“…Think on these things.”  (Philippians  4 b.)

“Prove all things….”  (1 Thessalonians 5:21 a.)

“And when Sarai dealt hardly with [Hagar], she fled from her face.”  (Genesis 16:6 b.)

 

 

Our Maker created us spirit, soul, and body. We were made in God’s Image. we still bear that Image, though it be marred by sin. Many have asked and many have answered the question, what does it mean to be made in God’s Image? Like God the answers are infinite.

One of the answers is God the Father = soul, God the Son = body, and The Spirit = the spirit. Another answer is, like God, we are triparte beings. We are a thinker, we are a feeler, and we are a body (after the incarnation, of course). It is this (2nd) second answer we will (DV) write on.

If a person follows the heart, I.E. feelings, said person is a fool. The Scriptures says so. The person who always thinks things through thoroughly, is thought of as cold, as a buzz-kill. There needs to be a balance between the two, else the feelings, thinkings, and the body will pay a high price. I’m not a doctor but methinks that much of our illness comes from too much feeling or too much thinking. Something has to give and it is usually the body.

This article is not about politics, however, I will (DV) use politics as an example. The right wing of our Republic is more thought than feel, generally speaking. The left wing of our Republic is more feel than thought. As I’ve said before, This is not a criticism of the right or of the left, it is simply a fact. Our Republic needs boths wings to fly straight and so do we. We need a balanced thinking and feeling dynamic.

In a perfect world we would have that dynamic but as we all know, this is not a perfect world. Sin has corrupted it and sin continues to corrupt it and sin will continue to corrupt it until Christ returns.

I have used these (2) two characters to demonstrate an extreme. If you want to see what it looks like inside the mind of a “raging feeler” look at “Carrie White,” the titular character of Stephen King’s novel, “Carrie.”  You can also look at her knife wielding mother, too. I cannot recommend the film as it has offensive language and there is nudity. You may, however, find scenes on You Tube, I would imagine. Look up prom scene and or mother scene. This character is an extreme example of the person that is a slave to feelings.

The other character is Sheldon Cooper. This character is one of the main leads in the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.” Cooper is all thought, all logic, all science. He does not know how to function in the world without aid from his friends and girlfriend. He is not a psycopath, nor is he a sociopath. He is an extreme example of a person that is all thought minus the bothersome feelings.  Sherlock Holmes (at times) and Mr. Spock are examples as well. [Sidenote: Spock calls himself a descentant of Sherlock Holmes.]

Our Lord, being perfect Man, has all things in balance. Christ’s emotions were always in check. His emotions were in check during the cleansing of the temple. When Christ was tempted by the master tempter, His thoughts and feeling must have been in perfect balance or He would have relented. As we know, He relented not.

As our Lord faced opponent after opponent after opponent, we find Him perfectly balanced. His opponents, whether they be pharisee, sadducee, priest, scribe, evil spirit, stormy night, or the criminal’s cross, never caught Him off guard or caused Him to lose control over any part of Himself.

What about you, reader? Are you given to emotion or feeling? Do they control the way you think? Do they control your actions? This should not be. The mind should always control the heart or the feelings. If more persons would have their feelings controlled by the mind, we would see far less murder, far less abortion; there would be far less fornication. Politics would run more smoothly. Race relations would be far better and there would be far less of the senseless protests we have seen. The prison population would slowly, but surely decrease. If the mind controlled the feelings this world would be a better place.

I don’t want to make our feelings out to be the bad guy. Feelings are necessary. God created us with feelings. He put them there.  Due to the fall they, like everything else is marred. Anger should prompt us to make wrong things right and not to cause harm. Fear should alert us to real and present danger, and not to take control. Sadness should be used when something has hurt us or someone else. Sadness and (non-clinical) depression is not meant to be a life-long mood or the default emotion.

The next time a feeling begins to grow……stop… and ask yourself, “Is this what this emotion is meant for or is it meant for something else?” If your emotion should be used for something else….stop… and pray; seek the Holy Spirit’s help in the ordering of your emotions.

This may seem impossible, after all you have been like this for years. The truth is, it may take years to get things under control. Another truth, “With God all things are possible.”

St. Peter writes, and tells us that, we are “partakers of the divine nature.” WoW!!! THINK and FEEL that. We are; you and I are “partakers of the divine nature.” The “too deeeeeep” thinker may ask, “What does this mean? What could Peter be say’n?”  St. Peter means exactly, my reader, what he says!  You and I have been given the divine nature of God. This divine nature was given and received the moment the Holy Spirit, was enthroned within you and me…WoW!!!

Don’t get puffed up dear reader. For the old nature remains, as well. Stay humble, my friends….stay humble.

A syllogism: We have the divine nature / The divine nature is perfectly balanced / Therefore, we too, are perfectly balanced.  This is a valid argument but it is wrong and untrue. In logic the terms valid and true are not the same. Let’s look at the syllogism piece by piece. the (2nd) second premise is accurate; the (3rd) premise or conclusion is wrong…wrong…wrong. What about the first? Scripture states it as fact. What, then is the problem?  AH. like we said, the old nature remains. Let’s try this again.  A syllogism: We have been given the divine nature, while the old and carnal nature remains / The divine nature is perfectly balanced; the old is not / Therefore, we too, are imperfectly balanced and as the divine nature grows stronger, we will become more and more balanced like Christ; the reverse is true, too. If the old nature grows stronger; you will become more and more imbalanced and your triparte being will pay the price thereof.

“…Let us pass over unto the other side.”  (Mark 4:35)

“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And [H]e was …asleep on a pillow: and they awake [H]im and say…Master, carest [T]hou not that we perish? (Mark 4:37-38)

“And they came over unto the other side of the sea…”  (Mark 5:1)

 

Mark 4:35 through Mark 5 portray (2) two events. Mark 4:35- Mark 5:1 Finds our Lord setting up an important lesson for His disciples and for us. Mark 5:2 through the end of the chapter demonstrates our Lord’s power and control over demonic entities. This second section describes what a truly possessed person looks like, sounds like, and is able to do. It also shows us what a freed man looks like.

However, we are focused on the first portrait, if you will. In the first important lesson we find our Lord  instructing His own that they should enter a ship and cross over to the other side of the sea. This is something they have done many times. This time would be different. In 4:37-38 The disciples run into a horrible storm. This storm must have been  very great as the disciples, who were experienced fisherman, fretted for their lives.

These experienced fishermen cried out, and charged the Lord with neglect. Where did they find Him?  They found Him in the hinder part of the ship…asleep!!!  If you would refer back up to the quoted passages you will find the next quoted verse to say, “And they came over unto the other side of the sea.” The events that occured between 4:38 and 5:1 demonstrate Christ’s power and control over nature. He came above board and commanded the wind, the waves, the storm to, “Peace, be still!”  The storm heeded it’s Master’s command. Nature has always heeded it’s Creator; whether it was the light in the beginning, the water that would obey His command and boundaries, or the animals of Noah. Our Lord controls all of nature. This is just one reason to trust Him.

Another reason we can…must trust Him is found in 5:1, Christ stated in 4:36, Let us go over to the other side of the sea…” and in 5:1, “They came over to the other side of the sea. “Another reason we can…must trust Him is His sovereign Word. We will be tested at times on whether or not we trust Him and His Word. The disciples were tested, were they not. James, in his epistle, states as a matter of fact, that the man that is tempted/tested is a blessed or happy man. This truth can be taken (2) two ways. (1st) first, if God is testing you that means you are His own. (2nd) second, if you are tempted by sin, then you are (1) one of God’s for it is the Christ-ian that recognizes sin as sin.

In the perfect world Christ would have said, “Let’s go to the other side…” The storm would have risen, and the disciples would have rested with the Lord. This is not the perfect world. Whether the disciples had feared for their lives or trusted Him with them, the fact remains, He is in control of our lives. His Word must be trusted in order for us to find peace. It is said of God, His Word will not return void but it will accomplish it’s purposes. Since Christ is the Second Person of the Divine Trinity the same is true of Him and the Third Person. When we say that Christ must be trusted we are not saying that we will always be pleased, according to the flesh, with His choices. But, if we walk and live by faith, if we walk and live in the Spirit, we will know it is for our good.

Mark 4:36-Mark 5:1 is a microcosm of the Christ-ian life. At the moment of your salvation God said, essentially, “Let’s go to the other side…”  Then, as we walk the Christ-like walk, we face many, many, many, many difficulties (but more joy and peace). We, at times, wonder to ourselves, what’s going on here?  We may have asked God, during times of weakness or great stress,  “Lord, are you there? Do you care if I perish?” There may have been times that we grow cold in our walk with God, there may be spans of time that we don’t even read and pray…these times ought never to be, reader…these times ought never to be. However, Praise be to God these are fewer than the times of great joy and peace. Those times are far less that the times we adore and enJoy our Lord. The times we say, “O! Praise God,” or “Thank you …my Lord and my God” or the times we simply sit in His Presence with a heart full of joy and gratitude and a giant smile on our face.

And then…………….some sweet day, whether it is at His return or through the grave, we..will…come   unto …the other side!!!

Reader, the great storm that caused great fear, gave Christ the opportunity to manifest His great power. This manifestation of great power gave great peace, and increased faith greatly. Great is our God. Again, in this storm, we see our God diguised as a sleeping and silent Man. Was He really sleeping,? some might ask. I wasn’t there, but I would say, “Yes.”  Remember in John (8) eight, towards the end of the chapter…the Pharisees aged Christ at, “not yet (50) fifty years old.” The life Christ lived, and the battles He battled, and the wars He waged caused Him to look older than He was and we must infer from this that He was very tired. Therefore, I would conclude that He was sleeping. His sleeping speaks to His humanity, His physical condition, and His complete trust in God, and His complete knowledge of Who He is. The former (3) three descriptors aren’t as attractive to us as are the latter (2) two. The former is a fact, the latter is possible.

A question. Think back to a time…..really….think back to a time that you would describe as terrible, horrible, awful, rough, hard, etc………………………………………………thinking…………………………………….thinking………………………………………………………………………………………thinking…………….Got it?  If you are a Christ-ian, I trust that He saw you through it and you saw Him through it. Here’s the question……Was it worth it all?   To see Him amidst trial and tribulation…did seeing Him make it worth all the hardship? Only you can answer for you and only I can answer for me.  My answer is (1000 x’s) One thousand times, Yes!

My friend, my reader, my brother, my sister,                                                                                            You may be in a storm right now. You may be feeling like your Lord is sleeping and is silent. I can promise you, He is not. The Psalmist says that God never slumbers, nor does He sleep. Yes, Christ slept while on earth, for He was in an un-glorified state of being. He is now in the glorified state and sleep is not needed. Even if He did sleep, He would awaken to the sounding of thy prayer.

Finally, If you truly trust Christ or if you truly believe Him, you will do so until the end of this phase of your eternal life. In other words, if you have at any point, said a prayer, raised a hand, or the like, you were told that you are now saved from Hell. If this is true, you have also been saved from the pleasure of, the power of and someday, the presence of sin. A wise man would examine himself now and ask these questions,  1a. Do I still pleasure in sin or 1b. am I bothered when I sin? Another way to put it is, 1c. Have I ceased to pleasure in the pleasure of sin? 2.Do I have the Spirit-given power to say, “NO!” to sin and temptation? 3a. Has sin become a temptation or 3b. is it still just part of life and is seen as natural?

The above (3) three questions, if answered,   ( 1a.N   1b. Y     1c.Y        2.Y        3a.Y   3b. N) speaks to regeneration and true conversion. We will not be sinless in this phase of our eternal life, however, we can sin- less in this phase of our eternal life. As one is regenerated and converted, one will, for the rest of one’s life, trust Christ and Believe Christ and become more and more like Him.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth…but lay up for yourselves treasures in [H]eaven…for where your treasure is, there will be your heart also. (Matthew 6)

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep [H]is commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”  (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

 

Do the actions of each and every human matter? Yes and No. For the sinner, who dies in his or her sins, not really. For the saint, actions do matter and they effect Eternity. So,… do lives, which ever color they be, really matter in the “long run” or do they matter in the “big picture?” Again, Yes/No. The actions and unintended consequences do effect us here and now.

An example from Holy Writ, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” The answer,? humanly speaking, there are many, many persons,  peoples, things, laws, concepts, perceptions, ideas and up-coming plans that are against us. What is Paul talking about? Christ said, that we would be hated and judged unfairly and in accordance with this world’s standards, This world, John tells us, “lies in wickedness.” Paul said that this world is presently evil.

Is Paul wrong when he implies that no one can stand against us? 0/No. Paul is speaking of the invisible and unknown (to unbelievers) world…he speaks of the Kingdom of God that is within us. He is speaking to what is really happening and what will effect Eternity.

Paul also teaches us that we, being Christ-ian, are tasked with the judgement of all things. He states that, though we judge all things, we are not judged by man. We are to judge what is good/bad; right/wrong; true/false. We are to judge all things, but we are not allowed to be judgemental.

But, persons do judge us, do they not? Is Paul wrong? 0/No. Though people may judge you according to their “self appointed and hypocritical standards of judgement,” their judgement means nothing, less than nothing. It is God, Who has justified us, so, who can then judge us or condemn us? [Side note: if a person does judge us and the judgement is right, we should take account of ourselves and our behaviour and remedy our actions, words, or behaviour.  We Name The Lord Jesus, therefore, we must cast off all our iniquities.]

I learned, in a “Dale Carnegie class” that one should ask one’s self. “What’s the worst that can happen?” If one think in those terms stress levels would fall. Most persons think, “if I do that, then this will happen.” The stress levels rise and one compromises their faith by being worried and fearful…fearful means, Full of fear. Being full of fear is not acceptable. Statistics say that out of all the things we fear, less than (3%) three percent actually comes to fruition.

I remember one time when I left a voice mail on a client’s phone. This client was thinking about doing some enhancements to their landscape and it would have brought in a hefty ($25,000.00) twenty-five thousand dollar contract. In the voice mail I said something like, “I hope this proposal fits with your budget and my ideas meet with your approval.” I hung up the cell phone and said to my friend, Greg,  “and if you don’t sign the contract…I’m coming for you and your whole family.” We giggled and then the client’s voice mail, beeped. In other words, the clients will hear my off the cuff and silly remark! I thought the call had been disconnected, but it wasn’t.

I cannot explain to you the derision I was in. The voice mail recorded my words on Saturday. All through Saturday, all through Sunday, I was stricken with the worst stress headache I have ever felt, this headache even caused me to vomit. I was in a fearful and dark place, which, like I said, is not acceptable. I couldn’t even go to work on the Monday after the silly and stupid threat I had made off the cuff. I could say that that weekend was probably the worst weekend of my life. Do you want to know what happened?…………… Nothing, nothing at all. I confessed my transgression to my boss, and he laughed at me. See, what’s the worst that can happen. And even if the worst does happen, you will survive. You will survive, because you have to. In the “long run” or in the “big picture,” or even on the grand scale, all will be forgotten or at least settled, eventually…all things will come “to pass” and “behold, He will make all things new.”

My point is not fatalism. All lives do matter. My point is ….we should look to Eternity, and not kill ourselves with the worries of this part of our everlasting lives. Things, actions, circumstances, events, situations do matter here and now, I know that, but we would do ourselves a service and we would glorify God if we looked a little less at this passing world and looked more towards to real world of Eternity.

“Now thanks be to God which always causeth us to triumph…” (2 Corinthian 2:14)

In our quoted text above Paul is speaking to the proclamation of the Gospel. If one is faithful to the message, even if non one responds positively the proclaimer is still triumphant. In other words whether a person believes the Gospel we preach or not our faithfulness causes us to be victorious in our attempt. Paul teaches that some will respond to the Gospel through belief. Paul teaches that some won’t. Those that do are likened unto a sweet smell ascending up tp God and Paul calls this a sweet savout of life unto life. Paul also teaches that those who do not respons are a savour or death unto death. In other words, one who faithfully proclaims the good news of Christ’s resurrection and the promises it holds is a “soul winner” However, it is equally true that we are a ” soul-condemner, if you will, if they respond not. Either way, we are triumphant.

This principle extends to the rest of our Christ-ian life. We are called, more than conquorers, by Paul in Romans (8) eight.

When I was a young person, I enjoyed throwing stars, these were weapons used by the Ninja of old, feudal Japan. I was pretty good. However, even if a person were to through this weapon and it did not stick into the victim, the mere contact would still be painful but not as effect. When i trained in Jiu Jitsu, my strikes, throws or submission holds may not have been very pretty at times or landed where I had aimed them but they hurt none the less. Our Christ-ian life is the same, though we may not be visibly successful by worldy standards we are triumphant none the less, because or faithfulness, or intents and motives were pure and to God’s glory.

I’m not saying that we are successful when we sin, God forbid. When we sin we miss the mark and we fail. In these times we confess our sins to God and see that He fails not in His promise of forgiveness. Once forgiven we must get back up and seek for victory else where. The Scriptures promise our repeated falls but they speak also to our repeated risings as well, as our Lord did from the grave.

Abraham failed God, Moses failed God, David failed God, Peter failed God, but they all succeeded in rising up again and going on for God. It even seemed to many that Christ failed God when He was crucified, buried, and written off. However…however, in this seeming failure did He gain victory over sin and death. In this seeming failure He won victory for you and me. So, too, is it true, that through our apparent failures we may be victorious. All praise and honour goes unto Him.

I remember a story Brother Sandlin (Remember Sandlin’s wife in prayer and financial support) told years ago. There was a young boy shooting his pellets at the moon, a man asked the boy, “Boy, …what…  are… you…. doing? ” The young boys said, without looking at the man, “shootin’ the moon.” The man replied, “Boy, you will never hit the moon with that pellet gun.” To which the wiser of the two said, “Yeah, but I’m getting closer than you are, Mister.”

My readers, you may not always hit the mark or meet your goals, but you’re getting closer…

Godspeed, Moon Shooters.

“…[L]et your requests be made known to God.”  (Philippians 4:6)

 

“If I were king for the day I would…..”  Have you ever said that or thought that? I have. If I were king for the day. I would make certain that “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” would guest star on “Supernatural.” I would make sure that “Pop Vinyl” would make an “Olivia Benson” action figure for one of my daughters. I woud make sure that Jeremy Brett was known and made the official and definitive “Sherlock Holmes.” I would make sure that everyone had “Netflix” for a week at no cost. That is the important stuff. Now on to the less important changes….

People would be paid a logical salary for what they did, for example a janitor, custodian, or maintenance man would be paid way more than a professional athlete. Good teachers would be honoured and paid rightly, Nurses would be officially known as the back bone of the medical field. The medical industry would be reformed and would charge a more sensible fee. Colleges would charge a more “not for profit” tuition. Congress would be replaced by smart business leaders so that things could get done. There would be a “Secretary of History” appointed to the president’s cabinet so s/he could advise the president on what has worked and not worked in the past. The words, right, moral, good. and ethical would have an official definition that came from God and not sinners with power. These definitions would be used when legislating new laws and past laws.

By the way, when I called the last paragraph less important I was being tongue in cheek.

We have all, I think, thought about changes we would make if we had the power to do so. But It is not that easy to make changes because a single change would change unknown other variables. These variables are called unintended consequences. So to be king for a day could have consequences that effect persons and people way into the future. For example, in the book of Esther, we learn of the wicked anti-Christ figure, Haman. He is called an Agagite. He must have been a descedant of King Agag that Saul was to kill long, long ago. King Saul failed in this task and somehow King Agag must have procreated before Samuel killed him. By King Saul’s actions many of the jewish race, many, many years later were targeted and almost killed by wicked Haman, the descendant of King Agag. You see, one decision by a person long ago still effected many persons years later. The decision of the Supreme Court over (40) forty years ago has killed millions and millions and millions of innocent ensouled babies until this very day.

It’s not that easy to be endowed or entrusted with the lives of many persons. The pressure must be absoluteley staggering. A small example. I have a dog, his name is Dr. Watson. He drives me to distraction. When I am eating he sits and stares at me. This, I cannot handle. Others laugh at me and tell me to ignore him, but I can’t. Other times he simple sits at my feet and just stares and I say, “What do you want from me, Dog?”

It frustrates me to no end. I want to give him what he wants, but I don’t always know. Sometimes I get a little annoyed because I think or rather I know he knows that his stares move me and he refuses to just talk and tell me. Normally, he either wants to go outside to relieve himself or to just check things out. Scotties are hunters and guardians by nature. Soetimes he is letting me know that his water dish is empty and a dogs water should never be empty, or atleast that is my policy. “Do unto others…” said our Lord and that includes dogs. Others times he doesn’t want to go out and his water bowl is full. So I just don’t know what he wants so I try to ignore him. Then, when he finally tires of that, he jumps onto the couch or the bed and just sits next to me. That’s when I realize he didn’t want a thing…he wanted a person….me.

