Who Are the Chosen? by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture: Galatians 6:12-16

Gal. 6:12  Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 

Gal. 6:13  Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. 

Gal. 6:14  May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 

Gal. 6:15  Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. 

Gal. 6:16  Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.

          In his letter to the Galatians in a Roman province of what is today modern Turkey, Paul lays the groundwork for two important issues.  One is that there is no other gospel to be preached than that of the living dynamic of God's grace in Jesus Christ, and the other is to anchor Christianity solidly in history.

          Although some get their back up about all the historical detail in the revealed word of God, history is important as a foundation to the Christian faith, as Paul pointed out in 1st Cor. 15:3-10.  Christianity is not just a subjective belief system of mystical guesses and speculation, not a matter of moralistic behavioral modification requiring conformity, not just another philosophical or theological mix of human reasoning.

          Through the historic foundations of the Bible we have the impact of the gospel on Paul's life, a man who was radically turned from persecutor to preacher, with theological formulations leading to the personal and spiritual formation of Christ in the personal lives of others, and the church; a dynamic of God's grace that is still going on in the lives of individuals and the church today.

          Yet just as the Judaizers of Paul's day attempted to place worldly restrictions and requirements upon the growing church of Jesus Christ, the same continues today as the organizational mind of man attempts to put God in a box, using "reason" and our own extrapolation of history to say what the church of Christ is and should be, demanding the insertion of cultural morals, rather than adjusting ourselves to the words and requirements God has already adequately provided to us.

          In this very important section of Paul's letter to the Galatians, having already laid the foundation for one gospel, in Christ, unadorned by human manipulations and requirements, Paul goes on in the 16th verse to reveal something extremely important about the church of his day and the church we know today, the church worldwide being the Bride of Christ, those who will worship God in spirit and in truth.

          Verse 16  reads, "Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God."  What does Paul mean by those last five words of further explanation, "to the Israel of God"?

          The Bible has always been its own best expository, so let's shed light on this verse through the illumination of 1st Peter 1:1-2, "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God's Chosen People, who are scattered as exiles throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.  I am an apostle, and you are chosen, according to the foreknowledge of God, through the consecration of the Spirit, for obedience and to be sprinkled by the blood of Jesus Christ.  May grace and peace be multiplied to you."

          Note that Peter uses the phrase, "to God's Chosen People, who are scattered as exiles..."  We are used to hearing the Jews called "God's Chosen People," but Peter isn't addressing Jews here.  He is speaking to Gentiles. 

          There is both greatness and wonder in this verse, that Peter uses words and concepts once applied only to Jews and now applies them to Gentiles, those who were once considered to be outside the mercy of God, outside the love that God had for any nation, a people defiled.

          In Deuteronomy (7:6, 14:2) the Jews are spoken of as a "holy people to the Lord your God ... above all people that are upon the face of the earth."  Isaiah (45:4) calls them "Israel, mine elect".  Throughout the Old Testament, to speak of "the Chosen People" was to speak of Israel, excluding all other nations.

          But when God sent His Son, Israel rejected Him.  Jesus Himself, in the parable of the Wicked Husbandmen, declared the inheritance of Israel was to be taken from them and given to others (Matthew 21:41, Mark 12:9, Luke 20:16).

          Galatians 6:16 makes it clear.  The Master would give the vineyard to others.  What once belonged only to Israel now belongs to the Christian Church, with its members from every nation around the world.  The mercy of God breached the ungrateful borders of Israel and has gone out to the ends of the earth.  We of the Christian Church have seen His glory, we know the grace of Almighty God.

          We who are of the Bride of Christ, His Christian Church, are today much like the Jews of Israel in another way.  Notice that Peter speaks of "God's Chosen People, who are scattered as exiles throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia."  Throughout their history the Jews seemed to be forever on the move, sometimes being forcibly deported, being exiles in one country or another.  They took on the trappings of the country in which they lived, but their hearts, if not their eyes, were forever on Jerusalem.  Yet they remained exiles in the nations where they lived and worked and made their homes.  These Jews were labeled the "Diaspora", the dispersion. 

          I submit to you that the Christian Church today is the "Diaspora", scattered throughout the nations of the world, yet with their hearts and their eyes on Jesus Christ.  Once it was the Jews who were seen as "different' in the nations where they lived.  Today it is the Christian who stands out as different, refusing to become a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Hindu; refusing to bow down to idols and false religions; choosing to live by the rule of God rather than the corrupt and intemperate rule of men.

