Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

"The Control of Unavoidable Issues"

1 Corinthians 15:27 "For He has put everything under His feet."

These are royal words written about a kingly conqueror, our risen Lord. God has put all things under His feet, the blessed feet that walked the dark redemption road for us. Especially when the circumstances of our lives seem so far beyond our puny power to control, it is good to know this.

For there are so many things in our life in which our choice is never asked, from our cradle to our last bed. Testings, heartache and loss, puzzling and distressing times all come to us. And they will come again. Yet to try to hide one's face from these inevitable issues is not the way to peace.

Rather we are to remember that He who died for us now has all things under those feet of His which were pierced for us. We may not be able to alter what comes to us without our desire, perhaps. But in the faith that God has put all things under the feet of Christ, we can trust in His unfailing power and His unwavering purpose to transform from curse to blessing those great issues that we cannot remove and that He will not remove. We may say with the psalmist: "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18). So we can hide daily in the Rock of Ages and feel safe.

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"God Has His Purpose"

Psalm 115:3 "Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him."

There are plenty of things going on nowadays that seem to be the devil's handiwork--things that make our times look like "the hour and the power of the dark." Yet even in the hour of darkness God has His purpose.

Often it is precisely in the hour and the power of darkness that God has His moment. It was so at Calvary. In the very moment when Satan was making his most powerful impact up there on that awful hill, God was fulfilling His most glorious purpose and plan for our salvation. God took hold of Satan's finest hour and used it to crush him forever.

What this means is that our desperate moments, when terribly crushing things keep happening to us, are not out of control but are being turned by the all-powerful One Himself into the great benedictions of our lives.

Maybe we can't see that at the moment. Maybe we can't see it in our lives. But surely we can see it in the life of Christ, and that is quite enough. God has His purpose. He had His purpose in what happened to Christ. He has His purpose in what happens to us.

[Soldier4Christ]

"How Much Faith?"

Mark 9:24 "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

Here was a poor, distracted father, around whom a great crowd had gathered. On the ground lay his son, rolling about, foaming at the mouth, possessed by an evil spirit that had tormented him for many years. Then Jesus drew near, and they brought the boy to Him. The father cried: "If You can do anything, take pity on us and help us" (Mark 9:22).

Our Lord's reply put the father's real need where it belongs: "Everything is possible for him who believes" (Mark 9:23). The father saw it: "I do believe"--but not as I should. Of how many of us is this still true! Perfect faith is wonderful, but who among us has it?

Yet this is not to lead us into despair. Let us begin with what we are and use what faith we have. This was what the father did. He could not fail to see his shortcomings and His need. He did not fail to do what he should do -- seek from his Lord a stronger faith.

As we meet with him in His Word, we see anew the wonder of our Lord's power and love. Let us begin with where we are and meet with Him often even though our days may seem untroubled and calm with no cloud to darken them. We still need the Savior every hour.

[Soldier4Christ]

"The Little Things"

Song of Songs 2:15 "Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom."

Little things have the ability to destroy the big things. Little foxes spoil the grape vines; little germs ruin health; a little hole in the bottom of a dam causes floods; little snowflakes stopped Napoleon from conquering Russia.

Little things also have the ability of becoming big things. Everything is made of tiny atoms which cannot even be seen. Many moments make a total day, many days make a year, and many years make a lifetime. A small acorn becomes a mighty oak tree. A little faith will move mountains. A grain of mustard seed becomes the kingdom of God, and a little flock becomes the Christian church. This is the miracle of little things. And who will despise the day of small things?

The greatest miracle of all is that a little child should be born in Bethlehem as the Savior of all humankind. He is the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, our great Savior. God indeed works wonders with little things.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Courage from Christ"

Mark 6:50 "Immediately (Jesus) spoke to them and said, 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.'"

Medals are given to courageous heroes who rescue people from burning buildings, icy lakes, or wrecked cars. There are other forms of courage that may not be noticed by the news media.

This may be the case with Christ's disciples. The heroes of faith have greater strength because they have Jesus with them, supplying the confidence and bravery they need.

We know that Jesus promised courage to those who were afraid. "Take courage! It is I!" He said to His terrified disciples as He walked towards them on the water.

