When King Jesus was here on earth, He made a point to tell the disciples that He was sending them out by twos to represent Him and His Kingdom government. And He called His twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits....Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. Jesus told them to be "shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves". What was He instructing? What are the characteristics of a snake or a dove to which He is referring? Have you ever pondered that thought?
First, let’s deal with the serpent. Physically, they have a forked tongue, limbless body, extremely flexible, scaly skin, which they shed periodically. But He is referring to the snakes attributes and behavior. A snake is very sensitive to his environment and is affected by it, to the point of taking on its temperature. They are very adept at staying hidden. Snakes are considered intelligent and wise, instinctual. Our medical symbol included snakes wrapped around a staff. Individuals with this type of spirit tend to act according to their own judgments, while remaining private, not drawing attention to themselves. They don’t reveal their thoughts or feelings impulsively. They are quiet and observe rather than make their presence known. These are only a few of their characteristics. Be observant and aware of your environment and people around you. Be proactive and able to respond quickly, focused and to the point. Quiet, but keenly aware of what is going on and how you should respond. That is what the King meant when He said this to His disciples. Of course, true wisdom comes from our heavenly Father, the one who created the snake! Remember what King Solomon said? Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you….To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.
Now, the characteristics of a dove. Have you ever seen a dove get violent or fight with another bird? In my experience, I have never seen a dove come into conflict with another bird! The dove represents peace of the deepest kind. It was the dove that came back to Noah with an olive branch. The characteristics of a dove: social, loving toward others, loyal, consistent, affable, honest and friendly. Do you have any of those traits? If you don’t feel you are lacking in those traits, evaluate your personality and see where it lines up with God’s Word. Your life must be in line with the word of the living God. The Lord God never called us to be fighters or to protest. He told us to submit and resist. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. NKJV
The Lord God has angels to do His bidding. We, as citizens of the Kingdom of God, are never called to fight but to spread His Kingdom message to those who would hear it and embrace it. Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. When you enter the home, give it your blessing. If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. Obedience to these words of Jesus shows wisdom as well as humility. You will never see a dove fighting for its rights or food. Those people who are religious and caught up in this world will never be satisfied because they have mixed the cares of this world with the Kingdom of God. By the way, that will never work! Keep in mind, fear and faith in His Word cannot mix. Either you believe in His Son and stand on His word for your very life or you don’t.
In your dealings with those of this world, especially those in religious circles, you must be very alert and use wisdom in dealing with them. Many say they know the Lord and don’t have a clue who He really is. Do you recall what ambassador John wrote to the believers in his letter? Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.
Walk in the Spirit. Stay in His Word. Remember what the King stated while He was here on earth. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
Remember, your faith in King Jesus is your greatest asset in His Kingdom!
Mark 6-7 Matthew 10:16 Proverbs 4:5; 19:8 John 4:7
Matthew 10:11-14 1 John 4:1-6 Mark 13:30-31
All NLT, except where noted.
W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
First, let’s deal with the serpent. Physically, they have a forked tongue, limbless body, extremely flexible, scaly skin, which they shed periodically. But He is referring to the snakes attributes and behavior. A snake is very sensitive to his environment and is affected by it, to the point of taking on its temperature. They are very adept at staying hidden. Snakes are considered intelligent and wise, instinctual. Our medical symbol included snakes wrapped around a staff. Individuals with this type of spirit tend to act according to their own judgments, while remaining private, not drawing attention to themselves. They don’t reveal their thoughts or feelings impulsively. They are quiet and observe rather than make their presence known. These are only a few of their characteristics. Be observant and aware of your environment and people around you. Be proactive and able to respond quickly, focused and to the point. Quiet, but keenly aware of what is going on and how you should respond. That is what the King meant when He said this to His disciples. Of course, true wisdom comes from our heavenly Father, the one who created the snake! Remember what King Solomon said? Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you….To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.
Now, the characteristics of a dove. Have you ever seen a dove get violent or fight with another bird? In my experience, I have never seen a dove come into conflict with another bird! The dove represents peace of the deepest kind. It was the dove that came back to Noah with an olive branch. The characteristics of a dove: social, loving toward others, loyal, consistent, affable, honest and friendly. Do you have any of those traits? If you don’t feel you are lacking in those traits, evaluate your personality and see where it lines up with God’s Word. Your life must be in line with the word of the living God. The Lord God never called us to be fighters or to protest. He told us to submit and resist. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. NKJV
The Lord God has angels to do His bidding. We, as citizens of the Kingdom of God, are never called to fight but to spread His Kingdom message to those who would hear it and embrace it. Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. When you enter the home, give it your blessing. If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. Obedience to these words of Jesus shows wisdom as well as humility. You will never see a dove fighting for its rights or food. Those people who are religious and caught up in this world will never be satisfied because they have mixed the cares of this world with the Kingdom of God. By the way, that will never work! Keep in mind, fear and faith in His Word cannot mix. Either you believe in His Son and stand on His word for your very life or you don’t.
In your dealings with those of this world, especially those in religious circles, you must be very alert and use wisdom in dealing with them. Many say they know the Lord and don’t have a clue who He really is. Do you recall what ambassador John wrote to the believers in his letter? Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.
Walk in the Spirit. Stay in His Word. Remember what the King stated while He was here on earth. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
Remember, your faith in King Jesus is your greatest asset in His Kingdom!
Mark 6-7 Matthew 10:16 Proverbs 4:5; 19:8 John 4:7
Matthew 10:11-14 1 John 4:1-6 Mark 13:30-31
All NLT, except where noted.
W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you
