Shifting the Atmosphere

I have struggled for a number of days now on how to communicate what I am about to write.  I finally decided to just put it out there and hope for the best.

The night after the San Bernardito shooting I had a rather disturbing dream.  Now, it is not unusual that one might have a dream about terrorism after a terrorist attack but this dream carried a message - one that has been echoed by various people I have spoken with both in Kentucky and Hawaii.

Basically, the dream warned me of future attacks close to home.  There was one way to stop them. Shift the atmosphere.

As I was typing out the dream, more words came - more understanding of the problem.  You see, we know that the "Prince of the Power of the Air" works to steal, kill, and destroy.  He is the Father of Lies.  When we look at those who are under the influence of what Christians call, "the world" we can expect bad things, hateful words, snide comments, etc.  (Please do not read that all people who do not follow Christ are rude and hateful.  But when they are, we understand why.)

Christians are called to carry love and be examples of self sacrifice (and produce other fruit like peace, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, joy, kindness, goodness, and self control).  Even before we captured phrases like, "shifting the atmosphere" Christians were doing just that!  Something about choosing to host the Holy Spirit and His fruit while living in this world works as intercession.  And intercession shifts things!

(Just so you know, I deleted paragraphs of material from this blog.  Why? Because I think it would distract from the point.)

What is the point?  I am asking, no, pleading with my Christian brothers and sisters to shift our eyes from "flesh and blood" to " the powers and principalities in heavenly places".

How??
***Pray.  Have 2 way conversations with God.

***Choose Death.  We find abundant life when we lay down our life.  It is one of the counter intuitive aspects of Christianity.  I have to be willing to die or I will not be truly self-less.  (This one is incredibly hard for me!!!)

***Worship. Be thankful, yes, but also practice the discipline of worship.  You are God.  I am not.  I will worship even when I may not agree or understand.

***Intercede. Ask God how you might intercede in this season.  Maybe you will fast something. Maybe God will provide you with something more creative to do to stand in the gap.

***Choose Love.  Even when it seems foolish or naive.

***Pursue Fearlessness.  Fear will always lead us down a bad road or cause us to neglect the very things God calls us to do.

A few of us are working to put together some sort of virtual group in an effort to encourage one another toward shifting the atmosphere.  It may or may not be a Facebook group.  Let me know if you would like us to include you.  Basically, we will be feeding the things listed above.