13: God’s Strategy For Civil Conquest 3 or 7 - SERPENTS

Jesus said (Matt. 10:7, 14-18):“7Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near … 14 If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. 15I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a city on the judgment day … 16‘Behold, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts … 18You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are My followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about Me.”Most Christians understand that they should be “innocent as doves,” but when was the last time that you heard a sermon on being “wise as serpents?” Probably never. And why not? Because most preachers and thus their congregations do not see God’s biblical mandate to have their city ruled by King Jesus and His Law, much less are working to see that accomplished! But Jesus sent His disciples to cities to “announce … the Kingdom of Heaven is near!” The “Kingdom of Heaven” was for cities - NOT a kingdom for heaven or in heaven but “of heaven.” It is God’s Kingdom for earth because it was “near” them, here on earth.Being a heavenly Kingdom describes the character of the Kingdom. God does NOT have different kingdoms. He only has one Kingdom described in different ways in the New Testament: “Kingdom of heaven … Kingdom of God … Kingdom of the Father … Kingdom of Christ … Kingdom of the Son … Kingdom of light … His Kingdom … eternal Kingdom,” and simply “the Kingdom.” The disciples were sent out to “announce … the Kingdom,” which is a form of civil government, God’s civil government for cities.God’s Kingdom being announced was relevant for cities here and now. That’s why Jesus warned that they would be in political trouble with the courts (Matt. 10:17):“But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts!”Jesus did not send his disciples out to just share the gospel with next-door neighbors but to announce to cities - His Kingdom and His judgment on any city that rejects His Kingdom message. As Jesus said (Matt. 10:15):“Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment, than for that city.”But notice the first word that Jesus said in verse 16: “Behold!” This word expresses alarm. But what’s the big alarm about? Jesus was saying if we go out to advance His Kingdom we will be “as sheep in the midst of wolves!” That should be alarming to any sheep! How long do you think a sheep can live in the midst of wolves? Seconds!Christians that politically engage in replacing secular government with God’s Kingdom government will be “eaten alive” … UNLESS they are “wise as serpents.” The only way you won’t die, much less be successful, is to apply the “serpent’s strategy” - the wisdom of snakes, as Jesus said.As a young boy, I used to live in rural Texas where there were many rattlesnakes. I learned a lot about the practical wisdom of snakes. As I thought about the wisdom of snakes, three things came to my mind:* They don’t make noise.* They are not very visible.* They only rise up and raddle when they can successfully strike their prey.However, a snake is easy to kill if you see it ahead of time. And sheep are easy for wolves to kill soon as they see they are sheep. Applying the wisdom of a snake is the only way sheep can survive among wolves, much less win over a city with wolves.Why do you think Adolf Hitler made all Jews wear the bright yellow Star of David on their clothes? Hitler wanted all Jews to always be easily identified so they could be easily marginalized in society. Satan would like all Christians to always be publicly identified to always be marginalized. Of course there are times we should be open and bold as ambassadors for Christ. But in some missions for His Kingdom we need to remember what Jesus said, “be wise as serpents.”Jesus does not require Christians to always be public about all their motivations or missions. And we should not let wolves or anyone make Christians feel guilty if they’re not always open about every Christian purpose or mission. Jesus was clandestine more than once, even with His own brothers (John 7:6-10).Many college professors use the wisdom of serpents in hiding their hatred for Jesus and their nefarious agenda against God, family, and country. But once their position is secure with “tenure,” then they strike like rattlesnakes. Jesus even said (Luke 16:8):“The children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.”Many Bibles translate the verse “be wise as serpents” to be “shrewd as serpents.” It is the same Greek words in both verses. Yet naïve Christians think it is not godly to ever be shrewd and must always be open about their Christian identity, mission or purpose. But when they’re unsuccessful, not being shrewd and wise as a serpent, they just say they’re “suffering for Jesus.” In political mission for God’s Kingdom, it’s not always wise to wear your bright yellow Christian star on the outside of your clothes.Realize, this ONE VERSE about the wisdom of serpents is the ONLY VERSE Jesus gives to his disciples as strategy to win in fighting wolves in advancing His kingdom on cities to follow. The ‘Apostle Paul said (1 Cor. 9:24):“Run in such a way that you may win!”The radical political Left are running to win and Jesus said they are “more shrewd… than the children of the light.” Read what the Left circulated to their members on university campuses across the nation, written from a French Marxist group, titled The Coming Insurrection:“Visibility must be avoided but a force that gathers in the shadows cannot avoid it forever. Our appearance as a force must be reserved for the opportune moment. The longer we avoid visibility the stronger we’ll be when it catches up with us. And once we become visible, our days will be numbered. Either we’ll be in a position to break its hold in short order, or we’ll be crushed in time.”Satan and his Marxist’s agents are indeed shrewd. Christians must be “more shrewd,” more wise when fighting city wolves. Christians must heed “the whole counsel of God” (Prov. 21:22, 24:5):“The wise conquer the city of the strong and level the fortress in which they trust!”“The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger!”Solomon, the wisest man on earth, said (Eccl. 7:19, 9:15):“One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town!”“A poor, wise man knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued!”The Apostle Paul said (Phil. 3:18):“For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again … many live as enemies of the cross of Christ!”Jesus said (Matt. 11:12):“And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it!”To conquer a city we must follow Jesus’s wisdom. Jesus said (Luke 16:8, 18:1-8; Matt. 10:16):“Use the wisdom of this world with the unrighteous.”“Be persistent with the unrighteous.”“In the midst of wolves, be wise as serpents!” Get full access to Jim McCotter LIVE at jimmccotter.substack.com/subscribe