          For the Christian, there is only one King, and He has yet to return and claim His kingdom.  Their time on this earth is only temporary; eternity is their home; they are strangers here, exiles in this world.

          According to scripture, the inspired word of God, believers in Jesus Christ are both exiles and a Chosen People.  In John 17:13-16, Jesus acknowledges that while we are in the world, we are not of this world, and prays that the Father will protect us.  We are not to ignore or run away from the world, for it's in our day to day dealings with the world that we find people who need to be reconciled to God.  The Christian does not withdraw from the world, but sees everything in the light of eternity.  Having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, this becomes the touchstone of the Christian's life; this dynamic determines his or her conduct.  In John 14:15 and elsewhere, Jesus says, "If you love Me, you will keep my commandments." 

          For if there be a Chosen People, there will be those not chosen, those who worship a Christ reformed in their own image, approving their own fleshly desires, ignoring the Christ who stands unchanged through history.

          However, as a Chosen People, an honor accorded us through the pain and suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, believers who have turned their life over to Jesus Christ have the privilege of both challenge and responsibility.  Through Christ we know the honor of having the work of God delivered into our hands.  Throughout the New Testament God's revealed word gives us instruction on how to live our lives, how to deal with others, and the importance of staying true to Him whom we worship in spirit and in truth, turning away from evil. 

          The gospel that Jesus Christ shared with His apostles, the gospel revealed unchanged to Paul on the road to Damascus, this is what we are to share with others through our words and through our actions; through our very lives.  Who will hear and who will accept Christ as their savior is the business of the Holy Spirit.  Sharing the gospel is ours.

          There are two quotes out of history that always come to my mind here.  One is from the historic Hindu Mahatmas Gandhi, who said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians."  And then the quote often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, "Preach the gospel always.  When necessary, use words."

          We Christians are often so unlike the Christ we claim to love.  Part of that is because we are human with a sin nature.  As the great Christian Gilbert K. Chesterton has said, "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried."  We quit too soon.  We try in our own power to be like Christ, and cannot.  The secret is to turn our life over to Him so that we live Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

          As for preaching the gospel, there are those of us who must say with Paul in 1st Corinthians 9:16, "For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!"

          Others of us preach to those around us by every action of our life.  Now, there is a great misconception among Christians that if non-Christians rub elbows with Christians, they will "catch" the gospel.  If we belong to Christ, it shows, and others are watching.  But some words, some explanation is always necessary.  A portion of 1st Peter 3:15 advises us, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."  Our hope is in Jesus Christ, Creator and Lord of the universe, and although this world doesn't know Him, we need not be ashamed to say so.  For we of Christ are a chosen vessel, a chosen people, with the joys of eternity ahead of us, with all the peace and the promises of love and life that come with being a chosen one of God.  What better gift to those around us than to share that peace and that joy?  Amen.

Week of Worship

Jan. 29-Feb. 5, 2012

Invocation:  At Your word, O Lord, the worlds were created, and by Your word new life is given.  Open now my ears that I may hear Your special word spoken to me today.  Amen.

Read: Psalm 29

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                John 1:1-13

Tuesday               Genesis 1:1-19

Wednesday          Genesis 1:20-31
Thursday              Matthew 9:1-8

Friday                   1st Corinthians 12:1-10

Saturday               1st Peter 1:3-9

Sunday                 Deuteronomy 18:15-20; 1st Corinthians 8:1-13; Psalm 111;

                              Mark 1:21-28

Reflection: (silent and written)

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Hymn: "Send Your Word"

Benediction:  And Jesus, God's Word enfleshed, I hear You knocking and I open the door.  Come into my heart and mind, and speak to me from that interior place -- all the day long.  Amen.

It's About God, Not Candidates, by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture: 1st Corinthians 7:29-31

7:29  I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none,
7:30  and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions,
7:31  and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

          Following church services one morning, as the Pastor stood at the door greeting everyone, he noticed a member he had not seen in a while.  He said, “Mr. Jones, I hope you took my sermon to heart about being a member of God’s army?”

          Mr. Jones replied, “Oh, indeed, I did, Pastor.  I am absolutely a member of God’s army.”

          “Really?” the Pastor responded, “but we haven’t seen much of you lately at Sunday muster.”

          “Well,” Mr. Jones replied, “that’s because I’m in the secret service.”

