visionary
23rd November 2004, 07:19 PM
You know in the art of witnessessing to those committed to their theology, it takes prayer and letting go of self. It is not by might, not by power but by His Spirit that things will happen.
As I have pondered this one advisement from Yeshua....
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.
We are to be as knowledgable as possible, yet harmless. Planting seeds, not getting caught up in arguments, but presenting the truth and letting the Holy Spirit do the convicting. The contradiction of characters between the serpent and the dove is great and the reconciliation of the two characters that we are to portray as the sheep in the midst of wolves is hard.
If you have ever seen doves, they are there, roosting, spitting seeds and feeding. If you have seen sheep when wolves come, they scatter and gather together, scatter and gather together while staying out of the wolf's reach.
Thinking about the serpent in the garden of Eden, he was very wise, subtil in His lies, which leads me to think that we also must be wise in the truth and also that part that strays from the truth. They say that they truth shall set you free and you shall be free indeed. If we rejoice in all truth, no matter where it comes from, gathering all the gems of truth and learning its place in the setting of prophecy, its place in our lives, and it place in our hearts, then we are being transformed into the smart, wise, gentle, loving, images of Yeshua.
It use to be for me personally that I belonged to a congregation that stated that if the church did not sanction it, it was dangerous for us to study it on our own without church interpretation. I thought to myself at that time, when did I become so stupid that I could not think for myself, or when did God quit speaking to me, and stopped being my conscience. I left, and have been studying on my own, praying for God's guidance in the knowledge that I need to handle what lies ahead in my life. I wanted to be wise and yet retain the harmlessness.
Notice that neither the sheep or the doves are territorial, as in defending their turf. THey will return to their place, after the predator has left, but they watch and wait from a safe distance.
Have any of you insights into what Yeshua is wanting us to understand by that verse....how do you see yourself as the Lord's advocate and are you wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove?
As I have pondered this one advisement from Yeshua....
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.
We are to be as knowledgable as possible, yet harmless. Planting seeds, not getting caught up in arguments, but presenting the truth and letting the Holy Spirit do the convicting. The contradiction of characters between the serpent and the dove is great and the reconciliation of the two characters that we are to portray as the sheep in the midst of wolves is hard.
If you have ever seen doves, they are there, roosting, spitting seeds and feeding. If you have seen sheep when wolves come, they scatter and gather together, scatter and gather together while staying out of the wolf's reach.
Thinking about the serpent in the garden of Eden, he was very wise, subtil in His lies, which leads me to think that we also must be wise in the truth and also that part that strays from the truth. They say that they truth shall set you free and you shall be free indeed. If we rejoice in all truth, no matter where it comes from, gathering all the gems of truth and learning its place in the setting of prophecy, its place in our lives, and it place in our hearts, then we are being transformed into the smart, wise, gentle, loving, images of Yeshua.
It use to be for me personally that I belonged to a congregation that stated that if the church did not sanction it, it was dangerous for us to study it on our own without church interpretation. I thought to myself at that time, when did I become so stupid that I could not think for myself, or when did God quit speaking to me, and stopped being my conscience. I left, and have been studying on my own, praying for God's guidance in the knowledge that I need to handle what lies ahead in my life. I wanted to be wise and yet retain the harmlessness.
Notice that neither the sheep or the doves are territorial, as in defending their turf. THey will return to their place, after the predator has left, but they watch and wait from a safe distance.
Have any of you insights into what Yeshua is wanting us to understand by that verse....how do you see yourself as the Lord's advocate and are you wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove?