Tuesday, November 10, 2009

November dares you to Read

The Screwtape Letters  by C.S. Lewis

This amazingly delightful short book is the brilliance of one of the most coveted and revered Christian authors of all time, C.S. Lewis. 

C.S. Lewis has written many wonderful works that Christians will be reading til the return of Christ.  His works are insightful, beautifully written, and stand the test of time.  Others works include Mere Christianity, The Chronicles of Narnia, Out of the Silent Planet, The Four Loves, and Til We Have Faces.  Lewis has written wonderful literature in both Fiction and Non-Fiction.  There are now university classes devoted to the study of his works. 

What makes Lewis so enchanting is his ability to teach such profound and hard hitting Christian truths wrapped in a delicate and entertaining gift.  You get caught up in the story that he is telling and then get convicted deeply when you realize the character in the story could have just as well been you. 

The Screwtape Letters ranks among the top of Lewis' brilliant cast of literary works.  Simple and easy to read, Lewis takes you into the world of demons.  From the viewpoint of an apprentice demon named Wormwood, we are taken on a journey of discovery of the training and tricks of the demons to cause Christians to stumble, fall, cause others to turn away, and even turn from Christ themselves.

Wormwood beseeches the help of his uncle Screwtape, an accomplished demon, as he learns the skills and tricks of the demon trade.  Wormwood is assigned to a man and it is his goal to keep from the "The Enemy".  It picks up with Wormwood being discouraged because his man has chosen to become a Christian.  With the encouragement of his uncle he is instructed to not let it bother him because many have been "reclaimed" after deciding to side with "The Enemy".  Throughout  the rest of the book Lewis exposes how demons use little things in our lives to affect us and those around us.  They don't just outright onslaught us but are crafty and cunning in deceiving us or luring us asleep with the world or even in Christianity. 

This is a great whimsical easy read but filled with powerful observations and warnings for every Christian to observe and evaluate how effective or ineffective we truly are for the name of Jesus Christ. 

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