BBD 08.05.13 The Pet (Classic)

#1 · August 5, 2013, 11:49 am

Quote from Forum Archives on August 5, 2013, 11:49 am
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The
Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries.
Celebrating 15 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the
Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than
14,000 subscribers across the world.

You can
leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

There is
a translation tool on theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of
all of the pages.

The Burning Bush Devotional

14,000 Subscribers
to the Email Devotional

Classic from 2006

08.05.13

The Pet

The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them
stumble. - Proverbs 4:19.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies,
outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders,
drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I
also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not
inherit the kingdom of God. - Galatians 5:19-21.

In Naples, Florida a man was driving erratically and
crashed his vehicle into some barricades. Was he drunk? Was he talking on
his cell phone? Was he reading the paper? Studying for an exam? Putting on his
makeup? No, his problem was somewhat new and original. His pet snake
attacked him. Witnesses report that Courtland Page Johnson got out of his
vehicle, wrestled with his snake, then, got back into the vehicle - and drove off.
When officers arrived at Johnson’s home, they found him to have cuts and blood
on his body. Johnson admitted that it all happened when his snake bit him and
he may have panicked. I’m just wondering what happened to the snake?

I have had several pets during my lifetime (I have none
right now), especially while I was a boy living on a farm. Some of the pets
that I have had are dogs, cats, a jackrabbit, crows, a ground squirrel, a
de-scented skunk, and an owl. My mother had a small snake, a racer of some type
for a pet for a while that she kept in a cage but I never thought I would want
one as a pet. My personal opinion about snakes is that the only good snake is a
dead snake. Living in a rural area, I dislike having snakes hanging around
because I might step on it and they try to get into the house, which would be
an even bigger problem. There was a story about a man in Oklahoma last year who
let several varieties of rattlesnakes slither around his property. It was fine
until he tripped and fell and three of the snakes bit him. I think he lived but
he probably has a new respect for the snakes.

Most of you, like me, do not have a pet snake. However,
you may have something that can be just as deadly as having a pet rattlesnake
or a pet cobra. What could that be? You may have a pet sin and the, "wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a)." What is your most favorite pet sin? The apostle
Paul gives us quite a list in Galatians 5,
"…adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred,
contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions,
heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries…." This is not a complete list and knowing that Paul adds, "and the like."

Have you ever thought about your favorite sin as being
similar to having a pet rattlesnake wrapped around your neck? Not a whole lot of difference. The rattlesnake can kill
you very quickly whereas your pet sin may take a while longer. It may take
longer but it still kills. Sin starts out killing on the edges of life -
circling in for the final destruction. Sin kills the joy. Sin kills the love.
Sin kills the fun. Sin kills the good. Sin kills the life. Sound familiar?
It may be time to find a new pet.

As Paul says, "…do not
let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do
not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present
yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments
of righteousness to God (Romans 6:12-13)."

Copyright © 2006-2013. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
No matter what the size your church, Ed will come on a love offering basis for
a revival or to share his testimony in the continental United States. You can
make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or WratherEd@gmail.com
View LinkedIn profile with endorsements at
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Many prayer
needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You
can also post your prayer requests there (Of course, I am always in need of
prayer - please pray for me.).

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group.
The group began in 1998 and is made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer
requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo
devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may
subscribe to the html text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is
only being sent now in html format) by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the
confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org

Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The
Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries.
Celebrating 15 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the
Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than
14,000 subscribers across the world.

You can
leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

There is
a translation tool on theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of
all of the pages.

The Burning Bush Devotional

14,000 Subscribers
to the Email Devotional

Classic from 2006

08.05.13

The Pet

The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them
stumble. - Proverbs 4:19.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies,
outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders,
drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I
also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not
inherit the kingdom of God. - Galatians 5:19-21.

In Naples, Florida a man was driving erratically and
crashed his vehicle into some barricades. Was he drunk? Was he talking on
his cell phone? Was he reading the paper? Studying for an exam? Putting on his
makeup? No, his problem was somewhat new and original. His pet snake
attacked him. Witnesses report that Courtland Page Johnson got out of his
vehicle, wrestled with his snake, then, got back into the vehicle - and drove off.
When officers arrived at Johnson’s home, they found him to have cuts and blood
on his body. Johnson admitted that it all happened when his snake bit him and
he may have panicked. I’m just wondering what happened to the snake?

I have had several pets during my lifetime (I have none
right now), especially while I was a boy living on a farm. Some of the pets
that I have had are dogs, cats, a jackrabbit, crows, a ground squirrel, a
de-scented skunk, and an owl. My mother had a small snake, a racer of some type
for a pet for a while that she kept in a cage but I never thought I would want
one as a pet. My personal opinion about snakes is that the only good snake is a
dead snake. Living in a rural area, I dislike having snakes hanging around
because I might step on it and they try to get into the house, which would be
an even bigger problem. There was a story about a man in Oklahoma last year who
let several varieties of rattlesnakes slither around his property. It was fine
until he tripped and fell and three of the snakes bit him. I think he lived but
he probably has a new respect for the snakes.

Most of you, like me, do not have a pet snake. However,
you may have something that can be just as deadly as having a pet rattlesnake
or a pet cobra. What could that be? You may have a pet sin and the, "wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a)." What is your most favorite pet sin? The apostle
Paul gives us quite a list in Galatians 5,
"…adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred,
contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions,
heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries…." This is not a complete list and knowing that Paul adds, "and the like."

Have you ever thought about your favorite sin as being
similar to having a pet rattlesnake wrapped around your neck? Not a whole lot of difference. The rattlesnake can kill
you very quickly whereas your pet sin may take a while longer. It may take
longer but it still kills. Sin starts out killing on the edges of life -
circling in for the final destruction. Sin kills the joy. Sin kills the love.
Sin kills the fun. Sin kills the good. Sin kills the life. Sound familiar?
It may be time to find a new pet.

As Paul says, "…do not
let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do
not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present
yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments
of righteousness to God (Romans 6:12-13)."

Copyright © 2006-2013. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
No matter what the size your church, Ed will come on a love offering basis for
a revival or to share his testimony in the continental United States. You can
make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or WratherEd@gmail.com
View LinkedIn profile with endorsements at
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Many prayer
needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You
can also post your prayer requests there (Of course, I am always in need of
prayer - please pray for me.).

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group.
The group began in 1998 and is made up of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer
requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo
devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may
subscribe to the html text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is
only being sent now in html format) by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the
confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org