Everyone wants God's leading.

     The problem is, to be led by God means following Him.  He has always led His Own with the Fire and the Cloud.    He does not lead away from Himself.

     So many want the Lord to show them where the comfort and abundance is, but they are not interested in The Cross which is the requisite for following Him.  The buzz phrase is "God has a blueprint for your life."  Well, it is true.  We can not understand it because we live in time and He does not.  Nevertheless, our responsibility is not to plot out a great life. 

     The Soldier of The Cross must be a Living Sacrifice and must pray about the will of God as such.

     Here is the question:  Will you trust God to agree that whatever He allows in his Sovereignty is the best thing?  If you will agree with God, He will lead freely.  He will reveal Himself through people, circumstances and the inner leading of the Indwelling Holy Spirit.

     He leads us into service.
     He leads us into fellowship.
     He leads us into consecration.
     He leads us into the valley of the shadow of death, yet He can be trusted.
     He leads us into persecution and the death of the flesh.
     He leads us into exquisite and surprising blessing.

     He wants to lead us to Himself and prepare His Bride for eternity.

     So, Soldier of The Cross, the question is, are you willing to be led?

         Away from the mire, and away from the clay,
         God leads His dear children along;
         Away up in glory, eternity’s day,
         God leads His dear children along. 

         Some through the waters, some through the flood,
         Some through the fire, but all through the blood;
         Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,
         In the night season and all the day long.

     We know that all that is eternal is ours only by Grace, through the Blood of Jesus Christ.

     There is no qualifier.  There is, however, a price that must be paid for the daily experience of salvation and the infilling of the Holy Spirit.   Of course, salvation is free.  The ongoing experience of salvation and the release of living in the supernatural, come at the cost of taking up The Cross and following Him.

     Birds of a feather flock together.  Those who want Him gravitate to those who are chasing hard after Him.  They hear about His faithfulness.  They hear about His deliverance.  They hear about His cleansing and His transforming power.  They are stirred by the Spirit to pray to be changed.

     Then, they are tested and always in something that is hard and unpredictable.   When they come through the fire, they are refined and there is no smell of smoke on them.

     Soldier of The cross, He always gives Grace for the trial, but not one second before it is needed.

     We have a marvelous and infinitely loving, all-powerful God.  Do we believe it?  I have heard many Christians say they are afraid to tell the Lord He can do anything in their lives because they think He will hurt them.

     Amazing.

     Soldier of The Cross, above all, learn to trust Him.
     There is nothing else.  

     Lord, tonight I want to thank you for always taking me one step beyond settled comfort.  I have told you I want you and I have told you I want as much of you as I can have and know in this life.

     I understand that deep places in my heart must be excavated and I must follow you through passages that are by sight, far too small.

     Nonetheless Lord, whatever it takes.  I love you and I love your Word.  I love your people and want to be made into your likeness.  Please teach me how to pray about this matter.

     Oh Lord, as I stand before you, I ask you to do anything in your vast creativity that can be done in my heart and mind. 

 
     I submit to the surgical knife of the Lover of My Soul.     

     Everything changes because He is.

     There is no need for worry or for fear.
     It means every word of the Bible is true.
     You have inherited Eternal Life.
     He is watching over you tenderly.
     There are no accidents - no coincidences.
     You are rich and will receive Trust funds as you pray them in.
    

     You are a cherished member of a Family; a Royal Race.

     You do not have to be bored and you are never alone.
 

     His Banner over you is Love!             
      

     Do I love you?

     For the Soldier of The Cross, what is love?  Do I feel something?  Am I compelled to act on your behalf?  Must I be obvious? 

     Many years ago I had some time with Maynard, who had worked for many years at the Pacific Garden Mission on Skid Row in Chicago. 

