Great Reminders

I started writing this as we neared the end of a retreat with the pastors and deacons of the Hope Churches, focusing on the much needed topics of church caring, harmony & unity.  As we are obedient to do what God calls us to do, we are keenly reminded that the enemy does not like it when we shine God’s light into the world.  There will be opposition.  And we have certainly experienced that over the two weeks the team was here.  Simplest things such as rain storms right before the start times of workshops – which become a challenge to travel in the rain.  Our trip on the Monday to the retreat location was supposed to be a full day earlier arrival than the church members so that we would have a full day of preparations.  However, the rented van kept overheating so we had to slow down the journey, take several breaks, and those in the van had no air-conditioning for the journey.  Then there were unexpected illnesses, preventing some from attending the retreat. 
Early Tuesday morning, the original bus for the church members did not show up at all and the bus company had to rush to find another bus and driver.  On the way, after getting onto the 2nd bus, during a washroom break, one pastor stepped on a sharp dirty object and cut his foot badly, needing to get a tetanus shot and antibiotics.  All these inconveniences are distractions from the focus God wants us to stick to.  But Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that “our struggle is NOT against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of even in the heavenly realms.”