Be Prepared

Be Prepared

If it was only announced, "YOU ARE NOW ABOUT FACE SOME DIFFICULT TIMES...PLEASE DON'T BE ALARMED OR TAKE IT OUT ON ANYONE ELSE". In case you haven't heard by now, Tracy and I planning to move to Richmond, VA in January. We have taken this very seriously and have put months of months of time into our thought process. We traveled there last week to pray with friends about the possibility and to see if we could discern whether this might be God's will or not. Afterwards, we each spent a few hours praying and reading Scripture to digest the week and then on Sunday we had breakfast at an Eat-n-Park(a Pittsburgh thing) and shared our findings.

As a result, we have decided to move in January. Now, as a pastor I often talk about spiritual warfare and have occasionally experienced it, but rarely am I prepared for it. I mentioned to Tracy that if indeed this was God's will then we might expect some heckling, irritation or otherwise bothersome annoyances by dark spiritual forces.

So, on Monday morning I prayed extra long, read Ephesians 6 and shouted Satan down over and over. NOT! I went into work as I normally did expecting things to go as usual. Well they didn't and I didn't remember what I had said a day before. So, here is a summary of what happened on Monday to Thursday. You can decide for yourself whether it was an attack from Satan or just the result of living in a fallen world with fallen people....or certainly both.

Monday: Customer is irritated at me for no apparent reason. I had been gone for 10 days, but they knew that before the job was started. Also, spouse takes over as "General Contractor". Red flags should have been waving, but I didn't see them. At another job, I saw someone walking on the street that I hadn't seen in many years. Someone that had hurt many, many people and I began to wonder if I still was harboring bitterness toward them.

Tuesday: Had to go to the dentist....okay so that's normal...I still didn't like it.

Wednesday: A friend and I got into a squabble resulting primarily from external sources. Somewhat unexplainable, but it had not happened before. Fortunately, was mostly resolved before the end of the day.

Thursday: Dismissed from Monday's job by the other spouse for things I did not do. False accusations. Character defamation. Owed contractor $490 out of my own pocket for work done on Monday's project.

Thursday afternoon I retreated to my house where I was grateful to mow my grass...yes, I like mowing...it's soothing to my soul. As I was in the front yard, I had just passed my front door when like a lightning bolt to my head, I heard this quote: "What is my only hope and comfort in life and death?" What was that? Was it a Bible verse? No, it's from the confessions...like the Westminster or Belgic or something. Actually, I looked it up and it came from the Heidelberg Catechism. A series of questions and answers written in the 16th century to help believers remember significant points of reformed theology. Where did that come from? I had never really memorized it. I'm terrible at memorizing things. But, all the same, there it was and even more soothing than mowing grass, it brought rest to my soul. The answer below reminded me that I cannot trust in anything except my Savior and His promises (Each (letter) refers to a Scripture from which the statement comes:

That I with body and soul, both in life and death, (a) am not my own, (b) but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; (c) who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, (d) and delivered me from all the power of the devil; (e) and so preserves me (f) that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; (g) yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, (h) and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, (i) and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him. (j)

If you are interested in reading further click on: Heidelberg Catechism

Well, God didn't stop there. As if that was not enough encouragement, I checked my email and I had received a letter from a young man who had attended the camp I counseled at this summer. (For those that don't know, I had applied for a position with a ministry that had expressed enough interest to ask me to attend and participate in their camp. Didn't get it.) Anyway, this young man had attended my Quiet Time Seminar and learned the S.O.A.P. method that I've been teaching for years. He said he had used it every night since camp. OH! Thank you Jesus. I had been so discouraged after that rejection.

And now, two great encouragements in one day. That's when it hit me! Of course! Could it be that our decision to move to VA is the very thing that God wants us to do and the enemy would like to do everything he can to thwart it? You should know that spiritual warfare is not always the first thing to blame when #$@% happens, but all the circumstances certainly seemed to point in that direction.

Finally, I am as guilty as the next person for praising God when things go well and crying out, "God where are you" when things go badly. I am trying to learn the secret of contentment which Paul speaks of in Philippians 4:12. I try to praise God 'in' the midst of difficult times, but it is so counter intuitive. But isn't it interesting that if it weren't for difficult times, most of us would possibly forget God all together? Not intentionally, but life would just take over. With difficulty comes dependence. And God desires that we lean on Him..."to cast all our anxiety on Him because He cares for us"(1 Peter 5:7).

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11