The Problems Of The Two-Headed Snake
A woman in Woodbridge, Virginia, saw a rarity in her front yard: a two-headed copperhead snake. The snake only has one heart and one set of lungs, but each head has its own brain. This leads to multiple problems.
Both heads want to eat, but since eating takes time, the snake is vulnerable to predators for twice as long. Further, each head wants to go its own way. That means they can't respond as quickly when under attack. Even getting water can be precarious, as one head can drag the other down when drinking.
An expert at the Wildlife Center of Virginia said, "Based on the anatomy, it would be better for the right head to eat, but it may be a challenge since the left head appears more dominant" (Dana Hedgpeth, The Washington Post, 9/24/18). Experts also say that these internal conflicts prevent these rare "dual-cephalic" creatures from living very long.
James tells us that the double-minded man is unstable in all his ways (1:7), and implies that double-mindedness reflects impurity of heart (4:8).
Jesus taught, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth" (Matthew 6:24). We must choose to whom we will listen if we are to avoid spiritual peril (Joshua 24:15).
Paul wrote, "They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Romans 8:5-6).
We cannot live for the world and the Lord. It is an either/or proposition. Jesus says, "He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters" (Luke 11:23).
Don't let double-mindedness leave you more vulnerable to spiritual attack, steer you the wrong way, or drag you down. Make the right choice to be single-minded in your dedication and devotion to the One true Head of the Church, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22).
At A Loss For Words
Laura McPherson writes:
BEFORE THE TURN of the next century, more than half of India’s 780 languages may die out. In this respect, India can be seen as a microcosm of the world, with experts warning that thousands of little-spoken languages are at risk for extinction within the century.
These reports might act as a call to keep teaching these languages to new users and ensure they are passed on to the next generation. But we have to be realistic, too. Without an unlikely transformation in political, socioeconomic, and ethnic conditions, it is naïve to think we can stem the tide of language death.
Yet, for obvious reasons, none of the research touches on the extinction of perhaps the most important language of all—prayer.
As our societies become more and more secularized, the proliferation of the global language of secular humanism threatens to swallow up the spiritual dynamic of prayer, as it sweeps across the globe.
Yet those who desire to commune with God need never fear the death of the language required. God hears our hearts. He knows our needs before we can even express them (Matthew 6:8). And when we don’t even know how to pray, “The Spirit of God Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26)
The Colonel's Not So Secret Disappointment
Matt Blitz writes:
Over the last year, fervor has erupted over Colonel Sanders’ television re-emergence and the actors casted to play the company’s iconic founder. Lost in the hubbub, though, was that Colonel Sanders was real and built KFC with his own two greasy hands. Sanders sold the company in 1964, but for years afterwards, he would regret it. In fact, Sanders would visit KFCs across the country criticizing the low quality of the food, saying the gravy was horrible and that the extra crispy recipe was nothing more than “a damn fried doughball stuck on some chicken.”
... In fact, he was so open about his disdain for the alterations made to his signature recipes that KFC sued him for libel in 1978. The suit was eventually thrown out.
*Follow the link to source for the full and colorful story behind Colonel Sander's success.
Although the Colonel was responsible for KFC's existence and its success, he hated everything it would go on to become.
One has to wonder if the same thing might be said of the Church. For although Jesus is responsible for her existence and success, she is a far cry from what she used to be.
Is it possible that Jesus hates everything that the Church has become?
How far have we strayed from the original recipe? How much of the world's call to political correctness have we heeded, to the detriment of preaching the Gospel of grace to needy sinners? Do we still preach one Lord, one faith, one baptism?
“For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all” (Ephesians 4:6, NLT)
Despite her many flaws, the Apostle wrote, “… Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:25-27).