Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

Desert Rain

    As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you , O God
    (Psalms 42:1).

"The dry and thirsty land, where no water is. . ." (Ps.63:1).
We often spend our summer days looking forward to the next rain; while at the same time dreading the possibility of heavy storms. As the ground hardens and sometimes cracks and the farmers crops begin to droop, we pray for rain to come and quench the "dry and thirsty land." But when the storm is upon us and winds gust and giant trees are whipped back and forth, and lightning cracks and thunder booms; it is a time we hope to get the rain we have prayed for without anyone or anything being hurt by the violent storms that accompany. But storms bring rain and rain brings growth, and through the storms the land receives what it needs to be sustained.
"My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. . ." (Ps.42:2).
The dry spells of the soul can at times be almost unbearable. Accompanying symptoms may include a hardening of the heart, a feeling of spiritual numbness, a loss of compassion and a feeling of isolation. It is a time when the human need for God is fully realized and it is a time when God is recognized as what we need to sustain us, to bring us out of dry times that harden and crack the soul.
"The rain falls on the just, and the unjust. . ."
We know without a doubt that though we are able to call ourselves children of God, we are not exempt from the storms of this life. In deed, some who belong to God suffer more greatly than some who do not. Yet, within it all, those who have learned to call upon the name of the Lord have learned as well that the storms of this life seem threatening at first, but in the end they are a blessed relief from the dry times that constantly pursue us. And though some storms would seem to devastate us, those are the storms that God can use to make us rise above the circumstances--stronger than before.
We seem at times a desert place. Our strength dries up and all that once seemed vibrant within, seems to have wilted in the seemingly endless heat. Perhaps it is within the tendency to gravitate toward self-fulfillment that we find ourselves within the driest times of our lives--times that we choose to find our own way to satisfy what we believe we need. We seek after the waters of this life that look to be all we could hope for, but in the end they are stagnate pools of bitter waters. They hold no real redeeming value, and not only do they not quench the thirsts we have, they leave us worse off than when we came to them.
But though our tendency is toward self-fulfilling waters, there is within us all a desire to come to the rivers of life. It is when we can say as David did, "My soul thirst for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" that we will once more draw near to God--allowing  His rains to cleanse our nurture our souls. Where once we sought the apparently pleasant waters of this earth, we now find the greatest blessings in the midst of the rain storms.

[Soldier4Christ]

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).

[Soldier4Christ]

Abstinence

    Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us
    (1 Peter 2:11-12).

What comes to mind when the word abstinence is brought up has a great deal more to do with our present culture than to the word itself. If you were to ask someone today what they think about "abstinence" you would probably not be surprised to hear an answer pertaining to the other person's viewpoint on sexual restraint and promiscuity. But let's see if we can broaden our view of this word to encompass the ideas Peter was trying to convey to the readers of his letter.
While sexual abstinence is an important issue, it hardly touches the surface of the broad spectrum of the "sinful desires, which war against the soul." sexual sin gets a great deal of attention as do other sins that seem to be the "bad" ones--ones that make our jaws drop or perhaps peak our interests--or perhaps even still, provide us a good conversational topic. But the sins that truly so easily beset us seldom climb to reach the heights of the perceived "top ten" of the "Worst Sins" list.
Peter warns us to "abstain from sinful desires, which war against the soul." And if our attentions are drawn to the so called "bad" sins, we will easily overlook the subtle sins that will keep us held captive to them, so that we do not experience the freedom we should know in Christ.
One particular subtle sin is the sin of the "I's." It is, unfortunately, a sin that holds many of us within its grip. As most sins, the sin of the "I's" begins within the heart. It may take the shape of discontentment, feelings of uneasiness, feelings of need or desires to be heard, liked, understood, desired, adored, etc. Whatever shape it takes, it will quickly draw a person's attentions and focus inward, to where what is seen first and foremost is what, "I want," "I feel," " I need," " I deserve," or "I don't" want, feel, need, or deserve.
To put it simply, the sin that so easily besets us is self-centeredness. This might in fact be the root of all sin, for all sin springs from a desire to please self regardless of what God wants for us.
It is a simple thing that we see our selfishness as the root of our sin, yet it is profoundly odd that we, knowing this about selfishness, would be as sheep led astray because we long for greener grass.
In our seeking to draw near to God, we know we must abstain from sinful desires. To abstain, we first must stop neglecting the "lesser sins," for they are the subtle sins that will beset us, defeat us and draw us further away from God to look for the presumed "greener grass."
The subtle lies of the devil will lead us to rationalize reasons to possess that which pleases us. But the truth of Christ will lead us to deny ourselves and take up our crosses daily and follow Him. How long will we go on believing Satan's lies? He took Jesus to the top of a mountain and offered Him the world--Jesus refused. But the devil has tempted us with a few creature comforts in this life, and we have bought the lie--hook, line and sinker.

[Soldier4Christ]

Who Has Suffered

    Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God (1 Pt.4:1-2).

The writer of Hebrews tells us, "In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood" (12:4). There is a willingness to forego earthly desire for the sake of Christ, and there is a willingness to suffer for the cause of Christ. It is a willingness that puts aside human want to follow the will of God. It is a willingness, however, that escapes the largest portion the Church as we know it.
It is a stiff necked people who stand tall and proud and refuse to bow to the Lord. It is a deceived people who bow heads to give thanks for three full meals a day, yet refuse to bow to the will of God if He would ask them to give up some of what they have grown accustomed to. The majority of the Christian Church of the United States is such a people. May God have mercy on us all, and no longer withdraw His Hand, for we are in need of His discipline.
We gather each Sunday to praise Him with our lips, but our hearts are far from Him. We sing songs of worship being more concerned with how much we like the song's tempo or familiarity rather than whether it is offered as a vocal sacrifice to the Lord. We listen to sermon after sermon, only to pick at the preacher's oratory abilities afterwards and behind his back.
We are they who have a form of godliness while denying the power thereof. Trusting our human appraisal of things and our reasoning abilities to deal with difficult, or even daily, circumstances; while claiming that we trust God for everything. We trust our own hands for provision of sustenance. We trust our financial fortitude for the promotion of church growth, building programs and organized activity. We enter into business discussions about the church with little mention of God's will, with the exception of a brief, traditional opening prayer.
We are they who cling to our ways, our lifestyles, our likes and our wants, refusing to let go without a fight (or perhaps, without a church split). And somehow within it all, we have deceived ourselves into believing that we are living as righteously as is humanly possible, and that we are making valiant efforts to carry out the will of God.
Woe to us. For we have become so blinded by our selfish desires that the truth of righteous living has escaped us. We have become blind leaders of the blind. For we mix our desires from this life with our desires for the next, and hope we can keep from slipping too far in either direction. For the one side of the fence would mean that we are godless, and no better than the lost world and all their godless lusts. And fully dwelling on the other side of the fence would mean giving up those things we treasure of the world--the same world we think to live above. We are a selfish and bratty people who want our cake and eat it too.
We are a people who want to be entertained. We want church to be an enjoyable experience that will keep people coming back. It would seem that fellowship with other believers and with God is not enough. We must gear functions and services to a level suitable to the liking of the majority or else they might lose interest and stay home and watch television where they are sure to be entertained. Rather than the church setting the standards, it has chosen to bow to the world as if to say, "If you can't beat'em, join'em." We reason that a church needs money to function, and therefore needs members to have money, and so it makes perfect sense that it should be formatted in a fashion that will attract the most people--or at least the ones with money. And if that means bringing football into the church on Superbowl Sunday--why not? After all, we have determined that we can't compete with what the world offers.
And so in our efforts, out from our human reasoning and in order to sustain what we desire, we have modeled the church after the world. And in essence have limited the choices of the world around us. For once upon a time, people saw the distinct qualities of the local church. It was a place where, when they finally grew up and got serious about life, they would come to discover truth, purpose and the will of God. Now days, what does the church have to offer anyone who is searching but more of the same?
It is time the church remembers what it means to set the standard and stop trying to compete with the world in order to grow a membership.
It is time we stop deceiving ourselves to think that we can have our cake and eat it too--having an eternal inheritance with Christ in Glory; while partaking of earthly delectables.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Souls Purpose: To Be Profoundly Filled

    God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground
    (Gen.1:28).

