It is a sober morning as we wake up and as the daylight rises we see the overnight storm damage. I had a sleepless night as storm after storm rolled through, but the house is intact. I'm thankful for the Lord's protection. Now one may say, 'what about all those believers who prayed but whose homes were destroyed? Didn't they have the Lord's protection?' Yes, they did.
In my case, I prayed to the Lord for protection of my body and my home from storm damage. I have full faith and trust that He would do it, and He did.
Others who pray the same in full faith but whose homes are now rubble are also under His protection. The effects of sin in this world means that there will be suffering, but those who are suffering have a new opportunity this morning to turn to Him, and think of eternal things. It affords an opportunity for Christian ministries to minister in His name to the lost, the weak, the brethren. Living in a fallen world means bad things will happen.
I prayed for protection last night and I knew He is able to deliver it. But I did not pray, "Protect me, O Lord, for I am one of your children and You are on my side." That is testing the Lord. I know His will as it is revealed in the Word, but I do not know His will in each specific circumstance of my life. If I was to go through a trial by enduring a lost dwelling and possessions, let it be so. It doesn't alter my faith at all. When you have an eternal perspective, the temporary circumstances of my life gain their proper position. Now I'm not as strong as Paul who said of his trials, "Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10) but his kind of attitude is my daily goal to seek and try and reach.
I think of Daniel 3 and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego standing in front of King Nebuchadnezzar, and they said, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:16b-18).
The furnace was a room sized furnace you know. Picture the men shoveling coal into the Titanic's room-sized boilers, and that was what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were facing. These furnaces were searingly hot. They were so hot that when the King ordered the furnace to be heated 7 times hotter, the men who were ordered to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego inside were instantly killed by the heat.
Facing that, they did not waver. They did not say, "We are faithful and therefore He will not let us come to harm." Their prayer in the face of a fiery trial was strong, with the proper perspective of understanding that it may not be His will to allow them no harm. It didn't alter their faith one bit. He knew He would cover them, but if He didn't, that was OK too. God is still sovereign.
"The proof of conversion is that he who professes faith in Jesus perseveres in faith and grows in sanctification throughout his life." ~Paul Washer
That proof is the perseverance in faith especially when storms are ripping through, when death or loss or injury come, when we can say of this trial or that one, "Lord grow me in sanctification so that You are pleased with me." Sing praises to Him who saves, in the calm and in the storm. Their faith was startling to the King, and Nebuchadnezzar replied in a fury. But when God chose to show Himself in the furnace the men said to the King, “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Daniel 3:25).
The King then did what? Praised God. "Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.” (Daniel 3:28-29)
When the storms come, sing louder, knowing that He is sovereign, and all things are working for the good to those who love Him who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) Perhaps your purpose in your trial is simply to sing praises to him, louder than the storm, so that others may hear and believe.
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Saturday, March 3, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
Can children be possessed by a demon?
Someone asked me this week if a child could be demon-possessed. There are occasional cases in the news where a possession seems to be a central focus, or there exists a problem with a child or youth that medicine or psychology cannot solve. So the question was asked. Clearly, every tantrum a two year old throws isn't a demonically inspired rant. Often, medicine or therapy can aid the child who is exhibiting symptoms of uncontrollable behavior, and demonic possession is not indicated. But cases where a spiritual problem is the root cause do happen and as John MacArthur says below, "I think much more common in the world today than we understand or the demons want us to understand.”
People are fascinated with the demonic. I was riveted when I read the scene with Jesus and the Gadarene demoniac. (Mark 5, Luke 8, Matthew 8). Just as we are fascinated with the physics and biology of how the Holy Spirit indwells Christians, we are equally fascinated with how it works when a non-believer has a demon inside him. We love to get glimpses of the other side, of the heavenly glories and also of the demonic.
MacArthur preached a sermon called Jesus' authority over demons, and in it he stated, "And as I said last time, the victims of demon possession are not necessarily the most evil people, sometimes children were possessed, as we shall see in the New Testament. And they're not to be confused with people who somehow aren't functioning normally, mentally, because every time Jesus confronted a demon, the conversation was always comprehensible and rational cause you're dealing with a rational being in dealing with a demon. Somebody who is completely spaced out, flipped out, incomprehensible, talking double talk, nonsense is...you're probably not engaging a demon."
