CHANGE ME:

Soldier of The Cross, have you told the Lord that He can do anything with your life? If not, why not? What are the issues? Is He able to decide what is best for you? Is He capable of choosing the thing that is the bet thing for you? Or, is it possible that you have either equal or superior ability to determine the best course? Have you actually told Him He can have you? Aloud? It is not possible to do this unless you are serious and mean business. When you have told Him that your life is in His hands, you will know freedom for the first time. I have actually had people tell me that if they let the Lord have their lives, He will destroy their families. This statement denies God's Word. There is an assumption that God is looking only for a willing victim. You will agree with me that God is Love. You will agree with me that He has your best interest as a foremost desire for your life. You will agree with me that He gave up Glory and died for you. You have nothing to lose. The King of Glory wants your attention. He wants your Obedience. He wants your love. He wants your all. Is there anything better?

Thankful for the Hard Things:

If you agree with God, you will be able to thank Him for even the hardest things. Do you agree that He is Sovereign over all? You must thank Him for the hard things. Do you agree that He knows what is best for you? Do you believe Him when He says He will withhold no good thing? You must thank Him for the hard things. Do you believe He loves you and that He gave His life for you? You must thank Him for the hard things. Do you agree that He is preparing you for heaven? You must thank Him for the hard things. Do you believe He has set you free and put you in a large place? Do you believe He will heal your land?You must thank Him for the hard things. Do you believe He is preparing a Place for you? You must thank Him for the hard things. Soldier, you must learn to come before Him and name the thing that seems so impossible and painful. According to God's Word, you must also be able to thank Him for all things, and you must be able to trust that He knows what is best for you. Why do so many Christians live roller coaster lives? Because they interpret the pleasant to be good for them and the unpleasant and/or painful to be not good for them. You have the power to thank God for all things that He allows in your life. You have the Indwelling Holy Spirit. There is no power greater. That power is activated by obedience. Do not settle for less than seeking Him over all else. Stand firm on His Word. Agree with God. Experience the freedom and healing that is yours in Christ. Live in release so that you can reveal Christ to a lost world.

ARE YOU HIS?

What does it take to be a Servant of The Lord? The decision to belong to Him. That is all. It is a decision to follow Him no matter what the cost. Soldier of The Cross, can you say that you are His Servant? Have you counted the cost? Are you willing to pay the price? Is there any reason to make a different choice? Are you willing to stand alone? Or with those who have been rejected by others? Soldier, you must seek the Lord ongoingly. Each day, you must make it your aim to press in o the call and present yourself for service, present yourself as a living sacrifice and affirmatively allow Him to do anything He will and can do with and in your life. When you have so presented yourself to the One who died for you and who is preparing a Place for you, you will be able to minister to the Body of Christ. You will be able to give sacrificially without any loss. You will have a vision for the lost and you will be available to those who are repulsive to others. You will be eager to do without if it means seeing Him more clearly. You will be passionate about and dependant upon His Word. Listen to me, Soldier: Is there anything else? Look up and move on!

His Life:

The Life of the Lord flows from those who have decided to follow him with all they are and all they have. Apart from that, His Life does not flow through Believers. There can be warmth, understanding and support. But the Life of the Lord is raw heavenly Love. It is ministered with a sweet burning in the center of the being of the object of that Love. God's Love does something. It melts the hardest hearts and it breaks down the thickest and highest walls. It crosses language barriers. It can replace a lifetime of agony with peace and purpose. There is nothing else. There is no second best.

Come Home!

God's Grace is far beyond human comprehension. The Books of the Prophets outline the consequences of disobedience. At the same time, the Holy Spirit records that He who holds the stars in place, desperately loves His Own. If they will turn to Him and be His, He is always willing to receive then with open Arms. Soldier of The Cross, many do not understand what it means to follow the Lord. It means that He and He alone, must be the center of the Believer's life. It means that there must be public and private evidence of His rule in the Believer's life. It means that all the Believer has is His. It means there is no right to ask why. He leads, we follow. It means that His discipline is welcome. It means sacrificial love for the brethren. It means obedience to His Word. It means devotion to His Body. It means He is All in All.

Life:

There is no other life than Life in Him. Soldier of The Cross, you must consider daily - what is your purpose? This is not about your gift or your duties or your calling. This is about your Purpose? You must spend your life in obedience to the One who gave Himself for you. Do not confuse the issue. He is for you. Is there anything better?

The Basic Things:

Soldier of The Cross, we must all remind each other of the beauty and value of the Christian basics: The first commandment is to Love the Lord; He wants intimacy with us - attention and obedience. It is not possible to get through this life as a Believer without time with The Master. When the quiet time wanes, sight begins to cloud over The Pilgrim begins moving through time by sight. Things that have no value in eternity begin to take on added dimensions, and there is a demand to break the stride and agree with circumstances. You may not weaken . You must choose the things that God has said are eternal. There is no one else. There is nothing else

Others:

Like the law of gravity, there are certain predictable things about the law of serving others. Those who serve do not dwell on themselves. They are doing things that are not convenient or self-protective. They are always giving of their own resources, so they exempt themselves from the fear of being without. Serving to Body of Christ means being around and loving the unlovely. It is not always possible to know the real from the fake, and there are needs all around. Soldier of The Cross, look at Him. He gave Himself as a Ransom for Many. Because of Love. He did not protect Himself Loving and serving others does not make milky, push-over Christians. Serving those in need brings awareness of the difference between users and those who genuinely need help. There is no lack of opportunity. Prepare in prayer. Then go somewhere and do something.

Because He Is:

He is. This is a bottom line Truth and it must be the foundation for thought, behavior and attitude. It is the reason for obedience. It is the reason to cherish His Word. It is the reason to make Love your aim. It is the reason to put others first. Appropriating this simple Truth can release you from dead-end goals. When the storm hits, the damage hast to be considered in light of the fact that He is. When there is lack you know He will make good His Promises because He is. Because He is, death is not a threat. We are free and filled, because He is.

Important:

Years ago, I heard Chuck Swindol say "Never let the urgent take place of the important. . ." For me, it was a life-changing statement. Soldier of The Cross, What are the really important things in your life? If the attention grabbers are getting all your attention, you have veered off course. His will is the important thing. His commandments. His Presence. His Body. And, with regard to your relation ship with Him, He wants to create His Likeness in you. What is the bottom line? Are you yours, or are you His?