17

Jump Start # 2163

Posted on August 17, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2163

Psalms 50:21 “These things you have done and I kept silence; you thought that I was like you; I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.”

Our passage today reveals a mistake. It was a huge one. It was a costly mistake. Someone misunderstood someone else. It happens all the time. It’s the wife’s birthday, and a clueless husband buys her a gift that he thinks she will like. She opens it and cries. She is not thrilled to tears. She hates it. It’s not what she was expecting, wanting nor hoping for. He doesn’t understand her. He doesn’t know what she likes. Such things can be worked through with lots of apologies, promises to do better and a heap of love and forgiveness.

In our verse, someone misunderstood God. The expression, “you thought that I was like you,” is very telling. They thought they knew God, but they really didn’t. It was the wicked who misunderstood God. The wicked hated discipline. The wicked ignored God’s word. The wicked included thieves and adulterers in their company of friends. The wicked spoke evil of others. The wicked slandered family members. Through all of this God was silent. He didn’t split the earth open to stop this wickedness. He didn’t send fire down from Heaven to punish the wicked. God was silent and the wicked continued on. More wickedness. More evil. More wrong. And, because God was silent, the wicked assumed that God was like them. They assumed God didn’t care that others were being abused, trashed and hurt. They assumed that God even liked what they were doing. You thought that I was like you. They were so wrong.

One can nearly hear the wicked saying, “If God doesn’t like this, He’d say something.” Or, worse, “If God didn’t like this, He’d stop it.” God was silent. They assumed wrongly, that silence meant approval. God doesn’t have a problem with what we are doing, they thought. The ignorant wicked seemed to forget about the Law which came from God. God’s law spoke about theft, adultery and hurting others. God’s law was clear and plain. Did they really think God didn’t care whether or not His law was obeyed? Did they think all of this was a joke? None of this mattered?

You thought I was like you. Isaiah tells us that God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. God doesn’t think the way we think. Paul told the Corinthians that no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. All we know about God is found in the Scriptures. It is through the word of God that we come to understand what God likes and dislikes. Because I like something, doesn’t mean God does. My favorite team, my favorite movie, my favorite candidate doesn’t mean that it’s the same with God. We make the mistake of picturing God as American, white and Republican. You thought I was like you, sure rings loud and true. And, it can sure get us into messes. We start thinking what I like, God likes and before long, our opinions and our choices begin to sound like Scripture. Sunday night services—should we have them or not. Folks have an opinion about that. Careful that you don’t make your opinion God’s and you don’t assume your opinion is Scripture. If a congregation has Sunday night services, ought they to have the Lord’s Supper? More opinions. More differences. Truth be known, there is more Scriptural support for Sunday evening communion than there is for Sunday morning communion.

Go to another area, our feelings. I feel that it’s time for the preacher to move on and the church to get a new preacher. Be careful that your feelings don’t become, God thinks it’s time for a change. People may declare, “God sent me to this place.” Or, “God just loves this place.” The reason being is because you love this place. Our feelings change. Our feelings are never used as the foundation of our faith. Feelings are important and necessary, but because I feel a certain way, doesn’t mean God does. I have walked out of some services that seemed flat and stale to me. Didn’t get a whole lot out of it. But others, at the same worship, felt it was one of the best ever. Easily, one could conclude, based upon their feelings, God didn’t think much about that, while others could conclude, God loved that. You thought I was like you.

It seems the religious community tries very hard to pull God down to earth and show Him as a good ole’ buddy. God’s one of us, they’d have us to believe. However, the tone of the Bible is to pull us Heavenward and to change us to become more like Him. Be holy as He is holy, is what Peter said. Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect, is what Jesus said. Forgive just as Christ as forgiven you. Walk in love just as Christ loved us.

We don’t want God to be like us. We tend to say one thing and do the opposite. We forget what we promised. We tend to hurt each other’s feelings. Sometimes we can be unkind, unfair and just not very nice. We tend to favor our favorites and are more harsh with those we don’t like. No, we don’t want God to be like us. Look at the messes we’ve made and the trouble we’ve caused. The problems that plague our times are directly related to not having Christ in our hearts. A God like us wouldn’t be any good at all.

