The Invasion

 

Christmas is an invasion.  Not just the kingdom of God invading the earth, but God himself, invading the earth.  In Person.  Oh, how I love this!

 

I went with a friend to her church this past Sunday, this fourth Sunday of Advent.  I went hungry for the holy.  Knowing this is a particularly good church, I was excited and expectant…ready to encounter Jesus.  The singing began.  I can’t call it worship.  Darn it.  It was singing.  Before the last song, the worship pastor had a “word” for the body.  It’s was a pretty common word.  I’ve  heard it before.  So have you.  It went along these lines.

 

“The LORD is a warrior.  All battles are His.  You are not meant to fight.  Some of you are inviting the battle into your life by fighting.  God wants you to surrender and rest in Him.”  Raise the white flag.  Don’t engage in warfare. God doesn’t want you to do what he said to do in James 4:7 or in 1Peter or in Ephesians.  The armor of God thing…don’t need it.  Don’t bother.  OK, I’m ranting.  The “word” was as unbiblical as it was unhelpful.  (And lest I make the same mistake he did by speaking in sweeping generalizations, yes, there are times when we are not to fight, the battle is not ours and we are to express our faith completely by resting  in God…and yes, there are times when we cannot fight and need the body of Christ to intervene on our behalf…and yes, fighting is not striving…oh – how we need an intimate walk with Jesus!)

 

As I listened to the man, who is a good man, I asked…”Is this for me, God?  Am I taking on battles that aren’t mine to fight?”.  No, he says.  And then I wondered…where are the people who need to hear a word like this?  I haven’t  met them.  I’ve seen and encountered and experienced a lot of fear and passivity.  I haven’t encountered a bunch of warriors out there swinging the sword of the Lord around willy nilly looking for fights that aren’t theirs.  But these folks must be out there somewhere because a lot of pastors and teachers  are telling them to stop it.

 

The pastor came up after the final song and began to give his very  Biblical message.  It was about how Jesus’ coming in the manger was actually an invasion.  About pulling back the curtain and looking at Revelations and reading the account of the dragon waiting to devour the child.  It was about the bigger picture, the larger story, the miraculous breaking into this world.  HOORAY!

 

My sons are home for Christmas.  This makes a mother’s heart very happy.  I am cherishing them and this time.  Last night, we went together to see the movie Tron.  Spoiler alert!  It is a movie about a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue!  Sound familiar?  It is a story about a Creator and things going wrong, and the battle between good and evil and the good needing to be rescued.  The Gospel was in there!  Someone knows we are in a battle between good and evil and that we are required to rise up.

 

At the theater, we were sitting behind a row of teenagers.  A gaggle of them.  About twelve young men and women reeking of marijuana.  And I do mean, reeking.  I could see them as well taking swigs out of the bottles they brought in knowing they had smuggled in alcohol and my heart broke for them.  They were  a bit loud.  A bit rambunctious.  A bit irritating and a bit smelly.

 

I watched the movie but I also watched them.  After the movie, I wanted to talk to the young woman sitting in front of me.  I lingered.  I went to the bathroom.  I prayed.  I hoped and expected her to come into the bathroom.  See, I was once that girl.  But the invasion of the kingdom of God broke into my life and I have been rescued.  I wanted to tell her that she could be rescued, too!

 

She didn’t come into the bathroom.

 

When I finally came out, there was the whole group of teenagers standing in a circle.  My sons were over by the door waiting for me and I hesitated…looked at the group, looked at my sons…and then completely compelled by the love of Christ, I walked up to their circle.  “Did you enjoy the movie?”, I asked.  Yes, they most emphatically did!

 

I told them that I had been sitting behind them.  That I saw and smelled how totally stoned they were…that I saw them drinking too.  And then I told them, a few things that I hope will haunt them beautifully.  I told them that part of the movie was true.  That there is a Creator and his name is Jesus.  That I was like them at their age but I had been rescued.  That there is another way to live.  A better way.  That sometime in the future they may remember the words of the crazy lady after the movie…it may come back to them.  And I hope they remember the name Jesus and that they are so very deeply loved.

 

They were amazingly silent and sober as I spoke.  One young man said thank you before I left with longing in my eyes.  Some of them laughed as soon as I got a few steps away.  Of course they did!  But oh God, may they remember. 

 

I don’t do that often.  But I pray to do it more.  To follow Jesus and obey.  To speak what he tells me to speak.  To love.  To offer.  To risk.  To invade.