In the scenes in the bible where a demon is present, whether inside a human or as a spirit, we see that they are vocal. In 1 Kings 22:19-23, a lying spirit came forward when God inquired of them how Ahab should be brought to the fullness of his iniquity. The lying spirit spoke aloud and had a rational conversation with God. You often find that when the demons speak, they are rational, lucid. The slave girl following Paul around had a spirit of divination in her and she kept shouting, "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation." (Acts 16:14-21). Not wanting satan's publicity, Paul commanded the demon to come out of her, and it did that very moment. But she was shouting rationally, and what she was shouting was true.
I've often mused about the impact to our biology when we as Christians host the Holy Spirit inside us and when a non-believer hosts a demon. We don't know what it feels like to have the Spirit leave us, because He is sealed within us, (Eph 1:13, 2 Cor 1:22). And we don't know how it felt to have the Spirit come into us. He is gentle, merging seamlessly and painlessly into our body. But when a demonic spirit enters or leaves an unsaved person's body, it often is recorded that it rips and splits the biology. Going in and coming out are hard on the person. While it is in there, they could cause the human host to cut themselves, they are thrown about, they are caused to scream till hoarse, hurl themselves into the fire, and other biologically hurtful things. Sometimes they are seemingly calm, like when the slave girl was following Paul, but the bible says she was shouting, not speaking. When it is time to leave, demons don't go willingly, as we see in the scene of the Gadarene demoniac. When they left the man they went into the pigs, who immediately went mad and hurtled down the hill and drowned in the lake.
Doing a study from the bible on all the instance of demons inside a person or oppressing a person would be interesting. Look at the person they harass or possess, and their biology. What changes do they cause to their human host physically? Mentally? Emotionally? How do they go in or come out of a person? Do they speak, and if so what do they say, and why? How do they interact with Jesus or God? Those are a few of the ways one could approach a study of the subject.
As to the question of whether children could be demon possessed, first we look to the bible to see if there are any instances of demon possession in children. Is this thing even possible? Always, brother and sister, go to the bible first when a question comes up. We could read books on the subject, but nowadays so many books are fraught with error that I hesitate to recommend even one. So, if child possession is even possible, what does the bible have to say about it?
The bible records several instances of demonic possession. Matthew 9:32-33; Mt 12:22; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 4:33-36; Luke 22:3; Acts 16:16-18.
As a matter of fact, Jesus and the disciples spent a good deal of time exorcising demons and dealing with harassing demons. But were any of them children? Yes. There are two recorded instances of demonic possession in children. In one, the demon-possessed is referred to as a boy, and in the other, the possessed person is referred to as a daughter, later as a child. So we take from these facts that it is possible for demons to inhabit children.
In this example the father said of his boy that his son has been possessed "since childhood":
"Mark 9:14-29-- "And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
"When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”"
The demon's exit was so horrific, the boy was as dead. I'd surmise that the demons want to do so much damage that though they must obey the voice of God, they shred as much flesh as they can on their way out.
In the second case of a demon-possessed child, it is recorded in Mark 7:26-30; "The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
So a boy and a child are shown to be possessed by a demon. The answer to the original question is "yes." MacArthur expounded in his sermon 'Food from the Master's table'.
“Now she [the mother] has a problem. She kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. She kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. Matthew says the demon was an unclean spirit...an unclean spirit. In a sense, all demons are unclean. Demons are fallen angels who operate in the kingdom of darkness. They indwell unbelievers. This is a little girl. This is a young girl, an unmarried girl under the age of twelve, thirteen, when people got married. Who knows? Eight, nine, ten...seven...who knows? A demon-possessed child. Horrific experience for a mother. I think much more common in the world today than we understand or the demons want us to understand.”
I agree with this statement. Demons are still around. They possess people, adults and/or children. Their presence on earth increased as Jesus first came to earth and their presence will increase in advance of the second time Jesus comes to earth.
MacArthur again:
"Demons can take up residence in non-believers and they did that in an escalating fashion during the time of Christ, at least they manifested it in an escalated fashion. As I said, they like to stay hidden but under the confrontation of Jesus, they just literally blew their cover. They were just traumatized."
The next logical question comes, "How could God do this to the innocent children!" But that is a false question. He doesn't do it to people, sin and satan's evil causes demon possession. And I often get a reply like, "OK, well, how could He allow it, then?! They're children!"
