FIGHT ON!!!!!

I realize this is long but please read it all.

I just finished watching a movie that I hadn’t watched in a long long long time: “The Never Ending Story”. The Power House Teen Center had a movie night held here at the Bangor Corps. I don’t know how many of you have actually seen it recently or remember it that well, but there is apart of the movie where this mysterious Nothing that is sweeping across Fantasia is described. This part really stood out in my mind because of the way things are described, it made me wonder if it was put this way for a reason. In the movie where Atreyu (the hero of the movie) is confronting this beast that has been coming after him for a good portion of the movie and he asks the beast what he knows about the Nothing that is sweeping across Fantasia? It’s leaving behind…nothing; the land is being destroyed into non-existence. The beast (G’Mork) describes the Nothing as “It's the emptiness that's left. It's like a despair, destroying this world. And I have been trying to help it…people have begun to loose there hope and forget there dreams so the Nothing grows stronger”. He is then asked why and this is his response, “Because people who have no hopes are easy to control; and whoever has control has...the power! I am the servant of the power behind the Nothing. G’Mork basically says he’s a demon serving Satan and helping him bring people into this sense of hopelessness and despair and depression so they can be controlled.

I see it as a message for Christians. We have to be guarding ourselves against this sense of hopelessness that comes after us. It creeps in on us at times when we least expect it and when we’re most vulnerable. If we don’t combat against this feeling it will overtake us and take us out of the fight for Christ and render us ineffective. I have seen this oppression take its toll and work on people here in Bangor. That has got to be one of the saddest thoughts in the world: a Christian who can’t fight because they feel it’s too hard, and it’s pointless to try. Yes, there are times in our lives when sadness comes and grieving is, at times, a very good thing, but we can’t stay in that state. We need to fight and work through stuff that is trying to pull us down so that we can do everything in our power to win the battle’s that are we find in our daily lives that are on our battlefronts. When we fight we know we can have victory because Christ made us more than conquerors. We're on the front lines!!

Ephesians 6:13-18 (NIV) Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

I have a question

I watched History in the making last night when (that's what the guy on TV said) a different political party took power in Canada's government. All that I got from watching CBC was that Conservatives had a larger number than the Liberals. Aurora was not happy but couldn't really explain to me what was happening either. Is there a Candian that could please clarify exactly what happened? That would be great. I thought a new Prime Minister was being elected, but I didn't hear anything about that at all for the hour and a half that I watched...whatever was happening.

Christmas Party!!!!

I went to The Salvation Army Family Store Christmas Party this past Sunday. I thought it was odd that they waited until a moth had passed to do the party, but it seemed like Christmas all over again when we opened our presents form our secret Santa’s. Unfortunately for a lot of people a secret doesn’t stay a secret for long around the Family Store. We had a summer type theme so most of the people dressed up in beach type or warm weather type clothes. I put on my Florida gear (swim shorts and a sleeveless shirt) and then my Maine gear (two pairs of jeans, two shirts, one hooded sweatshirt, a hat and a parka) on top of that. We played volleyball for a good hour and a half and never bothered to keep score and we ate and opened our presents and left. I enjoyed it, but it didn’t seem like everyone was enjoying it as much as a regular Christmas party. I couldn’t understand why people weren’t talking and having a great time just spending time together like people normally would. Chris (Burr) was counting the minutes until he could finally get out of there but he’s always like that unless he’s snowboarding paintballing or doing anything that has nothing to do with TSA. Everybody just seemed to be waiting for something to happen and it never did so they all went. Maybe they were hoping for another volleyball game or some other game to play but there was nothing so it seemed like an awkward ending to the party. When we got our presents the party was pretty much over. I know most of you have never been to Bangor, Maine much less the Family store but if any body has any insight let me hear it please.

Thoughts from Jeff

This is just a quick blog. Here are some thoughts that I got from my roommate(Jeff) (not a Christian…yet) a few days ago. These thoughts stemmed from me being very cold. His words: “This winter has actually been much warmer than what it usually is. I know last night I said it was because of global warming but I don’t think that’s it at all I think it’s something more than just that. I think that it’s a sign of the Apocalypse. Armageddon is just around the corner. If you think about what’s happened recently with ht Tsunami is South East Asia, the thirty straight days of rain in Seattle and unheard of number of hurricanes this year…there’s only one explanation for it. I really think that The November 11th attacks and Hurricane Katrina were all judgment from God. I have been in the WTC and it was just filled with greed and power, and then in New Orleans with all the sexual immorality and gluttony and adultery happening, it’s no wonder that God sent judgment on them. Then there’s the war happening in the Middle East and I know that that the Bible has to say something about that stuff. I really think that the Apocalypse is just around the corner. There have been all these unexplainable things happening in the weather, and I think more will be coming along, but multiple fifty degree days in January in Bangor, Maine are just another sign.” I was stunned that all that had just come from a man who has in no way before shown any interest in talking about God and was also just getting over a hangover.

“He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away. Matthew 16:2-4 (NIV)


God is speaking to us and to the people that don’t know him yet Hallelujah!!

