Who is the real enemy?

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."  Marcellus in "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare

Well, now.  That sure is a pleasant way to start a conversation.  But we have to have it.  Many in the Body of Christ believe we are witnessing Biblical prophesy being fulfilled - that of the apostasy Paul foretold in the Word.  The Church is rotting from the inside out.  "Let no man deceive you by any means:  for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition."  2 Thess. 2:3

Just exactly as God said through Paul, more and more Christians have tossed discernment to the wind and are giving heed to seducing spirits.  "Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to deceitful spirits, and doctrines of demons."  I  Tim. 4:1

Rather than meticulously examine the backgrounds and doctrine of so-called teachers, they are being wooed by the siren songs of lovely words and emotions. Churches are offering more studies on books that talk about the Bible - or not - in lieu of the Bible itself.  People are flocking to movies about the Bible instead of testing them against what the Scriptures actually say, not caring the least about the error that abounds.  The excuse is that they are conversation starters.  Start with the actual Word if you want to have conversation.

Church leaders are marking and ostracizing those who sound the shofar and attempt to point out the wolves pushing their way into the fold.  Many leaders would much rather shush their flocks into compliance and complacency for the sake of staying together rather than call a spade a spade and risk dividing their churches.  Many leaders would rather market to the masses rather than lie at the door of the pen and detect even the scent of a wolf outside. Christians who do perform their own background checks and try to warn others are becoming refugees.  

Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth.  I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.  For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law..."  Matthew 10:34-35.  Talk about a divisive troublemaker! If Jesus spoke those words today (which He has because His Word is eternal), the PC police would be all over Him.  He is not interested in community for the sake of community.  (He is also not interested in picking a fight.)  He is interested in those who are willing to stay true to His Word.   The numbers are rapidly dwindling.

I read more fluff on Facebook from professing Christians rather than Scripture itself. Lots of it is cotton candy about self:  "I have it in me to do what it takes."  Isn't this what got Satan cast out of Heaven and Adam and Eve the Garden?  "Today the Lord wants to tell you that the trouble you have been having is about to come to an end."  "Share this post and you will get a big sum of money!"  Actually, Jesus promised me the opposite."These things I have spoken unto you , that in Me you might have peace.  In the world you shall have tribulation:  but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."  John 16:33.  My stability is in Him in the midst of the trouble He said would surely come. 

When Nehemiah returned from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall, he gave specific orders.  "Those who built the wall and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other hand a weapon."  (Nehemiah 4:17)  They had to work with weapons in hand because they had mockers and scoffers who tried to undermine their work - and who were not part of the team.  They were outsiders commissioned by the devil himself to try to put a stop to the Lord's work.  Many of today's mockers and scoffers should not be coming from inside the Church - but they are.  The weapons are being pointed at one another rather than the true enemy who has crept in because people aren't paying attention.  

A couple years ago I contacted a prominant Christian book sales company to call them out on the many heretical titles they were peddling.  I asked them if they truly paid attention to how these authors were not in line with Scripture.  The response?  "We want to offer as much as possible and not offend."  I said, "So you're more worried about offending people than offending God?"  My words fell to the ground.  Walk into any Christian book store and you will find more carnival fare than meat, and even that must be hunted down.

Several years ago, a pastor challenged me with these words:  Do you read the Bible for what it says or for what you want it to say?  From that point on, I became - by the grace of God - more concerned about what the Word actually says than the opinions of men.  Now, however, according to many brothers and sisters in Christ, I have become a trouble maker who is too obsessed with discernment.  

My apologies to the person who coined this as I don't know who it is so I cannot give credit where credit is due, but I love this.  "Love isn't always truthful, and Truth isn't always loving."  

We have to press on.  We cannot be remiss in continuing to sound the shofar.  If I love people as Christ tells me to, I will continue to send out the warnings along with my brothers and sisters in Christ who are interested in walking carefully and patiently possessing their souls.  (Luke 21:19)

"You will be hated by everyone because of Me, but those who stand firm to the end will be saved."  Matthew 10:22

I am sharing a link to an article by Warren B. Smith who well understands the times we are in.
http://www.submergingchurch.com/2012/07/24/discernment-detractors-calling-good-evil/

The SAT ain't the boss of me!

My friend (a fellow homeschool mom) and I were in the car this afternoon discussing her daughter’s future college plans. Her daughter, who will be graduating next spring, has said that she doesn’t want to have to take the SAT.  I had also mentioned that I am not sure my younger son really truly needs to take geometry.  Why?  Because unless someone is going into a field which requires one to memorize lots of facts (like the medical field or engineering and such), one can get the answer for anything on the web.  And, even if they do take these classes in high school, what are the chances that they would have to look them up again?  Again, this does not apply to neurosurgery.  I would hope that my surgeon would not have to pull out Brain Surgery for Dummies  - 2014 Ed.  while he’s operating.  “Hang on.  I have the cerebellum chapter book-marked in here somewhere… Oops.  I spilled coffee on that page.”

My kids are not going into any fields that require them to memorize the steps for obtaining the volume of a cone.  If they really need to know, they can look it up.  I am 53 and I have not yet needed to know the volume of a cone.  There are plenty of fields that would require this fun tidbit, but so far my family has not needed it, nor do I foresee it.

We feel the SAT is antiquated.  Again, if a person really needs to know something, look it up.  The SAT covers everything under the sun, but not everything under the sun is going to apply to every major. 

I am not really interested in “being well-rounded” arguments.  I am really interested in what God wants for each life, for His purposes, and then allowing Him to dictate from there.  I have a college degree.  I obtained it before I became a Christian.  Had I to do it over again, my path would have been quite different.  I would not have wasted my time on a liberal arts degree just to net the golden degree ticket.  I would have hopefully put more time and thought about my true calling, and invested in preparing for that.

Of the four years I spent in college, here is my one take-away:  Psych out your professor to see what he really wants, and then give him the answers he wants.  That’s the way to pass tests and get good grades.  Bingo.  Dean’s list, baby!

We are still too immersed in the old school way of learning – literally.  Let’s harken back to when the person who “knew” had the books.  He would teach students lessons from those books that only he owned, and the students would have to memorize everything if they wanted to apply what they learned because they didn’t own the books.    In 2014, everything we need to know is just a tap away on the keyboard.  

I suggest we rethink how we educate and why.   What do we truly need to accomplish our goals?  I especially challenge the Christians of the home school community to be less concerned about trying to mirror the world, and worry more about the souls of men. 

“…of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.”   Ecc. 12:12

What Does Light Have to Do With Darkness?

When I was a little girl, I was obsessed with all things scary:  Dark Shadows*, movies, books, ghost stories, etc.  I don't know why, because I have such a sensitive spirit and these things...disturbed me.  My parents forbid me to watch Dark Shadows, so I would watch it at my friend's house.  None of these things helped me.  They only served to feed any fears in my heart and embed images in my brain that I cannot erase.

I did not grow up in a Christian home.  My mom and dad were good parents and wanted the best for their kids.  I credit them for wanting to keep me from things that only fueled my unrest.  But I was given neither the reasons for needing to avoid these things, nor the tools to deal with them.

The Lord delivered me out of darkness of futility and sin when I was 24.  When the light of Christ showed up in the prison of my heart, I was unshackled and freed.  When I say shackled, picture the ghost of Jacob Marley: miserable, directionless, fettered.  Charles Wesley explained it best in his hymn "And Can it Be":

"Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray -
I woke, the dungeon filled with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee."

Those of us who are truly born again can name a specific time in our lives when Christ set us free. We can vividly recall the circumstances, and how we were noticeably changed.  Gone for me was the desire to have anything to do with things that were stressful, such as scary books, movies, and such.  Why add stress to a life that has its own share by default?

It grieves me that many Christians try to justify their engagement with such things.  "It's just a story."  "They bother some people but they don't bother me."  But do these activities glorify God?  We can all agree that most publishing houses and film production companies are not in cahoots with the Lord, so why should they at all be interested in what He cares about?  We Christians who study the Word know that prior to the fall, Adam and Eve lived in perfect union with God in His paradise.  There was nothing to mar His reflection in anything He made because it was all good.  Pride and independence cost them their very lives, and God cursed all of creation.  We can be sure He is grieved about having to do that, but we are given the good news that He is anxious to redeem it.  Romans 8:19-20 says, "For the anxious longing of creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope..."

How do we obtain that hope?  Only through the Cross, where Christ has defeated sin and death.  That does not just mean the redemption of men, but the future removal of anything accursed when the old heaven and the old earth pass away.  When I, for the sake of entertainment, set my eyes on and take into my brain the things that are accursed - that can never be erased from the hard drive once they're in there - I am spitting into the face of the Savior Who died to free us from all darkness.

Why seek fear when Christ tells us that He has cast it aside?  "There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment.  He that fears is not made perfect in love."  I John 4:18

Why do we seek anything other than the peace of Christ?  "For He Himself is our peace..." Eph. 2:14

Why dance with the prince of darkness in a wedding dress?  "Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"  2 Cor. 6:14

I cannot honestly sit and enjoy a horror movie with Christ and expect that He will engage Himself.  I don't think He would leave the theater and tell His friends that it topped the box office sales for the weekend - the same Christ Who defeated sin and darkness and Who is coming again to put an end to this present curse.  I cannot look into His eyes while digging through the garbage looking for something to eat when He has prepared good food for me.

*Dark Shadows, for all you youngsters, was a soap opera back in the 60's and 70's about a vampire and his family.