We have to remember that the world is corrupt. Rather than see the "badness" of God, see the evil of sin and its corrupting effects. Society's most vulnerable are not immune to the ravages of evil in the form of demon infestation. We may live in a beautiful place with green grass and swaying pine trees and undulating blue ocean, with stars twinkling overhead, and all that is beautiful to be sure. But creation groans for release from the evil that permeates it. We humans are corrupt too, Christians are only cleansed because we are saved by the blood of Jesus.
It is a fallen world and all societies that try to create civilization in this fallen world fail. Society's most vulnerable are always most vulnerable. Children, the weak, the lame, the mentally retarded, all vulnerable. Herod killed thousands of children under the age of two because he feared the new King spoken of by the Wise Men. Imagine being that Roman soldier, given a duty to stab babies.
In Ezekiel 5:10 the siege went on so long the people began to eat their children. Children are passed into the fire of Molech. The Old Testament records many such atrocities against children. God allows people their sinful desires and the outcome of those are evil. However, He is always working within our society for the good! What mans sinfully creates as an evil, He turns to the Good.
Remember, He also offers a remedy to those who are lost. We do not have to remain vulnerable to demonic possession. He offers His Son and showers unto us grace through Him. If one repents and accepts His salvation, then one will not be vulnerable to demon possession, not you or your house. Being saved, walking with the Lord, raising up your family in Godly statutes means you are likely to be harassed, but with prayer and constant repentance and bible study, you will recognize demonic attacks when they come- and have the faith to oppose them.
The day is coming when no more atrocities against any person, especially children, will occur ever again.
Here is a final thought from the sermon I quoted earlier, "The point of the text is that Jesus meets this demon-possessed situation and totally dominates the demon. The demon panics under the preaching of the gospel because the gospel raids the kingdom. The gospel steals the man that he's living in and plying his wicked influences and so the demon panics under the preaching."
"Let me tell you something. People run around, "I cast you out, I bind you," that doesn't do a thing to any demon anywhere, anytime. If they laugh, they laugh at that...exorcisms, human manipulations, like Acts, you know, the sons of Sceva going around...they were Jewish exorcists, you know, they had these little incantations, chants and formulas and the demon said, "Jesus we know, and Paul we know, but who are you? We're not impressed." Basically. They shudder not under human manipulation, they shudder under the power of the gospel because the gospel goes into the kingdom and raids it. The gospel goes into the house, ties up the strong man and plunders his goods. That's what smashes their fortresses. I said, that's...that's what frees the souls of their captives and brings them to Christ."
The captives could be adults or they could be children.
The Gospel. It always comes back to the Gospel. Jesus saves. He is the Victor over sin and death. With His Spirit indwelling us, the demons cannot enter. Glory to Him in the highest!
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 |
| Medieval illumination |
MacArthur preached a sermon called Jesus' authority over demons, and in it he stated, "And as I said last time, the victims of demon possession are not necessarily the most evil people, sometimes children were possessed, as we shall see in the New Testament. And they're not to be confused with people who somehow aren't functioning normally, mentally, because every time Jesus confronted a demon, the conversation was always comprehensible and rational cause you're dealing with a rational being in dealing with a demon. Somebody who is completely spaced out, flipped out, incomprehensible, talking double talk, nonsense is...you're probably not engaging a demon."
In the scenes in the bible where a demon is present, whether inside a human or as a spirit, we see that they are vocal. In 1 Kings 22:19-23, a lying spirit came forward when God inquired of them how Ahab should be brought to the fullness of his iniquity. The lying spirit spoke aloud and had a rational conversation with God. You often find that when the demons speak, they are rational, lucid. The slave girl following Paul around had a spirit of divination in her and she kept shouting, "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation." (Acts 16:14-21). Not wanting satan's publicity, Paul commanded the demon to come out of her, and it did that very moment. But she was shouting rationally, and what she was shouting was true.
