The new year has crept in with all the threats from 2021 still hanging over us like a dark cloud.  Covid variants, runaway inflation, natural disasters, Russian empire building, Chinese economic threats along with their claims on Taiwan, a fiercely divided America, and so forth, still stand unresolved as we try to find hope in 2022.  

I believe this coming year is going to require that we truly keep our eyes on the Lord and stand firmly on the tenants of our faith on many issues.  I’m not sure that life in our time is more threatening or more complicated than in other epochs, but we are certainly more aware of every crisis in every corner of the world, , which certainly makes life more stressful and seemingly uncertain. Every issue we can imagine is in our face 24/7 because of the news on television, social media, and talk radio.  Every event, large or small, is dissected, analyzed, and “disasterized.”  Fear is a major component of media that seems to keep us glued to each station, hoping that the most recent crisis won’t get any worse and that solutions will arise.

On top of global crises, many of us have faced personal crises this past year as well.  The loss of loved ones, challenges to our own health, stressed marriages, increased crime, open boarders, economic loss because of covid restrictions, and so forth.  We wonder if this coming year will bring more of the same.

So…now that I have cheered you up, how do we face a world that seems so bent on self-destruction?  The only way to face such a world with any measure of joy and confidence is through faith in the one who created it, and his promises that the day will come when there will be no death, no war, no sickness, no hatred, no division, no natural disasters, and no lack for any need.

This may be the year to discipline ourselves to watch less news, be less politically charged, and less invested in this world.  I’m not suggesting that we bury our heads in the sand or ignore what may be coming our way, but I am suggesting that we need to believe that if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, God will meet every one of our essential needs.

Jesus lived in a world of poverty, famine, earthquakes, political unrest, religious upheaval and military oppression.  His solution was not to worry or be obsessed with the things we cannot affect except through prayer.  His solution was to seek God and believe in his care and protection in the midst of crisis.  Jesus never said we would not have trouble.  In fact, he said that in this world we would have trouble, so we need to keep our expectations biblical.  But in the face of that reality, he also promised that he would always be with us.  Just as the disciples, when crossing Galilee, encountered a storm that threatened their very lives, the presence of Jesus brought peace and safety.  

If you are like me, I often pray for a life that is trouble free, and yet, a trouble-free life requires no faith.  The truth is that faith is the currency of heaven and without faith it is impossible to please God.  Faith is that conviction, that in the midst of trouble, God will see me through…in spite of what appears to be a hopeless situation. I’m not saying to pray for trouble, but I am saying that when it comes, God is with us and the trouble itself, is not evidence that God has abandoned us.  

What if, in this year, we spent the lion’s share of our free time in the Word, in prayer, and in worship instead of on social media and listening to all the bad news the media can discover or even invent?  What if my great concern was in faithfully serving God rather than championing a political party?  Again, I believe we should vote and believe that Christians should be involved in bringing godliness to the political process, but we must always remember that our hope is in Jesus and no political leader, party, or movement. Any organization or movement led buy man will ultimately fail us.  Only God is faithful forever.  

If I am to navigate 2022 successfully, my primary focus will have to stay on heaven and not on earth. I need to know who Jesus is to me before the trouble comes so that my faith does not fail.  Maybe, that priority needs to be clearly stated in our New Year’s resolutions…more this year than ever before!

[I apologize for the length of this blog, but perhaps, you will have time during Christmas to read it.]

Christmas has arrived once again. As a pastor, I see many responses to the season. For some it raises treasured memories of traditional church plays filled with squirming children, bright trees surrounded by carefully selected presents, the warm aroma of favorite foods, and a familiar house filled with love. For others, it registers disappointment and memories of “not-so-good Christmases” stained by alcohol or emotionally toxic family members. For others, grief surfaces once again in a memory of making funeral plans for a loved one that pushed out the joy of Christmas that year and for several years to come. Others face sheer loneliness as they anticipate sitting in an empty house with no one present to share the day that should be about giving and receiving, loving and comforting, laughing and belonging.

As multilayered as Christmas can be, there is always the heart of the story that should encourage us and realign our perspectives, no matter what our situation might be.  Each year as I think about Christmas, the Lord simply reminds me of how costly the coming of Messiah was for him and those who were nearest to the incident. 

We tend to compartmentalize Christ’s sacrifice and suffering and attach it only to Easter – his arrest, his abuse, his crucifixion. We also tend to forget the pain of those who loved him most as they watched their son, their Rabbi, and their Messiah breathe what they thought was his last breath on a Roman cross. Passover and Easter certainly highlight the incredible cost of our salvation, but our salvation story not only ended that way, but actually began that way as well.

Christmas cards sanitize the story so that it might be almost unrecognizable to Mary and Joseph. Susan and I have already received a few with Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus serenely surrounded by peaceful, adoring animals in a pristine manger along with appropriately awed shepherds and joyous angels. Typically, the scene may also present three royally adorned visitors from the east bearing precious gifts (although they did not actually arrive until months later). 

There is some truth in that scene, but it misses one point. The Christmas story begins with Gabriel appearing to Mary in the backwater town of Nazareth. Luke tells us that at his appearance, Mary was greatly troubled. The original Greek would amplify this word to mean confused, disoriented, and deeply disturbed or distressed. The angel greeted her first, but then added quickly, “Do not be afraid.” You don’t need to say that unless someone is visibly shaken and beginning to panic.

