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<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Judy <judy_boli@ecunet.org><br>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org><br>
Sent: Sat, Mar 4, 2017 8:09 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Lent 1A<br>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Dear Friends,</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Yield Not to
Temptation” or “The Devil Made Me Do It!” and deals with the beginning of Lent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here it is: </font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">We just heard the story of
the temptation of Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11) and we know the feeling
of being tempted all too well, because temptation is a part of our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Lent it gets even worse as we try to stick
with our Lenten commitment of giving up something that keeps us from being the
best we can be and taking on something to deepen our spiritual lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know as well as I do, even good change is
hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On top of it, we human beings are
a disobedient, stubborn lot!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you
hear the story of the husband and wife who got in an argument?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each was giving the other the “silent
treatment.” Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his
wife to wake him at 5:00 A.M. for an early morning business flight. Not wanting
to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper,
“Please wake me at 5:00 A.M.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He left it where he knew she would find
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next morning, the man woke up,
only to discover it was 9:00 A.M.,
and he had missed his flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furious,
he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a
piece of paper by the bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The paper
said, “It is 5:00 A.M. Wake
up.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you see how stubborn and
rebellious we can be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All we have to do
is know there is something we should do, and we don’t want to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds like Adam and Eve all over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did you give up for Lent?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it’s doughnuts, I know your car just
happens to drive by the doughnut shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If it’s smoking, I know you look at those cigarettes when you pay for
your gas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s no accident that Jesus
taught us to pray: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,”
better translated: “Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from
evil.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus came to give us life, allow
us to live our lives to the fullest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is the opposite of “live?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sure, “E-V-I-L”- what the devil wants to trick us into choosing.</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">As we live through Lent, 2017, here are three
useful facts about temptation and how to handle it:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Each one comes with a story to help us
remember the Biblical concept.)</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px 1em 0.25in; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><font face="Times New Roman">1)</font><span style="font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">THE DEVIL CANNOT FORCE
US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ALL
HE CAN DO IS SIMPLY TRY TO
CONVINCE US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember, Jesus is
Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we’re under huge assault,
it’s so easy to forget that Jesus has overcome, so the power to overcome is in
our hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trouble is- he’s a master
at tricking us and we get convinced all too easily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you hear about the woman who just loved
to shop?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem was- both of their
credit cards were maxed out, and she had promised her husband that she would not
buy anything that was not absolutely necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, Lent came soon after she made the promise, and her Lenten
commitment was that she would exercise every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since it was pouring rain, she couldn’t walk
outside; so she decided to go to the mall to walk and get her exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Don’t worry, dear,” she told her husband
before leaving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I won’t buy anything- I
promise you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her walk in the mall
started out just fine, but then, as she strode past one of her favorite stores,
she saw this beautiful dress in the window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You know what she did- stopped walking to look at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She noticed that it was in her favorite color
and would match the shoes she purchased the week before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It won’t hurt if I just go in the store to
look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They probably won’t have my size
anyway.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she checked out the rack,
there was that gorgeous dress; and it was in her perfect color and correct
size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Wow!” she thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It won’t hurt to just try it on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trying it on is not the same thing as buying
it.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know what she did- took it into
the dressing room to try it on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After it
was on, she looked at her image in the mirror, and she really did look
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of a sudden, she came to her
senses and remembered her promise to her husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Get the behind me, Satan!” she ordered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m not buying this dress!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From behind her came a soft voice that said-
“Gee, that’s a shame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looks really
good back here too!”</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px 1em 0.25in; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><font face="Times New Roman">2)</font><span style="font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">OVERCOMING TEMPTATION IS NOT
SIMPLY A MATTER OF EDUCATION.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ALTHOUGH
WE DO NEED OUR FACTS, BUT THE REAL
PROBLEM IS ONE OF THE WILL-
CHOOSING LONG-TERM WELL-BEING OVER
SHORT-TERM HAPPINESS. The Old Testament Genesis lesson of the temptation and
sin of Adam and Eve is a good example of this fact about temptation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their problem was not education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They knew the facts- don’t eat the
fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they did, they would die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They understood what God wanted them to
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their problem was not education- it
was choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They WANTED to eat the
fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked good, so they did what
they wanted and went against God’s teaching.</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px 1em 0.25in; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><font face="Times New Roman">3)</font><span style="font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">BELIEVING THAT “I CAN GET AWAY WITH IT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>NO ONE WILL CATCH ME.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I CAN OUTSMART GOD AND
EVERYBODY ELSE!”…not true!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bible (Numbers 32:23) reminds us: “Be
sure your sin will find you out.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you
remember the story of the two lovers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was Valentine’s Day, and the young couple was in love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem was- they were college students,
and they had an important test scheduled for that morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They decided to forget about the class just
this once, make a good excuse, and hope the instructor would let them make up
the test; so they took a long drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When they went to class the next day, they told the instructor that they
had a flat tire, so they couldn’t get to class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She replied with sympathy and said they could take the test right
then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as they were ready to
write, she said, “Now the first question: which tire was flat?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(i.e. short term happiness over long term
well-being.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Rev. Dr. Anthony Evans
reminds us: “Used improperly, credit cards operate a lot like sin: enjoy now,
pay later.”</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">What should we remember
about temptation this Lent, 2017?</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><font face="Times New Roman">1)</font><span style="font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">From the wife trying to
overcome the temptation to buy the dress: THE DEVIL CAN’T FORCE US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ALL
HE CAN DO IS TRY TO CONVINCE US.”</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><font face="Times New Roman">2)</font><span style="font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">From Adam and Eve and the
first sin: THE OVERCOMING TEMPTATION IS NOT SIMPLY A MATTER OF EDUCATION.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ALTHOUGH WE DO NEED OUR FACTS, THE REAL PROBLEM IS ONE
OF THE WILL- CHOOSING LONG-TERM WELL-BEING
OVER SHORT-TERM HAPPINESS.</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .25in; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto;"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><font face="Times New Roman">3)</font><span style="font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">From the lovers trying to
out-smart their teacher: BE SURE YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT.</font></span></font></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">May God bless us as we keep a holy Lent full
of life-giving spiritual growth.</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">For anyone who is
interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are
posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: </font><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/"><u><font color="#0000ff" face="Times New Roman"></font></u></a><u><font color="#0000ff" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org" target="_blank">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</a></font></u><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> .</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Blessed preaching,</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Judy Boli</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">St. Paul's Episcopal Church</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: normal; mso-mirror-indents: yes;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Saginaw, Michigan</font></span></div>
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