What Has Been Will Be Again

     Wow!  Has the world gone mad, or what?  I am totally blown away by some of the things I have read and heard in the last 24 hours.  To begin with, I read a fascinating article by Benjamin Soloway on the ForeignPolicy.com website.  First of all, the title is enough to make you want to hide under the covers ... "You Don't Have to Watch 'Jurassic World' To See Bioengineered Animal Weapons."
     Mr. Soloway, in a compelling and informative article, relates how -- once again -- Hollywood forecasts what is going on behind the scenes of the real world.  In the fourth installment of the Jurassic Park series of films, we see how far the storyline has progressed.  (Don't worry, I'm not going to give away all the details of the plot).

Jurassic World's hybrid dinosaur, D-Rex

     In the first movie, scientists bring dinosaurs back to life by filling in the gaps in recovered dinosaur DNA with genetic material from frogs. But in Jurassic World, scientists take these experiments a step further, when they realize they can create dinosaurs more to their liking through genetic manipulation — and that the newly engineered dinosaurs might be put to use by the military-industrial complex.  It's always about the money, isn't it?
     No one is making the assertion that scientists are about to figure out a way to bring the dinosaurs back; at least not yet.  But Soloway points out the film is not far off in its assumptions about the militarization of genetic science.  Are you willing to consider that the United States’ military is already experimenting with genetically engineered animals for war?  Why not?
     In her 2013 book, titled Frankenstein’s Cat: Cuddling Up to Biotech’s Brave New Beasts, author Emily Anthes related that in 2006, DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) asked scientists “to develop technology to create insect-cyborgs” capable of carrying surveillance equipment or weapons.  (That has been documented by current "insect drones").  In the past decade, the agency has encouraged and funded research into methods that can let humans control insects and mammals through electronic impulses to the brain, and through genetic modifications to the nervous systems of insects to make them easier to manipulate.  Why is it so outlandish to consider the possibility that animals could be genetically modified to do the military's bidding?  Makes you think differently about the rider of the Pale Horse and the Fourth Seal in the Book of Revelation, doesn't it?   They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.  Could this prophecy be describing a military power using conventional weapons, biological weapons, and genetically-engineered "beasts" as weapons?  It's enough to give me pause.
     Now, switch gears with me and consider an odd little segment on Fox News, in which psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow was commenting on the ongoing controversy regarding Rachel Dolezal's self-identificaton as a black woman.  Dr. Ablow warned that we are entering dangerous territory when we allow people to identify with whatever they "feel" closely associated with, instead of using their genetic and biological identities.  We have to ask the question, "How far is society willing to go?"  Dr. Ablow pointed out that the culture has quickly embraced "transgender", thanks to Bruce Jenner; and now with the uproar over the Dolezal affair, "transracial" has entered the public conversation.  What's next -- "transpecies"?  I'm paraphrasing here, but he actually suggested that someone could identify with an animal, and in this moment's cultural climate, it would be acceptable to genetically modify that person in order to produce a tail!
     I almost fell off my chair when he presented that possibility!  How many of us Christians have been ridiculed for believing that the Bible reveals the existence of hybrids through genetic manipulation?  How many times have we been scorned for suggesting that the cave drawings and reliefs and statues at ancient historical sites were actually depictions of real creatures, and not just some mythological fable?
     What concerns me most is that all these conversations are lacking an important element ... God!!!  Frankly, I am tired of hearing all the commentators and their "politically correct" assessment of these troubled people.  I'm waiting for one ... just one! ... person to stand up and ask, "But what do you think God, their Creator, thinks of their confused identity?"  And I think that is the crux of the situation ... they have been "confused" by Satan, whom Jesus called "the prince of this world".  And how have they become so easily fooled and deluded?  It is exactly for the reasons that Jesus tell us ... "because they cannot bear to hear My word."  And because our culture has rejected God, they desire all the things that the devil is whispering in their ears.  The sad thing is that the devil has nothing to do with the truth.  They are simply adopting his nature, which is a lie ... and that fits right in with their mistaken identities.  It's all a lie.  And it's all been done before.  Too bad they won't hear the Word and know how God dealt with the corrupted DNA in the past, and how He plans on dispensing His judgment this time!

Ecclesiastes 3:15   "Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account."
   

Which Battle Are You Prepared To Fight?

     I was having a discussion with my husband, Peace-Loving Warrior, the other day, and it went something like this ...

ME:  With all these crazy headlines -- meteors slamming into the earth; financial collapse coming; EMP possibilities; threats from Russia; domestic race wars; the encroaching police state, etc., etc. -- is there anything specific we need to turn our attention to?
PLW:  At this point, nothing much more is going to matter.
ME:  We will just go with what we have, put on our armor, and rely on God, right?
PLW:  That's our best plan.

     There was a time; 2008 to be exact, when we would have spent anxious hours planning every detail of our "prepper" plan.  We wanted to escape the "expendable" and "throw-away" mindset of our American generation, and return to the sustainable lifestyle of our grandparents.  We wanted to embrace the lost traditions and skills that allowed past generations to perpetuate and preserve things of value.  We didn't want to take anything for granted -- and that included our ability to provide food, shelter, and protection in any storm that threatened our lives.