          There is no such thing as a secret Christianity; keeping our relationship with Almighty God a secret from everyone else.  The heart of the church is community in Christ – if we do not have community, we don’t have much of a church.   And yet, it would seem the church has become so enamored with a lust for crowds that we forgot that discipleship is a personal, intimate experience.

          We seem to have gotten lost in the maze that is life, dealing with all its problems, making our own decisions about this and that, dodging the pitfalls and mud puddles of everyday living all by ourselves, as if God could not be bothered with such mundane matters of life. 

          Perhaps one reason we have so many problems is that He loves us so.  I usually get a very strange look when I tell people, “God must really love you, because He has given you so many problems.”

          But it’s true.  He is our creator, and He is crazy about His creation.  He’s crazy about you.  And He wants us to come to Him constantly.  He loves our company.  And so when we run into difficulties, He welcomes us when we come to Him.  Because He loves us, with a love that is so inclusive, so magnanimous, so deep and forgiving that we can hardly understand it.  And yet, it is the thread that pulls the entire gospel together.

          The greatest need in the world today is the gospel of Jesus Christ that is based in God’s love.  It is the greatest need of the world because men, women, and children are perishing without a vital knowledge of God through the good news of our Savior, God’s Son, Jesus who is the Christ.

          The god that men talk of today is a cheap, weak version of a god who is your pal; he’s the “man upstairs,” he’s the fellow who will help you out when you’re down and out and in difficulty, and won’t bother you too much when you’re not.

          Many people are in trouble today because their god is a handmade, unobtrusive god who is there to grant wishes and favors; a combination of various theological ideas and stories passed around that lack the vision and sanctity of the Most High God.

           Let me say it clearly -- Almighty God, who created you and I and the entire universe is neither a wish-granting genie nor Tinkerbell, whispering in our ears.

          David Neff, writing in the Gospel History Blog, as he reviewed a series of volumes titled “Ancient Christian Doctrine“, edited by Tom Oden, points out that “saying ‘I believe’ (Latin: Credo) was a life-endangering act.  Christianity was seen as -- no, it actually was -- subversive in the Roman Empire.  Oden writes, ‘One who says credo without willingness to suffer and, if necessary, die for the faith has not genuinely said credo in its deepest Christian sense as baptism: to die and rise again.’”

          The greatest need in the church today is the gospel that still believes, dangerously, in the sovereignty of God.  The gospel is not only news for a perishing world, it is the message that forms, sustains, and animates the church.   Apart from the gospel, the church has nothing to say; or rather, nothing to say that cannot be said by some other human agency.

          The gospel distinguishes the church from the world, defines her message and mission in the world, and steels her people against the fiery darts of the evil one and the false allurements of sin.  The gospel is absolutely vital to a vibrant, joyous, persevering, hopeful, and healthy Christian, and his or her Christian church.
          The first order of business, then, is to know the gospel.  For the gospel is not just some idea, a holy proposal or suggestion, something to be considered.  Hebrews 4:12 says, “The Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, and the joints and the marrow, and is a critique of the thoughts and the intents of the heart.” 

          If God’s Word is that alive, that powerful, that searching, then the gospel also carries with it an active life of its own, and it needs to be understood and shared faithfully, not watered down, not contaminated with what we would “like” to be true.  Not simply that we are okay, or only that God is love, or that Jesus wants to be our friend, or even that we should live right; whatever we think “right” is.

          And the gospel is not simply that all our problems will be fixed if we follow Jesus, or that God wants us to be healthy, wealthy, and wise.  All of these ideas may be true in some sense, but only in a shadow of a sense and never as an all sufficient statement of what the gospel is.  We fail in understanding the gospel because we do not understand that the Bible is God’s living word.  It’s not something made up by men that we can tweak and adjust here and there to fit our ideas of the changing rights and wrongs of the prevailing culture.

          For example, it’s forever being suggested to me that the phrase “God helps those who help themselves,” is from the Bible.  It’s not.  People who suggest it is, know neither the Gospel nor their Bible.
          The gospel of Jesus Christ is literally “good news.”  As news it contains statements of fact, and truths derived from those facts.  As good news the gospel holds out hope based upon promises of Almighty God and grounded in the historical facts and truths that vindicate those promises.

