Letters from One Devil to Another

C.S. Lewis is widely recognized as one of the leading Christian writers of the last century. Among his many popular works is one titled, The Screwtape Letters. This collection of 31 letters are written by the character Screwtape, an older devil in Satan's civil service. Screwtape writes these letters to his nephew, a young devil named Wormwood, who is just entering into hell's work. In these letters, the veteran Screwtape is giving advice to the novice Wormwood, who has just been assigned his first "patient."  It is a fascinating look at temptation from the perspective of the tempter.

One of the many insightful passages in the book concerns C.S. Lewis's observation of how Christians view the demonic world:

"There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel and excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight." 

Actually, our view of demons and spiritual warfare should be somewhere between these two extremes. Is spiritual warfare a reality? Absolutely! Therefore, we must prepare for it (see Ephesians 6:10-18 and 1 Peter 5:8-9). But should we be blaming every temptation we face upon some unseen demonic tempter (a.k.a. "the demon of fear," "the demon of lust," or "the demon of anger)? Of course not! Not only do we struggle against the temptation of the Evil One (and his hordes), but we also struggle against our sinful flesh and the evil world system in which we live. So ... get ready to do battle, for the spiritual battle will come. But don't obsess about it! Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus as you run the race set before you (Hebrews 12:1-2)!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

So What Is Fearing God All About?

Over and over again, the Scripture talks about fearing God (Genesis 22:12; Job 1:8; Proverbs 1:7; 1 Peter 2:17). But what does it mean to fear God? I am afraid most Christians today would be hard pressed to give  any answer that comes close to the biblical meaning of fearing God. In his book, More Precious than Gold: 50 Daily Meditations on the Psalms, author Sam Storms offers the best definition for fearing God that I have ever run across.  Take a moment to read what he has to say ... and then come back and read it again.

"To fear God means to live conscious of his all-pervasive presence, conscious of our absolute, moment-by-moment dependence on him for light and life, conscious of our comprehensive responsibility to do all he has commanded, fearful of offending him, determined to obey him (Deuteronomy 6:1–2, 24; 8:6; Psalm 112:1; 119:63; Malachi 3:5), and committed to loving him (Deuteronomy 10:12, 20; 13:4)."

So .... do YOU truly fear God?

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

A Lesson We Must Learn

The child sex scandal that has rocked Penn state University has evoked a moral outcry from sports fans and non sports fans alike. And rightly so. The alleged acts of abuse and the subsequent coverup by university officials is shameful. My heart goes out to the victims who have suffered and their families. I, too, wish Joe Paterno had done more!

 There is one "takeaway" from this mess (among several that I could offer you) that I would like you to think about, and that is this: sin always complicates life (for it is very destructive in nature). In addition, covering up sin leads to even more grief (for a biblical illustration of this, consider King David's experience of sin and coverup as detailed in 2 Samuel 11:1-27 and Psalm 32:3-5).

So the next time you sin - don't seek to coverup - rather OWN UP! Turn from your sin and confess it to God (1 John 1:9). And if you must take other actions (restitution, confrontation, etc.), ask God for the courage to do whatever you should do ... no matter the consequences. It's the right thing ... and e God-honoring thing to do!

Thanks for stoping by,
 pj

Thursday A La Carte

Thursday means .... a bunch of stuff to get you thinking ... or smiling ... or ....

1. Angry Birds is a wildly successful e-game ... how successful? Would you believe people around the WORLD collectively spend 300 million minutes EACH DAY playing this game? What does this say about the world in which we live?  Check it out here. 

2. Can you thrive in a marriage that isn't?  Counselor Julie Lowe gives solid insight as she answers this question. 


3. As Thanksgiving approaches, you may want to check out this book for children on the native American Squanto. It is written by the same author who has written the recent bestsellers on William Wilberforce and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Check out info here!   You can also go right to the Amazon.com link for the book right here. 

4. On a lighter side ... a brief video that got me laughing about household finances! 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Indiana Wants Me

Indiana Wants Me is the title of a song written and originally recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter R. Dean Taylor. The song came out in 1970 and became a top ten singles hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The song is written about a man who is wanted for murder in the state of Indiana. So as much as he wants to return to family and friends in Indiana ... because he is wanted by the law there ... he knows he cannot return. 


Every time I must head to Indiana for Grace College and Seminary Board meetings, I think of this song. Indiana wants me (at least Grace College and Seminary do!) ... but unlike the man in the song ... I must go. So I will be heading to Winona Lake, Indiana today (I have chosen to drive the 600 miles) and returning Saturday evening. Please be in prayer for the 20 or so board members and the senior administration as we meet to discuss some exciting initiatives that are on the table for the schools. In these challenging economic times, equipping young people with the tools needed to live for God's glory in this ever increasing secular society is a real challenge. Ask God to grant us the wisdom and the faith we need to make the decisions that will further God's work among, in and through the students of Grace College and Seminary. 


Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Simplify Your Spiritual Life!

"Does your spiritual life sometimes seem more like a burden than a blessing? Does your spirituality seem to exhaust you as often as ti refreshes you? Have your spiritual practices become 'just another thing to do' in an already overcrowded, stress-filled schedule? If so, then you need to simplify your spiritual life."

This words are among the opening words of Don Whitney's book, Simplify Your Spiritual Life: Spiritual Disciplines for the Overwhelmed.  It is a book that I have read more than once! I highly recommend it to you. In reading what Whitney has to say and applying some of his insights to your daily life, you may just find that rest that Jesus promises in Matthew 11:28-30!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

A Prayer for Today - the Lord's Day

One of my favorite devotional books is a collection of Puritan prayers. The book is titled, The Valley of Vision. Here is a portion of one of these prayers that deals with the Lord's Day (Sunday).

O Lord, my Lord, 

Give me in rich abundance the blessings the Lord’s Day was designed to impart;

May my heart be fast bound against worldly thoughts or cares;

Flood my mind with peace beyond understanding;

may my meditations be sweet,

my acts of worship life, liberty, joy,

my drink the streams that flow from thy throne,

my food the precious Word,

my defense the shield of faith,

and may my heart be more knit to Jesus.

Amen.

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj