On Following Satan

Take a deep breath, dear reader, let it out slowly, very slowly, and now please take another. Don’t light the torches just yet, and would you please untie me from this stake; at least until you finish the article.


“Satan wants us to either be preoccupied with him or to ignore his reality.” So how have I followed this course of action? Well, it was quite innocently and certainly not by design, but I must admit I indeed did follow.

I coached High School basketball for 25 seasons at a small private Christian school. During the first few years we were the “cupcake” on everyone’s schedule. That is until a group of athletes, all in the same class came along. I had been their 6th grade teacher we bonded that year. I have never coached a group that were closer to each other or who trusted in me as their coach.

As they entered Jr. High our relationship continued as I was also the Jr. High coach. We began to play a physical, hard-nose man to man style of defense. They accepted the challenge and were willing to give their dedication to learning a physical way of competing.

It was slow going at the beginning of the season, but their hard work began to pay off after a few games and their confidence rose. Our varsity was still getting beat and beaten up with regularity, but the Jr. High squad was beginning to win.

In South Florida during the early 80’s none of the schools in our division played man-to-man defense or at least not well. The result was that none of the teams had a well developed offense to play against a man to man defense.

Without going into detail that would only boar a non-basketball-junkie, I’ll simply say that our help side defense would have brought a smile to Coach Knight and our kids really liked the contact of boxing out.
Our style could have been called full court karate.

So what does this have to do with following Satan, you might ask, well just hang on and you will see. And no, I do not believe it is a good idea to see if I will sink to the bottom of a pond!

As this group reached varsity in 10th grade, we were unknowingly following the modis operandi of the Prince of Darkness. Teams expected to win easily and win big against us. They no longer did. Even when we lost, our opponents, battered and bruised, rarely cerebrated.

As that season worn on and during the next two years, teams either became preoccupied in the days before playing us trying to prepare a new offense. This played right to our advantage. Our opponent was so busy concentrating on the new offense patterns and responsibilities that our defense worked even better. Also since their coach seemed concerned – why the new offense – opponents also worried. By half-time we would have their patterns and assignments learned and with simple adjustments would totally dominate the second half.

These teams were often only a little more talented and athletic than us. We would beat them by thirty. The powerhouse teams just ignored us, expecting to win – they always had before – due to sheer talent. I can’t say I really blame them, there were some really talented teams.

Though we pulled only a few upsets, teams who were accustomed to scoring 70 – 90 points a game and were looking forward to putting up 100 against us and padding their personal stats typically struggled to score 50 against us.

Frustration grew and blame among the opposing player began to flow like a cancer. Several of these talented squads had coaches who appeared to have been trained at the Bobby Knight School of Persuasion and Motivation. As their coach became more animated, we began to bait a trap.

With special coaches like this, we applied another of Satan’s tricks, we lied. Calm down, I have confessed and repented; it was thirty years ago, already. And no, you can not use that as evidence. Furthermore I will not walk nine feet, over red-hot ploughshares as proof I am not in league with Satan.

Our players were adapt at the use of language to cause doubt and sow division. They could spot a disgruntled attitude quickly and then went to work. A simple, “Why don’t they give you the ball more?” Spoken at the right moment to a leading scorer would be sure to ignite teen tempers. Once a few flames were lit; we verbally poured on the gasoline.

Though I did not see these strategies as from Satan at the time, I now see the correlation between either ignoring or having a preoccupation with an adversary as frustrating any advance. You see we should not have been able to compete but by shifting the focus away from our opponent’s strengths to ours we often prevailed.

The disharmony among many brothers and sisters in Christ not only between congregations but may be due to lies being whispered by an enemy. Certainly not accepting that we have an enemy or underestimating his abilities hinders the advance of the Kingdom of God.

Equally dangerous is focusing our attention on his schemes. Another lesson I learned as a coach was do what you do best and be only a little conscious of the other team’s methods. If my players sensed that I was worried about a rival squad they became more so.

OK, so here’s what I am trying to say. A Christian’s primary task isn’t to avoid sin, which is impossible anyway, but to recognize sin. Well, that’s not really our primary task but in order to move along. There is an enormous amount of self-deception in sin. When this is combined with devil-deception, the task of recognition is compounded.
We have an enemy, whose purpose to kill, steal, and destroy. Not so unlike HS basketball. If we become too preoccupied with our enemy he has an advantage over us. If we pretend he is powerless or non-existent he may have a field day over us.
One last stroll down memory lane, a lesson I learned as a coach was to keep it simple and do what you do well. Yea, as coach I studied the other teams but never made a big deal out of it to the players. Maybe we should just keep it simple; you know, love God and love your neighbor.

The Measure of Greatness

Then little children were brought to Jesus
for him to place his hands on them and pray for them.
But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
Jesus said,
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Matthew 19: 13-14 NIV

Seven years-old and trapped with my mom at her workplace on a perfectly good morning on a teacher’s workday – what could be worse? First, for some reason we had no books or toys for me. Secondly, my mother was secretary for the president of Crozier Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania and in these hallowed halls no children were seen or heard.

Perhaps in compassion, but more likely to hide me, my mom placed me on a couch at the end of a large library/reading room. From the untrustworthy memory and perception of a seven year-old the room was enormous stretching past the distance an eye could see.

There were no interior walls. The appearance of several connected rooms was achieved by the placement of couches, chairs and tables. Each area had its own entrance door, but once inside one could move freely from one end to the other.