Gabriel then goes on to tell her that the Holy Spirit is about to fall on her, impregnate her, and she will have a son whom she is to name Jesus. He will be called the Son of the Most High and he will reign on David’s throne forever. That’s a lot to take in for a 13-year-old Jewish girl brought up simply, humbly, and traditionally. 

The true implications of what the angel had just said were probably not comprehensible…except the part where she would be pregnant without having gone through a wedding ceremony and without her marriage being consummated with Joseph, her fiancé. Surely her first thoughts were about the impossibility of telling Joseph and her family and the almost certain unlikelihood that anyone would believe her.

The liability of being seen as an adulteress must also have loomed somewhere in the back of her mind. Adultery, in those days was, taken very seriously and was still punishable by stoning. In Jewish culture, her engagement was considered marriage, although the sexual union could not occur until after the ceremony. To break the engagement required a divorce. Apparently, her worst fears were realized because, when Joseph discovered she was pregnant, he decided to divorce her quietly to minimize everyone’s shame and for her safety.

 Undoubtedly his heart was shattered by her perceived unfaithfulness and he carried as much shame in the tiny village of Nazareth as she did. Her story was unbelievable even to him…until an angel confirmed what she had been telling everyone.  Still, he had to wonder if he had actually heard from an angel or simply his own imagination trying to excuse what had happened.

The story does not describe the family’s reaction to Mary’s pregnancy and her unbelievable story, but Mary and Joseph’s trip to Bethlehem may give us some insight. According to Luke, Caesar issued a decree for taxation that required the head of each household to register in certain cities. Joseph was a descendent of David whose lineage came from Bethlehem, so off they went on a ninety-mile trek with Mary late in her pregnancy. She was not required to go to Bethlehem. Joseph could have gone alone, but she went along anyway on a trip that may have put her at risk and the child as well. 

To me, the only explanation is that she did not feel welcome in Nazareth, even by her own family, and the birth of her son would not be the joyous occasion she had always envisioned. She had also lost her dreams for a wedding feast with her proud family and friends and a wedding night in which she and Joseph would consummate their holy union. Joseph had given up any dreams he had been harboring as well. So…this teenage mother went with her husband to a place in which they were apparently unknown, only to discover, on top of everything else, that no lodging was available.

Only a small barn or cave was available where she would have to make do with some fresh hay while being surrounded by the smell of animal urine, feces, and barn rats. No family members travelled with them to help with the birth. Apparently, no midwife was available in Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary must have felt somewhat abandoned by God and their families and must have felt very alone. They must have been wondering where the blessings were for their obedience because, day by day, things had not gotten better but worse.

Outside of Bethlehem, another disturbing scene was unfolding. In the middle of the night, shepherds, who were minding their own business, were suddenly confronted by extraterrestrial visitors…angels filling the sky. Luke simply says they were terrified. Of course, the angel said, “Do not be afraid” and eventually calmed their nerves with news that Messiah was being born to them and could be found in a stable in Bethlehem. Eventually that night, they found the stable and shared what they had seen and heard with Mary, who must have been exhausted.

Another hint about the atmosphere of shame, gossip, and suspicion back in Nazareth was that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus did not return to Nazareth after the birth. As far as we know, two sets of Jewish grandparents had yet to see their grandson. Matthew tells us of the Magi, wise men or astrologers from the east, who had followed the Star of Bethlehem to find this newborn King of the Jews. This was apparently 18-24 months after the birth of Jesus and they were still in Bethlehem. It looks as though Mary and Joseph had simply settled in there. 

These unexpected visitors from the east showed up unannounced and brought gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense to Jesus. Mary and Joseph must have been relieved to receive such a nest egg for the family and began to believe that, perhaps, peace and blessings were finally coming their way. Maybe he could expand his business or they could build a little house. But they immediately discovered that these were to be traveling expenses.

Herod, hearing from the Magi that a king was being born just seven miles from Bethlehem, determined to exterminate this threat to his own throne. Joseph and Mary were warned in a dream to flee the region and so suddenly became political refugees trying to find safety in Egypt. Herod, in order to secure his throne, simply had every male child under two years old in the vicinity killed that night – a night that became known in Jewish history as the Slaughter of the Innocents. That’s not something we see on Christmas cards. So, the Christmas story is not just a story of angelic visitations and good news, but also a story of fear, shame, rejection, loneliness, lost dreams, and a poor refugee family fleeing their homeland for several years to live once again among strangers where Hebrews had once been slaves.

If you read Isaiah 6, you will also perceive another cost that was incurred, even before the birth of the child.  In that text, Isaiah sees the Lord, high and lifted up, surrounded by his glory and angels that declared his holiness day after day.  John tells us that Isaiah was actually given a vision of Jesus (Jn.12:41) in his glory before surrendering the privileges of deity. At some point he stepped down from his throne, shed is glory and power, and shrunk down to the size of an ovum, only to grow helplessly in the womb of an impoverished teenager.  From there he would be born into a scandal and later deemed illegitimate by many – part of the reason those in Nazareth could never accept him as Messiah.  What cost did Jesus pay even before the cross and what cost did those pay who were near him…even in the beginning of God’s odyssey on earth?  