Jesus showed that He was different. When the apostles were ready to call down fire from Heaven to destroy cities that were unkind to them, Jesus wouldn’t have anything to do with that. When the disciples wanted to send the children away, Jesus wouldn’t have it. He called the children to Him. When the Gentile woman was crying for help for her demon possessed daughter, the apostles wanted to send her away. Jesus wouldn’t have it. He cured the child. When the adulterous woman was brought before Jesus, the Jews expected Jesus to be mean to her. He wasn’t. His words were different. His actions were different. He walked the same roads, ate the same foods, was blessed by the same sunshine and rain, yet, He was so different than they were.

And, He is so different than we are. He calls upon us to be patient, when we are ready to smack someone. He calls upon us to forgive, when we are ready to cut someone out of our life forever. He calls upon us to love those that do not love us. He calls upon us to serve when we would rather be served. He is not like us.

Through His words, we can become more and more like Him.

You thought I was like you…what a mistake that was. Be sure you don’t make the same mistake.

Roger

16

Jump Start # 2162

Posted on August 16, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2162

Psalms 122:1 “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”

Gathering to worship is as old as mankind on earth. Abel worshipped. Noah worshipped. Abraham worshipped. David worshipped. The disciples, the apostles, the early church came together to worship. We sometimes use the expression, “going to church,” to really mean gathering to worship. The church is the people, saved people. They gather, we go to them, in a sense, for the purpose of worshipping God.

A Pew Survey listed the top reasons why people do not regularly attend worship services. God wants us to worship. We need to want to as well. It’s not a duty one has to do such as getting your annual physical, but it’s a privilege, an honor and a joy. Surrounded by some of the best faces on the planet, God’s people, you get to sing praises, thank the Lord and hear His word read. Good things happen when we worship with others.

Worship reminds us that we are not alone on this journey. There are others, all kinds of others. Folks who have gone through tough times, and there they are worshipping God. It’s rather like the ole’ Armour hot dog song. Fat kids, skinny kids, kids who climb on rocks, tough kids, sissy kids, even kids with chicken pox. We are all in this together. Gathering to worship illustrates this.

Worship has a way of putting God before our eyes. Our schedules and our busyness can put God lower on our list of important things. Prayer gets sidelined. No time for the Bible. Too much to do and too many places to go today. When we come to worship, it’s like life taps the brakes. We slow down a moment. We catch our breath. We realize much of his haste and hurry doesn’t matter. We remember God. We remember what’s really important. Worship does that to us. It has a way of getting our order back into order. The songs are about God. We pray to God. It is God’s word that we read. Worship is about God.

Worship has a way of chasing fears, doubts and worries out of our minds and out of our hearts. Things tend to bother us. They tend to stick around and pester us. The more we worry, the less we pray. But in worship, we remember ancient Israel. We remember Jesus. We remember storms on the sea. We remember oppression of Egyptians. We remember fearful moments with demons and dying children. These are not just stories, they are events that happened. These are God’s footnotes. This is the proof that He is. This is where our hope forms and our faith is fortified. Worship will do that to us.

Yet, large numbers do not take advantage of worship. Every week some are missing. Why? Here’s what the Pew Survey found. Top reasons why people do not regularly go to worship:

They practice their faith in “other ways” (37%)
They are not believers (28%)
No reason is “very important” (26%)
They haven’t found a place to worship that they like (23%)
They don’t like sermons (18%)
They don’t feel welcome (14%)
They don’t have time (12%)
Poor health or mobility (9%)
No place to worship in their area (7%)

