Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

All Consuming Fire

    At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
    Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire (Heb.12:26-29).

There is a song by Rich Mullins in which he writes that, "everything I had was shaken, and all that remained was all I ever really had." Drawing near to the holiness of God brings us further within His Light, and enables us to see things as they really are. The things we have clung to in darkness will lose their appeal as we see them beneath the light of God. And as we draw even nearer to our Lord, that which is part of us which has no part in God will be shaken and burned up, "for our God is a consuming fire."
In the Light of God's consuming fire, we can see that which we once refused to look at--the painful truth of our imperfections. Yet, the consuming fire of God not only reveals truth, it also establishes it. The truth is established as that which is in us which is not holy or true is burned up; while that which is holy and true remains. God's purpose is not for us to draw near so we can see our imperfections, cry out in despair, and suffer our humanity as we see no hope. But His purpose is for us to come even closer so to allow His consuming fire to purge, purify and make us holy so that we can fully dwell with Him.
Keep in mind that we could not even approach God but for the work of Christ. Christ's blood has protected us so that God's consuming fire will not completely destroy us, and His removing the veil from between us and God allows us to come into the Holy presence of God. But though we are covered and protected so that we can pass through the fire, we have yet to be transformed. His Hand continues to shape and transform us as we continue to draw ever closer to Him.
But lest I paint to rosy a picture, let us consider another aspect of drawing near to God's all consuming fire. As we approach God we will often experience a certain amount of pain--sometimes, a great deal of pain. Seeing things as they are is not always easy. Our egos do not want to see any thing wrong with who we are or how we live. Our pride embraces the "I'm OK you're OK" philosophy. We will also experience pain as we are purged of our lusts, wants, greeds and lifestyles that we have held on to because they bring us pleasure in the world. Yet, the closer we come to God and get beneath His Light, those things which we thought we held (but really held us) will lose their grip on us.
It is nothing less than a war. We have to struggle to find our freedom from those things which lure us away from God. We have to resist the temptation to run from God's truth when we know we need to push on toward His presence--regardless of how much it hurts. Freedom has always seemed to be something people have had to fight and even die for. As we draw near to our freedom in God, we will find it to be a never-ending battle. But what we have to gain by coming into God's presence, is a freedom that is worth dying for.

[Soldier4Christ]

Transforming the Shapeless, And Filling the Voids

    In him was life; and the life was the light of men (Jn.1:4).

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (Gen.1:1-3). And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (Jn.1:5). In him was life; and the life was the light of men (Jn.1:4). He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not (Jn.1:10). And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness (Gen .1:4).

If we take the first part of the creation account and replace the word "earth" with the word "man" or "mankind," we will witness the unfolding of a Love plan put into motion by our Heavenly Father. For in the beginning, God created mankind. And mankind was empty (or void) and shapeless in spiritual definition. And darkness was upon the face of the souls of a fallen and lost mankind.
And God came near. And He moved upon the face of the waters of the soul of mankind. He examined the condition of a fallen, empty and needful humanity. And then He established a Plan and put it into motion within His Word.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men (Jn.1:1-4).
God's answer to a people dwelling in darkness was to bring to them the Light. The void of man's heart and the shapelessness of man's spirit could only truly begin to take a "form of godliness" once the Light had come. In the darkness, we do not see our condition, we do not see our emptiness, and we do not see our need. God's Light in Christ was provided so that we might see ourselves in truth--not so we would despair, but that we might realize our need to be recreated by the Creator--to move from being void and shapeless to becoming like our creator as we draw near to Him.
Drawing near to God will transform us. Getting next to Him will cause us to be repulsed by our former state and empower us to turn away from the sin we once embraced when we lived in the darkness. We cannot remain in the darkness and transform ourselves to be like God by our own power. For then we "have a form of godliness" while denying the power of God because we seek to transform ourselves.
Many Christians despair when they try to overcome sin and yet find themselves returning to particular sins time and again. Many Christians are grieved because they try so hard to do what is right yet find themselves all too often missing the mark--falling short of their desired goals for themselves as children of God.
We must keep in mind that the earth did not transform itself. The Light of God came upon it, and then the Hand of God began to shape it. It is as we come beneath the Light of God that we will experience victory over sin and victory over the darkness. And it is as we come beneath His Hand that we will begin to take shape and be filled--having a form of godliness, embracing His power and reflecting His Person as we are transformed after the nature and character of our Lord.

    Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and [your] joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up (James 4:7-10).

[Soldier4Christ]

Pillows, Pencils &  Golf Balls

    "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness (Matthew 23:27-28).

What do pillows, pencils and golf balls have in common? Let’s answer that by asking some more questions. What do you get when you take all of the stuffing out of a pillow? A short bed sheet perhaps? Certainly nothing you can use for a decent pillow. And what do you get when you remove the graphite (or ‘lead’) from a pencil? That’s simple, right? You get a hollow stick. And what about a golf ball? What do you get when you remove the core and rubber bands from the center of the golf ball? That would probably leave you with a hunk of plastic that takes fifty strokes just to get it to the green. So, what do pillows, pencils and golf balls have in common? They are just three examples of things that are not much use to anyone if they do not have what is needed on the inside.
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees whom Jesus was addressing in Matthew 23 were the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. From a distance, they looked good. They were dressed in nice apparel and adorned with religious items and symbols that drew attention to who, and what, they were supposed to be. They seemed outwardly to adhere to all the religious do’s and don’ts. They held the places of honor at feasts, and were considered highly respected leaders of the community. Yet Jesus saw through the outward trappings and perceived what was behind their well kept exterior. They were like pillows without stuffing, pencils without graphite, and golf balls without a core. They looked like what others thought they should, yet they were inadequate to truly be useful as the religious leaders the people desperately needed.
Jude speaks of such men like this: “These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm--shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted--twice dead” (Jude 1:12).
Perhaps you have seen their kind—religious leader types that seem to purport much more about themselves than the truth would hold. They dress nice and are adorned with beautiful trinkets and perhaps even some symbols of a faith they claim to stand by. They are as the “clouds without rain” in a season of drought.
In contrast, there are those who have no fancy clothes, no attractive appearance. They hold no prominent place, and are seldom thought of as one who would sit at the place of honor at a banquet table. They are quiet and humble and would rather choose the place of service over a place of being served. They are adorned with nothing eye-catching, but inside, they have a heart of gold.
To those people, Jesus says this: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth…” (Mt. 5:3-).
The pillow, the pencil and the golf ball have a purpose for which each is designed. They have been fashioned, inside and out, for that specific purpose. Though the outside may be made attractive, it is truly what is on the inside that counts.
You may be someone struggling with who you are. Maybe your outside is not what you would like. Maybe your inside needs some work. But consider the golf ball, which even after it has been scarred by time and wear, it is still able to go the distance. And while we may choose to spend time working on our outward appearance that is seen by others; we may want to consider that what is on the inside is what will truly go the distance, if what is there is allowed to be shaped to be pleasing to God.

Draw near to God, read the Bible, pray and be a servant—these are the disciplines of a soul who longs to keep the inside in shape.

[Soldier4Christ]

Faith: Belief in Action

    In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead (James 2:17).

The Question of Faith and Works:
There is a faith that can move mountains. Yet if that faith exists in someone today, won't we witness the proverbial mountain being moved? The question of faith and works asks, "Is faith really faith if there is no working out of that faith?" Do we believe that we can believe yet do nothing with what we believe? If we believe that we can believe yet not be inclined to act upon that belief, is it really a true belief?
While I believe the sky is blue I do not find it necessary to do something with that belief. Perhaps it is because that is a truth that just is--the mere acceptance of that fact is enough of an action to suit our purpose. Yet if we take belief a step further we find trust. It is the action based upon a belief that requires more than a mere acceptance of a fact. Belief would say "I believe God can move that mountain," while trust would say, "I believe God will. . ." (and not as some optimistic wishful thinking). I not only accept God's ability to do something, I am "fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform" (Rom.4:21).
There is a belief that is nothing more than the acceptance of fact of who God is and His ability. For "the devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:19). But their belief does not take the necessary step toward trust. Trust is the line that must be crossed to move from belief (as we know it today) into faith.
I may believe that a chair can be sat in and that it will hold me us up, yet until I sit in the chair I am doing nothing with my belief. What I then do is to make claims to the chair's ability without ever having trusted in it myself.
Many of us claim to have faith in God. By doing so, we would readily admit to a belief that who God claims to be to us--He is. He is our Protector, Provider, Redeemer and Savior. We therefore believe that He will protect us, meet our needs, deliver us from slavery to sin and provide us a means to be restored, renewed and revived.
However, our actions might say something entirely different. For if we fully trust another person with a particular responsibility, then complete trust in them and their ability is something that puts our minds at ease. We relax and are at peace in regard to the task that we have entrusted that person to do. But this does not seem to be the case regarding our so called belief in what God can do. For we make claims regarding what God can do and how He will care for us, only to become anxious, worried and restless. We say that He is capable to care for us, then we work as hard as we can to deal with the situations ourselves.
We have at our request a faith that will move mountains; while we remain content to struggle with molehills. Placing our trust in God's abilities will move us to act upon His direction, it will not lead us to make rash decisions while placing our trust in our own abilities. True belief will move us to take action, but keep in mind that the lack of faith will do the same. True belief will act upon what God wants to do--false hope will cause us to act for fear that God won't. Both will produce works, but only genuine faith will move mountains.

