Jesus dealt the death blow to Satan and his dark kingdom on the cross, Satan and his demonic angels aggressively cling to the power that they've had for hundreds of generations over families and neighborhoods. Materialism, religions, sexual addictions, drunkenness, anger, and selfish pride open the door to generational bondage. We are at war with the kingdom of darkness, and this is easy to forget! As Christians, we are given authority and the command to overcome the darkness with Christ's light. When Christians move into neighborhoods and spring up in families, we bring hope and light! But, not without a fight. Demonic powers can see us and resist us. That is why we fight with the weapons of Jesus Christ. Weapon #1: The gospel of Jesus Christ, who has come to bring forgiveness and freedom. We have to teach, tell, and live out this gospel in communities where the Light is needed. Weapon #2: Resist the Devil by turning the attention from him towards King Jesus Christ. He roars like a lion, but his tendons have been cut at the cross. We attack his kingdom with the gospel, prayer, and courage. We defend ourselves from his attacks through worship, prayer, and proclaiming the Bible. Weapon # 3: We have the Holy Spirit. As we walk in the Spirit, we bring light into the darkest corners. We have the power to bring holy living and worship into neighborhoods that are filled with spiritual strongholds. Weapon #4: Know your identity as a child of God and a warrior for Christ. Weapon # 5: The church! The Body of Christ is spread out by the 100 millions across the planet. In humility, we serve and pray for each other. With courage, we bring truth, justice, mercy, and love into the communities where we live. Our weapons are found in our intentional lifestyle of Bible/Church/Prayer and living out the Truth of Jesus daily. As missionaries, we see the immediate and long-term affects of discipleship. Parents and young people are learning how to apply the truth of Jesus Christ in their daily lives. A new generation of young people are growing up to serve Christ in Aninuan. Families are empowered to provide for their children's spiritual and physical needs. We get to play a small and important role in this kingdom of Light fight. God is raising up men to preach, mothers to disciple, and fathers to lead, and young people to change the world. It is exciting to see the long-term affects of the Threads of Hope ministry within the Aninuan neighborhoods. At the same time, I'm frequently reminded that we are in a battle against evil. An old man just moved into a house I pass by daily. When I talked with him, something seemed strange. Later I found out that he openly has a addiction for sexual perversion and prostitutes. This scene is repeated in tens of thousands of neighborhoods across the planet. What are my weapons against the dark king and his satanic kingdom? Ministry is all-hands on deck! We were chosen from before the creation of the world to join this co-mission with Christ... chosen to go! Go into all of the word, teach the gospel, make disciples and teach them to obey Jesus' commandments. And, who will go with us? Christ and His church. Ministry is war. Our weapons are powerful and our victory is sure!
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The SwansonsWe're a family on mission to bring the good news of Jesus to the Philippines. |