14

Jump Start # 1829

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1829

1 Corinthians 15:19 “If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most to be pitied.”

The 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians is THE resurrection chapter of the Bible. There we find proof that Jesus was raised. The bridge between the resurrection of Jesus and our resurrection is identified. Questions about what we will be like when we are resurrected are answered. And the reasons for our resurrection are identified. Logic and consequences of not having a resurrection are cited. Powerful stuff. Death isn’t the end. Satan is defeated. The victory belongs to God.

 

Swirling around in the midst of these powerful arguments is the statement that “some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” The “among you,” would be Christians at Corinth. How could a Christian not believe in the resurrection? Without a coming resurrection, what’s the point? If this is it, then where is God in all of this? These “among you” who do not believe in the resurrection are most likely the “bad company” or “evil companions” of vs. 33, that corrupt good morals. Too often, we think vs. 33 is written for our teens. We use it to talk about peer pressure. We envision some wild kid down the street who races his motorcycle up and down the block, looks rough, talks rough, and is headed for trouble. This verse is pulled out and used as an Ace card to kill any relationship with that kid. Problem is, that thinking doesn’t fit the context. Top to bottom, Paul is addressing resurrection. The bad company or evil companion that corrupts good morals is a fellow Christian who does not believe in the resurrection. Paul is trying to put some distance between believers and those who deny a resurrection. They are going to mess you up. Without a resurrection, the faith is pulled out from under us. If we are not raised, then Jesus was not raised. If Jesus WAS raised, so will we.

 

This is where our verse comes in. What is the point of our faith if we only believe in this life? So, we become nice people who help others and obey the law. So what? Our faith transcends more than THIS life. It takes us to the NEXT life. Our hope is not here, but there. We hope for forgiveness. Why, if this is it? We hope for eternal life with God. We hope to be in Heaven. Our choices we make today, are based upon that hope we have for tomorrow. The Christian sees beyond the present. He is looking beyond the horizon. This is why we find statements such as: Set you mind on things above; keep seeking the things above; our citizenship is in Heaven. We have an “above” mentality and vision that affects our life down here. To be there some day, we have to walk accordingly down here. It doesn’t work to live like a sinner and die like a saint. That stuff is made for the movies. God’s people are seeking, striving, thinking, living and hoping for things in the NEXT life. We say “no,” to things, because it is not only terrible for us here, it will affect us in the NEXT life. We follow Christ and stay close to the word, because it is good for us here and it will affect us in the NEXT life.

 

If we only hope in Christ in this life, we are to be most pitied, our verse says. What’s the point if there is no “Next life?” And, yet, is this not where many have placed themselves? They live good, decent lives. They are honest. They are faithful to their mates. They are great parents. They are good citizens. They have a kind heart. They watch what they say. There are many folks who are demonstrating the characteristics of Christian character, but they don’t have Christ. They do these things, not because the Bible tells them, but because they feel these are the best choices. Yet, without Christ and without faith, and without fundamental Biblical teachings, their hope is here. So many of these good people do not worship. So many do not pour themselves into the word of God. They have made right moral choices because this is the way that they were raised or they have seen the ugliness of living the other way. Maybe they have come from homes where a parent was a drunk. That convinced them to steer clear of drinking. Not because the Bible teaches this, but because of a personal experience. Maybe they came from a broken home and they felt the pain of parents who divorced. So, they stayed committed, not because God wants that, but because they didn’t want their own kids to go through a broken home. Living well, but without God. Decent, without a resurrection. Where is this going to take them? For most, they assume Heaven because “good people go to Heaven.” That’s the message of Satan. Just be good, whatever that means. No church. No Bible. No faith. No following Christ. Just be good and you’ll get there.

 

Yet, all through the N.T., good people needed Christ. Cornelius was a great man. Yet, he needed Christ. Lydia was good. The Ethiopian was good. They all came to Christ for forgiveness, hope and a promise for the NEXT LIFE.

 

We do what we do because it’s right. It’s right because of Christ. We do what we do because it does lead to a good life here. And we do what we do because of the NEXT LIFE. We have a hope for the next life. Our hope is not in crossed fingers, and four leaf clovers, but in the promises of God. When God promises, it will be. That’s our hope. We can know that we are Heaven bound because of the promises of Christ.

