Natural energy must not be mistaken for either gift or anointed service.

     The Servants of the Living God are those who are motivated by God's Word and a vision that results from the private prayer life.    Their energy for service comes from knowing and loving Him.

     Soldier of The Cross,  there are many faithful ones who simply put one foot in front of the other and move on. 

     It isn't the speed or the bounce that matters.

     It is the heart that is fixed on Him.

     He who never changes also never does the same thing the same way twice.

     You have a concept of what should or might happen, but no human idea can duplicate the infinite creativity and perfection of the Creator of the Universe.

     Soldier of The Cross, do not limit God. 

     If He is never limited in prayer, He will be clearly and immediately recognized.

     You may ask again and again.

     He will never tire of you.
     He won't ask you to explain yourself.
     He won't lose concentration.
    
     He never pretends and He always holds out for the thing that is best for you.

     Do you trust Him?
     He has never failed anyone anywhere at any time.

     Tell Him Today.
     Aloud     

     The demands of the flesh not only feel real, they are real.

     That is the reason God's Word is so clear about obedience.  We are never left in the dark about what is right.  Never.

     There are times when it feels like we have to know now.  It looks like we have to know now.   Someone else is putting on the press sure to finish up now.  All of these influences come to bear upon the soul and the result is a feeling of emergency.

     God has never had an emergency.

     My tiny little perspective must be taken to prayer and by faith, given up to the One who holds the stars in place.
The flesh has a serious addiction that can never be assuaged.  I am only free when I stand before Him and declare the truth;

     That He alone is sovereign.
     That He designed the matter.
     That He has assured me over and over that He has already attended to it.

     Because of Love.

     Soldier of The cross, your security is in Him.

     Your security does not lie in anyone agreeing with you or being convinced that you are right.  That includes your spouse and other close family.  Even your boss. 

     Learn to stand in the truth before Him.  This is not a case of the-cheese-stands-alone.  This is matter of walking in all the Light you have been given and leaving the rest up to the Lord.

     You don't need to prove God.  He will take care of that Himself.    

     The heart is the place of decision.

     Soldier, make sure your decisions line up with His Word.  This must happen in prayer.  Have you told Him the decision is His and that you will agree?

     If not, do it now.
     Aloud and alone.

     You were not constructed to live with anxiety.

     Anxiety creates a different furrow than anger or regret.  Anxiety is a form of fear that assumes there will be an unwelcome result of something yet to happen or not happen.  The anxious Christian is living in the possibility that God does not know what is best, or in the alternative, that God will be too late or not perceive the situation.

     The enemy loves to hurl fiery darts of anxiety into the mind and watch them fester.

     Soldier of The Cross, we either agree with God or we don't.  If we agree with Him no matter what, we are able to experience the solidness of the Rock of Ages.

     The anxious Christian is desperately hoping God agrees with him - not the other way around.

     Recognize it.  Leave it at His feet.  You can't operate under the load.
     The One who gave Himself for you will gladly take it.

     Lord tonight I stand before you and ask that you teach me not to run ahead of you.

     It is so tempting to move in my own strength and have  a backup plan in the event of your disinterest.  Oh Lord, I know that isn't the case with you, and I want to be changed.

     The struggle feels like more than I can bear, yet all the while your Word is more real than the way that I feel.  Thank you so much for that.

     So Lord, as I have done so often, I come to you tonight and lay this burden down at your feet.  You designed it, and that I recognize.  It is yours.  I yield to you Lord.

     I stand before you and submit to the surgical knife of the Lover of my Soul.

     My Lord and my God.

     He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].  I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust! For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

     [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.  You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.

     A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.  Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.   Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place. . .
                            Psalm 91: 1-9  (Amplified Bible)

     Soldier of The Cross, what is The Secret Place?   Have you experienced it?   It is the place where He who named you welcomes you into the cleft of The Rock.   He covers you there with His Hand.  He shelters you.

     Nothing can happen to you apart from His protection and His Plan.

     You are an observer.  Nonetheless, there are things to do and you must move on.  The issue is, the confidence in His sovereignty.

     Dive into The Shelter. 
     The Rock of Ages has crafted a Hiding Place for you.

     Train your children so they can be taught.

     The most important thing for a child is to know that he is loved.  But if that is all he has, he will have a bad life. 

     He needs to learn to be aware of others and to be courteous.  For little ones, this begins at about nine months and begins at the table.   Such a little one is not going to get it right away and at that age, not by example.  But as soon as the high chair is pulled up to the table, the training must begin.

     No toys at the table.  Only one person should speak at a time, and that is a real challenge for a little one who does not understand.  But, he does not need to understand.  By the time he is one, he should be able to respond to words or signals to be silent.  This will take some months, but he will learn.  He will forget quickly, but if you are consistent and do not relax in calmly addressing the matter each time, he will get it.  By the time he is two, he can sit happily and learn to enjoy others.  No negative comments about the food.

     Setting food in front of children and then removing yourself to do something else should be rare.  Children should not be left alone at the table absent a pressing reason.

     These things must be done by prayer or they become personal projects rather than the training of a Soldier of The Cross.  This is not about being a perfect parent.  This is about serving the King of Kings.

     Another important thing for a child, is to learn not to run in a public place or in someone else's home.  It builds an immediate awareness of others and instills a respect for what is happening around him.  It takes consistency and by the time he is four or so, if he is consistently reminded and does not remember, standing in the corner once or twice usually does the trick.

     This is not about good and bad.  This is about training our children to be sensitive and alert to others and their needs.

     Before church, speak to your children about what is expected.  If the child misbehaves, it is not a reflection on the parent.  If that parent does nothing, then it becomes a reflection on the parent.  Don't wait until your child is loud.  If he is testing you and making quiet little sounds, it is still a power struggle.  Get right on it, even if you have to carry out a howling child.  You must win that power struggle.

    We all pick our battles.  Pray about which are yours.  Hold out for the things that make your children aware of others and create in them a capacity to serve.

     Once your child is about eighteen months, he begins to learn by example.

     Be that example.    You don't need to be perfect.  You just need to live according to the truth of God's Word - you are not your own.  You were bought with a Price. 

     Everything by prayer and supplication. . .