Does this not exactly parallel our relationship to God, minus the frustration and ignorance to our wants and needs? It does. We are like dogs that are constantly in need of something or for those of us that have truly experienced His felt Presence, we just want Him and we sit and stare. We sit and stare in prayer, meditation, Bible reading, worship, and letting our requests be known to Him? We sit and stare at the sky awiting His return with great power and great glory. However, unlike me, He does not ever get frustrated or wonder what I want for He knows my thoughts a far off, my uprisings, my downsittings, and all my needs and wants… He knows me. He is never irritated or at a loss and He is always willing to give me His undivided attention. Imagine that, while there are countless numbers of persons crying out to Him at the same time, His attention to me seems undivided. Though He hears all the cries, all the prayers, all the praises of His people, He is not distracted with who said what. What a God we have.

With a God like we have, I do not need to be king for the day, for He is an all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful, all good, and ever Present King of great glory and great power and “He has the whole world in His Hand.”

“…Jesus [H]imself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know [H]im.”  Luke 24:15 b.-16)

“[Mary Magdalene] turned herself back and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Women, why weepest thou? [W]hom seeketh thou? She supposing H]im to be the gardener…”  (John 20:14 b.- 15 a.)

“But when [H]is brethren were gone up. then went [H]e also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.”  (John 7:10)

 

Years ago, I was in the middle of switching my employment. The trouble was, as is with most persons, the insurance. The company I was leaving would cancel my insurance and the company I was going to work for could not cover me for (3) months. I am a husband of (1) one and a father of (3) three. Insurance was important. My wife and I could not afford the “Cobra” payments that would cover me until the new employer could. We decided that this job change was of God and that He would cover us, as He is so very faithful. On my last day of work, I was driving home and full of excitement. I was talking to my wife on the cell phone, as I was sitting at a red light and………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..abrupt silence was all my wife heard…………… I was hit from behind by a work van, I was in a little Ford Escort. The car was totaled, every thing crashed forward like a giant wave of “geographically”organize stuff………..Yet, I was fine.  We collected the insurance money on the vehicle, which I no longer needed, as the new employer would supply me with a company truck. The money was used to  “Cobra” my insurance.

The event that totaled my car was no accident, it was my Lord in disguise. Our Lord is always with each of us, as He promised. We love Him, Whom we have not seen, but we know, through His gift of faith, that He is our ever-present Help in times of trouble, times of need, and times of peace and joy. Though we may not recognize Him, for He is disguised.

In 2007, I was assaulted by Pancreatitis and was hospitalized for just over (3) three weeks. I was out of work for, around (4) four months. I could not eat, I was fed through a tube that went into my nose down to my stomach.  It was now 2008 and eventually, I went back to work and was released as my position was no longer needed. Many people were let go at that time. The terminations were due to the economy collapsing. So, here I am with no job, dealing with chronic pain, via Pancreatitis, and I have (1) one wife, (3) three daughters, and a ministry. This ministry was in Joliet, or at least the church services were. We were paying ($375.00) Three hundred and seventy-five dollars a month to rent the facility. So, with that, we had no money saved up for a time such as this.  What to do…What to do…We did what we have always done, we waited on God. OH! and then, I had another pancreatitis attack which landed me in the hospital for another few weeks. What to do…..What to do…. We waited upon God.

During this time of 2008, I had no job, though I was looking, I continued to have assault after assault after assault. In total I was hospitalized (28) twenty-eight times. Each hospitalization lasted anywhere from (1.5) one and a half weeks to (3) three weeks. The bills are piling up and remember….no job, which means no insurance, credit cards were maxing out to cover necessities. My family, helped where they could…they were generous. Thank you, family, I love you all……. What to do….. What to do…… My wife, what a strong and loving saint she is. She was with me through it all, as were my daughters…..What to do…..What to do….

Another assault happened. The doctor decided I was unemployable….the state agreed. All the hospital bills from the past and the present were now covered completely. The country was still suffering from the economical meltdown and jobs were being lost by the millions. Yet here am I, a husband of (1) one and a father of (3) three. No job, Chronic and acute Pancreatitis, but all was well. Was this a terrible time in our lives? Humanly speaking, yeah. But in the bigger picture…..it was my Lord in disguise.

Irritating and annoying people, circumstances and situations that befuddle us are not irritating and annoying people or circumstance and situations that befuddle us…It is our Lord in disguise. These people and situations are allowing us to exercise the fruit of longsuffering, which is an attribute of God. These circumstances teach us patience and forbearance. Our patience and forbearance brings glory to God and to Christ, our Redeemer. The physical maladies we suffer remind us that His grace is sufficient for us and where His grace is, He is Present. Like Jacob’s soar thigh. Jacob’s limp states, God was and is here.

During all my pancreatitis issues I was apprehended and taken captive by the pain medications. It was awful. Eventually I had had enough and I laid in my bed, sweating, shaking, and vomiting for over a week and a half. I was in withdrawal and it was horrible. Words cannot describe it. The addiction advocates say that no one can get away from addiction by themselves. They say it is impossible. I agree and I know whereof I speak. It was and is impossible, but……….with God all things are possible. I was not suffering withdrawal, spiritually speaking, it was my great Physician and Advocate attending me, though He was in disguise. He saw me through it all and I give Him all my praise, every ounce of love and worship, that I am able, which is His due. My Lord, my Master, my Saviour, my God may come to me in disguise, but He can’t fool me. I know Him, Whom I have believed. I know Who it is I love, though I haven’t yet seen Him…….I am able to sit still and know that He is God and that He is so Good.

“Smite a scorner and the simple will beware”  (Proverbs 19:25)

 

The titles of this article needs an answer for a person to get by in this life. I had a  (4th) fourth – (5th) fifth grade teacher. Her name was Mrs. Tschirgi (sure -gee). This woman scared me so much that I would get stomach cramps before her math class. This teacher was very old to a young boy. She, in fact, taught my older brother, who is (14) fourteen years older than me. So she was up in age by the time I got to her. She was a tiny, tiny lady with very short gray hair and glasses. She loved horses…she was a tough old bird, if you will. She was the kind of teacher that would put (5) five math problems on the board and have the class line up single file into (5) five lines. Each student or victim would take their turn at the board. We would not be allowed to sit down until we got the problem right. She would stand next to me and ask me questions, leading me to the answer. She would use the chalk to hit the black board while drawing the answers out of me.  The rest of the kids in my single filed line would also roll their eyes and make noises, it was awful.