[Soldier4Christ]

Victoriously

    Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . .No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Rom. 8:35-37).

We are told that we are more than conquerors, and so we are. Yet, we may not grasp the depth of that statement and we may never, but we believe it to be so. For we know that the Christian life is one that is meant to be lived victoriously--having victory over sin and the world, having victory over our circumstances, and having victory over self.

Many times do the words, "There's power in the blood," roll off of the tongues of the spiritually anemic. There are many who hold on to a "name it and claim it" faith as though it is some kind of lifeline--tightly, and afraid they may lose their grip. And though our salvation is something that is to be worked out with fear and trembling, it is not something meant to cause anxiety within us for fear of losing it.

Christ has brought to us victory over sin--sin that blocks us from experiencing the power of God, and sin that would lead us to feel severed from God in the emptiness of times we fall short of His glory and are distant from His presence. But our victory is sure because it is in Christ, and not of ourselves, but in the all sufficient work He has accomplished. And this is our hope in His victory: that we may not always fall to the sin that seems to so easily beset us.

Our hope is alive because our hope is in Him who has made us alive through His resurrection--He who is the resurrection and the life. The closer we draw to Him, the more tasteless sin becomes. We are then compelled to draw even closer to Him, and release the sin that we think holds us. We draw ever so near to our Lord and with that, we learn to abide in Him. We find our strength in Him through which we can daily overcome sin, for as we remain in Him and He in us, we will bear much fruit--"apart from [Him we] can to nothing."

In Him there is hope for victory over the circumstances. Not that the circumstances may change, but that we may be encouraged within our circumstances. The circumstances can no longer hold power over us and cause us to move frantically within uncertain times. Instead, we can hold fast and remain at peace. For as life becomes full of turmoil, we can fix our eyes on He who is stable, and we can rest assured that He is still in control.

In Him there is hope for victory over self. For many times we are our worse enemy. We are full of selfish motive and ambition. We gravitate toward what is beneficial to the self. Even some of our good toward others is laced with ulterior motives. But this is not our lot in life, and we can have something else. We can have victory over our own childish and selfish concerns by drawing near to, and remaining in Christ our Lord. For as we spend time with Him, we will begin to take on His nature--we will learn how to love as He loves, how to give expecting nothing in return and how to sacrifice for the good of another.

Sometimes it is so very hard for us to realize that Christ has already brought to us a victory over all of these things--but He has. But that victory is not handed to us as such that we can take it, name it and claim it, and use it outside of the purposes of Christ. The victory is only found in Christ and it is only fully realized through walking closely with Him. His victory does not change our circumstances, but it will always help us to rise above them. It is, after all, His promise to us--signed in His blood, and sealed through His resurrection.

[Soldier4Christ]

Get In Line

    Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ (1Cor.11:1).

We walk a long and weary road in our course throughout this life. What we endure can build us up in stature, character and righteousness--or it can tear us down. But there is hope along the way as we seek a seemingly somewhat distant goal. It is a goal that we might come to be with Christ in the fullness of His glory.

John, like so many others, walked the road of Christianity. He began his journey at a place in time that he vaguely can remember now. And though he wishes that the memories of his "salvation experience" were as vivid as once they were, he has learned that true contentment comes in looking forward to today--not in clinging to the past.
There is truly comfort in the company of others who share a similar concern. John found a certain delight in being around those with whom he felt a common bond of this thing called Christianity. For though he felt that there were few with whom he had a likeness of heart, he counted it a blessing that he was able to call any man a brother.
Taking up his "disciple's cross," to lay aside his own desires, each day he takes his journey where last he had left off. Every day he rises from his sleep, renewing his decision that he will rise and walk again, down a path of much uncertainty.
But John has found within this uncertainty, a certain peace and joy that comes from simply observing godly men and women whom he would call "examples." To him, they are reflections of a Christ he has come to love. They are living illustrations of the teachings of his Lord. They are the people who are like road signs on his path to righteousness, for they point the way for him to walk so he will reach his intended goal. For in his heart he knows that many walk the road ahead--each depending on those closest to the goal to provide the rest some clear direction. And while John knew he must seek the true and godly persons to be to him a compass, he knew as well he must endure to be the same for those who would come behind him.

It is the picture of a lifeline. It spans the length of life and time, stretching from the newest believer to those who near their journey's end. Hand in hand they move from new life to afterlife, holding one another in a grip of love--held between the outstretched arms of Christ.
There are good and right examples for each of us to follow. It is the wiser person who realizes the need to depend on others. We were not salvaged by God to be an island unto self, but to become a link in a chain that is firmly secured to our Lord Jesus Christ. Each link has other links ahead of it. And each link has links behind. As we remain linked to one another, and secure within Christ, we are strong.
As we seek to be individuals in a society of many, and as we seek to be independent so that we can find security within ourselves; let us not forget that there are many who are counting on us to remain linked to others, and remain secured to Christ. Our example to them could mean them getting in the line that leads to eternal life.

[Soldier4Christ]

Letting Go

    For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Mt.6:14-15).

Many of us can recall the names of people and the circumstances surrounding the times we have been hurt. Perhaps it was an enemy who enjoyed persecuting you in front of peers, coworkers, school-mates or friends. Perhaps it was someone close whose fleeting loyalty drove a solid wedge between you--establishing a gap seemingly to difficult to bridge. Maybe you have simply been hurt by someone who did so unintentionally. You know they meant no harm, nor would they ever do anything with the intent to hurt you, yet they hurt you in a way that stirs your soul to pain each time you think of it. Whatever it was may have caused you to begin closing your heart to another, little by little the trust diminishes and the once free and open relationship is now restrained against the thought of being hurt again.
The pain is real and often intense, yet wounds must be given time to heal--and they must be given the proper environment in which to heal fully. We know that in order for a wound to heal it must be doctored. That is, it must be kept clean and free of infection or it will linger on and on.
When we are hurt, we perhaps feel a sense of justice in holding on to the hurt. We do not want to let go or else we may set ourselves up to be hurt again and we do not want to let go so as to always hold that someone accountable for the wrongs he or she did to us. What we may deem as cautious observation of a person based upon their previous acts, might instead be nothing more than our defensive posturing to avoid being hurt any further.
To forgive is to reestablish a trust. This is not to say that I forgive another and pretend that they are above wronging me further. Instead, it is to say that I forgive and reestablish trust in someone who I know very well might fail me further. To forgive is to make yourself vulnerable to one who hurt you, knowing they could hurt you again, yet not holding them in comtempt for past, present or future wrongs.
True forgiveness is unconditional. That is what is so great about the forgiveness of God. He sees our imperfection, our self-centered nature and our tendency to wrong Him, yet He forgives us today knowing very well that we will fail Him tomorrow. He opens Himself up fully and freely to us, His arms open wide to receive us in love--knowing all too well that we will forsake that love if at a particular time we believe it is to our benefit to do so. (Therein we define "sin").
Shall we demonstrate the Love of God to enemies and friends alike, then we must also show forgiveness. Shall we truly forgive another of their wrongs against us? Then we, for the sake of true forgiveness, must forgive not only the sins of today or the past, but also the future.
And so we must let go of pain that we embrace which would prohibit us from   forgetting. We must allow the hurts to turn to prayer of love lifted up on the behalf of those who have hurt us. We must forgive he who wrongs us today and he who wrongs us tomorrow. We must let go so the Spirit can bring true healing of our hearts through truest forgiveness of others.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Tree Beneath

    The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold (Ps.18:2).

Imagine that you are making your way up two-by-fours that have been nailed to the side of a tree. The somewhat crooked steps lead up to a treehouse made mostly of branches and scrap lumber. Only a few of the boards look to be of any good quality. The rest appear as though one wrong move might cause the whole thing to come down. Nevertheless, you continue to climb, intending to get into the structure to spend some quality time with your son who has been begging you for days to come with him into his newly built fortress.
Does this not sound like something you might do? Climb up what is uncertain to what may appear unsafe.  What's amazing is that we do it all the time, but the treehouses are people and the steps are good intentions. We see before us people who are imperfect, flawed and who will on occasion fail us. Yet we continue to seek to place trust in them so long as they do not hurt us.
When placing our trust in "unsound structures" many things can go wrong and many dangers exist. There is a danger first, that we do not recognize the dangers. That is to say that we look at the flawed structure as though it were perfect. And then when the structure fails us and we get hurt as a result, we act surprised and swear never to trust that structure again--or any one like it.
Another danger could be in how we treat the structure. If we place our weight upon the weakest places, say a loose board or one with a huge crack in it, we are sure to come tumbling down. We cannot expect to hand a bottle of alcohol to an alcoholic and tell him not to drink it, then leave him completely alone and then suddenly be surprised when he fails. It is necessary to place trust, yet it is necessary to use discretion as well. We should not expect the treehouse to hold up to pressures at its weakest area.
Still there are situations and circumstances that will undoubtedly lead us to misplace our trust. We may not see the danger, or we may unwittingly apply pressure to the weak spots. Why? Because we are imperfect even as those we place our trust in are imperfect. Because of that, we often fail others from the beginning when we place the expectations on them never to fail us. Then it is not only that they let us down, but that we also let them down by expecting them to hold us up--regardless of circumstances.
But there is a saving grace. We have a way that we can place our trust in others and keep ourselves out of harms way. Any two treehouses are seldom built alike, yet they all have something in common--they are built in a tree. The tree that is alive and sturdy remains secure and strong, even when the house is flawed. The best place to place our trust then is in the tree beneath the treehouse. We sit or stand on areas that are firmly supported by the branches of the tree.
Christ is a strong and living tree. He is always our security even when others fail us due to their flaws, and even when we fail ourselves due to our flaws. But we do not come to rest on ourselves or others. We instead come to rest and place our trust in He who holds us up.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Sleeping Giant

    Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, "I am the Christ," and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains (Mt.24:4-8).

I have heard the church of today referred to as "the sleeping giant." Perhaps we can see the truth of that statement when we consider the influence the church has on the world today--or lack thereof. That is not to be critical, but to say that the direction of influence seems to be heading in the opposite direction. The world has definitely become the greater influence on society and on the church.
In Matthew 24, Jesus tells of the condition of the earth toward the end times. He speaks of political and social unrest, He speaks of earthquakes, famines, nations rising against nation, and so called "spiritual leaders" claiming to hold the answers--claiming to be "the Christ." As Jesus explains these events, He compares them to birth panes to illustrate the frequency and intensity of the occurrences. As the end draws near, the events will become closer and closer together, eventually leaving no rest time between catastrophes. The intensity of the events will be of, shall I say, "Biblical proportions."

There is a point wherein a women who is giving birth is waken from the deepest sleep by the pains of the onset of labor. As many can attest to, it does not matter what time of the night it is--two, three in the morning--when the pains hit hard and the baby's birth is now a soon to come reality, mom's not going to truly rest until the baby comes.

Looking at the world today can make one wonder, "What is it going to take to wake up the 'sleeping giant'?" How troubled is this world going to have to be before the church comes up out of its slumber to seek to deal with the surrounding circumstances rather than ignoring them? How frequent and intense will the events have to be to snap us out of our complacency, wherein we do life as usual--chasing after careers and creature comforts--blatantly closing our eyes to the inevitable coming reality?
The end is coming. And it would be better for us if we see that as a reality now rather than waiting until it is upon us. Life is not about making a living and surrounding ourselves with the people, places and things that please us. And until we stop chasing after the American "dream" we will remain a people, and a church, in slumber.

[Soldier4Christ]

Square Pegs and Round Holes

    No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved" (Mt.9:16-17).

It has been said, and seems to be true, that all people are born with an innate desire to come to know the Lord. It has been said that we all possess a "Christ-shaped" hole, if you will, within our souls, and that there is nothing else that can fit into that hole except Christ Himself. A soul, therefore, without Christ contains a void where Christ should be, and this void produces a longing or a hunger which must be filled. But as with many things, we find quickly that although our bodies have certain needs, we often confuse those needs and therefore fill the soul or body with that which pacifies rather than that which truly satisfies--"that" being the very thing we need.

Without proper education, whether it be by experience or external teaching, we cannot identify our need, but can only identify that we have a need. The entirety of who we are will then begin to search all that we know, believe or have experienced, in order to determine how best to meet the need.
In a godless society, or one where God is more of a vague and relative figurehead, there is very little to point people to what will truly meet their spiritual need. It is like an entire community being lost in the woods, each person possessing a compass but no one knows how to really use it. And many of those who do know how to use the compass are confused because it seems that no two compasses look the same. Simply put, we live in a blind society where the blind lead the blind. Even the religious figureheads and individual churches have difficulty seeing anything alike--all professing to know the way of Christ while few show any resemblance to Him.

We do not truly understand our own plight, and most refuse to understand the plight of others. For it is easier to criticize, ostracize and judge than it is to love and minister. It is far easier to point out the sins of the godless than it is to help them find the Truth that will sustain them and fill their needs in full. We feel secure in our faith, saying that our void has been filled by the presence of God in Christ, then turn to gnash our teeth at homosexuals and abortionists. Have we forgotten the plight we once endured? How we once had no direction and sought to fill the void of our soul with anything that seemed it might fit? Can we not understand how people who have never heard of or seen examples of Christ might try just about anything to find love, acceptance and fulfillment?

Perhaps the reason we cannot look on the godless offenders with the love of God is because we have filled ourselves with a love for self. We shake our heads at what the godless fill themselves with to fill their personal void, yet we who claim to have the answer continue to fill our Christ-shaped place with "what-ever" seems to fit. Ours is not the blatant seven abominations unto the Lord (Prov.6:16-19), instead, ours is more subtle. Filling ourselves with want of material things and earthly possessions, we work harder at providing for self and family than we do at being a compass to a lost world. Yet we contrast ourselves with the homosexuals, murders and thieves and find comfort in ourselves for we are not like they. And the void in our lives that should be filled with the Love of God remains content to hold onto the "square pegs" that seem to fit.

Whether Christian or pagan, it is a godless act to seek to fill our Christ-shaped places with anything that is not of Him. Only Christ can truly satisfy. And we must ask ourselves just what we are trying to do to satisfy ourselves each day. Why do we seek after jobs, financial security, homes, and families, and how much of those things do we try to squeeze into the places that only Christ belongs?

[Soldier4Christ]

I Believe I Can Fly

    The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit (Jn.3:.

It comes at times as a gentle breeze. At other times it is a force to be reckoned with. You cannot see it but you know it is there, for you can see its effects and "hear its sound." The wind is all around us everyday. We do not consider it to have a beginning or and end in time or space--it has just always been--and will remain to be.
Imagine not believing in the wind. You would be thought to be ludicrous. "No one in there right mind would say they don't believe in the wind." Would they? Perhaps if they were blind, they could say they do not believe. And yet, we would wonder, "Can't they at least hear it?" Perhaps the person is deaf as well, and that's why he does not believe in the wind. We might then ask, "Well, can't he at least feel it when he is outside?" Well then, what if he has never been outside? Now we are really starting to stretch it.
And yet, there are so many who would see God's work but who are spiritually blind. There are so many who might hear God's Truth but they have become dull in hearing. And there are many who might at least feel God's presence but along with being spiritually deaf and blind, they have lost there ability to feel.
There are also those of us who have seen, heard and even felt God in our lives, but have since shut our eyes and ears and spiritually locked ourselves into a house of self-trust and self-security. Many of us who have trusted in God have become frightened by where "the wind" might take us, and have withdrawn to a place of safety--a place in which we feel comfortable. We have forgotten how to truly trust in God and have instead become more dependent upon self. We have forgotten how to rest in God's peace and not worry. We have forgotten that Jesus came to bring life, and life more abundant. In short--we have forgotten how to fly.

                Upon the wings of butterflies
                and tails of whippoorwills,
                there is a grace my eyes behold
                and for my heart a peace that stills.
                As in the birds I see the joy
                of hearts that are completely free,
                And in the wind that holds them up
                I see God's faithfulness to me.
                To see winged beauty glide upon
                the currents of the wind,
                as easy as my human feet upon
                the ground do stand;
                It is the essence of a faith
                which chooses not to trust the eye,
                but finds the wind beneath the wing
                is all I really need to fly.

God comes at times as a gentle breeze. At other times He is a force to be reckoned with. You cannot see Him but you know He is there, for you can see His effects and hear His sound. He is all around us everyday. We do not consider Him to have a beginning or and end in time or space--He has just always been--and will remain to be. To not believe in Him is ludicrous. And to place trust in something other than Him will leave you standing on the ground--when indeed, you could be soaring.

    But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).

[Soldier4Christ]

Yet Not I

    I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me (Gal.2:20).

A depressing thought. A frustrating, gnawing at the heart. What is desired cannot be possessed. What is desired to be, cannot be achieved. And the milestones, once reached, seem to lose their glamour and flare as a soul ponders, "What's the point?"
He slips into a mild depression that cannot be hidden by the fake smile he dons. No one is fooled. He tries to clear his mind and focus on other things, yet he is drawn like a magnet to think about his emptiness and what perhaps might ever fill it.
And so his thoughts spiral inward, stealing his ability to concentrate on anything else. "Why?" is the lingering question--even when he does not verbalize it, he continues to ask it in his heart.
"Life is meaningless!" he sharply retorts as though in debate with himself. Seeing no other way, he writes his last note to the world.