That’s the findings. The first thing that stands out is the math. Adding up all these percentages comes to 174%. Some must have had more than one reason. Other than poor health, most of this sounds like excuses, and, excuses that could be fixed if a person really had the mind to. And, that’s exactly what most of this comes down to, having the “want to.” Unless a person “wants to,” they won’t. Some seem to misunderstand what the purpose of worship is about. It’s not like going to a movie theatre to be entertained. It’s about you giving something worthwhile to God. So, a person doesn’t like sermons. God does. And, if the sermon is Biblically true, it just might be the thing one needs to change their life for the better. Some claimed they didn’t have the time. They have the same amount of time as those who did go to worship. God doesn’t bless worshippers with an extra four hours in a day because they went to church. We all have the same amount. The amount of time has never changed. It was the same for Noah, as it was for Paul, as it was for your great-grandfather, as it is for me today. It’s not finding more time, because you won’t. There’s no more time to be found. It’s using your time wisely. It’s being efficient, organized, and, productive. It’s not wasting time. It’s not being idle or lazy.

It would make an interesting class or series of classes to go through these nine survey results and reply to each one of them. What do you say when someone tells you, “I just don’t have time,” to go to worship? What do you say?

It also seems that these nine responses appear as approved reasons for not going to worship. I don’t see much guilt, shame or feeling bad about missing worship in these responses. It’s like a note from home for missing school. It’s ok, I have a reason. But is it ok? Is it ok with God? Is it ok that I don’t think any more of God or God’s people to adjust my life and my schedule to get down to the church house to worship? Do these nine replies get people off the hook? I worship in “other ways.” Whose ways? Talk to Cain about that. He tried that. Talk to Nadab and Abihu about that. They tried it as well. Instead of getting up on Sunday morning, getting dressed and driving down to the church house, I roll over in bed, turn on the TV and watch ESPN. I just worship in a “different way.” Really?

Maybe it’s time we started impressing upon people that God really wants you to worship Him. He wants you to worship Him the way He has patterned it in the Bible. He wants you thinking about Him. He wants you praising Him. He wants you to follow Him. He wants you to obey Him. He wants you to include Him in all that you do. Maybe we’ve given a green light too often for not coming. Kids playing in a ball game. Can’t make it. We say, “I understand.” Company came last night. Can’t be there. “Understand,” we say. Last weekend to take the family to the lake. That’s important. “Got it,” we say. And, with all of those, we have just moved worship to a secondary status. Come worship, unless you can find something more interesting to do. For some, just staying in bed is more interesting. That’s all it takes.

Our verse today, a great one to tell others. “Let us go to the house of the Lord together.” Come with us. We’d love to have you. “Kids got a ballgame. You understand.” No, I really don’t. God’s looking for you. He wants you to be around his people, not ball players. “Well, company came.” Great. Bring them with you. Maybe they’ll learn a thing or two about God. “Last weekend for the lake. You know.” No, I really don’t. God makes all things and wants you to be where He is, and that’s at worship. Come, let us go to the house of the Lord together. Come, sit with us. Come, let me show you some great people. Come.

Why worship? God wants you to. It’s good for you. If you put your all into it, it can even make a better you.

I was glad when they said, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Sunday is the best day of the week!

So, why do I go to worship? Because God’s going to be there and I just want to be where He is. I need to tell Him “Thank You.”

Roger

15

Jump Start # 2161

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2161

Philippians 2:20-21 “For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.”

 

Paul was sending Timothy to check on the welfare of the Philippian brethren. Timothy was the one Paul could count on. When summoned, he went. Our verse today is telling. It’s sad. It’s not unique nor limited to the first century. There was no one else, but Timothy. No one else had a similar kindred spirit. No one else truly cared. No one else put the kingdom, others, and Jesus before their own concerns. There was no one.

 

The feelings of Paul are often expressed in our times. Leaders in a congregation will plan a special series of lessons. It’s talked up. Flyers are printed and mailed out. The building is polished. The topics are important and practical. The weekend comes and goes and few came. For all the work and for all the money, it seemed like a flop. Heads are scratched. People wonder what they should have done differently. Why didn’t members come? Why didn’t others come? It was so good for the people who were in attendance. The message was helpful and will be long remembered. But so many could have been helped. There were people going through the very things that were preached about. They needed to hear those messages. The conclusion was obvious, “they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.”