By my description you would think this woman would be a mean teacher and that i must have despised her. If you thought this you couldn’t be more wrong. I fell in love with this wonderful teacher that would do anything to prepare me for life. As I grew older and I, of course moved up to the higher grades. I never forgot this beloved woman. Each year, while I was still in that school, I would bring her a rose and tell her, thank you and that I loved her. Years later, I asked a fine woman to be my bride. As we were filling out invitations there was one person that I wanted to be present. It was Mrs. Tschirgi. I had to hunt her down and I did. She was sent an invitation and I only hoped that she could attend. With all that was going on that wedding day, she was one of the thoughts that took a very high priority. I can’t tell you the rush of emotion that went through me when that mean old gray headed woman walked in the door. Her daughter brought her and told me later on that being remembered and invited meant so very much to her mother, my teacher. I write this with tears in my eyes even today, and I am almost her age when I first met her. This mean old, wonderful woman meant and still means so very much to me. I’m still terrible at math but I still love the thought of it and the science. It is one of the purest things on earth.

I said all that to make this point -Sometimes goodness has to be mean or perceived as mean. One could look in Scripture and see God doing things that caused great pain, but these things were done for the betterment of His subject. The children of Israel were time and time again taken into captivity by heathen nations. This was perceived as bad but it was good in disguise. In the closing chapter of Genesis we find Joseph telling his brothers, “What you meant for evil, God meant for good.” In the scriptures we read that God hurts so that he may heal. If you were to study the shepherds care of the sheep, you would learn that there are times he has to break the leg of a habitual wanderer. This is painful to be sure. However, this is the extreme means that the shepherd is willing to go to in order to teach the sheep and to keep it safe. The shepherds rod was a source of comfort for the sheep. The rod was used to discipline the sheep, but it brought comfort.

There are times that a church must institute discipline upon a member, if the church is to be faithful to God and His Word. Unfortunately, many if not most, churches shy away from this and therefore, they are unfaithful to God. I know a pastor that has had to use church discipline and it was for the best. Of course the pastor dislikes that part of his calling but it is part of his calling nonetheless.

We wrote in our last article about chastening children. We made the point that  a parent that does not chasten a child is guilty of child abuse, child neglect, and child endangerment, not to mention the parent is suggesting that they no better than God does. Therefore, a parent who wants to be seen as “nice and good” in the eyes of their abused child is in truth bad and mean. The parent that takes their parenting and their children seriously, will chasten the child(ren). They may be seen as mean and hurtful if the child is very young, but the truth is, the mean parent is the good parent.

Think back to the Garden. (s)atan came as a friend with nice and smooth words. (s)atan, with these nice and smooth words, killed each and everyone of us. By these nice words, death became the wage of sin and sin became our ever-present despicable companion. Sin lays at our feet. Sin corrupts our thoughts and actions. Sin causes loved ones to die. Sin is the cause of all pain and torment that we suffer. Sin is the cause of all disease. Sin is the reason women feel pain during child birth.

Sin usually comes to us in the disguise of nice and friendliness. Sin comes in many forms and they are all attractive. Sin is fun and it feels pleasant. Sin comes in the form of good times, in the form of pretty women and handsome men. Sin comes in liquid form and powder form. Sin can come in the form of a laptop computer or in the form of books.

Sin is exceedingly sinful. Sin is a killer, but it kills with a nice smile. Sin brings birth defects and challenges to the world. Sin breaks up families, sin is a corrupter of all things good.

In closing, let me summarize. Nice can = bad; and Mean can = good.

Godspeed to all of you.  And please forgive any and all grammar and punctuation mistakes. For I am an unlearned and ignorant fisher of men.

“Children, obey your parents…”  (Ephesians 5)

 

The quoted verse above is found in the (10) Ten Commandments, Ephesians (5) five and in examples throughout Scripture, history, and life. In the Old Testaments parents were commanded to have their children stoned in the streets by the elders. This is a very extreme form of punishment and it is one of the things Bible haters love to point to. I must say, it is rough. I can also admit to not knowing if it was ever carried out. While I am sure God meant it, I do not know if it had to ever be carried out or if the threat was enough. We can also read of Absalom’s blatant and deadly disrespect of his father, King David. The point can be made that much of the sin in Scripture and in life can be traced back to the breaking of the commandment of children honoring and obeying their parents.

What I can also admit to, is the almost impossibility some parents make it for their children to obey this commandment. I am familiar with some parents that do make it seemingly impossible and am so impressed with their kids that do at least obey them if not actually feeling any respect or honor. I have written on this subject some time ago in an article that questions the wisdom and parenting skills of some parents, I know. I am pained to see some children even go home to these sorry excuses for parents. I would like nothing more than to have a discussion with these “parents” in name only. I know that it would only cause more trouble for the kids, however.

What is one to do in these circumstances? One can only pray and love the kids that are stuck in the middle. You will be surprised what God might do to resolve this. One could pray and ask God to provide grace and relief to the kids involved. One can, if involved with the parent, speak of other parents in the abstract and hope that this parent, in particular, might keep your words and ponder them; you must be careful and not allow them to know what you know about them. If you know that this parent has crossed the line into abuse you have no choice than to document it and report it to the proper authorities.

However, what if you are a good parent or a good employer and your kids and or employees show you blatant disrespect or disobedience? The first thing to do is to try and view the situation from a place of objectivity and ask yourself some questions. “Am I really a good parent or employer?”  “Do I show my children or employees the kindness and respect they deserve or have earned?”   “Have I showed them too much friendship instead or parenting or leadership?”  “Where have they learned this disrespect?”   “Am I being too sensitive?” “Have I given them reason to disrespect me or my position?”

If you have given them reason to disrespect you, resolve it quickly but not too quickly, seek to resolve it and allow it to seem natural. You cannot call a meeting and demand their respect. It will be viewed wrongly and you will make yourself out to be a common enemy and nothing will bring them together as one against you as a common enemy. If you find an individual person or group that is causing all of the trouble, eliminate them. If you find that you have caused the problem by being more of a buddy than a parent or employer, cease this activity. Some people simply do not know how to respect one who is both a parent and a friend.

It is far more important for a parent or employer to be viewed as the parent and employer than to be viewed as a friend. We see in the Garden of Eden this dynamic. God walked with Adam and Eve each evening as a Friend. He became too familiar to His Creation and they turned on Him. The fault is not God’s but the Creation that could not view Him as God and Friend at the same time. God, therefore abandoned the friend part and expelled them. David found this out, too. He would not chasten Absalom and Absalom lost any respect for David and caused an overthrow in the kingdom and eventually lost his life. I know of a woman that calls her mother by her first name, which is a sign of huge disrespect. Neither even notice it anymore. We are familiar with many adult children that speak to their parents as fools and dimwits. Both these acts of disrespect are hard to be viewed and it is harder not to point them out.

