WAR AND VICTORY

I am always amazed at how many believers are completely unaware that we were born into a world at war. The spiritual war that is going on around us is as real (maybe more) as WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan or Iraq and in many ways there is more at stake.

As Nick mentioned in his “Praise God” blog, I have often come up against the enemy in services or in everyday life and been drawn into spiritual battle. I thank God for brothers like Nick and our guys in YIELD and Chi Alpha Multi-Campus for being willing to join the fight.

I wonder how many believers are being spiritually decimated because they are losing a battle they don’t even know they are in. I wonder how many others have been told by spiritual leaders that the war doesn’t even exist. I can’t express how strongly I believe that spiritual awakening is directly connected to spiritual warfare. We won’t see awakening without waging war! Spiritual pacifism is not only dumb, it’s contrary to scripture (read Ephesians chapter 6 and 2 Corinthians 10).

The important thing to remember is that God has promised us victory. We can not lose! War isn’t easy, it isn’t pleasant, it isn’t fun, but it’s necessary. You are in it whether you like it or not. You are daily under attack, so it seems to me that the smart thing to do is to learn how to fight, beginning with getting in the scriptures and praying every day.

May it be said of us as it was said of Jesus when he came to town, The people which sat in darkness saw great light (Matthew 4:16). Let us be light and life to a world lost in the darkness and fog of war, and let it be said of us that we were the generation that brought victory to a world in defeat. May you be one of those victorious warriors!

HIS

Ministry leaders talk so much today about church models, leadership methods, relevance and emergence in Christian circles. All of these are no doubt necessary topics and important areas of understanding for every ministry leader but frankly, I get a little lost in the glut of discussions, books, seminars, tape series’ and study courses all dealing with the newest, best and most effective new ways of bringing people into churches by the droves.

I know I may sound a little cynical and I apologize for that, but I have often caught myself looking at the latest ministry idea wondering what separates this idea from all the other ideas on church growth (or whatever the subject is) from all the rest. I have also caught myself asking, (in the midst of trying to catch up on my church/self/leadership/etc. reading) what ever happened to reading the Bible and doing what it says?

While I appreciate the many efforts of authors, lecturers and motivators to build a better church, I wonder what might happen if the people (myself included) who spend vast amounts of time and energy in exploring the aforementioned topics were to trade that exploration for extra study of the Bible? What if ministers traded seminars for prayer meetings; tape series’ for meditation; relevance for genuineness? I wonder if we aren’t missing the one thing that can bring awakening to a deeply lost generation – plain old following Jesus.

I’m not suggesting ministers should throw out their church growth library, (though I have been tempted) but why don’t we all, clergy and layperson alike, take a week or a month or longer and explore nothing but scripture? Get away from the glut of man-made methods and see what God Almighty might show us without the “help” of outside influences. Who knows, God just might do what He said He would do, and we (the church) just might become what He wants us to become – HIS.