     But it is now 7 years later, and I feel comfortable in my ability to think critically and solve problems.  I know how to garden, can my own food, start a wood fire, defend myself, and most importantly, do without.  I know I can withstand hardships and I am prepared to live a simpler, less complicated life.  In regard to the above conversation with my husband, this is what "we have to go with", and it's going to be enough.  And that's because I've also discovered in these last few years that it won't be the "things" I have or can do, but my faith that will be my most important asset.  And that's a subject that has been a new revelation to me, as well.
    You see, I want to make it clear that we are not among those Christians who said, "I don't need to do any planning or learn any new skills.  I'm just going to rely on God, because He says He will take care of us."  No, we used the brains He gave us, listened to the Holy Spirit, and completed the instructions we were given.  But we also heard the message that saving this life is not our ultimate goal; that we are to do all we can to help people, tell them about Jesus, and stand tall during our coming trials.
     That doesn't mean that we are to put all our efforts into the fight to keep this life, but we are to live what remains of it to the glory of God.  And to that point, I am sensing a growing split among the Christian community. There are those who are staunchly in the Prepper camp; who are relying on God and their physical efforts to deliver them from this world's troubles.  While believing that God is Sovereign, they are buying as much gold and silver as they can, stocking up on food and ammo, while they plan their exit strategy to a "safe place" out of the country... because God told them that's how they were to prepare.
     Then there are those who are discerning that the real battle that must be won is spiritual.  It's not that they aren't physically prepared, but they see the bigger picture; and what we need to be preparing to fight are the spiritual enemies of God's chosen.  These Christians are preparing to win the coming battles by putting on the armor of God, rather than relying on all their tactical gear and maneuvering abilities.
     In fact, those in the Christian Prepper camp don't want to hear about the Christian Spiritual Warfare camp ... it's too scary and bad for business, so to speak. Christians, generally speaking, don't have a clue that there is even a spiritual battle to be fought.  Satan has fooled them into keeping their eyes downcast and focused on their fellow man and his tactics.  That leaves us all -- Believers and Unbelievers, alike -- completely vulnerable to the real Enemy's attacks.
     As you've heard it said so often, Satan's time is short and he is ready to take as many of us out of the fight as he can, NOW!  And that means attacking us in ways we don't see coming ... through the loss of spouses, parents, children, pets, jobs, health ... and in ways we aren't prepared to defend ourselves.
     So, while I have not abandoned my new skill sets, and still look for bargains on life's necessities at the grocery store, both PLW and I have studied the ways to fight back in the spiritual war that is clearly being waged.  Our armor is not anything that can be seen with the naked eye; our physical enemies will not find us intimidating.  But we plan on being on the front lines of the spiritual battle, and it is that victory we confidently seek.  You see, we know there is a war coming, and there will be many horrendous battles to fight.  But the war in which we are being prepared to fight is in the spiritual realms, and our power will come from the throne room of God, and in the name of His Son, Yeshua.  So, I agree with PLW ... we'll go with what we've got.  It's a plan I can live with ... eternally.

2 Corinthians 10:4    "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds."

 

Everywhere You Look, It's Double-Mindedness

   

     Does anyone really know who they are anymore?  Is there anyone who is confident in their identity; or who is committed and unwavering in their individual selfhood?  Or has the whole society decided to let themselves be blown about by whatever the culture is fixated on?
     I mean, just look at all the people who are now doubting their gender, and don't want to identify as the one they were born with (preferring to be called transgender) ... or they don't want to be labeled with any gender, for that matter!  We have a whole new lexicon that just appeared out of nowhere; did you know that you were not simply born a man or a woman?  Now you're referred to as "cis-gender".  The official definition is "denoting or relating to a person whose self-identity conforms with the gender that corresponds to their biological sex."  But the important qualifier to that translation is the addition of the phrase "not transgender" -- as if THAT is either the norm, or equal to it!
     In fact, in our increasingly perverted culture, the word cis-gender actually exists to serve as an equal to transgender. Think of it as a parallel to the use of the words homosexual and heterosexual.  It used to be that people were single-minded in their identities.  They were uncompromising and sure about who they were.  But now it is permissible -- no, even encouraged -- to doubt oneself, or to adopt multiple identities.  So much so, that there are now over 10 ways to identify yourself on Facebook, gender-wise that is.  I kid you not!  Among these designations are the following:  you can either be bigender (identifying as two different genders); cis-gender (which I would label normal); FTM (Female to Male) indicating you were assigned female at birth, but are transitioning to male; gender fluid (flowing between gender identities; however you feel that day); non-binary (meaning you don't want to assign either femaleness or maleness to yourself, indicating there might even be another gender assignment out there); and two-spirit (describing someone who embodies both the spirits of a man and a woman) -- that is truly frightening!  These are just a few; you can check out all the various options here, if you dare.
     But don't think that the "trans" or "cis" identifiers are just for the question of gender.  Now, it seems that you can be transracial or cis-racial.  Take the incredibly bizarre story of Rachel Dolezal, the Spokane, Washington, NAACP president, who claimed to be Black, but whose parents outed her as a white woman.  Does it seem to you that there should be no question as to her true identity?  Not so, to MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry, who wondered aloud on her show, if Dolezal “might actually be black.”  According to Harris-Perry,  "There is a useful language in "trans" and "cis", which is just to say [that] some of us are born cis-gendered, some of us are born trans-gendered.  But I wonder ... can it be that one would be cis-black and trans-black; that there is actually a different category of blackness, about the achievement of blackness, despite one’s parentage?”
     But listen to the authenticity of Dolezel's parents statement:  “Rachel has wanted to be somebody she’s not,” Ruthanne Dolezal, Rachel’s mother, told a local TV station. “She’s chosen not to just be herself, but to represent herself as an African-American woman or a biracial person. And that’s simply not true.”

      And there you have it ... our culture is becoming one that is not interested in the Truth.  Whether that truth lies in who they are racially or who they were born to be -- they don't want to be held to any standards and want to be free to follow their base inclinations and desires.  Little do they know that it leads to a life of profound instability, and what the Bible calls Double-mindedness.
     A double-minded person is restless and confused in his thoughts, his actions, and his behavior. Such a person is always in conflict with himself. One torn by such inner conflict can never lean with confidence on God and His gracious promises, which is where the real Truth lies.  Take for instance, those teachers in Pennsylvania who spent a one-day tax-payer funded workshop attending a mosque and learning the ins and outs of Islamism, including the call to prayer and bowing to Allah.  (Can you imagine the screams of "separation of church and state" if the teachers had attended a workshop on Christianity and participated in a baptism?!?)
     All of this compromise and doubting and acceptance of multiple choices leads to instability and a half-hearted commitment.  As the website GotQuestions.org points out, "We cannot be both certain and doubting, as is the double-minded person. One part of his mind is sure of something, while the other part doubts. It brings to mind the “pushmi-pullyu” of the Dr. Doolittle stories, an animal with a head at either end of its body and which was constantly trying to walk in two directions at once. Such is the double-minded man."
     Mankind needs to come to the rapid realization that God will not grant His blessings upon those who are double-minded. As Jesus pointedly declared, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”  That applies to the current issues of gender, race, and faith.  We would do well to remember that God is a jealous God.  He is single-minded in His demand for loyalty and obedience.  He will not accept a mind and heart that He has to share with Satan.

James 1:8    "[For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides]."