 

For more than twenty-five years, I have published a weekly church bulletin that I’ve entitled, “Heaven Bound.” I fell in love with that expression decades ago. That sums up our hope, our choices, and our faith. We are “Heaven Bound.” Our hope is not just in this life. Our hope is in Heaven. It is not uncommon to hear someone say in an airport, “Where are you off to?” We could say that among ourselves. Where are we off to? We are off to Heaven. We are Heaven Bound!

 

The resurrection of Christ puts an exclamation point to all of this. It’s not wishful thinking. It’s not a dream that we hope comes true. It is true. We know this because of Jesus. He was raised. We will be raised. He’s in Heaven and someday we will be with Him.

 

What a glorious day that will be!

 

Roger

 

13

Jump Start # 1828

Posted on April 13, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1828

John 20:6-7 “And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.”

 

Sunday is Easter. It’s the time for children to hunt for eggs, dress in fine clothes and eat chocolate bunnies. The world nods to a tomb that became empty after three days. The early church remembered the resurrection not by calling it Easter, but by taking the Lord’s Supper each Sunday. Jesus said, “this do in remembrance of Me.” I remember my mother telling stories of her family gathering with the church for a sunrise service in a cemetery. Some years it was so cold. In many cemeteries to this day, the body is buried facing East, the direction of the rising sun. One funeral I did years ago, after everyone left, the funeral director had the casket turned around because “it wasn’t facing east.” No one would have ever known, but he made sure that detail was taken care of.

 

Every spring, especially in the Ohio valley and in the North, God gives us reminders of resurrection. Through the winter, plants and grass and even trees look dead. The yards are brown. The trees stand with no leaves on them. But every spring, things come back to life and out of the ground comes flowers.

 

Our verse today tells of the first look into the tomb by one of the apostles. Peter and another disciple, probably Mark, ran to the tomb when the women reported what they saw and heard. Mark was younger and faster. He beat Peter to the tomb but stayed on the outside. Peter rushed in. It was there that he saw the line wrappings and the face-cloth. He didn’t see a body. The linen wrappings and the face-cloth were not in the same place. The face-cloth had been rolled up, just as if someone took it off their face.

 

We remember when Lazarus was raised, he came out of the tomb wrapped up. Jesus gave the order to “unbind him.” Common people were not embalmed back then. The body was layered with spices and wrapped tightly with linens. There were linens also used to wrap the head. The body looked like a mummy, wrapped tightly with these cloths.

 

The presence of these linens in the tomb, give further proof to the resurrection of Christ. Had the disciples stolen the body of Jesus, they would have known where He was and they would not have taken the time to “unwrap” Him. Had the Jews stolen the body, they may have cut through the face cloth for identification, but they as well, would not have taken the time to unwrap the body. It would be hard to do that in a dark tomb. It would take several people do that in haste.

 

Peter enters and there are the grave linens, laid in two different places. They are there but the body is gone. The large stone has been moved. The Roman seal has been broken. Their thoughts swirl. What could all of this mean? The other disciples with Peter finally comes in. He sees and the text reveals that “he believed.” We are not sure what he believed because the following passage states, “they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes.” They went home! They didn’t find the rest of the apostles, as the women had. They went home. They went home thinking what?

 

Mary is sitting outside the tomb weeping. Her tears are not in sorrow but in wondering who has taken Jesus and what have they done with His body. She speaks to a gardener and asks him where the body is. She doesn’t know that it is Jesus. In one of the great moments of the Bible, the Lord says, “Mary!” It’s not the gardener, it’s the Lord. He knew her. The tone of His voice. He said her name. He was alive. Tears are replaced with great joy.

 

It is astonishing to see the great detail the Bible gives us about those first few hours of Jesus’ resurrection. What follows are layers and layers of proof that Jesus was raised. Not a rumor. Not some rouge press release. Witnessed. Seen. Talked to. Eaten with. Walked with. Hundreds of people saw Jesus.

 

His resurrection crushed the Roman execution. Romans were skilled at putting people to death. The cross was a visible sign that you don’t mess with Rome. The executions were not in far away secluded places. There were visible to the public, often as one entered town. Today, we get disgusted to see junk yards on the edge of town. We see them as eye sores to the community. Imagine seeing people on crosses as you entered Jerusalem. That thought would keep a heavy hand upon any Jewish uprising. Rome will deal harshly with you if you threaten her. Yet, Jesus rose from the grave. The other two executed with Jesus remained in their graves. Rome wasn’t more powerful than Jesus.

 

His resurrection crushed the Jewish hatred. They thought, execute Jesus and we will be finished with him and this movement. Without Jesus, it will all fade away. Things will settle down, and we, the Jews, will be back in favor with Rome. Their jealousy and hatred led to a terrible and unjust trial. He was executed. Then He arose. The movement didn’t die, it exploded. Even some priests became believers. The word of the resurrected Savior spread throughout the world. Their little plan and plot backfired.

 

His resurrection crushed Satan. Long ago, back in the garden of Eden, God had promised that the seed of woman would crush the serpent. Resurrection day was the day that happened. Satan’s greatest tool is death. No one can get around it. Sooner or later we all die. And once we die, we stay dead. Satan smiles. No armies can change that. No medicine can prevent that. We are powerless under the spell of Satan. That is, until Jesus. Up from the grave He arose. And not just Jesus, but because of Jesus, all will be raised. Satan has lost his greatest power. With the resurrection, Jesus conquered the fear of death among believers.

 

Death is viewed differently from Heaven’s point of view. Death is merely going through a door to another room. As birth takes us from the world of the womb to where we are, death takes us from here to paradise. It’s simply a matter of switching rooms. To the believer, he is not dead. He’s only in the other room. Death is that necessary door that we must go through to get to where we want to be, with God. The tears at death are not without hope. There is no “the end” to our story. As the song goes, “We’ll live on and on,” because of Jesus.

 

This grand event must be remembered. This resurrection changed everything. It is because of this that we not only believe, but that we too change our lives. God lives.

 

Roger

 

12

Jump Start # 1827

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1827

1 Peter 4:9 “Be hospitable to one another without complaint.”

One would think that this verse wouldn’t be necessary, but God felt otherwise. It’s like a mother telling her child to be nice at a birthday party. The joy and the good that comes from hospitality is ruined by a complaining spirit. Good can be ruined because our hearts are not in the right place. Paul illustrated this in the Corinthian letter when he said “If I give all my possessions to feed the poor…but do not have love, it profits me nothing.” There was a two sided good in that. The poor got a meal. That helped them. The other side, was supposed to profit Paul. The good deed was honorable. It was storing treasures in Heaven. It was letting your light shine. All of that, was ruined because it was done without love.

 

We see the same in other areas. The good of teaching a Bible class can be ruined because someone feels compelled to teach when no one else stepped up. The children will still learn, but the good that could come to the teacher is lost.

 

The same can happen to someone who serves as a deacon or even a shepherd. They are helping others, but if their heart is not into it, the sacrifice, the time and the service is truly lost because of their attitude.

 

The same can be said of preaching. The good of sharing the gospel can be lost because the preacher’s attitude isn’t where it ought to be. He complains about how pitiful he is paid or how small a crowd is, rather than the honest and good hearts that he may be shaping through the Gospel of Christ.

 

Attitude is just as important as the good that is done. The heart of a servant, serves. Otherwise, he feels like a slave. He feels like he is doing something that he is forced to do, that’s slavery. Peter nails the most common attitude issue in our verse today. We complain. We complain about having to do hospitality. We complain about having to teach. We complain about having to serve as an elder or deacon. We complain about having to preach. Usually, it’s the family that hears the complaints. We can put on a good face, smile and fake our way through what we are doing, but before, and after, it’s complaining time.

 

I’ve been there. You’re tired and you just want to go home and chill out with a TV show. Nothing wrong with that, except the wife has invited some folks over. That means no TV show. That means the house has to be picked up. She cooks while I dust and sweep, groaning on the inside. It’s too late to cancel. It would look terrible. So, you muster through it. What I have found is that sour, “Do we have to,” spirit changes. Once the people arrive and a meal is shared and fun and fellowship take place, it’s great. It certainly beats watching a TV show. And after the people leave, there’s the clean up. Trash has to be taken out. Dishes washed. If there were kids, toys have to be put back away. As you do all of this, your thoughts are swirling around about the wonderful conversations you have engaged in. Great people. You learned things. You shared things. And to think, had you had your way, you would have sat watching some dumb TV show. Been there.

 

I think the complaints, whether with hospitality, teaching, leading or even preaching, comes from that inner struggle of being a servant and not fully denying ourselves. What we want often rises up. Why should I, is spoken not from the heart of a servant, but from one who is thinking about self. Why don’t others, is the same thing.