The ultimate price for our salvation was, of course, the cross. But there were significant payments all along the way that we should not forget.  This thought should not produce guilt in us, but wonder and rejoicing at the value God has placed on each of us.  

Salvation is a gift because we are saved by grace and by no works of our own.  But there is also the gift of knowing how much we are loved, how much we are valued by the Creator of heaven and earth, and how much we can value ourselves as well as all the others Jesus died for.  Be blessed this Christmas knowing that your greatest gift cannot be placed under a tree and that you were purchased at such a price.  Merry Christmas.

Children and Deliverance – Part 3

Scary Things

When I was a kid, my grandmother owned a two-story house.  When we spent the night at her house, the kids had to sleep upstairs.  The upstairs was one large room with a fairly large closet and in the closet was a door to the attic space around the room.  My grandmother used to tell us that if we didn’t behave, the boogey-man would come out of that door at night and “get us.”  That knowledge did not help our sleep patterns when we stayed at grandma’s.  Kid’s have great imaginations and sometimes imagine the “monster under the bed.”

However, I’m also convinced that many children see into the spiritual realm and often report seeing “scary” things to their parents that are written off as simple imagination.  I’m somewhat convinced that all children see into the spiritual realm until we teach them to ignore what they are seeing by calling it “imaginary.”  So…when our children come to us reporting such things, how should we respond? 

Seth Dahl is a good resource for such questions.  I probably don’t agree with everything Seth says, but I don’t even agree with everything I say six months after I say it.  However, I do agree with much of what he says.  regarding this question. He says, “When we see things that are scary or demonic, we must keep in mind that the enemy’s first goal is to make us afraid.  Why? Because fear is agreement with the enemy and is permission for the demonic to keep on visiting. Once fear enters our hearts, we have opened a door for the enemy’s second goal to be fulfilled: control…Fear is like an open door in the spirit world through which the demonic can enter.  If we do not fear, their access is stopped…Imagine that your child calls you to his or her room in the middle of the night and tells you there are three weird creatures near the wall…giving into fear is the first thing to avoid.  The second thing we do not want to do is to act as if the spiritual battle is not going on. Too many parents tell their kids that what they are seeing is not real or that it is just their imagination. There are, of course, times when kids make things up, but we need to approach each situation as if this is not happening. When we discount what our children experience, they begin to discount their own ability to trust themselves and what they are seeing.  Simply because we do not see it, does not mean what they are seeing is not real.”  

Dahl goes on in his book, Raising Spirit Led Kids, to suggest that we ask our children questions about what they are seeing.  We might ask if they also see Jesus or an angel in their room.  If so, then we can ask what Jesus or the angel is doing or what Jesus or the angel is asking them to do. The key is that we direct our children from a focus on the threat to a focus on the solution or the protection that Jesus provides.  We direct them from fear to faith. In those moments, we can also show them the power of the name of Jesus to command spirits to leave.  Even if the moment turns out to be a moment of imagination, we can direct our children to imagine Jesus defeating the creature or sending it away.  Those moments can be practice sets for the real thing.

Spirits are a reality.  Many of us cannot see into the spiritual realm because we were taught to ignore what we were seeing and to give credibility only to the natural realm.  The ability to see into the spiritual realm is a gift of discernment that should be developed rather than quenched. 

Secondly, when we as parents model faith rather than fear, our children will take on the same perspective.  Our reaction should not be one of fear ourselves or dismissal of what our child is seeing, but rather a confident reaction that “Jesus has got this!”  Even our attempts to deny the reality of something our children are seeing or think they are seeing is an expression of fear.  We tend deny what we think we cannot cope with.  We must always choose faith.

The enemy is very active in the world right now and as we move closer to the return of Christ, we can anticipate that he will be even more active.  If we try to convince our children that what they are seeing or even feeling in their room is not real, we risk teaching them by implication that the unseen or spiritual realm is not real.  These are opportunities to equip our children for the fight that lies before them because our struggle is not against flesh and blood (Eph. 6).  The key is for us and our children to know who we are to Christ and to know who he is to us: King of Kings and Lord of Lords who has all authority in heaven and on earth.  The earlier our children learn those truths, the more able they will be to fulfill their destiny in Christ.

This is the last blog of three on Children and Deliverance, I’m sure I have not answered every question, but hopefully have pointed you in a good direction regarding this topic.  Blessings in Him

Last week we discussed the reality that children can be demonized as well as adults.  They can be afflicted through generational curses and spirits that attach themselves to bloodlines.  They can be afflicted when those who have authority over them speak curses over their children…intentionally or unintentionally.  They can also be demonized through trauma.  

One question that usually arises when parents discover the realities of spiritual warfare and generational curses is whether or not the enemy’s right to afflict their children is extinguished when the parents break the curses and are themselves delivered from any demonic affliction.  

The answer is that the enemy’s right to afflict the children has been taken away, but demons rarely leave simply because a legal transaction has occurred.  

Typically, like bad renters, unclean spirits need not only to have papers served but often, with bad renters, the sheriff and a few deputies have to show up and escort them off the property.  The first step is to break the generational curse through the blood of Christ.  That action revokes a spirit’s legal right to afflict the child, but then the demons afflicting the child must be commanded to leave in the name of Jesus.  That is best done by parents who have spiritual authority over their children or by those representing the parents – perhaps, someone with more experience in deliverance than the parents.  

So, if deliverance needs to be administered to a child, what does that look like?  We certainly don’t want to traumatize the child by telling them that terrible things from the devil are living in them and then begin to scream and shout to cast them out.  First of all, if you have authority you don’t need to scream and shout.  We need to be stern, but we can do so in a calm, quiet manner.  For small children, believing parents or some experienced person trusted by the parents can firmly but quietly command spirits to leave while the child sleeps. 

I would actually recommend deliverance when children are very small…and, especially, children who have been adopted or biological children when there has been notable sin, witchcraft, violence, etc.  in their bloodline. If the adoptive parents know any background on the biological parents and know there has been violence, abuse, drug addictions, excessive anger, etc., then spirits that may be present because of those things should be named and commanded to leave.  The same should be done over biological children where bloodlines need to be submitted to the Lord and spirits banished. In our experience, nearly every adopted child may carry spirits of rejection or orphan spirits.  These should also be dealt with. Sometimes we can’t be sure of the presence of such spirits, but it doesn’t hurt to “cover that base.”  If nothing is there, then no harm has been done.  If something was there, you have gained a real advantage over the enemy.  

If you need to minister to deliverance when the child is awake or a little older, do so quietly and calmly with the mindset that such things are normal and ordinary. You can convey that you believe that spirits are harassing the child and you simply want to send them away.

In general, as children mature we need to teach them some of the realities of the spiritual realm and, of course, this should be done appropriately based on their maturity.  I believe the primary thing we need to teach them is who Jesus is and who they are to Jesus.  We quickly make children aware of the dangers in this world (don’t play in the street, don’t play with electrical outlets, etc.) and that there are dangerous people in this world (i.e. don’t talk to strangers, etc.) We need to teach them that there are also spiritual beings who would try to lead them away from Jesus and into disobedience.  When tempted, they need to know how to say “No”  and even how to call on Jesus or command those unwelcome spirits to leave in His name.  They need to be aware that Jesus is watching over them and that angels are watching over them because we have asked the Lord to assign those angels.  

In the same way that we teach children to be cautious (not afraid) as they play in the yard or go to school, we can teach them to be cautious (not afraid) of spirits that would tempt them or lead them away from God. The focus should not be on Satan, but on Jesus and his great love for them. Teaching them the power of prayer and the declared word of God are great ways to help them develop in the area of spiritual warfare without being weird or scary.  In summary, we teach our kids enough to be wise about demons but our real focus is on Jesus, his love, his power, and his authority for them.

In my next blog, we will talk about children seeing scary things in their rooms, around the house and other places.  Are those things simply the imaginary “monster under the bed” or is it possible they are seeing into the spiritual realm?  How we navigate those moments is important.

As a church that has ministered deliverance to adults for years, we are often asked about children and deliverance.  The questions generally are:

• Can children be demonized?
• If parents break generational curses, are the children set free from the effects?
• Should you minister deliverance to children and, if so, how?
• What should you do if your child tells you that he/she is seeing something scary in their room?

These are legitimate questions that books on deliverance rarely deal with, so I thought I would take a couple of blogs to respond to these.   By the way, there seems to have been a definite increase in demonic activity in the last year, at least in our area, and children are being affected as well.   As many in America pursue sin and perversion and as many of our national leaders do the same, the spiritual gates have been opened wide for the demonic to be active in our nation. Because of that, we can expect demonization of individuals and demonic manifestations to be heightened.  The enemy always pursues the most vulnerable, so we can also expect children to be targeted as well as adults.  

The first question is whether or not children can be demonized.  I guess we ask that because we assume that God would protect children because he cares for them in a special way (Matt.18:10) or because they are innocent and Satan should have no legal right to afflict them.  In Mark 9, a man came to Jesus whose son had been tormented by demons manifesting as seizures.  The text says, “When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’ ‘From childhood,’ he answered. ‘It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us’” (Mk.9:20-22). Clearly, children can be afflicted by demons. 

Demons can attach themselves to children as a consequence of generational sin, curses, or trauma. The trauma of abuse, the loss of a parent or sibling, a severe injury or illness, etc. can easily open a child up to a spirit of rejection and/or fear.  Spirits of trauma can also attach to physical or emotional wounds and hinder their healing.  

Curses spoken over the child by those who have spiritual authority over them (typically parents) can also give the enemy a legal right to afflict a child. This can happen in unplanned pregnancies where a parent might say that he or she wishes the child would miscarry or “never be born” or that this child would bring them nothing but pain and sorrow, etc.  Words like that can open the door to spirits of rejection, infirmity, death, or an orphan spirit. 

Generational spirits of fear, anger, infirmity, lying, rejection, stupor, etc. can also be passed down to a child. We have seen these show up and manifest as learning disabilities, feelings of self-hatred from an early age, cutting, extreme anger, obsessiveness, chronic lying, etc. even in young children.  Of course, all these conditions can be physiological and not demonic, but in our experience, many have a demonic componnt.

I always feel a need to remind anyone reading this that demonization is not possession. Demonization means that demons are afflicting an individual in one part of their life while the rest is fairly functional. One part can impact the other parts, but typically the person is out of control in only one or two areas and not all of the time.  The most effective demons are those that mimic physiological or psychological conditions that exist in the natural realm.  They do so without manifesting in such extreme ways that we might suddenly wonder if something beyond the natural was occurring.