   
   

A Shared and Committed Faith

     I am deeply saddened to read in The Christian Post that Iranian-American Pastor Saeed Abedini has been “viciously beaten” by other prisoners, and punched in the face in what appears to be an unprovoked attack in the Iranian prison where he is being held.  The suffering and persecution he has received for his Christian faith seems as if it will never end.

   According to his wife, Pastor Abedini's "life is continuously threatened not only because he is an American, but also because he is a convert from Islam to Christianity."  A brief review of his history, shows that Saeed Abedini is a former Muslim who converted to Christianity in 2000 in his native Iran.  In 2002, he met and married his wife Naghmeh, an American citizen. In the early 2000s, the Abedinis became prominent in the house church movement in Iran, at a time when the movement was tolerated by the Iranian government.  With the election of Mahmoud Ahmedinejad in 2005, however, the house church movement was subjected to a crackdown by Iranian authorities and the Abedinis moved back to the United States. In 2009, during a visit back to Iran to visit his family, he was briefly detained, interrogated about his conversion to Christianity, and threatened with death.  He was ultimately released after signing an agreement to discontinue any association with the house church movement in Iran.
     After becoming an ordained minister in the U.S. in 2008, and gaining his U.S. citizenship in 2010, Pastor Abedini continued humanitarian work in Iran, in which he was permitted to freely work, as long as it was not related to religious doctrine.  In July 2012, Abedini made his ninth trip to Iran since 2009 to visit his family and continue his work to build an orphanage in the city of Rasht. While in the country, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confiscated his passports and placed him under house arrest. He was later transferred to Evin Prison, where he has been incarcerated since.
     In a way, Abedini has become the face of Christian persecution in the Middle East, as well as a symbol of the West's lack of pressure in demanding that prisoners of religious persecution be released.  And perhaps because I am about to begin a personal study with my home church group on the Acts of the Apostles, I can't help but compare the good Pastor's journey with that of a previous Christian prisoner and enemy of the State, the Apostle Paul.
     Like Paul, who founded numerous churches first-hand, and is indirectly responsible for countless others through his apprentices, Saeed Abedini is credited with establishing about 100 house churches in 30 Iranian cities with more than 2,000 members.
     Iran, much like ancient Rome, seeks to suppress any movement that 1) threatens the tyranny of the  State government, and 2) contradicts the worship of their State religion, Islam.  In Rome's case, they objected to the growing Christian movement because it was in opposition to their pagan deities; in Iran, it is illegal for Christians to proselytize or evangelize to Muslims.  In both Empires, Christianity is a threat to oppression, despotic injustice, and the State cult.

    Yet, the Apostle Paul and Pastor Saeed Abedini were unable to stop sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ ... even on threat of their deaths.  Whether in the year 64 A.D. or 2015 A.D., it is still true that a simple confession of Christian faith is enough to condemn someone to prison and persecution.  Our faith is seen as a subversive act; a rebellion against the established institution.
     In a letter to his wife, Abedini describes a similar prison experience to Paul's:  "This is the process in my life today: one day I am told I will be freed and allowed to see my kids on Christmas (which was a lie) and the next day I am told I will hang for my faith in Jesus ... One day there are intense pains after beatings in interrogations, the next day they are nice to you and offer you candy."  Too often, Saeed's visitations with Iranian family members were abruptly ended, and a cover was put over his eyes and he was returned to the dark room of his prison cell, void of any natural sunlight.
     Paul was, at times, kept under a fairly relaxed house arrest; while at other times it is believed that he spent a cold winter in the Mamertine prison in Rome; a location that was originally created as a cistern for a spring, and access was through the floor of the second lower level. Prisoners were lowered through an opening into the lower dungeon, where he was kept in total darkness.
     Pastor Abedini has been imprisoned for over two years, and just like Paul, it appears that “justice delayed is justice denied.”  Both the Pastor and the noble Apostle's fate lay in the hands of a government hostile to the growing influence of their faith.
     Like Paul, fellow Believers in the Faith are praying for Saeed Abedini and his deliverance from persecution.  But, also like Paul, Saeed is on record as being a single-minded soldier of the Faith:  "I forgave the prison doctor who did not listen to me and did not give me the medication that I needed. I forgave the interrogator who beat me,” he wrote in a letter to his family. “Every day when I would see the interrogator and for the last time when I saw him, I forgave him. I smiled at him and with respect shook his hand and I said my goodbye."  Even in captivity and imprisonment, he lives his life by the example Christ showed us.  Like the Apostle Paul and all the persecuted Christians throughout history, Pastor Abedini is not afraid to die; and it is because of his hope in the resurrection.
     And like the growing number of Christian martyrs in the Middle East who accept death rather than renounce their faith in Jesus, hell is more frightening than their killers.  Can you say the same?  Would you be able to say, as Pastor Abedini has said:  "When we forgive, we become free and we become messengers of peace and reconciliation and goodness. And whoever stings us, we can take into our embrace and love them. And in this dark and evil time, we can live full of love and full of peace and full of joy and shine like the stars! So, forgive them and use the antidote of love and be Victorious! Glory be to His Name."
     So, please, at some point during this day, take a moment and speak to the Lord on behalf of this courageous and obedient Pastor and his family.  As the American Center for Law and Justice has reported, Pastor Saeed Abedini was sentenced by Judge Pir-Abassi – known as the “hanging judge” — for “threatening the national security of Iran through his leadership in Christian house churches.”  It's a charge as old as the Church, and still as threatening to Satan and his minions in this world.  Pray that this committed man of God will continue to find his strength in the Lord and that God will send an army of angels to surround his prison cell and protect him.  Better yet, let's pray that like the other imprisoned Apostles in Acts, Chapter 5, "the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them forth...".
     
Psalm 107:14   "He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains."

James 1:21-25

21 So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].

23 For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror;

24 For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.

25 But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).

   This is a rather long passage, that is often summarized in the simple axiom, "Be a Doer of the Word, not just a Hearer."  But, as with all Scripture, there are deeper gems that can enrich our souls.  James, the brother of our Lord, makes it clear from the beginning that we are to change our lives and get rid of the ugliness of sin.  In modesty and humbleness, we are to welcome the Word, which is Jesus, Himself, into our hearts.  By hearing the Word spoken, and accepting it, we have access to the supernatural power that can save our souls.

