Soldiers Preparation

The worst thing you can do as a soldier is to go into battle unprepared.

Training does not begin when the battle starts, basic training starts way
before the battle ever takes place.
My Dad was in the Navy.  He was on his way to Korea when the war ended but he was not being sent ill prepared.  He had training, vigorous mental and physical training that he had to go through before he was no longer considered a civilian but an officer of the United States Navy.
What would have happened had they sent my dad to Korea as a civilian? He could have been injured, become disabled, lost his life or cost the lives of others because he was not prepared for the battle.

I see Game On as boot camp for Evangel Cathedral’s army of Christian soldiers.  We are preparing ourselves for the battles ahead.  We cannot expect to be successful on the battle field if we have not been through some very basic training that takes us from being mere civilian Christians to full fledged warriors of the Cross!!
In Judges 7, God is giving Gideon specific instructions for His army that will defeat the Midianites.  He didn't want fearful warriors and was able to thin the crowd by half.  He also did not want warriors that were unprepared and ended up with a mere 300.  But 300 enabled men of God are much more powerful than 22,000 civilians.  When God prepares an army He wants them to be able bodied, able minded and able spiritually.  We are not good warriors if we are fearful of how the next bill is going to get paid, concerned that we might have some physical ailment or constantly living in doubt over our lives in one capacity or another.  We cannot fight the enemy if we don't understand the One who has defeated him.
We will win every battle set before us if we are going in completely prepared, fully armored, courageous, devoted and committed.
A prepared soldier is armed and understands how to use his weapon.  We become more fully "loaded" with ammunition the more we are in the Bible.  Using the very  Word of God to disable the enemy.
Once we have come to a place where we understand who we are, not mere civilians but warriors,
soldiers of the Most High God, we grab hold of the authority we have in The Blood of Jesus, The Name of Jesus and we will claim our victory because of the Blood and His Name.  We take authority through the Word.  We can now say that we are High Ranking officers in His Army because we understand the Authority of Jesus' blood and name.  Just like the centurion who sent his friends to Jesus in Luke 7.  As a warrior He understood the authority in spoken commands.  He knew that all Jesus needed to do was say the words and his servant would be healed.  The Authority we have as warriors in the army of God is the same authority that healed that servant, that raised the dead, that wins every battle set before it.
If we can get our Game On, our Life On as Warriors, Soldiers in the Army of Christ, we will be victorious.
We can win every battle if we are well trained, prepared soldiers!!

Game On

Content in the Season I am in

I have to admit when the Christmas decorations come down and all the celebrating is over, I tend to get a little restless with winter.  I start to long for warmer, longer days and flowers blooming, color exploding everywhere.  Why can't I just be content with the season that I am in? 
It seems to happen in many areas of our lives.  I notice it so much in my two sons.  One of their favorite things to say is, "I can't wait....", I can't wait for my birthday, I can't wait 'til Christmas, I can't wait until Friday, I can't wait until I am older, etc. etc. etc.
Adults do it too, I can't wait for this day to be over, I can't wait to get that new car, new house, new job.  On and on we go being discontent with the place or "season" that we are in.
Shouldn't our hearts be more thankful for today.  Shouldn't we be saying, "Thank you, God, for today, for this job, for this house, for this car, for my health, my family.  Thank you God for this season that I am in, I know you have something to teach me right where I am."
We should be content with today and all the wonder that it holds. 
The Bible says to be anxious for nothing and isn't that what being discontented is, anxiousness?  We are so anxious for the next thing we don't rest in this thing, today, right here.  Quietly listening to our Shepherd leading us through today, appreciating every wonder that He has given us, even our very breath.
Don't seek the next season before it's time to leave the season you are in.  You wouldn't plant flowers in your garden in January.

Gods Faithfulness

My husband sent me this article, I am sure he sent it because he knows how much I love dogs but as I read about this devoted animal it made me reflect on God's faithfulness.  God said He would never leave us and he would not forsake us, He is faithful to walk beside us no matter where we go.  When we leave Him, He faithfully waits for our return, loving us and longing for the companionship that comes from the relationship that we have with Him.  He is quick to forgive us when we ask and He lovingly envelopes us in His perfect peace when we reconcile our relationship with Him.
1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

White as Snow

I had a conversation with my neighbor the other day.  He is a native of Spartanburg and voiced to me his disdain for the snow that we have recently experienced.  I understood his view of it and can see why he feels that way.  However, as I look at the blanket of white that covers everything I am reminded of the Grace of God and the Blood of Jesus. 
The dismal death of winter can overshadow any good thing (I lived in Ohio for 7 winters, I know) but when the snow comes and everything in sight is covered in glorious white it is blindingly beautiful!  This is how we should see our lives before Christ and then again, after His Blood washed away our sins. 
Separate from Christ we are dark, dismal, gray and without life--sin has overshadowed our whole being and we are separated from God.  But when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, after His Blood washes away our sins we are as white and sparkling as the driven snow, pure and without blemish. 
Then Spring comes......but that is another blog for another season.  Walk in His Victory today because of The Blood He shed for you!!

Psalm 51:7  Purify me from my sins,^[a] and I will be clean;
      wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.   NLT

Carrying The Word

One of my favorite things to do is to share what one of “my kids” has done in their class rooms.  (I call all the kids in the nursery “my kids”)

Recently, as we have been in the Christmas season, the stories being shared with our two year olds have been about the baby Jesus coming to be with us.  Usually our little girls are the ones that are interested in the babies, but this particular Sunday as we swaddled a doll pretending it was baby Jesus, one of our boys (a boy that throws balls, runs, jumps, pushes and hits, just like all the other little boys) very gently held the baby in his arms and carried it with him for the remainder of the class.  It touched me so that it brought tears to my eyes.  This little one wanted to care for that baby and make sure he was safe.  No other child seemed more interested in that baby than he was. 

How can we be more like this little guy?  Do we carry the Word with us, careful to make sure that it doesn’t leave us, securing it within our hearts that we may not sin against God.  Psalms 119:11 says:  Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.

As we start this New Year my prayer is that we secure The Word of God in our hearts and carry it all the way through 2011.