BBD 02.18.09 Do Not Feed the Monkeys
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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02.18.09
Do Not Feed the Monkeys
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as
children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness,
righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And
have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose
them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by
them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the
light, for whatever makes manifest is light. - Ephesians 5:8-13.
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ
also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to
God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or
covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not
fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator,
unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in
the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for
because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of
disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. - Ephesians 5:1-7.
Nikko, Japan is the home of the famous statues of the monkeys that
see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, and speak-no-evil. Nikko also has a large
population of living monkeys of the wild macaque variety. Some years ago
troops of these simians were causing major problems for those living in
Nikko. The monkeys while scavenging for food would occasionally bite people
and continually damage property. Officials blamed tourists who fed the
monkeys, which made the situation worse and worse. There were more and more
incidents of monkeys grabbing bags, which they thought, might contain food.
The people of Nikko would like for all of the tourists to remember, please
don't feed the monkeys!
God makes it clear in Paul's letter to the Ephesians that He would like for
us to stop feeding our monkeys too. In Ephesians 5:3-5 we are told of some
of those monkeys which we are to avoid. Paul says we are to "have no
fellowship" with them. In other words, don't feed them! Cut off the
relationship with "the unfruitful works of darkness." In Romans 13:14 we are
told to "make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." We should
not even think about how to gratify those desires. The more we feed the
monkeys, the more we have fellowship with them, the more we make provision
for them the worse they become.
To rid ourselves of the monkeys we must cut them off. We must stop feeding
the monkeys, stop having fellowship with them, and stop providing for them.
We must kick them out. But it is not enough just to do that. We must replace
them with something better. We are to "walk as children of light finding out
what is acceptable to the Lord." We are to "be imitators of God as dear
children (Ephesians 5:1)." We are to "walk in love, as Christ also has loved
us and given Himself for us... (Ephesians 5:2)."
Have you been feeding the monkeys? Stop it!!
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