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A Kitten, a Scorpion, or a Dragon: How Do You See Your Government?

A Kitten, a Scorpion, or a Dragon: How Do You See Your Government?

I have many patients who struggle with feelings of hurt, anger, and bitterness stemming from longstanding mistreatment in their relationships. Some of my patients experience such ongoing emotional wounds in their relationship with a parent, others from a spouse, and others from their children. When a patient’s history reveals a pattern of repeated, persistent, and predictable slights, rejections, betrayals, and exploitations yet they keep exposing themselves to the offender to be wounded again and again, I share this metaphor.

Consider the story of the scorpion and the frog. The scorpion asks the frog for a ride across the lake. The frog objects, saying, “No way! If I let you onto my back, you’ll sting me and I’ll die.”

The scorpion replies, “Well, if I did that, we would both drown! So I would never do that.” Assured that the scorpion means no harm, the frog gives the scorpion a ride on his back. Halfway across the lake, however, the scorpion stings the frog.

As the toxin works its way through its body, the frog asks the scorpion, “Why did you sting me? Now we will both die!”

The scorpion replies, “It’s my nature.”

One problem some of my patients have in relationships is failing to understand the nature of the people with whom they are in relationship. We all want our spouse or parent or child to love us in a healthy way. But some of us have relatives who are not mature, or worse, who have hardened their hearts in selfishness. And sometimes, because we love them, because we want them to be better, kinder, more loving, we resist the truth, we resist seeing them for who they have chosen to become, what character they have developed and, thus, we expose ourselves to them to be hurt, betrayed, exploited, and wounded over and over again. This results in anger, frustration, and discouragement.

One’s longing, desire, or wish for the other person to love them can be so strong that despite repeated injury, when the pain of the most recent assault diminishes, the happy fantasy overshadows the painful reality, and they expose themselves to being hurt again.

Imagine looking across the room and seeing the cutest kitten you have ever seen. Immediately, you smile brightly and imagine how soft its fur will feel when you pick it up and cuddle it, how comforting its gentle purr will sound. But even though you see a kitten, what actually waits across the room is a vicious scorpion—so, when you reach out to pet the “kitten,” you actually get stung. You instantly pull back your hand crying out in pain and retreat across the room. You tend to your wound and, over time, the pain decreases. And once the pain diminishes enough to no longer demand your constant attention, you look around the room and once again see a cute little kitten that you long to hold and pet. So once again, you go over and attempt to pet the kitten, but every time you do, you get stung because there is only a scorpion.

Why, in this scenario, does the person keep getting stung? Because they don’t see reality for what it is—they don’t see a scorpion. Instead, they see what they long for, what they hope for, what they wish for, and thereby deceive themselves. Why? Because accepting a harsh truth is painful—accepting that one’s parent, spouse, or child doesn’t love you hurts and, thus, instead of accepting the nature of whom they are dealing with, many people deny the truth and continue to project their fantasy onto the relationship, resulting in repeated exposure to unhealthy people with their repeated mistreatment.

Jesus said that the truth sets us free (John 8:32). He didn’t say the truth would always be pleasant to deal with or accept—but it will set us free; it will heal. My patients who accept the truth of the nature/character of the people with whom they are in relationship are empowered to set boundaries that prevent repeated injury, and when they do, they are also set free from the constant anger, hurt, and disappointment.

Kitten, Scorpion, or Dragon

This metaphor is also applicable to any situation in which our expectations are contrary to reality, any situation in which we allow our desires, longings, wishes to overrule what actually is—including how we see our nations and our understanding of law and justice.

If we expect the nations of this world to act with Christlike grace, kindness, love, and justice, and we seek to find godly justice through the outworking of the laws of this world, then we will get stung over and over again. For the Bible teaches that all the kingdoms of this world are Satan’s. This means that all the nations of this world operate upon the principles of Satan’s government: imposed rules, coercive enforcement, lies, and the exploitation of the many for the benefit of the few.

If we are unwilling to accept the true nature of the kingdoms of this world—imperial law, coercive enforcement, arbitrary rules, injustice upon injustice—then we will be hurt repeatedly. If we insist on seeing our nation as a “kitten,” or perhaps a lioness who wants to protect its cubs (citizens), rather than see it as a scorpion controlled by people in power who will exploit the masses for the benefit of the few, then we will end up being pawns supporting the very exploitation we claim to be fighting against. We will be hurt, and we will hurt others while claiming to seek justice.

