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From: Judy <judy_boli@ecunet.org><br>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic@ecunet.org><br>
Sent: Sat, Feb 17, 2018 4:35 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Lent 1B- “Temptation Produces ‘Live’ Spelled Backward” (It's great to be back after a bout with the flu!)<br>
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<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Dear Friends,</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Temptation Produces
‘Live’ Spelled Backward” and deals with the gospel (Mark 1: 9-13).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Here it is: </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Do you know that old gospel song: “Yield Not to
Temptation”?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That’s our subject-
temptation.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>While I was preparing for
today’s sermon, I came upon a list of truths about life that we can learn from
small children (James W. Moore):</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">1)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">No matter how hard you try you cannot baptize a cat.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">2)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">When your mom is mad at your dad, don’t let her brush
your hair.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">3)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">Never ask your 3-year-old brother to hold a tomato… or
an egg.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">4)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">You can’t trust dogs to watch your food for you.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">5)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">Don’t sneeze when somebody is cutting your hair.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Actually,
we’re not focusing on cute truths about life, we’re thinking about truths
concerning temptation, because Lent is the season in which we practice- in the
words of the old hymn- “Yield Not to Temptation.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You’ll notice, I’m re-using two stories,
because they explain the truths of temptation better than I can any other way.</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">1)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">WE ARE DRAWN TOWARD ANYTHING WE’RE TOLD WE CAN’T
DO.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We’re like moths drawn toward a
flame.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If we can’t do it/ have it- we
want it.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">2)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;">THE DEVIL CANNOT FORCE
US.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>ALL HE CAN DO IS SIMPLY TRY TO
CONVINCE US.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;">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="margin: 0px;"> </span>The devil cannot force us.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>All he can do is simply try to convince
us.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The trouble is- we get convinced all
too easily.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></font></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">3)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">OVERCOMING TEMPTATION IS NOT
A MATTER OF EDUCATION.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>INSTEAD IT’S A
MATTER OF WILL.</font></span></font><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">4)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">BELIEVING THAT “I CAN GET AWAY WITH IT.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>NO ONE WILL CATCH ME.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I CAN OUTSMART GOD AND EVERYBODY ELSE!”…not
true!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Lent
is for serious Christians like spring training is for serious baseball
players.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s our chance to learn to
play the game- the game of life to the best of our ability.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Let’s look at each of the truths about temptation.</font></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">FIRST-
WE ARE DRAWN TOWARD ANYTHING WE’RE TOLD WE CAN’T DO.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We’re like moths drawn toward a flame.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>All that’s necessary is for us to know there
is something we should do, and we don’t want to do it (or something we
shouldn’t do, and we want to do it).<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Sounds like Adam and Eve all over again.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>What did you give up for Lent?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If
it’s doughnuts, I know your car just happens to drive by the doughnut
shop.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If it’s smoking, I know you look
at those cigarettes when you pay for your gas.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</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="margin: 0px;">
</span>Jesus came to give us life, allow us to live our lives to the
fullest.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(“I am the way, the truth, and
the LIFE.”)<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What is “live’ spelled
backward?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Sure, “E-V-I-L”- what the
devil wants to trick us into choosing.</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">SECOND-
THE DEVIL CANNOT FORCE US.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>ALL HE CAN DO
IS SIMPLY TRY TO CONVINCE US.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The
trouble is- we get convinced all too easily.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Remember the story I told you last year of the lady who just loved to
shop?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </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="margin: 0px;"> </span>Well, Lent came soon after she made the
promise, and her Lenten commitment was that she would exercise every day.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </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="margin: 0px;"> </span>“Don’t worry, dear,” she told her husband
before leaving.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“I won’t buy anything- I
promise you.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </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="margin: 0px;">
</span>You know what she did- stopped walking to look at it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She noticed that it was in her favorite color
and would match the shoes she purchased the week before.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“It won’t hurt if I just go in the store to
look.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They probably won’t have my size
anyway.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When she checked out the rack,
there was that gorgeous dress; and it was in her perfect color and correct
size.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“Wow!” she thought.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“It won’t hurt to just try it on.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Trying it on is not the same thing as buying
it.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You know what she did- took it into
the dressing room to try it on.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>After it
was on, she looked at her image in the mirror, and she really did look
good.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>All of a sudden, she came to her
senses and remembered her promise to her husband.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“Get thee behind me, Satan!” she
ordered.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“I’m not buying this
dress!”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>From behind her came a soft
voice that said- “Gee, that’s a shame.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>It looks really good back here too!”</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">THIRD-
OVERCOMING TEMPTATION IS NOT SIMPLY A MATTER OF EDUCATION.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>ALTHOUGH WE DO NEED OUR FACTS, THE REAL
PROBLEM IS ONE OF THE WILL- CHOOSING LONG-TERM WELL-BEING OVER SHORT-TERM
HAPPINESS. Do you recall the Old Testament story of the temptation and sin of
Adam and Eve?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s a good example of
this fact about temptation.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Their
problem was not education.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They knew the
facts- don’t eat the fruit.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If they did,
they would die.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They understood what God
wanted them to do.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Their problem was not
education- it was choice.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They WANTED to
eat the fruit.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It looked good, so they
did what they wanted and went against God’s teaching.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></font></font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">FOURTH-
BELIEVING THAT “I CAN GET AWAY WITH IT.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>NO ONE WILL CATCH ME.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I CAN
OUTSMART GOD AND EVERYBODY ELSE!”…not true!<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The Bible (Numbers 32:23) reminds us: “Be sure your sin will find you
out.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Do you remember the old story of
the two lovers?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It was Valentine’s Day,
and the young couple was in love.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The
problem was- they were college students, and they had an important test
scheduled for that morning.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </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="margin: 0px;"> </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="margin: 0px;"> </span>She replied with sympathy and
said they could take the test right then.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>As soon as they were ready to write, she said, “Now the first question:
which tire was flat?”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(i.e. short term
happiness over long term well-being.)<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The Rev. Dr. Anthony Evans reminds us: “Used improperly, credit cards
operate a lot like sin: enjoy now, pay later.”</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">So- truths about temptation:</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 24px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">1)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman">From a moth drawn to a flame: WE ARE DRAWN TOWARD ANYTHING WE’RE TOLD
WE CAN’T DO.</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 24px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">2)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><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="margin: 0px;"> </span>ALL HE CAN DO IS
TRY TO CONVINCE US.”</font></span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 24px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">3)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><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="margin: 0px;"> </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>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 24px; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman">4)</font><span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><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>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><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>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">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"></font></u></a><u><font color="#0000ff"><a href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org" target="_blank">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</a></font></u><font color="#000000"> .</font></font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Blessed preaching,</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Judy Boli</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">St. Paul's Episcopal Church</font></span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt;"><font color="#000000" face="Times New Roman">Saginaw, Michigan</font></span></div>
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