Jesus also supplies courage to a father going from place to place to apply for a job so that he can feed his family, to a mother who continues to care for her children after the death of her husband, to a boy defending his small brother from a bully every day on the way to school, or to a girl who day after day is shunned by others at school because of the reputation of her family.

These unsung heroes remember Jesus' courage when He let unbelievers nail Him to the cross. It is Jesus' death and resurrection that gives us the courage to live as He expects. When He appeared to His mourning disciples, He gave them courage to spread His message. So it is with us.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Casting All Our Cares upon God"

1 Peter 5:6-7 "Humble yourselves ... under God's mighty hand .... Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

Life has its cares and concerns. Illness, loneliness, grief, financial woes, family problems, and national and international problems.

Saint Peter, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has a good word for us today as we struggle with life in the middle of a busy week: "Cast all your anxiety on Him." We are not alone. God sent Jesus, who gives us courage, for He cared enough to go to the cross for us and die for all of our sins. This same Jesus can give us strength as we struggle with life. We can't often control whether or not we lose our job, but in Christ we can decide on other options for our life. We can't control whether or not we get seriously ill, but in Christ we can make a heroic adjustment to our illness. We can be weak, yet -- in Christ -- strong.

Christ is on our side. He gives us power. In moments of doubt and desperation, in moments filled with fear, we can cast all our anxiety upon Jesus. We can thank our great and good God for all of His bountiful blessings, both physical and spiritual. We can look to the mighty hand of God, which holds a multitude of divine gifts for us.

[Soldier4Christ]

"The Hand of the Lord"

Job 12:9 "Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?"

Some years ago the most exquisite diamond in the history of the world was found in Africa. Soon it was presented to the king of England to adorn the crown of state. The monarch sent it to Amsterdam to be cut by an expert stonecutter. The latter took the precious gem, cut a notch in it, and struck a hard blow with his instrument. Now the superb jewel lay in his hand split in two pieces. What recklessness! What waste! What carelessness!

Not at all! For weeks that blow had been planned. Models and drawings were made of the stone. Its quality, its defects, its cleavage lines had been studied with care. The blow was but the climax of the lapidary's skill. By it he brought the stone to its most perfect radiance and splendor. From the two halves came the two magnificent gems that the skilled eye of the cutter saw hidden in the stone.

Redeemed through Christ, we are God's precious possession. Yet sometimes He lets a stinging blow fall upon our lives. We cry out in agony: it all seems an appalling error. But no, for to God we are the most precious jewel in the world. Some day we shall emblazon the diadem of our King. By His grace, the blow that falls only fits us better for the splendor of the crown of His glory.

[Soldier4Christ]

"The Wise Master Builder"

1 Corinthians 3:9 "You are...God's building."

To erect a building, we must use a hammer and a saw, we must trim and cut. If we would not trim a single stone or saw a single board, we could not build a house.

We are God's building. God builds us for a godly life in this world and for eternal life in the world to come. To do this, God must cut and saw and trim. We do not always think of it in this way. We call it misfortune, hard luck, trouble; yet God is building us for time and eternity through pain and suffering, through sorrow and loss. God is the wise master builder, who never makes mistakes.

Though God builds through pain and loss, He is very near to us, to strengthen us and to encourage us through His Word when the going is hard. Are we worried? He takes us into His Word and invites us to cast all our care upon Him "because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). Are we sick? He says: "I am the Lord, who heals you" (Exodus 15:26). Are we troubled in conscience? He promises: "The blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). Are we facing death? He promises: "I am the Resurrection and the Life" (John 11:25).

[Soldier4Christ]

"God's Infinite Care"

Psalm 23:5 "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies."

A religious publication many years ago printed a Syrian Christian's interpretation of the Twenty-third Psalm. Being a shepherd himself, this Syrian pointed out that much of the significance of the psalm is lost unless one knows the problems of the shepherd in Bible lands.

One of his stimulating verse-by-verse explanations ran as follows:

Preparing a table does not mean setting a dinner table indoors, but refers to the shepherd's chief concern, that of finding a proper feeding place for his flock. He must be on the constant lookout for poisonous grasses, for his sheep do not always know the difference between healthy and death-bringing plants. His ever -watchful eye must detect wily snakes lying in ambush and drive them off. All this requires unceasing vigilance.

