CHAPTER 35 – ENEMY MINE 2024

1950, Alan Redpath, pastor of Duke Street Baptist Church in Richmond, London moved to the United States and became the pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago. Of his many substantial quotes I’ve chosen one to describe the christian mind under attack.

“Once a Christian gets eaten up with discouragement and unbelief it takes a great deal to shake him out of it. Those two emotions are the masterstrokes of Satan. So long as the child of God maintains an attitude of praise and trust in the Lord, then he is invincible. Once the devil gets him discouraged, that poor man is really going to take a knocking!”

That’s an easy one to understand. Really. We get bummed out and give up, or do something stupid because we think, who cares, God doesn’t. What is the hard concept, if that’s the easy one?

Thinking I’m smart, I’m “all that and a bag of chips” as it is said. “As a fact, I’ve moved on, I’m in a better place, I got it from here.” All of those hideous mind games are a disaster in the making, long term.

In a phrase, Enemy Mine includes my brain and my ego, pride, vanity, stupid and it is all mine, but that is not at the root, let’s continue.

The disciples didn’t understand when people were stupid, when people denied what was so clear to each one of the twelve. For them, it was absolute truth and Christ is the culmination of the Word and the Savior Moses spoke of, wrote about and taught. Christ answered the twelve squarely, on the question of why are people not getting it? Why do we get it and they don’t. It’s an honest question for sure.

Matthew 13:11 and 13b and 14
New International Version
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 13b“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

Do you understand that scripture? The Bible is not repetitive to those who have eyes to see, “eyes” given by the Lord, the Bible comes alive and lifts off the page. Without God we lack the understanding of redemption, salvation, repentance, mercy and Discernment.

Matthew 13:16
New American Standard Bible
16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

“My brain is a dangerous neighborhood, I never want to go in there by myself.” I’ve said that a lot. I, left alone, without the Bible, make every reason “not to do what is good for me in the name of what is good for me.” And I do it with resentment and absolute fact that is not fact at all except in my deranged perception of things. In this mind-set I can change the course of my destiny forever and never know it. God will still love me, but the goals that could’ve been achieved will never be realized.

Dr. Donald Gray Barnhouse, a pioneer in radio broadcasting, his program, The Bible Study Hour, started in the 1950’s continues today and is now known as Dr. Barnhouse & the Bible. I quote:
“Our lives are not the haphazard results of the moving of blind chance nor the throwing down of cosmic dice. All that comes to pass in our lives is according to the perfect eternal plan of the all Wise, all Powerful an all Loving Father. The fact that a man has been chosen according to God’s eternal purpose, immediately surrounds him with the protective care of the Holy Spirit. Nothing can touch the man unless it has passed through the approved process of the will of God. No situations that comes to you can over power you in Christ.”

If you can put your brain in check, you are unstoppable in Christ, and your destiny made before time itself will be realized.

Isaiah 54:17
New King James Version
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.

For a believer the Bible is an amazing question and answer tool. In prayer it completes an actual conversation with God. The question in prayer, the answer in the book, sometimes in that order, or sometimes before the question is even formed in one’s mind, God is with you.

For a non-believer it is an impossible read. The words mean nothing, as if they were a diabolical encryption, unreadable without a brilliant decoder machine. Once given the understanding, use it wisely, it is a powerful tool, not everybody possesses. If I suddenly set down the book and forget praying for any time at all — the devil has a field day with me, for sure.

Suddenly, and I do mean suddenly, I am without direction. I deal in assumptions, fear, emotions, ego, self-righteous, pompous thinking. I command a ship sailing the waters of anxiety, disappointment, and broken dreams. All the while, possibly even feeling great about my new found power and freedom. I may even think in terms of greatness and prodigy of myself.

Leo Tolstoy, is quoted as saying: Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.

If left unattended by the teachings of Christ, I can and will judge everything and everybody around me, viciously, unfairly, incorrectly and with a stone cold heart. When I’m stunned at the unfortunate circumstances befallen me — I blame a list of nonsense rather than myself. As more things come against me, I formulate more mental diagrams of my “next move,” coming close and closer to yet another set of difficulties ingeniously created by my own choices. So what happens if I make a mistake. I second guess myself, take a job I shouldn’t, quit going to church or take direction from people I should not take direction from, while setting people aside that I should take direction from. What could happen?

Jeremiah 2:19
New King James Version
Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your backslidings will rebuke you.
Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing
That you have forsaken the Lord your God,
And the fear of Me is not in you,”
Says the Lord God of hosts.

Disturbance I call it. Second guessing myself is without the Lord, suddenly, once so sure of myself, I’m now forced to pretend I’m large and in charge, secretly knowing I’m not. I want to impress people, me, spouse, somebody, anybody. Disturbance is a nasty business. Get back to scripture, stop thinking about “making moves.” Consider what moves have already been made for you in Christ — stop thinking about making moves, get out of your head and back in the game.

I have a quote by C.S. Lewis “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”

Romans 8:30
New International Version
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

That is the winning ticket. You have been justified in Christ. What is justified? The act by which God moves a willing person from the state of sin (injustice) to the state of grace (justice). Who wants to give that up? Well, accidentally, people do it all the time. What solutions brought me to an understanding of Enemy Mine? An easy phrase for me to remember. Revolution/Evolution, I learn to revolt against myself and evolve, and that simply put “is doing better than my best.” I can’t do that without asking Him to help and it’s not a one time thing, it’s an all the time fight to stay out of my stupid notions.

Ephesians 5:15-20 New International Version (NIV)
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is no sanity without structure. Don’t let incorrect thinking cause problems, pray those thoughts out of your mind. Ask Him to leave only thoughts that matter to the mission, the task at hand, ask for the Grace of God to achieve what is to be done. Structure your company and your life inside of fair and financially sound business practices. Live carefully and thoughtfully. Stop praying until God sees it your way, rather pray until you see it His way.

Stay on the list, even when you don’t like what is on the list. Get up, read the book, say your prayers, make breakfast, prepare your desk, take vitamins and then get after it, follow the list — all of it, even the things you don’t feel like doing.

Deuteronomy 30:19
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! –

Refer to the Treasure Chest of your life. Talents He’s given you to invest in today’s responsibilities, not tomorrow, today, He’s given you what you need today. Everything you need, never believe you don’t have enough. Take direction from those who have love in their heart for you and experience in the Lord’s work.

2 Peter 1:3
Amplified Bible
3 For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through [a]true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

Listen to “Reason not treason, common sense is not so common and stupid is very expensive,” as stated before “My mind is a dangerous neighborhood don’t go in there by myself.” God is good all the time which is good because I’m not good all the time, I need Jesus and so does my balance sheet, my life, my responsibilities, choices, endeavors and especially my brain, at all times. Chapter 35, Enemy Mine, my brain, well that would be too easy, sure my brain has a part in it, but the big deal of the day I’ve saved for last. It’s not my brain, my brain backs up what?

My free will, there’s the culprit, there’s the reason for Chapter 35.

My will be done is the enemy, my will — as adjusted and redirected by the devil’s suggestions in all the ways that will empower me and end me. My brain is just a willing participant, led by free will and my mouth incorrectly confirms it with scripture, prayer, and the all knowing phrase we should never use without extreme caution, “God told me…!”

Be careful kids, Chapter 35 can end your life.

Psalm 51:2-4
New American Standard Bible
Wash me thoroughly from my guilt
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my wrongdoings,
And my sin is constantly before me.
Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You [a]are justified [b]when You speak
And [c]blameless when You judge.

Be scared of 35, it’s a very tricky Chapter, outlining a very tricky gift you have — “free will” — very dangerous, be careful. Amen.