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Thursday, March 19, 2020 -- COLUMN 232
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St. Michael (his name in Hebrew means “Who is like God?”) is one of the archangels and a powerful protector of those who serve Our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Michael is also a patron of those who work in dangerous situations, such as police, paramedics, and soldiers. -- From an online article entitled "St. Michael the Archangel Prayer"

Praying Against Evil

For about a century Roman Catholics ended their church service ... the Mass ... with a prayer to St. Michael.  It was penned by a Pope in the late nineteenth century.  It is short and goes, "Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen."  Christians have different opinions about praying to anyone but members of the trinity.  I only recently started praying in a more Catholic manner myself as I prepare to be received into the Roman Catholic Church at the Easter vigil in April of this year.  I like doing it.

Heaven is real.  Angels are real.  I love the idea that people can achieve sainthood by choosing to live holy lives.  It pleases me to realize that there is a human institution that governs and decides these matters.  That would be the Church.  It is imperfect, as are all human institutions.  In some periods of human history the Church appears totally incompetent.  I'm tempted to feel that way about today's Western Church.  Totally incompetent.  But it is still the Church.  I am thankful for ancient doctrines, dogmas, traditions and sacraments.  I need them.  We all need them.  They are spiritual food, sustaining us in the battle.  I remain Protestant until my confirmation in a few weeks.  I love my baptized evangelical friends, and pray those friendships will only deepen as I respond to the Holy Spirit's leading with respect to the Roman Catholic Church.

The battle appears closer to the surface of things than ever before in my life.  Evil is super evident in Western discussions concerning sexuality, life and gender.  Our views about such subjects are absolutely disordered.  The lack of reason and love that permeates America's obsession with sex is palpable.  It has become nearly impossible to discern truth, things have become so supremely disordered.  Webster's dictionary defines a liar, "A person who knowingly utters falsehood; one who declares to another as a fact what he knows to be not true, and with an intention to deceive him. The uttering of falsehood by mistake, and without an intention to deceive, does not constitute one a liar."  Christians who choose not to use the words sodomy and sodomite are liars.  "Experts" -- and this includes pastors, priests, bishops, cardinals and popes -- who choose to utter the mandated acronym (LGBTQ+) when discussing all things "sexual orientation" are uttering a falsehood with the intention to deceive.  They are lying.

They avoid the use of biblical words and concepts because they are afraid of man.  They are practicing false human respect.  We truly respect other people when we tell them the truth -- sometimes especially when they don't want to hear it.  The truth about our age is that our destruction is imminent because we refuse to repent and turn from our wicked egalitarian and feminist ways.  If men choose to remain weak and womanish God will send judgment.  He has no choice in the matter.  He cannot lie.  Maybe we are starting to get into the meat of his discipline.  I sure hope so.

The Bible's final book reveals of Michael the Archangel, "Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Rejoice then, O heaven and you that dwell therein! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!"

Don't be a coronaphobe in the coming days and weeks.  Arise with Michael and fight against this dragon.  Conquer your fears and the spirit of our age by the blood of the lamb and the word of your testimony.  Tell others about your deep faith in God, and your love for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Love your neighbor as never before.  Care for the sick.  Fear not.  We are living through incredible times.  The devil's time is short!

Amen.

Please join with me in praying that God would provide us with the funds we need to keep our commitments ... to pay our bills.  Helping Hands Ministries needs to raise $2500 in the next thirty days.  I'll use this space in my daily email to keep you posted on our progress.  Thank you for joining with Paulie and me in prayer as we work to achieve this fund raising goal.  Thank you!

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