Once upon a time there were three little pigs.  The day arrived when they were all old enough to move out into their own homes.  The first little pig, not being the brightest of the three and in a big hurry to have some fun, quickly constructed his new house out of straw.  The second little pig, being somewhat smarter than his brother, built his house from sticks and then quickly hurried off to join the first brother at the local fun house.  The third little pig, being the brightest of the three, talked with his parents about how to build a house that would keep him safe from the big bad wolf.  They gave him an old book called, “How Not to be Eaten by the Big Bad Wolf”.  He read it from cover to cover and began the work of building his house.   He carefully shaped each brick and stamped it with the word TRUTH.  The book had said that truth would set him free from the lies the big bad wolf would try to tell him.  When he was done building his new home, he set about digging a mud bath and planting a garden.  Growing a garden was a main component to repelling the Mr. Badd Wolf.  He planted lettuce (Let us love one another), thyme, (time for God, bible study and prayer), peas (peace of heart, mind, and soul), and squash (to squash gossip, criticism and indifference)…..(Gardening thought borrowed from the poem “It’s Time to Plan our Gardens” by Bill Ennis.)

Just as he finished planting the last seed into his garden the little pig heard laughter and looked up to see his two brothers walking down the road,  talking and laughing with the big bad wolf.  How could they?  Couldn’t they see the danger?  As they got closer he noticed Mr. Badd Wolf  carrying a book that looked very similar to the one his parents had given him.  His parents had told him about it, it was titled “How to find Little Lost Pigs to Eat”.  His heart dropped to his toes as he remembered the story his father had told him about Mr. Badd Wolf eating his lazy pig brothers many years ago. 

The wise little pig grabbed a left over brick stamped with the word TRUTH and taking careful aim threw it with all his might at Mr. Badd Wolf.  It struck him square between the eyes and mid-sentence he dropped into the dust.   The little pig ran to his brothers.  Arriving out of breath he picked up the book that Mr. Wolf had dropped.  “Look at this title! Do you see what it says?”  The little pigs eyes grew wide.  Then they laughed, “He’s just carrying that for fun, he said he’s on a diet and he doesn’t eat little pigs any more,  too much fat and it’s not good for his heart.”  The wise little pig  earnestly invited his brothers over for lunch, a salad prepared by his mother from her garden of peas, thyme, lettuce, and squash.  The two little pigs looked at the candy in their hands and said they were too full to have any of that old salad. 

Mr. Badd Wolf stirred, rubbed his head and slowly stood up.  He smirked as he took the book from the wise little pig.  A tear tricked down the wise little pigs cheek as he watched his brothers continue down the road with the deceptive Mr. Wolf. 

The wise little pig rose early the next morning and tuned into the local news.  The broadcaster finished  the weather report then announced, “Last night the masked marauder known as Mr. Badd Wolf,  once again blew down the houses of two local pigs and ate them.  He apparently had befriended them the day before and they were unprepared for his evil tactics.  The book he carries should be a warning to everyone who associates with him, but he once again lured little pigs into a false sense of security by telling them stories from the book of lies he carries with him.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Esphesians 6:12

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true–even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  Psalm 119:11