 

The other problem with complaints is that it distorts things to those who hear your complaints. An older preacher complaining to a younger preacher, can ruin the image and expectations of a young preacher. Elders who complain, without realizing it, often cause men to run away from being the next elders. Why should they? Listen to what the current elders say in private. Kids grow up hearing their parents constantly complaining about hospitality will probably steer clear of inviting others into their homes. They have heard all the horror stories. Complaints can distort the image, ruin the good and be a negative example for others.

 

Service is just that, it’s service. It’s work. It’s cleaning. It’s teaching. It’s shepherding. It’s preaching. If not careful, the complainers want the glory of serving without the sweat and hard work that comes with it. To be a servant of Christ, means to serve. The Martha syndrome comes in when we know others who could do the same but they are sitting. That was Martha’s problem. It wasn’t that she was serving. Later on in the Gospels she is found serving again. What bothered her was Mary. Mary was doing nothing. Martha was doing it all. One can imagine the stares that Martha gave toward Mary. I expect she may have banged a few pans louder than normal to get Mary’s attention. She may have sighed so everyone could hear her. When nothing was working, she finally interrupted Jesus. How embarrassing! She then told Jesus, to tell her sister to help me. Can you imagine! She told Jesus what to do? Martha had complaints. The good of serving was lost because she burnt her own attitude. The Lord did not come to Martha’s defense. He said “you are worried and bothered about so many things. Only one thing is necessary.” Some have taken that to mean, sitting at Jesus feet is the only thing necessary. Others think that Martha was making too big of a meal. Just make one thing. You are over working. You are doing too much.

 

I have seen modern Marthas. As a preacher on the road, I get invited into many homes for a meal. I have seen, more than once, that the wife missed worship services because she was home cooking the meal. Don’t do that. Martha, Martha.

 

Martha’s problem was not serving alone. She was getting it done. She was bothered by what another person was not doing. Oh, we do the same. “Why do I always have to teach?” “Why can’t others teach?” Martha! “Why do they want me to be an elder? Are there others who can serve?” Martha! “Why is it always the same folks who show up for a work day?” Martha! Bothered by what others do is a cause of many complaints.

 

Just serve. Do what you can do. Keep your complaints to yourself. Be thankful that you can help out in the kingdom. Don’t ruin your good by having a sour attitude. Instead of looking what others are not doing, see what more that you can do. Don’t worry about others. Put a smile on your face, roll up your sleeves and get to it. You are making a difference, and Heaven notices.

 

Jesus said, “Whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you he shall not lose his reward” (Mt 10:42). Don’t ruin this by complaining that you have to wash the cup after the person drank from it. Don’t ruin it by saying why didn’t others do this. Just do it. Do it with a smile. Do it for the Lord!

 

Serving without complaining—we gotta work on that!

 

Roger

 

11

Jump Start # 1826

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1826

Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way which seems right to man, but its end is the way of death.”

Our verse today is one of those passages that many of us have heard over and over in sermons. It makes a great statement. There is a way which seems right to man. It makes sense to us. It seems good. It looks right. That’s the beginning concept of this passage.

 

Something seems right, looks right, feels good—but it’s not. The basis of “right” was the thoughts of man. His determination wasn’t based upon Scripture, but his own thinking. What makes sense to us, may not to God. Let’s just run down a quick aisle looking at what makes sense to man.

