Oh yeah – it’s War

You know how it is.  Every once in a while something happens – or maybe a whole bunch of things happen – and you’re reminded that, no, you’re not at home (if your home is heaven), and you’re not in friendly territory.

Frankly, there have been some amazing things going on this month.  We’ve been meeting new people, new people have made confessions of faith, and there are new people coming to worship with us and study the Bible with us.

On Thursday the church started a new evening workshop for women in the community, entitled "Is it hard to be a woman?" (do they really need a workshop to answer that question?).  The idea is to cover a variety of topics over several weeks (until the beginning of July) relating to women’s issues from a Christian perspective.

We were wondering if anyone would come… and in the end, the room was packed with 30 women!  And there were so many kids that … well, it was like herding chickens.

And we continue to see growth in people – and there’s a whole slew of people who want to be baptized at our next baptism service in June – and the church is about to recognize its first elders – and there are so many wonderful incredible things happening, you wouldn’t believe it.

Oh yeah – and life is hard.  Sometimes it seems like just about every area of life is in chaos.  And that’s just us.  Other coworkers and fellow believers have been going through major challenges as well.  And it drives us to our knees, where we should have been in the first place.

And it reminds us – oh yeah.  We’re in a war here.  It’s not supposed to be easy and comfortable.  People we can see and spirits we cannot are against the work of God.  That’s just the way it is.

So it all brings verses like these to mind:

…we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
(Ephesians 6:12-13)

When they [Paul and Barnabas] had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
(Acts 14:21-22)

And I keep thinking of the passage I quoted just 10 days ago – Psalm 20.  Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
(Psa 20:7)

What else is there worth trusting?