 

At the end of the day, once home, some just do not feel like getting back out again. Others had other things on their schedules that seemed more important to them. School night. Got to get to bed early because of a big meeting in the morning. It’s rainy.

This is also illustrated and seen by a lack of interest in serving in the kingdom. Fewer preachers today. Fewer men stepping up to serve as shepherds. The need is enormous. Who will fill the shoes of the current preachers and shepherds? Who will be there for the next generation?

 

The reasons are many. For Paul, there was no one other than Timothy who could be sent to see about the Philippians. No one else was genuinely concerned about them. No one else would go. For us, the world and this life seems to take a greater interests than Jesus and the kingdom. Same problem all these years later.

 

The answer is obvious. It’s about priorities. It’s about order. They need to seek first the kingdom of God. That’s all they need to do. Easy solution. Quick fix. Yet, Paul had to deal with it and we do as well.

 

When people seek after their own interests instead of Christ, it becomes discouraging for those who are trying. Sometimes they feel like dropping out and joining the rest. It also means that most of the work must be carried on by fewer and fewer. A large church, but no one will teach. A large church but no one will serve. A large church but no one does much except the faithful few.

 

What can be done?

 

First, get out of the cave Elijah. These thoughts and these words can make us feel that we are the only ones doing anything. At Paul’s trial, the apostle declared that no one stood with him. They all deserted. Poor Elijah thought he was the only one faithful in God’s nation. The Lord reminded the pitiful prophet that there were thousands who had not bowed the knee to Baal. We can feel like ole’ Elijah. I’m the only one, we sing, who is carrying the load here. I am the only one who cares.

 

Sometimes a wife can feel that way about her family. The kids are off in video land. The husband is glued to the ballgame. Laundry, dishes, keeping up with things and she feels all alone in this journey.

 

I know the spirit of Elijah. I’ve spent time in that cave with him. The “woe is me,” club is very lonely. It’s discouraging and it leaves you with a sour taste about everyone else. Here’s what I found out why crying in my cave. While thinking, I can’t get anyone to do anything, there was a sweet widow who had been praying for me. There was a young couple who had invited a friend to services. There was a few ladies who got together for a deeper Bible study. I never knew those things. Things were going on and I didn’t know them.

 

While Paul seems to be crying that there was no one to send to Philippi, Apollos was out there preaching. The apostles were busy teaching. Titus, Prisca and Aquila were busy. Scan Romans 16, so many names, so many helpers. Maybe they weren’t where Paul was at. No phones, no access back then, but not everyone was seeking their own interests. In most places, there are things going on that the rest never hear about. Someone once suggested, ‘Why don’t we keep track of all the things that go on and post it so others know?’ Bad idea. It leads to bragging, jealously. Don’t let the left hand know what the right hand is doing. Because I do not see things does not mean nothing is being done.

 

Second, encourage others, don’t scold them. We are equals and we are in this together. Invite someone to go with you. Show them. Invite someone to go to the hospital with you. Invite someone to team teach with you. Invite someone to help you host a few families in your home. Rather than screaming, NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING, lead them and help them. It would be good for a preacher, the elders to take someone out to lunch that they feel has potential. Spend some time with them. Buy them a book that would help them. Let them know what you see in them. Mentor them.

 

Interestingly, before this chapter of Philippians ends, Paul mentions Epaphroditus, a fellow worker and a fellow soldier in Christ. He was to be held in “high regard” in the Lord. So, Timothy wasn’t the only one Paul could count on. There were others. Discouragement does that to a person. It clouds their vision and makes things worse than what they really are.

 

Third, the work is too great for you to quit. Maybe you are the only one that cares. Maybe you are the only one that does things. Maybe you are tired of keeping the place together. Maybe you are tired of being the first there and the last to leave. But if you quit, who will take your place? You are doing what you do because you care. You are making a difference. Maybe it is just assumed that you will do it. Maybe no one can do what you are doing. Take a moment. Catch your breath and then pick up the load and keep going. If Heaven notices a cup of cold water that is given, then it will notice what you have done. Your years of service leaves footprints for others to follow. You may never enjoy the shade that comes from an acorn that is planted, but others will. It may be years later that your example is used to impress upon others the need to put the Lord first.

