Be Wise as Serpents and Innocent as Doves

Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 10:16, "Behold, I send you out in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves." He said this to His disciples as He was sending them out to preach that the "kingdom of heaven is at hand."
This warning and instruction is very applicable to us today.

As Christians we live in a hostile environment. The world has an agenda that is against us. We are attacked on multiple fronts. It should be no surprise to us. In this same context Jesus warned, "You will be hated by all because of My name...(v. 22). So, we must wise...shrewd and intentional. Our adversaries are strategic and relentless in their actions against us. We need to be alert and on guard against the attacks. And, we need to go on the offensive.

The gospel message is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes. We need to speak this powerful message. We need to live as Jesus' disciples. We need to be ready to give an answer to those who question our faith and way of life (1 Pet 3:15). We need to be active in our communities (including governmental activities), our schools, our neighborhood associations, our state and national governments. We should join with Paul going to individuals and to rulers (Acts 9:15). Time is flying by and the enemy is active. Let's rise up and engage!