The Gift of Grace Among Tangled Webs: An Izzy Update

“The sword of our soul does not acquire a keen sharp edge unless another’s wickedness hones it.” 

-St Gregory the Great

I write not because there is new information to share about Izzy, but because it is necessary to put into perspective the chaos occurring on some fronts of this spiritual battle.  Yes, spiritual battle.  Whether you believe it or not, all things of this earth have a spiritual component;  we are either striving for the Kingdom of Heaven or the Kingdom of Self while walking this earth.  Some are on the front lines of such battles, while others like to believe they live in the void, totally removed from any religious belief or inclination*.    

For those on the front lines, this post is for you because you’ll understand what I’m talking about, knowing that Ephesians 6 belongs to you personally.

Any Christian who walks a path close to God is bound to encounter the attack of satan and his legions, indeed this is one indicator that you’re walking a path of faith.  It’s the high road, the narrow way in which the saints walk and beckon you who love God and the Kingdom of Light.    It’s the proverbial path less traveled, the one that takes effort, self-control, patience and perseverance, but offers greater rewards than our feeble minds can fathom.

This is the path my family treads, or attempts to tread every day.  We know it’s the way and yet we’re aware of the tangled webs looming at every curve.  We know that every good gift is from above and the wicked twisting of those gifts by our enemy.  The internet can be a tool of God, bringing people together in prayer and thanksgiving...touching lives for good in a matter of seconds, connecting many parts of the world in less time than it takes to say morning prayers.   It can also be a tool in satan’s arsenal; never doubt he knows and preys upon the weakness of men.

I will confess and tell you that one of my greatest faults is a short temper, giving in to anger that causes me to say and do things I shouldn’t...and then falling on self-righteousness to justify my actions.  I struggle with it... I’m aware of how my enemy will use this characteristic against me.  It’s a sticky web to fall into because when I cave to anger, I am no longer serving the Kingdom of God, I’m only serving my own chaos.

Another of those consuming webs is inherent in Facebook, the unleashing of the tongue that causes much harm (Psalms 39:1 and Proverbs 12:18).  The tongue of the wise brings healing, but reckless words pierce like a sword!  I could write ad nauseam about the anger I feel when reading audacious words about Izzy’s health and my sister’s beautiful family, but do you see what this accomplishes?  One sin feeding into another perpetuates chaos, the black cloud of hell.  God is the author of peace and clarity, conversely, satan is the author of lies, confusion and chaos.  When you write on Facebook, take just a moment to consider which Kingdom you are extending.

For those who love the truth, you will want to know that Izzy is well.  She is at home, joyfully anticipating Christmas, going to school, enjoying her new pets... happy!    For those who do not love the truth, you probably haven’t read thus far and it doesn’t matter to you anyway.  To give truth to those who do not love truth is to only give more reason for argument.  My role is to steer clear of those webs of untruth, of gossip and chaos inasmuch as is possible.  And, as you love our Lord and Saviour, I would encourage you dear reader, to stay away from deceit, loose tongues and gossip.  Let it end with you.

Your role, as much as Izzy is concerned, is not to do constant battle with those who wish to ensnare you in rumors and gossip, it is to declare the truth in peace and let it go.   It is not your role to call or message my sister and her family with every vile action or word that you hear, see or read.  Doing this perpetuates chaos, not peace.

Make no mistake though, for those who are entertained by deceits or harmful words or the details of other people’s lives; it is by your neglect and indulgence that brings harm to yourself as well as others.  If you wish to follow Christ, listen to His greatest commandment:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (St. Matthew 22)  Loving God means furthering the Kingdom of Light... it means practicing self-control, praying ceaselessly and using your words to bring peace, not confusion.

I am praying for all of you reading, for you must have a love of Izzy to be sharing in this post.  My prayer today is that each of you will have peace, contentment and joy.  It IS possible to experience God’s grace even in the mire... in fact, in my own life, I’ve experienced it time and time again and it is in this way that we can rejoice for our trials because, in the big picture, they only beckon us closer to God when we persevere and seek the Kingdom of Heaven. †

*It's called Secular Humanism...the religion of our modern age.