I've often mused about the impact to our biology when we as Christians host the Holy Spirit inside us and when a non-believer hosts a demon. We don't know what it feels like to have the Spirit leave us, because He is sealed within us, (Eph 1:13, 2 Cor 1:22). And we don't know how it felt to have the Spirit come into us. He is gentle, merging seamlessly and painlessly into our body. But when a demonic spirit enters or leaves an unsaved person's body, it often is recorded that it rips and splits the biology. Going in and coming out are hard on the person. While it is in there, they could cause the human host to cut themselves, they are thrown about, they are caused to scream till hoarse, hurl themselves into the fire, and other biologically hurtful things. Sometimes they are seemingly calm, like when the slave girl was following Paul, but the bible says she was shouting, not speaking. When it is time to leave, demons don't go willingly, as we see in the scene of the Gadarene demoniac. When they left the man they went into the pigs, who immediately went mad and hurtled down the hill and drowned in the lake.
Doing a study from the bible on all the instance of demons inside a person or oppressing a person would be interesting. Look at the person they harass or possess, and their biology. What changes do they cause to their human host physically? Mentally? Emotionally? How do they go in or come out of a person? Do they speak, and if so what do they say, and why? How do they interact with Jesus or God? Those are a few of the ways one could approach a study of the subject.
As to the question of whether children could be demon possessed, first we look to the bible to see if there are any instances of demon possession in children. Is this thing even possible? Always, brother and sister, go to the bible first when a question comes up. We could read books on the subject, but nowadays so many books are fraught with error that I hesitate to recommend even one. So, if child possession is even possible, what does the bible have to say about it?
The bible records several instances of demonic possession. Matthew 9:32-33; Mt 12:22; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 4:33-36; Luke 22:3; Acts 16:16-18.
As a matter of fact, Jesus and the disciples spent a good deal of time exorcising demons and dealing with harassing demons. But were any of them children? Yes. There are two recorded instances of demonic possession in children. In one, the demon-possessed is referred to as a boy, and in the other, the possessed person is referred to as a daughter, later as a child. So we take from these facts that it is possible for demons to inhabit children.
In this example the father said of his boy that his son has been possessed "since childhood":
"Mark 9:14-29-- "And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
"When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”"
The demon's exit was so horrific, the boy was as dead. I'd surmise that the demons want to do so much damage that though they must obey the voice of God, they shred as much flesh as they can on their way out.
In the second case of a demon-possessed child, it is recorded in Mark 7:26-30; "The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
So a boy and a child are shown to be possessed by a demon. The answer to the original question is "yes." MacArthur expounded in his sermon 'Food from the Master's table'.
“Now she [the mother] has a problem. She kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. She kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. Matthew says the demon was an unclean spirit...an unclean spirit. In a sense, all demons are unclean. Demons are fallen angels who operate in the kingdom of darkness. They indwell unbelievers. This is a little girl. This is a young girl, an unmarried girl under the age of twelve, thirteen, when people got married. Who knows? Eight, nine, ten...seven...who knows? A demon-possessed child. Horrific experience for a mother. I think much more common in the world today than we understand or the demons want us to understand.”
I agree with this statement. Demons are still around. They possess people, adults and/or children. Their presence on earth increased as Jesus first came to earth and their presence will increase in advance of the second time Jesus comes to earth.
MacArthur again:
"Demons can take up residence in non-believers and they did that in an escalating fashion during the time of Christ, at least they manifested it in an escalated fashion. As I said, they like to stay hidden but under the confrontation of Jesus, they just literally blew their cover. They were just traumatized."
The next logical question comes, "How could God do this to the innocent children!" But that is a false question. He doesn't do it to people, sin and satan's evil causes demon possession. And I often get a reply like, "OK, well, how could He allow it, then?! They're children!"
We have to remember that the world is corrupt. Rather than see the "badness" of God, see the evil of sin and its corrupting effects. Society's most vulnerable are not immune to the ravages of evil in the form of demon infestation. We may live in a beautiful place with green grass and swaying pine trees and undulating blue ocean, with stars twinkling overhead, and all that is beautiful to be sure. But creation groans for release from the evil that permeates it. We humans are corrupt too, Christians are only cleansed because we are saved by the blood of Jesus.
It is a fallen world and all societies that try to create civilization in this fallen world fail. Society's most vulnerable are always most vulnerable. Children, the weak, the lame, the mentally retarded, all vulnerable. Herod killed thousands of children under the age of two because he feared the new King spoken of by the Wise Men. Imagine being that Roman soldier, given a duty to stab babies.
