Spiritual Warfare

It's been months since I've had the time to make a post! So much has been happening with school and work and life in general.

I decided to catch up on some of my devotion reading out of my one book I got for Christmas last year. It's called "Voices of the Faithful" by Beth Moore. It's basically a book of inspiring stories of courage from Christians serving around the world. Yes I did just copy that from the front of the book. :P But Beth Moore is one of my favorite speakers, and she writes the intro for each new topic at the beginning of each month. Yes, I'm way behind since I'm just now starting the ones for October....

Anyway, October's devotions are on spiritual warfare, and at the beginning of October, Beth wrote something I thought I'd share.

J. R. R. Tolkien: "The board is set. The pieces are moving."
As we prepare for the return of the real King, the board is set and the pieces are indeed moving. Satan is sly. His motto? "Whatever works." He doesn't come in a red suit carrying a pitchfork. He fools spiritual people most easily when dressed as an angel of light. He comes as a friend. A Judas. Something that comforts our dysfunctional souls, pats our fleshy heads and sympathizes with our strongholds. He tries to gain our trust and assure us of things like this: "I understand you. No one could blame you. You deserve this. No one will ever know. God will forgive you anyway. You can't help it. Go ahead. Don't resist it. It's not that bad. Everybody's like this. No one's really free. Indulge. No harm done." Then one day Judas kisses you on the cheek and betrays you, and you see him for who he is. The result isn't pretty.
Stop flirting with the devil! Stop it before all hell literally breaks loose. Fight the fire. Let God deal with our stuff and surrender completely to Him. He knows best, whether we like it or not.
"Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it" (1 Thess. 5:21-24, NIV).

I really thought that was awesome the way everything was worded here! It's so true! We, as Christians, often need to be "sifted like wheat" (Luke 22:31, NASB) like Peter had to be.
Imagine Christ saying, "You can either let me prune you [John 15], or I can use the devil to scare it out of you." We want the former, not the latter.

(I will try to not be so late with my next post. I originally wanted to post at least once a month, if not twice.)
God bless everyone who reads this!

1 Thess. 3 -- Longing

I am in a club at my local community college called CRU. It is a campus ministry for Christ. We met today and the club has been a huge blessing to me! It is so uplifting to meet and worship and fellowship with other believers every week!

Anyway, the message from today was on 1 Thessalonians chapter 3. It reminded me lately that God knows the longing of my heart.... I'll get to that, don't worry.

Paul was talking about the Thessalonian church that he created and had to leave. (He was building and forming a lot of churches and creating disciples to lead those churches. He stayed for a year or two I think and then left to form another.) He is talking here about they were torn away in person, but not in thought. That meant Paul thought about them all the time! (This is where I was hooked!)
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about Lima, Peru where I went on my first mission trip overseas. A lot of things lately have been reminding me of either the people there or the land itself where we stayed as a team. Well, this applies to me because WE are separated in person, but not in thoughts and prayers.
In verse 18 of chapter 2 Paul writes that he wants to go back and see how they are doing, but was unable to, so in verse 2 of chapter 3, he sent Timothy to go down to encourage the Thessalonians in their faith. I am also wanting to go back and see my Peruvian friends again, but am unable to until next July. Thankfully, there is facebook so we can still communicate (with a lot of google translating).

But in verse 5, Paul admits he was afraid that "the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless." Wouldn't that be horrible to find out going back that all your work had been forgotten and almost seem as if there was no point anymore and it was all for nothing? Thankfully that was not the case. Timothy came back with a very encouraging report in verse 6. They had a strong faith and love. Also Paul writes, "He [Timothy] has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you."

My Peruvian friends tell me that they miss me. Sometimes I've wondered if they miss me as much as the team and I miss them. I can see why Paul was encouraged from that. Knowing that the feeling goes both ways, that both groups made an impact on each other and very encouraging.

Verses 9-10,11: "How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you."
I, like Paul, pray that I may see my friends again one day, and can only hope and trust that God will keep them all safe and answer my prayer.

God knows the longing of our hearts. I can only imagine the reunion that may have happened between Paul and the Thessalonian church years later! Probably many hugs, kisses, tears, and laughter, with everyone trying to talk at the same time. It makes me smile to think that one day, I will have a reunion like that with my Peru friends again next year!