The greatest gift...

Most parents love their children and want the very best for them. I once heard a preacher (Keith Daniels) ask the question…what is the greatest gift you can give your children? I found his answer to be simple logic and yet profound. Answer: That the parents have a happy marriage. Do you love your children that much?

Just how good is God?

For once in my life....I didn't ask the generic God for help...but rather...made a simple request..."Jesus, save me." Immediately I felt an infilling and knew something miraculous had just happened. That was followed by a vision. I found myself laying before a large light (100' or so tall)...shaped like a candle flame but not flickering. The light was not bright, but was an approachable light. I remember thinking...it's God. Then I thought...how do I feel...do I feel condemned? No. Don't ask me how...but at that moment I decided to reach out and touch Him. What I discovered was that God was indeed perfect love....there was no darkness in him. He was beautiful beyond words because of this love. I thought to myself...what would I do for a God like this? Anything. In His presence, my life was inconsequential. What mattered was that someone as absolutely precious as He was...would continue. I remember thinking during this vision...if God asked me to jump off of the empire state building...and told me that I would perish forever in doing so...that I would still happily do it for Him and without hesitation! Without even a second thought. At this juncture I was literally dancing and prancing around Him...with great joy and in sheer delight.

1Jo 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

Psalm 63:2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

Ex 33:19 And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Musings on demon possession...

1Sa 16:14 ¶ Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.
1Sa 16:15 Saul’s attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.
1Sa 16:16 Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better."

1Sa 16:23 Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

1Sa 18:10 The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand
1Sa 18:11 and he hurled it, saying to himself, "I’ll pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice.

Mt 12:43 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.
Mt 12:44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.
Mt 12:45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

Luke 8:29 For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

Luke 9:39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him.

Eph 6:12 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.
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I’ve been trying to understand the whole demon possession routine. From the above scriptures, it would appear that at least some of the time, they come and go. They don’t necessarily take up permanent residence.

In the natural world, the strong survive, and the weak are the ones that are preyed upon. I’m considering that it might work similarly in the spiritual realm. Possibly, evil spirits target and possess (even temporarily), the weak. Those that can’t reason well, have let bitterness have it’s way, or have other limitations or temptations that make them more susceptible and/or receptive.

I’ve pondered that these evil spirits possess individuals quite possibly for a number of reasons.

1. It could be that they like to torment the individual…that they enjoy causing grief or even destroying the one they inhabit.
   
2. It could be that they possess an individual so that they can attack others through the one possessed (whether physically or verbally). It could be that they (the spirits) target certain individuals in an effort to deter them in their prayers and/or efforts….to attempt to weaken their resolve or faith.
   
3. For other forms of pleasure.
   
4. All of the above.
   

I’ve considered that the best approach in dealing with someone that appears to be possessed would be to temporarily place them in seclusion (ie a safe/padded quiet room of some sort). It would seem that removing interaction would be beneficial to both parties...or all concerned. The spirit would be limited in it's ability to attack others that way (whether verbally, physically, or spiritually), and would not be able to cause as much damage to the one possessed (as there would be very little physical contact or need for physical restraint).