The purpose of this work is to help us to gain new insights about God, His love and His desire to shelter us from the dangers around us. He wants more than anything else to be in a close personal relationship with each of us. How and why God created mankind and all that surrounds us, has been debated for millenniums. His love and care for all of his creation is not debatable. God can show us (through His creation) the type of relationship he wants to have with each of us. He wants us to experience a life filled with contentment and devoid of fear. Unfortunately for many of us, we seek to make our own way in life. Our own choices leave us grasping for the unobtainable and in positions of grave danger. Only through a closer relationship with God, can we truly experience a peace and contentment that will last forever.  
    
    God has recorded many teachings in the Bible. In some of those teachings he uses animals to illustrate basic principles and precepts. Those lessons are as basic and relative now as they were when he first revealed them thousands of years ago. Through the Masters handiwork we will try to rediscover a relationship with God as it was meant to be. 

Understanding the "Reality" Of Our Relationship with God

God loves us and wants very much to be involved with every aspect of our lives. The love relationship is a one way street (from God to us) because of sin. Sin places an impenetrable forest of darkness between us and God. Sin prevents us from seeing God as he reaches out to save us. We are hopelessly lost and in danger of eternal separation because of our rebellion (sin).

God placed a great light in the world in the person of his son Jesus. Jesus, who is God veiled in human form, showed us God’s love and patience. Through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus demonstrated God’s great love for all of mankind. Jesus is the only path that can lead us out of the darkness, and into eternal life with God. No greater demonstration of love was ever shown, than that which was done on a hill outside of Jerusalem almost 2,000 years ago. A Father watched His Son die one of the most humiliating and painful of deaths ever devised. His Son’s death did not come as a surprise to Him. It was planned from the beginning, even before the first sin was committed. Jesus (the Son) died for the sins of all of humanity, even though we were not worthy of such a great sacrifice. The plan went forward because of God’s great love for us and because of His desire to be reconciled to us. Mankind (past & present) stood before the cross and jeered Jesus as He suffered and died, naked on the cross. The plan could have been (but never was) changed by God or Jesus at any time. Father and Son completed the great plan of salvation even though there was not a single person worthy (sinless) of the sacrifice. The King’s son did not cling to a place of great glory and honor in Heaven. Jesus allowed sinful humanity to spit, beat, whip and demean him. Jesus did not come with chariots, tanks, bombs or great wealth to change the world. He came as a servant, and allowed himself to be placed lower than any human who has ever existed. Jesus took upon Himself the punishment which we all deserved. He did this in spite of the fact that He Himself, was totally innocent of ALL sin.

Jesus paid a debt that no man could ever pay. His blood was shed for us, to wash away every transgression ever committed against God. The crimson robe that God has given us, continually cleanses us and enables us to follow the path which leads to life everlasting. The robe which is offered to us, is a free gift. We could never earn such a costly garment. The robe can be given to us free of charge, but it came at a great price. If we trust in God’s plan, the robe is ours forever. God’s judgement for our transgressions will pass over us. In putting on this robe, we must acknowledge the fact that we don’t deserve it. We must confess that we are sorry for what we have done, which brought about the need for this robe in the first place. We must surrender OUR will and ways to God. We do not seek to become mindless robots serving an egotistical dictator. We happily chose to surrender because it was OUR will and OUR ways that placed us in the darkness.

God loves us and wants us to help bring others to the great light of Jesus Christ! The only way we can serve God is to allow Him to bring us further along in our understanding of His ways. God instructs us through the Bible. He shows us who he is and how he wants us to live. The Bible is not a book of rules and regulations to be followed like some lifeless moral code. The word of God lives and breathes.

We cannot completely understand the contents of the Bible without the aid of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit sent from God, draws people to him and to his word. It is the Spirits job to interpret/teach the Bible to anyone who sincerely seeks to know God better. When a person accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and savior of their life, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of the believer. It is the Holy Spirit who ignites our faith. The Spirit also comforts and sustains us through times of trouble. Without the Holy Spirit, the Bible collapses into a bunch of neat ideas that could only be lived out in a vacuum. Without the Spirit, it would be impossible to see and appreciate what God has done, what he is doing, and what he will do in the future.

When believers are in a relationship with God, they must start on a path of spiritual growth. Lack of growth is an indication that something is wrong in the life of a child. Growth is a slow and deliberate process. Food intakes begin with liquids, and slowly advance toward solids. In much the same way, a believer’s intake starts with liquids, and advances to solids through maturity and growth. Teachings that a believer receives from worship services, Sunday school and Bible study supply the progressive types of "food" needed to sustain one’s faith. Association with other Christians is essential, because this is how newly learned principles are reinforced.

Sin is unacceptable in God’s eyes. Even though we have received forgiveness for our sins, there are still times in which we must come back to the Father and ask forgiveness. As we grow in our relationship, the Holy Spirit will point out different aspects of our lives which are not pleasing to God. Through the Spirit, God lovingly shows us that we need to make further adjustments in our lives. As God reveals these things to us, we should sincerely desire that those changes be made. It is God, working through the Holy Spirit, that empowers us to carry them out. Children happily accept parental teaching, because they rightly sense that those teachings are rooted in love. In much the same way, we as Children of God, happily accept the leadings of our Heavenly Father. We become better servants of God when we stop making excuses for the sinful things we do. Jesus demonstrated his power to take away our sins, by being raised from the dead after three days in the tomb. The same power which raised Jesus from death to life exists in the life of every believer. Formerly impossible changes are empowered by this new relationship with God.

