Things that are Obvious and not so.

You may know that I recently went to Haiti with other Pastors and lay leaders from Southbrook Church where I serve as Life Groups Pastor. We had a two-fold purpose, to encourage and equip Pastors at a 2 day conference and to support our Pastor as he spoke at a 3 Night Crusade. This trip was really hard work. Why? Because of the obvious spiritual battles there. Demon possession was out in the open, as well extreme poverty and a lot of hopelessness. As we were driven around Port Au Prince, all I could see was extreme poverty and a lot of hopelessness. Dirty water, sewage rivers right in front of houses that were at best tents, tattered, and butted up against each other with literally no space between. It was crowded, the air was smoggy and the roads were not nearly wide enough for 3 cars wide let alone the 5-6 that somehow managed to pass each other without lines, lights or traffic cops. You get the picture, well you'd have to go there to do that. The Presidential White House was the symbol of Haiti for me, no one had done anything to repair it, it lay broken for all to see.

Over in Haiti they are used to people being possessed and therefore knew how to exorcise demons, they would come right out in the open, taunting us. Here in the States it's not near as obvious, what is anti-God can actually seem subtle and that's the danger. Spiritual warfare is here, that's for sure, it's just subtle. It shows up in apathy, in-difference and being sucked into the vortex of media. I got rid of cable because, frankly what shouldn't be funny was. It was worldliness seeping into my pores and I was becoming okay with it. When I was in Haiti I could smell, see and hear the spiritual forces that battled me and other followers. Here in the good ol' USA, I can recognize the warfare, but I am afraid far too many people who call themselves Christians, who go to church, give and serve, don't even recognize it. What seemed so obvious in Haiti is the same dark forces battling us here, it's just that methods that our enemies use to disengage us from God and move us toward worldliness and eventually evil are different and maybe even subtle.

In I Peter 5:8 we are told that the devil prowls around like a hungry lion seeking someone to devour. Lions are smart, they don't waste their energy running around going after the strongest and fastest prey, they wait and find the sick and injured animals and then have them for a snack. Satan will not necessarily go after the strongest believer, but he will go after the one who has let their guard down and let the world seep in. It shows up in not spending time in God's word and skipping church or Life Group here and there, watching TV shows and reading gossip magazines. Verse 9 is key, "Resist him, stand firm and he must flee." Under the canopy and power of Jesus' name, the devil has to leave. Many times I say aloud, "in the name of Jesus, the victor and exalted one, be gone Satan, you must leave this place." I believe it, do you? Finally in Ephesians 6:10-18 we are given very specific instructions and weapons in this battle. Several times we are instructed to put on the FULL armor of God, meaning, don't forget any, wear them all. "For we wrestle/our battle is not against an obvious foe, but against rulers, authorities and principalities of this dark and evil world." There it is!!!! It was not meant only for the early church 2000 years ago as they were getting started. It's real and here and recognizable. Be aware and alert! I felt it, saw it and heard it in Haiti, don't let this lesson be lost on you, the devil is prowling around and he does have the keys right now! But they will be snatched away when Jesus comes again and Satan will be vanquished forever, in the mean time he is doing his best to disrupt and destroy!

What if Your Life Ended Up in the Bible?

One of the thoughts I've had for a couple years but never put down in writing is this; those who ended up being in the Bible never knew they would be. We know that most messed up, and some triumphed, but God chose to use their lives to influence ours and millions of others over the years since they were recorded. Now I know that nothing can be added to or taken away from the scriptures, I am not suggesting this at all. But go along with me for a minute.

What if some parts of your life, okay like the really hard parts, the testing of your faith parts ended up being recorded? What would be written about you? Would it inspire people? Would your thoughts, actions, attitudes and words cause others to follow God, follow God more closely, or even choose God because of your life? There is a lot that can be said here, but for the sake of one of my shortest blogs ever....

Let's you and I live our lives as if everything about us, good, bad and in between were going to end up being read by millions for years and years to come. One prayer I pray most days goes like this,

"Lord, may everything I say, think or do, bring honor and glory to You."

Orphae

Back in college I had this friend Bruce, I had never met anyone like him, he was his own man in so many ways. This was back in the late 70's and Bruce and I couldn't have been more different, which was cool. He was a singer, artistic, a craftsman, passionate and a bit of a rebel. I was a jock, insecure and not good at the things he was. He introduced me to Mocha when virtually no one had even heard of it yet. We loved antiques and would turn old pieces of junk into someone else's treasure. We have gone our separate ways, each of us having moved several times across the country, raising children, and struggled through many things personally.

One of the things Bruce shared with me back in college was this word Orphae. What is Orphae you might ask. It is this feeling, a euphoria if you will that can happen anytime. You know it when you are experiencing it, like yesterday. My wife Karyn and I were taking a walk in a State Park, the place was practically empty except for a couple guys out fishing on the lake and some guy taking photo's of a fashion girl with high heels, a bright yellow dress and as out of place as you can imagine. Anyway, Karyn and I were walking with the loud sound of leaves crunching beneath our feet and geese making their honking sounds, Fall colors were still bursting, a slight breeze would refresh us and then all of a sudden this incredible aroma. It was sensory overload!! We couldn't quite make the smell out, was it clove? We didn't know but it was amazing and we could find it only in this one area. As we walked, sometimes talked, held hands, sat in the sun, took pictures or identified trees, we marveled at God's creation and just knew we were experiencing Orphae.

It isn't quite explainable, it could be watching someone experiencing joy, a taste of a dessert or special meal, it could be music that moves you or words on a page. Whatever it is, you can't create it nor hang onto it. I hope you have, or get to experience it!! Maybe you even have a different name for it. What a cool thing after all of these years to remember my friend Bruce tell me about Orphae, I kept a journal of Orphae experiences for a long time. I will post a picture of a recent time I experienced it, but it may not help you because you weren't there at the time. Orphae is a wonderful thing. Thanks Bruce!