We also need to remember that demonization does not nullify salvation.  Demonization effects our ability to mature spiritually or develop fruits of the Spirit, but does not affect our salvation. Sometimes, believers want to deny demonization because they think it means they belong to Satan and are, therefore, lost. Deliverance is about sanctification rather than salvation.  

So, how do we know if a child’s “issues” come from the natural realm or are a manifestation of the spiritual realm?  Sometimes, it is hard to know.  However, if everything has been tried that should help, but has not brought any lasting healing or freedom, demonic activity could be indicated.  If you see something in the child’s eye’s that seems unnatural when an issue is manifesting, it is likely demonic. If a child tells you that something or someone is telling them to hate, hurt, or be afraid, that could be demonic.  If a child has been abused or traumatized, then be sensitive to the possibility of demonization.  Before anything else, ask the Holy Spirit to show you if something demonic is in play.  If you know someone who has a strong gift of discernment, ask that person for their impressions.

Our general rule is that if we are unsure, minister deliverance. Cover the base.   If something manifests or something changes, then demons were involved. If not, keep seeking answers in the natural realm.  Next week, I will talk about appropriate deliverance for children and how to equip them appropriately for spiritual warfare.

The holidays are wonderful times of love and laughter for many families as they gather around a warm Thanksgiving table or around a brilliant Christmas tree.  For many others, the holidays are darker because their family get-togethers resurrect old emotional wounds inflicted by some family member in their past or because they know that before the day is over, “that person” will say something hurtful to them again.  

I’m officiating a wedding this week and, in that ceremony, I will take a moment to talk about the power of our spoken words.  The familiar proverb (Prov. 18:21) declares that “the tongue has the power of life or death.”   Never is that more true than in marriages and in families.  

Years ago, when I first became aware of that proverb, I thought of it as figurative language that was reminding us that we could hurt people with our words or encourage people with our words. That is certainly true, but I now take the proverb literally.  Our negative words cannot only sting a person’s heart and assault a person’s perception of their worth and value, but can also set things in motion in the spiritual realm to enforce the things we declare over others.  That is the nature of a curse and curses are very real.  

In Numbers 22-24, we encounter the story of Balaam.  In the story, Balak, the king of Moab, tries to hire Balaam to declare a curse over Israel. Israel had encamped on the borders of Moab and were so numerous that Moab was terrified of them.  Apparently, Balaam was well known and had a track record for cursing and blessing because Balak declared, “Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps, then I will be able to defeat them and drive then out of the land. For I know, that whoever you bless is blessed and whoever you curse is cursed.”  

Balak wanted Balaam to speak words over Israel that would invite or direct demonic forces to afflict Israel. Perhaps, spirits of fear would rob Israel of courage on the eve of battle.  Perhaps, spirits of infirmity would inflict some sickness on the people so that they could not fight or fight well. Perhaps, a spirit of confusion would cause them to choose battle plans that would be doomed to fail.  That is the nature of a curse.  Some words give demonic spirits permission to afflict, harass, or oppress someone.  That is especially true when one person has authority over another…such as a parent over a child. Words can also bring blessings. That is the nature of our prayers and words of good will we speak over others.

Before we write off the story of Balaam as an expression of superstition by Balak who “believed such nonsense,” we need to note that God himself took the curse very seriously.  If you read the story, God told Balaam that he must not curse those he had blessed.  Balaam, kept trying to find ways to declare the curse because he wanted the payoff from Balak.  God took the curse so seriously, that at one point, God sent an angel to kill him if he persisted in his efforts to declare the curse.  

All this is to say that our words have power to bless or curse those we speak them to.  Many families and even spouses have spoken curses over one another with their hurtful and accusing words and those words have invited the enemy to come and fulfill the words that were spoken over a family member…perhaps, for generations.

God directs his people to speak only blessings over others…even our enemies (Luke 6:38).  We need to speak positive things over ourselves as well. This is simply a reminder to speak positive words over others because most of us know the damage of negative words.  If you are with a family with a hurtful history during the holidays, this may be a challenge. However, speak life even over your enemies or hurtful family members, regardless of what they might say to you. When we speak, we are sowing seeds of life or death and we reap what we sow.  Curses come back to us, but so do blessings.  So, watch your words and be blessed in all you do.

Well…Thanksgiving will be upon us in just a few days. It is one of my favorite family holidays and is traditionally intended to be a day of thankfulness for the blessings that we enjoy.  Hopefully, that is not the only day we express thanks for the good things in our lives.  What I want to suggest in this blog is that Thanksgiving should not be merely a day, but a lifestyle. In fact, I think it is a very powerful form of spiritual warfare.

The apostle Paul told us that we should not be unaware of Satan’s schemes.  He should never be our main focus, but we do need to be wise in his ways.  Satan doesn’t seem to have many strategies, but only a few which are expressed in many ways.  The first encounter with him is recorded in Genesis where the “serpent” tempted Adam and Eve.  This strategy is a primary strategy that he uses over and over. Basically, he did what every successful salesperson does…he created a sense of discontentment  with their circumstance so that they began to feel a desire for something different or something more in their lives. 

