No Power of Hell, No Scheme of Man

I think the night was best summed up by my friend, Adam (Barnes), "It's interesting how many Freshmen there were." A little back story, you ask? Certainly:

Tonight, like most Tuesdays, played host to the Verge (for those who have followed my blog for a while (or go to G-Dubb) you know what this is, for newcomers: it is a student-led/driven/focused worship experience) and it was particularly student-led as Neal provided a time in which students could go up and share something in their lives that demonstrated God's working/provision. Well as can be expected there were quite of number of stories shared tonight and, as Adam said, a good deal of the stories came from Freshmen.

At first, I was really excited! Here are some amazing young men and women of God willing to stand up and share their faith/testimony/struggles/whatever. I'm telling you there is a revival stirring on campus and like each year there are two paths down which this revival can travel-genuine revival/renewal or driving the community further into the depths and weakening the body of Christ.

That second path is where my second reaction leads to-if it is only the underclassmen/freshmen/new students who are one fire and participatory, this revival will fail. It must be a campus wide event! It cannot be particular to one group or class-we must all join together and support each other; for if this is a revival, you better believe that satan will try to throw everything he can at us to distract and try to separate us and prevent this revival/renewal.

So why am I saying all of this? Basically, I am calling everyone to pray for the campus and the revival that is stirring. Tell people who you can count on to pray to be in prayer for this, come to prayer meetings before the Verge, take time to sit in the prayer room at 2 in the morning and offer a quick prayer. In addition, live your faith-don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe in and to proclaim it from the rooftops! Don't let this fire that has begun inside of us to flicker out-let it burn wildly and fervently, engulfing your entire life and being.

But perhaps most important of all-find a group that you can rely on for support. I can attest to the positive impact that a good support group can have on your spiritual walk. We are called to communal life and while we can never fill the void in our lives with human relationships, they do allow us a means of surviving day to day life. As the author of Hebrews notes, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Heb 10:25)The devil is gonna try to attack us and we are much easier targets when we are alone and isolated.

All this to say, please don't let the fire that I feel on this campus be extinguished because of apathy or lethargy. I'll leave you with this quote:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously
give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others."
A Return to Love - Marianne Williamson

David