When we become one of God’s children, we have the authority to call Him Abba (Father or Daddy). We are forever joined to God through the spirit of adoption. Our acceptance of God’s plan for salvation, binds us together with the Father. As a child who loves a parent, we seek to do those things that are pleasing to God. We respect and obey our Father, because we know that whatever he shows us is best for our lives. Anything God does in a believer’s life is done out of love. We cannot forget the debt which was paid for our salvation. Our God is a loving Father and is never abusive. He seeks what is best for His child. God’s perfect leadership is not always clear to us, but time reveals this truth. Time (as well as faith) is sometimes required to realize His wisdom. Our ways are frequently not always his ways, and it takes adjustments and maturity on our part to see His wisdom.

A Personal Introduction to Snakes

Snakes and Serpents are used many times throughout the Bible to describe Satan, the devil or sinful activity. Snakes are not evil, they are part of God’s creation. They were placed here on Earth with a purpose, to help maintain the balance of nature. Their function is to prey on the smaller and weaker forms of life.

I, personally, have been fascinated by snakes all of my life. When I was about four or five years old; a group of friends, my older brother and I, were playing in a creek just over the hill from my parent’s home. David Scott, a childhood friend, was standing on a raft in the middle of the creek. He spotted a water snake swimming just below the surface of the water. David screamed and jumped up and down; which in turn, ignited a frenzy of activity in the rest of us. We charged across a homemade bridge and followed the snake downstream, as it sought refuge from the band of marauding juveniles. We managed to scare it up onto the creek bank where my brother Bill and some of the others, tried to pin it down with sticks. The sight of the snake squirming around with all of those sticks poking at it upset me. Not wishing to see the snake injured, I bent down and scooped him up with my bare hands. I raised the three foot long queen snake into the air by it’s mid-section as everyone else stepped back in horror. Bill yelled at me, "Drop’em Jeff or you’re gonna get bit!" In my innocense I replied, "No he won’t, he’s friendly, see", and I shoved him in my brother’s face. After a few seconds of yelling, I relented to their demands to put the snake down. Once on the ground, the snake was "properly captured." On that day I became a legend in my neighborhood. My unofficial title in the neighborhood became "Crazy Jeffy Heinl and His Snakes." Neighbors knew who to call when they had a snake in the house or in the back yard.

Over the years, I personally have captured and handled hundreds (sometimes it seems like thousands) of snakes. In my youth, I was captivated by any book or article dealing with snakes. By now, you must be getting the idea that I am a very weird person. I assure you that I am quite sane. Every child seeks his own identity, something that makes him unique amongst his friends. I was not the fastest, the strongest and certainly not the smartest child in the neighborhood. God gave me a gift early in life which I was able to use. Snakes became my way of standing out in the crowd. For the last 25 years of my life, I have searched for a way to serve Christ. It is interesting that the search has brought me back to one of my earliest childhood memories. One thing that I haven’t done (and hope never to do in the future) is to handle venomous snakes. God has given me the good sense to avoid danger when it is present. I am content to admire his deadly creation through a pane of glass at the zoo, or to watch them on TV. My passion for snakes is equal to my curiosity about the rest of God’s creation which includes plants, animals and especially people.

In the complexity of His creation, God demonstrates His immeasurable wisdom and power. I was first awakened to this thought when I was about 11 or 12 years old. One day before church, my father invited me for a walk around the house, to check out his flower beds. During the walk he pointed to a blooming crocus as it strained for sunlight through a patch of melting snow. As we looked at the flower he said, "How can anyone say there is no God, look at everything he has made . . . there is no way this stuff happened by accident." The complexity of that "simple" statement struck me, and has remained with me throughout of my life. The seed of thought which was planted by my father (through his obedience to God) on that Sunday morning, found good soil and grew into this work.  

Snakes and Sin

In this section, we will use snakes as a metaphor, to better understand sin and its effects on our lives. While snakes are not the devil incarnate, there is quite frankly something unnerving about them. If you were to plop one down in front of the family dog, you might notice something interesting. My beagle, for instance would arch her eyebrows and perk her ears up. She would circle the creature and maintain a cautious distance, without charging right in. This same reserve is nowhere to be found when she comes upon a bird or rabbit.

In many people, this cautious reserve collapses into an uncontrollable fear. Some are so unnerved by snakes that they cannot bear to look upon a photograph of one. What is it about their appearance that speaks to us so strongly? These oft times non-venomous creatures, slither about in silent search of prey and are usually no threat to us. In spite of the fact that they are nonthreatening, snakes stir emotions deep inside of us. Though we may not be aware of their presence, snakes are all around us. They are easily concealed by rocks, logs or pieces of refuse. A snake might even be living under your house as you read this book!

In this chapter, we will see that we should be on guard against Satan and sin, more than snakes. God will reveal through his creation, that sin is more deadly than a coiled rattlesnake, and contains more power than the coils of a boa constrictor.

Sin is the weapon which Satan uses to draw us away from God. Like a snake, he waits in an area of his choosing, seeking to ambush unsuspecting prey. Like a helpless mouse, if we drop our guard for an instant, we are doomed. The devil knows how to find his victims. He knows the high traffic areas, as well as a snake knows the burrows and watering holes of it’s own hunting area.

What is sin? A simple description would be this: when we commit a sin, we start walking in the opposite direction that God intends for us to go. The more we sin, the further from God we walk. As this distance between us and God grows greater, we reach a point where we no longer hear Him calling us back to the safety of His embrace. Once a snake separates it’s prey from its protection, it is as good as dead. Once the devil separates us from God and His protective embrace, we are headed for the same fate.