Satan planted a seed of distrust in Adam and Eve when he said, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the Garden?’”  With that question, which was more of a statement, he implied that God had a stingy side that might be withholding good things from them.  He was hinting that he knew Yaweh was the kind of god that would surround people with abundance, but then refuse to share it with them. He knew there was only one tree from which they were not to eat, but his question suggested that there was something spectacular and good to be gained from that tree, that God did not want them to have.  

Suddenly, instead of being thankful for all that they did have – every tree in the Garden, including the Tree of Life – they suddenly felt a lack in their life and began to resent God for withholding the “one thing they really needed for happiness.” As soon as they accepted the premiss that God withholds good things from his people, they came into agreement with the enemy which gave him open access to their lives.  Within a few years, they were not only living outside the Garden,  scratching a living out of a hostile earth, but one son murdered the other.  

Satan loves to get us to define God by something he hasn’t done for us that we think is the key to our happiness, rather than defining him by all the things he has done for us. If God has answered ten thousand prayers for us, we are prone to only think about one prayer that has not yet been answered or was not answered in the way we wanted. We then begin to believe that God doesn’t hear our prayers or that he doesn’t care about us.  That view of God makes us very susceptible to the schemes of Satan.

A lifestyle of thanksgiving is a very effective way to push back against the lies of the enemy.  We need a lifestyle of thanking God for every blessing we encounter…large or small.  If it blesses us, thank God for it.  Thank him for Jesus, your salvation, his grace, his patience, his Spirit, but also a beautiful morning, a parking spot, hot water, an old car that still gets you where you need to go, an amusing squirrel, friends, purpose, a job, health, four inflated tires in the morning, etc.  These are things we don’t always pray for, but they are gifts from God none the less and we should thank him for each of those as we go through our day.  

When we recognize and verbalize the abundance of small blessings from God that make up our lives, it creates a belief in us that God is, indeed, good and faithful.  

When we have that view of God, it is much more difficult for the enemy to suggest to us that God may not have our best interests at heart after all, and is keeping from us the very thing that would give us happiness.  Remember, Satan is the ultimate salesman and he has been selling lies for thousands of years.  He is always highlighting what we don’t have and convincing us that there is something or someone out there that would make our life complete and worth living, if God were not standing in our way.  

Paul believed that God would always give us what we needed for life, love, joy and peace. He stated in his letter to the church at Philippi, “for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Phil.4:11-13).

Paul believed that God is a good father who always gives us what we need in every season and, in his wisdom, sometimes says “no” to what we want.  A lifestyle of thanksgiving helps us walk in the same contentment because it keeps is focused on what we have, rather than what we don’t have.

So,  this Thanksgiving, give thanks for all the big things, but all the small things as well….then keep it up for the next twelve months.  You will find that a heart of thanksgiving slams the door on Satan in many, many ways. 

The Political Spirit

I have lived longer than most of the people who might be reading this blog.  I am a Baby Boomer who remembers the cold war and daily threats of nuclear annihilation.  I remember the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of JFK, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and all the wars that have followed.  I remember the Black panthers, skin heads, civil rights marches, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and a number of other traumatic events for this nation.  I remember all that and the controversy each one stirred, but I have never seen a more divided America than now.

I think there are a number of reasons for our current division.  Social media and 150 television stations in every market make it possible for a person to never see any point of view that differs from their own except as presented by those who want to vilify and demonize all those who hold an opposing view.

The idea that there is an objective truth out there that needs to be presented so that people can consider the facts, has long been tossed out the window.  “Truth” is now a subjective opinion based on who can make the loudest and most impassioned accusations against their opponents.  Civil debates in search of truth are no longer possible because we believe we must hate and destroy anyone who holds a different view.  And now, regardless of your affiliation, who will believe that any election was honestly won and not stolen?  Certainly, Satan is alive and well on planet earth.

This is the political spirit that works to divide people, nations, and even churches. I had an article cross my desk recently that wanted to make the case that, for many, the church has recently become a mere extension of their political party and that Jesus is now cast as either a Democrat or a Republican.  The article suggested that the politics of hate is now infiltrating the church so that any who do not agree with a person’s politics is judged as un-Christian and as a person who should be shunned, disciplined, and distrusted.  

I have to agree that we are trending that way in many churches.  It is the spirit of politics and division and it is a winning strategy for the enemy. One interesting point made in the article was that the church typically has only an hour or so a week to disciple it’s members, while media has hundreds of hours each week to disciple those who listen to their “doctrines.”

The question is how the church should respond to this creeping reality.  For brevity’s sake, let me just bullet point some truths that I think we need to consider as followers of Jesus.

• Our primary citizenship is in heaven and our primary source of values and action must be the Word of God.  Jesus is neither Democrat nor Republican nor even an American. He is the king of the kingdom that must always be the source of our identity and values.  If my membership in either party carries more weight with me than my identity in heaven, something needs to be adjusted.  

• God hates division among his people, so we must make every effort to be unified.  There are times to draw lines in the sand, but biblically, those lines are drawn around the doctrines that define who Jesus is and what he has done or about immoral living. They are not drawn around political perspectives.

• We do not have to be in agreement with each other about everything in order to love one another and live in unity.  The idea that if we disagree about political or even religious perspectives, we are enemies is absurd.  None of us totally agree with any person in our life about everything.  Besides that, even if someone were our enemy, we must still love then or fail as followers of Jesus.

