Life Outside the Baptistery

I can still remember the night I was baptized.  What an evening!  I remember a small group of disciples standing around me and giving me my first post-baptismal encouragement.  I was “charged”, to say the least.  I can also remember the stark realization that came over me in the days that followed.  I was “in the Spirit” but I was still human.  Although I was in Christ, my life was not exempt from spiritual battle.  In fact, the battle had just begun. 

Have you ever wished for “battle immunity?”  Ephesians 6:12 encourages us to be strong in the Lord because being in Christ does not insultate us from spiritual struggle.  We enter into the arena of struggle with both our flesh and the forces of evil.   Peter adds to that picture with these stirring words, “...abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11).  I can remember pouring over those texts as a young disciple and being awakened by their reinterpretation of human experience. I was struck with the thought that life is more complicated than it appears.  Life is a battle…literally. 

 

In Galatians 5:13-16 Paul says the realms of flesh and Spirit war against one another on the turf of our lives.  Everywhere we turn the message is the same:  “If you feel like it then do it; If you don’t want to do it then don’t.  If you want it go after it, or him or her then go get’em.  Satisfy yourself.  Only say no to yourself in extreme circumstances.”  Message sent?  Satisfaction is the bottom line.  We are all too familiar with the reality of this battle.  We see it.  We hear it.  We feel it.  We know what its like to have the gravitational pull of tempting moments drag us toward the orbit of the flesh.  It can make you want to build your house and raise your family in the baptistery! 

I think our daily challenge and hope is found in texts like Ephesians 4:20-24.   

 “But you did not learn Christ in this way if indeed you have heard him and have been taught in him just as truth is in Jesus, that in reference to your former manner of life you lay aside the old self which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” 

As much as we would like to end the struggle of “flesh and Spirit” we can’t.  In this life we wage spiritual war.  We get up each day and renew our confession to be people who live “in the Spirit”.  We must live with an acute awareness of the weakness of our flesh and the cunning of temptation and its forerunner deceit.  Yes, deceit speaks a language.    It comes to our mind and heart with the intent of talking, suggesting and altering how we think and ultimately exercise choice.  Desire is deceitful and it can woo the heart and bend the mind in a number of ways.  Admittedly, there are times we wish we could have diplomatic immunity in the realm of the Spirit.  But, such does not exist.  After Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness he “left him for an opportune time” (Luke 4:13).  There is no magic pill or secret recipe that will automatically protect us against the advancements of Satan.  Paul said we must not be “ignorant of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11).  He also said, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31; 9:24-27).  I suspect the same is true for us, too.  Living in the Spirit is sometimes crawling, sometimes walking, sometimes running, and sometimes falling down and getting up “again” in the direction of God’s calling of us. 

 

I remember Charles Byrum, an adult disciple at the time and a man for whom I had great respect, telling me shortly after my baptism, “If you need to talk about anything, whatever it is, please know that you can lean on me.  Following Jesus can be hard some days.  Just remember that I’m in the journey with you.”  The great thing about Christian community is that we walk this earth together.  We travel beside disciples who have fought temptation, struggled against sin in their own lives and lived to tell about it.  They  have known battle fatigue and weakness of heart.  And, they know what it feels like to have temptation hound you to the outskirts of sanity.  In short, they know the unwritten dramas tucked between the phrases in Ephesians 4:20-24.  It’s not a memory verse for them.  It has become a piece of their spiritual weaponry.  

Paul says we should “take up the armor of God”.  Take it up…he says.  The struggle continues.  But, we are not at a disadvantage!  We engage the struggle with unparalleled resources, awareness and a community that helps us resist and stand firm.  And, with God’s help, some resolve and the help of fellow disciples we can stand our ground in moments of testing. 

O Father, open our eyes that we may see our lives as we should see them.  Take away our naivete’.  Help us to walk in the Spirit and to realize that doing so sometimes comes with great mental and emotional challenges.  Thank you for other disciples who show us the struggle and the possibility of how to live in sanctification.  Most of all thank you for Jesus who experienced the temptations and trials of this life and is abe to sympathize with us in our struggle against sin.  May we run to you every time we are under attack.  Through Jesus who lives to make intercession for us…Amen. 

Randy Daugherty

Stephenville, Texas

Lord, My Desire Is To Be Like You

Lord, My Desire Is To Be Like You…

What do you do at the end of the day?  You’re exhausted after dealing with your sick two and four year old.  You are five and ½ months pregnant.  You live 5,000 miles from the nearest family member and your husband is hunting black bear with his bow in the wilds of Alaska.  You are unsure of his return time….and it is the day before Mother’s Day!  Do you feel sorry for yourself and give into the bitterness and resentment that runs like an underground hot spring in the depths of your heart, letting it spew out like a geyser on those around you?  Or do you turn away from anger and give into the loving kindnesses and comfort of God’s Holy Spirit instead?

You may not have been in a circumstance like this, but I know that each one of us faces temptation every day of our lives.  As a mother of young children with another one on the way this is just one example of temptation I faced this week.  Sin desires us like a ravenous wolf crouching at the door.  Just as Cain had a choice to “do well and not let sin rule over him”, we too have that choice.

