Wisdom Keys June 10

 *EXCELLENT LIFE KEYS* 🔑🗝️

Fri/10th/June/2022

*Francis Reign* (Ap & Coach) 

_"Raising excellent agents of change and transformation, well equipped with Truth and Wisdom."_ 

*UNDERSTANDING THE ACTS AND WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST (105)*

_"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles."_ (Matthew 10:16-18).

When Jesus sends us to bear witness to Him in the world, He does not send us out as dominant and strong, but as weak and seemingly defenseless in ourselves. The "wolves" will deliver the "sheep" to courts, governors, flog them, and persecute them from town to town, malign and kill them. So it is clear when Jesus says He is sending us as sheep in the midst of wolves, He means that we will be treated the way wolves treat sheep. But, even though sheep are proverbially stupid - which, on the face of it, is what it looks like when they walk toward wolves and not away from them - Jesus counters that notion by saying _"be wise as serpents."_

Vulnerability, not stupidity, is the point of calling us sheep. Be like snakes, not sheep, when it comes to being smart and safety conscious. Snakes are quick to get out of the way. They go under rock. They go under cover. So, yes, go among wolves and be vulnerable as you preach the Gospel, but when they lunge at you, step aside, analyse the situation and appropriate action. When they open their mouths at you, don't jump in with anger. And not only that, be as innocent as doves. That is, don't give them any legitimate reason to accuse you of injustice or immorality. Keep your reputation as clean as you can. 

So both the snake - intelligence and the dove - innocence, are both assigned to keep the sheep out of trouble. Jesus does not mean for us to get ourselves into as much difficulty as possible. He means: Risk your lives as vulnerable, non-combative, sheep-like, courageous witnesses, but try to find ways to give your witness in a way that does not bring down unnecessary persecution. 

*EXCELLENCE KEY* 🗝️

_The disciplines of God's Word transform us by renewing our minds, that we may prove what is the will of God in the moment of absolute urgency._ 

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*Excellence is within you. Bring it out >>*

#1480 ELK.