The Enemy of Joy

Today begins a three-part series on a topic that might seem strangely out of place in a blog built around the theme of Joy.  What does a discussion of demonic powers have to do with joy, anyway?

The discussion would be a real downer if it weren't for the victory Jesus won over Satan when He died on the cross and rose again. That victory made joy possible for us. Without it, talk about joy would be nothing more than wishful thinking or a cruel false promise. Jesus' victory is real, and we can live in freedom and joy because of it, but we need to be informed about and aware of our spiritual enemy, or that joy will remain shrouded in darkness for us.

Satan’s demonic forces are active in our world.  They operate with strong authority, at the present time, in all systems of human government and society, deceiving influential people, encouraging human greed and selfishness, and promoting violence and destruction, especially against defenceless and vulnerable people.

Demonic spiritual forces affect individuals as well as world systems.  Some of us suffer more extensively at the hands of the enemy than others, depending on our life experiences and family backgrounds.  Life experiences may be either negative things that have happened to us without our consent, or the result of bad personal or moral choices we have made.  Often they are both. 

In any case, Christ died to deliver all people from the bondage of Satan’s rule.  Those who acknowledge their need for that deliverance and receive Christ as their Saviour and Lord are given the legal right to live under Christ’s authority, and receive freedom from Satan’s rule.  However, this freedom does not come automatically when we receive Christ.

Demonic forces continue to operate, without authority, in the lives of many Christians.  Though Satan has lost the right to rule in a Christian’s life, he can continue to “squat” in the territory until he is evicted.  We need to understand the power of the cross and the resurrection, and we need to know how to lay claim to Christ’s victory, or Satan will run roughshod over us.  He has no scruples!

Many Christians are at a disadvantage in that they don’t even realize that Satan’s forces are active players in their lives.  They don't recognize spiritual attacks when they come.  It’s important for us to understand how the demonic operates, as well as how to live victoriously over it. 

If you've been suffering intense spiritual or emotional pain and you're not sure what's causing it, you may be in the middle of a spiritual war without knowing it.  I hope these blog posts help you find the freedom Jesus died to give you.  As you discover that freedom, you'll be able to enter into a deep joy and peace that will bless you in ways you might never have imagined. 

This is the life God wants for you.  God bless you as you seek to find it.


Look for the next post on Friday: How Satan Operates

History in a Nutshell

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."

Psalm 107:1

All of human history is summarized in Psalm 107.  The history of individuals, of nations, of civilizations, are all represented by the scenarios described here. 

History is shaped by the choices, actions and interactions of individual human beings, and the story of humans on earth, whether recorded for us to study and interpret, or lost in the destruction of time and tyranny, follows the cycle of life the Psalmist portrays in Psalm 107.

The cycle goes like this: 

1)  Human beings become lost.  They wander, rebel against their Creator, become imprisoned in darkness, and generally get themselves into devastating situations way beyond their control. 

2)  They cry out in their pain. 

3)  God hears their cry and rescues them.

4)   They enjoy relief from their struggles.

Until the cycle begins again.

We see this in the recorded history of world civilizations.  We see this in our own personal histories.

Not all pain and darkness is the direct result of our own personal stupidity or sin, of course.  The psalmist addresses this fact.  He talks about human oppression, and how God deals with the oppressor.  But the overall message is that all our pain, deserved or undeserved, is meant to become the vehicle that drives us back to our Creator. 

And He is faithful, forever. 

"Let all who are wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord."

Psalm 107:43

A Not-So-Perfect Storm

See my new baby netbook? Cute, eh?

I didn't get it without a fight.

A week ago I was storming around the house because I was NOT getting my way. I'd found the perfect little laptop and was all set to rush out and buy it, but Dennis said I needed to wait and think about it first.

My husband, unlike me, moves at the speed of molasses in January. All my arguments (I had done my research, this was the ONLY one that would work for me, and I needed it before the writer's conference I was going to the end of the month) fell on stubbornly deaf ears.

Now I have to say my "storming around the house" was not a literal storming. I've matured a lot since the day I slammed my office door so hard the family picture fell off the wall, broke the glass, and gouged Dennis' smiling face in the photo. But I was frustrated, rebellious and bitter, and the storm lasted an hour or so before the sun broke through and I was able to let go and get on with my life.