We seldom know why someone ends their own life. Sure, we can speculate. Yet, we cannot get inside their mind and ever truly understand. Did they hate themselves? Did they hate life? Did they hate us? Did they feel lonely or afraid, or did they feel that life was hopeless? The questions could go on forever. And even still there are many who are asking themselves today, "Why go on?"
I won't pretend to hold the answers to the questions surrounding suicide, but I will claim to know the One who does hold the answers. And yet I would say that due to my own difficulty with understanding the "Why?" of it all, I would readily proclaim that I am sure to unwittingly blind myself to the answers that God would provide.
But in considering what leads a person to this end we might consider the fate of all humanity. For though there are few of us who would kill the body, there are many of us who would kill the soul. Both are happening daily to some degree. For what draws a person to a chosen and untimely end is not something that happened over night. The physical end was preceded by an inward dying that occurred over time. This in not to be confused with a spiritual death related to heaven or hell. Instead it is regarding what brings life to us--and what brings death.
True life is brought through death. This is not physical or spiritual death but instead it is the self-death. As we die to self we find life. For in so doing, we find our greatest fulfillment will come through serving and loving others. Once we die to self, we live to Christ and we live to others. Therein we find purpose, meaning and contentment. Therein we find what makes life worth while. Therein we find reason to go on.
To live to self is not life, but death. The more we seek to do for self, the emptier we become. Life loses it's meaning and its purpose. We then become disheartened and discontent. As our thoughts turn inward to our wants and our problems and concerns, we stop drawing from that which is outside of us that brings us life. We can then no longer experience life because life has become centered entirely on self.
Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, depression, self-pity, etc. are perpetuated by a person's growing intensity of inward focus. The more the self focuses on self, the greater the problems become. Where the true need is to move outside of self, the person withdraws, and in seeking to take care of self, they do self harm instead.
The question raised here is one that seeks to draw the line between meaningless and meaningful death. The soul who lives a life that is inwardly focused is a soul that slowly kills itself. It is the empty shell of what could have been--lifelessness where there should be life. But the soul who lives a life that is outwardly focused--living to Christ and others--is a soul that finds new life each day, and flourishes even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances.
When waters are allowed to flow freely the stream is replenished, but a dammed up stream will stagnate without a proper spillway.
If we desire to find the cure for care, and the remedy for frustration, worry and depression; we might try reversing the flow from inward to outward. The soul that dies to self will live, but the soul who seeks to save itself shall indeed be empty.

    Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it (Luke 17:33).

[Soldier4Christ]

Peaches and Ministry

    Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mk.10:41-45).

A certain man was hired by another man to do odd jobs around the home. He worked for him a number of times for a fair amount of pay. It came about that the last time he worked for the man, that he told him after the job was completed not to worry about paying him as he said, "This one's on me." The astonished employer looked back to a woman who was with him. The woman seemed shocked as well, and just stood still for a moment then uttered, "That's a switch," in an almost disbelieving fashion. The employer thought for a moment then told the man to follow him. He led him into the garage and to several large baskets of fresh peaches. The employer looked to the other man and asked him to take one of the baskets of his choice. But the peaches were not offered as payment--but instead, they were a token of gratitude--a gift for the giver.

The power of sacrificial service and selfless giving is a power that moves the heart, and baffles the mind. It is seldom that we consider that someone would do anything without expecting something in return. And when we experience such giving, we might often become suspicious or skeptical, wondering what strings are attached to the gift, and what are the true intentions of the giver.
It would seem that our nation, society and even our churches are full of people who are more accustomed to serving self, than serving others. True and sacrificial giving are so foreign to us that when we see the genuine article, it astonishes us. I once knew of a situation where a church wanted to hire someone to cook Wednesday night supper. They could not understand it when a lady in the church stepped forward and offered to do it for free--as a ministry. They insisted on paying her, yet she insisted more greatly because she wanted it to be her service, not her job.
What does it mean to minister? The dictionary says that ministry is "the act of service." When we consider serving one another in Christ, do we generally attach strings, or paychecks? We might consider that true ministry is a gift, and "paid ministry" as a contradiction of terms. For those who truly minister are focused on meeting the needs of another--aren't they? They are not expecting anything in return--are they? As a minister the person does a service requiring no compensation, his or her ministry is a gift--a love offering, if you will. The response to the gift is "peaches." That is to say that as the minister gives, it is also given unto him. The service he does for others reciprocates a service to himself. Not that he desires to be served, but that the "peaches" he receives from whom he serves is a product of his ministry sown in love.
It is sad to say what has become of the word ministry today. There are "paid" ministers who would not "minister" without the pay. There are many who are called to serve who will not serve to meet the needs of a church who cannot guarantee they will be able to meet his needs. There are churches and fellowships who will not lend a van to another church, freely offer the use of their recreation center to a local Big Brothers group, or perform simple wedding ceremonies without first defining the terms of payment for "services" rendered.
With all the various examples of "ministry" and "service," perhaps it would be good of Webster to redefine the words--it would seem that we certainly have.

[Soldier4Christ]

What Seek Ye?

    And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour (Jn.1:36-39).