Another way of looking at sin, is to compare it to quicksand. From movies and folklore, we know the more we struggle, the deeper we will sink. Just as the quicksand rises around us, we find that we are gradually consumed by sins and temptations. The most outstanding feature of quicksand, is the illusion that it presents to the eye. It gives the appearance of solid ground, but beneath its surface is death. Sin can work the same way. It doesn’t look that bad from our perspective. We feel confident that we can cross these areas of our lives with no harm befalling us. Our views on how sin will affect us are only superficial. God has the big picture and knows what is below the surface. He tries to warn us, but we do not heed that warning. Pride causes us to stop up our ears and ignore those warnings. We do what seems right from our perspective. God’s offer of a loving and protective relationship seems distant, superstitious or no longer pertinent to our lives. Despite His warnings, we proceed to wade right in to sin with all of its entanglements.

The effects of sin can be compared to that of carbon monoxide on the body. Carbon monoxide robs the body of the oxygen which is needed to fuel the body. One of the side effects of oxygen deprivation is that a victim becomes disoriented. In much the same way, sin saps our judgement of situations, as well as our thoughts toward God and righteousness. When oxygen levels in our body decrease, it results in increased confusion and disorientation. In the same way, the more we sin, the more clouded our thoughts and actions become. We drunkenly stagger away from God, as wrong becomes right, and right becomes unimportant.

The mouse, chipmunk, minnow, or insect that becomes prey to a snake; goes through life without a thought toward its enemy. A victim’s ignorance will not spare it from predation. The victim is seized before he is aware of the snake’s presence. In much the same way, our ignorance of sin and the destruction it holds for our lives, will not spare us. If we saw the enemy (Satan) in his purest form, we would flee him immediately. Just because you don’t see a crimson demon with a pitch fork, two horns and a pointy tail; doesn’t mean the enemy doesn’t exist.

Sinful activity is much more subtle and deadly than the traditional comic book characters with which we are all familiar. Many times we are lulled into a false sense of security, and we will ignorantly declare that there is no danger. We say to ourselves, "I can keep this thing under control . . . It’s OK, it’s not hurting anyone . . . It’s my life and I’ll do what I want!" One of the secondary dangers from the snake bite of sin, is when the initial strike doesn’t seem to affect us. The toll that sin takes on our lives is not always readily apparent to us. Time reveals a much clearer picture of the consequences of sin.

Satan’s attack on our lives, is remarkably like that of a snake attack. It can come in many forms. Snakes overcome their prey in one of three ways; venom, constriction or simple seize and swallow. To understand our common enemy, we must know the tactics that he will employ in his attempt to destroy us. To understand Satan’s tactics, we must first discuss the model of his attack, as illustrated in the daily lives of snakes.

Poisonous Snakes

Venomous snakes, of course, use deadly toxins to overcome their victims. These toxins overwhelm the breathing and circulatory systems of the victim. Once bitten, the victim staggers off and dies. I heard one snake expert hypothesize that a venomous snake trails its bite victim by sensing the smell of it’s own toxin. However the tracking is done, when the snake reaches the corpse of the lifeless prey, it will leisurely swallow it whole.

People with a strong fear of snakes will sometimes view all snakes as venomous. While this is certainly not an accurate observation, it would however, be a healthy attitude for us to maintain toward sin. All sin is deadly! Unfortunately, people feel the need to play games with the boundaries that God has established about sin. We are deceived into the belief that we can handle the temptation for a little while, and then back off before getting bit. The truth of the matter is, that when we yield to sin, we have already been bitten.

Imagery might be helpful to see what is really going on. Imagine yourself willingly being lowered into a pit filled with deadly cobras. As your feet first reach the ground the snakes around you begin to size you up. Movement will most assuredly trigger the aggression of the surrounding snakes. A deadly bite need not come from the entire community. One snake bite carries enough venom to kill you. In the same way, there are many sins which will seemingly never affect our daily lives. While sexual promiscuity may not bite us, covetousness has it’s deadly fangs sunk deeply into our daily lives. We may "think" that we are invulnerable to sin, when in truth, the snake has already bitten us and we are awaiting our sentence of death. Without Jesus Christ (the antidote) in our lives, we are doomed. We have all, in one way or another (thought, word and deed) received the fatal bite of sin.

The physiology of the bite is also interesting. As the viper strikes its victim, it sinks two hollow fangs through the skin. The fangs act as twin hypodermic needles, injecting deadly poison from the venom glands. Once injected, there is no way of retrieving the venom. An antidote is needed to counteract the effects of the poison. Once a sin is committed, in thought or deed, there is no way of erasing it. Without an antidote, we will ALL die, as a direct result of our sins. Unlike an innocent snake victim, we received our bite because we made a conscious effort handle a deadly snake.

Because all have sinned anyone who has been born needs to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Like the bite from a deadly snake, sin will one day cause an infant to grow into an adult who commits deliberate acts of rebellion against God. It is the nature of man which causes him to sin. Those sinful acts will one day be judged by God if they are not covered by the blood of Jesus.

For the remainder of the book, we will discuss the sins which we seem to commit daily. These are sins with which we consciously ignored the warnings of God, and participated in deliberate acts of disobedience. We have no excuse for what we did . . . but God is good! Even though we have done what is displeasing in his sight, He is still willing to help us. He has provided a cure for our deadly bite, and the cure has a name, Jesus. Belief in Jesus, the meaning of His short stay on Earth, the cross and His resurrection, will neutralize the venom from Satan’s bite. Wiping alcohol on a cobra bite may clean the wound area, but it will not stop the venom’s affects on your body. Jesus is the ONLY method of salvation from the bite of sin!