          Through the perfect obedience of the Son of God and His willing death on the cross as payment for our sins, all who repent and believe in Jesus Christ, following Him as Savior and Lord, will be saved from the wrath of God to come, will be declared just in His sight, have eternal life, and receive the Spirit of God as a foretaste of the glories of heaven with God Himself.

          Yes, the good news is also that God is love, that He will keep His promises to His children, that we are never alone, that His Son has already paid the price that reunites us with Almighty God.  I like to tell people that “God is crazy about you.”  It’s true.  He made us, we are His creation, and He loves us. 

          The Word of God says He knew us even before we were formed in the womb.  He has not known us any the less since then.  When we wake up in the morning, whether we feel good or wish we felt better, He still knows us.  Whether our plans for the day succeed or fail, whether we win or lose, He is still there at the end of the day. 

          What He expects of us is what Jesus asked of us in His Sermon on the Mount. 

          Love one another.  “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

          As today’s scripture tells us, the love Jesus spoke of does no harm to its neighbor.  On the contrary, if we have that kind of love, we will share the gospel of Jesus Christ, we will recognize the presence and the sovereignty of the holy God.

          But here is what today's scripture is all about, what it has to do with this.  For if you understand and accept all I have just shared with you, then you need to pay particular attention to Paul's words to the Corinthians.  They are living in a time when to believe in Jesus Christ is particularly dangerous.  And so Paul is advising them of the shortness of time left to them, more short for some than others, more short for some of us, than others.  Because of the way of the world, because of the shortness of time, Paul advises that they remain unmarried and dead or indifferent to the comforts of the world.  He shows them how worldly cares hinder devotion to God, and distract them in the service to God.

          Right this moment, somewhere, good friends are parting over political issues, disagreeing over political candidates, splitting up over the issues of the election that will take place this coming November.  They are being hindered in their devotion to God, distracted from service to God.

          I believe, because of the increased prayer activity and commitment by Christians in this nation, that this is the year God will begin to set things right in this nation.  For the Christian, then, that means putting our faith in God, not in men, not wrapping our life around political issues and candidates, but being led to support those individuals who most support what is right, what is just, and what is Godly. 

          Four Christian leaders have been driven from this electoral race by the news media, who would be our "kingmakers."  But it is not up to us to fight with the news media, nor any who work against the things of God.  Our job is to worship God and He will fight for us.  We just need to ensure we are on His team, not hope that He will be on our team.

          Read Paul's words to the Corinthians again in 1st Corinthians 7:29-31.  Understand that all the things you and I wrap our lives around in this world are passing away, will one day pass completely away.  Our faith must be in God, who will still be there when everything else has passed away; when we will stand and wonder, what were we so excited about that we threw away friends, that we abandoned our Godly principles, that we didn't have time for Jesus Christ?

          Which candidate?  Wrong question.  Which God?  Yes, in which god will you put your faith, the god of politics, disaffection, frustration, or the Living God?  Too many of us trusted in the cult of politics last time, listening to the glib political promises, and you see where it has led us.  Turn to God.  Turn your attention from the candidates to God.  We don't know what the future holds, but He does.  For He holds everything that is to be in His hands, and He will not abandon His own.  That's a promise.  And no one keeps promises like our God.  Amen.

Week of Worship

January 22-28, 2012

Invocation:  Merciful God, were it not for Your mercy, I would remain lost in sin and confusion.  Thank You for Your extravagant grace and Your mercy without limit.  In this hour hold me in love, even as a mother cradles her child.  Amen.

Read: Psalm 116

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                1st Peter 2:1-10

Tuesday               Jeremiah 3:1-14

Wednesday          Luke 1:47-56
Thursday              Isaiah 63:7-14

Friday                   James 2:1-13

Saturday               Luke 6:27-36

Sunday                 Isaiah 43:18-25; 2nd Corinthians 1:18-22; Psalm 41; Mark 2:1-12

Reflection: (silent and written)

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Hymn: "Jesus, Love of My Soul"

Benediction:  Now, my Lord, as I leave this time of devotion, may Your mercy be in me a flowing river reaching out to all whose paths shall touch my own.  Amen.

Here There is Victory

by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture:  Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75

³¹ Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:  “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.

³² But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

³³ Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will.”

³⁴ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

³⁵ But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown You.” And all the other disciples said the same.

⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

⁷¹ Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁷² He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

⁷³ After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

⁷⁴ Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”  Immediately a rooster crowed. 

⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown Me three times.”  And he went outside and wept bitterly.