 

Don’t whine. Don’t complain. Just serve. We must continue to preach, “Deny yourself.” We must continue to teach, “Seek first the Kingdom of God.” We must keep praying, “Lord, send forth laborers.” Include younger ones so they can learn. I have a picture of one of my granddaughters, dragging a bag of trash, three times her size, down the hallway of a church building, as my daughter cleans the meeting house. Little ones helping. Little ones learning. Get the teens out on a Saturday to help out.

 

Kindred spirits—they are there. Paul had them. We all do. They are found in a wonderful friend in Alabama who calls me “Jump Starts.” They are found in the heart of a sweet sister who puts a jar of homemade jelly in my hands. They are found in the loving touch of an elder who puts his arm around my shoulder and asks, “How are you doing?” and he truly means it. It’s found in the kind phone calls, the touching emails, and the thoughtful ways people let you know that they are with you, support you and love you. Then you understand, it’s not you, it’s the Lord that they do these things for. They are kindred spirits. They do care. Not everyone will do what you can do. Not everyone sees what you see. But they do what they do. They see what they see. Together, we make a team. Together we are part of the kingdom of God.

 

There are days when you feel like Paul and say, “There’s no one.” But then, you realize there are others and there is something that God needs me to do today. That is what I must do.

 

Roger

 

14

Jump Start # 2160

Posted on August 14, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2160

Philippians 2:7 “but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”

 

Our verse today concludes a sentence about Christ coming to earth. The previous verse tells us that He was equal with God. Our verse states that He emptied Himself. The question that many have asked, and wondered is what was it that Jesus emptied Himself of?

 

Jesus manifested Himself as God on earth. He had the powers of God. He could read the heart and thoughts of others. He could rewrite the word impossible. Multiple food, calm storms, talk to the dead, cast out demons, cure lepers, there was nothing impossible for Jesus. He allowed others to worship Him. Only God is worshipped. He forgave sins. Those that witnessed that declared that only God can forgive sins. He even admitted that if you saw Him, you saw the Father. Jesus was God on earth. So, the empting wasn’t giving up His deity.

 

God is worshipped in Heaven. God is honored in Heaven. Jesus laid aside this glory and position to become one of us. He was God wrapped in humanity. You and I have done things that Jesus never did in Heaven. We woke up this morning. God doesn’t sleep. We dressed ourselves, got some food, some took medicine, and out the door we go. Sunny for some today. Rainy for others today. It doesn’t rain in Heaven. Traffic, bugs, stress, deadlines, people, frustrations, moments of joy, interruptions—this is our day. This is the day for the doctor, the mechanic, the person working in fast food, the preacher, and the school teacher. By the end of the day, we will be hungry, tired and ready for some quiet time. Jesus never needed that in Heaven.

 

For Jesus, it got even worse. No one in Heaven ever spit on Jesus. No one would argue with Him. No one would challenge Him. No one would deny Him. But here on planet earth, all of that happened. They said He was the carpenter’s son. His own family thought He was out of His mind. He didn’t have a place to call home. He didn’t travel as a hero, a king or nobility. Most times, He walked. I expect you and I live better than Jesus ever did here on earth. I have a place I call home. I am surrounded with things that I like. Jesus seemed to be on the move most times. To see Jesus on earth, one would not have known that He was God. There was no halo. There was no obvious clothing that made Him standout and look different. There was no golden footprints in the sand. The image of the Pope, with his rings, hat and cape, is not how the Lord would have looked. You wonder how many people passed Him in the streets and never knew. They never knew He was from Heaven. Jesus emptied Himself of the glory that God manifests.

 

At the transfiguration, when Jesus clothes and face were brilliantly shinning, like the sun, the three disciples with Him got a peak at what God really looks like. For a moment, Jesus pulled the curtain back and revealed His glory. When He returns, it will be in all His glory. People will not mistake who He is when He returns.

