Sophia Bricker

Once confined to specific genres, 'spicy' books are now popular across the board, leaving many Christian women to ponder if reading explicit content aligns with their faith. Before answering that question, we must examine the motivations behind this trend and the biblical perspective on purity.

Even good and right things can be used incorrectly if treated as talismans to guard against harm.

Do you find yourself perpetually seeking security and hope in human promises, only to face disappointment? Only when we entrust our hopes to God do we experience unwavering faithfulness and ultimate salvation. God alone offers steadfast assurance no person or institution ever could.

Various views abound in Christian circles about what demon possession is and is not. In history, people commonly associated possession and spiritual attacks with psychological illness and physical disease.

Mental struggles were also pushed aside as spiritual problems caused by evil spirits. Today, some churches continue to hold these views and want us to believe that any problem in life is associated with a demon.

On the other extreme is a denial of anything spiritual. Christians in this group think that modern society has proven that possession and evil spirits are mere superstitions, lingering beliefs of a former age. They argue that Jesus was stooping to the beliefs of the times when He “cast” out demons. For them, evil exists only in the abstract.

Yet, the Bible teaches us something much different. Satan exists, as do fallen angels known as demons. They followed Satan in his rebellion and continue in his work today by fighting against the spread of the gospel and the spiritual growth of believers.

Although the devil and demons often get more credit than they deserve in terms of power and influence, they are active in the world. They can and do possess people.

Jesus encountered many such people in His earthly ministry, offering them healing and liberation from demons because He is the all-powerful Son of God.

Believers may feel hesitant to discuss a topic like possession in today’s relativistic society. They might also reason that they do not need to think about this topic since every person who has placed faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection cannot be possessed (Romans 8:9-11; 1 John 4:4).

However, we need a biblical view of demons and their activity in the world today. The rise in the occult’s popularity (New Age spirituality, astrology, crystals, Wicca, etc.) means we will likely encounter people who are oppressed by evil spirits and even some who have experienced or will experience possession.

To understand this topic from a scriptural standpoint, though, we need to look at what demon possession is not.

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Navigating life often presents moments where giving up seems easier, but embracing unwavering faithfulness in Christ aids us, even amidst intense struggle. Fix your thoughts on Jesus and find the courage to persevere when the path ahead feels most challenging.

Grief is a pain we all experience at some point, and this devastating feeling is not foreign to our Lord. Jesus, while on earth, also felt sorrow over loss. Tonight's reading helps us see how we can take refuge with the God who understands, even in our darkest seasons.

The same Lord who encouraged Israel not to fear is the same One who walks with us today.

Are you grappling with profound questions as you await answers that don't come quickly, leaving you to wonder and doubt? Psalm 130 offers encouragement to cultivate unwavering hope and steadfast trust in God's faithfulness, assuring you that answers will emerge as surely as the dawn.

He was desperate. Having brought his son to the disciples, he thought the boy would be healed. Yet they had done nothing. The demon continued to inflict his son with troubles he had been experiencing for years – convulsing, foaming at the mouth, being thrown into fire and water (Mark 9:17-18, 21-22). If these disciples could not drive away the spirit, who could? This father was losing hope.

The popular saying, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” could have an equivalent among churches: “what doesn’t kill you makes your faith stronger.” But this is often a cliché for a reason. Sometimes seasons of hardship draw us closer to the Lord; other times they do not. Sometimes, they break us.

The good news is that the Savior can still work in those moments, even when we feel that we have hit the lowest point of our lives life and hope has fled. He is the Lord that David described as having pulled him out of a miry pit (Psalm 40:2). This is the same God who promises to be with the brokenhearted and lift those who have fallen (Psalm 34:18). He knows what it is like to feel abandoned to painful circumstances, for He endured the worst pain and separation on the cross (Matthew 27:46).

So, perhaps our immediate response to hardship should not be to pull up our bootstraps and muster up the courage we lack. Instead, we can acknowledge our inability and brokenness, looking to the Lord to supply His strength during times of weakness. Like the man at wit’s end because of his demon-possessed child, we can declare to Jesus: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

The following five prayers help us express this need to our Lord. May we use them to strengthen our faith and cling to hope when life seems dark.

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Certain names, fictional and historical, instantly evoke thoughts of evil deeds and an insidious legacy. Names like Uriah Heap, Sauron, Iago, Jadis, Voldemort, Nero, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Hitler, Stalin. They are the villains that populate our stories and the past, giving us glimpses into the reality of darkness inside the human heart. Scripture also presents us with villains, those who committed sinful acts in defiance to the Lord. They are memorable because of their wickedness. 

As we consider these renowned antagonists of the Bible, though, we must remember that none of us is immune to the sinfulness that marked their lives. Many of the individuals whom we would consider the heroes of the Bible, people like Moses, David, Samson, or Peter, had their own struggles with sin. Some of their actions could even be considered villainous – think David’s murder of Uriah, Solomon’s descent into idolatry and moral failure, or Peter’s denial of Christ. And truly, all of us are guilty of wrongdoing in the eyes of the Lord; we do not have to be as evil as Jezebel or Hitler to be sentenced to hell. Too often, we are quick to affirm that villains should be punished, but less willing to acknowledge the evil inside ourselves. If we look at the cross, though, we are reminded of our sinfulness – it was for our sins that the spotless Lamb of God died. Only through Jesus are we saved from eternal punishment and given everlasting life.  

May we maintain a healthy awareness of our sinfulness as we consider these biblical villains and learn from their negative examples so that we can better follow Christ with wholehearted devotion.         

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What do you picture when you think of church?

Do you think of the rows of wooden pews or the intricate stained-glass windows in the sanctuary? Stacks of Bibles and hymnals? What about a stage or pulpit? Maybe you think of a large auditorium setting if you attend a mega church. 

All these details tell us what we see when we look at a building, but they tell us nothing about what a church should biblically look like. Scripture does not give directions about the format of seating or the use of a stage. We find no mention of a required carpet color or use of stained-glass windows. During the early days of the church, there were no chapels or cathedrals with steeples. That is because the Church is not a building. 

Believers make up the body of Christ, the Church (1 Corinthians 12:27). 

As members of the body of Christ, what we look like stems from our relationship to Jesus and the mission He gave us. He has called us to be a multiplying people, a community that grows and reaches into the lives of others. It is a group of individuals who increasingly look like Him. 

C.S. Lewis wrote about the purpose of the church in Mere Christianity. As he explained, “[T]he church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time” (HarperOne, 2001, p. 199).

At first, Lewis’ statement might surprise us. Constructing buildings, doing missions, and studying the Bible are wastes of time? They are if people are not growing in Christ and making disciples. The body of believers is meant to look increasingly like Jesus and help others become reflections of Christ too. If the church is not doing that, then it is not accomplishing its purpose. It will not look like a biblical church.   

But what are the indications that a group of believers are accomplishing this purpose of growing to become more like Christ?      

Scripture does not have directions about what a church building should look like, but it does have a wealth of information about what it looks like to live as individuals belonging to the Church.

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We must return to a biblical view of sickness and suffering. Only then will we see the Lord’s goodness and love amid periods of illness.    

We often focus on the underdog-to-hero narrative and victory over life’s problems, forgetting that this was a historical event with a real shepherd named David and a giant warrior named Goliath. Even more, we miss what the Bible intends to show us about our Lord.  

New seasons in nature often mark a shift in our schedules and habits. Spring brings more light and new growth. Summer offers longer days and time to reconnect with our favorite activities. Fall ushers in a time of schedules and winding down the year’s growth. Winter borders both the end and beginning of years, marking a period of anticipation.

These times bring change, which we may welcome with a mixture of joy and grief. Yet, hidden behind these changes are also whispers of opportunity. As seasons shift, they can remind us of the choice we have to implement new rhythms into our daily lives –– rhythms that can support our flourishing, as the Lord intends.

One such opportunity this autumn is to begin cultivating Bible study habits that lead us closer to wholehearted love for God (Mark 12:30-31). For there is nothing more powerful in transforming our thoughts and actions than engagement with the Word of God. Therefore, we are wise to implement habits that help us better read, apply, memorize, and meditate on Scripture, long-term skills that every follower of Christ needs.

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