On the couch, my back was to most of the room as I was seated in front of a small b/w television set. My mother had tuned to a cartoon show and instructed me in her MOST serious voice: “Do not move, do not get up, do not make a sound, do not touch the TV, do not touch anything. Had it not been unhealthy I would have been told not to breathe. Thoroughly warned, completely intimidated, and utterly bummed I settled back and began to watch Woody Woodpecker.

As older TV’s often did, the vertical hold began scrolling. Now I was really in the dumps. How long before my mom returned to check on me, probably hours. Just when matters could not be worse a group of Suits entered the far end of the library from where I now cowered.

If the term Suits is unfamiliar, it refers simply to grownups that wear collars to small, ties to tight, never smile, and, most significantly, have a particularly strong dislike of small boys – like me.

After sneaking a peek above the couch back, I tried to become invisible while attempting mind control over the Suits, willing them to exit prior to entering this last section of dusty books and leather couches where I now trembled. My fear became panic as the tip-tapping of black wing-tipped shoes came closer as the boom of several bass voiced echoed in my ears.

Spotted! I could feel one of the group approaching. He sat down, placed a strong hand on my shoulder. His gentle eyes looked into mine as his smile and kind voice clamed me instantly. I don’t remember if I spoke. He asked what was the matter and then as if he already knew asked if he could fix the TV. I wanted to tell him not to touch it; I didn’t want him to get into trouble. But my voice disappeared in his presence as he stood, tall and confident. He adjusted the TV.

At the very moment his hand went behind the set, my mother entered. She stopped in the doorway. I could tell from her face that she was unnerved, more panicked than me, in fact, flustered.

“Ethel,” the man spoke her name. He knew her, I marveled. Ethel, it’s all-right,” he said as he approached her and greeted her respectively. I observed her embarrassment and apprehension dissolve as he engaged her in conversation.

Even at seven, I was able to intuitively sense the annoyance of the Suits; while amazed at the grace of this powerful man. Whoever he was they deferred to him. I quickly concluded he was OK; he probably had to dress that way, but he was no Suit.

After they left my mom sat with me and spoke about my new friend. Though I was only seven, the seriousness and gravity of her conversation remained with me.

During the next few years my mom would occasionally remind me of the encounter when we saw him on television, particularly when he was maligned on the newscasts.
Before he had a dream Dr. King was living his dream, at least with me a little seven year-old white boy.

"The King will reply,
'I tell you the truth, whatever you did
for one of the least of these brothers of mine,
you did for me.'
Matthew 25:40

Love: Inside Out

I first meet Manny after the summer of my ninth grade year. He was a student at the Philadelphia School of the Bible and had begun to work at our church as the 12th grade boys Sunday school teacher. I was returning form a summer as a counselor in training at Christian camp on Maryland’s eastern shore.

Manny was from New York City, in his early thirties, married with two boys under the age of 5. Though my church’s Sunday school program divided classes by grade level and gender, my friend David and I were assigned to Manny’s 12th grade class.

Several Christian men spoke into my life as I grew up in the church but none had the impact as Manny. I’m sure the time of my life was significant, but in actuality it was Manny.

Manny was not fooled by our teenage B.S. or attempts to pretend to follow the accepted and unspoken Christian standards of the late 60’s. He had been part of an organized crime family form his early teens and way to street-wise for us white suburban posers.

So for the next three years between the hours of 9:30 and 10:45, I sat under Manny’s teaching. Actually I don’t recall a thing he said, but I remember his life and the grace that flowed from him to all he encountered.

After Manny became a follower of Jesus he tried to leave the rackets and the fellows he had run with since he was thirteen. However he had made a pact with the devil – so to speak – and it ended with his house being fire-bombed and him fleeing with his young family to Philadelphia. I never learned but sketchy details of his prior life and as I grew to know him, I became more interested in this man who actually believed the words of Jesus and attempted to live them out.

Leaving New York and is former life with nothing but his family and the clothes on their backs, Manny found an apartment in a third-floor walk up in an inner-city government project. The project in all of its concrete and utilitarian splendor was part of a government program of the 60’s that failed. As was the case in Philadelphia the majority of the unfortunate residents were black, while Manny was Puerto Rican, a mix that had not yet been reconciled by Dr. King’s Dream. This was a difficult place to live. A place I never mentioned visiting to my parents.

During the next three years several things happened in the project. Most significant was a Bible study begun by Manny and his wife. The study grew and took on a life of its own. Today we would describe it as a home-church.

Though he was a student with a family, Manny’s finance situation improved to the point where he could leave the rat and dope infested project. Instead he chose to stay – because of the relationships and the need of the gospel of grace and love offered by his savior Jesus Christ. I remember discussing – actually questioning – Manny about his decision until I saw the love of Jesus in his eyes as he kindly answered me while portraying staying in the ghetto as the most logical and practical place for his family.

The influence many had in my life is difficult if not impossible to measure. A few years after leaving home I reflected back and with the proverbial light bulb flashing realized that I was not the only one. There were thirteen fellows in my actual grade. We had basically grown up together in the church. Even as high school seniors, we rarely missed Sunday school – though I’ll admit that many a morning my eyes were heavy and my head ached for sleep. Even though except for Dave and me the others only had Manny for one year, all thirteen of us entered a Bible college somewhere following graduation.

Manny’s love was not always kind or appreciated – at least by my seventeen year-old assessment. Most Friday evenings I received a phone call around 5:00. After some small talk, Manny would ask if I had any plans for the evening. Of course he already knew I would be going out either with my girlfriend or some of the guys from school. Then he would pray God’s blessing on me, my friends, my girlfriend, our plans and safety. He really knew how to put a speed bump into my plans. It was not until much later that I figured out that Manny probably made two dozen calls on Friday evenings.