It is no wonder the devil was a snake

 My wife, Carmen, ran outside one morning last summer to grab our mail. When she got back to the front door, she hollered about seeing a snake.

I ran outside to see it but it slithered away before I could spot it. At the time, we thought it had slithered away for good so we went back inside.

We went out that afternoon for a little while to run a few errands. Once we got back home, we had almost forgotten all about seeing the animal species I loathe the most.

But later, Carmen peeked out of our front door window only to spot the black creature again — this time lying next to our sidewalk.

We assume it was a black snake but it held its head up much like a cobra. For my own sanity, I will maintain it was just a black snake.

Anyhow, since it had slithered away earlier, we thought that if we tried to scare it, it might run away again.

So Carmen’s first attempt was throwing her car ice scraper that happened to be lying on the porch. The snake didn’t flinch.

Next, I got one of my work shoes and started slamming it on the porch, hoping that the loud noise would frighten it. That did not faze it.

Finally, Carmen got a bowl full of water to splash at it. Still nothing. And considering how hot it was that day, the snake probably appreciated the cool douse.

Carmen’s mom, Linda, was actually on her way over to our house to visit. So Carmen called her to warn her about the snake.

When Linda arrived, it was almost as if the snake knew trouble was coming so it slithered back across the sidewalk to a hole underneath our porch. We got a good look at it too, and it was huge for a black snake.

Since we had run out of weapons to attack the snake, Linda made a trip back to her house to get a shovel.

In the meantime, I was beginning to stress out about it. A lot of things don’t bother me too much, but if a reptile like that is loose in my house, it really disturbs me.

But Linda had returned with the shovel in hand. The snake was still tucked away in its Hall household hideout.

After about 30 minutes, though, the black demon resurfaced.

Linda grabbed her shovel, and the snake made a run for it.

It slithered across the yard and our driveway. Just as it was close to making its escape, it met its demise in the form of a shovel stabbing by my mother-in-law.

So even though the snake survived our heroic water and ice scraper attacks, it was no match for Linda — or “The Female Crocodile Hunter,” which is what my mother called her after hearing about this story.

A couple of days later, we found the hole where the snake was likely staying, loaded it up with snake repellent and sealed it off.

After all of this was said and done, however, I couldn’t help but think about the references in the Bible about the devil being a snake.

2 Corinthians 11:3 refers to the devil appearing as a serpent in the Garden of Eden.

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

And then in Revelation 12:9, the serpent gets cast out of the world.

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

Just like the way the black snake under our house caused me stress and worry and confusion, when we let Satan into our lives, we can become stressful and worrisome.

Only after the snake was cast out of its hole and filled with the repellent was I once again at peace.

Similarly, we can only be at real peace when we cast Satan out of our lives and fill our souls up with the spirit of the Lord.

Philippians 4:7 says “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

The devil will try to slither his way into our lives when he finds any holes in our soul. But just like “The Female Crocodile Hunter” used her shovel to cast the black snake from our yard, we can use our Bibles and prayer to keep that snake called the devil out of our lives.

Debt — A Biblical Exploration (Day 5 of 5)

We are reminded of the liabilities debt brings upon us. One of the burdens of borrowing and failing into debt is posting collateral. Today's readings remind us that the dangers of putting down collateral does not just apply to us when we are in debt but it also warns of situations when we cosign for a family member, friend or neighbor. Whether we are posting collateral as a security for ourselves or if we are cosigning, it is still a dangerous aspect of debt, and today's reading reminds us that all situations will create a sense of slavery to debt. Making debt our master is not in the best interest of our spirit because God is our one true master and it is Him who we should follow and love.

Proverbs 20:16 — "Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman."

Proverbs 11:15 — "He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretiship is sure."

Proverbs 22:26-27 — "Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?"

Proverbs 6:1 — "My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger..."

Proverbs 6:3 — "Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend."

Debt — A Biblical Exploration (Day 4 of 5)

Not only does the Bible warn us of debt but it provides us examples. These examples are meant to teach us about issues surrounding debt. Each example is unique and helps us see different aspects of indebtedness. Use this opportunity to reflect on these passages and explore how you would handle each situation these examples present.

Matthew 18:32-33 — "This his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredest me: Shouldest not thou also have compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?"

Luke 7:42 — "And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?"

Colossians 2:13-14 — "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath me quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross."