 

Now, the greater question is not what Jesus emptied Himself of, but why? Why couldn’t He have been on earth like a celebrity? Red carpet, ropes holding the crowds back, armed body guards, exclusive suites at hotels, front men who arrange all of the details, professional drivers– Jesus didn’t do any of that. He walked among the crowds. A woman with an issue of blood came up behind Him and touched Him. Try to do that to the President. You’ll be arrested so fast and escorted off to jail. No one touches the President. Rock stars, Hollywood legends, TV stars, they live bigger than life. They live in gated mansions. You’d never run into a superstar at Target. They don’t mingle with the likes of you and I. But for Jesus, it was just the opposite. No hotels. No guards. No superstar status. He dressed, He looked, He traveled, like everyone else.

 

I cannot connect with a Hollywood superstar. I can’t understand owning an island, having multiple mansions all over the world. I can’t understand not having to stand in line at the airport because I own my own jet. I can’t understand having others who mow the yard for me, cook food for me, and take care of bills, household chores and things like that. That’s not my world. I wonder what they do with all their time. Jesus wasn’t like that. He was like you. His hands showed the signs of hard work. He knew what it was like to be hungry. He knew what it was like to be tired. He knew what it was like to put in an honest days work. He didn’t take short cuts. He didn’t use His positon to get to the front of the line. He was like us.

 

Being like us, He understands us. He wanted to understand us, so we could understand Him. He suffered things that He never would in Heaven. He put up with things that He never should have. He did all of this to show us obedience. In Heaven, He was equal. On earth, He was the Son. The Son who spoke the words of the Father. The Son who did what the Father wanted. The Son who obeyed. He showed us submission. He illustrated obedience. He worshipped, as we must. He was humble as we are to be. He lived His message. He was tempted, as we are. He was faced with choices as we are. He had to deal with self as we do. He became like us, so we could become like Him.

 

All of this lead to the cross. This is why He came. He didn’t come and immediately go to the cross. He lived decades on earth. He lived so He could understand. Dirt between your toes. Stains on your clothes. Food stuck between your teeth. He knows. He’s been there. But He also saw sin. He saw hatred. He saw prejudice. He saw malice. He saw disobedience. He saw greed. He saw lust. He saw perversions of God’s truth. He saw men dying without knowing God. He saw men dying in their sins. He saw men choosing sin over God. He died to change all of that. He died to redeem us. He died so we could be with Him.

 

He allowed Himself to die. He allowed Himself to be buried in a tomb and His soul to go to Hades. It’s where we’ll be someday. He’s already been there. He allowed Himself to be resurrected. The same will happen to us someday. He was the first. He blazed the trail for us. He became poor so that we can become rich. He carried our sins so we could stand pure.

 

Jesus emptied Himself. This is one of the greatest acts of love. He put you and I before Himself. From this, we ought to believe. We ought to be obedient. We ought to carry His life in our lives.

 

It is no longer I who live, the apostle said, but Christ lives in me.

 

Roger

 

13

Jump Start # 2159

Posted on August 13, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2159

1 Peter 1:13 “Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The writings of Peter take on a serious tone. They needed to be because it was serious times. Fiery trials and current suffering are constant reminders in the Peter’s books. Tough times involve a resolute heart and mind. Sometimes we try to keep things light to keep our minds off of how serious things are. We see that as a patient is awaiting surgery. The family in the pre-op tells funny stories of long ago, to make the time go faster and to keep away worry. We see that in the funeral home. These days it seems more smiles and laughter are found than tears and sadness.

Our verse, however was the Holy Spirit’s directive concerning the serious trials facing the Christians. Three statements are found within this verse.

