Viper

The Dodge Viper was initially conceived in late 1988 at Chrysler’s Advanced Design Studios. The following February, Chrysler’s president suggested to produce it, first as a clay model, then in sheet metal. The car appeared at an auto show in 1989. Public reaction was so enthusiastic that the chief engineer was directed to develop it as a standard production vehicle. But then Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca delayed approving the $70 million needed to put the sports car into production, saying it was a lot to spend without assurance of financial return. It wasn’t until 2013 that they began producing them, and did so until 2017.

While that sports car is exciting, that is not what this post is about. This is actually about another viper.

In Acts 28, Paul and the crew of the ship that was taking him to Rome, crashed near the island of Malta. Everyone survived and made it to shore. The natives started a big bonfire to help them get warm and dry off. Paul gathered some wood and laid it on the fire. A viper was in that bundle of wood, and when the intense heat pressured it, it woke it up, and it struck out and latched itself to Paul’s hand. The natives thought for sure Paul must be a bad guy, for if the shipwreck didn’t kill him, justice was going to be carried out by the viper.

Here’s the best part—Paul just shook off the viper into the fire, and remained unharmed.

In this day and age, there are plenty of “vipers” that are feeling the intense heat or pressure of what’s happening around them. Therefore they lash out and sink their fangs into others, pumping them full of poison.

If this happens to you, just shake them off, back into the fire from which they came, and remain unharmed in any way, just like Paul.

For Jesus has given us power to walk among vipers and to crush them. Nothing will harm us. (See Luke 10:19)

I believe they are feeling the heat of the upcoming Lake of Fire, and the intense pressure of it makes them afraid. They know deep down something is wrong in their life, but the ruler of this world is blinding their eyes to see the Salvation that is right in front of them. That’s what they should be jumping out to latch onto to.

So let’s pray that they will find Jesus before it is too late. Because the heat is on!

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