What Channel are you Tune To?

Matthew 16:21-23

“From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priest and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Matthew 16:21)  In that you and I have heard the story, and we understand that Jesus was God’s pure lamb, the atonement for all sin, it may be hard to place yourself in the story.   Why would anyone try to change the will of God, as Peter is doing in this account; “And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord!  This shall never happen to you.” (Matthew 16:22)  Do you recall me addressing Channel One, the deceptive channel, and Channel Two is the Holy Spirit of God, which of these channels is playing in Peter’s head?

Peter does not understand any more than you or I do, he is looking out for his friend, his teacher, his Lord, in fact Peter has just proclaimed; “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Knowing the story can sure mess up the message that the Spirit of God wants you and I to grasp.  Peter has no clue that the enemy of his soul is talking to him in his own voice, it sounds like his thoughts, and who wants a friend to suffer and be killed, no one in his right mind.  I would be willing to bet that the enemy blocked out the part about on the third day I will raise victorious over death and the grave. Here is the part many have missed, “But he turned and said to Peter; “Get behind me, Satan!  You are a hindrance to me.  For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

These are not the thoughts of the man who has just proclaimed “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  No these are the words of Satan, put into the mind of Peter, and Jesus is telling Peter you set your mind on the wrong thing, you let your emotions guide your mind, you listened to Channel One again.  And what are you setting your mind on?  If you could not set your mind wherever you wanted, then God has done wrong by you, because Jesus is telling Peter that he has not set his mind on the things of God.  And in Paul’s letter to the Colossians in Chapter three, verses two and three, we have this command: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

The following is a quote from D.W. Rutledge, one of Texas High School’s most winning coaches, “Practice does not make perfect – Practice makes permanent.   No matter what you do if you practice long enough, it will become a part of you.  Practice a bad habit and you will become great at a bad habit.  Practice being 2^nd class and you will be 2^nd class.  Practice being 1^st class and you will be 1^st class.  The choices you make in tough situations will be the habits you develop.  When you choose a habit you also choose the end result of that habit.” 

So we can choose to set our mind on things above, but it will require the habit of reading the Scriptures and asking the Spirit of God to give you the heart of a “Truth-seeker.”  The most important habit is remembering that the Holy Spirit is your “Helper” and His job is to guide you, but He will never force you to listen to Channel Two.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice