Tomorrow is a big day for God, and Satan knows it!

How do I know that tomorrow is a big day for God to use me?  The same old predictable pattern is happening right now. 

I am horribly distracted.  I have so many things to do, and it is like wading through molasses to get them done.  I feel disconnected, sinusy, and nervous.  All of these fears come into my thought process.  What if no one shows up?  What if I am too nervous and no one can identify with what I share?  What if the food that I am bringing turns out horrible?  My dear friend is very sick; when will they find out what is going on and treat her?

I was asked to share my testimony tomorrow, and again the spiritual battle is raging.  I have been here before.  Every time something is happening that God wants to use, these kinds of things happen.  The last time it happened, I had well meaning friends say to me, “Aw, come on now!  I mean really?  Cars break, that is just life.”  But with so many storms swirling around me at once I could feel it, this was more.

I texted a good spirit-led prayer warrior friend of mine.  “Please pray for us. I feel that we are in a spiritual battle right now.”  As the storm was swirling strong around us a new ministry calling was opening up, something big.  My friend and I prayed.  The storm lifted. 

I texted back to my prayer warrior friend, “You know what my first thought was last night before I sent my prayer request?  Don’t send that to her!  Don’t bother her with you prayer requests concerning spiritual warfare.  She’s got her own to deal with.  You are just being selfish asking her for prayer for that right now.  Guess I know where those lies came from, don’t I?  You didn’t seem bothered to me ;)”

Her response was swift and comforting, “Not bothered, honored.  That liar!  You’d think we’d get wise to his schemes . . . “

Satan just HATES it when God is moving in your life, and calling you to do something meaningful for Him (God)!  Satan will batter you from all directions when you are close to something big in God’s kingdom.  Don’t EVER let the distractions, the lies, and the onslaught of impending crises stop you from following God’s plan for your life.  Hit it head on with all of your God-given battle armor found in the word of God in Ephesians.  Pray, call others to prayer, and press on  until the battle is won.

Lord God, I call on the name of your precious son, Jesus Christ. I can not fight this battle, and neither can those around me that have battles raging.  Please fight for us.  Bind and cast out what is not of you Lord.  Confuse and diffuse the weapons of the evil one.  I pray this boldly in the name of Jesus.  Amen

P.S.  Guess what came on as I was finishing this post, and prayer?! Here's a song for you (by Crowder) if you are dealing with spiritual warfare!  Pray first, then crank it!

Yes, Who Is My Neighbor?!

I am on the email list for a weekly (?) devotion with Christian music artist Matthew West which is sent through his ministry popwe.org. 

Now, I have heard the passages about what Jesus said about who our neighbor is many time before.  But somehow today it smacked me upside the head when, in sharing the story of the Good Samaritan, Matthew (West) says, “In this parable, a man has been beaten and robbed and was lying on the side of the road, left for dead.  Three different men come by, two of which would have been expected to help, but only the third man, the one most unlikely, responded and saved his life.” (I added the bold type for emphasis.)

Suddenly a realization hit me with the proverbial “holy two by four”.  Every other time that I have heard this I have secretly prided myself that I would have helped.

And I have, in my mind, thought many times of our time in the Conservative Mennonite church with a disgust for the attitude I saw in some to pour most all of their energy and resources only into helping those in the Mennonite church (or those wanting to come into the Mennonite church) with seemingly little regard for the “substandard Christians” outside the Mennonite church.  (I am NOT proud of this attitude in me.)

But it hit me today . . . and hard!  How many more times have I been the other two rather then the Good Samaritan that I suppose myself to be?  When faced with needs outside my “Christian circles”, how often am I the “more likely one to help” that doesn’t?!  Ouch!!

Maybe, yet again, God is using what annoys me in others to point out my own faults.  Funny how most of what we are bothered by in others is something that we refuse to see (or maybe can’t see for the plank in our eye).  (Insert groan and sigh here)

Lord, I am humbled yet again.  Please continue to purify me and teach me to be more like you.  Help me to have the ability to see my own faults, and have more grace towards others, as we both work on ourselves and our own shortcomings.  But help me to do this in a healthy way, as I remember your grace and mercy for me.  Protect me from falling into despair over all of my perceived shortcomings.  But please Lord help me to learn and grow closer to you in my awareness of them.  I pray this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.