 

See  Jesus has passed the baton to us.  The scriptures say “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.  (Matt 11:12).  It is an invasion.  An invasion is active.  An invasion is strong.  Yes, the kingdom of God is advancing and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.  But the kingdom of God is not advancing from a silent, surrendered couch.

 

Submit to God.  Resist the devil.  Take your stand.  Fight the good fight.  Let the invasion continue.  Yes and amen and a happy, holy and merry Christmas to you and yours!

Comments

[Jenn]

Thank you, thank you ,thank you Stasi for speaking boldly on what has been on my heart as of late. For the past couple of years I've been struggling with infertility( I commented on your hormones post), and while I've come face to face with real heartbreak and brokeness, I have viewed that as my burden/ "cross" to carry. And this burden was gradually transitioning into self-pity and defeat. The pain I carried seemed too much to bear, and as I waited for God to fight this one for me, My faith in Him was waning as things haven't worked according to what I want. While there is real pain and heartbreak, I no longer want to resolve to accept this pain. I can still cry about wanting a baby, but I don't have to let my heart die in the process. There is a battle to be fought, and I'm no longer sitting on the sidelines!! :)

[Stasi]

Alleluia, Jenn!  That is really good.  Thank you.  Bless you!

[Jennifer]

Stasi, so interesting reading your post, I felt so burdened to pray for you and your sons last night, which I did. Way to go sister for listening to the spirit and speaking up. You are an encouragement!

[Sallie]

Invade our hearts, Lord Jesus, that as we are captivated by you, we are compelled by your love to fight for the life and freedom of ourselves and of others! Thank you, Stasi,for leading us into his heart,and may your words of hope echo in the hearts of those teens -- the haunting echo of accessible Hope! Yes and Amen!
Sallie

[Layne Bogdanov]

Thank you for this post. I realize the movie Tron is only a small part of what you are trying to say here but I want to tell you what I did with your words. Tonight two teenage boys were eating dinner at my house and then going to see the movie. I was able to read your story to them and send them off. They are now ready to see the bigger story in the movie and hopefully look for others to tell about Jesus when it is over. Thank you for making a trip to the movies an opportunity for these 2 boys.

[Tammy]

God bless you, Stasi Eldredge! You are a TRUE Princess Warrior and I am SO thankful for the example you offer. My heart breaks for our young people. They are encountering so much long before they are equipped to handle it. I pray that gaggle of teens will remember the woman who CARED enough to invade their lives and offer them LIFE instead of condemnation.
Merry Christmas to ALL of the Eldredges. May your hearts be blessed with a fresh indwelling of the One who came to heal our broken hearts and set us free!

[Patrick Vall]

How ironic! 30 minutes ago we had family dinner. I read the Wild at Heart passage to my wife and kids (teenagers included!) where John quotes Phil Yancey and Revelation 12.
Stasi, Merry Invasion!

[Lisa D]

What an astonishing story. We forget how disruptive Jesus was when he reached out to the lost and broken. We often feel that if we break into people's lives bearing truth and love that somehow we will offend, so it is better to just play it safe. How inspiring it is to me Stasi that you risked so much to tell these young and reckless teens (I was one of these too) the truth. And as our Father empowered you with grace and beauty to extend His love, you were one glorious buzz-kill of a disruption to their evening! You might never know the impact of this event this side of heaven, but I am certain that God is smiling. My deep thanks to you and the Ransomed Heart team for continuing to advance the Kingdom. Come Lord Jesus!

[Carrie]

Stasi! My daughter went to see Tron tonight and I just read your blog to her! Thank you! You go girl!

[brotherjonathan]

I think that part of the problem here is one of culture. We in the modern/post-modern West tend to think along the lines that surrender = defeat = passivity; and therefore a surrendered life is one that has been made subject to another and ,by extension, removed from any responsibility for ,or expectation of, action.

Whereas, in more classical terms, surrender involved not only an admission of another’s superiority, but also a declaration of allegiance to that superior. A pledge to render unquestioning service. A defeated king’s army was not disbanded—it was kept intact and afield in order to further augment the strength of the conqueror’s own forces.

As a recovering addict and alcoholic, I am acutely aware of the danger present in passivity. My particular “sin struggle” just may kill me (or worse, kill another) if not attended to proactively. It is entirely true that it is beyond my power to remove the proclivity toward this sin from my Self (Rom 7). It is also entirely true that to live (a verb) in the Spirit is to live in freedom (Rom 8).

Jesus did not say, “Come, follow me, and I will make you…do nothing.” He promised a life of meaningful and significant service to and impact upon the world that surrounds us. A life made beautiful by allegiance to, sacrifice for and wholesale adoption of His cause. To treasure what God treasures and then act in accordance.