I remember years ago when a comedian, Rodney Dangerfield, had a famous tagline, “No respect, I’m tellin’ you, no respect.”  This line would cause the place to erupt. I think it did so because so many could identify with it. I’ve notice this to be true with many comedians and their audiences. When the audience can identify with something the comedian is pointing out it causes great laughter and you can view the audience nodding their heads in agreement and familiarity. The truth is, it is not funny. A child’s or an employees disrespect can bring terrible repercussions.  A child that does not show love or honour to the parent will not show respect, honour, or obedience to teachers, employers, the civil authorities, doctors or God. The person who shows no honour and or love is taking his or her life in their own hands; For this commandment of God is the first one with promise. God said, one can lengthen one’s life and therefore, shorten one’s life by disobeying the commandment.

It seems obvious to me that the majority if not all death can be traced back to a person’s blatant disrespect and or blatant disobedience, lack of honour and or lack of love to ones parents and certainly to one’s disobedience and lack of love to God. As this is certainly true then the stoning of the rebellious child takes on a new dimension, does it not? If the child’s early hatred for God and parent was a precursor to later hatred for God and parent, and the likelihood that this hatred would take on greater weight, and a greater likelihood to cause more harm to self and others, then an early remedy would make sense. Like I said, before however, I cannot think of a time when this remedy was ever used as more than a deterrent.

I mentioned David and his relationship with Absalom and all the pain it cause both of them. It also cost the lives of very many, as well. David, as fine a man, as fine a servant, and as fine a king as he was, he failed as a parent. His children were the ones as was his kingdom the ones to suffer by his unwillingness to be a father that chastened his children when needed. We are even told in Scripture, he would not displease his children by proper discipline or displeasing them. We learn from Proverbs and Hebrews, as well, as by example that the loving parent will not hold back the chastening of a child. We are told that if one does not chasten a child then that child is not truly loved. This truth is not understood by many a parent and the refusal to obey it’s principle and practice may cause the child their very life someday.

I have heard many a parent say that to spank a child is to teach that child that violence is the answer to life’s trouble. THe opposite is, in fact, true. A proper disciplining of the child teaches the child to obey authority and the refusal to do so will bring on chastening. The refusal to discipline demonstrates to the unruly child that there is no price to be paid in unlawful acts. The proof is to be seen in the behaviour of today’s youth and the behaviour of the youth of the past.

Am I suggesting corporeal punishment, I.E. spanking? Let me be clear….Yes,…yes, I am. Let me say this, however, and by saying, however is not a retraction. One must know one’s child in order to know if spanking is needed as a first method of chastening. For some children it is. For some it may be needed very rarely if ever after the first few times. My children have been spanked less that…I would say,…(3) three – (5) five times their entire childhood. There are other children that I know should have been spanked each and every day and more times than once.

My children were spanked early on in their childhood. Let me explain my method. If it was needed my child(ren) would sit down after any anger has subsided. By the way, one need not and must not be angry to discipline a child, only the breaking of a rule(s) or one of God’s laws is needed [Side note: One need not have many rules, as many rules will only act as traps and you will be perceived as one lying in wait to punish. Lay down a few simple rules and allow your children to run freely within them. If the child breaks these rules then it is a serious breach and action must be taken.] After we would discuss the reason for chastening, we would discuss the number of taps… and they were taps. Let me explain. I would tap my child’s rear end harder during play time than I would chastening time. The fact that discipline and a few light love taps were enough to make the point. We would discuss the number of taps, the child would lay over my knee, usually the left. I would then use my right leg to hold their legs in place. I would ask if they were ready and I would count the agreed upon taps. The child would sniffle or cry a bit…I would too, only inside. When we were finished I would grab them quickly and tightly embrace them.  They would tightly embrace me and we would pray. We would then leave them to think about everything for about (5) five minutes or until they were ready. All was then done and discussed no more. This my liberal friend, does not teach violence. There were times I would have them sit and wait for my arrival and the chastening to begin, This was in fact, the true punishment, though they knew not. I would f,finally arrive and follow my method as described above, the child was ready and then, like God to Abraham, I would stop. I would teach them about God’s grace and His mercy, and no spanking followed.

The truth about the parent that refuses to discipline their child is they do this, not out of love or for the child’s sake, but for their own sake. The same is true for some parents that discipline too harshly and too quickly.  They discipline to relieve their own anger and not to teach the child a necessary fact of life, which is, the breaking of rules and laws have consequences. When chastening a beloved child you should never, ever be angry or still angry. Anger must pass and love must take it’s place. As I alluded to above somewhere, spanking may not always be necessary. Once a child knows the chastening hand and persevering love of a parent, a certain look or tone of voice is all that may be needed. Also, if you have a good relationship with a child, the fear of disappointment may be the only fear a child needs. I know of some parent that simply need shake their head and cast down their eyes to the ground and the child is crushed. If this is a dynamic in your home, never ever abuse it. To abuse this could, in my mind, be categorized as spiritual and mental abuse.

To examine a parents skill  or method in parenting one need only look closely and listen closely to their children. I am fully aware that many in my circle thought me “too strict” when raising my children, yet the same would often comment about my children’s composure, sweetness, kindness, and intelligence. I’ve heard some go so far as to admit their envy over my children and the relationship we share. These are the same type of people that would say, “Life doesn’t give you an instruction guide on raising children.” They are wrong and kind of right. Life may not give us an instruction guide, but God did as does history. If a family has a good plan for chastening in place, everyone will understand the reason for it. Everyone will understand the love involved, and with that chastening will likely rarely be needed. My wife and I have been blessed with children that understand things that today’s “adults and “parents” do not. I thank my God, probably everyday, for my children and their wisdom.

For the most part, the sitting in the corner, the timeouts, the counting to (3) three do not work. Children have a play thing, called imagination, that they can play with during these moments or “punishment” The parents that beg their child to, “please obey, me” have lost all credibility with that child and should understand that they are guilty of child abuse, child neglect, child endangerment, and self-centered, feelings worship. These parents are not, I repeat, not showing love to their children. When this child grows up and suffers the realities  of life and is harmed thereby, the harm must be traced back to the parents, while the child (Now teenager or adult) is enduring the consequences.

A word about the parents and their relationship to each other as related to the raising of children. I wrote not too long ago about the importance of objectivity and subjectivity. A well balanced child , generally speaking, comes from a home where both obj. and subj. are present. A pastor friend of mine pointed out another way to put this is, “nurture and admonition of the Lord”, which are found in Scripture. The Objectivity/Admonition and subjectivity/nurture are essential to a well rounded and well balanced person. A person should be able to both, think objectively on matters and use and order their emotions appropriately. The opposite of ordering one’s emotions appropriately is inordinate affections. Inordinate affections never bring about balance, only imbalance. An example of this is a person who always speaks their mind and shares all their thoughts, no matter how unsound they are. The Proverbs calls this person a fool. This foolish person is unbalanced and is given to subjectivity.

A word about the mother. The value of a good and balanced mother can never be overstated, but is is usually and always understated. No mother is “just a” anything. No mother is “just” a “stay at home” mother or house-keeper  (the word, keeper means guardian) or home-maker. She is, humanly speaking, the only hope for the next generation. For without a mother the child will miss out on either objectivity/admonition or subjectivity/nurture. The child will enter the world unbalanced. This child will either lean too much upon inordinate affections or will lean to much on objectivity and be perceived as cold, aloof, hard, and odd. Being perceived this way, he will become even more this way. A good mother is of the greatest value and is used so very mightily of God. If a child is blessed with parents that are equally objective and subjective, truly and greatly blessed is s/he.