After finding an adequate patch of healthy grass free from snakes, the shepherd must render it safe "in the presence of enemies." Around the feeding ground, in holes and caverns on the hillside, there are jackals, wolves, and hyenas bent upon destroying the sheep. So the shepherd builds an enclosure of rocks and, if the wild beasts nevertheless attempt to enter the enclosure, slays them with his long-bladed knife.

Does not this one verse alone of Psalm 23 indicate what infinite care God takes to protect His children night and day?

[Soldier4Christ]

"All the Tools You Need"

Hebrews 3:4 "Every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything."

"Always use the right tool for the job" is sound advice often given by fathers to sons and by supervisors to workers. Nothing can be more frustrating than trying to accomplish a task with the wrong tools. The job ends up taking far more time and sometimes is impossible.

The Holy Spirit uses the tools of God's Word and Sacraments to create and sustain the gift of faith in each Christian. Children usually are baptized into the kingdom of God, and the faith of Christians is nourished by the Lord's Supper and the Bible. We are to use these tools of God so our Christian faith is sustained.

At times, though, we may try to take matters into our own hands and use our own tools to do spiritual work. But we soon realize the frustration and wasted time and energy resulting from using the wrong tools.

The psalmist writes, "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105). Not our own candles or flashlights, but Scripture lights the way to God. Only God's Word makes us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. We need to mark it down: God's Word and Sacraments are the only tools for growing and sharing our faith.

[Soldier4Christ]

"A Most Valuable Friend"

Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:4-5

An elderly woman lived alone. She was no different than hundreds of thousands of other older women and men who live alone. Disabled, she had to rely on the assistance and aid of her neighbors. That, too, does not make her unique. What was special about her is that she, even with her limited life, kept a daily diary. If you had known her you might have wondered, “Why bother? There wasn’t that much to record.”

Until the day the Lord took her home, this woman faithfully wrote down the events of her life. The police report said she had been dead “for a while” before someone missed her or found her. They said there was no evidence of foul play; she had died of natural causes. They said her diary held nothing of interest for the police or coroner. You, however, might find what she wrote interesting. Through the last weeks of her life, she had repeatedly written the same three words: “Nobody came today.”

Can you think of anything more tragic? Thankfully, it’s not that way for everyone. For example, the invalid in the Scripture reading listed above was blessed to have friends who loved him and took care of him. They made a commitment to get their paralyzed friend to Jesus. Undaunted by the impasse of the large crowd, they did what was necessary to place the paralyzed man before the Savior. They had faith that Jesus would be able to help their friend in his need.

Good friends can be a great blessing and joy. But as much as earthly friends may care and love, they are still bound by the confines of human limitations. There is no earthly friend who can do the things Jesus does. The friends of the paralyzed man could only bring him to Jesus. After that it was up to the all-powerful Son of God to effect a cure. By forgiving the man’s sins and healing his body, Jesus showed to the paralytic that He was a most valuable friend, indeed. Of course, those who really know Jesus, realize He is far more than a friend; He is a Savior whose life and death grant forgiveness to our souls and peace for our hearts.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Absolutely"

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand. John 10:28-30

At the top of the 1,000-foot mountainous peaks of Meteora, Greece, monasteries were built hundreds of years ago. Because of their impossible location, these monasteries became places of solitude, safety, and security. Up until the last century, goods, and the most rare of individuals—visitors—had to be winched up in a basket hand-powered by the monks. Those who made the ascent found the ride a terrifying experience. One of these tourists, recording his adventure, admitted to getting nervous about halfway up the cliff. That’s when he noticed that the rope seemed old and frayed. Thinking he might relieve his fear, at least somewhat, he asked one of the brothers riding with him, “How often do you change the rope?" Without a moment’s hesitation, the reply came back, "Whenever it breaks!" The traveler’s fear didn’t disappear.

All of us reading this devotion understand fear, don’t we? The devoted dad, the loving mom, the successful salesman, the brilliant banker, the faithful farmer, the diligent doctor, every person, at every age, in every occupation, in almost every situation, has experienced fear. There is nothing that seems to be unconditionally secure, unreservedly safe, unalterably solid. Peel away our fake facades and bold bravados and you will see cringing, cowering children who on the inside are shouting, “I'm scared to death.”

