One Man's Blood Is the Best Anti-venom for Snakes
The latest research (published on May 2, 2025, in the journal Cell Press) is showing great promise in the fight against the deadly effects of snake bites:
Scientists have developed what they believe is the most widely effective antivenom ever — and the secret ingredient came from one man’s blood.
In the course of their research, the team found a man, Tim Friede, who had been bitten hundreds of times by 16 species of deadly snakes — the poison lethal enough to kill a horse, according to the scientists — over an 18-year period.
It turns out Friede was intentionally subjecting himself to the snake bites (over 200 of them!) and venom (over 700 doses!) in order to self-immunize against the deadly effects. He would start with very small doses, so as not to produce a fatal response, then gradually increase the exposure so his body could adjust to the poison over time. The result was a sort of "hyper-immunity" which makes him virtually impervious to a wide range of venomous toxins.
Now, rich in anti-venom antibodies, components from his blood are being developed into a very broad based antitode to combat the toxic effects of snake bites in others who have been bitten.
Don't bellieve it? Here's a link to his YouTube channel with plently of "sssssss"cary videos.
This might be a reasonable and, frankly, successful approach when it comes to literal snake venom, but the principle hardly carries over to the spiritual realm where we have been told that our most sinister enemy is "that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray" (Revelation 12:9, NIV).
From the moment of the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, we've had a snake, errrrr a sin problem. But with the sin came the promise:
"And I will put enmity between you [Satan] and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he [Jesus] will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15, NIV).
And that promise came through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22, NIV).
Some erroneously think that they can withstand the toxitcity of a life lived in sin and rebellion, engaging in ever increasing exposure to the trappings of this world and all its influence. But in the spiritual realm, you never "adjust to the poison," and the continued exposure doesn't produce "hyper-immunity" ... it only produces death!
Indeed, though, there is ONE MAN who can provide the "hyper-immunity" required to both resist and triumph over the toxic influence of that great serpent, Satan. But that man is NOT Tim Friede; that Man is the Lord Jesus Christ!
Rumors of Misused Funds for Ukraine
There are rumors that are Ukrainian funds that were sent by America have been misused and given to enemy soldiers. Celeste Wallander who is the assistant secretary of defense for International security affairs said, "The US government has not seen credible evidence of any diversion of US-provided weapons outside of Ukraine."
Though not yet credible, there is still doubt and fear that we are supplying the enemy.
We need not fear anything that we do in faith and wisdom for God and His kingdom will be used or appropriated by the enemy. Any word that we spread for Christ, any funds we commit to God's service, anything that we do for His glory will always be recognized by God. Though Satan might try to commandeer our efforts, to God alone belongs the victory!
"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:20, NIV).
"For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, 11so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it" (Isaiah 55:10-11, NIV).
"The Moscow Rules"
Once, while I was in the Washington, D.C., area holding a gospel meeting, I had the privilege of going through the International Spy Museum near Chinatown. Having an avid interest in both military history and the former Soviet Union, I was thrilled at the opportunity.
Although the museum displays how ancient the espionage game is, the greater part of the exhibits covers just the last 100 years. There is a whole section of the museum devoted to espionage during the Cold War. This period of intense espionage developed it's own “ten commandments” of spying (some say there are forty or more). The museum itself published ten of these so-called "Moscow Rules."
Some of these rules include: “assume nothing,” “don’t look back,” “there is no limit to a human being’s ability to rationalize the truth,” “maintain a natural pace,” “…if it feels wrong, it is wrong….”
Former CIA operative Jonna Mendez, as well as countless others, is quick to say that these rules are used by agents around the globe today. Many of these rules boil down to trusting instincts.
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Whereas Christians battle a foe that will not collapse or capitulate until the Lord returns, we have been given rules of engagement that we must follow for our own spiritual preservation in, as our foe is the most formidable of them all (see 1 Peter 5:8; 2 Corinthians 11:14; Revelation 2:10; etc.).
We need to mature to the point of having our powers of discernment trained (cf. Hebrews 5:14). This will give us the kind of instincts we need to be most aware of our enemies tactics (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:11). We should not become paranoid or see problems where they do not exist, but we must not let our guard down either.
God’s Word will protect us and serve us heroically in this terrific battle (cf. Ephesians 6:17), but only if we know how to use it properly.
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).