LOST

I just finished watching a show that I got hooked on over the summer: “Lost”. It’s a show about these people who were in a plane crash and are stranded on this remote tropical island and they are realizing there is more than just a random normal deserted island; typical Hollywood plot line. I have been enjoying watching this show but it seems that the further they go into this show the more plot twists they throw in. Pretty soon it’s going to be like a ball of yarn that they unraveled and have it going in so many directions it’s going to seem almost impossible to bring it to an end. This last show they showed one particular man’s secret that really is reminiscent to real life situations. He is a recovering Heroin addict. On this island, that everyone is stranded on, they discovered another plane that crashed a few years ago. It’s a much smaller eightish person plane. As for cargo on this plane they find small statues of the Virgin Mary. In side on these statues is hidden Heroin. This recovering addict is one of the four people that found this plane. He decided to take a statue. He hasn’t used any of the drug, but he has it with him. In this last episode the girlfriend of the recovering addict discovered what was in this statue that he has been carrying with him all this time. His explanation is that he is carrying it with him just to have it not to use it. So he just wants to know it’s there? His intent isn’t to use but to have it? Why would you want to keep something around you if you had no plans for it in a place where it serves no viable purpose? At the end of the show it shows him with another statue that he is hiding in a hole in some rocks with about seven other statues. That really show’s how strong bondage can be. This man is thinking ahead to his future when he gets off the island. He has no plan to continue his recovery. He just wants to go home and get back to doing what he knows best. He’s in a situation that he can’t control, and he is reverting back to something that he knows he can do, something he is comfortable with. I do realize that this situation was from a Hollywood script but there is some truth init. No matter where we go temptation finds a way to get into our life. Whether you’re comfortable in your home or stranded on an island in the middle of no where temptation is there and it needs to be combated. “Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, and fix your hope on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ”. 1Peter 1:13

Did anyone else realize that if you take one L out of Hollywood it becomes HOLY WOOD. It’s kind of like my souldiers idea. hmmmm...

A journey complete

My journey back home (to Bangor) started with my Dad waking me up at 4:15am. Although I may have already been up in a way, sleep walking, because I vaguely remember not being in my bed fifteen minutes earlier. It may have just been a very vivid dream, or it could be the fact that I was waking up at 4:15 in the morning. I think most people would feel strange waking up that early in the morning. I had some doughnuts and orange juice (freshly squeezed) for breakfast and I was off to the airport with my dad, two suitcases, and a guitar. Forty-five minutes later I was at the airport. Then the plane ride, not really a bad ride, only one hour. Then I was at Atlanta International Airport for a very long, long, long, long, long, long, long, time. I had a three hour and 58 minute wait for my next flight. Then my flight was delayed another thirty minutes. I slept for a good hour and a half. I had never slept at an airport before. I wouldn’t suggest anyone trying it at all, for any reason or for any length of time. I was very uncomfortable and I kept waking up checking my watch and my computer bag. I got onto the plane and the captain started to tell us why there was a delay. The plane had some maintenance issues. That’s so comforting. They finally get us on board, shut the door, fire up the engines, and then tell us we are on a plane that had maintenance issues. A very sobering thought. The captain assured us that it was fixed and we would by in the air soon (as long as the duct tape holds). We landed in Portland and as I walked out of the airport I noticed that it was snowing. For a few seconds I wasn’t sure what was happening because I had been in Florida where snow is considered a myth to most people there. It’s only happens in movies, in Alaska and to penguins. Bah ha ha ha ha!!! It took me a few seconds but I got over the shock of seeing snow and Captain Frank Nataluk and his family spent a few hours together eating talking and waiting and just chillin (yes, I just said a TSA officer was chillin). Then came the last leg of my trip, the bus ride (duh duh dunn). Not so bad. I got a chance to watch most of the movie “My Best Friend’s Wedding”. When I took a short break form the movie, I over heard a conversation between two people one seats behind me and across the aisle. So I listened (a.k.a. eaves dropping, though I didn’t have any eaves so I probably wasn’t dropping anything). I think it was the word Christ that caught my attention. I heard the argument that they had for why they thought he was a savior (they did believe he existed) and what there religious beliefs were (some weird Tibetan stuff). As I listened in I had my own arguments running through my mind. My brain automatically went into offensive mode and I could think of truths to prove them wrong. I was having a battle with them in my mind and I had the upper hand. I never actually talked to them but I could put up a strong case for Christ had I been bold enough to speak up. I thought that just popping into the middle of a conversation with apologetics flowing might not be a great idea, but we were on a bus so it’s not like they could get away from me. Sooner or later I’ll get them (and there little dog too). It was after the bus ride I realized that hearing that conversation was an attack of sorts on me and it failed miserably. I just got back from a time of rest and reenergizing and that’s the first attack I get thrown at me by the enemy. I can’t believe that’s the best he can come up with. It was nothing. The battle here in Bangor is going to be a route no contest. The war is on and my battle cry is NO COMPROMISE!!!!

A revolution is brewing in Florida

Happy New Year everybody!!

I just came back from Camp Keystone. We had a New Year’s weekend Camp Staff Reunion. It was amazing. We had our former DYS Major Willis and Barbara Howell as our main attraction. It was wonderful being with them again. There the type of people that you can’t be around without catching some of the fire that they have and then be compelled to do something. Major Howell has a way with words. When he speaks he gets the points across in a way that can make it sound exciting to anyone. I think he could make watching ugly paint dry sound interesting. Two ideas that he talked about (and actually did with us) were openness and accountability. He wanted to know how we had been since he and his wife had left, but he also asked us how we were as far as our spiritual life was. He wanted to know how we were really doing. It was awesome to hear some of the things that were happening in the lives of some of my friends that I hadn’t seen in about a year. I had real conversations and we talked about real issues that we normally wouldn’t bring up, not because we were afraid too; I just don’t think we ever thought about it before. It was great getting back with friends and actually getting to know more about them when I thought I had already known almost everything there was to know. We also talked about accountability. Something that hadn’t been brought up much before, but was very much needed. I’m really excited about what’s happening in the Florida division. I think God has key people set in place that are going to start making changes to take this division further into the Revolution that has already started. I’m very eager to see what comes out of all of this in the next couple of years. It’s going to be good.

For our New Year celebration we watched fireworks stayed out until two o’clock…maybe three, drank sparkling apple cider and Gabe acted like he was drunk for the rest of the night. It was good stuff.
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