Some venomous snakes such as rattlesnakes, are equipped with heat sensors which detect body heat. These "pit vipers" have tiny indentations on the sides of their heads. The natural body warmth of the victim acts as a guide for the snake’s deadly bite. Much like the "smart bombs" of modern warfare, there is no escape from sin. Sin, like a lunging rattlesnake, WILL find its mark because you have allowed yourself to get within range. A snake equipped with these heat-seeking pits can find its prey even when blind folded. Jesus Christ offers the protection we need to fend off the strike and enables us to flee to safety.

Most people who are bitten by venomous snakes receive the bite because they either stepped directly on the snake or attempted to kill it. How did they manage to step directly on a rattlesnake? The answer is, they quite simply didn’t see it! In the same way, without Jesus to guide our footsteps, we wander hither and yon through life, never watching where we place our feet.

How are people bitten by snakes while trying to kill them? They feel as though they are in control of the situation. They feel that they are bigger and stronger than any stupid ole’ snake. In much the same way, we underestimate the speed of the enemy with which we continually struggle. I’m sure that many a farmer has been bitten with a loaded shotgun in hand. If you get too close, you’re going to get bit . . . by the snake, and by sin.

One secret that the devil and snakes share, is that they are both easily frightened by lots of noise and activity. A noisy walk through the woods is done by; walking heavily, kicking up lots of leaves, talking loudly, or shaking branches. If you make enough noise, chances are you will never encounter a snake during a hike through the forest. If you do come across one, it will probably be headed in the opposite direction. In the same way, the devil is terrified of a believer’s noisy walk through life.

How do we make enough noise to scare him off? The answer is simple, but at times quite costly. The most important way for a believer to make noise is through prayer. A believer must be involved in a daily two-way dialog with God the Father. He is the one who reassures us and lets us know that everything is all right. He guides our footsteps so that we know where we should place our next step. If we follow his guidance, we will not follow the paths which are lined with hidden dangers. His light drives away the darkness. Staying in God’s light ensures that we will not step on a snake. The more we involve ourselves in prayer the less likely our speech or actions will be out of step with God. We are not mindless robots. We are in a relationship with our loving Father. Like a child who spends time with a loving parent we too are shaped by the time we spend with God. As we mature in faith, our experiences with God will continue to guide us in our decision making process.

Another noise maker for your spiritual journey is daily Bible reading. How can we know who our Father is (and where he is at work) if we don’t study? From scripture, we learn that God is trustworthy and able to keep us safe from all harm. We experience the love and power which He has demonstrated throughout the ages. We see that God’s love didn’t end with the patriarchs of the Bible. His love for us continues to this day! How can we know the Father’s will for our lives, if we don’t take the time to read the words that he has dictated for us? The more we know about God, the clearer we will see that his power far exceeds that of the devil. There are many other spiritual disciplines which will help us to make that noisy walk. Richard Foster’s, A Celebration of Discipline, is a resource I would highly recommend for insights into these disciplines. Fasting, solitude, confession and the other disciplines are all essential tools for a noisy spiritual walk.

Regular worship with other believers is one discipline which we cannot dismiss is. We as believers in the Church (worldwide), must come together as one to overwhelm Satan’s senses. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, we have been given the power and the authority, (the name of Jesus) to drive him back into the hole from whence he came from. As the Body of Christ we must be united as one. Imagine if you will, all of us linked hand in hand, no racial barriers, no denominations; living and breathing as one . . . the noise would shake the devil to his very foundation. There wouldn’t be a deadly snake for miles.

Only a relationship with the living God will change the world in which we live. Through technology and improved farming techniques, the world now has a far greater abundance than it has ever known. While technology may change, people remain the same. The Nazi’s, the Khmer Rouge and communism are but a few manifestations of Satan’s evil influence in the twentieth century. They represent links in a long historical chain of sinful tendencies. Every time mankind has sought to separate itself from the Eternal One, it has resulted in another link being added, to a chain that is already too long. For all of our technological advances, we (individually and corporately) continue to show no change in our ability to peacefully resolve differences.

A noisy spiritual walk through life is the key to defeating Satan. Through the ages, many different faiths (including misguided Christians) have attempted to stamp out sin by force. The pages of history are covered with the blood of such attempts. Violence begets violence, and legislation will never change people’s hearts. It would be impossible for us to crush the head of every snake in the world. We, as humans, will never crush the life out of Satan. His fate has been sealed by God, and his death sentence will be carried out. We can chase him away from our lives, but it is God’s job to ultimately destroy him. Our commission as followers of Christ, is to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son (Jesus) and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I (Jesus) have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. We are called to wake sleepers to the dangers that surround them.

Stomping on people and ideologies will not bring change. If God were about bashing and destruction, he wouldn’t need us to accomplish it. He is certainly powerful enough to do it on his own. We (as the lights of God) are meant to be attractants to the world around us. We are hope and light in a very dark world. A "religion" is a movement which must tear down the opposition. The "truth" that God offers will stand on it’s own. Standing for the truth is one thing; attacking people outside of the grace of God is another. Self guided attacks bring about deserved opposition, as well as a hardening of the heart. I am confident that the God I serve, has placed such a light in me . . . that people will be drawn to and not dragged to Him.

This noisy Christian walk does not come without costs. The initial costs may be felt in relationships with your friends and family. You will experience "the talk" about your new life. Well-meaning people will plea for a return to "normalcy." The blind will attempt to lead you back to the way you used to be. Since I dedicated my life to Jesus Christ more than twenty five years ago, I have experienced condescending looks, ostracization and outright attacks from people who meant to set me straight. No one enjoys being the butt jokes or excluded from friendships, but it is a price that we must sometimes pay for our faith. Jesus warned us of these tensions; not to scare us, but to prepare us for the road ahead.

