Soldier of The Cross, this is a Battle.

     The Victory of the War is the end result.

     He Who is secure is your Commander and He is on top of it all.  He knows about all of the scurrilous activity, He knows about the financial problems and He knows about your devastation.

     You must decide if you are going to trust Him or not.  That means stepping away from personal control and acknowledging in prayer that underneath are the  Everlasting Arms.

     If it is true, you may step out on the solidness of the unseen Promises. If it is true, you may advance into the Frontier of Faith.

     Over the years, so many have said to me, "You just don't know my situation. . ."

     The issue is, He certainly  does.    Get your verse and go to Him in prayer.  It is your first resort.

     Soldier, Look up and move on.

     Are you a Soldier of The Cross?

     Have you decided to follow Him?  After all, it is a decision.  We all agree you have been called.  Will you obey?

     If the answer is "yes", then you must learn to agree with God, no matter what. 

     Who knows why He has designed this life as we find it.  Things seem so unfair.  So unresolved.  And the worst thing is, evil often appears to prevail.

     How is it possible to pray over a child for years and years only to see drugs, fornication and a complete abandon of the Gospel?  He knows, and He has already dealt with it.  He has heard your desperate plea and He has answered you according to His Word.

     That means He can be trusted to reveal the answer in eternity.

     Maybe your child will be as Franklin Graham.  But, what if not?  Is He any less powerful?  Is He any less able to hear?  Does He care less?  Is there some some sort  of heavenly serendipity lottery that salvages recalcitrant children?

     Oh, Soldier.  He can be trusted or not.  You can not serve Him and gaze upon Him while holding your breath to see if He will lift up your child on your time table.

     Move out.    On His Word.  Be a Servant.  And tell Him so.  No matter what.

     Stop focusing on the child and get back on track.  Focus on Him.
     Tell Him.  Aloud.  Today.

     Much of what is labeled as "worship" in the Church today is merely reflective of contemporary Christian culture.

     Fifty years ago, Christians didn't raise their hands when feeling  blessed during a service.  They often offered an "Amen", but the raised hand business was unheard of except for the old testament. 

      Today, it is common even among churches who have no charismatic bent. 

     There is nothing wrong with it.  The issue is,  it is contemporary behavior and often has little to do with worship.  It has more to do with agreeing with what is happening.  There are certainly exceptions and there are humble souls who express submission and delight in Him in that manner.

     There is much talk in the Old Testament about the raising of hands and shouting to the Lord.  I rarely talk about my private time with the Lord, but I can say there is variety.  Quite often my most precious moments of worship are when I tell Him what I love about Him or when I am riveted by a sunset. 

     Today, after Pentecost, we have the Indwelling Holy Spirit.   I have seen miracles and I do not believe the Bible teaches the gifts are all gone.  The New Testament broadens the meaning of worship and that includes many shades of receiving love from and acknowledging the Lord.

     My concern is that "worship"  is well-intendedly being presented in a more narrow way these days.  I can lift my hands or I can keep them down.  I don't think the Lord cares.  Many "Worship" songs are lacking in substance - not all, of course.  I was recently in a church where some of the choruses almost took my breath away, because they were so profound.

     Soldier of The Cross,  be available.  Really, truly available.    Then there is no cause for concern.  After all, you don't have to worry about your neighbor's worship, only your own.

Talk to Him about the matter.  Ask Him to lead you in a worship that pleases and reveals Him.
Ask Him aloud.

     I can't understand how someone can know the Gospel is true, but refuse to take up the Cross and follow Him.

     Years ago I was speaking at a women's retreat and the subject was The Cross.  We talked about the freedom of submission to Him.  We talked about being released from the clutches of the flesh.  Of course, the focus of everything was learning to be a Disciple and getting to know the Lord intimately.

     At the end of two full days, one woman said to me, "Why can't I just be good Christian without getting so 'involved'?"

     To be a Soldier of The Cross, one does not need to be special, smart or feel spiritual.  It is a matter to taking God at His Word, and you can't experience Him without going where He is.  He says we have to ". . .take up the Cross . . ."  and follow Him.

