<div style="color:black;font: 14pt Times New Roman, Times, serif;">Forwarded: <br>
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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, Feb 29, 2020 10:18 pm<br>
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Lent 1A: "Yield not to Temptation" or "The Devil Made Me Do It!"<br>
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<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;">Dear Friends,</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;">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=""> </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=""> </span>You know as well as I do, even
good change is hard.<span style=""> </span>On top of it, we
human beings are a disobedient, stubborn lot!<span style="">
</span>Did you hear the story of the husband and wife who got in an
argument?<span style=""> </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=""> </span>He
left it where he knew she would find it.<span style="">
</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=""> </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=""> </span>The paper
said, “It is 5:00 A.M. Wake up.”<span style=""> </span>Do you
see how stubborn and rebellious we can be?<span style="">
</span>All we have to do is know there is something we should do, and we don’t
want to do it.<span style=""> </span>Sounds like Adam and Eve
all over again.<span style=""> </span>What did you give up for
Lent?<span style=""> </span>If it’s doughnuts, I know your car
just happens to drive by the doughnut shop.<span style="">
</span>If it’s smoking, I know you look at those cigarettes when you pay for
your gas.<span style=""> </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=""> </span>Jesus came to give us life, allow us to live
our lives to the fullest.<span style=""> </span>What is the
opposite of “live?”<span style=""> </span>Sure, “E-V-I-L”-
what the devil wants to trick us into choosing.</div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"> </div>
<div style="line-height:normal;">As we live through
Lent, 2017, here are three useful facts about temptation and how to handle it:
(Each one comes with a story to help us remember the Biblical concept.)</div>
<div style="margin-left:.25in;line-height:normal;"><span style="">1)<span style="font:7.0pt New;">
</span></span>THE DEVIL CANNOT FORCE US.<span style=""> </span> ALL
HE CAN DO IS SIMPLY TRY TO
CONVINCE US.<span style=""> </span>Remember, Jesus is
Lord.<span style=""> </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=""> </span>The trouble is- he’s a master
at tricking us and we get convinced all too easily.<span style=""> </span>Did you hear about the woman who just loved
to shop?<span style=""> </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=""> </span>Well, Lent came soon after she made the
promise, and her Lenten commitment was that she would exercise every day.<span style=""> </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=""> </span>“Don’t worry, dear,” she told her husband
before leaving.<span style=""> </span>“I won’t buy anything- I
promise you.”<span style=""> </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="">
</span>You know what she did- stopped walking to look at it.<span style=""> </span>She noticed that it was in her favorite color
and would match the shoes she purchased the week before.<span style=""> </span>“It won’t hurt if I just go in the store to
look.<span style=""> </span>They probably won’t have my size
anyway.”<span style=""> </span>When she checked out the rack,
there was that gorgeous dress; and it was in her perfect color and correct
size.<span style=""> </span>“Wow!” she thought.<span style=""> </span>“It won’t hurt to just try it on.<span style=""> </span>Trying it on is not the same thing as buying
it.”<span style=""> </span>You know what she did- took it into
the dressing room to try it on.<span style=""> </span>After it
was on, she looked at her image in the mirror, and she really did look
good.<span style=""> </span>All of a sudden, she came to her
senses and remembered her promise to her husband.<span style=""> </span>“Get the behind me, Satan!” she ordered.<span style=""> </span>“I’m not buying this dress!”<span style=""> </span>From behind her came a soft voice that said-
“Gee, that’s a shame.<span style=""> </span>It looks really
good back here too!”</div>
<div style="margin-left:.25in;line-height:normal;"><span style="">2)<span style="font:7.0pt New;">
</span></span>OVERCOMING TEMPTATION IS NOT SIMPLY A MATTER OF
EDUCATION.<span style=""> </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="">
</span>Their problem was not education.<span style="">
</span>They knew the facts- don’t eat the fruit. <span style=""> </span>If they did, they would die.<span style=""> </span>They understood what God wanted them to
do.<span style=""> </span>Their problem was not education- it
was choice.<span style=""> </span>They WANTED to eat the
fruit.<span style=""> </span>It looked good, so they did what
they wanted and went against God’s teaching.</div>
<div style="margin-left:.25in;line-height:normal;"><span style="">3)<span style="font:7.0pt New;">
</span></span>BELIEVING THAT “I CAN GET
AWAY WITH IT.<span style=""> </span>NO ONE
WILL CATCH ME.<span style=""> </span>I CAN OUTSMART GOD AND EVERYBODY ELSE!” …not true!<span style=""> </span>The Bible (Numbers 32:23) reminds us: “Be
sure your sin will find you out.”<span style=""> </span>Do you
remember the story of the two lovers?<span style=""> </span>It
was Valentine’s Day, and the young couple was in love.<span style=""> </span>The problem was- they were college students,
and they had an important test scheduled for that morning.<span style=""> </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="">
</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="">
</span>She replied with sympathy and said they could take the test right
then.<span style=""> </span>As soon as they were ready to write,
she said, “Now the first question: which tire was flat?”<span style=""> </span>(i.e. short-term happiness over long term
well-being.)<span style=""> </span>The Rev. Dr. Anthony Evans
reminds us: “Used improperly, credit cards operate a lot like sin: enjoy now,
pay later.”</div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"> </div>
<div style="line-height:normal;">What
should we remember about temptation this Lent, 2020?</div>
<div style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.25in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;"><span style="">1)<span style="font:7.0pt New;">
</span></span>From the wife trying to overcome the temptation to buy
the dress: THE DEVIL CAN’T FORCE US.<span style=""> </span> ALL HE CAN DO IS TRY
TO CONVINCE US.”</div>
<div style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.25in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;"><span style="">2)<span style="font:7.0pt New;">
</span></span>From Adam and Eve and the first sin: THE OVERCOMING
TEMPTATION IS NOT SIMPLY A MATTER OF EDUCATION.<span style="">
</span>ALTHOUGH WE DO NEED OUR FACTS, THE REAL
PROBLEM IS ONE OF THE WILL-
CHOOSING LONG-TERM WELL -BEING OVER
SHORT-TERM HAPPINESS.</div>
<div style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.25in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;"><span style="">3)<span style="font:7.0pt New;">
</span></span>From the lovers trying to out-smart their instructor:
BE SURE YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT.</div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"> </div>
<div style="line-height:normal;">May God bless us as we
keep a holy Lent full of life-giving spiritual growth.</div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;">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: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.stpaulsepisag.org/"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none;">http://www.stpaulsepisag.org</span></a>
.</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;"> </span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;">Blessed preaching,</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;">Judy Boli</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;">St. Paul's Episcopal Church</span></strong></div>
<div style="line-height:normal;"><strong><span style="font-family:serif;font-weight:normal;">Saginaw, Michigan</span></strong></div>
</div>
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