Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

Who Really Cares?

    Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).

"No one cares about anyone but themselves anymore," I heard a young man say despairingly. My heart sank at those words and I was uncertain what to say, so I responded with a question. "Why do you think that is?" I asked. "That's a tough question," he replied. I acknowledged his remark with a nod of my head. I moved forward with other questions and other thoughts that settled my heart somewhat in the asking and telling. Yet, I came away with my earlier question still echoing in my mind: "Why do you think that is?" The young man's statement gripped me more than such words had ever before. And so I pondered the depth of his words: "No one cares about anyone but themselves anymore."
And so I began to wonder how we get people to truly love sacrificially--to love expecting nothing in return. For is this not the kind of love Christ demonstrated to us. But where is that love demonstrated today? I would hope to be able to say that we can find that love in the body of Christ, the church. Yet, I would be very hesitant to say that, perhaps because of my skeptical nature. Or perhaps it is because such a love that Christ demonstrated is something we would be hard pressed to find--even in His church.
Surely, if there is any group of people that we can teach to love as Christ loved us it would be the church, wouldn't it? Or would we find more often people that love even as the world loves and that in a fashion of convenience or return. For we may often see that if we must go out of our way to demonstrate the love of Christ within the church that we may determine that our time is needed elsewhere and that our attention should go to more important things, such as football games and the like. So it would seem that most of us love as love is convenient.
Or if our love is something because of what we receive in return for our love, who is it that we love? And what kind of love are we demonstrating? Perhaps this is a paradoxical love, for as we say we love others when indeed we love them because of what they do for us or how them make us feel, then our love is unfounded. For, in such a case, our love is motivated by what we shall receive and not by what we shall give. And even still, if we give so as to receive, have we truly given--or have we rendered a payment so as to get something we desire? Jesus tells us, "For if you love them which love you, what reward do you have? do not even the publicans do the same? "(Matthew 5:46).
"No one cares about anyone but themselves anymore." Is that true? Or is it that there are so many who are apathetic towards the cries of a fallen humanity that it just seems like not even one person truly cares anymore? There are those who do care and do want to make a difference. But our deep, heartfelt desires are not going to be enough to show the world we care. We are going to have to demonstrate the love that is the love of Christ--a sacrificial love--a love that is willing to give up everything for another. Then the world will listen. Then the world will pay attention. Then the world will find life through those who are willing to lay down their lives for another.

    Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not (1 John 3:1).

[Soldier4Christ]

September 15
Hope

    My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
    I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name.
    (The Solid Rock, Edward Mote).

More than once have I surveyed the condition of this fallen world, only to feel a sense of hopelessness and despair. To my own regret, my reaction at times is to throw my hands into the air and exclaim, "What's the point?" For it would seem that the work that has been done for the Kingdom and the seeds that have been sown for righteousness sake seem to have fallen on dry and worthless soil. All the work seems for nothing and the seeds seem to lie and rot as I look on and anticipate a growth that I desire to see. And so I hang my head and kick the dirt beneath my feet--and that to my own shame. For it is not so much that my kicking in the dirt is as a testimony against those who will not listen to the gospel, as it is a testimony against those who would lose hope in the very gospel they proclaim.
Regardless of my despair for a fallen world, and my self-elaborated compassion, I find I must concede to what is true, and that is that the greater sin is mine when I have lost, no--forsaken, hope. For I have not been instructed by the Word of God that I should ever give up. But that I should "not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Galatians 6:9). And God has said, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11). And within such exhortations I find that my hope is lost within my own conceit, for it would seem that I have anticipated the results of my design so as to feel better about the work that I have done for God.
Where hope is lacking, so also faith is hard to find. For "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Our hope therefore is strengthened by our faith in what God can do. It is not some wishful thought we have, and hope it will come true. True hope removes us from the picture, for true hope is hope that rests in God and His fulfillment of His Word and His will. Where we would despair, His hope calls us back to a place where we take our eyes off of the situation, and place them fully upon the Lord who is over the situation. Where we would throw up our hands in frustration, His hope provides us the courage to "not be weary in well doing." His hope does not end, it is eternal--and though we might forsake His hope, His hope cannot forsake us.
It is easy to look at the world and its problems and pray, only to lose hope. But as in anything with us, we shall find that the real problems begin when we take our eyes off of Jesus, who is our hope, and allow our focus to be stolen by all that we see that compels us to believe that it is so very important or life threatening. We know how Peter came out of the boat, walking to Jesus on the water. And how he was able to do that which is otherwise impossible because his eyes were fixed on Christ. But when the waves of the sea caught his attention and frightened him, then he began to sink. In the eyes of Christ his hope was established. The water became as solid ground because his hope was rightly placed in Christ. And as the song so rightly tells us, "all other ground is sinking sand."
Within Christ there is hope for us in our walk with Him, but also, there is a hope for a fallen and wayward world.