An Open Letter to the Demons of Hell

“The devil...the prowde spirite....cannot endure to be mocked.”  Thomas More (1779-1852, from Ireland)

Wormwood and Screwtape*, I have no idea if you’re still employed in the service of your captain, your Father Below, but I have some words for those who do his bidding in the heart of my family:

You seek to shock, to enrage, to engulf in disbelief and anger.  You think yourself so cunning and clever in driving the hammer between fatigued hearts.  You think to torture and prod and bend the undead to your twisted will.  And in the grand show of your malice and contempt for those who love your Enemy, you would send your dark ranks to lace the battle with mockery, lies and hot tongues to seal your prize.

You would have us within your snares, believing we are incapable to withstand such assault, taking gladness at pain amidst chaos and lies.  You laugh at the ease of your task,  being deceived of your absolute slavery to a consuming hate.  For Your Father Below will have no equal, no individuality; you are a chained slave to one singular wickedness as you grin at a seeming victory so near.

Except, there, in the stillness of night, when just a glimmer of star shining bright escapes the cloud covered sky.  There!   It is the Voice ringing clear on crystal notes that beckons mortal souls to strive on, to look up and see the eagles so near and reach out for the gift of GRACE.  

Give heed to that doubt ticking in the back of your skull, for while you rule this earth there is One who does not abandon His creation as they strive against you.  And oh, but the weapons in our cache, that are ever unlooked for, which come raining down at the most unexpected times.  I know it makes you writhe, I know your armies tremble at the power of your Enemy, our King.  I know your legions have quaked at the coming of Our Lord and begged for mercy.  I know of the shattering of tombs when our Lord used your strongest weapon against you!  Do you think we forget!?

Do you think us all mindless spirits, numbed from flaming arrows and vice?  Do the ranks not aim for the head of the serpent in times of war?  So it is and has ever been that your legions will assault those on the front line, those whose lives and voices are beacons on dark hills, showering light and hope to your Enemy and all who serve Him.   They come!  You cannot quench the Light,  though at times it is only a glimmer, it shall never be put asunder for you are unable to break it, unable to contain it for you cannot fathom its purity.

You may distort, you may twist and bend goodwill, but you are the fool, for every weapon you’ve made, there is one to destroy it and her name is HUMILITY.  For her earthly raiment adorns the race you hate and she was made in the light of the Heavenly Kingdom.  May the fear of her haunt you until the end of days when you shudder at your utter defeat.

Mark it well what you think is the weakness of your prey.  Close in and cast your obnoxious fumes in our face and know that your nearness advances our faith and causes the beacon flame to reach higher and burn brighter.  We know your aims and how you loathe the servants of your Enemy.  We know we are but food to you and we know what makes you glad...

            We are not as unprepared as you might think.

                                             Sincerely,

                                             Your lifetime adversary

                                              and servant of your Enemy.

©2011Amy L. Thornton

*If you've never read C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters, I highly recommend you do so.

     

Spiritual Warfare 101

Standing firm against the first fiery darts of the enemy.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

A bit presumptuous of me, being neither a theological scholar nor the slightest bit wise, to share with you something of the nature of our enemy. It’s the brutal reality that prompts me to write this, nothing more.

Since my last entry, I’ve spent more than a few hours educating myself about child sex trafficking in the U.S and the non-profit organizations that help the children who are victims of this horror. I’ve spent time talking with people who successfully operate non-profits and also counselors, to understand what children need most who have been victims of sex slavery. In all essence, it comes to this, again and again: we strive not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness. My entry today is to encourage you to own Ephesians 6:13-18; to heed these words from St. Paul, to truly understand, not just in a poetic sense, but to stand against the powers of darkness. Our Mighty God, our Father of Lights provides the armor, but we must put it on!

13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Apart from Holy Scripture and the wisdom of the saints, it is to J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis that I attribute much of my spiritual growth and understanding. The imagery from Lord of the Rings is befitting to illustrate the weapons of our enemy, those flaming arrows and wicked hands; our enemy is savage, consuming and demoralizing... and yet -- our enemy cannot comprehend the Light.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” -St. John 1:5

This verse spells victory, if we did not already know of Christ’s victory over death upon His crucifixion, burial and glorious Resurrection. Only the Light knows and understands the darkness. It is because of the Light that darkness is overcome, only because of Christ using a weapon of the enemy, that the enemy is overcome.

