Cries and Prayers III (1987)

 Evil spirits are devouring spirits which may manifest through people, through concepts, through one's own considerations. We are counseled to "renew our minds daily in the Word of God." We are counseled to cling to the Lord and the Devil (all manner of evil thoughts, actions, deeds) will flee. But how do we discern evil? Sometimes it comes in a pleasing and beautiful shape. Sometimes we must go "behind the scenes" to see the true nature of things. There are seducing spirits that would lure us and make us think right is wrong, black is white, green is red and would make us question the very nature of our souls and walk with the Lord.

One example that comes to mind is the man who planned out and killed an abortion doctor. I thought the Word said, there are two commandments: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself?" Some will claim an abortion doctor is not a neighbor. On the other hand, where/when is premeditated murder justified? The doctor's murder was planned and it violated the laws of the land. We must rightly divide the Word of truth and submit the sword (discernment) of the Lord to our flesh (carnal thoughts) so we are not misled by our own arguments. Did the man who killed the abortion doctor submit to the Lord when he was killing the doctor? Or did he submit to his own "logical" arguments?

I have a problem when such premeditated murder is justified by "Christians." It becomes political and church politics must be questioned and scrutinized; churches have a way of producing dogma and religious interpretation far from the Word of God in order to perpetuate themselves, be an "elite class" unto themselves. (Check out various church histories.) Jesus, himself, had his greatest resistance from religious leaders who were not working for "the good of the people," but who placed greater burdens on them with their religious laws and views. Would such religious leaders recognize "The Son of God," today? Or would they be blind?  The sonnet touches upon these themes. Above all, remember, unless we renew our minds daily in the Word, we are subject to seductions that move us away from Christ's Love.

Oh Lord, do save me from devourers,
Who'd slay me, drink my blood and say it's You.
Your saving grace and mercy's never earned,
Yet they'd deny that Christ in me is True.
Rejecting me is to deny the Lord.
Control me? No they can't it's blasphemy
Of Freedom's Truth of Living powerful Word
Of Revelation for eternity.
So subtle is rejection of the Lamb,
Discernment's needed to see what occurs.
Each time the Devil strikes at the I Am,
Exalted He makes us, our anger stirs.
The steps I take? Christ's Truth! In Him I grow.
The precious seed, His Word? In my earth sowed.