If that describes your outlook on life, hear the words of Jesus: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.” You can trust those words to be true. So you could be free of fear, Jesus sacrificed Himself. Although He was innocent, He allowed Himself to be nailed to the cross. He did not curse those who crucified Him; instead He forgave them, as He has all of us, for our sins. He died so that you might live free from fear. You can trust Him.

Please, do not think for a moment that Jesus' compassion and care have been weakened by the passing of centuries. I have seen Him comfort parents who have lost children, bring peace to widows and widowers, and bring hope to those with terminal illnesses. Believe His words to be true. No one, nothing, can take believers from the security of His nail-pierced hands.

[Soldier4Christ]

"It’s What’s For Dinner"

For the time is coming when people will …turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (excerpts)

The headline from last week’s Associated Press story read, “Chinese Villagers Eat Dinosaur Bones.” That single sentence immediately conjured up all kinds of mental images. The first was Fred Flintstone pulling up to his prehistoric drive-in. Then, there was Oliver Twist asking the official of the children’s work house for more food. Lastly, I thought of my family sitting down at the table and one of the children asking me, “Please pass the ketchup.”

Only after all of those thoughts had raced through my mind did I read the entire story. Some folks in central China have found some dinosaur bones and thought they were the remains of flying dragons. In traditional Chinese mythology, bones from a dragon are blessed with magical properties. Believing they had found the real thing, the villagers had ground up the bones and boiled them in their soup for medicine. The soup was then fed to the children as a cure for leg cramps and dizziness.

There is no report as to how the broth tasted, nor has there been any scientific study made as to the effectiveness of grinding the bones up and using them as a paste which, when applied directly, is believed to help heal fractures. What we do know is this: the villagers believe they had discovered real fly-through-the-air dragons’ bones. Scientists have been doing their best to convince the people that these beliefs are nothing more than unproven and unsupported myths.

When it comes to educating people about the myths of dragon bones, most Christians wouldn’t argue with the experts. On the other hand, many of us should object when “experts” put Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection into that same category of “myth.”

Jesus is not a myth. The Son of Mary was a real, physical person who was born when Augustus was Caesar and Quirinius was governor of Syria. He was crucified during the time when Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea. Jesus’ real life was marked by the fulfillment of the law and the rejection of Satan’s temptations. His real death has redeemed sinful humanity and the Christ’s real resurrection offers forgiveness of sins and eternal life to all who believe on Him as Savior. That’s what the Lord tells us in His Holy Word. That’s God’s truth which can be trusted and is much more than a myth.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Born to Redeem"

God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law. Galatians 4:4-5

Angus McGillivray, a strong, strapping Scotsman, was a survivor. Surviving was important in the Japanese prisoner of war camp where Angus was being held. "Survival of the fittest" was the rule of the day. Everyone lived that way until word spread that Angus was dead. Eventually, those around Angus managed to figure things out. Scottish soldiers, who often came from the same community, were instilled with the idea that each was responsible for his pal. That was what Angus had thought when he looked at his buddy. True, the doctors had said there was no hope for the man. And everyone acted as such, except for Angus. Angus felt obligated to make sure his buddy would survive.

When his friend’s blanket was stolen, Angus, saying he had "found an extra one," passed his on to the friend. As he gave his rations to his friend, Angus explained, “I can get more food anytime I want." Angus’ sacrifice paid off. His friend began to mend; his body started to heal. Then Angus died. "Exhaustion and starvation" was the doctor’s verdict. The rank and file prisoners knew the truth: Angus had died because his friend’s life was all-important. When word of Angus’ sacrifice spread among the surviving prisoners, the men were changed. We are not surprised. Indeed, we would be amazed if changes had not come about.

When I first heard that story, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I had a friend like Angus?” Then I realized, as everyone should, that we do have such a friend in the person of the Christ. Indeed, Jesus is a better friend than Angus. When Angus made his sacrifice, he had no idea he would die. In contrast, when Jesus was born into this world, He knew that, one day, iron nails would be driven into His hands and feet. He knew that He would be crucified to win our salvation. This our friend did for us so that we might be saved, so that we might live. Now, the only question needing to be answered is, “What will be our response to Christ’s great sacrifice?” There should be one, you know. How could we not respond and be changed by such a dear, loving friend?

