... in the Spirit

Well, I can't provide much of an update on the women's retreat as Mary twisted my arm into letting her go this time...

But I can tell you how I've been reminded recently of the importance of being, as we say, "in the Spirit." And how I was reminded of this was kind of interesting. I was skimming over the news from Israel and an article in particular caught my attention. Some kabbalist elder was suggesting that a "decree of war" had been issued for Israel in the spiritual realm. Now was the time, he said, to prepare spiritually and pray for mercy.

It is not my intention to take a position on the veracity of his remarks, except to say that God used them, I believe, to challenge me to focus more on the truth that I am not merely a flesh-and-blood creature. This is difficult to do, of course, because our lives are consumed by 'flesh-and-blood' activities. There are children to dress. There are bills to pay. There is car maintenance to do. There is the phone to answer. It never ends. But, there is also a spiritual dimension that I can impact (and be impacted by) for better or worse and, I suppose, it behooves me to remain cognizant of this cosmic interaction.

Paul said that our ultimate contention is not with flesh-and-blood, but, in fact, with an enemy who operates primarily in the spiritual dimension. This is good to remember, especially as one of the church's primary functions is, also according to Paul, to make the truths of God known to those in the heavenly realm. And Jesus Himself pointed out, if I may paraphrase, that spiritual influence simply exudes from the heart of a 'believer.'

So, the seemingly innocuous things that I do, or don't do, can, vis-a-vis the spritual realm, have an impact on those around me. And by merely existing in a flesh-and-blood location in a state of belief, I can preach the gospel to my spiritual enemies. So, even if this 'decree of war' turns out to be just another rumor, now is as good a time as any to prepare spiritually and let those 'rivers of influence' flood the spirit realm with the knowledge of the glory of God.


And while I'm thinking of it, if any of you think of it between now and May 1st, please pray for me. I'll be teaching a Personal Finance class to the Bible School and, although I'm quite comfortable with the material, I've never really done this before...