As a young adult working out my faith independently of my parents the temptations were far different than they are now, but the attack is still the same.  Satan seeks to distort the truth (John 8:44), entice me with my own desires (James 1:14-15), and ultimately lead me away to be devoured (1 Peter 5:8).  Generally the assault is now on my relationships; my marriage, my friendships, and with my children.

We see Satan’s three-fold attack illustrated in the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-8).  Satan first seeks to twist and distort the Word of God so that we will not believe or be saved.  Once someone has heard the good news and acted on their belief, he tempts them hoping they will fall away.  Finally when a person of faith shows a real commitment, Satan fashions a special strategy of distraction so that they won’t mature.  This is where he wants to keep us: distracted, ineffective, weighed down by the cares of this world...not bearing fruit.

We must be aware of Satan’s pursuit and act in that awareness.  Jesus warns us that temptation is necessary (Matthew 18:7) and we can easily play into Satan’s web of deceit if we act as if we are somehow impervious to temptation.  A wise man I know calls it, “putting on our spiritual make-up”.  So often we go through life unaware of the spiritual battle waging around us and come Sunday morning we put on our “spiritual make-up”, go to worship and act as if everything is just dandy.  One of two things is happening:  Either our senses have been dulled to a point where we are like the seed in the thorns, entangled in the web of this world and its desires, or we deceive ourselves and our Christian brothers and sisters into believing we have it all together.  Either choice is preventing us from having an honest and good heart that bears fruit with patience (Luke 8:15).

I thank God we have a Savior that is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, was tempted as we are and still without sin (Hebrews 4:15).  My prayer during times of temptation is summed up in the following praise hymn:

“Lord, my desire is to be like you.
Say the things you say…
Do the things you do…
Let me hear your still voice…
Through all the other noise…
So that I can be…
Just what you want me to be.”

Dana Jaworski
Anchor Point, AK

What Would Jesus Do?

We live in a world that is always changing.    Our world is seductive and crazy – it’s tough to stay grounded in our anchor points.  Everywhere you look – possible temptations exist.  1 Peter 5:8 says that Satan is on the prowl.  We can’t possibly withstand the advances of evil on our own.  We need Jesus.

But, what would Jesus do…about temptation?  Matthew 4:1-11 shows us.

1.  At some time in our lives, every one of us has been tempted to do something which we have reservations about, something which doesn’t seem quite right, and every one of us has found it very hard to

 resist doing it.  Believe me, Jesus knew that situation very well – we only have to look at what happened in the desert to see that Jesus can sympathize with us:  no sooner was Jesus baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River than he was led by the Spirit into the desert, where he was tempted by the Devil.  His experience will help us to know what to do when we are tempted.  Jesus knew he would face temptation and was prepared for it.

When the Devil visits Jesus, he is not surprised.  In fact, he answers the Devil without hesitation.  This suggests he was prepared – he knew he would be tempted!  It’s not wrong to be tempted – even Jesus was tempted.  It’s wrong to give in to the temptation.  So, be ready to be tempted, and be ready to resist!

How should we prepare for it?  How can we be ready to resist temptation when it comes?  When the Devil begins to tempt Jesus, He immediately answers with a verse from Scripture.  Jesus knows God’s word – it gives him help to resist temptation.  So, read your Bible, and even memorize important verses.  If we know without a doubt what God says about something, then we will find it easier to resist temptation when we face it.  The Bible has a lot to say about all sorts of 21st Century issues, if we will just read it.  But it’s more than merely reading the Bible, it’s about enjoying a close relationship with God.  Christians also feel better able to resist temptation when they pray.  So let us draw close to God, just as Jesus was.  Jesus would not let himself be pressured into giving into temptation.

  

2.  The Devil said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread”; and “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.”  The Devil dares Jesus to do something, in order to prove that He is truly the Son of God.  Sometimes we can find ourselves being dared by others to do things which we know are wrong:  “Prove you’re not scared by stealing something from the store”; “If you really want to be my friend, you’ll come to the bar with me.”  Jesus didn’t let the Devil bully or blackmail him into doing things that he knew to be wrong.  He knew He didn’t have to prove anything to the Devil, but He did know He should do what God wanted.  It’s the same for us.  We have nothing to prove to those who tempt us to do wrong. Our responsibility is to do the right thing for God.  Jesus refused to take the easy way out.

3.  Jesus had been sent on a mission by His Father.  It would mean that every human being would have the opportunity to be restored to God, but it would also mean that He would have to die on a wooden cross. The Devil offered Him an easy way out:  worship him, instead of God, and be given authority over all nations of the world.  What a temptation that must have been – no ridicule and rejection by his fellow human beings. Also, no suffering and death on the cross.  It could have all been avoided by simply saying “yes” to the Devil in the desert.  But it would have meant that His mission to save us had failed.  God’s way is not always the easiest way, but it is always the right way.

So, next time you’re really tempted to do something you think is probably wrong, remember what Jesus would do:
1) Jesus would think about what the Bible said about it, and then act accordingly
2) Jesus would do what God wanted, not what anyone else dared him to do
3) Jesus would do the right thing, even if it was not the easiest thing

Father, thank you for the example of Jesus.  Help us to remember Him when we are faced with temptation.  Deliver us from the Evil One.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.

