For “Scripture Sunday”:
Casting Out Spirits of Darkness
“Do evil spirits exist and influence our world, or are they just folklore, myths and legends? Let’s explore what the Bible has to say about evil spirits and their future.
During a recent chaotic and divisive week in the U.S. Congress, the chaplain of the House of Representatives prayed for the “spirits of darkness” to be cast out of the House. Though he may not have intended his prayer to be interpreted as exorcising actual spirit beings, it was still an interesting choice of words. His words made headlines because we live in a culture where fewer and fewer believe in the existence of a real spirit world.
In a 2016 Gallup poll, 61 percent of Americans said they believe in the devil. But what did they mean by the devil? A 2009 Barna poll found that a majority of Christians believe the devil is merely a symbol of evil and not a living being.
It seems the old adage often attributed to the French poet Charles Baudelaire is true: “The devil’s finest trick is to persuade you that he does not exist.”
Despite what people believe, the Bible doesn’t present Satan and other evil spirits as mere symbols of evil—but as real, living beings who have a powerful influence on our world.”
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How Can I Maintain Meaningful Relationships With My Kids After They Leave Home?
You will always be their parent, and though your relationship has changed, now you can nurture a lifelong friendship with them.
Saulo Mohana/Unsplash
A long and meaningful relationship with your children will be one of the greatest joys of your life.
Your kids are on their own now. Perhaps they are well into their careers and raising their families. How do you keep up a meaningful relationship with them after they have left your home?
Relationships will change as circumstances change throughout life. When your children leave home, they are looking ahead to making their own way in the world. You will always be their parent, and though your relationship has changed, now you can nurture a lifelong friendship with them.
You can offer advice and counsel without being overbearing, but let them make their own choices about life.
That will take time and effort, because any meaningful relationship needs to be nurtured. This is where the Word of God offers guidance to help us. God’s Word contains the wisdom to deal with all our relationships, especially our relationship with God Himself.
God takes the long view with us. Even before the foundation of the world He determined to send His Son for our salvation (1 Peter 1:20). Chances are, you will have a relationship with your adult children far longer than you had with them when they were young. Therefore, it is worth your time and effort to strengthen your unique, parental bond with them.
The kind of love that God has for us is described in these famous verses from 1 Corinthians 13:4-5: “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil.” To help you visualize how this applies to your relationship with your grown children, substitute your name for the word “love.”
As the Scripture reads, “love suffers long and is kind.” Longsuffering is another way of describing patience. Your children are going to make their own decisions about life. As a parent, you may often find yourself disagreeing with their choices. Here is where patience is needed.
You can offer advice and counsel without being overbearing, but let them make their own choices about life. They already have a pretty good idea of what you think, because they watched you for years. So let your life stand as a guide and example for them. If they struggle because of poor choices, you will have a better opportunity to help them if you are not meddlesome.
Like God shows us love by what He does for us, we show love with our actions. Notice: “Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Therefore, be available to your children. Be aware of what is going on in their lives, and help them where you can.
Following the example of God’s love for us, you can build a relationship with your children that lasts a lifetime. Then, as the years go by, they will come to appreciate you more and more. A long and meaningful relationship with your children will be one of the greatest joys of your life.” From: https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/how-can-i-maintain-meaningful-relationships-with-my-kids-after-they-leave-home
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Update.
Well, I am finally all moved into my little senior apartment in Navasota, TX. It is a quiet, slow-moving town with only four traffic lights, and I like it. It doesn’t have a sprawling downtown, which is less than a mile away, so it is easy to find my way around.
It seem so strange not to have to get ready to go to work on the house or mini-house most mornings. That’s someone else’s worry now.
I went to church on the Sabbath, not an organization that I have attended before, but this was the only Sabbath church that I could find, the Seventh Day Adventists. More singing and less Bible study than what I am used to. I saw a lady at the church who I had seen before at a Bingo game here at the apartments, so that helped. She doesn’t have a car, so I will take her to church next week so that one of the elders doesn’t have to come to pick her up. They had a great potluck afterwards put on by the two congregations there, the English speaking and the Spanish speaking ones. We all ate together so that was great fellowship.
I brought way too much stuff that I won’t need in this little apartment, like a whole bunch of tools, my air compressor, shop vac, two upright vacuums, etc. so I am donating items every day.
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