The Bible warns us that at this time in human history, the one kingdom of the world that arose with “lamblike” features of religious and civil liberty turns out to be much worse than a scorpion—it speaks like a dragon and uses all the powers of the grotesque, monstrous beast that was in power before it (Revelation 13). The Bible plainly states that this beast will violate every principle of God’s kingdom and will persecute those who remain faithful to Him, those who live out God’s law of love and faithfully reveal Jesus. Moreover, this beastly nation will lead the entire world into joining it in violating God’s law under the guise of obeying the law, of doing justice.

Our only safety is in Jesus, in having His law written upon our hearts, of living out the truth in love while leaving others free. God is calling His people to awaken out of their slumber, to realize that the nations of this world do not represent Him and do not practice His principles—to come out of Babylon, that fallen system of imperial corruption, coercion, and control, to have their hearts’ affections and loyalties cut away from the things of this world and sealed completely to God. Then, we will stop looking to this world to make us feel safe; we will stop seeking to get the governments of this world to enforce mandates on others to make us feel secure; and we will instead place our lives fully into the hands of the only truly trustworthy One, our Lord and Savior, our Deliverer and Protector—Jesus Christ.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!

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Testimony 40

I was brought up in a different faith and have been petrified my whole life of God. I believed that I would burn in hell for eternity. When I was 12 I started pursuing the things of this world, but for the next 45 years the Spirit was always calling me, as I knew there was a God through nature. I could see the vast sea of stars in the universe and knew there was something bigger out there. Five years ago, through a Revelation seminar, I was blessed to learn about God’s character and government.

Then I found Come and Reason Ministries and have come under some extreme pressure when I speak about the ministry. One time a member sent me an internet article titled “Whats wrong with Tim Jennings?” I asked her what she thought of it and she said “I don’t know, I didn’t read it.”

I have always wanted to find out for myself the truth about God, so I stayed with the Design Law construct and have been liberated to understand the big picture. Once we consider Design Law, all other Bible stories and prophecies seem to fit perfectly. It is truly beautiful to see people grasping how God operates this Universe of Love and the liberation it has provided in their lives. It blows my mind to see how consistent Design law is with what our founders believed. I hear statements like “This makes so much sense.”

Tom W., Mt. Pleasant, MI, USA

 

Testimony 36

Thank you and may God continue to bless you as you share with others the intricacies of how we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made”. I must share that you have opened a whole new world to me, and I have found tremendous healing through what you have shared in two of your books, “Could It Be This Simple?” and “The God Shaped Brain.” I praise God for what you shared, what I have learned, and how I have grown and healed! My prayer is that My Precious Jesus will be seen by others in the way I live, act, talk, etc. and they may be encouraged to know He is truly a GREAT God of LOVE, desiring that no one should perish! God Bless you in your continued endeavors to present Him as He really is!

Joleen H. GA, USA

 

Testimony 68

Your message of design law vs imperial law is so uplifting and makes so much sense- it is a game changer for me. The fact that Jesus’s death is not a big payment by an angry God is , quite frankly, a relief.

Laura G., London, Ontario, Canada

 

Testimony 74

Thank you so much for opening my eyes. I’ve been through a lot of ministries that just didn’t show the love of God that I felt he was. You have helped me to begin the process of true healing. I thought I was “too far gone,” now I know there’s hope in Jesus, because he loves us beyond what we can comprehend. Thank you again for all you do. I truly appreciate it and pray more people find you (physical at your studio and through this website).

Dalio M.

Testimony 31

It was very touching to hear the testimony of your class share how viewing God’s true character has changed their lives. My feelings are the same – there is so much freedom in knowing that God LOVES me – regardless of my… just, REGARDLESS! I’m still blown away by the true gospel, the fact that God is not ready to strike us when we fail. He is not arbitrary. He simply loves us and warns of the natural consequences because He can’t stand to see us suffer. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS GOD!!!

Ceil V.,  UT, USA

 

Testimony 69

After reading your book, ‘Could It Be This Simple,’ someone was explaining Christianity in a way that made sense to me for the first time in my life. One morning, I simply prayed “I’m sorry and I love you.” As soon as I silently said that, I could literally feel God’s presence and light flood down on me from above and fill me up with love and joy. I sat there crying my eyes out, because I was so overpowered with this feeling of love and joy. It was just so incredible. I hope that more people can read this book and get a blessing from it. It’s really amazing.

Rachael H.