• We should be involved in the political process since we are salt and light in the world and must be an influence for righteousness whenever we can.  One temptation in this discussion might be to simply withdraw from politics and neither serve nor vote.  But to do so simply hands America over to Satan without a fight.  We are to disciple nations which means that we are to redeem both culture and government by our involvement and influence.  We must be an influence or a leaven for righteousness in every way possible.  In America, voting and serving in political offices are ways to be salt and light.

• We must vote based on biblical values of righteousness, not party lines. The question for believers should not be which party do I subscribe to but which values line up with God and which values will I vote for? It’s not always an easy decision because I may feel that some parts of a political platform may line up with biblical values while others don’t. So, prayer and the Holy Spirit may need to direct our votes or involvement.

• We must equip our people to operate in this charged political environment as followers of Jesus rather than as followers of political parties or personalities. The church needs to talk about abortion, same sex marriage, gay rights, racism, and even economics and teach our people biblical perspectives on each.  We need to do the hard work of thoughtfulness. We need to teach our people how to disagree and still treat others with love and respect.  We need to teach our people who they truly are in Christ and remind them of their mission.

As believers in America. We need to be aware that this political spirit is operating and will split and divide churches if allowed to operate there.  We must make sure that we don’t become contributors to division and choose to love those who disagree with us.  We should also encourage our leaders to proactively equip us as disciples of Jesus to navigate the rapids of social media, political divisions, and even persecution because the next four years of politics in America promise to be white water… the likes of which we have never seen.

If you minister in deliverance on any kind of regular basis, you will minister to people who are manifesting some kind of demonic spirit that will not come out when it should be coming out.  At some point,  you will have to search for something that is continuing to give that spirit a right to hold on to the individual to whom you are ministering.  Sometimes we miss the “something” because we are making assumptions about the person that we have not confirmed. For instance, we may assume they are saved because they attend church when they have never actually entered in to a covenant relationship with Jesus.  They may not believe that Jesus is more powerful than demons.  They may have a sin or a sinful relationship that they are not truly willing to give up.  Perhaps, there is still unforgiveness toward another or a judgment towards another person they have not renounced.  Maybe they have placed a judgment on God.

In spiritual warfare, one primary principle is that we must never come into agreement with Satan. If we agree with him, we empower him in our lives, give him influence, and give him a legal right to operate in our lives and family.   The principle is first seen in Genesis 3 in the Garden of Eden.  Satan, in the form of a serpent, engaged Adam and Eve in a dialogue about God and his commandments.  If you read the text, by way of a question, the serpent hinted that God was unfairly withholding good things from Adam and Eve. Satan was questioning God’s character.  The question hinted that God might be selfish, withholding, egocentric, and did not have their best interests in mind after all. 

As the dialogue continued, it is clear that Adam and Eve began to buy into the serpent’s view of God.  They judged God by choosing to distrust his command and his motives.  As a result, they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and lost their place in Eden. Of course, their view of God suggested by Satan was a lie, but their agreement was enough for Satan to claim the authority on the earth that had once belonged to Adam.

When ministering deliverance to broken people, it is not unusual for those individuals to feel as if God has betrayed them or abandoned them at some time in their past.  Perhaps, they feel that God didn’t protect them or someone they loved when they were wounded, abused, or even died in some tragic incident.  They feel that God allowed some loss he could have prevented or that he was unfair in something he did.  When they hold that view of God, they have judged him and come into agreement with Satan and that agreement gives the enemy legal access to them.

You may want to explore their past hurts and see what their view of God is regarding those hurts.  If we doubt God’s goodness or righteousness, we will be a fertile field for the lies of the enemy to take root. Those conversations are not always easy but we need to be prepared for them.  Asking Jesus to speak to them about those hurts can be a powerful way to uproot the lies of the enemy.  Some conversation about the nature of free will may also be in order. Sometimes the individual has been only vaguely aware of the view he or she has been holding about God and once they recognize it are very willing to renounce the judgment they have placed on the Creator, which removes the demon’s legal right to continue to afflict the individual.

Even in our own lives, we can begin to questions God’s goodness or fairness without recognizing where that will lead.  If we are to navigate life and the troubles that Jesus told us we would face, we need to be anchored in a belief that, no matter what, God is good and he is good toward us.  If he is not…why pray?  If he is not…how can we have faith?  But he is good and all his judgments and actions are righteous.  All my experiences must be interpreted through that lens.  I may have to live with some mystery, but I cannot move off of those convictions or Satan will surely lead me away.  

Whenever we are ministering to hurting people, it is a good idea to explore their view of God and, if needed, to gently lead them back to the truth about who God is and his love for that person.  Remind them of the good things that God has done for them and help them understand that we live in a world where bad things can happen to good people.  It is the nature and risk of free will.  God has not promised to keep all trouble from us, but he has promised to walk with us in those troubles and see us to the other side. Be blessed today and stand on the truth that God is good…all the time.