In Ezekiel 5:10 the siege went on so long the people began to eat their children. Children are passed into the fire of Molech. The Old Testament records many such atrocities against children. God allows people their sinful desires and the outcome of those are evil. However, He is always working within our society for the good! What mans sinfully creates as an evil, He turns to the Good.
Remember, He also offers a remedy to those who are lost. We do not have to remain vulnerable to demonic possession. He offers His Son and showers unto us grace through Him. If one repents and accepts His salvation, then one will not be vulnerable to demon possession, not you or your house. Being saved, walking with the Lord, raising up your family in Godly statutes means you are likely to be harassed, but with prayer and constant repentance and bible study, you will recognize demonic attacks when they come- and have the faith to oppose them.
The day is coming when no more atrocities against any person, especially children, will occur ever again.
Here is a final thought from the sermon I quoted earlier, "The point of the text is that Jesus meets this demon-possessed situation and totally dominates the demon. The demon panics under the preaching of the gospel because the gospel raids the kingdom. The gospel steals the man that he's living in and plying his wicked influences and so the demon panics under the preaching."
"Let me tell you something. People run around, "I cast you out, I bind you," that doesn't do a thing to any demon anywhere, anytime. If they laugh, they laugh at that...exorcisms, human manipulations, like Acts, you know, the sons of Sceva going around...they were Jewish exorcists, you know, they had these little incantations, chants and formulas and the demon said, "Jesus we know, and Paul we know, but who are you? We're not impressed." Basically. They shudder not under human manipulation, they shudder under the power of the gospel because the gospel goes into the kingdom and raids it. The gospel goes into the house, ties up the strong man and plunders his goods. That's what smashes their fortresses. I said, that's...that's what frees the souls of their captives and brings them to Christ."
The captives could be adults or they could be children.
The Gospel. It always comes back to the Gospel. Jesus saves. He is the Victor over sin and death. With His Spirit indwelling us, the demons cannot enter. Glory to Him in the highest!
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Thursday, March 1, 2012
'Super turbo charged, cutting edge anointing so you won't be bored' blog essay
This blog entry is a few different thoughts. Nothing too deep or noteworthy today. It is Dr Seuss week at school in kindergarten. It has been a crazy hectic week and I'm pretty pooped.
Have you noticed the emotional and physical sensation-heightening language used to promote church events? Look at the language that is being used nowadays to describe what participants will experience at conferences, meetings, by reading a book..., for example, at the Alpha Summit Men's Conference, it is stated that it will be "power packed" ...and "super-charged".
Jentezen Franklin promotes his book on Fasting by saying that when he doesn't "sense that cutting-edge anointing", or "when I need a fresh encounter with God" fasting will deliver those sensations to him.
I love Jesus, and to me He is always fresh. I'm satisfied with a regular anointing. I don't even know what a "cutting-edge anointing" is and how it is different from a regular one. I don't need an "encounter" with Jesus, because He is always present in me and with me.
Bill Hybels says of his new book, Power of a Whisper, "Without a hint of exaggeration, the ability to discern divine direction has saved me from a life of sure boredom and self-destruction."
I'm so glad that for Mr Hybels that Jesus died to save him from a boring life.
When did church-related activities need to be promoted as something like a bungee jump? Lately it seems that Church-related conferences, meetings, activities etc are frequently promoted as something of a 'turbo experience' driven by adrenaline, rather than a learning experience or even a spiritual experience. The only problem with appealing to the sensations is that they always need to go higher to retain the same oomph. Eventually you can't go higher and you run out and go off the cliff.
On another topic, tomorrow I'll be writing about demon possession in children. I've noticed that people are extremely interested in the demonic side of the spiritual realms. I am too. I only post occasionally about that side of things though because I like the focus to be on Jesus. We are victors, and we have won the battle. While it is good to be aware, and vigilant, there is no need to constantly seek information about the demonic.
However sometimes it does us good to review what the bible says about that issue. I am going to do so because the question came up in my own life this week. Can children be possessed? If so, what can we do about it? I've been praying and researching, and Lord willing, I'll have some information tomorrow.
Today a friend I ran into in the parking lot at the grocery store said "Hey, you look good." Now in physical life I do not look good. I need a haircut, my clothes are ill fitting and out of style, and I'm exhausted and look it. But she went on, "You are always joyous, and you can't fake that. Teaching must agree with you."