First, gird your mind. Prepare your mind. Get your mind where it needs to be. Sometimes parents have to do this with their children. The parents are trying to talk seriously to them and the kids are goofing off. It’s time to pull it together. It’s time to listen. It’s time to think. The girding part sounds like someone getting dressed. They are putting on things. Our thoughts take us to putting on the full armor of God. Here, it’s all about the mind. Think properly. Be ready for action. A few chapters later, Peter would say, “Be on the alert, your adversary the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion.” This is not the time for trivial thinking. This is not the time for carelessness. It’s like driving on a curvy road. Both hands are on the wheel. You slow down. You are careful. You have girded your mind for action. You are prepared.

One of the greatest attacks of any enemy is to catch the opponent off guard. This is a tactic of war. This is a play in sports. This is a move in chess. To catch the opponent unsuspecting and unprepared is a huge advantage. Satan loves to do the same to us. He loves to find a moment with our guard down. It may happen the most at home. At school, at work, we expect trouble. Co-workers and fellow students are always challenging and pushing the limits of our patience and tolerance. At home, we take our armor off and relax. For king David, it was a nighttime walk on the roof of his home, the palace, where he found temptation. It was not out in the fields of war fighting the Philistines. It wasn’t in negotiations with other foreign leaders. It was at home. At home, Satan caught him off guard.

Peter’s words are be ready for action. Gird your mind. Be prepared. Be thinking. Be ready. Anticipate. That’s the first step.

Second, keep sober in spirit. The word ‘sober’ is limited in our times to being the opposite of being drunk. It brings in the idea of alcohol. The police pull over a weaving car and the first thought is, the driver is drunk. A test is preformed to determine whether drunk or sober.

However, Biblically, sober is not connected with alcohol. It carries the idea of being serious about things. Thinking clearly. Being on top of the situation. It is not a cloudy judgment, but seeing things as they are. Sober. Peter used this very word in the passage about Satan. “Be of sober spirit. Be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about…” Be of sober spirit. There are times to be serious. Comedy, laughter have a place in our lives, but so does being sober or serious. Too many lack the quality of soberness in their lives. They are not serious about their spiritual condition. They want life to be a long fun journey. Fun is in. Happiness is in. Folks get married because the one makes the other happy. Once the happiness ends, the marriage ends. Funny shows. Funny You-Tube videos. Funny jokes. They are sprinkled throughout our days, but when we lack any soberness, we take things too lightly and won’t heed the words of God.

Peter was telling his readers to be sober in spirit. That’s a choice. That’s an attitude. Being sober doesn’t mean being sour. It doesn’t mean being against all things. But it means to open your eyes and see consequences. It means to take God seriously. Because a person doesn’t smile does not mean they are not joyous. They may be sober.

Think about our worship for a moment. Preachers use humor. We sing, “I’m happy today.” We tell about funny things that happened to us. But in all of that atmosphere we must keep before us that Jesus died for our sins and that what we do is walk with the Lord in obedience. The following verse in Peter says, “As obedient children…” The frivolous, carefree heart is just a step from the careless heart. There are times for seriousness in our worship, and in our walk with the Lord. Keep sober. Keep both hands on the wheel. Keep your eyes open. Think. Why did you say that? Why did you do that? Be sober.

Third, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. The hope in those dark, tough times was not in themselves. It was not in wishful thinking. It was not in some present day hero that would turn things around. Their hope, all of their hope, was completely on the grace of God. They had put all their marbles in one basket, the grace of God. Nothing else mattered. When Christ came, at His revelation, His grace would make all things right. Their hope wasn’t in perfection. Their hope wasn’t in their strength, their perfect attendance in worship services, or knowing the books of the Bible in order. Their hope, their future, their confidence was in the wonderful grace of God. The love of God and the generosity of God and the forgiveness of God are all bound in grace. Hoping in that would get them through. Tough times would end. Evil would be punished. The hope was not in new homes, new fields, and better days, but in the grace of God. It would be in the presence of God that all things were right. It was in the presence of God that everything would be clear and it was where they truly wanted to be.

Battle plans. A survival guideline. Principles that would make all the difference.

Gird…keep…fix—gird your minds, keep sober, fix your hope. Three things that they could do. Three things that we can do.

Roger