Casey Dacus
Graham, Texas

Reflecting God's Heart

A ‘heart for God’ reflects the heart of God!  Is that a true statement?

It is if that hearts love for God is based on an obedient knowledge of God’s heart as revealed in His word!

It is if the experiences of ones life reflect decision-making, interacting with others, a serving, prayerful, Spirit-filled life-style resulting from feeding on the revealed story of God and His grace found in the Bible.

As I think of the message from God’s Word that supports and ‘anchors’ my walk of faith, it is this over-all call of God to know Him, and to grow into His holy likeness!  1 Peter 1:15,16 says “..just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

A careful student of the Bible will be touched by the message that our God is “holy” and He desires that we be holy also.   But to us holiness in the human experience might smack of a “holier than thou” attitude.  How we have let Satan lie to us!

Of course the word “attitude” is a key in this discussion!  But, we must be careful not to buy into the idea  “we can never be perfect…God’s grace will cover it… so why even try?” (Romans 6:1)   We are told in many ways, “be holy, as I am holy.”  God would not tell us this if it were impossible.

My constant prayer for myself and my loved ones is that we will develop hearts for Him that grow out of becoming more and more acquainted, through the word, with His nature, His ways!  We know that Jesus told the apostles when He walked among them that He showed them the ways of His Father!  So there we find we have four books of the New Testament that feed our knowledge of what our holy God is like!! (And you can think of many other scriptures that describe His nature…Psalms being filled with such!)  But for us to be informed that the life/nature of Jesus Christ reveals what our God is like…..how tragic if we treat it lightly, and miss the blessing of knowing our God more intimately!!

One stellar example of the concept of knowing God and having a heart for him is found in Genesis 39:9, where Joseph (after being sold into slavery in Egypt by his jealous brothers, and now entrusted by Potiphar, his Egyptian owner/master, with running his affairs) is tempted by this man’s wife to sleep with her!  Instead of Joseph saying, “I can’t do this…..Potiphar would kill me!!,”  he said, “How then can I do this wicked thing and sin against my God?!”  Oh, if only our young people coming up in the Lord would understand this as a blessed “key” to resisting the temptations in their lives today!  A feeling of the presence of God in our lives is a huge anchor in keeping us strong and focused on the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls! (1 Peter 1:9)

When we can grasp this true ’anchor point’ of Christian faith, that our decisions and actions must be based on our relationship with our God, our Maker, then we will truly be guided by Him.  We will be able to recognize the “way of escape” every time we are tempted beyond our own human ability to cope.  The One who has shown us the Father, who is our redeeming sacrificial Lamb, pleads at the Father’s side so we can know that our salvation is securely anchored for all eternity!

Prayer:

O Lord, God, our Maker and the One who loves us and is love, thank You, thank You for the assurances You give us in Your Word!  Make us so aware of Your presence in our lives that the Spirit of Christ will always prompt us to take Your way of escape when we are tempted and lured by calls to us from the dark side of this human existence!  I pray You will strengthen our young people for faithful and close experience of Your presence in their lives!  Like Joseph may they have consciences so filled with Your presence they will be strong to resist evil!  Please save your children all over the world now and forevermore without the loss of a one!  In Jesus precious name, Amen

Jan McCoy

Merkel, Texas

Dropping Anchor

"Away from me Satan!  For it is written: 'worship the LORD your God, and serve him only.'" - Matthew 4:10

A friend recently said, "I thought if I started living better, I wouldn't be tempted as much.". All I had for him was the comment that if Satan would go after Jesus himself I wasn't too surprised he would be coming after me. I trust some of the other writers this week will offer some great ideas about staying grounded but I have to admit that I am often on the brink of giving in to temptation.

The past two weeks have been hard with little sleep and too much activity and temptation is weighing me down. I am being tempted to strike back against someone who has hurt me deeply, to let words and stories out that would hurt and damage my antagonist. I have tried to remember that God is in control but in the last few days I have wanted to step in where God has been silent. I have wanted to say the things that I want said, the things that would seek to tear down and destroy. The things that I believe will get my revenge for the damage that has been inflicted on me. And this is just one of the temptations that Satan hammers me with from time to time.

One day listening to the radio I heard Matt Redman singing "You Never Let Go" and emotion overtook me while at the same time my anchor was being dropped. The words of the song spoke into me in powerful ways as I thought about how God had never let go of his hope for me, of his love for me, of his mercy and grace, of his never-ending desire to have me draw close. Oh no, He never let go. He never let go of the prodigal. He gave him some rope, allowed the prodigal to wander but He never let go of his love or his hope that the prodigal would desire to draw near. God never let go of me either.  So, when I'm tempted, my anchor is the knowledge that while I can decide to satisfy my sinful desire, I simply try to remember that no matter what I've done, no matter how ugly my sin has been, God is holding on to hope that my desire will be to come closer to him, to live in his love for me and all that he wants to cover me with.  

Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.

Grace and peace to you.

Jeff Jones

Decatur, Texas