History shows us that faith in Jesus Christ can even cost you your life. As we speak, Christian brothers and sisters are being discriminated against, tortured and murdered. In the end, you must weigh the costs. Do you value comfort, friends and family more than you do the reprieve that God offers? Which is more important; "fitting in", or allowing God to bring peace into your life? Becoming a Christian may cost you promotions in the business world. Only when you allow Jesus to come into your life, will you experience the peace that the world seeks. The rewards far outweigh the costs. Which one of these are more important; more money, a bigger house or eternal life in heaven?

What types of sin can be illustrated by the bite of a venomous snake? In short, all sins fall into this venomous category. However; for discussion purposes, we will attempt to catagorize them with an eye toward snakes, and their hunting tactics. As I discussed earlier, all sin is deadly! The categorization of sin is not meant to imply that any one sin is less lethal than another. The attacks of different types of snakes may vary, but to the victim the end result is the same. Through snakes, I hope to illustrate the dangers of all sins.

Like a rattlesnake, most Christians can easily identify venomous sins. The danger is obvious, and the Holy Spirit warns us to flee. We must remember, that most people who are bitten by rattlesnakes, received the bite because they didn’t flee. Aids, genital herpes and hepatitis are but a few of the afflictions that come about primarily through sinful activity. There are certainly many instances of innocent people being stricken by these plagues. The majority, however; receive these bites from sexual promiscuity or illegal drug usage.

Hanging with "the right crowd" can lead to a deadly bite. Getting caught up in gangs has been a fatal choice that too many of our youth have opted for. Drive by shootings and turf wars have killed far too many gang members. Gang lifestyles are just as deadly because they lead to deeper sin entanglements. Deeper entanglements, lead us to the next group of predators commonly known as constrictors.  

Constricting Snakes

Boa constrictors, anacondas and pythons are but a few of the many types of snakes that fall into the category called constrictors. Let us first analyze the method of attack that these snakes employ. A clearer understanding of constriction, helps us to better understand how our enemy seeks to attack us.

Constrictors do not, in most cases, crush their victims. Rather than breaking bones, they apply constant pressure to the rib cage, which slowly suffocates their victims. Before a constrictor’s victim can draw a breath, it must first exhale. When the victim exhales the snake increases its grip, which lessens the prey’s breathing capacity. With each successive breath, the snake applies greater pressure to the victim, until it can no longer breath and death quickly follows. The strength of the snake’s coils are many times more powerful, than the victim’s ability and desire to escape.

Prior to the wrapping of coils, these snakes will first bite their victims. Armed with rows of needle sharp teeth, constrictors usually strike from ambush. They are not very fast, so they will lie in wait as victims come to them. Their teeth (like those of all snakes) are angled toward the rear of their mouth. As the victim is bitten, and the teeth sink through the skin, the angle of penetration makes escape nearly impossible. A Constrictor will twist its head seeking to secure its grip by pushing its teeth deeply into the victim. With the snake’s jaws now locked, it will quickly wrap it’s deadly coils around the victim.

All snakes have the unique ability to extend their jaws. This ability allows them to swallow a victim which is many times larger than we believed possible. Snakes do not chew, their bodies were designed by God to simply swallow. Large muscles in the snakes body pull the victim deeper into the digestive system, where it becomes sustenance for the snake. Boas and anacondas have been know to feed upon deer, cayman and even leopards. They don’t always rely on constriction to feed themselves. Constrictors can be very opportunistic hunters. If they come upon an unguarded nest, they are content to swallow the eggs. The strong muscles of the digestive system work together to crush egg’s seemingly impenetrable defense.

Some sins employ the same lethal techniques as constrictors. We ignore the danger signs that God places around certain types of activities. Addictive sins, be they chemical or sexual, are prime examples of this type of death. Sins which draw you in and wrap you in their deadly coils, will slowly squeeze the life out of you.

It has been debated for centuries as to whether drinking alcohol is a sin. My convictions about drugs and alcohol come from my personal observations and experiences. I have witnessed the carnage of drug and alcohol abuse in the lives of friends and family. I have seen marriages destroyed, families pulled apart and people’s lives prematurely ended as a result of their usage. I have witnessed the changes that these evils have brought upon the lives of those whom I care about.

One of my best friends became a regular abuser when he was 12 years old. I watched the transformation from a fun loving innocent child, to that of a man who regularly abused his family, as well as his own body. He would deny that he lives to feed the demons of his life; but even a casual observer would see the truth.

Will a Christian be condemned to Hell for drinking a beer? My initial answer would be no. I would be compelled to follow up with questions of my own before leaving the discussion. Why would a Christian need to drink beer? What deeper needs are you attempting to feed with your consumption of alcohol? Could not those needs be met in the arms of a loving savior? Even if you are not addicted; in light of all of the damage we see around us, why would we want to give such a witness to weaker souls? Some might argue that these things are okay if they are done "in moderation." My question is, "what is moderation?" Is one beer, one joint or one line of cocain . . . or is it two or three that brings me up to that arbitrary line of moderation? When we play games with boundaries, we risk the snake bite.

I have seen people handle both poisonous and constricting snakes. Many of those same people have suffered injury as a result of those handlings. I know of one man who claims to have survived a cobra bite. Why do people handle such deadly creatures? The potential for death is always present. Outside of medicinal and research purposes, why else would someone indulge in such a potentially deadly activity? I’ve seen people strolling through the park with boa constrictors draped around their shoulders. They seem to draw satisfaction from stares and gasps of the people they encounter. The snake has never done them any harm so they see no danger in them. How many times have we read newspaper accounts of their children being killed by that same snake? Grieving survivors struggle for answers as to why the deadly attack occurred. The simple answer is that if the snake had not been permitted in the house, the tragedy would have been averted.

