A few weeks ago my mother was walking across her living room and stubbed her shoe on the magazine rack and fell. She broke the fall with her left arm, which broke her arm. Obviously, the magazine rack was a trip hazard and has now been relocated.

Spiritually speaking, the devil tries to trip us up. He works tirelessly deceiving, lying, stealing, destroying, and killing people everywhere. The Bible says he walks about looking for someone he may devour. But, we don’t have to be ignorant of the devil’s devices to destroy us. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11 NKJV). We probably don’t use the word “wiles” very much, but it’s the perfect description of Satan‘s tactics. The definition of wiles: devious or cunning stratagems employed in manipulating or persuading someone to do what he wants.

Our enemy hasn’t changed his strategies since the Old Testament times. “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made” (Genesis 3:1 NKJV). Eve entertained the devil by conversing with him. I don’t think she recognized the serpent for who he was and she was deceived. Satan’s first encounter with Eve resulted in his first deception of the human mind and will. The result was sin and death. He continues to deceive and attack people who don‘t know how to defend themselves against him.

Resist the devil and he will run away from you. If believers will put on all the armor of God and actually use it, the devil will be the one running. We’re instructed to stand our ground in faith. If a Christian tries to resist the devil without his armor, he’ll be stressed out, beat up, deceived by Satan, and led astray by the world.

The Bible is your sword, but if you don’t have it in your heart or know what it says, you can’t really use it. It’s like going deer hunting without a rifle. God’s Word won’t do you any good just lying on the coffee table collecting dust.

When the meteorologist forecasts a blizzard, we prepare for it by making sure we have enough food and supplies for the duration of the storm. Shouldn’t we have enough common sense to be prepared for the devil‘s attacks?

If there’s something in your life that’s pulling you down and away from God, get rid of it. Turn it off, lay it down, walk away, and pick up your Bible. Learn how to resist the devil and be victorious instead of being defeated and depressed. You can’t be strong and healthy if you only eat potato chips and candy bars. So feed your spirit on God’s Word; it never fails.

The Bottom Line: Don’t live your life with one broken arm after another. Get rid of your trip hazards…today.

Pastor Jimmy Tucker

(620) 223-1483

Diamond Community Church

2591 Jayhawk Road

(4 miles east of Hwy 69)

10:45 a.m. Worship

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:11

There once was a very famous professor of chemistry. This man discovered several industrial chemical compounds, and he wrote many books on chemistry. As a result, he became financially well-off and retired. In his retirement, he became a guest lecturer at colleges and universities.

As the professor got older, he developed poor eye-sight. His poor vision made it difficult to drive. Therefore, he hired a chauffeur. Over the years, the professor and his chauffeur became best friends.

The chauffeur drove the professor to dozens of speaking engagements. He heard the professor give the same speech hundreds of times. One day, on the way to another speaking engagement, the chauffeur said, “Professor, I believe I could give your speech myself; I’ve heard it so often.” The professor said, “I’ll bet you $50 you can’t.” “You’re on,” said the driver.

The chauffeur stopped the car and the two exchanged clothes. They got to the college and they went into the lecture hall. The chauffeur was dressed in a tuxedo. He sat at the head table. The President of the College stood up and introduced him.

The chauffeur stood up and he gave the professor’s speech without missing a word. It was perfect. It was as if the professor gave it himself.

There was a standing ovation when the chauffeur finished. The President of the College got up and said, “You know, we are so fortunate to have such a fine resource with us tonight, and since we have a little extra time, let’s have some questions and answers.”

A student stood up in the back and asked, “Professor, the element, strontium when combined with radioactive isotopes does not produce a normal reaction. Why is this?” The chauffeur just stood there for a moment. He had a nervous look on his face. Finally, he said, “That’s just about the dumbest question I ever heard. In fact, it is so dumb I bet even my driver could answer that question!”

The point is: Sometimes we hear something so many times that we can lose the meaning. How many times have you heard the Christmas story? I’m sure you could stand up in public and tell the story. You have heard it hundreds of times. Even non-Christians know the story of Mary’s unexpected pregnancy, Joseph’s confusion, and the visits by angels. Everyone knows the story of Caesar’s tax, the trip to Bethlehem, and the Christ-child born in a stable. We’ve heard it thousands of times. We even hear Linus tell the story every year on A Charlie Brown Christmas. We all know the story.

Could it be we have heard the story so many times it has lost its meaning. We think we know all there is to know about the Christmas story, but maybe we don’t. Maybe we don’t understand Christmas.

Christmas is God coming to earth in the person of Jesus Christ. Christmas is Jesus being born to save us from our sins. Christmas is the Savior of mankind living with mankind. Christmas is God with us.

I am sure that you know the story, but do you know the Savior. I am sure you know about Christmas, but do you know Christ? The Christmas season brings familiar sights and sounds. Don’t let the familiarity of the season cause you to lose sight of the baby in the manger.

Get to know Him this Christmas.

James Collins serves at First Southern Baptist Church as senior pastor. He is the author of “The Nativity: How The Story Of Christmas Can Change Your Life,” available now on Amazon. He can be reached through the website thepointis.net.

People regularly ask me how I have so many crazy experiences. I tell them that God wants me to give others an appreciation for their “normal” lives. Other times, I bring it upon myself. One thing is for sure: Those who know me well are used to “unusual” things happening when I’m around. Today, our fourth day in Israel, would be no different.

My two sons, Jeff and Andy, and Andy’s wife Kristen and I were finding Tel Aviv to be mega-expensive. A lunch of sandwiches ran around $100, and breakfast was more than that. Ash trays were found on all restaurant tables, as smokers appeared to be the norm. Fortunately, almost everyone we met spoke some English, and street signs typically were marked in three languages: Hebrew, Greek and English. Our GPS was scattered, and most times the four of us received different signals as to how to navigate the roads. We would pick one and hope for the best. Sometimes, that worked in our favor. Sometimes, not.

Tour guides had suggested we visit Hafai which boasted of exquisite gardens, temples and beaches. Only an hour’s drive away, we would find Bahá’í Gardens, 19 geometric terraces around a shrine located near Mount Carmel, the site where Elijah confronted the false prophets of Baal, and one we wanted to see. Without researching further, we left Tel Aviv around noon, headed towards the Old Testament site. I was excited. As one who had stood against false prophets and Jezebel, brought fire from Heaven and was taken to Heaven alive, Elijah is one of my favorite Old Testament characters.

At the garden entrance, signs warned us that this was a holy place. No gum-chewing, cell phones or loud voices were allowed out of reverence for this place. A dress code was strictly enforced, and since my daughter-in-law Kristin’s shorts did not cover her knees, we were denied entrance. Not to worry. Andy, her husband and my son, had swim trunks in the car. The fact that he is an XL and she is a size-four would not dissuade us from entering. Kristen’s flowery, poofy swim trunks, rolled several times over at the waist, seemed to satisfy the guard.

We hustled towards the temple, expecting to see signs informing us about Elijah’s experience. Once there, we were told the sacred temple was closed. No reason given. We could come back another time when it would reopen.

On our way out of the gate, I asked the attendant to explain what we had just seen. That’s when she shared that we were on holy ground in reverence to the Bahá’í faith. (And that had to do with Elijah…how?) Well, it didn’t. It had to do with a “oneness” religion in which we are all created alike in love. How we had managed to make a day out of this was anyone’s guess! All I knew was that we certainly were not involved in anything that had to do with Christianity or God’s prophet.

So much for listening to the guide who convinced this was a “must see.”

Tomorrow, however, we told each other, we would visit sites related to Jesus and no one else. We just did not anticipate the dangers ahead in making that happen.