Creepy!

No, not our copperhead – this is from Wikimedia

Beloved Husband, Second Daughter and Son-in-law are out with the .410 shotgun.  I’m not worried about them, though.  They are experienced at responding to snakes creeping about in the grass. The weather has been conducive to quick growth, and the warmth entices snakes to seek sun and rocks. 

Grass snakes we don’t mind at all.  They do good work.  Black snakes that take up residence at the hen house should be warned, though, that we prefer the eggs come to us instead of feeding their hunger and we’ll fight for them!  We’ll win, too, simply because of that .410. They are not poisonous, just a nuisance around the hen house.  One died there this afternoon.

The copperheads, however, do not get any consideration, they just get killed.  We don’t find many, but they are native to the area and probably look upon us as intruders bent on destroying their homes. They are right.  Doesn’t matter.  When they are found near the house, they meet the same fate.  One died there this afternoon.

Today I received the Sunday School lesson for next week, and it fits right in.  We are studying the entire book of Jude – all twenty-five verses.  Appropriately, creepiness is part of that lesson:

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:4 KJV)

Appropriate because Satan is seen as a serpent, creeping into lives, making wrong appear right.  Jude does not tell us to whom this epistle is addressed.  It is looked upon as a ‘general epistle’ to be read in churches in the first century and applicable to churches today.  There are certain ungodly men creeping in to deny our Lord.  Denying that Jesus is the promised Messiah.  Turning God given grace into license to live sinful lives.  Things haven’t changed much in two thousand years.

We are to contend with them for the faith, according to verse 3 in order to provide the gospel in its true form.  But this contention must be handled correctly:

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. (Jude 1:9 KJV)

It is not our place to rail nor accuse, simply call upon the Lord to rebuke, and to help others.

And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. (Jude 1:22-23 KJV)

Hate the garment stained by sin, but pull the sinner out of the fire.  Hate the sin, but love the sinner.  Why?  For God’s glory.

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25 KJV)

We’ll take care of the snakes here, and know that He is able to help us contend with the others.