We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; in deed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul ... if there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Lesson from Pistol Stearns at Boskeydell Baptist Church



 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  (Ephesians 6:12)
In other words, we wrestle against unseen things, which know what the stakes are and want to detour us from reaching the gates of Heaven.  How well I remember when I was as a teen, Pistol Stearns teaching our Sunday School class at Boskeydell Baptist Church and asking what Satan looks like. “Is he dressed in a red underwear and carrying a pitchfork? Does he have a pointed tail and horns on his head? If he did we would surly know him.”
Pistol was right but even then some of us would still follow him because the way back to God seems so hard and Heaven seems so far away.  Evil is so cleaver. “You messed up too bad. You’ll never get to Heaven now. Come with me,” it says.
Most of us got to that point because of those unseen things appear good, but lead us away from the straight and narrow path. “I’m all right I can still see the path,” we say. Then one day we realize we are too far away to get back without hardship. Been there done that and I bet you have also. Paul certainly did and he thought he WAS doing the right thing. The Lord knew his heart and what he desired. Paul may have even been like my dad sitting out in the bushes with his shotgun praying, “Lord help me see who is cutting my fence so I can shoot at them.” Paul might have been praying, “Lord help me find those horrible Christians so I can kill them.” 
Evil is so cleaver that most of the time it appears good and holy and righteous.     

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