  • It makes sense to do whatever makes you happy
  • It makes sense to lie if it gets you out of trouble or gets you ahead of the game
  • It makes sense to be with someone that makes you happy. If you are not with someone you are happy with, “sense” tells us to find a person that makes you happy
  • It makes sense to keep as much money for yourself as possible. You work hard, why should you give your money away to others. Let the government help them. That makes sense.
  • It makes sense that doing the best that you can is good enough to get to Heaven
  • It makes sense that all the little details of the Bible are for preachers to fuss about, not everyone else
  • It makes sense that Heaven ought to be filled with the things we like
  • It makes sense that church ought to be fun and not so “preachy”
  • It makes sense that I am the way that I am and God will accept me just the way I am. That means I may be homosexual, racist, selfish, unable to keep a promise—that’s just the way I am.
  • It makes sense that we each find God in our own way and we each do what we naturally feel to worship Him, please Him and honor Him. Diversity is wonderful—that all makes sense
  • It makes sense that God may be different to each of us. He may be one way to the Christian, another way to the Hindu, another way to the Muslim, another way to Shinto. Same God, just different names and different ways to approach Him. That makes sense.
  • It makes sense, as the bumper stickers say, that we ought to Co-exist with all beliefs and all faiths. We ought to all get along and save planet earth. That makes sense.
  • It makes sense getting out of a bad marriage, no matter whose at fault or what the cause it. That makes sense.
  • It makes sense that all the churches ought to help out in the community. They ought to be feeding hungry people, providing safe havens for kids to play and offering services that help the community. That makes sense.
  • It makes sense to operate the church like a democracy, giving the people a voice and a vote
  • It makes sense that women ought to be able to preach and have leadership roles in the church. They have something worthy to listen to. That all makes sense.
  • It makes sense that the rules of the Bible need to change with the times. Our laws do. Culture and times change, and so should the Bible. That makes sense.

 

There is a long list of things that make sense to man. This is where many stand. These things seem right. These things can’t be argued against. Who would dare question these things. They seem so right. All of this is the front part of the passage. There is the back part as well.

 

But it’s end is the way of death—that’s how the verse ends. What seems right isn’t. What makes sense to us, doesn’t to God. What everyone agrees with, doesn’t fly with the way Heaven thinks. So, where does this leave us?

 

What makes sense to me, cannot be the standard of right and wrong. What makes sense to me, does not mean God approves of it. What makes sense to me, is based upon me, not Him. My happiness is not the most important thing in the world. The center of the universe is not me—Copernicus proved that. God’s way, the prophet Isaiah wrote, are higher than our ways. God doesn’t think the way we think. God not only thinks differently than we do, He thinks better than we do. His ways always trump our ways. When at a conflict arises between what the Bible says and what I think is best, follow the Bible. Following the Bible may not make sense to my senses. I may not fully understand why baptism is necessary for salvation. I may not fully understand why God allows only one reason for divorce, fornication. I may not understand why God wants me to walk daily with Him. I may not understand why God is so concerned about my character, my heart, my influence. I may not understand it, but God does. Not only may I not understand it, these things may not make sense to me. They do to God.

 

Follow Christ. Obey God. Do what the Bible says. Those consistent and common themes are found all over the Bible. Noah did all that God commanded. God told Abram to leave Ur and he obeyed. Peter commanded Cornelius to be baptized, and he was. God says, and we do. God knows what is best for us. God is the one to whom we follow.

 

With that being stated, all these other ways that seem to make sense are going to end in utter failure. The end, our passage states, is death. It’s sin. It’s separation from God. What we thought was right, wasn’t. It not only wasn’t right, it led us away from God. It disappointed God. We thought we were doing right and we weren’t.

 

Jesus said, “Not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven’ but he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven.” Here are some who thought they were doing right. It made sense to them. Jesus in this Matthew passage, declared, “I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” There was a way that seemed right, but it wasn’t. It ended in death.

 

So, we ought to quote the Bible more. We ought to stop saying, even in a Bible class, “Here’s what I think…” That’s the problem. There is a way that makes sense to us, but it may not to God. Speak as the Scriptures speak. Stand upon the word of God. Make God’s ways, your ways.

 

Does this all make sense to you? It doesn’t matter, if it does. Is all of this right with what God says in the Bible? That’s the way we need to see things, state things and journey in. We walk by faith and not by sight.

 

Roger

 

10

Jump Start # 1825

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1825

Matthew 4:1 “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

 

Late last week we started looking at “Things they didn’t tell me when I became a Christian.” One other topic that needs to be included in that list is the fact that temptations do not cease. I think in theory, many have the notion that since a life has been committed to Christ, either temptations ought to cease, or at least, be fewer. That’s not necessarily true. It also reminds us that a saved person can be tempted, can sin, and if not careful can return to the world. Peter’s illustration of a dog returning to eat it’s vomit or a washed pig returning to the mud, is that very point. A clean soul can return to the misery and filth of sin.

 

Our verse today, begins Matthew’s account of Jesus’ temptation. Several things are interesting here.

 

First, the temptation of Jesus follows His baptism by John. It wasn’t before the baptism, but rather, after the baptism that Jesus was tempted. Should it be any different for us?

