In the midst of the fight

The last few weeks i have been realising that i am difinately in the front lines of the Spiritual fight...
I have friends that used to follow Christ who have been wounded, by other or the enemy, and are now really struggling, a couple even saying that they don't know if God is really there... that is how badly wounded they have been... Also in the city a couple of weeks ago, there was a shooting about 10-15 min walk from my place, and with in that same week, in the same area, a baby was found dead in a bin of the toliets of a TAFE building... Then this past week i was walking down the street, and one of my aboriginal friends stopped me and said hi, and out of the blue, he said that there had been 14 murders/killings/deaths at Whitmore square over the years (this square is no more than 100metres from my place), that same day i was talking to someone that lives across the road of the day centre (a place where homeless people can come and hang out during the day) that is just near whitmore square and he was saying that drug dealers sit out side that place to sell drugs, and nothing is done about it, he also told me of some other stuff that happens close by there.
So i am trying to be there for my friends mentioned above, and just love and accept and praying for them.
Pray is the best... when i don't know what i am doing, suppose to do or say i just pray...
the last few days i have been praying heaps for my friends.... Praying that they won't believe the lies the enemy feeds them, praying for healing, and deliverance....
The last couple of days i haven't had very much sleep at all. And it is only through Christ that i am still able to go... Christ is the one that teaches me how to fight, He is the one that leads, He is the one that give the orders. Christ is the one that sustains me, and holds me so that i won't fall. So what else can i do, besides be obedient to His commands and follow His example.
I will continue to pray and lean on Christ alone... cause with out Him i am able to do nothing.

warfare

I was at a meeting last night... and they were talking about warfare... that we are in war, and we have to fight....
They were saying that we can fight in a physical and spiritual way...
the physical which they descibed was helping on the soup run, helping with the coffee mornings, and different ways in the community services that the corps provide...
All they said about spiritual warfare, is that to be strong we have to read our bible and pray...
We were told that we are to Go.... in the Great commission Jesus told us to Go and make disciples baptising in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit...
next we were told the church didn't do that, and that was the reason why we have warfare, why we have to fight... But i don't really agree with this.... Cause we don't fight against flesh and blood, but our fight is a spiritual one... satan is always attacking in different ways, (or trying to at least), warfare is going on when we follow Jesus, until He returns... However we have the Victory with Christ...

Jesus said that they will know that we are His disciples by the way we love each other (John 13:34-36). And also in Mark 16:17-19:

17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."

that to me sounds like warfare..... However a lot of the church in the western world don't live up to this.... We need to step it up... to step out in Faith, and live this out... Imagine the impact on this world if we all lived in such a way that theses signs accompanied us...

band of brothers

I have been watching band of brothers and in the 3rd part there is a scene where a private who has frozen in the heat of the battle earlier is talking to an officer, and the officer said something like:


The sooner you accept that you are already dead, than the sooner you'll able to function like a real/true soldier


Now a real soldier.... a real soldier doesn't freeze in the battle, a real soldier doesn't turn and run away,

A real soldier follows the orders of his commander, a real soldier fights even tho he is scared to death, a real soldier looks out for his comrades, a real soldier pulls their injured to safety (even when there are bullets flying around), helping them, a real soldier relies on his comrades, a real soldier does what is need to complete the orders of the commander.



Does this sound familiar.... We are called to be Soldiers in Jesus' army. He is the commander, we are to obey His orders only. Some times those orders are things that we think that we are unable to do, and scare the crap out of us, however Christ will help us. We are also called to look out for each other, to encourage, correct (in love), help those that are weaker... we are told that we need each other, in fact we are to confess to each other to be healed. God has created us to live in community, we need each other...



We are also called to be dead to this world, in that we are not to let this world around us to squeeze us into their box, or pull us down to it's level. This means that we are to live in a way that we don't care what the world thinks, it is only what God thinks that is important... We live for Him and Him alone. Our focus is to be one Christ..... In focusing on Christ, all of this world (as the song says) will grow strangely dim. Which will allow us to follow the orders that we are given...
Lets seek after Christ, to have a complete focus on Him, so that we will be so focused that nothing will distract us from following the instruction/orders that Christ give us.

cell

Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world , but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.


In Cell tonight we looked at this verse and talked about how we all need to be transformed to be more like Christ... Whether we see/know where we need to change, or not. This transformation is not anything that we can do it is only God that can do it in us... however we have to allow Him to do it...
Reading from the Message it says
"Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readilly recognize what he wants from you and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to it's level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."
That is a Challenge... how often do we (i know i do at times), go through the daily activities, work, eat, sleep, sport, ect... fitting in with the way the world does things with out even thinking... we have been trained to live and act in certain ways in which corespond with the way the world does things... These need to be broken... we need to see things from God's view, we need to Fix our eyes on Christ, and let Him work in us, and bring the change from the inside... For that is the only way there is a lasting change.

Lord bring on change that will last, change from the inside..

peace...
Lux

Anti -poverty

On thursday I went to an Ecumenical prayer & reflection meeting for anti poverty.
it was one of the most structured prayer & reflection Meetings i have be to. It was good, tho.
I went cause one Of the guys from my cell was Sharing his 'story. from being on the street & now havin a place to stay and i wanted to Support him, he was really nervous. so it was cool to be there for him.

their was a NuMber of other cool things, that happened..
One of these was a prayer of confession, Which i'd Like to share -
Many things paralyse us, O God. There is dispar & fear, endless struggles for enough resources, Confusion & too many discussions Cause we'd rather stand still than make a mistake.
We often spend our energy Struggling over small things while the world groans in pain & the cries of the people are more than we can bear.
We Carry a heavy burden of guilt while you are waiting to forgive us & free US to lightness of heart &soul. the way seems hard & we are often weary, O God.
We come to youin humble faith, in weakness, smallness of hope, in vulnerable faith, we come before you, O God, and wait your renewing Spirit

praising God

Tonight I have just been singing the song Shout to the Lord by Darlene Zschech (the words are below). It is sort of an older song.... however as i was singing it i was just fully in God's prensence. The song is full of so much truth for me.... I want to praise Jesus all of my days, He is my comfort, shelter, tower, refuge and Strength.. I want every part of me to just praise God... Every breath praising God.... And when i see God's handiwork... whether it is nature, or the way He has worked in people's lives, i just want to praise and love Him more.
God has so many promises for me... and you.... there are a number in the Bible.... Check them out.... There are also promises that He gives us as the Church and as individuals that aren't in the Bible.... Ask God what His promises are for you... (I know some that He has given me, and they are awesome.... although seem a little scary..when i try doing with out Him)


My Jesus My Saviour
Lord there is none like you
All of my days I want to praise
The wonder of your mighty love.

My comfort and my shelter
Tower refuge and strength
Let every breath, All that i am
Never cease to worship You

Shout to the Lord all the earth
Let us sing. Power and majesty praise to the King
Mountian bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your Name
I sing for joy at the works of Your hand
forever i love you for ever I stand
nothing compares to the promise i have in You.

love for the hurting

A quote from a friend..."I know that being part of the church, means giving and not just receiving.... but i just don't have anything to give".
Now this person wasn't taking about money, or time. The person was talking more about love. How often do we expect people that are hurt, angry, or who are down trodden to act as "christians" and love others when they have been beaten down and so much taken from them emotionally, mentally, even physically, that they don't have anything left to give. So how are they supposed to give.... How are they meant to get back to a place where they are able to give?
This is only through them receiving love.... love from God ultimately,and healing from God..... however we have a place to play in it God needs/wants us to love them beyond measure.... cause that is how he loves them.