          On Sunday, June 13, 2004, Matt Starr was at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, Texas, watching the home team Rangers take on the St. Louis Cardinals. When a foul ball was hit toward where he was sitting, the 28-year-old landscaper leapt over the seat in front of him. Even though the ball had landed at the feet of 4-year-old Nicholas O’Brien, Starr knocked the boy against the seats and pounced on the ball. The boy’s mother, insulted by the aggressive behavior, swatted him with her program, while fans chanted, "Give the boy the ball." But, clutching the ball to himself, Starr returned to his seat unwilling to part with his new souvenir.
          Even the ballplayers witnessed Starr’s actions. Between innings, Cardinals’ outfielder, Reggie Sanders, went into the stands to give the boy a bat.  Nicholas also received souvenirs from the Texas Rangers, including one signed by Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan.  Video of Starr’s self-serving behavior was shown on television stations across the country.
          When interviewed on Good Morning America, Edie O’Brien, Nicholas’ mother, admitted calling Starr a jerk, among other names.  "I said, ’You trampled a 4-year-old boy to get this ball,’ and he said, ’Oh, well.’"
          Four days later, Starr, a former youth minister at a nearby church, expressed sorrow for his behavior.  He agreed to send a letter of apology to the O’Brien family.  Starr also indicated he would give the boy the ball.  In addition, he would buy tickets for the entire family to a future Rangers’ game.

          I'm not sure which is worse, succeeding when we set out to do a wrong thing -- because we who belong to Christ are usually very capable people -- or the crushing guilt and remorse when our Lord looks at us as He looked at Peter when that rooster crowed.  For in that moment -- that moment -- it all comes rushing back at us that yes, we could do that, and we could win, but our priorities are all wrong, and we have stepped away from where Christ wants us to be.  Where are we going?

          It's never the sudden realization that we have transgressed a set of ethics, a list of moral objectives we've set for our self.  No, it's the sudden knowing that Jesus is standing there looking at us, the rooster has just crowed, and time waits on us to see what we are going to do, now that we know we know.

          You see, this year, the year 2012, is about Him.  As we reflect on the old year behind us and look into the new, we need to remember to keep our focus fixed on Christ.  No matter what happens in this new, unblemished year, whether it brings great blessings or hard times, let’s make sure to hold on to, to lean on the Christ, to trust in Him.

          Looking hard into the misty future of the year before us, ask yourself, if I were to be led astray -- like going after a foul ball and knocking a four-year-old aside to get it -- how might that happen?  After all, forewarned is forearmed, right?  Getting into Satan's mind and knowing that "He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world" is our key to victory (1st John 4:4).  So let's look at five ways we might be deceived.

          Perhaps you remember from your Bible that you aren't going to recognize Satan by his clothing or actions; no fiery red pitchfork, pointed ears or forked tail.  He'll be kind, polite, winsome, and attractive.  But underneath he's ugly and deceptive.

          First of all, he may try to convince you that you're not just someone, you are "something" of importance; you are special.  We know from 1st Corinthians 12:21 that God never uses one special person to touch everyone, but together we get the job done.  It's a combination of spiritual gifts God uses to build up the body, for as that verse in Corinthians teaches us, "And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you'; nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.'"

          You and I are part of the "someones." Uniquely gifted, God uses each one of us and our giftedness to both reach the lost and build up those who are His.  As people are helped and blessed, they let you know.  And they should!  All of us need to be encouraged.

          One encouraging comment can become several repeated comments, sometimes many comments. They come verbally, they come through text messages and emails. Sometimes comments you make get repeated on a website or two, and then you might find people have referred to you on Twitter or Facebook.

          That's when Satan causes you to think you're not only someone, you are SOMETHING.  Pride creeps in -- not overnight, just one Sunday at a time.  In six months, you start to be a different person.  You begin to think, "Where would this church, this business, these people be without me?  Why don't others develop the skills that I have? I never knew God was going to so abundantly use me."

          The answer to the problem here is two-fold. First, have an accountability partner who is honest enough to tell you every time they see something prideful about you.  But don't get defensive, since they are probably right and are trying to help, not hurt.  Trying to help as you asked them to.  Secondly, every day consider this: Should you be wiped off the scene today, the work of Christ would go on pretty much unhindered.  It is His plan, not yours.  This fact is sobering to say the least and will keep you right where you need to be -- feeling dependent, undeserving, and grateful.  Luckily for us men, we usually have a wife, or a girl friend, or a daughter who feels it is their mission in life to keep us humble.  Thank God for them.