[Def]

Bringing It Down To Earth

    What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.
    (Philippians 3:.

The presence of God is the most holy place. It is the place wherein we come and in essence remove the sandals from our feet. For how we clothe ourselves to walk in this world is not fitting as we tread upon the holy ground to approach the presence of God. And entering into His presence causes us to realize our need. We see ourselves for who we really are in comparison to Him, and we see our imperfection and inadequacy. But this does not spur us to retreat in shame, but instead, we confidently approach the throne of grace because of the work of Christ.
But how do we approach Him? Much about this only seems to touch the spiritual, how do we bring it down to earth?
To begin with, we know that sin keeps us from coming into the presence of God, sin--and even more so--the desire to cling to sin. Our sins have been forgiven us and therefore are no longer a wall that separate us from God's Salvation (Jesus tore down that wall). Instead, they separate us from His fellowship, and become a greater barrier when we refuse to let go of them.
Clinging to anything behind us will keep us from moving forward. Remember what the writer of Hebrews has said, "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles" (12:1). This is our act of repentance: to turn away from what is behind us and to press on toward the Holy place of God. We see that the kingdom to which we belong is not of this earth, and so we shake the dust of this earth from our feet and set our focus on the Kingdom of God. Our goals, ambitions and dreams for a life on this earth will fade, and our desires will be transformed and our hearts will no longer cling to the treasures of this world.
While letting go (of sin, the world, our wants, etc.) is the first step to drawing near to God; clinging to Christ as Lord and Master is the second step. Jesus tells us, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Lk.9:23). We move away from our past that is wrapped up on self-fulfillment, and we follow the path of Christ that leads to righteousness (or right living).
The path that leads to righteousness is where we bring the vague idea of drawing near to God down to earth. While drawing near to God is a spiritual matter, there are several things we can physically do to help us draw near. But to put it simply, we can say it in one statement, "be like Christ." The writer of Hebrews encourages, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith" (12:2). Christ is the physical representation of God. He is our example to follow. To be like Christ is to draw near to God. Christ prayed, therefore we must pray. He knew scripture and we too must not only read, but gain understanding of and memorize scripture. He served others more than self. He sacrificed His rights to anything from this life. He was fully devoted to the work of God. If we are to draw near to God, this is the path we must follow. It will not do us any good to wish we could be more Christ-like if we are not willing to follow in His path.
Christ Jesus, while on earth, walked each day fully in the presence of God the Father. He has come to dwell in each of us who believe in Him, to provide to us all we need to follow God as He did. But, the truth be known, the reason so many of us struggle with step two (following Jesus), is because we have failed to accomplish step 1 (denying self). As long as we refuse to let go of our endearments in this life, we cannot fully draw near to God, we cannot be the child of God we desire to be and we cannot be effectively used to draw a lost world to Jesus. The song says, "I surrender all."  How much have we given up so others might find life?
In considering the vague ideas of the spiritual calling in our lives, we realize we need to find ways to bring it down to earth so that we can better understand what we can do to draw near to God. But God understands all of our needs better than we do, and He has already brought it down to earth within the physical manifestation of His Son--Jesus.

To follow Jesus, we must learn to let go of this life. If we are to be the agents of change we must be willing to be changed. A lost world is counting on us.

    But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ (Philippians 3:7).

hello Pastor  Roger,I was willing to lose every thing in this world and even go to hell so i could believe "into Him Jesus Christ" most believe  Jesus Christ ,But to be into Him is not the same as to believe...to believe Him is to believe that He is true and real ,but to believe" into" Him is to receive Him and be united with Him as One.  to believe is to  acknowledge a fact objectively , `To believe "into Him "is to receive His life subjectively , and that is what my soul my spirit my life was looking for and by the grace and mercy of God it has been materialize in my life thank you Jesus for coming into me.god solved the world that he gave into me His only begotten Son..well pastor roger thank for your time and your patience..love in Jesus Def.