     But James immediately cautions that hearing the Word is not enough.  We must obey the message by following and observing (doing) the commandments God has given us.  And then James gives us a mini-parable about a man who hears the Word without obeying it; he is likened to a man who looks in the mirror and thinks he knows who he is, but when he looks away, he forgets "what he was like".  

     It is the purpose of God's laws and commandments to remind us that we have been saved from our sinful flesh, but those commandments must be acted upon.  Without active efforts to follow the commandments, we forget what we were like, and slip back into what is natural for our flesh. There must be work done on our part to free us from our past.  That involves repentance and an active, physical turning away from our sins... merely hearing the message of God, with no compliance or observance of God's commandments, will only get us so far.

     Here, in simpler terms, is the message:  Hearers (and acceptance) of the Word will gain eternal life and save their souls (verse 21).  But Doers of the Word will gain an inheritance in God's Kingdom (be blessed in their deeds; verse 25).

     Jesus says the same thing in Matthew 7:21-27.  This is the familiar Scripture in which our Lord says, "Not every one that says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father, which is in heaven."   He then goes on to give a short parable of the Two Builders.  Our Lord teaches that the man who hears His sayings (the Word) and does them is like a wise man who builds his house on a rock.  That house withstood all that beat against it, and it didn't fall.  But the man who hears the Lord's sayings and doesn't apply them, or do them, is like a foolish man, whose house is built upon the shifting sands.  When the storms of this life came against that house, it fell.  And Jesus says, "And great was its fall."

     So let me ask you, "What is the house?"  It is the temple of our soul and where the Holy Spirit resides within us.  If we only hear the Word, and thereby accept it, we are assured our eternal salvation.  But Jesus and our Father want more for us.  They want us to experience the freedom that the Law and Commandments afford us.  Think about it ... just hearing that the Lord commands us to keep the Sabbath holy does not provide the blessings that actually keeping the Sabbath as a holy day will do for us.  Simply knowing that the Sabbath is a holy day does not please God.  He wants to see us observing that day as holy, by dedicating it to Him with prayerful study of His Word and seeking Him through time spent with Him.  That's where the blessings come from!

     And, I don't know about you, but I take seriously the cautious word from our Lord that the foolish builder's fall was "great".  That tells me that, although he heard the Word, and was saved, he missed out on so much more that God wanted to give him.  I know this for sure ... I not only want to hear all that Jesus and the Holy Spirit want to impart to me, but I want to be a faithful doer of His Word and commandments, so that I may receive all the blessings that my Father in Heaven has in store for me.  I don't want to miss out on a thing!

    

What Disrespect Has Cost Us

     I've wanted to talk about this idea for awhile, and with all the turmoil we're seeing in our nation, it just seems like the time is now.  Do you remember when, as children, we were taught to call our elders by "Mr." or "Mrs."?  When it seemed impertinent to refer to them by their first names?
    And do you remember when we held the door for women, or helped the elderly carry their groceries, or smiled and said, "hello" when you passed a stranger on the street?  When was the last time that the teenage cashier at your local convenience store thanked you for your purchase, or even met your eyes during the transaction?
     Somehow, in the last 50 years we have allowed the spirit of Disrespect to poison our relations with others.  It has never been more prevalent than the ongoing scorn and rude behavior being displayed to our law enforcement officers.  Has there been some concern about the lack of respect that some of the officers have shown individuals?  The honest answer is "Yes".  But that does not imply that all policemen should receive a blanket indictment of contempt.  The large majority of them do their job well, and I must admit, I would find it hard to show respect and civility to some of our citizens, myself.  But, as mediators between society and unlawfulness, they deserve our respect and admiration.  Without respect for the law and its custodians, we are doomed to chaos and tyranny.
       Now, think about our teachers and educators.  I remember when insolence and rude behavior was not tolerated in the classroom.  You can ask my husband how many times he was paddled for not behaving in school; and that was when a trip to the principal's office was seen as an embarrassment.  But today, according to a teacher's blog on The Guardian website, a poll of more than 1,500 teachers by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) revealed that more than half of teachers in state schools have faced aggression from pupils in the last year, and more than a quarter have experienced it from parents or care-givers. Does anybody else find this appalling?!?
     But, here's the deal ... disrespect in our school systems ranges from acting out in class, to verbal insults, to physical threats.  Those kids have learned that behavior ... either in the home or in the culture.  Haven't you noticed the increasing number of headlines detailing teachers being attacked inside and out of the classroom?  What is happening to our society?  Why the disdain for respect towards others, where did we get so far off track?
     I think we have to look at how, as a society, we have stopped demanding a standard for ourselves; we've eliminated a code of behavior, or a code of honor, morals, scruples, and ethics, if you will.  Somewhere along the line, it was determined that we were too hard on ourselves, and it was time to relax the guidelines a bit.
     But do you see where that line of reasoning has taken us?  It was too difficult to expect (or respect)  a lifelong commitment in marriages, so adultery and divorce were given a green light.  It was too much for our kids to be expected to work hard for good grades, so we taught them to disrespect themselves, disregard education, and then we dumbed them down with the "every kid gets a ribbon" standard.
     Perhaps the biggest social mistake we made was instituting the welfare system, in which the government convinced our citizens that self-respect and dignity were worth nothing.  The poor bought the lie and exchanged the disintegration of their families, and the satisfaction of a hard day's work, for a monthly pittance.  Now disrespect is running rampant; and that same lie, which was generated by the government, is being foisted upon small businesses and successful entrepreneurs.  "You didn't build that" is just the latest manipulation of disrespect against free-thinking and industrious people.
    However, the greatest example of relaxing our standards can be seen in how we treat God.  How do you think He views the wearing of shorts and flip-flops when we come into His House?  What about our relaxing the standards for His shepherds and elders?  And what about how we've turned His Temple into entertainment centers, defiling the holy atmosphere of being in His presence? How we no longer rebuke or discipline sin among the members of the Body of Christ; the "don't ask, don't tell" policy towards abortion, adultery, sexual perversion?  Is the stench of our Disrespect as offensive to your senses as it is to mine -- and as it most assuredly is to YHWH?
     Respect is defined as "a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements."  When we decided that the measure of those abilities, qualities, and achievements should be disregarded in the attempt to make everyone equal, then there was no standard in which to regard each other.  When we decided that those standards could be reduced, or weakened, then there was less to admire about each other.  And when standards begin to crumble, we find that our code of behavior suffers and the results are destructive ... we no longer honor commitments and promises; we think only of ourselves and stop caring about others; and we stop listening and talking to each other.  It all adds up to DISRESPECT.  
     We're paying the price for decades of this harmful mindset; and at this point, I'm not sure we can turn the tide.  Only through the full recognition of all our mistakes, can we begin to reintroduce moral absolutes and a standard of righteousness.  And we can't do it without God.  Reverence towards Him, His House, and His statutes would be a good place to start.