     There is absolutely no explanation for some people.  I have seen Christians serve, appear to be wholly the Lord's, and then either cool off or flat out decide to turn their backs on Him.   It isn't my business to explain those situations.

     I have always suspected that where there is no Lordship, there is no Lord.  But, we may be in for a few surprises in heaven.

     It is my business to take up the Cross, the place of the death of the flesh, and follow Him.   I must be willing to pay the price.  Will my popularity take a hit?  Probably.  Will I suffer?  Definitely.  Will I look successful?  Maybe not.

     He has it all under control, and it isn't about this life.  It is about eternity.

     I want to be a disciple.  I want to follow hard after the One who sought me out and revealed Himself to me, changed me and made me whole.

     I want to be with the Lover of My Soul.

     Tell Him.  Aloud. 
     Today

     It is so easy to pass on the thing that rides high in interest.

     No one initiates or engages in conversation concerning things that are boring to him.

     It is not different for the Christian, except that the Soldier of The Cross has a heightened sensitivity to what divides the Brethren.

      God's Word makes it clear that God hates anything that sows discord among the Brethren.

     The flesh is so invested.
     What hurts. 
     What is unjust. 
     What is unresolved. 
     What is incorrect.

     Oh, Soldier, guard that tongue.  The impact of your words are magnified to a greater degree than the words that came into your ears.  That is why James gives so much power to the tongue.  Each time something is passed on, it is multiplied in damaging momentum.

     What you see or hear must be committed to prayer before sharing it. 

     Be willing to let the Lord have room or victory by your silence, or room or victory by your prayerful sharing.  Both will be the same if prepared by prayer.

     Commit the matter to Him.  Aloud.

      Lord, as I stand before you tonight I give you anew my mouth.

     I want so to be a minister of Life. I long to have you speak through me and I know that means I must be willing to die daily in this area.

     As commanded, I want to have your Word in my mouth and on my forehead always.  I want to have heaven come forth out of my mouth and radiate through my eyes. 

     I don't' want caution or abandon.  I want You and Your Life to be the source of my thoughts and my speech.

     My Lord and my God.

     Soldier of The Cross, you have always heard that you can't outgive God.

     How is that reflected in your life?

     The bottom line of course is, the money is not yours, but is His to begin with.  The issue is, do you believe you're commanded to give?  To tithe?

     Many preachers love to say that you do not need to tithe.  That the New Testament does not address a tithe.  That is not correct, and in fact there is a New Testament reference to tithing. 

     The New Testament issue is giving above what you think you can afford.

     Soldier, did you earn the money, or does He give Daily Bread by Prayer and by Grace?  Are you flying solo?

     There are promises.

     The issue is not what you can get - the issue is obedience.

     There is a serious pull when it comes to money.  Give God what He has asked before giving or paying anywhere else.  You will see that every bill is paid and there will be an overflow.

     Tell Him aloud.  Today.

     The Soldier of The Cross may not lash back.

     This is particularly difficult when there is a rebellious child still in the home, because it is not possible to avoid anger at some level.

     So, when a Christian parent levels the boom and is angry at the same time, there is overwhelming guilt, and it feels as though you were out of control because you were so angry.

     The bottom line is, if you are raising your children on your knees, you will have wisdom.  It doesn't' mean you will sail a smooth sea through the matter. There can be and probably will be storms..

     It doesn't mean you will feel calm.    It just means you can trust Him for Light on the matter.

     It is entirely possible to make a wise decision and feel like you blew it.
     Give it to Him.

     The child is not yours.  The child is His.  If you ask Him, He will lead you.  It doesn't mean you will feel like a sage or feel like you are in control.

     It is about the Word of God and His leading.

     Soldier, make sure you are dealing with this matter in prayer and aloud.  It is a tremendous protection.

     I am about to turn sixty-four. I have worked with teenagers for forty-seven years.  On a human level, that makes me an expert.  I know a lot of stuff and I do well with teens.  I have them one on one in private lessons, and  there are over two hundred adults who still call me "Mama".  But the dynamic is competely different when they are your own.

