I didnt do any thing to you.The snake now slithering away, stopped at hearing this and turned to her, looked her in the eye, and said my dear why are you sssso ssssurprissssed. After all, you knew all along that I wassss a sssssssnake. This is a story I heard at rainbow camp told by a missionary. It may be simple and silly but it reresembles our world today. We strive after many things: money, power, knowledge,relationships and so on but what about wisdom, true wisdom that comes from God .Why is wisdom so important. Lets look what happens without it PROV 1:23 Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings. 24 But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand, 25 since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, 26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you— 27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. 28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me, 29 since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord. 30 Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, 31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. 32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” There are many good things in this world: technology, science, education, money, relationships, sports, a career, a 68 Camaro convertible. The list is endless. There are many things that are not good in this world as well: technology, science, education, money, relationships, sports, a career, a 68 Camaro convertible and yes the list is just as endless. So the question becomes when is it good and when is it bad? How do we discern something, measure the good or bad? The answer is biblical wisdom. Many years ago I wanted to buy an old car and fix it up. We were doing well and I thought we could afford it. I found a 68 Camaro convertible whose body work was already done. It just needed finishing. I can remember saying to myself. I dont care if Im suppose to buy it or not. Im going to buy it anyway. No biblical wisdom there, that money pit has sat in my garage and has not moved since. So where do we start. PROV1:7-9 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. 9 They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. Verse 8 refers to a father and mother but I also believe it is meant to include Godly people. So how do we know them (Godly people). Galatians 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Odd after all these years it has taken me this long to realize their is an order to the fruits. I never realized that the first fruit of witness came so far down the list Faithfulness. Disclaimer For all those waiting in the shadows Knives drawn ready to ambush. Yes we can witness out of love or joy and so on. So what do I mean the witness of love comes from love, emits love, and its subject is love. The witness of joy comes out of joy, emits joy, and its topic is joy and so on. We are complicated creatures and sometimes we can witness out of more than one fruit. A friend has a death in the family. I want to show them love, show them the joy in the passing of a believer, give them peace in Christ, encourage them to be faithful. Tell me Knife bearer where should I start. Love of course. And so it is with our witness to others is what we are saying taken with love and not said out of love. I could justify throwing someone in the corner and screaming in their face for the sake of love. If we are to know the truth from others by their fruits then others shall know the truth about us by our fruits and not what our perception of our fruits are BUT WHAT THEIR PERCEPTION OF OUR FRUITS ARE AS THOSE FRUITS ARE PRESENTED BY US TO THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bad fruit many times fall on deaf ears!! End of Disclaimer Where do we place our trust. Proverbs 3 Admonition to Trust and Honour God 3My child, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; 2 for length of days and years of life and abundant welfare they will give you. 3 Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them round your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favour and good repute in the sight of God and of people. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 8 It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body. What is wisdom worth... Proverbs 8 10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; 11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. and how does the wise witness. Proverbs 15 15A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge,* but the mouths of fools pour out folly. 3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 1Peter3:15-16 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, gentleness and respect Truth can be given in many ways: with a Hammer, on the tip of a Knife, or with the stink eye to a couple returning to church after being gone for a while or as a glass of refreshing water. Which would you rather drink. As for me, pass the water. In time I might even ask for more. I am not talking about hiding the word or holding it back but to speak in love to the heart. For when the heart receives loving truth it almost always wants more. A new commandment John13:31-35 31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.32If God has been glorified in him,* God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.33Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.”34I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ Vers 34-35 can be used to evaluate things mesure things.In all that has happened can we say that everyone would know that we are disciples of Christ. And so just as a coin has two sides so does the responsibility in every disagreement. Despite the hurt or misunderstanding, ill feelings or doubt, it is time to find a body that you can worship and promote the kingdom in. That responsibility falls to you my beloved ones. It is not meant for us to do life alone. Acts 2/42 42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers Hebrews 10:24-25 24And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds,25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. I write this out of the love in my heart for all involved. Let us all join together and not allow Satan to have another day. Please believe me when I tell you I wish to harm no one nor to lash out in revenge. But this cannot happen this way ever again.This includes my part as well. For my part, I beg forgivness of all involved. I cannot describe the void in my heart that has been left in the wake of all that has happened, so I leave you with this last thought. Colossians 3:14-16 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 03:13:55 +0000
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