Then, a couple of days later, I happened across another netbook in Future shop that was $200 cheaper and just as good as the one I'd had my eye on before the storm.

It was a white one--the only white one left--the display model. I was pretty sure I needed a white one.

By this time Dennis was reconciled to the fact that $300 of our hard-earned wages was ultimately going to have to go there, so we were able to agree on this purchase without a storm.

I've come a long way. For the most part, now, I manage my life without temper tantrums. One of these days I might even cut the wait time between passion and peace to a few seconds: the exact amount of time it takes to surrender my desires to the Lord and trust Him to work them out, in His time and way.

Meanwhile, I'll repent, ask God to help me grow up, relax into forgiveness, and work at trying to figure out how to turn this thing on.

Vampire Protection

So as for spending time in God's Word (see previous post), I'm in a dilemma. I KNOW it's important, and a good thing to do, so it should be easy, right? I should be jumping at the chance to do it. For pleasure, even.

But instead I feel driven, in an anxious way, to take time to read my Bible every day. It feels so legalistic. I should simply be able to relax into the joy of spending time with Jesus, but I can't. I'm driven to the activity, rather than being drawn to it. Kind of like a vampire is driven to suck blood, not for pleasure (it can't be that much fun), but because of an unhealthy addiction (unhealthy for the victims, at least).

Yuk! My apologies for the disturbing content of this post. Vampires are on my mind because my friend, Kate Zimmerman, reviewed a vampire novel in her column in our local paper yesterday.

So that's my dilemma. Here's my diagnosis: I think the drivenness comes out of a mixture of pride and fear.

PRIDE: Reading your Bible every day is what good Christians should do, and I want to maintain the image.

FEAR: The vampirish pull of the secular society around me is so strong I’m afraid it will suck out my soul if I don’t fight back with a daily dose of eternal wisdom. In this crazy culture, I need a daily reminder that God is sovereign, even though He seems to have given us an endlessly long piece of rope with which to hang ourselves.

Sigh. So when do I get to enjoy the healthier motivation? Maybe not until heaven. I can see myself sitting down with Jesus then, when the reasons for pride and fear have been dealt with once and for all, and enjoying a pleasant visit over a spot of tea.

Meanwhile, here's my frantically acquired dose of vampire protection for today:

“I give eternal life to them; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

So says Jesus, in John 10:28-30.

What Joy Is and What It Isn't

“Joy is not an emotion. Joy is a settled certainty that God is in control.” *

I'm not a Calvinist. At least I don't think I am.** But I love this statement about joy. I remember when the truth that God is in control finally settled deeply enough into my soul that joy came to live there as well. For good.

It was an unconscious thing, the deep receiving of this Truth, and the amazing, surprising side benefit of receiving the Joy. It probably happened over time, as I read and meditated upon and therefore subconsciously absorbed Scriptures that reinforced this truth.

I became indoctrinated with the Truth.

We need to allow the Holy Spirit to indoctrinate us with Truth.

We can only do that by spending time in His Word.

* From The Joy of Calvinism, by Greg Forster as reviewed by Joan Nienhuis.

** Now I'll get a sermon about this from my retired, Presbyterian minister-cousin, Rol, I'm sure!

Shameless Audacity

That's how we're supposed to pray: with "shameless audacity." Jesus said so in Luke 11.

No shame. And with "intrepid boldness." (Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary).

That's His admonition to them when his disciples ask Him to teach them to pray.

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will YOUR FATHER in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Exclamation point is in the text.)

Lord, fill us to overflowing with your Holy Spirit today!

The Journey, Zinovy's and Mine

A friend just did a great video interview with me about Zinovy's Journey. If you'd like to learn more about the process and the motivation behind the writing of the book, you're welcome to view the interview at "Going Home."

I miss the opportunity to post more to this blog, but life is consuming me right now. I don't even have time to write about it. It's a good (God) thing, but limits what I have time to do on the side.

Please keep being my friend on this blog. I intend to post more one of these days, if you have the patience to wait.