The battle IS the Lord’s and He has chosen to win it through jars of clay.

[Yvette B.]

Beautiful. Beautiful!

[Yvette B.]

Can I add one more thing? What do you do with the message you heard in that church? With the ache that is left after hearing something so unbiblical and unhelpful? I ask because I find myself wrestling with that often. I've heard someone say they go to church not because they like it, but because it's the best thing they've got this side of heaven. I don't like that. I want the adventure of saying "there's more!" and looking for it. But the voices against that are many.

[Peter Wernli]

Stasi, how wonderful. And thank you for sharing this. As a part of this movement in Switzerland (hey hope you got some of that chocolate at Captivating :-) and a teacher of so many broken hearted children I see and feel every day what you are describing. It is important that we raise our voice and make a difference.
Merry Christmas to you, to John and your sons. Say hello to Sam and Blaine
(Met them in Wales in May)

Peter Wernli, Freeatheart Team Switzerland

[Wayne Shaw]

Stasi, I can't let Christmas Day and the season pass without stopping in and saying "hi", and to let you know, I read all your blogs. That was me at one time in my life, too; in fact, I received the Lord when in just such a state, and even worse. So God bless you!!

As I've stepped up my prayers for you all, God has given me a phrase with a little bit of wordplay: "Hard prayers". They certainly can be hard as the warfare heats up, but the sense I get from this is more like what used to be called "hard news", facts, specific stories, how they apply, why they are relevant, that sort of thing. Without having perfect clarity on this, I know I'm called to be an intercessor--for my church, for my wife and her ministry, for my pastor, for friends and family, and last but not least, all of you on the team. I look forward to this heightened clarity I know God will give me as we continue in the fight together with you guys.

As usual, there is so much more than I really have time or room for, but for what it's worth (and it seems to be worth a LOT to all of you), you have gained a friend. Please give my warmest greetings to John (I saw his Christmas video message), to the team, and to your sons, who though I don't know as much about as I know you two, greatly encourage me as the younger generation of believers never fails to do.

Merry Christmas!!! ~~~Wayne

[jill]

Stasi.........What I love is how you "lived" in that moment after Tron. Most would have listened to the little voice that says "Don't do it - they WILL just think you are crazy. It isn't worth it." You listened to the quieter but steadier voice that speaks in the wind, the rustle of leaves and silence of snow. The voice that gives words to the longing in that one young man's eyes. This voice says, "It may not matter in the here and now, but the promises of the Lord NEVER fail, and this word will live on in their hearts in some beautiful way that may only be seen in the hindsight of the hereafter." LIVE it up, lovely lady, and may we all be inspired to do the same.

[Stasi]

Hooray!

[Stasi]

Merry Invasion, indeed!

[Stasi]

Beautiful.  Thank you.

[Stasi]

Yes and Amen Peter!  And I did!  It was marvelous!  :-)  Merry Christmas to you and yours!

[Stasi]

Oh, thank you, Wayne!  And Merry Christmas to you and yours!

[Dee Bellomo]

I love what you did after the movie. I so badly want to be used by God like that. I just feel like the devil has kept our family so preoccupied with one disaster after another and I just don't know how to ever get to that place. Does the battle ever slow down enough to breathe? Thank you so much for the ministry you and your husband have. I met you once in Colorado Springs at a church I was attending and your husband had the most amazing word for me that God already placed on my heart 2 times before, and I am still waiting on that word to come to pass 8 years later. Blessings to you and yours!!!

[freelaughter]

Stasi,
I would love to hear what fighting without striving looks like. I've been asking that question for a while. I "worked hard" in fighting for a long time and when I came to the end of myself realized that most of it was striving/trying hard enough. What does that kind of fighting look like...feel like?

[Stasi]

God bless you Dee!  May Jesus come for you and yours TODAY!  And  yes...it gets better.  Grace to you.

[Stasi]

Such a great and important question.  One that deserves a good answer!  One that Im not able to answer in the midst of it being Christmas Eve!  Happy Christmas!  In the meantime...it means surrendering to Jesuus and .coming by the grace of God coming into his revelation and understanding of the authority we have as HIS ambassadors here....More later.  For now...I celebrate with you the coming of our Saviour!

[Anne Paré]

Stasi, I am in the middle of reading a book and thought of you. It's called Half the Sky and is a book filled with stories of women in oppression. It reminded me of the battle against women that you talked about in your book. I highly recommend it. I think it has a life changing message that will resonate with you.