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- Protect Yourself At All Times! -
(1 Peter 5:8)
One of the most important instructions a ref gives to boxers when they enter the ring is to, "protect yourself at all times." The boxer cannot let his guard down at any time for any reason or he will most likely get "clobbered" by his opponent. Every moment he is in the ring (except between rounds or when ref calls time out) he is in danger of being hit by his opponent.
A distraction by the crowd, a debate with the ref or even just failing to pay attention has brought many a boxer to the canvass.
What is true in the boxing ring is equally true in the Christian life. We must never let our guard down. Every moment we are in the spiritual "ring" (the world), we must "protect ourselves at all times!" Satan is a powerful and persistent adversary and can bring us down to the "canvass" (spiritually speaking) in a moment.
How do I protect myself at all times?
- Be Disciplined!
"Be sober..." means to be disciplined and circumspect. I must not be negligent in my spiritual life. I must take spiritual realities very seriously. Negligence in the Christian life can be deadly.
- Be Alert!
"Be vigilent..." means to be on guard, to be constantly focused. Satan never fights fair! Satan never leaves off. There is never a time that we are out of danger.
- Be Prepared!
If a boxer enters the ring without having put in time at the gym, preparing and conditioning himself for the fight, he is in grave danger. If he is out of shape or unskilled, he is heading for a knockout. The same is true for the believer. We need to continually prepare ourselves for the spiritual conflict that is constant in this sinful world. This involves...
- Daily Bible meditation.
- Daily and earnest prayer.
- Daily surrender of my will to the Lord.
- Faithful and consistent church attendance.
- Trusting and obeying God's every instruction.
- Be Wise, Be Smart!
A foolish, ignorant boxer does not last long in the ring. Foolishness and ignorance in the Christian life is dangerous to say the least. We must study to show ourselves approved unto the Lord. Study our adversary, understand our Lord's "fight plan" and apply ourselves to spiritual victory.
- Listen To The Coach.
The boxer's coach has a perspective on what is happening in the ring and will help the boxer see areas he is neglecting. The coach has years of experience that the boxer does not have. The wise boxer will listen to his coach's instructions.
As believers, we have the Word of God and the Holy Spirit as our "coach." If we will follow the instructions given in God's Word and trust the Holy Spirit's work in our lives, we will be protected from the world, Satan, and our own flesh's assaults.
There are many other analogies taken from the boxing world that can be applied to the Christian life. I trust that these few may challenge us to "protect ourselves at all times."
We have three big events in the next few weeks:
- This Saturday, November 1, is our annual Teen Thanksgiving Rally. Brother Charlie Clark, III and Brother Lee Bowman are our preachers this year. Brother Grant has some fun games and a delicious Thanksgiving Meal planned for everyone in attendance.
- Sunday, November 16 we have a very special "Veterans' Service" recognizing and honoring those men and women who have served in the defense of our country. Dr. Don C. Williams, an Army vet will bring the morning message. A delicious meal is planned for all vets and their spouses after the morning service.
- Our 22nd Annual Fall Revival with Dr. Don C. Williams will be November 16-21. Dr. Williams is a very gifted chalk artist and an excellent Bible preacher. He is 81 years old and still plugging away on the "revival trail."
This Sunday morning I am preaching on, "Fellowship With Jesus" from 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 and in the evening we're continuing our series from the book of James with a message entitled, "Pure Religion."
Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to keep up with what is happening around here and, please check out our website at www.mlibc.org.
Bring your Bible and a friend and I'll be looking for you Sunday!
Sincerely, your friend,
Dr. Dennis Leatherman - Pastor
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