I am aware that this article is long. It is probably the length of (8) eight to (10) pages in a book. The subject matter, however, is well worth your time if you are a parent or an employer. It is well worth your time if you have parents or a parent or if you are employed.

Godspeed

 

“For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”  (2 Corinthians 10:12)

“…whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

 

I remember years ago, I went to a landscaping awards ceremony. I was given a very nice plaque that said something. I realized that all the other men with the same title and position that I had received the exact same plaque with the exact same wording. What does that mean? That means that the plaque meant nothing. I also remember…I think it was George C. Scott, that refused an Academy award because he believed for it to mean anything the nominees would have to play the exact same role in the exact same movie for the award to mean anything.

I’m not against awards that recognize a persons accomplishments, as we are told in Scripture that God shall rewards everyone according to their deeds, whether they be good or bad. I’m not against spelling bees or sports awards. The Hollywierd…err Hollywood award shows however, are different.

I see the elitist gods of the the screen industry and hear their incessant babble and it truly is disgusting. I’m not against the movie star (the professor, too “Gilligan’s Island” reference) exercising their God-given and (1st) first amendment right, but it is obnoxious when they believe their own press and it is to be ridiculed when they think their cross eyed point of view should be heeded more than say, a person who really is effected by political decisions or indecisions. Our Lord did good works first and then called upon others to do likewise. Some of movie stars call upon others to do their idea of “good works” and then do nothing lest a camera is near by.

I know that there are celebrities that use their celebrity for good things, Pitt, like him or not, does some decent stuff. Denzel Washington….spoke at a Louisiana college on their graduation day and spoke to them about God and following God’s plan for their lives…good stuff. This last “Golden Globes,” I heard Casey Affleck speak that God is love and saw Denzel Washington give him a thumbs up…good stuff. I know that Jeff Spiccoli,err rather Sean Penn does a lot of good and it seems like he does it for publicity, but, as Paul said, there are some that preached Christ, in his day, for the sole purpose of bringing greater and harsher penalties onto him, yet he was happy that they were preaching Christ. Christ even said that some do good works and receive their reward in the form of man’s praise, but at least good would come out of questionable intent. We also know that God makes all things work for good to us that love Him and are called according to His purpose therefore, methinks God can use publicity hungry hacks to help others, too.

 

I know that there is a “secret society” in Hollywierd called, “Friends of Abe.” This group is made up of conservative actors that want to see the conservative agenda (agenda is a word the control hungry persons use) succeed. They welcome right wing politicians to speak at their gathering and then $$$$ support these agendas. I’m not a fan of secret societies, as Christ explained to the priests and pharisees, concerning His method of open teaching, it was not in secret or in dark corners. Anything that is done in secrecy should be question’d by independent free thinkers. I’m not saying that some communications and plans should not be kept quiet or shared with only a few, but when it is a society of the wealthy, the power hungry and the control obsessed, it should be watched with discerning eyes.

I enjoy the Hollywierd product. I enjoy films and television. I use them both for education and different points of views. These products from the dark side also provide analogies that can be used to help people understand truth…………………….

To those who object to the using of pop-culture as analogies, did Paul not use the poets and gods of his time to explain truth? ….Readers, a side note, please……. or………………..  “To the Bat Cave”….[I wanted to speak to you out of the hearing of the objectors above us, when speaking or questioning other persons, always try to pre-answer their objections and also try to have the answer to the ?’s you are asking them. …also, to avoid the awkwardness of eye contact, do not look into their eyes, peer at the bridge of the nose or between their eyes. This tool will act as a mental drill bit, because they think you are peering into their guilty souls. Also, allow Brother St. Silence to compel your objector(s) to fill the vacuum of silence with their thoughts and confessions.]

Were back, Aunt Harriet and Alfred.

 

Hollywierd does produce some good moral films. On January (20th) Twentieth, there is a movie being released that depicts an actor being awarded the part of “Jesus” in a movie or play. It demonstrates his lost state and natural ignorance of Christ and the Gospel. Shawn Michaels of WWE fame has a character part in the movie that brings this guy down to earth….(that’s what I deduce from the trailer.) So, the gold coast does produce some good stuff. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia”series is starting up again, “The Horse and His Boy,” methinks. St. Mel Gibson is putting out the sequel to “The Passion of the Christ.” Gary Siniese  (sp?) does good work for veterans. There are persons that use their celebrity and status for good and their are others who use their celebrity and status for their idea of “good.”

My rant…..It bothers me ( I know….I know, I shouldn’t allow it to, but I do), when the glitz and the glam of the red carpet starts up, I know that the elite, the smarter than everyone else, the worldly-wise, and the attention hungry gods or Hollywierd will spout off, will spew, will vomit, will puke, will upchuck , will ooze their elitism, their smarts, and their wisdom upon the gullible little people. They will share their “in sight” with the sociopathic politicians (not all, I know)…. and God, Who gave them their talents, the air they breathe, the attractive-good looks and life is eschewed and forgotten.

We do not hate or envy Hollywierd celebrities, in fact, at times, we pity them, as they are pressed upon by photographers and attacked with rumours. We really feel for their kids, what must their lives be like? I won’t even begin to talk about their religion of Scientology, which comes from science fiction books….it really does, research it. They laugh at the Bible believers while believing in made up stuff from science fiction book and the imagination of a power and attention hungry anti-Christ, good grief!!!….. Sometimes I have to confess and repent before God because I laugh so uncontrollably at their idle and willing stupidity, I’m not joking, I really do. I feel like the pharisee looking down on the publican.

These gods of pretend and made up worlds compare themselves by themselves, as Paul said the false teachers and leaders did in his time. Puny human minds believe they can set the standards of success and glory for everyone, which in the end means nothing. It is God that sets all standards; all standards of righteousness, morals, and ethics. And it was only Christ that could ever meet those standards. Praise be to God that, in Christ, we too, meet those standards.

So why am I disgusted? Romans 1 tells us clearly that all persons and peoples know that God is. Therefore, when the gods of pretend accept their fame, their awards, their sycophants’ idolatrous worship and everything else that glitters, they are knowingly and purposely, somewhere inside themselves, disrespecting God by not acknowledging Him in all their pretentious ways.

I know there are good people in Hollywierd and I am not speaking about them. God chose to give them that life and they acknowledge it and are thankful. God uses them for good. The rest of the gods however, will soon see what truth, power and great glory really looks like. All the Emmies, Golden Globes, Oscars, and People’s Choice awards will be nothing compared to the Glory and crowns that shall sit at the Feet of our Lord.