Debt — A Biblical Exploration (Day 3 of 5)

 The year of release put a stop to the familiar cycle of the rich getting richer and the poor poorer. Regardless of how much debt the poor may have incurred or the reason for that debt, the year of release provided a comprehensive program of debt cancellation and freedom from indentured servitude. This radical economic legislation was grounded in Israel's identity as a nation with firsthand experience of God's generosity.

Stewardship theologian Ronald E. Vallet notes that both "Exodus 21:2-11 and Deuteronomy 15:1-11 spelled out provisions for the remission of debts every seven years." Vallet points out that God went even further.

In Leviticus 25, those provisions were incorporated into the practice of the Jubilee year. Every 50 years — Sabbath of Sabbaths, the year after seven sevens — the land was to have rest from cultivation. There was a homecoming in which family land that had been forfeited was to be returned. Debts were to be canceled; slaves were to be set free. The provisions were radical. In effect, all society was commanded to pursue God's interest and passion for justice. Isaiah 61, especially verses 1-2 with their reference to "the year of the Lord's favor," is Isaiah's allusion to the year of Jubilee, an idea that influenced the prophets greatly. Isaiah 61:8 sums up forcefully the divine passion for justice embedded in all scripture: "[For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them]."

Imagine what it would be like to experience a financial jubilee one time in your lifetime: to be able to start from a clean slate with no debts or obligations to be repaid. What would that freedom enable you to do?

Proverbs 3:28 — "Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee."

Psalms 37:21 — "The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth."

2 Kings 4:7 — "Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest."

Deuteronomy 15:1-2 — "At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord's release."

Nehemiah 10:3 — "And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt."

Philemon 1:18-19 — "If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account; I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides."

Debt — A Biblical Exploration (Day 2 of 5)

When we go into debt, we are subject to the decision of those who we borrowed from. Whether it be financial institutions or people who lent the money, we quickly find ourselves losing things we hold dearly due to our inability to manage our finances. Not only do we become slaves to our debt, but we find ourselves also in a servitude to the wills and desires of our creditors. God teaches us that he has blessed us and has given us everything we could possibly need to live a debt-free life.

2 Kings 4:1 — "Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen."

Nehemiah 5:3 — "Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth."

Psalms 109:11 — "Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour."

Isaiah 50:1 — "Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away."

Deuteronomy 28:44 — "He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail."

Deuteronomy 28:12 — "The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow."

Debt — A Biblical Exploration (Day 1 of 5)

Debt can cause so many problems both financially and spiritually. When too much debt is attained, it is as if we become trapped, drowning in our finances.

Our worries over our debt quickly consume our lives and our thoughts. We become servants to debt, and debt becomes our master.

Debt can cause us to have tunnel vision, living life consumed by our financial worries instead of putting God first in our lives.We can quickly forget about God and those around us who we care and love.

Dallas Willard describes the spiritual bondage we encounter when we get in too much debt.

"In our current world, a large part of the freedom that comes from frugality is freedom from the spiritual bondage caused by financial debt. This kind of debt is often incurred by buying things that are far from necessary and its effect, when the amount is substantial, is to diminish our sense of worth, dim our hope for the future, and eliminate our sensitivity to the needs of others."

Romans 13:8 — "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law."

Proverbs 22:7 — "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."

1 Corinthians 7:23 — "Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men."

Bengals Tecmo Super Bowl Season — Playoffs Recap

After our beloved Bengals were bounced from the playoffs last week by the Denver Broncos, eight teams remained in the 2013 Tecmo Super Bowl Playoffs.

On the AFC side of the bracket, it was top-seeded San Diego moving past Tom Brady's Patriots 23-17. And the Broncos earned the other AFC Championship game spot by knocking off the Texans, 27-21.

On the NFC side, it was the Rams stunning the No. 1 seed Packers 31-9 as they advance to the NFC Championship game. They will meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who defeated the Bears, 17-10.

In the AFC Championship game, the Denver Broncos cruised past the San Diego Chargers, 21-7, as they make their first Super Bowl appearance since 1998.

In the NFC Championship game, the St. Louis Rams stamped their ticket to the Super Bowl by upending the Buccaneers, 31-21.

So the stage was set for the 2013 Tecmo Super Bowl game: Peyton Manning and the Broncos vs. Sam Bradford and the Rams. Who would take home the Tecmo Lombardi Trophy?

The answer... the Denver Broncos. They would defeat the St. Louis Rams by a score of 24-17. MVP Peyton Manning completed 80 percent of his passes for 280 yards. Wes Welker hauled in four catches for 121 yards. And that's how the Tecmo Super Bowl season would end.

Congratulations to the Super Champion Denver Broncos!