In The Beginning

John 1:1-5 (NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

I was born in 1960 and against all odds, I was baptized in 1971 after visiting a Church of Christ. For 22 years afterward, my life was filled with deep darkness and sin with only a few years of respite in the Light of Christ. Yes, I had been baptized, but even though I attended many different churches, I was accepted by none. I never received pure spiritual milk. Then in 1993 during one of my longer repentant periods in the Light, I was attending a spiritual retreat called Walk to Emmaus where I suddenly met Christ again while eating breakfast. It was at that moment that I opened my Bible and read what became my destiny. John 20:21-22 (NIV) --"Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit."

I didn't realize until a year later that Christ had breathed on me! I was being sent. I was being sent back into the darkness I had spent the majority of my life trying to escape! God gave me a poem to encourage me.



Since that time, I have seen things in the darkness that I wish I had not seen. I have battled those dark spiritual forces of the heavenly realm that continually assault humanity, forces that continually increase their efforts against me. I have struggled to not become a monster while fighting them. I have failed many times. God gave me this song to encourage me.


And I, like David would pray "Search me Oh Lord!" (Romans 8:26-28) Faithful and patient as He is, God would once again snatch me from the slimy pit, clean me up, then send me out again.

Now, I continue the battle with powerful weapons I have had learned the hard way to wield. No one teaches spiritual warfare, yet it is a battle we are all called to wage. (Ephesians 6:10-19) The Holy Spirit has taught me spiritual warfare using God's word, not man's. He has opened my eyes to a great revelation. The most powerful weapon of all is Agape!