“…[H]e gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.  (Matthew 10:1 b)

“And [H]e said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe in [M]y [N]ame shall they cast out devils; they speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”  (Mark 16:15-18)

 

As I was taking my overnight prayer walk (and crime fighting, I’m Batman), I beheld (2) two shadows. The street light was just so that it gave me (2) two shadows. I thought of the valley of the shadow of death and of the devil and his puny lap dogs demons. As I continued to walk The (2) shadows became one. So I then, thought, That’s what it is like to cast out/off demonic oppression and possession. In other words, (playing with my double shadow) I said, “Get thee behind me, devil! as I was walking out of the double shadow and leaving  a single shadow. I have a huge sanctified imagination.

However, in the real world there are no demons or devils. We simply make them up to cover for mental illness or our vices……………………………….

And if you believe that, I have a shack on the back (40) forty of Heaven for sale.

Of course,! there are demon and devils. The Bible is insistent on this matter. The devils were not misunderstood illnesses. The devil’s would, at times, tear up the body of the possessed person at it’s departing. Illness doesn’t do that. Human hating devils do.

I am not the person who sees a devil or demon behind every sin or bush, but I am a serious person that can logically deduce, that sometimes what humans do are not merely human devised actions. Although I believe in human depravity, sometimes a murder is not just a human murder. Before we get started, let me preface a bit. I know that sometimes one can lose credibility by speaking the truth, like saying that demons copulated with human women and procreated a hybrid of human and demon (fallen Angel). The hybrid offspring were giants and super-human. But when you say that this bloodline exists to this day, you will lose all credibility among “smart people.” But sometimes the truth is worth a loss of credibility among the “smarter people.” Preface finished. If you are a “smart person,” you may want to jump off now and continue to think of me as rational and intelligent. Those of you that believe what the Book Says and believe that the creation is bigger than man and that God is bigger than creation let us go forth.

There was a man a couple of summers ago that killed his mother. The reports said that this man was found sitting a top of his mother holding her cut out heart in his hand and giggling, when police arrived. This man didn’t run or fight, he simply giggled with his mother’s heart in his hand. This is of demonic origin, like it or not.

Richard Ramirez, “The Night Stalker” was a serial killer that did things that do not fit into any FBI profile, (of which I believe in). This man said he worshiped (s)atan and killed for him. I take him at his word. He’s not crazy. He’s not a monster. He’s a man that must have been willingly possessed by a demon.

There are psychologists that admit to demonic possession, again they may lose their credibility, but there are those that find no physical, mental, or emotional infirmities. As Sherlock Holmes says, “Once you have eliminated the impossibles, whatever remains, no matter how improbable it is, it must be the truth.” So once a person has gone through all manner of psychological tests and they are found to be sound, what is left? No matter how improbable it may be to our big thoughts and wise absolutes, it must be a demon.

The Scripture are replete with these entities. These demons are found in the Old Testament and the New. Other cultures (not that we need them) also speak of demonic entities. DEMONS ARE REAL.

Demons cannot possess Christ-ians. Why not? The answer is simplicity itself. What does the demon want? It wants to possess and control a person. But in the Christ-ian there is already a ruling entity called, the Holy Ghost/Spirit of God and Spirit of God’s Christ!!! The Christ-ian CANNOT be possessed!!!  BUT,……. A Christi-ian can be Oppressed. O-pressed  not P-ossessed. What is the difference? Possession speaks to the inside control of a person by a demon entity and Oppression speaks to the outside enticing and pushing down or pressing upon. A pop culture example from the (60’s) sixties is Wilma Flinstone whispering into the ear of a sleeping Fred, “You will be a tiger and you will get that raise….you will be a tiger and you will get that raise.” Fred wakes up and goes to his boss and like a roaring tiger, he demanded a raise. This is an example of demonic oppression. No offense to Mrs. Wilma Flinstone, she was a fine lady and she proved that men and women existed with dinosaurs….see creation, no evolution…What fun I have in my giant sanctified brain of fun!!!

Christ-ians cannot be possessed, but they can be oppressed. Whereas the lost person, the old creation still in Adam, has a vacuum from a dead spirit within. In this open and voided vacuum a demonic spirit can make a home. Paul said to Timothy that the devil can take a person and make them do his will anytime he wants to: ask Judas. Whereas the Holy Spirit inhabits the Christ-ian until the day of final redemption, the devils/demons will “walk to and fro” within and without lost and empty person per their will? “So, why isn’t everyone possessed all the time by demons”, asked the smart skeptic. To which the ‘dumb’ preacher responded, the restraining Hand of God, smart guy,” while thinking in his head, “stupid puny human ,” To which, methinks, God agrees.

The demons can pop in and out of the empty person, as they like. They can stay as long as they like, it is “at his will.”

What is the Christ-ian to do about this? First, you must be able to find the faith to believe this. An example: Two people are having a fine time together, then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, one is angry and seething over nothing. This could be a bi-polar mood swing, but these are known and recognizable. If a person has a history with this then Occam’s Razor says, illness. However, if there is no history, then whatever is left, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. No history of violence or mental illness and a person goes from nice and fun to mean and seething is possession for the lost and demonic oppression for the weak of faith (at that time), of the Christ-ian. So, as a Christ-ian, one should stop and discern….”is this me or has something oppressed me?” If it is the latter, You should, in faith, state the power of Christ over that thing, and in the powerful Name of Christ dispatch that foul thing.

If you see this quick change in another person, if they are a Christ-ian, stop and point out what is happening, and both of you dispatch that foul thing in the powerful Name of Christ. If you see this quick change in a lost person….excuse yourself, for a time and pray against that foul and vile thing. Readers, we, as Christ-ians, have the faith of Christ to pray against His/our enemies…Yes…Pray Against, not for.

To the smart people, in our second quotes text from above, it is said that no poison should harm a believer, right? (J. Witnesses call that a spurious verse and not to be believed, but they are like their father, the devil, all liars). In the hospital, I was hooked up to an automatic pain medicine dispenser. At the appropriate time I could press a button and the device would dispense the pain medicine, Dilaudin (sp?). .02 milligrams is usually given to cancer patients. One time I know of a doctor mis-prescribing a prescription for a patient. Instead of prescribing .02 milligrams, he prescribed 2.0 milligrams. The patient almost died. In my case, the dispenser dispensed the entire vial of this medicine/poison, (32 mg) Thirty-two milligrams into my system at once. I was a dead man, for sure. The nurses went crazy. However, Christ’s promise of the signs that should follow the believer was in force. The med/poison harmed me not.

If that is true and it is, then it is also true that we, as Christ-ians, have power over these demons that “kept not their first estate.” I am not calling upon Christ-ians to run around exorcising demons out of everyone who is having a bad day. I am simply stating that we, as Christ-ians, have been given the power, it is called faith and the Word of God, to dispatch oppressing and possessing demons. This gift is still in play. This faith/power is from our Lord, Master, and Saviour, if it is ever needed.

As to healing sickness, if it is according to God’s will, I believe the powerful prayers of God’s people are still at work today, for our God is still at work today, and we are His body.