My own experience teaches me important lessons about spiritual warfare and the lesson driven home recently is this: the first flaming arrow of the enemy is to shock and overwhelm the senses in order to render paralysis and inactivity.

Take notice of how you or those around you react to daily news. I’ve observed that some pass over harsh headlines, while others dwell on them. Some tune in to follow courtroom sagas for care or concern or entertainment and others look away entirely, either in denial or apathy. And, most of all, when it comes to really ugly stuff, like crimes against children, some are rendered dazed and numb while others sob and fall depressed. I’ve been in that dazed and numb category too long. It’s in recognizing this first flaming dart of our enemy that allows us to dig in to higher ground.

I am blessed to know some beautiful souls -- people that have overcome great trials in life and use their energies and time to bring joy, solace and comfort to other hurting souls. Here is a beauty on this earth! This is the God-given light in the human soul that no darkness can overcome. You can find this Light in the darkness of communist prisons, the death camps of Nazi Germany and upon the cross at Golgatha. Darkness cannot overcome it, will never overcome it. This is the Truth and what should be gird about our waist as we contemplate wickedness around us. We can fall to our knees in despair or we can stand firm.

Our enemy would have us in despair because there we are useless for the Kingdom of Heaven. Despair is a ploy of satan, a tool to keep you from responding to the Truth of God. According to Tolkien, despair is a mistake, for no one knows all ends; hope is born of Jesus Christ. Did those not despair who loved our Lord and witnessed him murdered on the cross? And were they not mistaken to have despaired?

One of my many faults is to do nothing in the face of wickedness... to give in to shock or fear, disbelief or despair. I’ve learned that to do nothing is to do something for the enemy. And so, I’ve resolved to dig in...to get past that first fiery dart and make it to higher ground where I can be useful to God. Please pray for me, a sinner.

The Error of Despair & Misguided PC Terms

It’s not I, but my hero and champion of words, J.R.R. Tolkien who gave the concept to me. Despair is not so much a state of emotion, a theological conundrum, as it is a mistake, for who can see all ends?

Despair is the absence of hope, the annihilation of peace, located at the center of chaos. It is a primary weapon of our enemy, employed to dismantle christians of our faith in a loving God and non-believers of their trust in the goodness of humanity. It's a weapon in which the enemy measures success by death. I’ve known several wonderful people who have been ravaged by despair and sadly, some who have taken their life because of it.

Recognizing how this weapon is used is our first means of defense against it. We have power in the name of Jesus Christ in rebuking satan, power in prayer and fasting, in confession, reading His Word and the strength of the believing community, the church militant & triumphant. These are our weapons to engage in this spiritual warfare. I understand there is a place for helpful medication, for counseling, but very often the medical community overlooks the needs of the spirit.

I read the story of Tyler Clementi today, the New Jersey college student who took his life because of the despair he must have felt when his privacy was broadcast to anonymous millions via the internet. The weight of such humiliation too great to bear. I hope the student(s) responsible for this despicable plot receive the maximum penalty under the law, for they obviously have no idea what human dignity is.

In the AP article, referring to Rutgers University, known for ruthless behavior in other areas said this:

“...students, faculty and other employees have been encouraged to attend a series of lectures, presentations and discussions on civility, exploring such topics as how cell phones, iPods and other gadgets affect civility, and sportsmanship for athletes and fans.”

Presentations on civility. Did you catch that?!

This brings me round to my next point --I didn’t have to read far to learn that the Gay Rights Advocates have called this a “hate crime” and will, no doubt, use this as a call to action, to further their agenda. Wait a minute... “hate crime” ? do you have to belong to a special group to use this term? What about.. oh, I don’t know...

a crime against humanity?

Can we call a spade a spade and agree that destroying a person’s mind & spirit by invading their privacy and humiliating them in front of the world is an act of a person without conscience? No mercy and no conscience...

...it’s an indicator crime that affects us all as human beings created by God, no matter our feelings about homosexuality. It's an assault on human dignity, an evidence of barbarians in our "civilized" modern age.

Lord, have mercy, to make straight our crooked lines.

*Painting is "The Scream", by Edvard Munch