Isaiah 53:6    "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

The Legacy of Anne Frank

     Seventy-three years ago today, a young Jewish girl receives an autograph book for her 13th birthday.  She decides to use it to record her thoughts of the chaos in her world.  That diary would become a defining icon of the manifestation of Evil to millions of people.  I received a copy of Anne Frank: The Dairy of a Young Girl on my thirteenth birthday and it has haunted me ever since.
     As I contemplate the story of Anne Frank and her legacy, I am struck with obvious considerations as I juxtapose what happened during that historic time and what we are facing today.
     For over two years, Anne and her family, along with four others, would hide in "The Secret Annex" above her father's business, in hopes of escaping the growing Nazi threat against Jews, which had driven them from their home in Germany in 1933.  They hoped to start a new life in the Netherlands, but on May 10, 1940, Germany attacked their new country. Five days later, the Netherlands officially surrendered.
     For those who think that the fate of this country, or any other for that matter, cannot change in a matter of hours or days, I ask you to contemplate how quickly it was accomplished in 1940 -- without all the modern-day superiority of military power, or the option of shutting down electronic grids, and utilizing today's surveillance capabilities.
     Would we, in this nation, put up a stronger fight than the neutrality-minded Dutch? How would we react if we saw an occupying force take over our country and begin to round up Jews, or Christians, or Muslims, or homosexuals, or anyone who fit their description of "undesirables"?  Would we see a similar collaboration among our citizens, such as happened when occupiers deported the majority of the Netherland's Jews to Nazi concentration camps, with the cooperation of the Dutch police and civil service?  Or would we be righteous and attempt to hide our neighbors, at great personal risk, such as those who hid and cared for Anne Frank and her family for two years?
    It is not so hard to fathom in today's climate, that with the defeat of the Netherlands, the Nazis immediately passed anti-Jewish laws and edicts, and all hope that the Frank family might be able to leave the country were ended when the borders were closed.  Now, I ask you, if borders could be closed that easily and quickly and completely in the 1940s, what excuse do our politicians have today?  Unlike the Nazi's, who closed the borders to keep a tight control and order on the population, our borders remain open to ensure that destabilization within our country increases.
     As I contemplate, in awe, the effects of a single young woman's thoughts during the most Evil time in modern history, I am struck by the power that one individual can have on the world.  Anne Frank dreamed of becoming a writer, and even hoped to have her diary published after the War.  But in her daily record of her hopes and fears; her ambitions and her apprehensions, she speaks for anyone who has faced the terror of simply trying to survive.  Through her short-lived life and legacy, we see how quickly hate can consume the world, and how easily Satan can tempt us to go along for the ride.
    Consider these words of Lini Grol, a young Dutch girl who lived in the Netherlands during the Nazi occupation ... "In the beginning of the war, they tried to bribe us, more or less; tried to be friendly; trying to talk us into a 'good thing':  Hitler with one united Europe, all one big German Reich... Hitler had promised there would be work.  And indeed there was work, for those who worked with the Germans.  They would do that -- bribe us, more or less.  Then gradually they took everything away.  They took everything we had:  the newspapers, the radios --- and then there was no communication.  Everything was in Hitler's hands.  So they could more or less brainwash us and convince us that everything was fine."  The methodology hasn't changed much, has it?  We've just added the false promises of welfare to the insinuated threats of internet control, and you have the 21st century version of the Reich reincarnated as the New World Order.

Dr. Fritz Klein, a former camp doctor
who conducted medical experiments on prisoners,
 stands among corpses in a mass grave.
Bergen-Belsen, Germany, after April 15, 1945. 

     Throughout the years since the end of WWII, there have been those who deny that the Holocaust was reality, and declare that the story of Anne Frank's diary is a forgery.  But the light cannot be held back by the darkness; the light that was Anne Frank's life resists the power of Evil, and her personal diary delivers a testimony of the abominations of men.
     Her words survived the Holocaust for a reason.  And her tragic death in the Bergen-Belsen death camp could not stop the world from knowing that she existed.  It was 73 years ago today that an unknown 13-year-old Jewish girl would begin an archive that would make her world-famous and pierce the hearts of all moral people.  A few photos and a short video are all that remain of a likeness of Annelies Marie Frank.
     Unbeknownst to her, she would become a published and celebrated author.  She has become a symbol of the millions of children that died in the Holocaust; a voice for the 6 million voiceless who were murdered by Evil personified.  She embodies the human spirit in the midst of horror and humiliation.
     Buy the book for your daughter or grand-daughter.  Teach the Millennial generation that there is real danger in the world.  Teach them that one cannot concede moral or spiritual territory to the evil machinations of man.  Show them the difference that one voice can make, and above all else, let them know about Anne Frank and what she stands for; that she represents this important truth ... "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Psalm 83:1, 3:    "Keep not silence, O God; hold not Your peace or be still, O God ... They lay crafty schemes against Your people and consult together against Your hidden and precious ones."

Part 2: The Church, Homosexuality and Our Changing Culture

   

     Whether we are willing to admit it or not, we are very likely going to see a dramatic change in the fabric of our society this summer if the Supreme Court decides in favor of same-sex marriage.  And between me and you, I think it is a foregone conclusion.  If SCOTUS doesn't flat out declare that traditional marriage, defined as between a man and woman, is no longer the standard for matrimony, it will reach a decision that makes anyone opposing same-sex marriage a violator of federal law under some "equality" qualifier.  So, while it may be presented as an issue of equal rights, it will soon become clear that the foundations of our churches, schools, charities, social institutions and the very foundation of our country will be transformed -- economically, politically, and spiritually.
     The civil aspect of this issue has now eclipsed the moral consideration.  And need I remind you that our increasingly secular society has little regard for absolute morals?  We are being told that all our concern and opposition to un-Biblical mandates will have little or no effect on the nation.  But I would like to remind you of a statement by the Solicitor General of the United States, Donald Verrilli, in which he announced in arguments before the Supreme Court, that religious liberty is directly threatened by the legalization of same-sex marriage.
     When Justice Samuel Alito asked Mr. Verrilli if educational institutions would be effected by their opposition to same-sex marriage, the Solicitor General responded, "It is going to be an issue."  We need to accept that opinion as likely, and we need to understand why.
    A simple appreciation of this answer was expressed by Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Seminary: “The loss of tax-exempt status would put countless churches and religious institutions and schools out of business, simply because the burden of property taxes and loss of charitable support would cripple their ability to sustain their mission.”
     Let's take a broader look at that concept... we are all aware that the coveted 501(c)3 tax-exempt status has kept churches in line whenever they threatened to stand against the culture.  But think about how it will effect not only the church, but the millions of Americans who have come to expect that their charitable contributions to the Church are a safeguard against the formidable burden of personal taxes?  And it is not just the Church that would suffer should they decide to stick to their guns and oppose same-sex marriage.  Think of the faith-based charities around the world who meet the needs of the impoverished, natural disaster victims, and the educational and spiritual needs of untold people?  Will the donations continue if people can't write them off?  As sad as it is to admit, that is a part of the reason that people give to these organizations.
     And if these organizations "go out of business", who will pick up the slack?  If it is the federal government, then guess who will ultimately be paying for it?  The American tax-payer.  And if the government is broke and can't find the funds, then think of the devastation to all those lives who will see no charity and receive no voluntary assistance.
     Now let's take our argument a little further ... If Churches, Charitable Organizations, and Religious Schools and Colleges have their tax-exempt status revoked, they must become for-profit companies, right?  We've discussed how the cost of property taxes and the loss of charitable support will make that nearly impossible.  But do you see how that will effect their hiring practices, too?  As for-profit companies, how long before they have a lawsuit filed against them should they decide that their hiring policy for youth minister or marriage counselor doesn't include gay men or women?  So, does anyone else think that this is government-enforced acceptance of same-sex marriage; in effect, you are not allowed to exist as a business if you don't agree with the cultural agenda.

     So are we looking at the last days of any vestige of religious liberty in this country?  Will the clergy be forced to perform same-sex marriages against their faith?  Will private religious schools or home-schoolers be forced to teach that same-sex marriage is acceptable; or that gender identity is up to the individual?  And if the Supreme Court decides to throw this hot potato to the individual states, how much confusion and contradictions will that cause; and how stable will our society be?  A house divided against itself cannot stand ... I'm just sayin'.  And if, in the future, the federal government decides to pass its own law, do the states' laws become obsolete?
     It remains to be seen how the Faithful will respond if same-sex marriage becomes the law of the land.  How many Churches and Shepherds of God's flocks will capitulate in order to make it easy on themselves?  I guess we will see how committed to God's Word the mega-churches and their star pastors are.  And there is the question of Christian businesses; are they ready to close their doors, rather than be forced to make unholy concessions?
     And finally, will we be allowed to express our religious beliefs in any manner that honors our faith?  Will those who claim we Christians have been so intolerant of their right to love another, be tolerant of our right to practice our faith?  I think we've seen what it has been like before any laws have been put into place. I shudder to think of the bigotry and hate that will be generated with the SCOTUS seal of approval.  Just read some of the scandalous comments at the end of an article on the Forward Progressives website to see what the godless think of those who uphold Scripture.  It will only get worse, once same-sex marriage is the law of the land.
     We must look beyond the loss of 501(c)3 statuses and realize that this latest SCOTUS decision will seal the destruction of this nation that their decision on Abortion started.  It will erase the natural law of reproduction, opening scary alternatives.  It will erase the natural order of a family with influences by both a mother and a father.  It will stifle the ability of churches, religious institutions, and schools to rightfully teach the Word of God.  And it will cripple the economics of feeding the poor; serving the less fortunate; and raising moral, self-sacrificing citizens.
     Secular society used to be consumed with the civil and legal aspects of same-sex marriage -- insurance benefits, taxes, and social security.  But when the Church began to compromise and suggested that civil "marriages" were acceptable, that wasn't enough.  The real agenda was to attack the Word of God and declare it null and void.   The question became, "If your God is a God of love, how can you deny the love that two men have for each other, or two women?"  The answer is simple and intractable ... Because God says "No!"  So the obvious solution by God's enemies is to declare the State above God, and those who refuse to bow to the laws of man will be bullied, harassed and humiliated.  Funny, isn't it, how these same injustices, which were denounced in yesterday's post, become defensible and permissible when it comes to persecuting Christians and their faith.
     I guess, ultimately, we will see just how strong, authentic, and faithful the Body of Christ really is in America. In consideration of that point, my wise husband made this astute observation:  throughout history it has been the small persecuted Church where the Body thrives and God is exalted.  It is in that hostile environment where He is best able to work through His Holy Spirit -- not in the rich, safe, comfortable, compliant, State-sanctioned buildings, full of bench-occupying "Sunday-only" Christians.  That is what has got us to this point in the first place.  So ... if you believe that "the Word of the Lord endures forever", then we better prepare ourselves to endure some pretty harsh criticisms for not bending to the culture; and make a commitment to God that we will stand firm in our faith.

Mark 7:13    "Thus you are nullifying and making void and of no effect [the authority of] the Word of God through your tradition, which you [in turn] hand on. And many things of this kind you are doing."