Do we not risk the same danger for our children if we allow alcohol into our homes and indulge in usage, either openly or secretively? If we covertly indulge in our consumption, we reveal our true feelings on the matter. Even if we are not addicted and indulge openly, can we make the same guarantees for our children? What we take into our bodies, is legitimized in the eyes of our children. While it may not be a problem for you; your children, your family and your acquaintances may one day be destroyed by it. The potential for danger is always present when indulging in drugs and alcohol.

Pornography, in any form, is another constrictor that is loose in the world around us. One could offer the same arguments for pornography (books, TV, and movies) as they would for the use of drugs and alcohol. The primary question comes back to why a person would need these things in their lives. What is being fed when you indulge in such activity? There is absolutely no good that can come from such indulgences. What is pornography and what is art? When you try to draw lines on the subject, you end up with useless arguments. We can pass as many laws as we like on the matter, but in the end, we will be like the dog who chases his tail. Social changes cannot be legislated. A change of heart (salvation) is what is required to bring about real change.

People who allow pornographic images to flow into their households, damage not only themselves, but those around them. Pornography legitimizes (in our children’s thoughts and deeds) things which are far removed from God’s will. Adultery, fornication and homosexuality are all fed and fertilized by this deadly vice.

The decisive authority on such matters is the Holy Spirit. If we are truly in a relationship with God, the Holy Spirit will guide us in our decisions. When convicted to stop in these areas, we must yield to him. The Holy Spirit is not a prude. He knows what is good for our spiritual and physical well being. A spiritually disciplined follower of God, will know beyond the shadow of doubt, what the will of God is on such matters.

Constricting attacks don’t kill us initially. Death comes because the victim remains in the coils of the snake. The choice to remain in the coils of sin will bring about a spiritual death. Seeking companionship, laughter, a release from pressure or pain, the victim is drawn to places of ambush. When the initial bite comes there is sometimes a denial of danger. As the coils of sin slowly tighten, the victim’s pride can cause them to lash out at would be rescuers. Each indulgence leads to ever tightening grips. The victim can even try to justify their predicament by claiming it is what they choose to do. As the victim’s oxygen supply is slowly cut, so too is his ability to escape. The victim may even have tried unsuccessfully to quit sinning on their own but the futility of their efforts has left them exhausted and defeated.

The needless death caused by alcoholism, drug abuse, pornography, adultery, fornication or homosexuality is avoidable. The power of God, through the Holy Spirit, can break these horrible addictions. To receive your freedom, you must first realize and admit that you are in trouble. Without admitting your guilt there can be no deliverance from sin. God does not excuse sin; he forgives it! Breaking through our pride, and admitting that we have sinned, is probably the largest obstacle that we must overcome in our lives.  

Pursuit Snakes

The final group we will discuss is the leftover group or pursuit snakes. This group would include water snakes, ringnecks, garter snakes and the like. This type will attack smaller prey, making up for quality with quantity. These snakes don’t possess venom or impressive constricting muscles. They are, however; efficient enough in their method of attack, to sustain themselves quite capably. They prey on life which is much smaller and less able to defend itself. As do their cousins (venomous and constrictors) these snakes will strike from ambush, and simply grab and swallow.

The demeanor of this type of snake makes them (in our eyes) very deceptive predators. These types of snakes appear to be harmless to humans who are many times larger than they are. Within minutes of capture, these snakes can be hand tamed and will show few, if any signs of aggression. While they may not be threatening to us, they are known as cold blooded, efficient killers to their victims.

Like the victims of harmless water snakes, some people fall victims to sin because they refuse to grow. The garter snake snaps up an insect resting on a leaf. The water snake sneaks up from behind and swallows a minnow or a worm. The prey is small and has no defense, therefore; it becomes food. If you choose not to grow in a relationship with God, you will fall victim to sin. Ignorance will not save the insect from predation. Ignorance is not a viable defense for the "pew potato" who attends church, but refuses to grow. We must continue to seek spiritual growth. If our growth stagnates, we will fall victim to sin, which is bigger than we are. If we remain in a vibrant relationship with God, he will provide a means of escape, or the strength and size to withstand the attack. The harmless green snake is of no threat to me. If bitten, I would scarcely feel its teeth on the end of my finger. If that same snake comes across a much smaller victim, the end result would be death.

People who do the bare minimum while seeking a relationship with God, reveal their true feelings toward Him. In avoiding the time spent with a wise and loving Father, we rob ourselves of valuable guidance and wisdom. A child who never sought to engage its parents in conversation, or who walks through the house with only an occasional nod toward a parent, would be at a distinct disadvantage in life. A loving parent seeks to wrap their arms around the child they love. They want to instruct them and give them the tools to not only survive in the world, but to thrive! This untrained child will one day be on its own, in a world that preys upon the weak and ignorant.

In Coast Guard boot camp, I received the standard indoctrination speech from the Training Officer. His words chilled a group of about 120 shell-shocked teenagers. He screamed, "We are not going to be your momma or your daddy or your brother or your sister or your grandparents . . . We are not here to nursemaid you . . . you will make it through these next nine weeks or we will discharge you . . . We will not baby you . . . You will not receive special treatment . . . You will either sink or swim." It was at that precise moment that I realized how alone in the world I was. All of the things my parents had taught me, all of my training in school, all of the physical activities that I had done in my life, were going to be put to a severe test. Although I was ignorant of a proper relationship with God, I prayed more than I ever had before. I also made a lot of promises to Him, that for a long time afterward, went unkept.

