After leaving the bright and cheerful sunshine in South America…
everything suddenly turned dark.
I am not sure if it was:
-the unrestful train ride
-the dead lady bugs that infested the stairwells upon our arrival
-the cold and freezing rain that poured down onto the rooftops
-the dreary gray clouds that swarmed the sky
-the dark and depressed atmosphere that surrounded the town
-the endless amount of emotions that filled my heart
-or the fact that we jumped 7 hours ahead and changed time zones…
BUT whatever it was….I knew that something was off.
One of the bible verses that I have been living by this year is {2 Timothy 1:7}
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
If this verse speaks truth….
why was my heart unpeaceful the instant I arrived in Romania?
why was I filled with fear soon after getting to our ministry sight?
If God does not give us feelings of fear…then obviosuly those feelings are not from the Lord.
Romania is filled with darkness and is in need of God's love.
When I hear the words "spiritual warfare" I always think of scary movies or creepy old witch craft stories from the past. I never really used to think about spiritual warfare on a daily basis and in the lives of people around me.
good verses evil is not just something that exists in the movies.
It is going on in the world around us everyday and whether you want to believe it or not, it is a constant battle that lives within us.
I never really believed in Satan or demons. Or maybe it was just something I did not want to believe or recognize as truth. But the more and more my relationship with Christ grows, the less I doubt the exsistence of evil.
As I am beggining to grow spiritually and share the light and love of Christ, I am beggining to experience Satan's reality in my life.
At the Seventh Spring Camp in Sistarovat, Romania..we experienced ALOT of spiritual warfare.
I thought I was having a series of bad dreams until I realized that most of my teammates were having similar night terrors. We would wake up abruptly in the middle of the night with feelings of fear and could not sleep at night. We would find it hard to get out of bed in the morning and show up cheerful for ministry and some of us could not even get up in the mornings to eat. We were tired, restless, and having feelings of depression and saddness. It was like there was a dark cloud over the camp that never seemed to go away…but we continued to pray over the camp and declared that the enemy had no place there. We believe that the light we are bringing is driving out the darkness in this town and as a result we are experiencing more attacks from the enemey.
"The idea of spiritual warfare will remain strange and irrelevant as long as you are living in the dark. Satan will leave you alone because you are doing what he wants you to do—staying separated from God and the plans that he has for your life. When you truly receive Jesus and begin to share his love with others, you will begin to experience his opposition. So in a way, experiencing spiritual attack is a sign of spiritual health."
I know that my purpose this year is to bring light into the darkness and spread love to God’s kingdom.
BUT throughout this month, my light seemed so dim and my heart felt so heavy. The enemy tries to get us to hide our light under a bowl so it cannot be seen. The enemey wants us to be quiet and not spread the light and the love of Jesus Christ. It is so important to recognize this when it happens and to not be afraid. The Lord is our strength and he has already won the battle for us. Our job is to stand strong in our faith and keep fighting the battles that we face each and everyday. Don't let the evil of this world bring you down or bring you fear because if you do, you are only letting Satan win.
Matthew 5:14-16
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Psalm 91: 9-11
"If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plauge will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go."
Ephesians 6:10-11
"Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his mighty power
so that you will be able to stand against the evil."
go in peace.
Dracula's Castle.