          Secondly, as disciples of Christ, Satan will often suggest to us that instead of sharing something relevant, we need to bring something new to the game, something only we see and can teach.

          For we who are called to preach, the job is well defined. 2nd Timothy 4:2 says, "Preach the word! " That means our message is confined to what He says.  We are not teaching something new but truth as old as the Bible itself.  We don't have to make it relevant; it is relevant.  All we have to do is communicate effectively to the people.  This is why the pressure we need to feel is not how to come up with a truth our people have never heard but truth God gave years ago and put it in words that are meaningful and applicable. Sometimes we teach the same truth 50 times. It's been accurately stated that effective communication is saying the same thing in different words.

          The story is told of the old preacher who preached the same sermon twice in a row.  His Elders asked him if he was aware that was the same sermon he preached the previous Sunday.  He said, "Yes, I am, and when I see that you have understood it I'll go to something new."

          For those not called to preach, Jesus gave us explicit directions in His Sermon on the Mount, through the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12, and then the New Testament writers spend the rest of the Bible using those Beatitudes to give us more explicit directions for a life dedicated to Jesus Christ.

          However, as long as we are Christians, Satan will be trying to convince you and me that people are tired of hearing the same old thing.  Therefore, instead of feeling the need to use sentences, illustrations, and analogies that drive truth home in a fresh way, you think that you need to come up with something new, period -- something never thought of, never taught, and never heard.  Something new about the mind, marriage, relationships, spiritual growth, love, hate, or a long list of things. Soon you have stepped outside the Scriptures, teaching your thoughts instead of His. Discerning people will appropriately begin to say, "I'm not sure that's what the Scriptures say." The difference is profound. God has never promised to bless your word; He's only promised to bless His.

          The answer for you and for me is to get down on our knees, open the Bible in front of us, and utter a simple prayer, such as: "Don't let me stray outside this Bible, but help me live and teach what is in this book clearly and effectively.  Amen."

          Then, we can approach someone in our church who is very knowledgeable in the Word and say to them, "If you hear me say something strange, don't just accept it.  Ask me about it, and don't assume that because I'm a Christian or the preacher that I am right.  Hold me to account." That person should regard you highly for caring enough to make sure you are living the thoughts of Jesus, not your owrn.  My favorite prayer right here is "More of You, Lord, and less of me."

          Third, Satan is going to try and tell you what your mission as a Christian is, and what it is not.  But Satan has no say in that, whatsoever.

          For example, whatever gift God has shared with you, Satan may try to convince you that you must evangelize, you MUST convert every set of eyeballs in front of you.  But if those senior Christians around you, and your pastor have spent any time in the Word, they know 2nd Timothy 4:5: "But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."  You see, when Paul wrote that, he was not addressing Timothy as a gifted evangelist, but Timothy as a gifted pastor-teacher.  And let me point out right here that some of are called to evangelize through the spoken word, and some of us are called to draw people to Christ by the life we live, by the gifts He has given us; we teach without words, by song, by music, by extending the hand of Christ to those in need.

          And yet, be cautious, for Satan will try to define that verse for you. He will urge you that you have to stand before people and evangelize, evangelize, and evangelize.  That way, you feel that you have done your part.  But remember it isn't what you do that counts, but what Christ does through you.

          But Satan isn't going tell you that people who want the peace of Christ which they see in you are most apt to do what you do, not what you say. If you talk about the lost, they will talk about the lost. If you reach out with the hand of Christ, they will reach out with the hand of Christ.  Examples, not exhortation, change the hearts of people.

          Paul in Ephesians 6:19–20, said to ask people to pray for you that when you open your mouth, the words of our Lord will come out of it and boldly.  Once again, find an accountability partner.  Once a month, have that person ask you, "What have you done to reach out this week to a lost person?"  I assure you, that can change lives, and -- guess what -- change churches.

          Fourth, Satan will do his best to convince you that you can attain spirituality through busy-work and preparation.  But if it doesn't change you, if you have not been so deeply touched by a passage that you become a passionate channel to transfer the blessing to others, it won't touch anyone else, either.  If what we do and say touches others for Christ, it shows in the way we come across.  Our whole demeanor is not, "This is what you need." Instead, it is, "This is what God showed me I need, and I know you're going to be blessed by it, too."  Sometimes you may not be sure whether it's a sermon or a testimonial.