    When darkness seems to hide his face, I rest on his unchanging grace;
    In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil.
    His oath, his covenant, his blood, Support me in the whelming flood;
    When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.
    On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand,
    All other ground is sinking sand (The Solid Rock).

[Soldier4Christ]

Rights

    Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8).

"I have rights!" we hear people exclaim, usually in defense of some unjustifiable action of their own. The wrong or right of their actions no longer seem to matter as greatly as if their rights are upheld. And regardless of whether or not their actions caused another harm, we will often hear them stand quickly to defend their own rights without thought of the rights of those they harmed. And as illogical as it seems that we should allow it to continue, we do. For it only seems to be a natural course of action to a nation where what is right is not nearly as important as what are "my rights."
Morality is in the eye of the beholder. Or so it would seem if we were to take a cross-section of the heart of America. Individual freedom is god to most and is supported to what ever extent the law can be twisted to allow. Character and integrity are no longer desirable traits, but instead, they are things that stand in the way of what is desired. And few really seem to care, that is, until it somehow affects them. But should it affect someone else adversely--then it's "none of my business."
That may be the attitude of the most of America, but what of the attitude of those who are God's children? We know that we are called to be "holy, even as [He] is holy." That in itself means that we are separate from the world and that we are called to live by a higher standard. And we have been given an example to follow in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, who humbled himself even to death, not considering who He was to be a thing that should give Him special rights. For He did not consider His rights at all, but freely gave up even what we would consider to be His human rights.
Our promotion of rights have given birth to such statements as, "You gotta stand up for yourself," and "If you don't look out for yourself no one else will," and also "You can't just let people walk all over you." But we may find it difficult to back up such claims with any scriptural support. For what verse will we use to condone the "My rights" mentality. For truly when we search the scriptures, what we find are statements like, "Do not resist an evil person," and "If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."
It is the wisdom of the world that would tell us not to be another's doormat, and it is foolishness to them that we should allow someone to treat us poorly and love them in return. So what then should we say of the cross of Christ? We know that Scripture says, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18). So where then shall we see the greatest power demonstrated if not in the things that are foolish to the world--and that being in our willful following of Christ which would not consider our rights something to be grasped.
Our sinful flesh wants nothing to do with such thinking. We will fight, kick and scratch to make sure that someone takes notice of our rights or the injustice that we perceive is done to us. Nevertheless, it is in Christ's sacrifice of His rights in the pursuit of a greater cause than Himself, wherein we find the power of God. And it will be in the same kind of sacrifice of His followers that the world will truly take notice--not of ones who are the world's doormat--but of one's who stand firmly rooted in the Love of God, regardless of the world's response to such an apparent "foolishness."

    Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

[Soldier4Christ]

When The Tables Have Turned

    I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope (Psalms 16:8-9).

   We seem to thrive when circumstances are favorable. Our eyes are lit up and we find it very easy to smile and be happy. Some of us might find ourselves singing or humming throughout the day, or perhaps we respond a different way. Nevertheless, we respond in a way where it is apparent to most that we are happy. But God alone knows what a day may bring forth, and it is entirely possible that within the span of 24 hours everything could change.
Everything could change? Though it may appear so, we must admit that not everything will change, for there are things that will remain constant in the midst of our turmoil, and above them all--God. For though all else may be like the giant, rocking waves of the ocean, God is quite stable and unchanging. He remains a solid Rock and a sure Foundation. He is the place wherein we can still find peace and rest when the tables of our lives have turned.
So God's response to our life changes is to remain constant, not because He does not care but truly because He does. As God is our heavenly Father, He wants His children to grow up and take on His likeness. His desire for us is that we will watch Him and learn, and learn from watching Him that we can respond to the turns of life just as He does--by remaining constant. Our peace need not be taken and our confidence need not be shaken. For if we find our peace by remaining in the presence of our Father and find our confidence in Him, we can take heart in knowing that we will not fall because we stand beside Him, and He with us.
Sound Idealistic? What terms shall we use to describe the faith a small child places in his dad? Perhaps we have forgotten the way we looked at a prominent adult figure in our lives as a child, and how that person could, in our eyes, do no wrong. We trusted him or her with our very lives, and believed they would always be exactly as they were--unchanging for the rest of our forever. As children, we did not have too much of a problem placing such an incredible faith in a fallible human being. And even as that kind of faith in a man or woman was truly idealistic, the same kind of faith placed in God is far more.
It is a realistic faith to see God through the eyes of our childlike faith. Though the tables of our lives turn on us, He does not. What is more, He offers us hope, peace and joy in the midst of our worse circumstances. And though there are some circumstances that will make if hard to smile again for a while, there are so many others that need not shake us to the extent that they do. Within so many things we may react by becoming anxious and lose the glimmer in our eyes, the smile on our faces, and the peace in our hearts. Yet, if we remain in Him when our tables are turned we will not be moved, shaken or disturbed. And the wonder of it all will be displayed on our faces wherein others will see a peace that remains constant, and joy that fuels the glimmer to the eyes and a smile upon our lips. And in our faces it will be evident that we are becoming like our Father--able to remain in our place of peace when the tables have turned.

[Soldier4Christ]

Blessed Are The Meek

    But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace (Psalms 37:11).

A gentle spirit, a kind heart, a genuine interest in the needs and concerns of others: these are the markings of the meek. They are slow to anger, self-sacrificing and available to listen. They are the kind of people that we like to be around. They do not make us feel threatened, but loved. They do not seem to be preoccupied with things of themselves, but are able to push aside self-interests to be there for someone else. They are the kind of people we would like to be more like as Christians. For in them we see a true spirit of meekness to the likeness of the heart of Christ.
I have heard meekness defined as "power under control." While I like that definition, I would assert another, that being that meekness in its purest form is "power in control." For where we would view power in terms of an ability to control another or a group, we find that the truest power was embodied in our Lord Jesus, and that power was demonstrated through service to others. I say that this is "power in control" because it is the demonstration of the true power, which is of God, being in control of a man's spirit. For if the spirit of the man is in power, meekness has no place in his heart.
The meek are blessings to our lives. Jesus tells us that the meek are blessed. We are fortunate to have them in our lives as it seems that the blessings that are on them spill over frequently into the lives of us who are around them, and who are fortunate to call them our friends.
We describe them with such phrases as, "He would do anything for you," or "She is always ready to listen. And really cares." But this is not to glorify them. For they would be the first to push away recognition form themselves--it is the nature of the meek. Instead, we glorify the Lord who makes His Spirit so apparent in the lives of those who follow in His footsteps of meekness. I do not know a better way to describe them than to say that as we look into their faces and into their eyes, we see a reflection of the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus. In spending time with them, it becomes evident who resides in their hearts--it is the Spirit of the living God.
Some of us would like to see meekness as a temperament or personality trait. But this does us no good. For then we might see our need to be meek as an impossibility because it is not a part of who we are. Seeing meekness as a personal characteristic would also wrongly give credit to the person who is meek, as though he or she is meek in and of themselves. Some people may have a predisposition toward meekness, yet it is the Spirit of Christ in us that brings true meekness. Some of us may have a difficult time being meek. To this we must say, "We all have our natural strengths and weaknesses." Yet it is the supernatural, powerful meekness of Christ in us that will bring out the spirit of meekness in each of us. To transliterate a verse in James, "If any of you lack [meekness], let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." Though it is foolishness to the world, meekness is a beautiful manifestation of God's power--and it is still one which will draw a lost world to a loving Lord. Let us consider the possibilities and ask God for meekness.

[Soldier4Christ]

Cameo Appearance

    Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil, Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins
    (James 4:13-17).

With the words, "Cameo appearance," most of us will make the normal associations with that of a big star who briefly holds a place in a movie or television show. But now consider the cameo, and ornamental necklace taking on many shapes and forms. Cameos were originally carved from colored, layered stone, and what was carved out from them was most often a profile portrait of a woman from the shoulders up. Part of the milky white layer of stone was utilized for the sculpture of the woman, while the rest of the white stone was carved away to reveal the black layer behind it which formed a beautiful and sharply contrasting backdrop.
The wonderful thing about the process of the creation of a cameo is that it would seem that the maker would look into what seemed to be a shapeless stone, and then worked to bring out a beautiful masterpiece that was already there within. To perhaps romanticize it a little, it is as though the maker poured his very soul into his work of art---making it as more than just another piece of work--making it instead, a labor of love.

                Cameo

        Sculptor's knife held
        steady in hand,
        gently, methodically,
        excavating to reveal
        treasures hidden in the sand
        of onyx pools, deeply concealed.
        Scraping, chipping, with jeweler's touch,
        so not to crack the fragile find,
        peeling off the milky shell,
        to bear the soul contained inside
        a layered chalcedony well.
        Freed from wraps of stone, she now
        can raise her head in darkened sky;
        while ghostly glow emitting from her form,
        reflects soft, within her maker's eye,
        and sinks into his breast to keep him warm.
        The cutter's callused fingertips,
        tenderly touch, to brush along her cheek,
        and wipe away the dust, as if a tear,
        as if a mild caress could more than speak
        his love for her,
        as if she could also hear.

It takes quite an eye to look into the rock and dust and find the work of art inside. Our God has such an eye, and each one of us are His creation that He, the Maker, has poured His very soul into---making us as more than just another piece of work--making it instead, a labor of love. His work with us is a process more intricately defined than that of the sculpture of the cameo. For we are far more than an image carved from stone, we are His image, brought out from the world and given life and the Light of God. Those of us who have received the Light that is in Christ have been made pure, and we stand out beautifully against the backdrop of a darkened world.
But our time here is short. This life is our cameo appearance, a brief passing through on our way to the next. There is much abundance of life to live here which truly will only be had if we allow ourselves to see the truth of our limited time, and the truth about who we are. For we are not just to make a cameo "appearance," appearing to be a child of the Light while we are here on this earth. For in so doing, we find that we fade into the darkness and are soon forgotten. However, that is not what God has fashioned us for. He has made us in His image, to be lights in the darkness, to stand out from the backdrop of the darkness of this age. We are His cameo--the image of His likeness that will live on long after our appearance on this earth is over.
What then shall we do? The choice is ours. Shall we live this brief time in the Light of God, reflecting His glory? Or shall we fade into the backdrop of darkness?
There is a beauty that resides in the hearts of God's children. It is a beauty that desires to surface in each of us. It is the Light of our Lord Jesus Christ, and it is the Light and beauty that will draw a darkened world to Him if we will only be His cameo in this short and brief appearance.

[Soldier4Christ]

Waiting For The 'Just In Time'

    Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us (Psalms 123:1-2).

When Corrie Ten Boom of The Hiding Place fame was a little girl in Holland, her first realization of death came after a visit to the home of a neighbor who had died. It impressed her that some day her parents would also die. Corrie's father comforted her with words of wisdom. "Corrie, when you and I go to Amsterdam, when do I give you your ticket?" "Why, just before we get on the train," she replied. "Exactly," her father said, "and our wise Father in heaven knows when we're going to need things too. Don't run out ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need--just in time (Today in the Word, MBI, October, 1991, p. 30).

Words like, "patience" and "waiting" would almost seem like dirty words in our fast paced  society today. We don't much care to wait a few minutes much less a few months, or a few decades. Consider that Israel had to wait 40 years before entering the promised land, or that Abraham and Sarah had to wait 25 years from the time God promised them a son, until the time He fulfilled that promise through Isaac. Given a waiting period like that, many of us might take matters into our own hands. We might become anxious, overwrought, disillusioned, frightened, or even forgetful. Nevertheless, our God is faithful.
We are given assurance through God's Spirit, His Word and through the testimony of others that He is faithful. But making His faithfulness and His timing real to us may only come through the matter of personal experience, and through much time of waiting. Time and time again, we will approach a time, or endure a time, and we will wait for a time--and then possibly, within time, we will learn that time is not our adversary because He who holds the keys of time will be faithful to respond "just in time."
Scripture encourages us to be prepared, to use time wisely, and to redeem the time. But we are equally encouraged not to worry about tomorrow and not to become anxious of future possible troubles. We are encouraged to trust God for His provision, to respond to life wisely, maintaining balance in our daily walk with God. And we are encouraged always to wait upon the Lord.
Why? Because His timing is perfect. Many mistakes are born from impatience, and many disasters from hastiness. God's plan for your life must be allowed to unfold at its own rate. His plan does not need us to push it along, but requires us to follow in obedience. We can become anxious about the life and death of a parent, about the birth of a child, about whether we will have what we need to live today, tomorrow and six months from now. But God is faithful and the Ruler over time. By His wisdom He has set time in motion, as well as  every plan for the life of every man, woman and child on the planet.
May God grant each of us patience and wisdom to wait.  May He help us not to become hasty and jump the gun ahead of His schedule.  And may He teach us today to practice waiting so we may discover His faithfulness, and that His faithfulness will always be there--just in time.

[Soldier4Christ]

For This Day

    For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day (1 Cor.4:15-16).

A group of teenagers were asked to pray during morning Bible Study at a church. Each one was asked to at least say one sentence as one by one they prayed around the circle they had gathered in. There were probably close to twenty young people, and as each took a turn the prayers took different lengths and shapes according to the comfort of the person doing the praying at the time. But, there was for and instant, an interesting repetition of a single phrase--"Thank you for this day," one youth muttered, and then the next, and the next, and so on for about four or five in all. Though I understood the difficulty that prompted such repetition, I also had to stop a moment and consider the words they spoke--"Thank you for this day."
It seems that in many Christian circles, "Thank you for this day" is tacked on our prayers near the front of the prayers as easily as "In Jesus name" is tacked on to the ending. Both phrases are incredibly common during prayer times, which makes one wonder how much heart is put into either. For we do not often consider the profound qualities of Jesus name, nor do we take much thought to the gift of a single day. For we know that our Lord is there every day, and we expect that each day we will wake up to a new day. Yet, we come before God so often, thanking Him for the day, barely listening to our own words and rarely seeing the day as a gift that it is.
That which is familiar is often taken for granted, and that which is common place is rarely desired. Consider the relationships we have with family members. They are something of such great importance which have great significance and impact on our lives, yet we so often treat those relationships as something cheap that can easily be replaced. But it is not because we necessarily see our relationships as cheap, it is simply that we grow so use to having certain people around. And from within such familiarity, we simply take the gifts from God for granted--not even considering the void it would leave if that certain someone was suddenly gone, or if we woke up and had not one more day left, or if we could not call upon the name of Jesus.
When we thank God for the day, it may do us well to consider what's in a day. With God, all things are possible, and within a day there is much potential. Within the hours of a day, God can completely change the course of our lives, He can give us new direction and new insights. He can turn bad situations around, and He can give us strength to deal with bad things yet to come. He can touch us within a moment and profoundly and radically change our thinking, our living and our relationships. If He could create the world in six days, just think about what He could do in your life in just one day. And next time you say in your prayer, "Thank you for this day," pause for a moment to consider what it means to have a day, when your day is guided by the Creator of the Universe.

[Soldier4Christ]

Burdens Released

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

I have heard it said of an F-4 fighter plane that it is proof that a brick, given enough thrust, could fly. Perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration, nonetheless much of what could take flight may at first appear as though it could not. Perhaps it has nothing at all to do with the object as much as the power that lifts it, as is certain to be the case with many things. Yet rather than saying, "Look how the air keeps that plane up," we say, "See how well that plane can fly." And rather than saying, "See how the hot air keeps that balloon from falling," we might say, "Look at how gracefully the balloon drifts through the sky." But we must concede that nothing that we see in the air can remain there without that which is unseen that holds it up.
There was a woman who described a method of releasing burdens. She instructed that a person could take a few helium balloons to a field or some sort of open area. Once at the field the person would then kneel and pray and ask God to show him what it was that was a burden in his life. The next step would be to take a marker and begin writing everything that was burdensome on the balloon. As you might guess, the next step was to physically release the balloons, while inwardly praying for God to help him to release the burdens written on the balloons. Then he would watch the balloons climb into the air, and see that as his burdens being given into God's capable hands.
If you think of it, it is an amazing thing how much faith we place in that which is unseen. For consider how many times you have seen an airplane pass directly over your head. Were you afraid that it would fall from the sky suddenly and crush you like a bug? Certainly not. What about a hot air balloon or a space shuttle or satellites? Each one was put into the air by the efforts of people, yet how often do we fear that any shall come down on top of us without warning? It is truly amazing because we do not see what holds each up, yet we do not doubt that for the most part, those things will stay up until brought down safely.
There are burdens so heavy to bear that we might often feel like they are great things that have fallen on us and are likely to crush us completely. As we take notice of them, we might believe that there is no way that they could ever be lifted off. We would sooner believe that a brick could be made to fly into orbit before our burdens could ever be lifted. What perhaps we forget is that it is not the object that has what is necessary to lift it up, it is the unseen power that lifts it. At first, we may try to lift it ourselves only to realize that we haven't the strength to do it. Instead, we must release control over to something that can lift it--something that can hold it up and keep it from falling on our heads. And because it is God who lifts, we can consider it like so many helium filled balloons--for as we watch them move upward and without a thought that they will ever come back down to us, so also we can consider that our burdens shall be lifted and without a fear that they will come falling down upon us. For though the burdens may be heavy, it is the Hand of God that lifts them up--all we have to do is release them.

[Soldier4Christ]

Choking The Word

    And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful (Mark 4:19).

It is a barrier that has existed for many years. It has been the focus of prayer warriors, pastors, missionaries and churches. And it was an event we applauded to see it brought down. It was the iron curtain of the former Soviet Union.
The Christian world has been moved with compassion over the years to help bring Christianity to a nation who had renounced Christianity. Many men and women put their very lives on the line to take the Gospel into Russia, knowing that it could cause them to lose much. Nevertheless, they chose to take the risk, believing that the Gospel of Christ could indeed bring many to a saving knowledge of Jesus. For those who sought to carry the Good News to that particular corner of the earth, there was nothing that was too great a cost. And when the iron curtain fell, we rejoiced and thanked God that we would now have the freedom to carry the Gospel more freely to the former Soviet Union.
But what else has been the result of the so called, "fall" of Communism in Russia? A statement I heard from one Russian young man claimed that the presentation of the Gospel had become even more difficult in some respects. For he said it seemed that the materialism of so many was so much worse than Atheism had ever been.
It seems that the lowering of the iron curtain let a lot more in than missionaries with the message of Christ, it also let in our western culture's obsession with want for things. Perhaps it would be unrealistic to think that you could allow the good without also making way for the bad. For it has been so with most everything. But may God forgive us if the messages of Christ and Capitalism came from the same source.
We might stop for a moment to question, "What do the other nations see in the church of the United States?" Do they see a bundle of contradictions or mixed messages? Let's hope not. But what have we brought to them? The Gospel of Christ? Free commerce? Or perhaps we can find in the lives of most Christians a mixture of both. Perhaps we have learned how to balance our want for things with our want to be righteous, and have taken comfort in that we believe that we can have the best of both worlds.
But what shall we see happen to our fellow Christians in places such as the former Soviet Union if we demonstrate a lifestyle wherein we believe we can have the best of both worlds? Will we not become a stumbling block to the world? Have we become that already?
Will we ever truly give up our desires and wants of this life so that we can see the world come to Christ? May it be so by the strength of our Lord.

[Soldier4Christ]

Pray That We Do Not Perish

    The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

God does not anyone to perish. That should be a phrase written over the front doors on the inside of our houses. For certainly it is something we would desire to keep in the forefront of our minds, but sadly we would likely have to confess that it is not a thought that stays with most of us throughout a given day. We have, in most cases, the best intentions concerning the salvation of the lost. Yet, our minds are racked with so much to do, to keep up with or keep ahead of, that we've little room left in our crowded minds to remember that today--someone will die--and they will perish without the salvation of our Lord.
To look at the efforts of the church it might seem hopeless, and to look at the lack of effort of many it might seem beyond hopeless. Nevertheless, we must not give up hope. However, we might need to give up. For perhaps the salvation is not going to come until we stop trying to be the ones who bring it. That is to say, salvation is the work of God. It is a work that He will do through us as we are obedient to Him. There may be far too many of us who think that His work is our work, or that our truth is His truth to the point that what we have done is kicked God out of the process. To put it simply: If we think that we have the capability to save souls we have got the whole thing out of whack. We have in essence asked God to go to His throne and sit back and relax while we bring in the harvest. Evangelism cannot be done by God's children taking charge, it must be done by His children giving up--realizing that saving the world is beyond our capabilities--and by our crying out to our Father, "Lord, help us...we perish!"
Looking at how many people are dying and going to hell, we must admit that we, the church, are not doing our job. Many of us are drawing from our knowledge, our strength and our resources to do "God's work;" while many more of us are doing nothing at all. But rather than brow beat anyone, and rather than despair, let us consider some possibilities. We know that of those who do much and of those who do nothing, that there are very many with good hearts. God's children, by very nature of that designation, do not wish to see any perish, but would rather that all come to a saving knowledge of Christ. It is not that they do not care, but that the care has somehow been buried by life. Jesus in the parable of the sower of the seed talks about seed that fell among the thorns, and the thorns spring up and choke the word and it becomes unfruitful. He then explains that the thorns represent the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches. To be certain, many caring Christian hearts have been choked by the cares of this life, and the concerns for material substances. But we must not confuse stressful, worry-filled living with an uncaring heart; else we might judge defeated Christians for not witnessing, when what is needed is to help them up.
Perhaps an obvious comparison is that the body of the church is grossly out of shape. It has become weak, loses its breath easy, has low endurance, etc. Revivals have become like so many attempts at starting an exercise program, and many revival decisions like forgotten New Year's resolutions. But every exercise program must start out with a plan, and out of shape bodies cannot jump into a full-blown aerobics routine in a day. It is necessary to work up to a point of good health and great fitness.
So what does all this have to do with a lost and dying world? First, we will never have what it takes to save the world. Even the fittest athletes are not superman. We must become fit for the work of the Lord, but must remember who's work it is. Second, we cannot get in shape over night. We may need to approach things gradually. Maybe we should stop telling Christians that they need to be telling people about Jesus, and start asking them to simply say a prayer for the lost souls at the beginning of each day. It could be a short prayer, simply enough to put their minds on the needs of lost people around them. This will do a couple of things. It will first put minds on the lost each day, and it will also get people praying for the lost. Trying to get people to go from no activity regarding the lost, to daily verbal witnessing may be more than they can handle.
There are most likely two types of people who are being told they need to witness: those who are out of shape and are not ready to attempt to go straight to the intensity of a verbal witness; and those who are in shape and already know about the need to witness. We need to be careful that we do not have an all or nothing mentality in regard to witnessing, because that seems to be what we have gotten--all from some and nothing from the others. It might be of great benefit for all of us if we start slowly and allow the witnessing process to grow into a habit rather than die like a New Year's resolution. If we could simply commit to pray a thirty second prayer each day for the lost world, perhaps that would be so much more than is being done now. We could then ask God to grow our daily prayer so that it would become longer, more natural and even a habit. What we can then hope to see is what we do, to one day become a full-blown witness, where it one time seemed like so little. But let us keep in mind what God could do through all of His children praying for just thirty seconds a day.

Commit to pray everyday for at least 30 seconds for the lost people of this world. Ask God to give you a heart for the lost. Ask Him to do what is necessary to draw the lost to Himself. Confess our inadequacy to save the world, and ask Him to save the people so they do not perish.

[Soldier4Christ]

Standing On The Promises

    Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:2-3).

What have we to stand on? What have we to trust in? Who shall we put our confidence in, in this day that we live in? So many broken promises. So many good intentions go unfulfilled. People just don't seem to really care to do what they say and stand by their words. We know very well that what someone says he or she will do, that they may not do it. And it is a sad state in which we live when we are surprised when someone does do exactly as promised. For we have been let down far too many times--and sadly, we too have let others down as well.
Peter tells us that we have been "called. . .to glory and virtue." But what virtue is there in saying one thing and doing another? What glory will God get from our broken promises, forgotten words and good intentions?
Now this world is uncertain and we find little to believe in regarding what we are told and promised. We may feel as though we can trust no one, and perhaps if we are wise, we realize that we cannot trust ourselves. For we will even deceive ourselves for sake of convenience; while the better good goes unattended, and the long term benefits are sacrificed for short term pleasures.
But, as in all things, there is hope. For our hope is not in others and it is not in ourselves, our hope is in Christ alone. And should we keep this in mind, we will all be much better off.
One of the worse things in our lives is misplaced trust. For we first trust someone, then we expect them to act according to our trust, and then when they fail us we stand in awe because they have let us down. In truth, however, they did not let us down at all. We let ourselves down when we place our trust in something that is unable to bear up under the pressure. What we do is let others down, and ourselves, by placing trust in them that belongs to Christ alone.
There are many promises throughout the scripture, and God stands behind everyone of them. He is faithful to see each promise through and He cannot fail us. Therefore His promises are as solid ground on which we walk confidently. And we sing with a glad heart, "Standing on the promises of Christ my King. . ."
Let us ask God today to remind us that people are human and they will fail us, and we will fail them. With this, let us be understanding, not condoning, but not placing high expectations on them as well. And let us remember the promises of God. Think of a promise He has made to you and ask God to remind you of His promise throughout the day. With the whole world shaking around us the best place to be is standing on the promises.

[Soldier4Christ]

Counterfeit

    At that time if anyone says to you, `Look, here is the Christ!' or, `There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. "So if anyone tells you, `There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, `Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather
    (Matthew 24:23-28).

A writer for the March, 1980 Reader's Digest comments, "If you're planning to vacation in Zambia, beware of the street-corner 'emerald vendors.' And if you're driving, be prepared for some confusion in the streets, owing to stolen traffic lights. The two warnings are related: The traffic light thieves are selling green glass chips to unsuspecting tourists who think they're getting bargain-basement emeralds."
Our world seems in a hurry these days to find the genuine article--yet they look it straight in the face and deny it. So many people wander through life trying to find purpose and direction in so many things. For there is much that the religions and the aspirations of men will boast. And yet, in all their wandering it would seem as though the very answer they seek has become "an offense" and a "stumbling block" to them. For it would seem that the preaching of Christ, and Him crucified, is foolishness to them, and not worth true consideration--and so they look further.
It is the wisdom (faulty wisdom) of a fallen people who will not trust in the steadfastness of a perfect God. We don't just want answers, we want answers that make sense, that fit our logic as it has been developed by our culture. Virgin births and a blood shedding, atoning sacrifice have no place in modern philosophy, for to modern man, both ideas are primitive. But new life has always been found in the shedding of blood as it is during the birth of a child; why should it be any different that new life should also come through the by willful shedding of blood by One who would bring life to all of God's children.
The world thinks our God and our Christ to be preposterous. They see no place for Him within our day unless the perception of His person can be distorted enough to make Him fit comfortably into the world's way of thinking. But in reality, they cannot distort His person but can only create for themselves other gods, and therewith, other christs or messiahs. And they go chasing after a false christ, claiming, "Look, here is the Christ!" or, "There he is!" All the while they do not realize that as they seek the "bargain-basement emeralds" of christs, and they are being taken by thieves who lure them away from the reality of the genuine article.
Be certain, that in these last days many will come claiming this or that about Christ. They will be puppets of the devil, who through their craving for logical answers will accept the devil's twisting of the truth. Satan will mingle enough truth with his lies and will deceive many. They will buy into philosophies that soften God and eliminate His judgment on sin. They will filter God through science and dilute the truth to a reasonable product, void of miracles and supernatural happenings. And they will exchange the truth for a lie in order that they might appease their lusts, their liberties and their lifestyles.
Broken chips from a green streetlight look an awful lot like emeralds, but they are not emeralds. We must be careful not to allow the cravings of a world that seeks out the bargain-basement gods, to lure us in toward the same. A certain phrase that Jesus passed on to His disciples comes to mind, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16).

[Soldier4Christ]

A Little Yeast

    Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as your really are (1 Cor. 5:6-7).

What is the difference between bread that has yeast and bread that has no yeast? What is the difference in a proud man and a humble man? While one seems to be empty, the other appears to be full. Yet, the unseen truth is exactly the opposite of what it would appear. For that which would seem to be full is really empty--and that which appears to be empty is full indeed.
Pride to a man is like the yeast to the dough. It works through the whole and changes the appearance so that what is seen is not so much as it really is. For a man, pride is generated by a need to be bigger than he really is, and a need to be bigger and better than others. Outwardly, he may convince himself that he is all he needs to be, and assures himself that he is what so many want to be. He may even convince some others that he is this image of a, so called, great man that he wants others to see him as. But inwardly there is great emptiness--there is much hollowness that needs to be filled.
But who makes a man or woman as such? Does he or she set the standards by which he or she must gain acceptance by the rest? Has society set the standard of acceptance? Perhaps we are all to blame, considering what we promote to be the ideal of the perfect man or perfect woman. Our promotions themselves are empty. If we cannot boast of self, we most certainly will boast of someone else who we see to be the ideal.
Consider our viewpoint of Sampson. Here is a man who was supernaturally empowered by the Spirit of God, yet we cannot hardly depict him in drawings without giving him huge muscles and the perfect male figure. We cannot seem to help but impose our human conceptions to everything, including the miraculous workings of God. For what would seem more incredible and bring God more glory, a man who possesses great physical strength and has the body of a body builder, or a man who possesses great physical strength yet seems ordinary in appearance? We should stop and consider the kinds of people God used before we set our ideals for any standard. We may find it more acceptable to appear ordinary; while possessing qualities that only God could instill.
Jesus spoke of those who worried so much about their outward appearance, while neglecting what really counted; that which was inside. He compared them to white-washed tombs--clean and beautiful on the outside; while inside they were full of death. It is time we start listening to the good advise of our caring mothers or grandmothers who have told us, "It does not matter what you look like on the outside. Its what's on the inside that counts." To be full of ourselves, our lives, our looks, etc., is to be puffed up and full of nothing real--nothing but emptiness. But if we can empty ourselves, not worrying about what it must look like to others, not worrying if we seem ordinary; we might find that we have more fullness than we could ever have thought possible. For as we are emptied of ourselves, Christ is then able to come in and bring fullness that is true, meaningful and far from empty.
He so badly wants to come in and bring true fullness, but He cannot do it if we are full of so many other things. Ask God to help you empty yourself before Him, and you will find that He can fill you more than anything else could ever possibly begin to.

[Soldier4Christ]

Because The Spirit Intercedes

    In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Sprit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will (Romans 8:26-27).

We are sure not to realize how blessed we are to have such an advocate as the Holy Spirit. He discerns the thoughts and intents of our minds and hearts. He leads us in how we ought to pray, and he intercedes on our behalf when we do not know what to say. No other friend or close loved-one can accomplish a work so splendid. It is a work of love that is deeper than anything we could ever imagine. It is a work of love that reaches out to us when we need to be reached. And it is the work of love that reaches even further when we have exhausted any means we have to reach back.
Proverbs 20:5 tells us that "Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out." The human heart is truly the deepest well in the entirety of creation. For us, it is unfathomable. We desire to know the depths of our soul and would hope to learn more about our individual motivations, but we are so often eluded by our own inadequacies that would demonstrate to us that we do not even really know ourselves--much less anyone else. Though we would even deceive ourselves as to the painful truths about who we are, we do have someone who we cannot deceive. He knows us better than we shall ever know ourselves, and He can speak truth into our lives even when we are unable to see it. He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He is one who speaks the truth and that truth is in love. And we benefit greatly from one who sees clearly into the deep waters of our hearts, because He can clearly represent us when we ourselves cannot.
It is out of that love and knowledge that the Holy Spirit takes our concerns before the Lord. For in such a time we may find ourselves coming to God when we cannot find the words to say what needs to be said, or the words to confess our wrong, or the words to simply speak to Him because our hearts are heavy and have made it difficult to speak. We find that there are times when our circumstances are so hard, or our feelings so intense that though we wish to communicate with God, we are unable. Yet the Holy Spirit intercedes with expressions of what is within us, and effectively communicates what must be said. He will not let our needs go unmet, but ensures that our needs are sufficiently brought before the Father.
Our Father loves us so very much, and has provided for us every imaginable way to give us what is needed to keep our relationship with Him where it needs to be. In those times that our hearts are so heavy that we cannot utter a word, we can know that we can simply come into the presence of God and silently sit. And as our emotions well up within, there is One who sits with us. And without a word from us, the heaviness of our hearts and the urgency of our needs are carried to the Father by He who was sent to us to be our comforter.
When you come into the presence of God but cannot find the words, just relax and rest in Him, knowing that what you cannot say is not going unheard.