Hindu festivals.. new clothes and a spiritual warfare

well today was an awesome day. It always has its adventures here I tell you what. I went back to the tailor to pick my clothes which were finally ready. I loved them. There is nothing like having clothes made exactly to fit you. what happens is you try on the shirt, tell them what adjustments you want made and they fix it right in front of you, and serve you chi tea as you wait. How amazing is that huh! SO I loved my shirts.

The funniest things always happen to me. On the way home somehow I got stuck in the middle of a parade of nepalee men parading to the temple for a hindu festival. On the surface it’s pretty funny. Here i was stuck in a parade of a bunch of men dressed in costumes (some of them even women’s constumes), and goats and cows dressed up (only here huh). I don’t know how i get myself into these crazy predicaments. so what appeared funny on the surface, I believe was strategic planning by the master planner of the battle himself. You see I am realizing, my struggle here is not against flesh and blood. As Ephesians tells me, and as is very real here– our struggle is against the powers and the principalities of evil…but guess what.. i was walking around in the midst of a darkness knowing.. you know what I’m on the winning team. All these men think streaming to the the temple carryng incense and playing music, and dressing up will assure them of eternal life. In fact, instead it will assure them of eternal darkness. But I know the LIGHT. So i marched with these men as a soldier in the Lords army (at least until I could get on the other side of the road). I prayed that God would hold true to his promise that I am a fragrant aroma of Christ.

I wondered yesterday why i felt such a spirit of heaviness about me. It only lifted as I was reminded by the Lord that I am in a battle not against flesh and blood. Yesterday and today is a holy day for the hindus– in which they take turn marching to the temples where they pay alms and get a muticolored bracelet which they believe will give them eternal life. Talk about bondage. I am so glad that I know the life giver. I got to share that with many hindus in the past 2 days as I discussed their holiday. They can’t tell you why this bracelet gives you eternal life– I can tell them why the nail prints in the hands of Jesus gives me eternal life!

So today was a day where I am reminded tha t all I have to do is arrive dressed up for the battle, and let the Master General call the battle moves and win the WAR! I am also saddened as I think of these hindu’s having such a joyous festival to celebrate hopelessness.. why do we who HAVE hope not celebrate LIFE abundant.. hmm.. just a thought.

ok.. enough of my thoughts. sorry to get a bit preachy.

love you guys