Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: Sticking Your Head In The Alligators Mouth!

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: Sticking Your Head In The Alligators Mouth!: This morning as we were sitting in our men's exercise group and were discussing reality television, a discussion came up about a televisi...

Sticking Your Head In The Alligators Mouth!

This morning as we were sitting in our men's exercise group and were discussing reality television, a discussion came up about a television show in which a person stuck their head in the mouth of an alligator. Our discussion focused on the fact that a person that would stick their head in the mouth of an alligator must not be to bright!

A person that would stick their head in the mouth of an alligator is placing a lot of trust that the alligator will not chomp down while their head is in its mouth. Whatever the reason for doing this, the person has a 50/50 chance of their head coming out of the alligators mouth or it biting down on their head. Personally the odds of trust are not good enough for me to ever place my head in the mouth of an alligator (I'm sure my wife appreciates my logic).

Yes, many would say that a person that would risk their life in an alligators mouth is not playing with a full deck, or maybe isn't the sharpest pencil in the drawer. Yes, how can one trust an alligator to do the right thing? Some of us may think of it as a magical feet of awesome trust and awesome skill, but we will see that our skill and our bag of tricks can never be 100% guaranteed.

This week, I speak of Simon and the Samarion people in Acts: 8:9-17. In this text, the people of Samaria followed the skills of a magician named Simon, and through his feats of magic people believed him to have the power of God. People paid attention to him and were constantly amazed with his magic. But with this we see Philip come on the scene preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God, and of Jesus Christ. Upon hearing the good news, both men and women were baptized.

The awesome thing was that the great magician Simon understood that his life and faith could not, and should not ever be placed in reliance of feats of magic. With this Peter and John heard of the baptisms in Samaria and they went to them and prayed with those recently baptized, as the power of the Holy Spirit had yet to touch the people of Samaria. Peter and John laid their hands on the people and scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit came into the people of Samaria.

Brothers and Sisters, I bet that the person who places their head inside of an alligators mouth hopes the alligator has already had lunch and won't touch them, let alone bite them. Even Simon the magician knew that the love of God was a 100% proposition, and that the only thing he needed to do was to trust God and let himself be touched (by the waters of baptism and the touch of the Holy Spirit).

As we move into the year 2013 some of us may go forward making decisions like a person sticking their heads in the mouths of alligators, in which they feel like an alligator has chomped down on their heads. Yet some of us can go into the year 2013 and be like Simon and know that magic and chance, or even risk can never compete with the power of God's love through the Holy Spirit.

My prayer today is for those that feel as if they are alligator wranglers in the difficulties of daily life! May they realize that the love of God, and the touch of the Holy Spirit are the only true safe touch that even magicians trust. The trust that will leave them with their lives and heads fully attached!

Praying for solid heads of trust and alligators that have full stomachs.
Pastor Tim