This is very good. Doug Wilson discusses justice, gospel-centered, compromise, and more.
“Who’s in charge of defining terms?”
“All of a sudden it’s possible to move to the left to the applause of the cool kids…
Christian Faith, Cozy Living, Homeschooling, Current Events, Children's Books & Homemaking
See the sidebar for all categories
This is very good. Doug Wilson discusses justice, gospel-centered, compromise, and more.
“Who’s in charge of defining terms?”
“All of a sudden it’s possible to move to the left to the applause of the cool kids…
A few weeks ago the Lord started impressing on me the importance of the name of Jesus Christ. Have you gone through something similar where God starts putting the same point or doctrine in front of you from various different sources? It’s a sign that He wants you to pay close attention to something.
There was some background leading up to this. I’ve discussed at length for many months that we’re in a significant spiritual war right now and so I had already been thinking more about spiritual warfare. I shared Michael Knowles and the Very Rev. Daniel Reehil Discussion back in late March. I had also been thinking about a video Shelly had done about Shadow Men, “Ghosts,” and Demonic Activity: My Personal Experiences. In particular, in that video she mentioned that these things all happened to her and her family before she was a Christian. After she became a Christian (as an adult), it all stopped.
I believe God has been impressing on me just recently that the name of Jesus Christ is part of the weaponry God the Father gives us in this war.
The big change started when I was doing some reading about the new Christian movie Nefarious. I won’t get into all the details, but one of the reviews I watched by a self-described non-Christian mentioned how the demon in the movie called Jesus Christ “the carpenter” and would not use His name. I’ve heard this fact before in other contexts, but this time the Lord impressed upon me the importance of using the name of Jesus Christ out loud more regularly.
So a few weeks ago I started doing some things differently in our home. We always have a peaceful home. The television is almost never on. If we play music, it tends to me quiet or classical music. Usually the music has no words, even if it is Christian. I thought about how even though it is peaceful music or might even be Christian music, there is no proclamation of the name of Jesus Christ.
So I started singing out loud songs specifically that name Jesus Christ such as:
Praise the name of Jesus Christ
Praise the name of Jesus Christ
He’s our Rock. He’s our Fortress.
He’s our Deliverer. In Him we will trust.
Praise the name of Jesus Christ
I started praying out loud in my home that this family belongs to Jesus Christ. This house belongs to Jesus Christ. Each person in this home belongs to Jesus Christ.
When we did the kitchen rearrangement last week, we moved the under-the-counter radio/CD player to my zone. We rarely turn the radio on, but I felt led to start using it. I had David program in a few stations for me. Specifically I asked him to put on there the station that plays very traditional Christian music and has lots of sermons. I started turning it on whenever I was in the kitchen. Even if was just for a few minutes, I turned it on and listened to the name of Jesus Christ being broadcast into our home whether through music that specifically names him or Scripture being read aloud.
I didn’t mention what I was doing to David or Caroline. I simply did it.
Within 48 hours of singing and praying out loud there was a noticeable change in our home. I can’t fully describe it other than to say the entire home felt more peaceful. Each of us was more peaceful. We were sleeping better. It continues to be noticeable.
I shared this experience with a friend Thursday evening and Friday I was led by the Lord to a particular video that popped up in my YouTube feed. I wrote about it in a post called What Is The Biblical Response To Aliens, Demons, and UFOs? What does that have to do with the name of Jesus Christ? A great deal as they discussed the power of the name of Jesus Christ in part of that video. It was yet another confirmation I was on the right track.
This morning I was making breakfast and I turned on the radio. A sermon was on and I almost turned it off. In fact, I did turn it off. But something told me to turn it back on. In retrospect, I’m sure it was the Holy Spirit.
The sermon had already started. I could tell it was older and fairly quickly I determined it was probably from Chicago so probably Moody Church. However, I didn’t immediately recognize the voice because I haven’t listened to sermons from the past in a long time. At the end, I found out it was Moody Church and it was Warren Wiersbe preaching. I laughed out loud. It made sense that the Lord would use Warren Wiersbe to reach me again.
What was the sermon about? Wiersbe was preaching about the power of the name of Jesus Christ. I missed the first few minutes, but what I heard was more than enough. His four points were that the name of Jesus Christ is:
Wiersbe probably gave this sermon in the early 1970s, around the time I started kindergarten. God used it today when I am well into my fifties. That alone is something to ponder in terms of how God will keep using us over and over again.
If you are struggling to find peace in your home, I hope this gives you something to think about. We’re in the midst of an epic spiritual battle. God has given us tools. In addition to the tools I’ll include below, our Heavenly Father has given us the name of Jesus Christ. There is power in the name. Use it. Fill your home with it. If Jesus Christ is your Savior, He is there for you and your loved ones.
Ephesians 6:10-20
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
I’ve been researching these topics for some time, but was waiting until I found the right resource to get the proverbial ball rolling in terms of discussing them. This is the video I have been waiting to find and share. It’s manageable and hits the important initial topics.
Apologist Melissa Dougherty interviews Dr. Brian Huffling from Southern Evangelical Seminary (and the Air Force) to discuss aliens, demons, and UFOs. I was pleased to see that my conclusions line up pretty well with what he said here.
I strongly encourage you to take the time to watch it. (Remember I encouraged you to start thinking about your doctrine regarding the Nephilim? There’s a reason for all this.) I will also be publishing a companion piece about something I’ve observed in our family life over the past two weeks. I discussed this with a friend last night and it dovetails perfectly with some of the content in this video. I’ll link to that when I publish it. (Update: The Power of the Name of Jesus Christ)
This is the book Dr. Huffling recommends in the discussion: Piercing the Cosmic Veil: You Shall Not Be Afraid of the Terror by Night by Joseph G. Jordan. (I have not read it.)
I hope you find this helpful as you sort out your own theological beliefs about these topics.
I finally accomplished my goal of cleaning out the kitchen cupboards and changing the functionality of it. David and Caroline were a big help and we’re all pleased with the results.
Compared to most houses you see online today, we have a relatively small kitchen in a relatively small house. Every bit of cupboard space must be carefully used. There is one smallish pantry cupboard to my left as I’m taking this picture that I didn’t include in the pictures. It’s technically more in the dining room area. We use that for food.
We cook two meals at almost every mealtime. David and Caroline eat what they eat and I eat what my EoE requires. Because of this, we use different ingredients, different tools, etc.
So one of the big changes was to assess which tools in the kitchen they use and make sure they are all in one area. All of the things I use are in another area. I know this seems rather obvious and it is. We simply hadn’t gotten around to doing this.
For example, I never use the cheese shredder because I cannot eat dairy. But the cheese shredder was stored in the left part of the kitchen where I do my meal prep which meant any time they needed it they had to come into where I was doing my food prep. The same thing with the liquid measuring cups. We have different cutting boards so I don’t get cross contamination from their foods, but their cutting boards were stored in the lower cupboard where I am usually standing. We have different pots and pans which were stored in two different areas and intermingled. We know which ones are mine and which ones are theirs, but we didn’t have them in separate zones which we do now.
So David and Caroline now have all of their regularly used meal prep items primarily in these cabinets in this corner. They work on the counters to the left and right of the sink.
All of my things are in this corner.
There is still some overlap since they have many more tools than I do. For example, the spices are in my zone even though I don’t use most of them. A lot of their bakeware is in my zone. I also have the flour, sugar, and oats in my countertop space, but it makes the most sense to keep them there on the counter even though the only one I use is the sugar. If we had a bigger kitchen, we would have more options but we make the most of what we have.
Yes, we do have two toaster ovens and two coffee makers due to the risk of cross-contamination of my food.
The one thing we did not do in our big clean out and rearrangement was switch out the shelf liner. I would have liked to have done it, but I knew it would slow down the process significantly. So for now we simply wiped down all the shelves, washed everything, and organized things where they made the most sense.
I’m really pleased with the results and this is a huge item done on my to do list!
{A Psalm of David.}
Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.
LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!
Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.
Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;
Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.
Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:
That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:
That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:
That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.
Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.
(KJV)