     When it comes to any problem or conflict, all ground must be softened by prayer.

     This will protect you from the typical terrible advice about teens.

     Soldier of The Cross, there is no such thing as a stereotype.   

     We are His.  We are led.  We are dependent, and that is the way it should be.

     Tell Him.  Aloud.
     Today.

     The Soldier of the Cross must know how to live and how to die.

     At the same time, the message of the Gospel is not only Salvation, but also how the Christian must live and how the Christian should die.

     Soldier of The Cross, we are moving on.  There is an inertia and a momentum to the Christian Life. And to the vision for passing on.

     I have had many experiences with the dying of loved ones, or the dying of loved ones of the Family of God.

     The issue is always what lies ahead.  The human experience is to dread the unknown, especially when it comes to crossing the Crystal Sea.

      Soldier, whatever He has is for your best.  Chemotherapy is so hard.   For over thirty years, I went through it with my father.  Then, my mother died of cancer.  And now, I have a close friend who is going through breast cancer treatment.

     The bottom line is, who is on control?

     Yes, we have an enemy.
     Yes, we can ask for healing, and sometimes He does and sometimes He doesn't.

     Soldier, this life is a as vapor, and don't you forget it.   We don't know what is His will, but we know we need to agree with Him .

     So Soldier, ask Him for the healing,.  The tell Him you want His best.  Are you the one with cancer?

      Buck up.  Agree with God. Determine that the fear of leaving this life is not the issue.  The issue is service to the Body of Christ.

     Leave the burden at His feet.  You will need to do this over and over and over.    That is OK.  
     Tell Him aloud and experience the relief.
     Do it today.

     Today I was reminded about the cost of compassion.

     Those who are willing to be like Jesus are also willing to pay the cost.   What is that cost?  It is unknown until the moment  it is due.

     Sometimes it is feeding the hungry. 
     Sometimes it is visiting someone when you would rather dive into a bed and pull a sheet over your head. 
     Often it means going the extra mile and investigating what the need is - not the want, the need.
     More often than not, it means inconvenience.
     It can also mean ministering at a time when others think you are over the top and doing what is not deserved.

     Soldier of The Cross, didn't' He say that we should attend to Him when He is ill, visit Him in prison and clothe Him when He is naked?  What specific and valuable instruction.

     My father was a remarkable Servant.  The eldest boy of eight children, he had to work fulltime and raise the family from the age of fourteen.  A year before he died of cancer, he huffed and puffed his way to show me a cowpath in Fonda, Iowa.   He stopped and pointed to a spot of grass and said, "This is where I accepted Christ as my Savior.  I was carrying two pails of milk when I realized that the Sunday sermon has made it clear that I had to make a personal decision.  So, I put down both pails, right here.  I got down on my knees and received Jesus as my Savior.   At that moment, I knew I was not my own, and that I needed to spend the rest of my life letting the Lord reveal Himself through my speech and actions."

     I was forty two when I had those priceless moments with my father..

     And, oh, did he ever live it.   When he was in seminary and earning a living as a church janitor and interim pastor, we had little food.  I  was seven years old when he finished seminary at Trinity Evangelical Free Seminary in Chicago.  Sometimes we had only enough food for a few bites apiece, particularly at supper, but I never knew we were poor.  And when we had the least, we would put everything on one plate, decorate it somehow, cover it with waxed paper, and we would go to someone's house whom we knew had nothing.  We would put the plate on the step, knock on the door and dive into the bushes or run around the side. 

     I thought it was the best thing in the world and the most fun a person could have.

     Many times, I saw my father weep over the lost, the hungry, the dying, the poor and the unfairly accused.

     A stunning impact on a child.

     Soldier of The Cross, because you are a Soldier, it means you are a Servant.  You have told Him you will take up the Cross and follow Him. 

     The willingness to pay the cost is supernatural and is the result of prayer.
     Tell Him aloud.  In the understanding.
     Today.