 

Second, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness TO be tempted. Hebrews tells us that Jesus was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin. Temptation itself is not sin. It’s the opportunity to sin. It’s Satan knocking on the door of your heart. As long as you do not open the door and allow him in, he will not harm you. The next two verses add even more understanding into temptation. It says that Jesus fasted forty days and nights. He was hungry. He was weak physically. It is at this point that the tempter came. He didn’t come when Jesus was strong, but when He was weak. Who does the lion pounce on in a herd? It’s not the strongest for the fastest, it’s those that are weak, slow, or not paying attention. At church services, surrounded by brethren, and with our hearts focused upon Scriptures and the Lord, it’s hard for Satan to get far with us. By another night of the week. Tired. Alone. Vulnerable. At the end of a tough day. After harsh words were spoken earlier in the day to our spouse, “after” we have lost our strength, then the tempter comes. Thoughts race through our minds. We begin to see the good in what Satan offers. We listen. We pause. We contemplate. There is a knock on our heart and we open the door to see who is there. It’s Satan disguised and ready to come in.

 

Third, In Matthew and Luke’s account of the Jesus’ temptation, the order of the three temptations are different. However, they both begin with the same one, turning rocks into bread. So simple. Later on Jesus will multiple bread to feed the disciples. His first miracle will involve turning water to wine. It would be nothing for Jesus to do this. Some commentators state that certain rocks in the desert area are shaped and even look like the hard rolls that were commonly baked in households. If this is true, you can imagine being hungry, and everywhere you look are these rocks that Satan is encouraging you to make into bread. Satan is really appealing to the physical desires of Jesus. It’s been a long time since You’ve eaten.

 

What is also interesting about these temptations is that only Jesus and Satan are together in the wilderness. No disciples are there. No multitudes are there. No one witnessed this. Had God not revealed this, we would have never known about this. That is another key component of temptation. No one is around to see. You can get away with it. Opportunity. No security cameras. No one at home. No one will ever know.

 

Now, mixing those two ingredients together, it’s been a long time and no one will ever know, Satan presents powerful reasons to reach for the bottle, or to have an affair or to take something that does not belong to you. And maybe no one will ever know, but you will. You will know what you did. And, God will know. He always knows. Using these two strong reasons, ’it’s been a long time,’ and, ’no one will ever know,’ Satan pushes our buttons. Temptation looks so good. And that leads to the third aspect of temptation.

 

Temptation always begins as a thought in our minds. The more of God’s word that is in your heart, the greater this battle and struggle is in your mind. It’s like the cartoon of the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. You are pulled. You are tempted. Your reasoning or lack of reasoning will determine the outcome of this battle. Passages come to your mind. You think of consequences. You see the folly of sin. Like Christ, you resist. You flee a situation. The door of temptation is not opened and on this day you have won a battle. But the battle could have easily been lost. Instead of thinking of verses, you think of reasons why you deserve what Satan offers. Alone and it’s been a long time fills your mind more than the consequences. The door is opened and Satan is invited in. The temptation has turned to a wrong choice. You listened to Satan rather than God.

 

It’s a difficult lesson for new Christians to learn that temptations continue on. Satan won’t leave you alone. But like Christ, we do not have to open that door. Pour yourself into the Scriptures. Surround yourself with godly people who are serious about Heaven. Put some distance between you and your old ways. Can we live a sinless life? No. John reminds us that we will sin, but we also have the promise of forgiveness in Christ. The key, John shows us, is to walk in the light as Jesus is in the light. Walk. Make progress. Move toward Heaven. Start seeing things from Heaven’s perspective. As one does this, he will recognize temptations faster and see through the phony words of Satan.

 

Notice some of the admonitions found in the New Testament:

  • Be strong in the Lord
  • Be on the alert
  • Act like men
  • Put on the full armor of God
  • Flee fornication
  • Do not be deceived
  • Love not the world
  • Stand firm in the faith
  • Evil companions corrupt good morals

 

It would be great to be done with the devil. That day is coming. He won’t be around where we are going. He’s not allowed into Heaven. Someday temptation will no longer knock on the door of our heart. We need to help one another, rather than judge and point fingers at each other. We need to encourage rather than give up on one another. Together, with the Lord, we can make it.

 

Won’t it be wonderful there, having no burdens to bear—great hymn. Great reminder. Great day, when we finally get there. Live as if one foot is already in Heaven.

 

Roger