Later in life, those words spoken to me in boot camp, would become somewhat prophetic for my life. Family members that I had leaned on for comfort and support, like my parents and grandparents, began to pass away. I began to realize that I must stand and be accountable for my actions in life. I became a Christian prior to my mother and grandparent’s deaths, so I was more prepared for that separation. Although there was pain with each separation, there was also constant Divine peace. God let me know in each circumstance that I was never alone. He was there comforting me, wiping away tears that I could not (at that time) shed in public. He understood the depths of my grief and even the anger that I sometimes felt.

In boot camp there were some who could not, or would not, adjust to the radical change in lifestyle. Those people were discharged within a few weeks of their arrival. There were others who survived boot camp, but were later discharged because they were unfit for military life. Those of us who remained went on to serve with varying degrees of distinction. What was it that separated the victims from the survivors? In most cases it came down to attitude. Those of us who made up our minds "to get with the program" had no problems during our enlistment. Those who sought to retain "individuality" were unhappy, and became a hindrance to the mission. Their individual goals, in many cases, worked in opposition to what we as team strove for. Those who refused to grow became victims of their own self interests.

People who refuse to submit to the will of God (the mission) are miserable, because they attempt to make it through life in a uniform they refuse honor. If you do not submit in the military you will not grow and advance. If you do not submit to the will of God, you cannot grow in your spiritual life. Unlike the military, if you refuse to grow spiritually you will fall victim to sin. You will never be all that you can be in God’s Army.

While in boot camp, I thought we did some of the craziest and most useless things imaginable. What I didn’t realize at the time, was that my instructors were preparing me for life beyond Cape May, New Jersey. There were disciplines that I needed to learn. Mental conditioning went hand in hand with physical conditioning. There were days which lay ahead when people’s lives might depend on our mental and physical toughness. The foundation which was laid in boot camp, would serve me throughout the rest of my enlistment.

Recognizing God’s authority in one’s life, is crucial for survival in this life, as well as being a door to the next. Rather than rebel against His divine wisdom, we must understand that all he does in life works toward our good. There are many dangers which lay ahead in a believer’s life. Unlike the military, we are not left to our own devices to sink or swim. Through the Holy Spirit, we are in constant contact with the one who clearly sees all of the potential dangers. God sees the snakes in our lives; he warns us of their presence and helps us to avoid them.

To a new believer; prayer, Bible study, meditation or fasting may seem like strange and useless traditions. Just like boot camp, God prepares us for life beyond the day when we were saved. If we pursue our own goals, and forsake quiet time with the Father, we are destined to fail.

Snake Victims???

Having discussed the devil’s tactics, we must now examine ourselves. As we discussed earlier, the snake attack has already occurred in our lives. How and when did the attack occur? We all have a natural tendency to fall victim to sin. It has been said that children must be taught to behave . . . the other behavior comes naturally.

If you don’t believe you have been bitten by sin’s deadly fangs, you need to examine your relationship with God, as well as the scriptures. The Bible, which is the standard for your relationship with God, reveals how far out of kilter you are with His will. Ignorance or denial will not spare you from a fate which was not meant for you. The scriptures are clear on the matter. The wages of sin is death! Death is a paycheck which is received for a life spent in rebellion (sin) to God. A reprieve is possible if we do one simple thing, accept Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives.

As we study the Bible, our eyes are opened to the snakes (sins) around us. Some sins are easy to identify. Sins such as sex outside of marriage, murder, lying, or stealing, are easy to spot. Some sins require a closer look, because like snakes, they can be camouflaged by cultural acceptance. The world we live in seeks to justify some sins, or make them a lighter shade of grey. Some people live as though situational lying is okay, because after all, "the ends justifying the means." We can delude ourselves into thinking that the sin we contemplate will be just a one time thing. Once our circumstances improve, we can return to doing what is right.

Our problem is that we do not possess God’s perspective on life. From our perspective, we see only minor bumps in the road. God’s view of the world is totally different. God sees a war-torn landscape filled with self centeredness, jealousy and bitterness. We gossip and slander others while declaring our "right" to take up for ourselves. Seeking "justice," we strive to get even with people for perceived wrongs. We abandon or abuse our spouses and children, because they are not who we want them to be. We are confused and frustrated because we do not know how to satisfy the lusts which torment us daily.

The primary danger of sin, is that it creates distance between us and God, which results in spiritual blindness. Only when we turn to Jesus, can we find sight for our eyes and shelter from our torment. Living a life without Christ is like walking through a snake pit with blinders on. You cannot know the dangers which lie ahead, unless they are first revealed by God. People who do not place their trust in God are on their own to do "the best they can." People who reject the authority of God ultimately consent to the rule of the man, in whatever form that may take. A society which rejects God, is destined for collapse, because it is consumed by it’s own self-interest. History demonstrates one thing very clearly; man does not care for the brother who is in need. If not for a relationship with God, we would degenerate into a society that is no different from animals.

A secondary danger from embracing sin occurs when the initial hit doesn’t kill us. We become bolder in our sinfulness. We become desensitized to sin’s effects, as we slowly and sometimes painfully die. The alcoholic didn’t die the first time he got drunk. He waited 30 or 40 years to succumb to cirrhosis of the liver. The same goes for a drug addict or a person who indulges in sexual practices outside the boundaries that God has set. We feel like we can cheat death, as we dance back and forth across the boundaries that God has purposefully established around sin. God doesn’t warn us about the dangers of sin to manipulate us like puppets on a string. He warns us as a loving parent would a child, who strays toward danger. He loves us, and desires what is best for us. His warnings to abstain from sin are not because he seeks to be a wet blanket on our party. God is not the joyless prude that some seek to portray him to be. He clearly sees the danger, and warns us of it, long before we make the decision to indulge in it.