Our hearts seem to be unraveled at times, and our minds seem to lack any real concrete understanding as to where we are going, what we are seeking and why we seek it. The best intentions fail us and our motivations blind us all too often. What we often think we seek is often not what we truly seek. Even as we seek Christ we might on occasion find that in reality we seek something from Him or of Him, or perhaps some part of Him we desire rather than Him in His entirety.
As we know, we do not always seek Him but instead we often seek our own. So we see we must first make the choice to seek after Him, get behind Him and follow. It is then He turns to us and says, "What seek ye?" We are then perhaps slightly baffled by the question. If we follow Him, isn't it He that we seek? Why then would He pose such a question?
He would ask, however, not so that He might understand what we seek, for He knows already what is "in man" (Jn.2:24-25). He asks instead so that we might look within ourselves and discover for ourselves the what, who and why that we follow Him.
There are those who say to seek the peace of God, or seek God and you will find peace. In either case, peace is the focus of the quest and simply sees Jesus as a means. And what if our aim is the "joy of the Lord?" To know the Lord is to know His joy. Once we embrace Him we need not seek any further.
But "What seek ye?" Heaven? Salvation? Joy, peace, acceptance? We do possess a need for these and it is a need that only Christ can fill. Yet these are not the goals of our quest, they are simply the benefits. If then, we truly seek, we will seek the Person of our Lord. Not that we might know heaven, salvation, joy, peace and acceptance--but that we might know Him. That we might come to know Him and to be known by Him.
Some might contend that we have no choice but to seek what He gives us ahead of seeking Him, because by nature we are self-centered creatures. And while that is true of our flesh nature, it is not true of the standard Christ has set for us.
As we answer Christ's question, "What seek ye?" we come face to face with our raw humanity. We see our imperfections and impure motivations. Not that we might wallow in a pool of self pity, but that we may learn how to seek Him in truth--and not pretense, hoping to receive the benefits of knowing Him.
God seeks to have a relationship with you and me, not so He can get something for Himself. Therein we find our standard of love we will ever endeavor to reach. Therein we see our need for Him to develop that kind of love within us, for we within our selfish natures will never know how to love like God loves without Him doing it through us. But as He develops His love in us, we will one day begin to mature and say to Him, "I love you. Not because of what you do for me, but simply because of who you are."

[Soldier4Christ]

Of Love And Doctrine

    Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth.
    (2 Tim.23-25).

Mid afternoon a knock came on the door. John knew of no one who was coming by, so he half way prepared himself for another salesman. He opened the door to find two nicely dressed ladies standing before him. He noticed their smiles, and then noticed their Bibles. "Hello," John said inquisitively. One of the ladies proceeded to tell him that they were the members of a local group of Jehovah's Witnesses. She barely got the next sentence out of her mouth before John slammed the door and went on about his business. John felt like he was doing a righteous duty--"slamming the door" on false doctrines. So much so that he proudly shared the story with several Christian brothers at church the next Sunday.
Perhaps you have heard similar stories before, or perhaps you have heard other Christians proclaiming that such actions are the only ones we should take, saying, "When one of those folks comes to your door just slam the door in their face. Have nothing to do with them. Nothing you say is going to change their minds."
It may be true that nothing we say will change their minds, but what about what we do? What does the slamming of a door communicate to them? Can you imagine John smiling kindly at the two ladies and saying "Jesus loves you, and I love you too," right before slamming the door in their faces?
I once sat down with two Mormon elders who had come to pay a similar visit. We must have talked for at least an hour. I must say it was a pleasant meeting. They asked me a couple of questions, one of which opened the door for me to testify, not of doctrine, but of love. We could have easily sat and debated scripture and become frustrated with each other as no one would budge from their stance. Instead we were able to communicate. Why? Because we did not discuss issues which we were sure to disagree, instead we discussed God's love for us.
Some people might adamantly disagree with this approach. They might argue that correct doctrine must be proclaimed. While that is true it is also true that truth must be spoken in love. Therefore it is love that precedes doctrine and it is love that empowers it.
As the elders and I talked, I was able to share with them my testimony without scripture. That is to say, I told them about the love of God I had experienced and I shared who He is to me. I asked them about their relationship with God, and I was listened to as I shared about my relationship with God as well. It was a time of sharing, a time of nurturing and a time that was conducive to a good sewing of the gospel seeds. For though the two elders held vast knowledge of scripture and Mormon doctrine, they still seemed hungry for the love relationship that I described to them.
I never saw the two elders again. I cannot say they were converted at our meeting, and I do not know what became of them. But I do know that the Love of God which Christ manifested in me gave them a lot to think about.