Part 1: The Church, Homosexuality, and Our Changing Culture

     This past weekend I watched a heartbreaking segment on CBS Sunday Morning.  It featured the parents of Tyler Clementi, the eighteen-year-old Rutgers student who took his own life by jumping off the George Washington Bridge after his dorm roommate used a webcam to secretly live-stream Tyler's date with a man.
     The anguish that Jane and Joseph Clementi are feeling five years after Tyler's suicide is still palpable and unmistakeable.  They acknowledge that their son was a victim of cyber-bullying because of his sexual lifestyle, and they have turned their grief into a cause.  They have established the Tyler Clementi Foundation to end online and offline bullying in schools, work places and faith communities.  They have also worked with Congressional representatives to pass the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act.
     Before I write a word of caution regarding this family's cause on behalf of their son, I want to be clear -- bullying is never acceptable under any condition.  And the fact that Tyler Clementi was gay in no way negates him as a child of God, or his value as a person worthy of love and respect; the crime that was committed against him was heinous and deserving of punishment.  The fact that the ridicule and torment he received from fellow students drove him to take his life is reprehensible under any circumstances.  There is no justifiable reason for one human being to treat another in such a cruel and mean-spirited way.
     But as I watched the segment with Tyler's parents, I became aware of an undertone that sparked concern.  It seemed that the interviewer wanted to make sure the audience was aware of the harm that the Church had also done to Tyler and his family.  It was pointed out that Jane Clementi and the family "regularly attended an Evangelical Christian church.  Only later did the parents realize that the Church's message [about homosexuality] was causing anguish at home."
    What was that message?  I'm sure you've guessed it by now ... that homosexuality was a sin.  But here's the problem with blaming the Church.  If you're going to call yourself a Christian, there is only one manual to go by, and that is the Bible -- which clearly states that homosexuality is a sin.  Does that mean that you can't be gay and a Christian?  Think carefully about that answer.
    Doesn't calling oneself a Christian require that we confess our sins -- no matter what they are; and there are many being committed by all of humanity -- and ask God for forgiveness and turn away from our sinful ways and lifestyles?  That means all of us --- gay, straight, transgender, man, woman, black, white, brown or polka-dot!  It means that we must recognize how our sins look in God's eyes!  It doesn't mean that we should overlook our own sins or the sins of our fellow Christians or non-believers because it makes them feel undervalued or unworthy.  It is the Creator's standards that should be met, not the created's!  
     So, does Jane Clementi have an argument when she says, "When Tyler told me he was gay, what I really wanted was another Christian mom to go and talk to.  No one in my faith community ever talked about having a gay child.  No one had a gay relative ... [apparently] there were no gays in our Church!  Until families come out and can be found, you can't help each other."
     I would suggest to you that the Church has not done a very good job of dealing with this problem.  They have either accepted it as pleasing to God (which is un-Biblical) , or condemned it in a most unloving and hateful manner (as Westboro Baptist Church has done -- also un-Biblical).
     Stop and think about her perspective for a moment.  She's not talking about the liberal churches who are openly defying and disobeying God's Word regarding the acceptance of homosexuality as a non-sin.  She is talking about so-called "evangelical" Churches who purport to be faithful to the Word.  How are they helping the growing number of families who are dealing with the announcement that their children have accepted themselves as gay, or have entered the gay lifestyle?  Is it true that there are only two choices in the Church -- embrace homosexuality as acceptable within the Church; or boldly pronounce it as a Biblical sin?  You could sense the unspoken message that both CBS and the family wanted displayed ... the Church got it wrong and was culpable in how Tyler perceived himself.
     As the Church, we must figure out how to stand boldly for God's Word, confirming all sins (including homosexuality), while maintaining the Apostle John's exhortation: If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude and lead ourselves astray, and the Truth [which the Gospel presents] is not in us [does not dwell in our hearts]. If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].  
     So while the focus of the Tyler Clementi Foundation (TCF) is to stop cyber-bullying, there are two aspects of their goals that concern me.  The first is the not-so-vague insinuation that the Church's conviction that homosexuality is a sin is a form of bullying, itself.  And this concept is voiced in the description of Jane Clementi's profile on the TCF website: Since losing Tyler, Jane's spiritual journey has continued to carry and transform her in ways she never would have imagined. She left her church home of many years because she felt that while sitting in the pews of a church that condemned LGBT people she was herself a bystander to bullying. Jane leads an inspirational life through her unique experience which she shares with other parents, and speaks passionately about the need to divorce the concept of "sin" from homosexuality.  
     Secondly, there is the TCF call to be an "Upstander", instead of a "Bystander", which when you read between the lines, leaves no room for disagreeing with their position on homosexuality.  If you state that, as a Christian, you think homosexuality is a sin, will you be accused of bullying?  As the website explains, "Progress requires a call to action. The Upstander Pledge is a powerful organizing tool that allows people to feel personally responsible for their actions, while educating the public. We ask tens of thousands of people each year to pledge to be "Upstanders" by intervening or reporting bullying, harassment or humiliation. Being a bystander to cruelty only allows the behavior to harm others."  So, what exactly will be the definition of "harassment" or "humiliation"?
     There are many aspects of the Pledge that I emphatically embrace:  the compassion towards people that are bullied for any reason; refusing to remain silent when you see someone being bullied; offering support and encouragement to those who are bullied; and promoting professional help if the victim shows signs of suicidal thoughts or actions.
     However, in the cultural climate in which we find ourselves, I can see where the radical elements and legal professionals in secular movements could distort some of the Pledge points, and the Church, specifically, could become a target.
     For instance, there is a section titled If I see or hear behavior that perpetuates prejudice occurring... I will tell everyone who is in a position of authority in this group, such as a teacher, coach, caregiver, manager, or religious leader, about what I saw and heard and make sure there is follow-up... I will seek help from trusted friends, colleagues, professionals, and other resources if I don’t know what to do or need support to take action.
     Our court system is beginning to see cases against business owners whose faith mandates that they not support same-sex marriage.  Can you see how there is a desire by TCF and the secular culture to dismiss homosexuality as a sin; and therefore, any church or religious person who maintains their faith will be "outed" as a bully?  Furthermore, it is made very clear that "follow-up" and "action" is expected in order to correct this mistaken idea of homosexuality as a sin.  What does that constitute, and where does it lead?  Fines? Lawsuits? Judgments against individuals, or worse?
     I suspect that CBS was all too anxious to air this story and paint the Church as a partner in the bullying of Tyler Clementi and his family.  After all, we are expecting the Supreme Court decision on Same-Sex Marriage in the coming days or weeks, and as you will see in tomorrow's post, a vote in favor to redefine marriage, and to mainstream homosexuality, will have profound effects on this nation, our churches, and our society... Part 2 tomorrow.

