Donald K. Stewart, Contributor
Stewart
EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES show clearly that there are some discussion topics which are taboo for a wide cross section of our devout Christians and religious, church people.
The issue of sex, for example, seems to come up only when someone has been caught in adultery, trapped by an inconvenient, unexpected pregnancy or found to display traits of same-sex attraction (that is, homosexuality or lesbianism).
Rarely do we find pastors, Bible teachers or other ministers seeking to explore the wide, complex world of human sexuality from a balanced, informed, non-judgmental, redemptive, Bible-based perspective. Is it little wonder, then, that most of what our children and teenagers know about sex has come from questionable sources and immoral influences?
The 'adult sites' and loose chat rooms on the Internet, coupled with the explicit late (and some, not so late) - night TV movies, DVDs, books and magazines, all serve to inspire and reinforce an understanding of human sexual behaviour that is almost guaranteed to destroy our generation.
Even the little 'babies' in our nurseries, kindergartens, preparatory and primary schools are being so bombarded by this media sexmania that their innocent little minds are not so innocent any more.
It's not shocking anymore for those who work in these institutions to be confronted by sexually-active five-and six-year olds, who sometimes know more about sexual issues than their parents and grandparents ... and not to mention the increasing homosexual involvement and cases of pre-teen pregnancies.
We observe that, against this background of crisis and urgency, there is an institution called the Church, which continues to hold a general position that matters of a sexual nature are too unclean for discussion in God's holy sanctuary.
How then do we expect to redeem our sexually battered, exploited, diseased generation? How do we expect the necessary change to come when those who ought to set the standards and provide moral guidance choose to remain silent, watching the world go by ... and simply curse the darkness?
A second, and even more neglected subject, is that of 'demons' (aka evil spirits). The general feeling in the average Jamaican church falls into one of the following categories:
Demons never existed. They're just a figment of someone's overactive, uninformed imagination. Even Jesus knew (they say) that no such things existed, but he facilitated the ignorant and superstitious people of his times by using the same false concepts that they already believed.
Demons once existed in the distant past, long before the development of modern education and enlightenment. They disappeared from the scene, either during the 'Apostolic Dispensation' or just prior to the start of the 20th century.
Demons are real and still exist but are confined to some remote, uncivilised, regions of the world, far away from normal human beings.
Demons can and still do affect human beings, but only those who have no religious or spiritual convictions, or those who possess no strong church affiliations. It follows, then (they teach), that those who claim to be Christians are safe and secure from all possibilities of demonic defilement.
Demons can, and do, afflict even Christians, but can never enter or occupy their bodies, since (they theorise that) demons cannot exist in the same vessel as God's Holy Spirit.
Demons only operate in the realm of unjust systems and oppressive institutions, and it is only in this context that the principalities, powers, rulers and spiritual wickedness in high places of Ephesians 6:10-18 may be understood.
There is, sad to say, only a relatively small percentage of Christians, churches and leaders that have even bothered to take the time to properly investigate this phenomenon of spiritual warfare and demonic activity.
The Bible does, in fact, say much about this subject ... and the evidence is full- blown, manifested in the gross immorality, wickedness and destruction right before our faces, in this our battered nation.
We discover that, in spite of these glaring realities, our Christian leaders and theologians are, generally speaking, contented in having this remain as a sceptical, hypothetical consideration ... not for frank, open, honest discussion in their hallowed churches.
Is it little wonder, then, that those who experience demonic attacks of whatever kind, will either suffer silently or run to the nearest obeah man or balm yard? Can we blame our suffering Jamaican people who have been raised in a culture of revivalism, obeah, pocomania and superstition ... when they can't find spiritual solutions in our Bible-believing, Holy Spirit-filled churches?
The situation becomes even more complex when we begin to consider the reality and activities of sex-spirits demons that focus on the control and destruction of lives via sexual manipulation.
We need to understand that every type of sin attracts corresponding demons, who will easily 'open doors' for other evil spirits to enter. The simplest form of sexual sin (if not confessed and confronted) could, therefore lead to the development of strong bondages and addictions to some of the worst kinds of sex spirits. Hence dreadful sexual atrocities.
It must not be forgotten that sexual permissiveness naturally leads to sexual promiscuity, which could ultimately result in sexual perversions, and that sex spirits can enter the process at any stage.
Satan and his demons are fully aware that the sexual dimension is one of the most powerful components of human beings. It follows logically, then, that they would seek to corrupt, exploit and invade (where invited in or allowed to do so) in order to enslave people, in general, and to paralyse and destroy Christians, in particular.
Some decent, lovely people in our midst are even in bondage to incubus and succubus spirits demons which sexually molest, and rape them in the privacy of their homes and bedrooms. The incubus demonic spirit taking the form of a male that sexually harasses females. The sucubus demonic spirit taking the form of a female that sexually harasses males. Where in all of this is the active, redemptive and delivering work of our Christian churches?
Could it be that our churches and their leaders are simply locked away in a land of ignorance and insularity while God's people are being systematically destroyed?
The Rev. Dr. Donald K. Stewart is pastor of the Portmore Lane Covenant Community Church. He may be reached at covcomoffice@colis.com.
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