Hmmm… as I type this post, there may be some who think I’m crazy and maybe there will be some who will agree with me.
But honestly, I don’t really care. (Ha!)
While I don’t like using the term “Spiritual Warfare” (I’m not smart/coherent enough to think of a better term), I fully believe that it is out there.
I do believe that there are spirits out there that are not from God and often get in the way… Do you get where I’m getting at? Or have you already written me off?
Well let me give you an example from personal experience.
Every time something momentous in ministry or personal life is about to happen, something happens that may deter it, or make me cautious and think multiple times in going through with it.
You can say that it’s a coincidence. But I think it, at least for me, it goes deeper.
I can recount many times looking back in ministry, when we made a breakthrough, right before that, crazy and unexplainable things happened.
SSP this year was no different.
I talked to my dad and he shared with me that during the week, praying for me and the youth was incredibly difficult and he was a bit worried. Then I told him all the things that had happened. And we’re both from the similar school of thought, and he just suggested that I just be extra cautious this week and be extra prayerful.
Not only that, there were some crazy stuff that happened at church while we were gone as well.
I like to believe that this summer is a turning point for the youth ministry and for Valencia UMC.
There were a couple of moments where I was actually a bit scared to get back in the car during SSP. But it never stopped me, and this seemed to be one of the best experiences at SSP had by all.
Perhaps you’ll think that I may be stretching things and connecting dots that aren’t meant to be.
But you can’t take away my experiences and what I believe.
I’ll be praying hard for our church in that we can really seek God first and foremost and do the type of ministry that pleases God.
Perhaps this was a wake up call for me to let me know that I don’t pray nearly enough…
Either way, God has got my attention.
Joseph Yoo 
With movies, TV, video games, and life in general becoming ever more violent, I a little surprised that you are hesitant to use the word “warfare”. We see it and hear it daily, and as a society have become almost indifferent to it. With every new day young and old alike are spending more time “doing battle”.. whether its keeping their families and homes safe, keeping their heads above water financially, or keeping the evils in this world from overwhelming them body and soul. It seems almost a toss-up whether the guiles of the enemy or the evils that men do are more likely to beset us. Either way, it’s not a mere threat, but a full fledged attack. The Apostle Paul writes that we are to put on the whole armor of God. Armor isn’t meant for show. It’s there for battle.. warfare. We are fortunate to live in a country where we often gloss thing over for children, or for the public in general, but to what end? Have we all become afraid of being called fanatics because we say honestly that some things are just wrong? I wonder if modern political correctness would make a villain out of the little boy who pointed out the ruler’s undress in “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. Warfare is a dirty word, but guess what? It’s a dirty world…
Thanks Joseph. By the way, spiritual warfare is a fine phrase to get across what you’re talking about.
Blessings,
Dale