I am part of a church that recognizes the reality of the spiritual realm…both angelic and demonic.  We talk about it, pray about it, and exercise spiritual gifts that touch the unseen realm.  Because of that, I often forget that a large portion of the American and western European church still gives little thought to the reality of the spiritual realm or spiritual warfare. These churches do seem to be comfortable with the idea of angels … especially, guardian angels watching over our children.  However, I wonder how many actually believe in the constant activity of angels or just think of angels in vague ways as a nice sentiment or a comforting thought with little reality behind the notion…kind of like Santa Claus?

In his book, Deliverance from Evil Spirits. Francis MacNutt wrote a chapter entitled, “Do Demons Really Exist?”  Let me quote a little from that chapter.  “Two hundred years ago few Christians questioned whether Satan and the demonic realm were real. Then there would have been no need to write a chapter like this. Even as recently as 1972, Pope Paul VI, reaffirming the age-old understanding of scripture (and human experience) wrote:  ‘It is contrary to the teaching of the Bible or the Church to refuse to recognize the existence of such a reality…or to explain it as a pseudo-reality, a conceptual and fanciful personification of the unknown causes of our misfortunes…’” The Pope would not have written that unless many were trying to write off the teachings of scripture about the kingdom of darkness as mythology and quaint stories told to explain why bad things happen in this world.

MacNutt goes on to say, “As we read through the Gospels, we cannot help but be struck by the extraordinary numbers of references to Jesus confronting Satan and the whole realm of demons. A major theme in the New Testament is the clash between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan. The climax of human history, in fact, occurs when God, in Jesus, overpowers Satan and frees the human race from Satan’s dominion. Nor do I propose that the ministry of deliverance is simply one minor ministry among many that need to be resurrected in today’s Church, but that Jesus’ ministry of deliverance is central to an understanding of the gospel. ‘The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work’ (1 Jn.3:8).”  

Paul clearly states that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of evil (Eph.6).  He then discusses the necessity of implementing divine weapons in 2 Corinthians 10 because our enemy must be faced in the spiritual realm with spiritual weapons if we are to overcome him.  Currently, the activity of the demonic is raging in America because our national leaders have opened the door for him by declaring evil things to be good and good things to be evil. Many believers are being tormented, oppressed, and defeated and are unaware of the source of that oppression and torment.

Charismatic churches are exploding in third world countries because they bring the power of God into the battle against the demonic forces these people recognize and deal with through witch doctors and shamans. It is in the west that Satan has become invisible.  I didn’t say inactive, but invisible. He is invisible because our material, technological culture denies his existence. Many of us have a world view that simply filters out any recognition of his reality or activity. We see the same symptoms in people that were diagnosed as demonic affliction in the Bible, but diagnose them as psychiatric or physiological conditions that can hopefully be managed with medications.  Most Christian counselors will recommend medications for emotional torment but would never suggest deliverance.  The Biblical model demands that we seriously consider both forms of healing when ministering to the illness, torment, and bondage of people.

During the Civil War in America, we are told that more men died from infections than from actual gunshot wounds. The enemy was unseen bacteria. There was little understanding of the cause of infection and the care of wounds, so bacteria thrived and infections went untreated.  What was unseen and unrecognized caused thousands of deaths and amputations.  In the west, Satan seems to operate unseen and unrecognized because we have placed the demonic realm in the category of fiction or superstition.   Satan, then, has free reign to do as he wants as long as he can masquerade as mental illness or some rare physiological condition that is yet to respond to treatment. All the drugs in the world will not expel a demon and so mental health facilities cannot keep up with demand.  I know that Covid is a real thing but I also believe there are spiritual dimensions to Covid that have made the reality much more destructive than it has to be…especially spirits of fear, suicide, depression, distrust, isolation, and so forth.

I am not saying that all depression, suicidal thoughts, gender confusion, rage, violence, and so forth is demonic. But some of it or much of it is or is magnified by demonic spirits.  When Paul said that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual entities and forces of evil, he wasn’t speaking metaphorically.

The western world has enthroned science and “reason” above revelation.  Many Christians have done the same and are even embarrassed to talk about things like demons and supernatural healing as if those are vestiges of some ignorant superstition that used to infect the church.  Many Christians often exhaust all natural healing possibilities before even beginning to pray for healing because they believe more in science than the promises of God.  However, Satan is very real and is still very active. I can’t list all the people we have ministered to over the past twenty years or so that were set free by Jesus in a few minutes while their therapists and medications had only been able to take the edge off their pain, fear, depression, or despair for years. They were delivered because someone believed the Bible and that biblical realities don’t go away as technology advances.

Doctors can help a great deal when the issue is rooted in the natural realm and I am very thankful for the grace if medicine.   But Jesus is the only physician that can provide a cure when the issue is rooted in the spiritual realm.  Wise people will consider both realms when someone needs help and discern where the root lies.  In many cases, both realms will need to be engaged, because all of us are both physical and spiritual and are touched by both realms.  To deny the demonic realm because it makes us uncomfortable or because it doesn’t fit the cultural view of reality is like a person who refuses to get a checkup for cancer because they are afraid of what they might find. In both cases, early diagnosis and treatment is the best approach.  Both cancer and Satan produce devastating results when they go unnoticed and untreated.

The gospel of Jesus Christ will never meet its full potential in the lives of God’s people until his church universally accepts biblical realities and goes to war with an unseen, but very real enemy.  The victory is already ours, but it still must be enforced because demons tend to be non-compliant types who won’t get out just because an eviction notice came in the mail.

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