8-12-2015

 Good Morning All!!

           Ephesians 6:12; “This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world.”

    If you read the headlines, Christians everywhere should be putting on a helmet.  “The Church is losing the cultural war!!”  “Is the church relevant anymore?”  “Evangelicals take aim at Planned Parenthood!”  Apparently the war is on.  At least the media is seeing a war building or brewing and it will be the church against everyone else.  It is an interesting idea.  It sells newspapers or ads on TV shows.  It makes the headlines on the internet.  It is totally false but it makes good reading.

    Let’s all be clear on this; there is a war on and we as Christians are in the front lines of the battle.  But like Paul told the Ephesians in our verse; our enemy is not against a human opponent.  The homosexual is not our enemy.  Planned Parenthood is not our enemy.  The Muslims, the Jews, the atheists, the humanists, even people who profess to hate us are not the enemy.  Our enemy is the devil, always has been and will be until Christ returns.  That is who we battle; the others are victims of the war not the combatants in the war.  The others are blinded by the devil; they are led astray by the devil and he uses them in his fight.  His goal is to confuse us.  As long as we attack others, others will be repulsed by our stand.  This is why it is so important that we speak and act with love toward those who are more lost than enemy.

    This is why Paul emphasizes the need for Christian unity and with putting away malice and anger along with the other “sins” that he lists.  If Christians aren’t different from non-believers, why will they listen?  Our actions are our loudest witness.  The way we treat others tell them whether we view them as an enemy or a friend.  God calls us to love all people.  We are to see sin, not so much as offensive to us, but as offensive to God.  Sin separates; it separates families, brothers, neighbors but above all; it separates the sinner from God.  When you are separated from God, you are a very easy target for the devil.  Our goal is to defeat the enemy- the devil.  Our goal is to bring truth and grace to light for the lost.

    We accomplish this with a loving response and a loving action.  We can only show God’s love to those around us.  We do not convert or change them; that is the work of the Holy Spirit.  We display God’s love in order to lead them to see the blessings of God’s mercy.   We speak the truth, with full love and grace, to the world.  We act with full love and grace to show God’s love to all around us.  Our lost neighbor is not our enemy; he is the lost we are sent to find.

Father, keep us focused on the truth.  Keep us focused on your love.  Move us to reach out to our lost brother with the same love that Jesus reaches out to us.  Guide us by your Spirit to show your incredible grace to the world.  Defend us from our enemy the devil.  Help us to always discern the lost from the enemy.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret