Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

What's Wrong

    This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away (2 Tim.3:1-5).

The civil war of words is growing stronger. The divisions are becoming more clear and definitions of morality draw the lines that divide us. "What is wrong with what I do?" the question is asserted with a rhetorical line in the dirt. Should someone cross that line with a response that remotely seems accusing, they will be chewed up and spit out.
The United States is a land of free speech, or so it is said. As long as your speech agrees with liberal media and relativistic viewpoints, you're free to say anything you want. But ridicule and character assassination are the rewards for those who stand to say that something is wrong with our direction as a nation--that something is wrong with a society that believes individuals should be able to do whatever they choose as long as it does not hurt anyone else.
But what is wrong with this thinking is that it goes against the laws of community living. Can any of us say that we are truly alone within a group? We have heard the old saying, "No man is an island," yet our society would have us believe otherwise. When in fact, every word and every action of an individual will to some degree effect those around them. If the effect is remotely adverse, then questions should be raised.
"What's wrong with abortion?"
It is amazing how quickly logic can escape people who are motivated primarily by selfish want. The abortion issue, after all, for so many is not an issue of wrong or right, but more about what they as individuals should be free to do. But to continue, we are a society with many intelligent and educated people. But because we struggle for freedom to do as we choose, the lines of right and wrong are blurry at best. As a nation, we will imprison a woman who kills her baby immediately upon giving birth, and we call that murder. But the same woman could have the child aborted one month earlier and be looked at as someone exercising her rights. Is something wrong with this picture?
What's wrong with homosexuality?
Once again, if we were to approach our question with sheer logic, we would find inconsistencies in the thinking and arguments for homosexuality. The primary purpose of gotcha146 is first and foremost a biological function for procreation. There is no chance that two males that get married will ever procreate as a couple. Is something wrong with this picture?
What's wrong with cheating on your taxes?  What's wrong with not telling the whole truth?  What's wrong with looking as long as you don't touch?  What's wrong with working hard to support a family you never spend any time with? What's wrong with wanting to have a few nice things?  What's wrong with this picture?
Abortion and homosexuality are two the issues that are drawing the lines in the dirt; while so many other issues get overlooked. Perhaps it is because the other issues hit closer to home for all of us. And we no more want to see anything wrong with the way we live than do those who have abortions or who are actively involved in homosexual relations.
I recently was watching TV and was saddened as I heard gay men defending their viewpoints. They were so angry and determined and refused to believe that there was anything wrong with how they had chose to live there lives. But then I watched with horror, anger and sorrow as a man who claimed to be a Christian  shouted at a group of gay people, "God hates you! God hates you!"
Perhaps the man forgot that God loved him when he was a lost sinner--that God so loved him that he sent His only begotten Son to die in his place--that God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
There is certainly a lot wrong with the world today, but the sins of a lost world are not something that should make us proudly stand by and say, "Thank you God that I am not as they are." For all have sinned and have fallen far short of the glory of God and the standard set forth in the incarnation of His only begotten.
Perhaps the next time we here someone saying there is nothing wrong with a lifestyle they have chosen, we should examine our own. Do we say the same thing? Do we look into our lives and say, "There's nothing wrong with. . ." this or that? Does our lifestyle reflect the desires of our God or is it instead a picture entitled, "What I want out of life?" If we fill our lives with what we want, and we settle for a standard less than Christ-like, how much difference is there between us and the lost world around us--if we are all in it for what we can get out of it?

[Soldier4Christ]

Changing Minds, Changing Directions, Changing Lives

    Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (1 Cor.5:17).

Coming into the transforming presence of God is something that will open our eyes to a great many things. Drawing near to Him will guarantee that we will begin to rethink the way we think, and question the way we have always considered things to be. We progress forward toward Him until we face areas we may be unwilling to give up, or that we are not wanting to consider changing. It's then that we shelter our eyes from His light as He reveals truth that we choose not to see.
The painful reality is most painful to our flesh. Our flesh chooses to cling to that which is loved in the flesh--those things that are of this earth which bring to us a sense of security and comfort. Our flesh is unwilling to part with such things or even to consider doing so. It is not until we can willingly deny ourselves and selfish nature, that we will move forward toward God. It is not until we are willing to abandon all we have ever treasured, believed or thought we knew, that we will truly "throw off everything that hinders" so that we can fully come into the transforming presence of our Lord.
I have heard people ask, in reference to heaven, "What will there be to do up there?" or "What will we do for fun?" Such questions seem innocent enough, yet they are contrived only out of that part of humanity that seeks self-pleasure--the part that "savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men." To think otherwise is to yield to the self-deceit of the flesh, allowing our thinking to remain imprisoned by the thoughts which once led us, rather than our thinking being transformed in the presence of God. To seek heaven is to seek God and to forsake self and that which is pleasing to self. For, "whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it" (Lk.17:33).
A great many things hinder us from coming into the transforming presence of God. Continuing to hold to ideas, philosophies, patriotisms and beliefs that we once held before we stepped into the light--those things will hinder us from moving toward God. Continuing to cling to earthly desires, careers, ambitions and success as we defined them before we came to Christ--those too will hinder us and cause us not only to hesitate from moving toward God--they will cause us to turn away.
The question of "What will we do in heaven for fun?" should change to "Whom will we be with?" For Christ died so that we might come to the Father, heaven happens to be the place wherein we shall be with Him. Going to Heaven means going to be with and live with God, if that does not sound like "fun" to us, then we might want to examine our hearts to discover what our true treasures are and where our true loyalties lie. We cannot claim to truly love God while refusing to come closer to Him because we are unwilling to let go of what we cling to on this earth. Remember Lot's wife. She clung to what she was supposed to be leaving behind. Life was in front of her, yet she turned instead to lifelessness.
We are new creatures in Christ, and just as a butterfly does not try to live like a caterpillar, so we should remember that we are not as once we were--nor should we act like it.

    And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. . .But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt (Gen.19:17,26).

[Soldier4Christ]

Sacrifice of Praise

    By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name (Heb.13:15).

It would seem to us at times, that we have moved into and made our home in the valley of the shadow. The pressures of the darkness of our lives hangs like a thick fog that surrounds us and keeps us from clearly regaining any sense of direction. And as the valley is low, we might find ourselves at the lowest point within the valley, and have probably been certain that though we cannot clearly discern our location, we have certainly gotten stuck in the lowest place. The optimist would say, "Look on the bright side--there's no where to go but up." But to those who are in the valley, they would like to see clearly long enough to slap the optimist right in the face. For it is often hard to be optimistic when you are at the bottom looking up. For though there be no where to go but up, it seems to be nothing less than a long hard climb.
But to climb, one first must have the right equipment. Sure we can try to go it without any special tools--no climbing gear, no ladder or no rope. But our strength will soon diminish and our footing give way and we watch our efforts come to nothing as we slip back more and more each time. But should we use the proper tools, we will find that the climb is much easier than it would first seem. Imagine, for instance, that a rope ladder is lowered to the bottom of your personal pit. The ladder has now been placed in your reach it is simply up to you to begin to climb.
But let's not oversimplify it, even when a way is provided for us to be lifted out of our despair, it is sometimes hard for us to take hold of that way. We may believe that nothing will really help and that everything will lead to the same result--failure. So we lean back against the side of the pit and stare at the rope ladder, and despair all the more because we would like to believe that the ladder will work, but it just makes no sense to us that it would be that easy--especially after we have climbed and slipped and climbed and slipped until we have become exhausted.
God provides for us many ways to come up out of our worry and to be lifted out from our despair. It is often just a matter of us reaching out and taking hold of the way that He has provided.
The Bible says to bring a sacrifice of praise to the Lord. I have never known a more difficult time to sing praises than when everything seems to be falling down around me. Nevertheless, I have never had an easier time dealing with difficulties than when I make myself turn my eyes off of my troubles and put them on God and simply praise Him for who He is and thank Him for who He has always been--Faithful.
We often look at troubles and act as though we believe that the troubles will never end, but they do. And we look at God's provision to get through our troubles as though His way is not as secure as it looks, but it is. The difference between despair and praise is that we finally take our eyes off of what appears to be (troubles), and fix them on what is (God).

    For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day
    (2 Timothy 1:12).

[Soldier4Christ]

Sacrifice of Praise

    By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name (Heb.13:15).

It would seem to us at times, that we have moved into and made our home in the valley of the shadow. The pressures of the darkness of our lives hangs like a thick fog that surrounds us and keeps us from clearly regaining any sense of direction. And as the valley is low, we might find ourselves at the lowest point within the valley, and have probably been certain that though we cannot clearly discern our location, we have certainly gotten stuck in the lowest place. The optimist would say, "Look on the bright side--there's no where to go but up." But to those who are in the valley, they would like to see clearly long enough to slap the optimist right in the face. For it is often hard to be optimistic when you are at the bottom looking up. For though there be no where to go but up, it seems to be nothing less than a long hard climb.
But to climb, one first must have the right equipment. Sure we can try to go it without any special tools--no climbing gear, no ladder or no rope. But our strength will soon diminish and our footing give way and we watch our efforts come to nothing as we slip back more and more each time. But should we use the proper tools, we will find that the climb is much easier than it would first seem. Imagine, for instance, that a rope ladder is lowered to the bottom of your personal pit. The ladder has now been placed in your reach it is simply up to you to begin to climb.
But let's not oversimplify it, even when a way is provided for us to be lifted out of our despair, it is sometimes hard for us to take hold of that way. We may believe that nothing will really help and that everything will lead to the same result--failure. So we lean back against the side of the pit and stare at the rope ladder, and despair all the more because we would like to believe that the ladder will work, but it just makes no sense to us that it would be that easy--especially after we have climbed and slipped and climbed and slipped until we have become exhausted.
God provides for us many ways to come up out of our worry and to be lifted out from our despair. It is often just a matter of us reaching out and taking hold of the way that He has provided.
The Bible says to bring a sacrifice of praise to the Lord. I have never known a more difficult time to sing praises than when everything seems to be falling down around me. Nevertheless, I have never had an easier time dealing with difficulties than when I make myself turn my eyes off of my troubles and put them on God and simply praise Him for who He is and thank Him for who He has always been--Faithful.
We often look at troubles and act as though we believe that the troubles will never end, but they do. And we look at God's provision to get through our troubles as though His way is not as secure as it looks, but it is. The difference between despair and praise is that we finally take our eyes off of what appears to be (troubles), and fix them on what is (God).

    For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day
    (2 Timothy 1:12).

[Soldier4Christ]

Swallowed Up

    But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. . .
    (Jonah 1:3).

"There is a way that seems right to a man," the Proverb writer explains, "but the end thereof is destruction." It seems to be something we learn from birth and begin to do as soon as we can exercise any real amount of free will. It is something that attracts, distracts or perhaps even obsesses us throughout the most of our lives. It is this insatiable desire to follow our own course, to go our own way, to be our own god. And it is something that when its final destination is reached, the path thought to lead to fortune, in truth was a road of ruin.
Certainly we have already heard so much about the root of all evil and the love of money and the snares of wealth, fame and power. We can probably pick out a time or place when someone who was trying to give us some good moral guidance warned us about the troubles to come by yielding to the desires of this life. And we think that, "Surely those words came from the mouths of extremists and rigid Christians who have forgotten how to have fun." Perhaps not. But perhaps we think that because we are each different, each of us have different degrees to which we can handle the possible temptations of this world. Perhaps. For we are sure to reason that while someone else will have a hard time keeping from getting wrapped up in materialistic pursuits, we ourselves are unlikely to--right? Perhaps.
But perhaps not. Perhaps we have misjudged the size of the situation, and in that case are unaware that while we may think we have a handle on things, it is those things that are getting a tighter grip on us. But we are hard to convince that danger exists, and slower to see it when we determinedly walk into it, so sure that we are smart enough or strong enough to handle whatever comes.
It is the selfish pursuit of "my rights," "my wants," and "my needs" that will swallow us up. Jonah ran from God, thinking he had a better way, or at least a way that he himself preferred. But his self-concern gave birth to turmoil and the path of his choice swallowed him up. What Jonah thought he would control became something much larger than himself. It engulfed him and held him inside of it, and there was nothing he could do about it. And so he turned back to the One he had ran from, and as he pulled his thoughts off from his wants and put his eyes on God, he soon saw the light of day once more.
As we grow from child to adult, and pass through the valley of the shadow of teenager, somewhere along the way we develop a sense of personal power and control that we begin to exert over our own way. But and if we come to the place that we think we have become the masters of our destiny, it is our destiny that will master us. If we follow God's way we will certainly find the shores of glory, but if we hold to our life, liberty and pursuit of "what makes me happy," we will certainly be swallowed up.
The pursuit of happiness is a beaten path that leads to the mouth of a whale of trouble.

[Soldier4Christ]

Casting Our Lots

    And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all [men], show whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles (Acts 1:23-26).

So you're faced with a decision to make. You stand at the crossroads of which way you should go and which way you should not. Of course there are no road signs to tell you which is which, and both roads seem pretty much like the other when you stand back and look at them for a while. It would sure help if there was a clear sign to point the way. Yet, it is the desire of any child of God to walk by faith and no longer by sight, so although you want a sign, you sure don't want to ask for one. And yet, the desire to seek some sort of physical evidence of God's blessing is a desire that remains strong--and so you pace back and forth at the crossroads until perhaps you wind up staying right where you are.
We see in the scriptures many important decisions made with such means as the casting of lots. The Old Testament is filled with such occurrences. In the New Testament we find a very good example in Acts chapter one. For as the, now eleven, disciples came together and determined that it was the Lords will that a twelfth be chosen in the place of Judas, they narrowed it down to two men. And then they prayed for seven days and held a meeting and picked one--right? Wrong. They came before God in prayer with the names of the two and asked God to indicate which He had chosen; and then they cast their lots. It was a kind of spiritual roll of the dice--"high number goes first." But it was certainly a great deal more than that.
The decisions that involved casting lots were not made lightly. And to cast the lots as if to say, "God, use this to show us your direction" was not something quickly forgotten. For as they did this they were committing in faith the lots to fall according to the purposes, intent and will of God. And whatever the decision was, it was one looked at as God's choice, and that required a response of nothing less than complete obedience.
Now, is the casting of lots a method to be practiced in the church today. Some would say yes, while most would probably say no. We must admit, it would be pretty tough for many of us to do. If we could first get by the mere act of doing it, we might then begin to question such actions as being a little irresponsible--leaving important decisions up to the "luck of the roll." Such conduct does not set well with our reasoning and rationale. Then to go as far as to stick to whatever comes, that might be considered to be ludicrous.
But even if we do not believe God would lead us to such a way to determine His will, we can perhaps glean something from the principle within it. And hopefully, in so doing, we will find a way to walk according to the spirit, and not by sight, and do so with an obedience as unto an agreement struck by the roll of the dice. For what took place at the casting of the lots, was much more than a religious method or a quest for the magical formula in determining God's will; what took place was an act of faithful obedience.
The disciples came up with their possibilities. It can be assumed that they gathered and talked and prayed and thought and the like, to narrow down the group of choices to as few as possible. But the final choice was God's to make, and as soon as the lots went from hand to air, the decision was entrusted to God and God alone--and with the foreknowledge that wherever the lots fell, that was the direction that would be followed.
We have many major decisions in our lives and in the life of the church. We don't cast lots, and in most cases we do not even do so symbolically. For God would have us look at our options and realize that we are not truly qualified to choose His will for us--only He is qualified. And He would have us learn that it takes more faith to cast our solutions in the air, entrust them to Him and let Him choose, than it ever does to use our collective reasoning abilities to come to a more, extremely thought out solution.
We have held on to our lots long enough. We have held on to control of our direction both as a church and as individuals. It is time to release our solutions into the air and let God have His rightful final say in the matters of our lives.

[Soldier4Christ]

Skyrockets

    Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have (2Cor.8:11-12).

Many wonderful projects are birthed from the enthusiasm and the excitement of envisioned possibilities. Ideas spark imaginations and soon ignite actions to shoot forth like skyrockets, only to fizzle when they run out of fuel. But the work of God is not a skyrocket, and it is not He that runs out of fuel but we who let His work fade slowly from view as our excitement dwindles. We start out strong and willing, only to slip back to an easier state of being. The newness of it all becomes ordinary and our eyes turn to more exciting possibilities only to leave much in an unfinished state.
I remember when the men of a church I attended had been bitten by the Promise Keepers bug. It seemed to be a good thing, as well it was. Because of it there was interest stirred toward having meetings ever so often to bring the men together to worship and discuss pertinent things. A number of men began to meet once a week in homes within small groups in order to pray and encourage each other. But, in time, the meetings ceased and one by one the groups stopped getting together--it seemed that 'time' would no longer permit due to the seemingly more important issues arising.
And so the sky rockets turn to regrets and are soon forgotten. What once was the direction of God in the lives of men, became a casualty of time. And perhaps the question of whether or not God is looking upon our work as incomplete is one we dare not ask, so we have lowered our eyes back toward the ground--waiting for the next sky rocket to take flight.
But how much less time do we have now than that which we once had? Do we still have 24 hours in a day like before? Is the question of our completing the Lord's work one of means or willingness? For as we were once willing to pursue certain aspirations it is not the aspirations that changed so much as the attitude toward them. And what shall we say of God's will, did God tell us to go and do this or that only to change His mind half way through? Certainly not. For we can trust that His direction remains until the completion of the work. And we can equally trust that God shall supply all of our need to accomplish all He gives us to do, even unto its intended end.
We are not expected to work above our means, but that we might we willing to work according to our means and without falling short of our best effort. We are not expected to work beneath our means, but we are responsible to do as God would have us with that which we have. Very little is accomplished by keeping our eyes on the ground, waiting for the next skyrocket. But as we put our trust in the strength of God and continue to be willing to work within our means, our expectations will exceed what our ideas could only have imagined, as we see the work of God accomplished in full through us.

[Soldier4Christ]

Church, Choice &  God's Direction

    In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
    (Acts 13:1-3).

In returning to a city that I and my family had previously lived, we began to seek God's direction concerning a church home. There was one church that we had attended before, and that was the first one we visited. We loved the members of that church and had fond memories of many of them. They were a good group of people, and we could have very easily rejoined that church and it would not have bothered any one of my family to do so, with the exception of one--God; and therewith, us as well. As Christ is the Head of the head of the house, He is the family member who has the final say. And we were certain that although we would not have minded rejoining that particular church, it was not where God wanted us to be, and so we continued to seek.
But to so many this was quite out of the ordinary. Some who were dear friends from the church seemed very puzzled by the news that we would not be coming back. They had difficulty understanding how we could look anywhere else and possibly questioned our motives and our reasoning for doing so. Some were hurt by our decision, feeling as though it was something that was done or said to us by someone in the church that caused us not to come back. We were approached by some who asked us what was wrong, how they could help, and if someone did something to offend us. It was just too much out of the ordinary to them, and no one really knew what to make of it.
We assured them that no one did anything. We told them that we just knew that God was wanting us to serve Him at a different church, for whatever reason He alone knew. It may have been a mystery to us and a puzzlement to the church, but there was nothing of it that surprised or bewildered God. He had a specific place for us to serve Him and it was not with the church to which we previously belonged.
Now this could have been any church, and it is indicative of most. Someone leaves and the questions arise, "What's wrong?" they ask. Everyone begins to wonder and to speculate why the person or family left. The first thing that is thought is often that something must have upset them, for "why else would they leave?" Then many people begin to ask others if they knew what happened to so and so, and if they know why they left. Why do they ask that? Perhaps they have seen several occasions just like that; in which someone got mad and left or in which someone did not come back because someone offended them. Perhaps that is the normal thing; while what is out of the ordinary is someone who honestly goes to another church because God has led them that way. Even with that, many would still question the validity of such an occurance.
But what is truly puzzling is this: why does it seem odd to us for someone to say that they are simply trying to follow God's direction? We are a church that is called to send out servants--not retain family members. We know that God has a plan for each of our lives and that the plan varies for each of us. Even as that plan brings us to a local church family, it may also lead us away. Grant it our motives are not always pure in our choice of churches. For all too often people join churches for what's in it for them, or for how comfortable they feel in a particular church. But as a church we should be encouraging people to serve wherever God tells them, and we should be sending them out with our blessings when God calls them away. For it should not be our choice that leads us to one church or another, but only the Lord that leads us to a church in which He has called us to serve.

[Soldier4Christ]

Church, Choice &  God's Direction

    In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
    (Acts 13:1-3).

In returning to a city that I and my family had previously lived, we began to seek God's direction concerning a church home. There was one church that we had attended before, and that was the first one we visited. We loved the members of that church and had fond memories of many of them. They were a good group of people, and we could have very easily rejoined that church and it would not have bothered any one of my family to do so, with the exception of one--God; and therewith, us as well. As Christ is the Head of the head of the house, He is the family member who has the final say. And we were certain that although we would not have minded rejoining that particular church, it was not where God wanted us to be, and so we continued to seek.
But to so many this was quite out of the ordinary. Some who were dear friends from the church seemed very puzzled by the news that we would not be coming back. They had difficulty understanding how we could look anywhere else and possibly questioned our motives and our reasoning for doing so. Some were hurt by our decision, feeling as though it was something that was done or said to us by someone in the church that caused us not to come back. We were approached by some who asked us what was wrong, how they could help, and if someone did something to offend us. It was just too much out of the ordinary to them, and no one really knew what to make of it.
We assured them that no one did anything. We told them that we just knew that God was wanting us to serve Him at a different church, for whatever reason He alone knew. It may have been a mystery to us and a puzzlement to the church, but there was nothing of it that surprised or bewildered God. He had a specific place for us to serve Him and it was not with the church to which we previously belonged.
Now this could have been any church, and it is indicative of most. Someone leaves and the questions arise, "What's wrong?" they ask. Everyone begins to wonder and to speculate why the person or family left. The first thing that is thought is often that something must have upset them, for "why else would they leave?" Then many people begin to ask others if they knew what happened to so and so, and if they know why they left. Why do they ask that? Perhaps they have seen several occasions just like that; in which someone got mad and left or in which someone did not come back because someone offended them. Perhaps that is the normal thing; while what is out of the ordinary is someone who honestly goes to another church because God has led them that way. Even with that, many would still question the validity of such an occurance.
But what is truly puzzling is this: why does it seem odd to us for someone to say that they are simply trying to follow God's direction? We are a church that is called to send out servants--not retain family members. We know that God has a plan for each of our lives and that the plan varies for each of us. Even as that plan brings us to a local church family, it may also lead us away. Grant it our motives are not always pure in our choice of churches. For all too often people join churches for what's in it for them, or for how comfortable they feel in a particular church. But as a church we should be encouraging people to serve wherever God tells them, and we should be sending them out with our blessings when God calls them away. For it should not be our choice that leads us to one church or another, but only the Lord that leads us to a church in which He has called us to serve.

[Soldier4Christ]

At The Water's Edge

    Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie--the blind, the lame the paralyzed (Jn 5:2-3,NIV). For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had (Jn. 5:4.KJV). One who was there had been and invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" (Jn.5:5-6, NIV).

There are those who know me well enough to tell you that ever so often they have come to my house and noticed the furniture had been completely rearranged. Now that may not seem odd, except maybe to some who consider my moving the house around to be, how shall I say it, somewhat frequent. I must admit that for me to go four months without completely rearranging the furniture would probably be longer than usual. I'm not sure why I do it. I have reasoned that I am just wanting some change--some sort of difference in my surroundings. And though doing so often occupies the greater part of a Saturday, I gain great pleasure by sitting down in my newly moved chair, in my newly rearranged living room, and just looking at it--clean, different--and in some fashion, like new again.
I must admit that there are times where I sit down to read my Bible, or when I go to church on a Sunday morning, and have a lot of the same feelings as I do when I have looked at my living room after it has sat a while. I get this overwhelming desire to move it around. I am not one to be content with business as usual, in fact, doing business as usual too long is something that begins to wear on me physically, emotionally and mentally. But at the same time I believe that we do not change just for the sake of change, their must be an exercise of sound judgment, and most of all, a following of God's direction.
Now, spiritually speaking, what shall be done when Bible and church become business as usual? Well, many of us would rightly answer, "Pray." To use the John 5:2-4 to illustrate, we might call this a stirring of the waters. For as we come to our time with God, we might at times resemble those who came daily to the pool, hoping and waiting for a stirring of the waters. I can imagine that they were careful to keep a good eye on the pool so they would be prepared to get in at the right moment. When the waters are stirred, we see that there will soon come a time of healing--a time of movement of God within our lives. After all, that is why we come to the "pool," isn't it?
While we need the movement in our lives and need desperately to have the almost stagnate waters stirred, we find ourselves doing more and more waiting, and less experiencing the movement of God. We find ourselves staring into the waters and remembering the times we have witnessed God move, and we continue to yearn for it to happen again. But the daily coming to the pool of God's Word leaves us empty and the weekly church service fills little more than feelings of obligation. And so we continue to sit at the water's edge.
Jesus looked at the man beside the pool and asked Him a question. "Do you want to get well?" He asked. But isn't that what the man was there for--to get well? But the question is rhetorical and one that is asked to us as well. For we come to the pool and sit at the side and gaze blankly into the waters and go away and gain nothing and. . . and soon return to do it all again. But we will have to learn that we will get nowhere as long as we wait for the stirring, as long as we sit by and wish for things to happen. Our Bibles and our Churches can do nothing for us if we do not look into them and see the One who is asking us, "Do you want to get well?"
Finding our spiritual renewal is not something that comes through wishful thinking to feel the movement of God's stirring of our hearts once more. For when we get our eyes on the feelings we desire and the excitement we seek, we take them off of where they belong, that being Jesus. But as our eyes are fixed on Him, the movement and stirring will come, and better than we could ever have wished for.

    Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).

[Soldier4Christ]

Chance Meetings

    Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road--the desert road--that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him
    (Acts 8:26-31).

Of course it is obvious that Philip's meeting up with the man from Ethiopia was not by chance. However, it was a meeting arranged by God and not presupposed by Philip. Philip was, in the course of his day, moved into a direction, place and setting that would bring him into contact with one who needed to hear about Jesus. Neither men knew what would happen that day, but both men would come away from the experience with a new appreciation for the mysterious movements of God.
Take Philip for example. God had been using him already and preparing him for just such a meeting. Philip was God's chosen instrument to use to meet the needs of the Ethiopian. He had fashioned him for this work specifically as well as generally. And as God's hand was active early in the life of His servant Philip, He knew a day would come when He would use Philip in such a way.
The Ethiopian was prepared for this meeting as well. God had already been active in His life to bring him to a place where He would learn of the Saving Grace of God in Christ. This is of course something to which we all can now, or one day will, identify with. We can look back with fondness on the circumstances that brought us to Christ; while looking forward to God's movement in the circumstances of our future. And as circumstances would have it, the Ethiopian just happened to have been reading out of Isaiah and required someone to explain it to Him. So opened the door of opportunity for Philip to show him Jesus, the Messiah prophesied of in the Scriptures.
The timing of God is a wonderful thing. He places us in the midst of circumstances that are often unexpected and most certainly unplanned. And He does so at a time and place wherein all of the circumstances come neatly together and draw our efforts and focus toward the accomplishment of His purpose in us and in the moment. But we will not see God's movement if we are more focused on our own agenda, and we will miss the moment if we are not ready and willing to be used.
Think of a time wherein you were delayed for one reason or another. Perhaps you were to be on a flight that was canceled and so you had to take a different flight, and in the process you met someone you would not have met otherwise. It would have been real easy to be frustrated as your circumstances were not what you had planned, but you felt the tug of the Spirit in you to keep calm and remember that you want people to see Jesus in you always. And so you sit and wait for another two hours for another flight. In the meantime, a stranger sits next to you, you strike up a conversation and suddenly you find yourself talking about your life in Christ. Later you look back and soon realize that the chance meeting was not that at all, but instead, it was a well orchestrated event put into motion by the Hand of your Lord.
It could be any number of things that could happen--things that will often take us out of our pre-planned course or even out of our element. And it is so easy to let whatever it is shake us up, frustrate us or make us angry. But this should not be our undoing but it should be our cue to be alert and ready. For it is entirely possible that God has fashioned us for just such a time wherein He plans to use us, and that He was prepared us to meet the need of someone else. We should remind ourselves daily that the sudden turn of events may be the culmination of God's plan, then perhaps we shall see that there is much more to our paths crossing with another's than mere coincidence and chance meeting.

[Soldier4Christ]

Breaking Away

    Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (1Cor.9:24-27).

Many of us have seen a race where toward the end one of the people began to break away from the rest. It seemed as though the person got a second wind and suddenly they shot off leaving everyone else behind. Within the last moments of the race, when the racer would be at his weakest, he gave everything he would have left to finish strong and well. During the race, the person remains determined to persevere until the race is through. But in the final moments their is often an aggressiveness displayed that goes far beyond the running of the race--it is the place wherein the person pours out himself into what he is doing--and refuses to let up for one moment.
There is a time when we must set our faces toward our goal and not lift our eyes off our intended destiny. It is a time when we must fight with everything that is within us to continue toward the finish line. We must coach ourselves, saying, "I will not give up!" "I will make it!" "I will do what I need to, to persevere to the end!"
But life is difficult and the devil would have us believe that we have no choice but to become slaves to the daily grind. Plans and activities cloud our minds, and the concerns of this life cause us concern and require most of our attention, while leaving us to tired to do anything with what we have left. So we surrender to the perceived priorities and buckle beneath the weight of obligation, only to watch the days go by in a noisy blur. And the end of this race is marked with regret, as we look back and wonder where it all went.
But it does not have to be that way--does it? Is nine to five all there is, or is there more? Is it God's purpose for us to be fulfilled by filling ourselves full of the daily grind? There is most certainly more to this life. We are called to have life, and have it more abundantly. Not through selfish living or even through hard work to provide for our family. Though our work is part of it, it is certainly not all of it. We have need of being filled spiritually, and of being nurtured in our walk with God. And this is what shall fulfill us. But to look at us one might think that our priorities are reversed. For most of us would have to admit that we are full-time employees, and part-time Christians.
But God wants us to give him glory in our work, and so we are full-time Christians because we allow God to be seen through our work as well--right? But what is our greater concern, really? That Christ be seen, or that we do a good job. Both are important but one remains the priority.
The Jobs certainly are not the only thing that can steal our attentions away from God, it just happens to be the biggest thing. It is, after all, our occupation that keeps us occupied. However, though work is important and other things require our attention, these things must remain second to God at all times. But it is so easy to become so mindful of all these other things that God gets the back seat or sometimes does not even get allowed to get in the car. And so we must get aggressive. We must see our time with God and others as something necessary for life--as something that we hold in highest importance--as something we refuse to do without. It is something we must be willing to fight for. For only then will we break away and find our freedom by aggressively taking the inside track to our Lord.

[Soldier4Christ]

Occupational Hazards

    So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind (Eccl.2:17).

Most of us are not content to live a life of meaninglessness. We have that which we want to do, and that which we must, and in all we try to find a sense of purpose in all of our efforts. None of us want to reach our final days only to look back in disappointment and regret. We hope, instead , to look back at a life that was full and purposeful--a life full of accomplishment that will mean something to others even after we have passed on.
Where each of us finds a sense of purposeful living is sure to differ from one person to the next, yet we still cannot escape the need to attach meaning to our lives, and purpose to our efforts. We are sure to meet up with some people who would truly find a lacking of purpose in their lives, yet that is a concept too painful to face, and so they go on day to day and simply ignore the possibilities that their lives are like a chasing after the wind.
The writer of Ecclesiastes explains:

    Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise [man] or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This [is] also vanity. Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. For there is a man whose labour [is] in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it [for] his portion. This also [is] vanity and a great evil (vs.18-21).

This is the picture of a man who sees his efforts as futile and his work as vanity. He despairs in that he sees that in the end, all of his work will seem to mean nothing. It will be forgotten, and what it produced will be consumed by those left behind, and even with them it will soon vanish.
We consider the day we will look back and wonder what we have to show for all of our work--all of our "toil under the sun." Seldom do we measure such and event in dollar signs, business conquests or scholastic degrees. But we hope instead to see things that are more lasting, such as the lasting impressions we made in the lives of family members, or the lasting influence we might have been to someone who needed a good Christian role model. Perhaps our accomplishments will be seen in the time we spent with someone in need, or the moments we put aside self long enough to share Jesus with one who needed to know who God really is--and that He came to save all of us.
We do not know the impact we will make on many people around us, but we have an opportunity to make that impact. Perhaps almost everyday, in the way we care for others or show kindness or thoughtfulness to someone who is just having a rotten day; perhaps in that we make a difference. Perhaps it is in leading someone as he prays to God to forgive him, and to be his Lord. And no matter how we share Jesus with another, whether in word or deed, in time or in love, we can rest assured that such labor is lasting and never in vain.
We have a limited amount of resources in this life. Our time, money and energy are exhaustible. But if we seek God's wisdom with these things, we will find that we have much to offer, and that even the simplest gestures have lasting benefits. Sharing our Lord and His love with others is an investment in eternity. It is never in vain, always beneficial, and certainly something we can one day look back on with fondness--and never regret.

    Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:58).

[Soldier4Christ]

A Voice Of One: Crying in the wilderness

    In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" (Mt.3:1-3).

It is often a desert, and most certainly desolate. It is the place wherein we stand as one--alone. We dare not rely on the support of others and we are careful not to place false expectations in others. For it is a place where we must go alone, be strong and follow through with what we must accomplish.
The voice of one is often one that is not readily accepted. As you become determined to stand up and be counted, to speak boldly when your words will not be accepted, you will be despised. God's Word in you will cut to the heart--it will move the hearts of some toward repentance; while others will be moved to silence you and everything you stand for--and some of those will be people you would never suspect. Some would be close, maybe within your own church.
Nevertheless, you stand. You receive looks that could kill, looks of bewilderment and looks as though you have simply lost your mind. You are talked to politely, and politely dismissed--and talked about when you are no where around. You are the voice of one crying in a wilderness.
The question has been asked, "If a tree falls in the forest, and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" John the Baptist made a sound that many heard. He was the voice of one crying in the wilderness. He was proof that the strongest sounds are those that come out from the wilderness.
Many of God's leaders came out from the desert. And while many would see the desert as a solitary, empty and lifeless place, it is a place wherein God brings unity from aloneness, fulfillment from emptiness, and life from lifelessness. For as we empty ourselves of ourselves and make ourselves desolate before the Lord, it is then that He can move in such a way that though it would seem there is none around to hear the sound of what He does, it reaches into the farthest corners of the world.
God still needs the voice of one. One who is willing to forsake the pleasures of this life, to become empty of self and self-gain, to become desolate so that in so doing they can be filled with the might and power of God.
A long time ago, a tree stood silently on a hill. There was nothing that would make it stand out among the other trees. In fact, if it fell it might not have ever been heard. Yet it was taken and fashioned to form a cross, and though it is no longer anywhere to be found, its sound still carries in the air and throughout the world today.
Shall we be the voice of one?
Shall we be willing to cry in the wilderness?
Shall we do our part to prepare others for the coming of our Lord?
There is a world of people who are waiting to hear the voice of one echoed in our lives today--the voice of one, crying in the wilderness.

[Soldier4Christ]

Turning

    From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Mt.4:17).

We await the coming of we know not what or when. For we know and expect that our Lord will return, and that at His return He will establish His kingdom. But what will take place and when will it happen? We wonder, "What time, what place, and will it be soon?" And with the passing of another day our excitement in the future kingdom becomes replaced by today's cares.
But in the words of Christ we find an urgency, and a crying out to keep us in mind of what is and what will be, lest we become to absorbed by our day to day. His words are gripping. He beckons, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." He encourages, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." He pleas, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
"Repent"--the very word means to turn away from one thing and to turn toward something else. It is a word often associated with "hell and damnation" preaching, and stoned faced preachers ready to beat you over the head with the Bible if you don't follow it. It sounds quick and hard, and makes one often think of the wrath of God in full furry. However, it was a word spoken in Love. For as it was spoken by Jesus, it was as if to say, "My dear child. Don't you see what you are doing to your life. The course you follow will certainly lead to pain and heartache--and in the end--loss. Turn from your ways, so that you won't be hurt; and follow in the footsteps of the Lord so that you will find life, 'and life more abundant.'"
"The kingdom of heaven is near." Nearer than we probably think or know. Such words might be used to twist the indecisive arm into becoming a Christian or into making a choice to live a better life. And many have used the certainty of death and heaven and hell to scare another out of hell and perhaps into heaven. But regardless of Christ's reasons what He said was, once again, said in love. Perhaps He would say it like this, "My dear friend. Just turn around and look. The kingdom of heaven is so close. It is not nearly as hard to find as so many would lead you to think. It is so near to you--just turn around."
We all desire a good life, and I dare say that most of us want a life that could be called full and abundant. But we go about it in such an awkward fashion. We look like a new born dear learning how to walk--so wobbly and weak. We try so many things, yet none seem to truly satisfy us. Yet Jesus holds for us a life full of joy, purpose and abundant living--not as the world would call abundant, for it goes far deeper. And what He holds for us is so near--so close. All we have to do is turn around.
We do not repent (turn around) so we can escape hell; we turn around so we can take hold of the fullness that is so close, and so perfectly nested in the love we come to know as we walk with Jesus for the "rest" of our lives.

    Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Mt.11:28).