(There are many scriptures which demonstrate marvelous parallels between one thing, event or truth and another. We can read scripture closely and often find spiritual truth that is not at first obvious. But they are truths that exist between the lines of fact and description. This may seem to some as though we are reading into the scripture something that is not there. And while we cannot promote such parallel interpretations as fact, we cannot ignore the possibility of such an existence of the parallel truths God would demonstrate through His Word. Jesus Himself used simple parables to teach more profound spiritual realities. In saying the kingdom of Heaven is like a tree that sprouted from a mustard seed, He is not saying it is a tree. And when Jesus related a story of the man with the ten talents, He did not do so to relate a story, but the spiritual truth within the story. And though Genesis does not say that the flood was to be a symbol of the baptism we would receive as believers, Peter uses the simple story of the flood to describe a more profound truth within it (1 Peter3:13-22). )

God's commands should be taken at face value. God is very clear in what He desires from us. It is we who muddy the waters with excuse, worldly thought and human reasoning, causing God's will to be something vague and difficult to understand. God's commands have immediate implications that require long lasting commitment and obedience. We hear God's Word, take Him at His Word, and loyally obey Him today and every tomorrow. Adam and Eve were to physically carry out what God commanded. They were to fill the earth, subdue it and rule over it (all the creatures of it).
Secondly, the deeper truths are wrapped up in all that lingers on. This is what separates God's living and active Word from that of human decision and effort. Very little is perpetuated out from human thought and reason for a long while. Though some human effort may produce residuals for a time, God's Word continues to produce residual benefits into eternity.

There are three instructions that God gave to Adam and Eve shortly after He created them. He told them to fill the earth, to subdue it and to rule over it. These commands could be seen as the outward expression of an inward truth. An amazing parallel that seems to exist is one which would put the course of man and the course of earth in a similar path. Simply put, even as the earth goes--so goes mankind. The earth was created a empty mass, it was brought to life beneath the active work of God's own hand, it was baptized with water--and finally--it will be recreated in a non-corruptible form. As Christians, we were once an empty soul, we were brought to life beneath the active Hand of God, we were baptized with water and will be recreated in a non-corruptible body.
Adam and Eve were commanded to fill the earth. We are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit. They were commanded to subdue and rule over the earth. We are told we must learn to subdue and rule over our flesh.
Consider this, that even as the earth has been filled physically, we are to be filled spiritually with God. Everywhere we look on the earth it is teaming with life. Life that God brought. Life that God commanded to go forth and multiply.
The Spark of life within each of us that began when we came to God through Christ, was never meant to remain a spark, even as Adam and Eve were never meant to remain the only two human beings on the face of the planet. The Spark that Christ began in us is to spread so that everywhere within us that someone else might look, is filled with the Life that God has brought forth. Our design is much like that of the earth, and our glory is to be filled.

    And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit (Eph.5:18).

[Soldier4Christ]

Watching

    Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ love us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Eph.5:1-2).

During an effort to pass out flyers for an upcoming revival, I approached a lady working behind the counter of a rental store. I began to tell her about the revival and tried to encourage her to go. She began to briefly explain why she would not be able to go. I tried to encourage her further and soon found myself on the other side of a verbal attack. However the attack was not personal, she pretty much attacked everyone I was affiliated with. Yet, after she calmed down and we talked further the true issues began to surface. She was angry because there were others who had come before me, some who were part of the local Christian college. The same college from which she claimed came a great many of her delinquent or non-paying customers.
The woman claimed that she realized that they were struggling students and that she tried to be understanding. But she could not understand how people who called themselves Christians could sign agreements to make payments on rental items, only to fail to live up to their end of the agreement. These were Christians, and she was troubled and even angered because these should have been her better customers--not her worst.
How we live, work, do business and entertain ourselves, says a lot to the lost world around us. We may consider some things, such as delinquent payments or missed appointments or even forgetfulness to be trivial things. If so, then perhaps we do not consider that we are actually trivializing the thoughts and feelings of those who are left hanging because of us. Perhaps we need to consider our thoughts about someone who is a Christian who owes money to us and fails to pay. Such an occurrence might have us questioning that person's integrity.
It is reported that Ghandi stated that he would have converted to Christianity if he could have seen just one living example of the Christ proclaimed. We cannot go on being slack in our responsibilities and act as though it really does not matter. How can people trust us when we tell them that Jesus is who we say He is, if they cannot trust us to pay our debts, or keep our word, or make an effort to remember important information? They can't. And it may end up that those who did not trust Jesus, did not because they could not trust those who claim to follow him.

We are not perfect.  Yet, we are instructed to watch that we do not become stumbling blocks to others.  And while others may just be making excuses and using us as scapegoats, we cannot use that as an excuse for our own behavior.  The Lost souls need to see Jesus and to see His followers walking the talk--their very lives depend on it.

[Soldier4Christ]

What Stirs The Heart

    If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Sprit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose (Phil. 2:1-2).

Drawing near to God creates in each of us a sensitivity for the activity of the Spirit of our living Lord. At the mention of God and His activity, our hearts begin to dance. And not just that His Name is mentioned, but that it is fondly spoken of by others of like heart, and like spirit to that of your own. They too, thirst for the living God. They too desire to walk a blameless and holy life after the similitude of Jesus. They too become enthralled by discussions that center entirely around the work and person of the Lord. We find within moments with kindred spirits, a time of open and honest sharing that stirs our soul like nothing else.
Where two or more are gathered. . .
Prayer times can be elating. Within the moments of a simple quiet time, we can feel the presence of God so strongly that we cling to the moment and hope that it never pass. And as wonderful as those times are, they seldom are as uplifting as the times that two or more come together in like spirit to pray together to God. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." This does not imply that He is not with us when we are away from others. But see for yourself the difference as you come together with others who love God dearly. The presence of God is strong, and the moments within these quiet time circles are often extremely uplifting.
The Word of God is living. . .
God's Word is a wonderful source of encouragement and guidance. His Word is "living and powerful." It often moves and stirs the soul of the reader. And while it is a refreshing stream in the dry and thirsty land; it is a drink more refreshing when shared than when drank in the solitude of one's quiet time alone. It is the cup that overflows. We are filled with it so that it will spill over into the lives of those closest to us. And as we share the living waters with another who loves God, and they share with us as well, we begin to probe the depths of God's fountains together, to discover treasures we would not have come to alone.
What stirs the soul of one who loves God? For me, probably more than anything else--it is to hear the voice of another who loves God speaking out from that love for God, and about God. It is to see the enthusiasm in another's eyes as they talk about what God means to that person personally. It is to see in the soul of one who lives today, the passion of Paul for the lost, or the boldness of Peter to proclaim God's good, or a deep love like John held for our Lord. It is in the heart of one who truly loves God, that another who loves God will find a place of the stirring of the soul. Where two or three are gathered together, there are few blessings as precious as a mutual love for God

[Soldier4Christ]

To Count It All Loss

    He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me
    (Matthew 10:37).

I am not from a Catholic family, but I have some relatives who are Catholic. Some of their rituals fascinated me when I was younger. It seemed quite strange that anyone did church different than the way I had grown accustomed to. I remember that once a year, my cousins would give up something for what they called "Lent." It was something I thought was kind of funny and strange that my cousin often gave up chocolate zingers or the like. But I guess what really stands out in my mind is how each year they were learning how to sacrifice some things that pleased them--giving them up for a period of time if for no other reason than that it seemed to them the right thing to do.
I really do not know what it meant to them to give up something for Lent. I have no idea what kind of thoughts went through the minds of my aunt and uncle as they gave up something each year, and also led their children to do the same. I have never asked them what it means to them, but I look forward to the next time I see them so I can ask them that very question. It is always interesting to know why people sacrifice the things that please them, even if only for a season.
True sacrifice is not something that is easy to make, but it is something that is made because the benefits from the sacrifice are seen to be greater than the sacrifice itself. Within my own denomination there is often an emphasis on giving tithes and offerings, and an encouragement to give sacrificially. Occasionally, the pastor might call the church into a church wide fast to take place on a particular day, in which he encourages the congregation to be in prayer regarding a particular issue of importance. And there is the occasional sacrifice of time to go to the church on "work day" or to do something else for the church or community. But in our efforts as a denomination, not to become ritualistic I do believe we have succeeded. For there are very few, if any, rituals of any kind that are performed any longer. Rituals with all intents and purposes of drawing one's thoughts toward God, or regularly making sacrifice of something more from our lives than a tenth of our income or a Saturday church work day. Outside of Sunday morning, it would seem that we do very little else to draw our thoughts toward God as a whole. The times we come together to fellowship have become social gatherings most often designed toward recreation and entertainment than toward drawing our thoughts toward God. And, in most cases, our worship has become the dry and empty ritual that we have tried so carefully to avoid.
"The 40 days from Ash Wednesday until Easter observed by Christians as a season of fasting and penitence." That is one dictionary's definition of the word "Lent." What long periods of time have we set aside to focus on our need for God, to hunger for Him and realize our need to draw further away from our selfish and sinful state?
What if our pastors were to get behind the pulpit this coming Sunday, and to tell us that God is calling us to sacrifice some of the pleasantries in this life, so that we could draw closer to Him? And what if the pastor began to define some of those things, to include things like TV or movies, or perhaps types of music that we like? How soon do think it would be before the church asks him to resign? But the fact is that Christ has already asked us to give up everything, and has told us that if we are not willing to give up all of it--then we are not worthy of Him. Clinging to our precious earthly treasures is keeping us from drawing closer to Him, and therefore keeping Him from drawing nearer to a world that needs Him. For we say that the world needs Jesus, and rightly so, but God cannot do His work through us in this world because we do not draw near to Him. We say we want to draw near to Him, but we cling to the earthly treasures. Because of this, He cannot draw near to us, and therefore cannot bring the thousands of lost souls into His Kingdom. Are we willing to count it all loss--to look at what we desire from this life as something to be sacrificed--just so one person might come to know the Love of God in Christ? How long will be continue to be blinded by our selfish wants?

    But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served. . .in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15).

[Soldier4Christ]

The Way Of Cain

    So Cain went out from the Lord's presence. . .(Genesis 4:16).

This is perhaps one of the saddest statements in the Bible. Cain had killed his brother Abel, and he had to suffer the consequences. But the passage of scripture this verse is in does not imply that God threw Cain out of His presence. Instead, it was the willful act of Cain to go out from God's presence.
Perhaps Cain was so ashamed or guilt ridden that he believed himself to be unforgivable. No longer did he see himself fit to come into the presence of the Lord, so he made his dwelling, his life and his home outside of God--outside of His influence and outside of His presence.
But the presence of God is a place wherein our spirit longs to dwell. Our spirit longs to be in God, rest in God and trust in God. Our spirit longs to have fellowship with our Creator, to walk with Him in the cool of the day, to talk with Him and to hear Him talk to us.
But all too often we break off our fellowship with Him as we choose to abide outside of His presence. Perhaps we are attracted by the things of this life, and therefore choose to remove ourselves from God just far enough so that we can enjoy certain aspects of this world that we desire to. Perhaps we are uncertain as to whether our dreams, ambitions and desires for ourselves are things that God wants for us as well. It may be that we are so much like little children afraid to ask God 's permission about something because we fear the answer will be a firm "No." And for one reason or another we draw away from God, choosing to dwell on the outskirts of His person rather than coming near.
We must find the strength to avoid the distractions of this life. For we have a loving and gracious Heavenly Father who longs to spend time with us--who desires to have His children near. And it must break His heart to see us come near, only to turn away from Him when something 'more appealing' catches our eyes--and we proceed the way of Cain--to go out from the presence of the Lord. And it must break His heart to see us come near, only to turn away from Him when something goes wrong--when we fail Him--when we are ashamed.   Whether it is because our eyes are filled with our wants or our failures, both blind us.  And so we fail to see our Father calling us back.  But if we take our focus off of the things and our failures, and fix our eyes on Him; then shall we see clearly to draw near to Him once more.

[Soldier4Christ]

Following

    And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed
    (Acts 14:23).

We live in a society in which we hope that the democratic process will be something that is practiced in truth--not just in theory. We desire that our government and institutions be of the people, for the people and by the people. This is a land in which, through democratic processes, the majority is said to rule. And if indeed we live beneath the rule of the mindset of the majority, how does this affect us as individuals? Better yet, if we use the same democratic process in our church business, what should we expect will be the outcome?
We have, within our churches, adopted the civil and orderly ways to conduct business as is predominant in the mindset of our nation. We see the many needs within our individual local churches, and respond to those needs through business meetings and church votes. What the church does is often what the majority of the people agree should be done.
However, perhaps there is a problem with this kind of business like conduct concerning the matters of the church. That problem is that of what kind of people the majority of the church is made up of. Let me explain. When we consider the number of spiritual giants (so to speak) within a church body, how many people might we consider to be so--to be the kind of people who we believe walk closely with God--having more interest in the matters of God's desires than for the matters of their own desires? How many members of a church body would we consider to be spiritual leaders within that body? Is the number large--or small? Even as there are few who find the road that leads to life, there are few who are willing to lay down their lives or right to a life of their choice in this world, for the sake of the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, I think the answer to the previous questions must be that there are few who walk with God, there are few who truly seek Him and there are few who are truly the spiritual leaders within a church body.
Does that make the rest of the body evil? Not at all. But it certainly disqualifies many from making up a spiritual leadership of a church. We must remember that in conducting the business of a church (whose purpose is to serve and minister as a spiritual light in the world), that worldly logic and thinking cannot apply to the churches matters. Every part of who we are and what we have, both collectively and individually, belongs to God. We are simply the stewards of what He has and has supplied us. Therefore it is not our place to do with God's things as we think best, but to do with God's things as He would have us to do. Not according to majority consensus brought to be by human reason, but according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit through humble prayer.
If decisions are to be made that most closely resemble what Christ would do, then they should be made by those within the body who are the most Christ-Like. Each church can often readily pick out those people who are Christ-Like--it is seldom an issue for debate.
It is the position of spiritual leaders to lead a church toward a direction that God would have them to move. To involve the majority is to taint the reasoning with earthly thought from a worldly mindset. If we as God's church are going to follow God's desires, we are going to have to realize that the majority of us are spiritually weak, and that the best choices will be made by those who are walking closest to God. It is all a matter of whose best good we desire--do we desire God's greater good to be accomplished--or our own?

[Soldier4Christ]

Providing

    If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever
    (1 Timothy 5:.

How do we label a man who is slack concerning his responsibilities to care for his family? Do we see him as lazy and irresponsible? Do we see him as immature and uncaring--seeking only to satisfy his personal wants while letting the needs of his wife and children to go unattended? Do we see him to be "worse than an unbeliever," or do we see him worse yet?
I was raised, as many men have been, to see it as my responsibility to take care of my family. As a husband and father, it is my God given place to look after my wife and children, to see to it that their basic needs are met--and if necessary--to sacrifice what I might want for me, for the greater good of the family. 1 Timothy 5:8 firmly supports this. However, though the scripture tells us to provide for our family, that provision does not end with a regular paycheck and food on the table. In fact, that is only the beginning.
For we know that the members of our family are much more than flesh and bone, they are also spirit. While flesh and bone require food, clothing and shelter to sustain life, the spirit also has needs--needs that often go unnoticed and unmet. A person's spirit has need to be fed spiritual food so that the child of God might grow up strong in the Lord. The spirit has need of spiritual clothing--the armor of God (if you will)--that protects the child of God from a cruel and godless environment. And the spirit has need of spiritual shelter that can be found beneath the protective love of God as a child of God is shown the way to draw nearer to God each day.
Though we know these things to be true, we have fallen short of our fatherly and parental duties to our families. For we will spend 40 hours per week making money so everyone can fill their bellies and so the family can afford some entertainment as well. Yet, the amount of time we spend teaching our children about God is almost negligible.
It is no father's desire to give his children a stone if they ask him for bread. A good father wants to give his family what is best for them, to meet their real needs and to make them strong and healthy in body, mind and spirit. We must realize that good godly instruction will go further to helping our children than all the hours we spend carving out a living. And we must also keep in mind that providing for our families goes far beyond their physical needs, we must nurture our familie's spirit as well. Keep in mind the words of Paul, "If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (1 Timothy 5:.

Providing we care--providing: we care.

[Soldier4Christ]

Heart And Soul

    Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee (Ps.119:11,NAS).
    Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man. . .(Mt.7:24).

A number of years ago, my grandfather gave me an old wooden, Gibson ukulele. It had been his for a long time, and I do not recall why he gave it to me, but I was so excited when he did. My dad showed me a few chords on it an even taught me a little song. It was probably the only song I ever learned to play on it, and the chords he taught me were probably the only chords I ever learned.
The ukulele is something that I treasure. I treasure it because it was my grandpa's and it still reminds me of him. But it sits in its case most of the time--collecting dust--and about the only time I have gotten it out lately is when we have moved from one house to the next. I am sure it is way out of tune, and I am sure I do not remember how to tune it. My memory of the chords that formed the song I once knew are a vague memory. I would have to struggle very hard just to remember one chord.
I also have a guitar. It sits in a corner or closet most of the time. When I first got it I sat for hours at a time trying to learn the chords and learn some songs. I was hoping to get good enough with at least a few songs so that I could take my guitar to different church functions, like youth retreats and children's summer Bible schools. But after a time and only a few learned chords, I stopped picking up my guitar. And now, most of the time, it is like my ukulele--sitting somewhere gathering dust. My skills are rusty at best. My memory of what I did know is fading and is only somewhat refreshed when I go back and tune the guitar, strum it a few times, and then put it back in the closet.
Our Father in Heaven has given us a treasured possession--it is His word. It is something so many of us, His children, were very excited about when we first began to pick it up. We began making our way through it, hoping to read the whole thing within a certain amount of time. Perhaps we memorized favorite verses, and even committed daily to sit down in a morning quiet time to read and study the Word. But for one reason or another, our skills have become rusty. Perhaps the practicing of the Word became too difficult, time consuming or tedious. Perhaps we just lost interest somewhere along the way, but cannot recall when that was. And now, the Bible we treasure still reminds us of the One who gave it to us, but it spends most of the time sitting--unopened and collecting dust.
There are many, however, who still pick up God's Word daily to read it and perhaps even memorize a verse or two. But for many of them, perhaps it is obligatory--like a child being forced to learn the piano--they're present, but their heart just is not in it.
We can't all play the ukulele, the guitar, or the piano--or at least play skillfully. But there is one thing all of us who are children of God can do, we can become skilled in God's Word, learning how to apply it to our lives and making it a very real and vital part of who we are. We can "practice" the Bible each day with a desire to become better and better--learning more and more of its "chords" and sharpening the skills we have already learned. We can even become good enough to use our skills to minister to others--like the playing of a song to soothe a wounded heart, our knowledge of God's Word can help others in their darkest hours. If we practice long and hard, we might discover that reading and applying God's Word is not a tedious task but actually a joy. We might learn that any thoughts we have ever had that we would "never understand" or learn His Word were mistaken. And we might discover that what it takes to become skilled in God's Word is really no different than what it takes to become a great pianist--it is all a matter of what you put into it--it is all a matter of heart and soul.

[Soldier4Christ]

Of Greater Influence

    These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, whey you lie down and when you get up (Deut.6:6-7).

Parental pains and parenting problems may be perpetuated by paranoia. Then again--maybe not. None the less, being a parent is not easy. It is a job we first take on with no experience and little training. Many of us go into it with less instruction than is required to take a driver's test. And we do so often simply because we want to be a mommy or daddy--not fully realizing the implications of just such a commitment. Not fully understanding the responsibility, trials and fears that will accompany our love for our children. And whether we consider it being anxious or just being concerned, most parents will readily confess that they often fear for their children.
Are those fears substantiated? You will have to answer that question for yourself, and only truly answer it once you have been or are a parent. For we know that we have many fears that are unsubstantiated, but also many that are substantiated. I watch my son climb a tree like I once did and it makes me nervous. Is that unsubstantiated? I still don't know the answer to that one. Nevertheless, I still get nervous and fear for his safety, and I try to let go of him a little more each day, entrusting him into God's capable Hands. But that's not always easy.
While parents have many fears for their children, perhaps one of the greatest fears is in regard to how others will influence our children. Within the child's early years many of them spend a great deal of their time with a baby sitter. It is soon thereafter that they are enrolled in school and surrounded by more people than they have come into contact with within the short span of their lifetime. Their teenage years are filled with trying to find their place to fit in and peer pressure becomes a strong motivating force in their lives. Throughout their lives, they will be exposed to beliefs, thinking and viewpoints through their contact with others, with television, movies, music, books, with school, church, and work. Within all of this we hope they will be levelheaded and listen to the right influences, while turning away from the bad.
So what determines who or what becomes of greater influence? Is it a question of time? If it were a matter of time alone we could all be doomed when considering the amount of time that is spent in front the television set. Is it a question of quality teaching within those teachable moments we encounter along the way? Perhaps, for a few well chosen words at the right time can impact a person and stay with them for a lifetime. But even still, if those words are few and far between, we will wonder, what is of the greater influence?
It is most certainly the quality and quantity coupled together, and supported by a good parental role model who has genuine concern and love for the welfare of the child that will be of greater influence. And as we cannot raise our children in a glass bubble, only allowing them to be exposed to our influence, it is vital that we take advantage of our time with them in effort to counter the worldly influences with plenty of godly influence. It is imperative for the sake of our children, that we have them in church and spend time with them, loving them, caring for them, and teaching them the Word of God and how to live holy and righteous lives "in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation" (Phil.2:15). And if time does not seem to permit, then we are going to have to carefully weigh the possible consequences of our inability to spend time with our children, and determine who we are going to allow to be of greater influence.

[Soldier4Christ]

Of Sound Mind


    Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him (Lk.12:35-36).

Read Matthew 24:36-51

Time will tell, and usually does, whether the words of a prophet are truth or nothing but vain ramblings. There are some in our world who with the best intentions proclaim that God has revealed the date of His return. These people often manage to draw many to follow them to a place where they will be ready for Jesus to come and gather them home. But to their sorrow, they discover their error and leave perplexed--wondering where they went wrong with their interpretation of the signs of the times.
As the end approaches, Jesus warns, "At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, there he is! do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect--if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time" (Mark 13:21-23). Again He tells us, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man" (Mt.24:36). Of these matters, Jesus warns us, "Watch out that know one deceives you" and "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (Mt.24:42).
"Therefore watch," Jesus says, conveying to us the importance of being ready and alert. It is a statement of urgency and exhortation. "Be on your guard." Be ready, watch, be alert and do not be deceived. There are two sides to this coin, we are either as Noah in the days before the flood, preparing for what was to come and watching for the signs of the Lord's movement; or we are as the people who continued to live life as "business as usual." Those are they who shunned the truth--choosing to live in blissful ignorance because the truth was something they would not tolerate.
As we live our day to day, perhaps it slips our minds that Jesus is coming back. Maybe we have fallen into doing life as "business as usual," and have become slack in our preparations for the inevitable. Perhaps we prefer the blissful ignorance over the painful truth of coming storms, lives lost and certain disruption of our way of life. None the less, the day approaches and soon will be. And what shall we say to God when we stand before Him to confess our belief in Him, after living a life as though He was never coming back.
Many of us have already, or will, make preparations for the time we will leave this earth. Considering what we will leave behind for our loved ones is a sobering and serious venture, one in which we must attest to our being of sound mind. It is a preparation for an end. Most of us do not go around in denial, pretending that we will never someday die. To do so would pretty much nullify our claim to be of sound mind, and our last will and testament would not likely hold up if it were strongly contested. And while we may consider it a bit crazy for someone to live their life as though they are immortal, we do not make the same judgment of those who live as though Christ will never come again, because that would probably be the majority of us. For we do not truly watch for His coming, and we do not make preparations for it. Instead, we go on living our daily lives--"business as usual"--living a denial of the truth, even while professing that truth. If we were really of sound mind, knowing that Christ could come tomorrow, we would live as though it were truth. But we have settled to become a part of the large and silent mass and there is no longer anyone to proclaim the truth of the coming "floods."
Can you think of someone who is urgently proclaiming the coming of the end? Is it a wacko? Is it a preacher? Is it you?

[Soldier4Christ]

Silent Pondering

    But Mary kept all these things, and pondered [them] in her heart
    (Luke 2:19).

There are those things we would proclaim upon house and mountain top, wanting everyone to know what we know and share in our excitement. And there are those things that we quietly treasure within our hearts, like some special sentimental secret which reveals itself only through the glimmer in our eyes. Mary observed the reactions of the shepherds to the birth of Jesus, and she marked well the many words, events and jubilant expressions that accompanied. And she "kept all these things," and treasured them, "and pondered them in her heart."
It is a very special love that exists between us and our Lord. There are many aspects of our times with God that we cannot wait to share with others. We look forward to telling others about some new thing God has revealed to us, or some new way God has moved within our lives. It is, after all, and encouragement to others and to us when we come together to share excitements over a common love we have for Jesus.
But every morsel of truth is not necessarily meant for public knowledge, and every movement of God does not have to immediately be moved beyond the confines of our personal relationship with Him. There are those times when what God allows us to be a part of is something that He would have us keep and "ponder them" in our hearts. Within any close relationship, there are those things that are kept within a small and intimate circle. It is then nurtured and grows and soon flourishes beyond expectation.
What God gives to us is sometimes meant to be a small piece of a greater whole. It is meant to be preliminary to things to come, as well as being laid upon things already present. It is a process of the revelation of God's will and desire in our lives. To ponder it is to allow it to unfold. We are not always meant to act upon it immediately or to proclaim it loudly. But sometimes, we are simply meant to take it in, think about it, pray and wait upon the Lord to fully develop our understanding.
Some things are meant to stay between us and God. Those things will be like a rose bud on a stem, concealing a beautiful secret that it is not quite ready to share. Much of God's work in our lives is part of the ongoing process, and much of it requires our patience and the necessary time to allow the rose bud to become the rose. While we would not want to keep the rose bud forever closed, we would also not want to rush the process of it's opening.