Many people, who are caught in the deadly coils of a constricting sin, feel that their imminent death is of no concern to Christians. They couldn’t be more wrong, because their lives don’t have to end in misery and death. Deliverance from sin is available to those who ask. Jesus would willingly unwrap the coils that keep them in their deadly bondage. The same person who can free us from our sin, can also give us the strength and wisdom, to avoid it in the future. Before healing is available to a sinner, there must first be a call for help. The great thing about the God we serve, is that he plays no favorites. He will help ANYONE who asks, and he will likewise, not force Himself upon anyone. Regardless of race, economic status, nationality; no matter how repulsive the sin, or the number and duration of that sin . . . he will rescue you from your plight as if you were his most precious child. When you refuse to accept Jesus, you are in essence, slapping at the hand of the one who would happily reach out and save you.

Another tragedy of sin, is that it doesn’t just affect the life of the sinner. Sin also impacts the lives of those associated with the sinner. The alcoholic/drug addict, who becomes abusive to their family members, heaps untold damage upon the lives of an "innocent generation." Abusive parents, who refuse to allow Jesus to clean up their lives, sometimes put their children through a worse hell than they are going through. The cycles of sexual, chemical, and psychological abuse worsen with each generation.

Parental addictions to lying, covetousness, gossip, slander, or any other sins, legitimize and reinforce those same negative attributes in their children. I have seen parents laugh off their child’s first curse words. I have seen them proudly display the child to a group of guests for a recitation of vulgarities. Then one day the child lets out an expletive in front of "the wrong crowd." Well, of course mom or dad is horrified, and they quickly slap the child’s face. They exclaim; "I don’t know where she picks that up . . . probably at school or from her friends."

Lying is slowly cemented into a child’s developing personality, as they discover that truthfulness and love are subjective. They learn first hand, that right and wrong are defined by the individual who possesses the most power. People who do not come to Christ, are deluded into thinking that they alone can define right and wrong. This sliding scale of morals provides no base support when they reach the crossroads of decision. Children learn very quickly that it is okay to lie, because it can get you out of incriminating situations. Why tell the truth and risk punishment, if you can lie and get away with it? If you feel guilty about lying, that’s okay; the feeling will pass as you get more practice!

People who reject a relationship with God and his standards, take solace in the fact that they have three available options: promise they will never to do it again, do a bunch of good deeds to cancel out the bad, or simply promise to make it right sometime in the future. If you choose this same path, remember one thing; with whatever negative behavior (sin) you indulge, it will most assuredly impact the impressionable lives of those who look up to you. Like the sports celebrities who rail against being caste as role models, it is unavoidable.

Reverting to the image of the snakes, I would use a true story to illustrate the dangers in which we sometimes place our children. This past summer, I let my youngest son Jacob handle a harmless ringneck snake. He proudly carried that snake around with him for a couple of days, before releasing it back into the wild. It was adorable the way he fawned over a creature that many would call repulsive. I carefully explained the dangers that the venomous copperheads (which live in our area) posed to him. I sternly warned him to run away from, and NEVER pick, up a snake without first asking my permission.

What could have happened to him, if I had not warned him of the potential dangers of snakes? What if Jacob had come upon his first snake without my approval or supervision. His ignorance of snakes would not have protected him from a copperhead. Much like my first encounter, let us imagine that his first snake was also harmless. We can further imagine the innumerable recounts of his brave action. Each retelling would be accompanied by laughter and encouragement from the adults around him. If he received no warnings of the danger he faced, he would become emboldened by this attention and seek further approval. The day would surely come when the situation would get more serious. Can you now picture his return with a copperhead in his hand? We would of course be horrified by the situation, and I would have to scold him for being so reckless. Wherever did he learn such behavior?

Aren’t we as parents, doing the same things; when we teach our children to fight, name call or to tell little white lies? Many times, parents fail to warn their children about the dangers that ALL sins pose. We instead, catagorize sins, numbering them in an arbitrary descending list of seriousness. We can identify the cobras of our life such as drugs, alcohol and sexual sins; but be we look the other way when it comes to selfishness, fighting or pride. We delude ourselves into thinking that some of these "little sins" are not really sins at all; they are just part of our character! We argue that God has made us this way and that there is no use in trying to change. Our model of sinful behavior, encourages deeper generational cycles of sin patterns for our children and grandchildren.

We sometimes mistakenly believe, that the sins we overlook will help our children later in life. By neglecting instruction on good behavior, we lead them in the opposite direction. We teach them the destructive behavior which started in Eden with the evil one. If we look to the Sermon on the Mount, we find no such approval for this type of behavior. We create double standards for our children, when we worry about our daughters, while our sons are free to roam. We teach a child to defend itself, so that they are prepared for life in the "real world". We act as though this Jesus Stuff is fine in theory, but we need to update its pages to fit our modern times.

We expect the brawling child, who can whip everyone in the neighborhood, to miraculously change on his eighteenth birthday. We shake our heads in disbelief, when we hear news reports of a twenty-year-old man beating and robbing a seventy-year-old widow. We ask how these things can happen. Those who teach violence, are in fact placing vipers into the hands of the ones they claim to love. All sin kills, and when we teach it to the innocent ones, we are guilty of sins much worse than theirs. As the python slowly tightens its grip around our lives, we invite our children to sit with us. We invite the same python that is killing us, to ensnare and crush the lives of the ones we claim to love.