Testimony 50

After coming into contact with Come And Reason Ministries, I can finally say that many of my unanswered questions have fallen into place. I discovered that my view of God’s Law was “imposed laws and rules” with “imposed punishments” and that this was the major culprit of my many unanswered questions. Thanks be to God for using you and those around you to help us who have struggled with this “infection” of thought. I have now rejected the “imposed law” concept to fully embrace “Design Law”… to look thru “Design Law,” instead of “imposed law,” is a relief.

Viliami L., Australia

 

Testimony 71

When I was 9 years old, I remember setting at our devotional table with a hunger and thirst for God that wanted more, deeper, BETTER. I can remember literally crying and pounding on the table, “I know these teachers didn’t mean to give us error. They taught what THEY had been TAUGHT, but didn’t ANYBODY READ THE BOOK?!?!?” It mattered to me then. It mattered to me as a teenager. It matters now as I teach bible classes. It didn’t have to be so hard as I watched so many give up and lay God’s great plan and gift of salvation aside as being “impossible.” Then, a friend sent me a link to Come And Reason’s website. I grew excited. YES! FINALLY! Then another friend told me to stay away, saying her son had just broken up with a girl because she was involved with Come And Reason and that “Tim Jennings preaches a false gospel.” But, AFTER many years of developing an authentic and, dare I say FUN relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit I see this message has been around a LONG time, since the apostle Paul, Ellen White, Graham Maxwell, Ray Foucher, and yourself (though I admit, you’ve made me back up, rewind and replay the clips, and get out my well-worn Bible on a few things.) I’m so thankful I have found LIGHT during these DARK days. I am not alone.

Vicki DiNitto

Testimony 41

I have been blessed by your ministry. I have experienced personally, and deeply resonate with, the God of love and the beautiful picture of God’s character that you present. I have seen your seminar series on YouTube, read ‘The Journal of the Watcher’ book, used your mobile app, and also listen/study the bible study lesson with you each week. I concur with many of the thoughts and perspectives that you share. I understand your conclusions on natural laws vs imposed law and the legal/penal substitution (incorrect diagnosis). This makes perfect sense to me.

Bless you for all you do.

Melissa L.

 

Testimony 27

Your teachings about our heavenly Father have changed my life. Thank you sooooooo very very much! I know He’s doing some serious healing in my heart and life and I look forward to each new day to learn something new about Him and to just hear you speak about Him. Thank you, forever.

Nancy S.

 

Testimony 14

We really appreciate your views on the judgment and they make good sense considering our free choice.

Anonymous

 

Testimony 25

I just want to say thank you so much for your conversations via YouTube. I regularly tune in to your lectures, “Let’s Talk” sessions, and many others. Through these I’ve found greater depth and meaning to God’s word. Thanks for all that you do and please continue. I’m currently working in the middle of Silicon Valley at Stanford University. I feel like God really has me in the right place right now and I’m sensing that your teachings might be part of it.

B. F., Silicon Valley, CA, USA

 

Testimony 58

I have been watching your videos in The Power of Love seminar and I must say these have liberated me and have improved my relationship with the Lord. I am no longer terrified of him as I was before following your teachings.

Thando N., South Africa

 

Testimony 34

I was introduced to Come and Reason Ministries by accident, via a passing comment made in a bible study class we were visiting. I checked this website out and my life was changed. The understanding of the truth of God’s character, and how we apply it, is so right. The tricky part is consistently applying which “lens” to look through. As I began to understand, I started sharing the basics of this understanding with a discussion group I was leading and, suddenly, a lot of things started to make sense that never used to. At the same time, I enjoyed an amazing opportunity. I was able to conduct a full bible study at WORK! What an amazing experience! It is such a joy to share the truth about God and to share how it all fits in the war between God and Satan. So many people benefit when we have a correct understanding about how God works and who He really is! Thank you for this transformational understanding. Keep up the good work! God Bless you!

Tony P., CA, USA

 

Testimony 33

I was invited over a friend’s house to see the “God and Your Brain” seminar today. I became [a christian] 36 years ago at the age of 19, but have struggled with the concept of God taking His ‘pound of flesh’ out on His Son to be appeased. Wow. Your seminar has been an incredible revelation and breath of reason and fresh air! I have your book, “The God Shaped Brain,” and it is SO eye opening. Finally, after 36 years enlightenment has come! Praise the Good Lord! What can I say, but that the Real Gospel is truly “Good News!” Thank you for your efforts in giving the Gospel a clear sound!

Paul C.,  Springfield, MA, USA