Lets wake the dead

How sick are you of me writing about this book!? LOL...last night we had our "planning time" for our small group...How blessed am i to have those two freaking wonderful children of GOD IN MY LIFE!!!! Ever since i have come to Celebration, i have really found what it is like to have brothers and sisters in my life(other than ANN EYE CAN). We are so tight and can bring so much encouragement to eachother, WHILE STAYING REAL. They have so much faith in me, that whenever i leave, no matter how crappy my day has been, i am on fire for Jesus. AND that leads me to my point. Alex gave each of us certain points we are to hit on in the meeting on Tuesday. I JUMPED AT spiritual warfare. I am just so blown away by it. I want to read and read and read everything i can about it. Its weird because i'm not into war movies or fighting or anything like that. Its just i get so pumped knowing i'm on the Good Guys side and i'll try to tackle anything that comes in my way, its like a mental workout crazier than any physical workout i could ever go through. so as i prepared, i was drawn more to the bible than eldredge's book, which is good, that's helping me realize i'm trying to find my own understanding to things rather than someone else's. i also get pumped by this because the devil has been trying to get in my heart ever since i decided to go to Peru-so any type of pumping up i can get to cast him away, I'll take it.
The thing that just really gets me about spiritual warfare is that people don't believe it exists. i mean there is a wack percentage of people who don't even believe that Satan or HELL exist! They believe in a god, but not in hell. So therefore, everything bad that happens to them, well is blamed on God. HELLO PEOPLE! WE SERVE A GOOD AND HOLY GOD! He wants good for us, he wants the abundant life for us, he wants to answer the desires of our hearts!!!!!! there is a darkness out there that is here to seek, kill and destroy anything is God's image (ps.4:2). I then think of daniel, he fasted for 3 weeks before he got insite from an angel, and when he did the angel said he would have been there sooner, but the fallen angel was fighting them to keep em out of the persian kingdom! HELLO THE BATTLE IS HERE! this amazing life that God wants for us is so rare BECAUSE we so easily lose heart. the sooner we accept that this creature of darkness is real, the better hope we have for the life we want! God is fighting for us, but he can't do it alone! we have to do it, we have to fight! please please don't think your failings are because you fell short of god's glory!, it is not about sin guys...you may think you are not god's glorious creation, but you are...regardless of your sin...scripture clearly states that our enemy STAGED our downfall.
but guys really, so many people say, hey, i'm down to fight, but they don't realize the actual battle. i know i only want to see the good stuff, don't make things messy for me, i want the option....but we don't its all or nothing. fight or be fought.
the thing i really want to get out, and that i've been praying for the discernment for, is what you can find in matthew 23:25-28...." beautiful people on the outside who are full of dead man's bones and things that are unclean- the leaches, the lifesuckers who are doing work for the devil himself. i always want to find the best in people and not believe they truly DON"T care about me, but they exist.
so i'm going to close with scripture from Revelation 3:15-16 god wants us to be on fire for him, not lukewarm...he wants us to desire him like he does for us. i would spit out lukewarm coffee...its either got to be cold or hot, perferrably HOT. so guys, stay hot for him...position yourselves around people who want what god wants for you, focus on the positive things in your life, know your purpose and fight for your that purpose God gave you.
man i'm fired up now...