So, maybe you’ve been waiting the last three days for this post. Finally, those thoughts on the two quotes from Erwin McManus’s book The Barbarian Way that I shared on Monday.
My hope is that this won’t disappoint, but here are three examples of what I think it means for we “barbarian” beleivers to be dropped into the middle of a war zone where we fight violence with peace, hatred with love and oppression with servanthood . . .
(1) Two ladies from GCF go each Sunday evening to the county jail to do a Bible Study and ministry with the women who are being held there. This past Sunday evening one of these women shared her own personal journey of how God healed her. Following her time of sharing, the Holy Spirit was unleashed and – left and right – women were being healed of deep emotional scars and several of them said that God had spoken new names over them. My favorite: one woman said that God had spoken the name “Full of Joy” over her! How awesome is that?!?! A few women – at the end – asked how they could be saved. That’s a page right out of Acts 2. When I talked with the woman who had done the teaching on Sunday evening about what had happened, her response was classic: “I don’t know,” she said, “I just obeyed and God came.” How cool is that! I was reminded that living in this war zone and battling against the powers and principalities of this world requires obedience and patience. These women have been doing this Bible Study for quite some time. They have been faithfully obedient and through their obedience, God unleashed light into darkness!
(2) I learned this morning that one of our LIFE Groups (GCF’s small groups) is helping an engaged couple in our community buy the wedding dress for their wedding. It sounds like something small, but this is an act of obedience that is big-time light in darkness. It’s a part of fighting the battle in the war zone. What I learned from this story is that we need to stay focused as we serve the world. This group had to turn down another opportunity to serve because they did not want to take their attention from this couple that they are helping. Staying focused like this IS NOT a bad thing. Sometimes; actually most of the time, fighting in the war zone means that we must be obediently strategic in our service. I’m now wondering and asking God who it is that I need to be stragecally fighting for . . .
(3) A friend of mine who pastors out in the midwest told me this week about how he went and helped clean up the home of an elderly member in the community. The job WAS NOT easy, but it was definately light in darkness and was definately fighting oppression with servanthood. What I learned from his story is that sometimes obediently fighting the battle against darkness is not so glamorous. Sometimes – actually most of the time – it involves getting our hands dirty . . .
I am excited by these three stories. In fact, they have my adrenaline pumping! As barbarians living for Jesus, we are hell-bent and determined to see the light of Jesus shining brightly in the places that have been too long claimed by the powers and principalities that keep the world in too much darkness!
Teach, us Yahweh, how to fight the battle and give us obedient and courageous hearts!
Those are cool ways to serve God in a cold, callous, calculating, and ravenous world. Sharing the love and light of Jesus is what it’s all about. O yeah! Mingling your good works with prayer is always fruitful! Rick