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!

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.

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

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?

What is gripping your mind at this moment? Is it something that lines up with God's Word? Or is a thought against a Brother or Sister? Is it a worry? A rehashing of painful words? What is important to Him? Heaven. Eternity. Holiness. Your attention. Faith. Above all, He who is Love wants His own to Love His own. Love the lost. Love the sick. Love the prisoner. Love the handicapped. God's Love pouring through you is far more important than anything that can be troubling you. You say, "But, I can't love when the situation is so critical and needs to be corrected. . ." That is not so. You only feel as though you can not Love. The truth is, if He has asked you to obey, He will give the the power to obey. The real issue is, what do you really want? If you want Jesus, He is knocking at the door of your heart.

Soldier of The Cross, what is your assignment today? It is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all that you are. Therefore, all other things pale in light of the Word of God Why is it so hard to keep Him in mind? Because so few have a real prayer life. In order to see clearly, it is essential that you turn your vision and attention away from the things that are before you. You must look at the things that He has laid out and you must put your weight on His Word, rather than the situation before your eyes. Faith. There is no other way to know Him.