          But Satan uses the struggles each of us faces.  For example, time. You can begin to think you don't have time to get alone with God, so your life kicks into high gear with only a few moments of prayer.  And we starve, spiritually.

          Since our God is a God of grace, He obviously understands our time constraints and He loves us, but He also desires our fellowship, as 1st John 1:3 assures us, "We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ."  Those moments when we close our ears to everyone else's voice, to the noise of the world, and just listen to His as it comes through devotional study of the Word -- those uninterrupted moments with your best friend -- are what keep you fresh. Some of those times cause tears to run down your cheeks as He shows you areas in which you're flawed and need improvement, but you still come away feeling energized. Interestingly enough.  Those who have fallen away from the Lord from lofty perches have often commented that where they made their mistake was neglecting their quiet time with Him.

          Consider creating a hallowed spot.  For me, it's my chair out in my Florida room with all the plants, where God and I meet each morning.  Reading daily devotionals, comparing the content and intent of His Word, I may cover one verse or I may cover a chapter, and sometimes it depends on how long I spend in prayer.  I don't care.  What I do care about is that I go from there into my day's activity with one truth to meditate on for that day, a verse, a truth.  I also keep the prayer requests others give Him in a notebook, so I'm careful not to forget.  I come away fed, energized, helped, and encouraged -- as only the One who saved me more than 54 years ago can do.  Don't ask me why He would ever want to be with someone so depraved as me.  But He can't wait to respond to me, and I can't wait to live out each day for Him.

          Finally, and listen carefully, finally, Satan will convince you that "You're not getting the attention you deserve."  That, in essence was his message in the Garden of Eden.  But it's frustrating, isn't it?  You may be more faithful in your study and worship of Him than anyone you know, but somehow they get the recognition and you don't. What follows is money.  Increased recognition brings increased funds with it.  So while you and your family struggle to make it, others seem to be doing quite well.

          Satan can convince you that you have a right to be frustrated. You are not getting half the attention you deserve. Soon your frustration turns to others whom you deem responsible -- your mate, your children, your co-workers, your boss, your preacher, the board members, the church, and no one understands.  Tension builds, and Satan stands on the sideline smiling.  Correction: he's laughing.

          What can we do?  Go back to the starting block. If you don't memorize, at least  master 1st Corinthians 4:2, "Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful." Note the word is "faithful," not "famous."  Place it in front of you on the desk.  Hang it in your office.  But don't just memorize it; swallow it.  Absorb it into your spiritual being so that it becomes a governing principle of your life.

          Why should you do that?  Because God is the keeper of the books.  No good deed goes unrewarded.  No amount of discipleship goes unnoticed.  No mistakes are made in His bookkeeping.  Everything due to you will come in terms of recognition, if not now, then later.  He promises, "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work" (Revelation 22:12).  Think about that -- who would you rather be rewarded by?  Someone down here who only sees a lot of what you do, not who you are in God's eyes, or someone "up there" who sees all of what you do and who you are?

          So there you have it, Satan's tactics and how to prevent them.  But don't just know them, ACT on them.  Let Satan know in no uncertain terms that his tactics won't work with you.  James 4:7 promises, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  Your prayers and action will give him a not-so-subtle message: "I'm not interested in a truce; I'm only interested in victory.  And victory will be mine through Jesus Christ."  Amen.

                                                                                               

Week of Worship

January 8-14, 2012

Invocation:  O God, sovereign Lord over all creation, without whom all purposes are futile, grant me today the assistance of Your Spirit.  In  all the surprises and changes of life, may I fix my heart upon You, so that Your eternal purposes may be fixed in me.  In the name of Jesus, who came to make Your eternal purpose clear.  Amen.

Read: Psalm 45

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                Isaiah 46:5-11

Tuesday               Hebrews 6:9-20

Wednesday          Matthew 19:16-30
Thursday              Matthew 6:25-34

Friday                   2nd Timothy 1:1-14

Saturday              1st Corinthians 3:10-17

Sunday                 Genesis 1:1-5; Acts 19:1-7; Psalm 29; Mark 1:4-11

Reflection: (silent and written)

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Hymn: "Lord, You Give the Great Commission"

Benediction:  And now, Lord, as I return to the duties of life, let me go in the confidence of Your protection that I may come to the end of this day in peace and happiness. Amen.