Identify the Swine

Mat 7:6-9
(6) Do not give that which is holy to the dogs, nor throw your pearls before the pigs, that they should not trample them with their feet, and turning they charge you.
(7) Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
(8) For each one that asks receives, and the one that seeks finds; and to the one knocking, it will be opened.
(9) Or what man of you is there, if his son should ask a loaf of him, will he give him a stone?

I'd love to take this passage and work backwards today. We had a Men's Encounter this weekend. Men's Encounters are not typical. There is no 'normal' encounter with God. There is no standard on earth by which to measure one of these... so I'll begin by saying that this encounter was way more than expected. This was my third. There were so many men there that were 'asking for bread', 'seeking', and 'knocking'. I dare-say they all found.

For many of these guys, they went home to families that were fed-up with them. They returned to spouses that looked at them cross-eyed and said, 'yeah right.' These are necessary steps to take. We screw up, we take our lumps. But we can't just share our experiences with just anyone. The scripture says that after they trample over your pearls, they will turn on YOU. This is a viscious, unbelieving world, and it's getting worse, not better.

Some people love to eat. For these, there is NOTHING like being hungry! For those who do not like to eat, hunger is an annoyance. Hunger is an anticipatory feeling when you know that there is food available. It's a feeling of despair when we realize there is no food. Spirtually speaking, there is no difference. I'm hungry in anticipation of what the Lord will provide for me to consume. I invite everyone to pray that the Lord would make you hungry! He has the ability to feed you - turning stones to bread if need be.