Spiritual Warfare

We are positioned as a force of righteousness if we are dependent on God to manifest himself through the Holy Spirit at all times. The flesh screams to do things my way and many times I revert to this barbaric, sinful nature, yet Thank God through Christ I get to try again. Even when I fail to properly serve God he hears my cries and delivers me from the depths of hell.I stand in awe today that my God is so righteous, so powerful, so loving and kind. The hardest lesson for me to learn is that people are not the enemy, this whole life is a spiritual battlefield. Our carnal nature does not like submitting, to letting God fight our battles. We live in fear of the unknown, so we order up our lives like we want it to go. Every time in my life I have had some sort of God experience that increased my faith, and every time I move closer and more dependent on God, the more I am enabled to serve him, all hell breaks loose. (When I say all hell breaks loose, I mean it in a very literal sense) Satan knows my weaknesses and oh that angers me! He knows exactly what he has to do to get me down, and the stakes keep getting higher as I come to recognize the areas he strikes me in. I should be trembling just thinking about it, yet know that as long as I remain in God and him in me that satan has already been defeated. I have had a trying few weeks, and I did not prevail, but my God did. How great is my God! I cringe to think of the times satan has used me and it brings me to a very humble position that I hope not to forget in the near future. This spiritual battlefield is a different kind of fight and I can only pray to turn into the kind of warrior that brings glory to my King.

Saying Yes to God

It is awesome to look back at your life and see where you were as a Christian 20 years ago, 10 years ago and even 5 years ago, if your growing but if your not, I would have to think it would be kind of sad when you look back. I can see where I have grown during trials, but the really incouraging times is when you see some growth during good times. I go through some growth spurts, but what I want to go through is continous growth, no down time. Moment by moment never ending growth. I have learned some things recently, that when you are reluctant to change roles in the Church body you risk stalling growth for yourself and others. We recently changed Churches and Joda went to visit the old Church and she was impressed to see in just a couple of months how people had grown and stepped up to fill the role she had played in the class. I thought this was such a lesson to all of us that sometimes we get comfortable in our little role and never think for a minute that as long as we stay in the same spot, no one will step up, and how we are not making ourselfs avalible to God in other areas because we have found a comfort zone. We have been very blessed in our new Church body, and have expirenced a fellowship that is a growing opportunity each time we come together and it is so welcomed, it feels less like a town hall meeting and more like fellowship with God. I do not think for one minute that God wants us in our comfort zones, he wants us to be dependent on him to put one foot in front of the other, he wants us to grow in faith, he wants us to get out of the kitchen at least spiritually, he wants more than good deeds, he wants us to make sure that we love every single person he sends our way and give them real food to chew on. The food of life.