30 Days of Birth Pangs - Day 29 This Present Darkness

Ephesians 6:13 For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.

Brothers and Sisters, read that Scripture again... let it wash over you.  I know that you know it, but hear it again.  For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.

For this reason... what reason?  Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

To stand - having done all you can, in the end to be standing.

As believers surrounded by the darkness, it can be easy to forget your armor or worse to don the chains the of the enemy (if you missed it, read Counter Terrorism in the Spiritual Realm).  

I used the New American Standard because I love the phrase, This Present Darkness.  I loved Peretti's classic book by the same name, it changed my life.  Faced with overwhelming obstacles the heroes in the story prayed, fought, and clung to the Lord for the victory.  We fear today that there will be no such victory....

The Watchers on the Wall are tired; hoarse from beseeching a world that no longer hears, fighting an enemy whose time has come, and tamping down a desire so fierce just to be done. All the while going about 8-5 life like tomorrow is going to matter and being afraid that it actually does.  Simultaneously realizing that we could very easily be out of here in the twinkling of an eye but knowing that for 2000 years the bride has been waiting.

To Stand

So if October 1st rolls around and we are still here... well, we'll just pick each other up, brush each other off, and stand.

Rapture Index Scores:

Lovers of Self - Day 1: 10 out of 10

Perplexities of Nations - Day 2:  8 out of 10

Mass Animal Deaths - Day 3:  7 out of 10

Revilers - Day 4:  8 out of 10

Signs in the Heavens - Day 5:  9 out of 10

Commotions - Day 6:  7 out of 10

Scoffers - Day 7:  10 of 10

Vexed Souls - Day 8:  10 of 10

Greed -Day 9:  8 of 10

Famine - Day 10:  8 of 10

Itching Ears- Day 11:  10 of 10

Rushing to and fro - Day 12: 10 of 10

Blind Eyes and Hard Hearts - Day 13:  9 of 10

Brutal Men - Day 14:  8 of 10

Wars and Rumors of Wars - Day 15:  9 of 10

Boasters - Day 16:  9 of 10

Messianic Jews - Day 17:  7 of 10

Demonic Activity - Day 18:  8 of 10

Lawlessness - Day 19: 9 of 10

Hedging Your Bets - Day 20:  9 of 10

You Make Me Want to Vomit  - Day 21:  10 of 10

Earthquakes- Day 22:  10 of 10

Nobody Loves Philadelphia - Day 23:  10 of 10

Antisemitism - Day 24:  9 of 10

False Teachers - Day 25: 10 of 10

Asleep Church - Day 26:  10 of 10

Downward Spiral- Day 27: 10 of 10

American Idol - Day 28: 10 of 10

This Present Darkness - Day 29: 10 of 10

Rapture Index Total to date:  262 out of 290 or 90.34%

Magic

Abigail and Dolley readers I have always loved magical stories.  As a child, I ate up Patricia Coombs, Dorrie the Little Witch books.

I was an avid fan of Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie, stories of fantasy sparked my imagination and I knew that if I just thought happy thoughts that I was going to fly like Wendy in Peter Pan.  I went through the wardrobe with CS Lewis and fought trolls with the Hobbit.  As an adult, I fell in love with Harry Potter.  In the last few years, my favorite stories are from the Outlander series which has an element of mystery and magic.

If I am honest, my vision of Heaven gives me some cool powers like flying or touching a plant and making it grow.  I see magic in the world, I see magic in my God but we are forbidden from witchcraft, sorcery, and divination, so I have always struggled with this part of me that just loves magic.

God doesn't deal in falsehoods so His prohibition against such things by the very nature of the prohibition tells me that this stuff is real.  In the end, my fantasy magic is just that, fantasy.  Real magic, real witches, real divination - well that's something altogether different.  Those practices, whether the practitioner will admit or not, are grounded in evil.  So, if we stay away from the real thing I am not going to sweat it too much that I like the tales.

I have to admit though, certain times during magical tales I think, "Man, they need to pray."  Because in the end there doesn't seem to be room for God in these tales.  There is a scene in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix where Mr. Weasley is critically injured.  In the book, they are fretting and pacing and worrying but they are not praying - that struck me.  I've read some fantasy romances where they are fighting evil but they are not fighting with the only weapon we are given, the Word.  NBC has a new show, Constantine, and there is such a twisted theology abounding in the story it's hard to watch.  How do you fight the devil without the Lord?

Fighting the Devil without the Spirit

Several authors have written great books that capture the magic from the Christian worldview.  This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti changed my life, by changing the way that I viewed everything.  Ted Dekker has written some great thrillers, Blink is one of my favorites to demonstrate the power of prayer.  There is magic all around us, there is power in our prayers and we DO serve a supernatural God.  We need not exchange the counterfeit for the real, I just wish there was more real well-done stuff in the market.

Restoring Honor Rally - Reflections and Suggested Reading

Abigail and Dolley readers I was moved to tears several times while watching the Restoring Honor Rally.  I am not much of a crier, but will often weep before the Lord and for the love of my Country.  I had many opportunities on Saturday, August 28, 2010, to do so.  I was shocked at the overt aspect of Faith that was on such a public display.  Usually, the only time I hear any of that sort of thing is at my church and my church is not a typical one in that it is not politically correct and my pastor is not afraid to speak the truth.

I read a couple of books, many years ago, that changed my life.  Frank Peretti "This Present Darkness" and "Piercing the Darkness" show how the natural and the supernatural intersect in ways that you have probably never thought about.  They are parallel stories of the battle of good and evil here on earth and within the realm of Angels and Demons.  These novels opened my eyes to the realities of spiritual warfare and the mighty power of the Word and prayer.  If you have not already, I highly recommend that you read these incredible stories.

We are in our own Peretti novel right now and epic battle between good and evil.  The choices we make must be made with prayer and circumspection.  We must adopt a worldview that is not blind to good and evil.  We must hold our country up before the Lord and truly beseech Him for restoration.  No political movement, candidate, or government program can change the course of this nation - only the true Founding Father can do that.

Some Good News For You!

The headlines some days are overwhelming; corruption, incompetence, attacks on our moral and ethical heritage, loss of freedom, loss of rights, loss of liberty.  Debts and spending through the roof, government taking over private sectors, criminals in honored places of power, communist systems praised and emulated by elected officials, the dollar's weakness, and the under lying financial house of cards, violence in our streets and court rooms, murder, Middle East unrest and war.... it just goes on and on.
 
Folks, this is stuff straight out of a Frank Peretti novel. If you never read Frank Peretti I urge you to get "This Present Darkness" and "Piercing the Darkness", they will open your eyes to the Spiritual warfare that goes on all around us. To think that these things are happening on a purely physical plane is foolishness and it leaves the good folks at a disadvantage. Let me tell you, the bad guys know exactly what is going on here.

Ephesians 6:12 (New International Version)

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Take heart friend, because we know how it all ends.  These times are foretold, for in the last days there will be wars and rumors of wars, there will be an increase in knowledge, and men will travel to and fro.  There are increases in natural disasters and men will become mockers of the truth and hold a contempt for all that is good.

What better way for a gracious and merciful God to draw as many to Himself as possible?  Many people in their darkest hours turn to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus - so this may be His way of reaching the lost.  I can not say, I can say for certain that one day...

¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died^[h] will rise from their graves. ¹⁷ Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ So encourage each other with these words.