In This Issue

• TEMPTED BY SATAN
• HOW TO LISTEN IN CHURCH
• NEWER CONCERNS FOR THE "BOOMER GENERATION"
• UPCOMING GOSPEL MEETING SCHEDULE
• MORE INFORMATION...

TEMPTED BY SATAN

The Bible says that after Jesus' baptism, "Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him." (Mark 1:12-13).

Both Matthew and Luke give much fuller accounts of this occasion of the temptation of Jesus. See Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13. Of course, this was not the last time the devil would tempt Jesus. At the end of this particular temptation, Luke tells us, "Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time." (Luke 4:13).

John tells us there are three basic approaches with which Satan tempts: "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life," 1 John 2:16. These are the three kinds of temptation the serpent used to tempt Eve in the garden of Eden. Genesis 3:6 tells us that "the woman saw that the tree was good for food [lust of the flesh], that it was pleasant to the eyes [lust of the eyes], and a tree desirable to make one wise [pride of life], she took of its fruit and ate..."

These forms of temptation with which Satan was so successful in the garden of Eden -- and with which he so miserably failed in the wilderness of temptation, are the same in principle as the things with which he seeks to entice us. This is why the Hebrew writer tells us that Jesus "was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Heb. 4:15).

--CRJ

HOW TO LISTEN IN CHURCH

Ever get sleepy during the sermon? (Not mine, of course.) Truth is, any one of us may find our attention wandering now and then. Long attention spans are difficult under the best of circumstances. The preacher bears a heavy responsibility here, for subject matter, style of presentation, relevance, and many other factors which contribute to a "live" wide-awake audience. But the speaker cannot do it all. Nor is it enough to prove by the Scriptures that we should be vitally interested. We know that and yet we may need motivation. Perhaps we could even learn how to become better listeners.

Jesus said, "Take heed … how ye hear" (Lk. 8:18). Not with dulled hearing and closed eyes, shunning the truth (Matt. 13:15-16); nor with preconceived notions that prevent our receiving truth (Matt. 16:21-23). The people I now have in mind do not belong in these categories. But there are "good" people whose minds wander, or are easily distracted; and this article is bold to make some suggestions for getting more out of the sermon and of worship as a whole.

1. Sit toward the front of the auditorium; close enough to feel the speaker is talking to you. Do this not just to better hear the speaker, but to improve the "oneness" of feeling essential to good communication. It puts fewer distractions between you and the speaker, allows you to better "read'' his expressions, gestures, etc. It also makes for better singing and a "closer" feeling for the Lord's supper and other worship. Yes, there are mothers with babies who need to sit closer to the nursery; sick and elderly who need easier access to the rest rooms; and always a certain number who "couldn't care less" about the worship, but come (now and then) for unknown reasons. Leave the back seats for them.

2. Become a participant, not an observer. In Christianity all saints are priests in a holy, royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:5, 9).

Each is a worshiper; praying and singing with the leader, remembering Christ in the communion, giving freely with the Lord's work in mind, and learning -- repeating in your own mind -- that which is being taught. Being a true learner is not a passive process, but requires distinct participation with the teacher.

3. Take notes, learn to outline the message. Some are content to jot down the Scriptures used -- and that is good. But this can be done without much thinking with the speaker. If we would make an effort to jot down his main points (in our own brief wording) and note their relation to one another and to the subject, we would find ourselves much more of a participant -- and certainly a much better listener.

4. Question what you hear. Is that a valid point, proven by the Scripture used? You will not be able to think the matter through during the sermon, but a question mark beside the point will remind you to "check it out" when you are home. This word of caution: one can be a "noble Berean" (Acts 17:11) without becoming an habitual critic of the work of others. Learn constructive criticism, and apply it to your own work.

5. Listen with the intention of making this your message, when you have time to think it through. How would you tell this to others? How could you improve on it, to fit someone you need to teach? This point of view can have an amazing effect on your attention span.

6. Make self-application of the lesson. How can this improve my life for Christ? How does it fit my personal needs? Listen with a tender conscience, ready to learn and adjust your life accordingly.

You can have the blessings of Jesus Christ if you will learn to be a good listener. The Savior said, "Blessed are your ears, for they hear." He also said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matt. 13:16; 5:6). With a little practice on the above, and this kind of incentive, you may not notice the preacher ran overtime.

-- Robert F. Turner, Guardian of Truth, January 21, 1993

NEWER CONCERNS FOR THE "BOOMER GENERATION"

Then: Long hair
Now: Longing for hair

Then: Acid rock
Now: Acid reflux

Then: Moving to California because it's cool
Now: Moving to California because it's warm.

Then: Watching John Glenn's historic flight with your parents
Now: Watching John Glenn's historic flight with your kids

Then: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor
Now: Trying not to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor

Then: The President's struggle with Fidel
Now: The President's struggle with fidelity

Then: Paar
Now: AARP

Then: Hoping for a BMW
Now: Hoping for a BM

Then: The Grateful Dead
Now: Dr. Kevorkian

Then: Getting out to a new, hip joint
Now: Getting a new hip joint

Most things change with time. We grow old, gain wrinkles and lose hair. People around us move away and die. You may change jobs, and move from city to city every few years. Ever gone back to the place where you grew up to see what it looks like now? Things change. And life can be very unsettling if it is not grounded on something that does not change through the years.

Fortunately we have this assurance: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Heb. 13:8).

Even if we become faithless, he remains faithful (2 Tim. 2:13). When all others let us down, his love will still be there for us. You can count on it. What comfort and assurance that gives us! Praise be to God for his unchanging nature! 

--Alan Smith via Thought For the Day

We are not responsible for all the things that happen to us, but we are responsible for the way we behave when they happen.

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