Ephesians 4:29    "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

Our Authority to Tread On Serpents: A Personal Battle

     Today, you may think I have really gone off my rocker.  But I must write about a situation that my husband and I are fighting, and it involves a beloved pet and spiritual warfare.  Actually, we have a history with fighting this battle, and in order for you to gain the full significance, I must start at the beginning.
     About ten years ago, my husband, whose name literally means Peace-Loving Warrior (PLW), and I had entered a new phase of our journey with the Lord.  God had moved us to what I call my "desert years"; near a small community, to a farmhouse we would renovate, on 129 acres.  It was the beginning of my long, and often difficult, period of personal change and spiritual development, in which I began to learn to really trust God for everything, especially my provision.  In the process I was growing spiritually, and seeking ever-more knowledge of Him through His Word.
     Simultaneously, PLW was becoming active in studying with me, and we decided to do a Bible study on the Book of Daniel.  Well, I am here to tell you that Satan does not want us coming anywhere near that prophetic and eschatological Book!  We were both deep into the study, seeing and understanding more about the End Times and how Satan's plan was coming into conflict with God's detailed program as laid out in Daniel ... and we were seeing it in our time, as clear as day!  This was new for both of us, and we began to eagerly read all the prophetic books in the Bible and step-by-step, began connecting the dots.

     So, do you think that the Devil is going to sit idly by and let us get stronger and more knowledgeable and fit for battle in this Age?  He struck where he knew it would hurt us the most, in the hopes to tear us away from God and His Word.  You see, to fully know and understand PLW, you must recognize his heart for animals.  He is aware in his spirit that God is concerned about everything that He has created, including animals.  And being created in God's image, we care about the animals He has given us as pets.  We have been given dominion over them, and are to be stewards of their care and welfare.  And anyone who has owned a pet knows that they are an image of God's unconditional love.  And I have always loved seeing the relationship that PLW has had with the dogs God has put in our care.  The adoration in their eyes is returned in the way he looks after them and provides for their needs.  And they are the perfect target when Satan wants to distract us from our spiritual journey.
     At that time, in the heart of the Daniel study, we lost two of our dogs to the surreptitious attack of a six-foot rattlesnake.  PLW had to put down one of the dogs, and it was a dark personal time for him.  I had to keep telling him that I felt in my soul that the Devil sent that snake to disrupt our study; to keep us from understanding the prophecies of Daniel, and to make us blame God for our sorrow -- we couldn't let that happen and we must defeat the Enemy by appealing to God for mercy and healing, and by continuing in His Word.  We slowly emerged from that devastating time, but the scars of that spiritual battle are still with us.
     Now, ten years later, I feel a renewed attack.  We have grown beyond recognizing the times in which we live, and have assumed our places on the front lines of the spiritual battle.  God has shown us that Paul's warning in Ephesians 6 is real; that we are not only contending with physical opponents, but with the powers and demons of Darkness in the spiritual realm.  In layman's terms, there are actual supernatural forces in the spiritual spheres that have been given assignments to mess with us -- all in the effort to disrupt our Kingdom work.
     This time the attack has come against another one of our beloved pets, but not because of any particular study we have done.  I believe this attack has been ordered because we have progressed beyond studying spiritual warfare, to actually practicing spiritual warfare.  And here is what I believe generated this latest attack... a little over a week ago, PLW and I visited a good friend and member of our home church group.  As we were getting ready to leave her home, he noticed a Chinese ornament hanging in her kitchen ... an iconic cobra carved out of wood.
     He immediately recognized it as symbolizing the demonic Kundalini spirit, a power that occultists believe is coiled like a serpent at the base of the spine, supposedly ready to spring up when you get in the proper state of consciousness.  And here it was presented in a symbolic Chinese ornament, with red fringe hanging from its perimeter.  "Who gave this to you?" PLW asked.  And her answer, while shocking, should not be surprising ... "Christian missionary friends of mine who are serving in China."  What a perfect way for Satan to counter any enlightening message that these missionaries might be bringing to China ... get these "souvenirs" from China into Christian homes in America to wreak their havoc.  And that most likely explains the strange "attacks" our friend was having in the middle of the night... sensations that "something" was trying to suffocate or strangle her.
     After removing the ornament from the house and discarding it, PLW gave our friend instructions on how to cleanse herself and her home from the effects of this demonic icon; how to ask forgiveness for allowing it into her home, and how to plead the blood of Jesus over herself and her house.  You might be thinking that this is all ridiculous-sounding and the actions of two fanatical Christians, but we believe in the Bible and its eternal messages to us.  How is this any different from the wooden idols that the Israelites brought into their homes, and which resulted in similar devastation upon their households and nation?  Why should Satan alter his strategy?  It has worked for thousands of years!
     Unfortunately, I also believe that because of our stand against this demonic spirit, the Devil has chosen to attack us, once again, through the innocence of one of our pets.  Within two days of this incident, our dog came down with systemic sepsis throughout her body, and we nearly lost her.  After over two hours of surgery, (in which we were present), no cause could be determined and we still have no assurance that she will ultimately survive this attack.  Our vet is one of the best, and "old-school"; he has seen it all.  He is completely mystified as to what is going on with this dog.  But I think I know.
     Once again, we have crossed a threshold that Satan doesn't want us knowing anything about, and he knows we do not fear him.  So he attacks what is the most vulnerable in our lives ... our defenseless and innocent pets.  But we are fighting him in our dog's defense, too.  Satan does not have dominion over us, and we will not allow him to have supremacy over our animals, either.
     I want to make it clear that we are, by no means, attempting to "exorcise demons" or begin a ministry of deliverance.  But we are learning about, and claiming, our authority over Satan, and exercising our right to take action against situations that are fostered by the Devil's schemes.   We are totally dependent on Jesus to lead us, and it is His power through the Holy Spirit that backs up our authority.  We are above all these evil entities, seated in the heavenly places with Jesus, and Satan will not deter us.  We will continue to point out his demonic influences in this world, and we will continue to practice spiritual warfare and educate our fellow Christians.  The battle lines have been drawn, and it is time to get prepared to fight!

PostScript:  Just hours ago, we and our beloved pet lost our battle.  But once again, I am thanking God for the time we had (especially these last couple of days) and I am grateful for our friendship with CW, a friend and veterinarian, who graciously helped us end our dog's suffering.  It is never easy to let them go, but I am happy that she is no longer hurting and scared, and I can't wait to see her in heaven.  (And yes, I'm one of THOSE people ... I can't imagine Paradise without my animals).  And, finally, Satan may think that he won, but our faith is stronger than ever, and we're more determined than ever to beat him on the spiritual battlefield.

Proverbs 12:10   "The righteous care for the needs of their animals ..."