Now there are two points here. The first is that I ask the Spirit every day to make me a light for His name. It is said in Matthew 5:14-16, "“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
The Spirit is so gracious, this verse from Matthew 7:7-11 comes true every time I pray and ask in His name for the things I know He wants me to have: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"
Do you ask the Spirit for the things you need? For more understanding of the bible? For strength to operate under pressure? For mercy when you sin? For open ears to hear His prompting? For opportunities to speak His name in love and bear witness to the lost? I ask, and He gives, every time!
But now here comes the second part, the bad-on-me part. The conversation had already just about ended and I was partway across the parking lot. When she said that I just smiled and said, "I sure do love kids!" and then waved a final goodbye. But I ask for opportunities to witness, and I could have said, should have said, "It is Jesus that is the light in me that you are seeing." It's three hours later and I'm still feeling bad about missing an opportunity to share Him, even for taking the credit myself, when I know that all joy comes from Him.
I stumbled, but I'll ask for another opportunity and I apologized to Him. He heard, and He will give me another opportunity to share the Truth. Meanwhile, His forgiveness and grace are balms to my soul, He is just that kind of Father.
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Have you noticed the emotional and physical sensation-heightening language used to promote church events? Look at the language that is being used nowadays to describe what participants will experience at conferences, meetings, by reading a book..., for example, at the Alpha Summit Men's Conference, it is stated that it will be "power packed" ...and "super-charged".
Jentezen Franklin promotes his book on Fasting by saying that when he doesn't "sense that cutting-edge anointing", or "when I need a fresh encounter with God" fasting will deliver those sensations to him.
I love Jesus, and to me He is always fresh. I'm satisfied with a regular anointing. I don't even know what a "cutting-edge anointing" is and how it is different from a regular one. I don't need an "encounter" with Jesus, because He is always present in me and with me.
Bill Hybels says of his new book, Power of a Whisper, "Without a hint of exaggeration, the ability to discern divine direction has saved me from a life of sure boredom and self-destruction."
I'm so glad that for Mr Hybels that Jesus died to save him from a boring life.
When did church-related activities need to be promoted as something like a bungee jump? Lately it seems that Church-related conferences, meetings, activities etc are frequently promoted as something of a 'turbo experience' driven by adrenaline, rather than a learning experience or even a spiritual experience. The only problem with appealing to the sensations is that they always need to go higher to retain the same oomph. Eventually you can't go higher and you run out and go off the cliff.
On another topic, tomorrow I'll be writing about demon possession in children. I've noticed that people are extremely interested in the demonic side of the spiritual realms. I am too. I only post occasionally about that side of things though because I like the focus to be on Jesus. We are victors, and we have won the battle. While it is good to be aware, and vigilant, there is no need to constantly seek information about the demonic.
However sometimes it does us good to review what the bible says about that issue. I am going to do so because the question came up in my own life this week. Can children be possessed? If so, what can we do about it? I've been praying and researching, and Lord willing, I'll have some information tomorrow.
Today a friend I ran into in the parking lot at the grocery store said "Hey, you look good." Now in physical life I do not look good. I need a haircut, my clothes are ill fitting and out of style, and I'm exhausted and look it. But she went on, "You are always joyous, and you can't fake that. Teaching must agree with you."
Now there are two points here. The first is that I ask the Spirit every day to make me a light for His name. It is said in Matthew 5:14-16, "“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
The Spirit is so gracious, this verse from Matthew 7:7-11 comes true every time I pray and ask in His name for the things I know He wants me to have: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"
Do you ask the Spirit for the things you need? For more understanding of the bible? For strength to operate under pressure? For mercy when you sin? For open ears to hear His prompting? For opportunities to speak His name in love and bear witness to the lost? I ask, and He gives, every time!
But now here comes the second part, the bad-on-me part. The conversation had already just about ended and I was partway across the parking lot. When she said that I just smiled and said, "I sure do love kids!" and then waved a final goodbye. But I ask for opportunities to witness, and I could have said, should have said, "It is Jesus that is the light in me that you are seeing." It's three hours later and I'm still feeling bad about missing an opportunity to share Him, even for taking the credit myself, when I know that all joy comes from Him.
I stumbled, but I'll ask for another opportunity and I apologized to Him. He heard, and He will give me another opportunity to share the Truth. Meanwhile, His forgiveness and grace are balms to my soul, He is just that kind of Father.
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