 
     Maynard loved to tell about the workers the Lord sent to deal with the those who came in for help.   He told of a young man who came in to help with the ministry.   The fellow wore an expensive suit, but it was obvious that he wanted to be useful.  When Maynard asked the young man to kneel with him and pray for one of the  down-and -outers, the fellow looked at the needy resident.  The young man's glance fell on the huge dandruff flakes on the man's shoulders. 

     The well-meaning volunteer blanched when he saw the dandruff, and of course the resident caught it immediately.  The needy man rose and bolted.

     Soldier, the test is, are you able to love the unlovely?        

     This is an issue that has plagued many a Christian Servant.  Because, it is presumed that love is a feeling. 

     Love is about obedience.  Availability.  Humility. 

    God will use anyone who is willing to be used.

     My father graduated from Northwestern School of the Bible, Multnomah and Trinity Seminary in Chicago.  His specialty was Bible languages, particularly Greek.  His missionary assignment was to establish a seminary in Mexico and train national pastors.

     Ultimately, he had to leave the mission field for several reasons.  He was diagnosed with cancer when I was a junior in high school and struggled with it for twenty-six years.  He took endless treatments and although he worked, he had to take much time off. 

     Having been trained in Christian service, he took additional training to be able to qualify for other work.  He was often sick,  and although he never complained, it was clear to me that he had left his heart in Mexico.

     Just before he died, I went to visit him and we had the most wonderful time.  He was absolutely God's man and I had always known that.  We sang together and talked about the Lord as long as he could talk.  

      At the funeral, I was surprised to see a huge crowd in attendance.  In fact, there was standing room only.  When it was over, most folks did not leave, but formed a line and waited to talk to me.  I had no idea what was happening.

     The line was dozens of people who worked with my father at his civil service job, and each one wanted to grab my hand and tell me how my father had led him or her to the Lord.   I was stunned.   During his tenure in that job, he had several years of his most severe bouts with cancer.

     Soldier of The Cross, time is short.  Soon, time will be no more. 

     God will set ablaze any bush that can be lit.      

     The gifts are given as God chooses, and they become operational when the Soldier of The Cross steps forward to serve the Body of Christ.

     It is distressing to see some of the literature on the subject that is being dispersed today.  I recently saw a study guide that is being used in some churches to teach individuals to identify their gifts.  The basic questions were, "What do you like to do?  What comes naturally?  What makes you feel good?"

     If that were the basis for identifying my spiritual gift, I would declare myself to be to be an anointed food-tester.

     The gifts develop and are evident to those in spiritual authority when the Holy Spirit is allowed to reign in a Christian's life.  The gifts are for the Body, and the Lone Ranger Christian will not be in a position to exercise any spiritual gift. 

     It is not necessarily the thing that one does naturally that is his spiritual gift.  Often it is after years of following the Lord that the gift blossoms.  Gladys Aylward was a a preacher a rescuer of children.  Much could be said about her gifts.  But the Lord put her in a position so that the first years of her missionary service were spent in turning mules' heads into the compound of the missionary under whom she worked.

     There is much to be done.   The Soldier of The Cross must be available for jobs that are not glamorous and for jobs that may not feel right.  Quite often, the Lord does not choose the most experienced or the naturally gifted for His work.  What about Moses? 

     Years ago as the pastor's wife, I was in charge of a huge banquet.  After it was over, I asked  a woman near me if she would grab a broom and help me sweep.  She looked at me and said "No."  Although most definitely a Christian, she was unquestionably not ready to minister or exercise any gift.  Now years later, that same woman is a devoted and spiritually gifted teacher.

     Soldier of The Cross, God does not hide and He is not in the business of hiding His will or His gifts.   Be available. 

     The Living Sacrifice is available for anything.

     Tell Him you are available and then put your weight under the nearest load.  If you have given it to Him, He will let you known if it is not for you.
     Tell Him aloud.

     There is always resistance to the spreading of the Gospel.

     When Christians go into situations or territories that have been in the control of the enemy for considerable time, there is darker oppression.   The western world is seeing more of this, but it has been most common in Africa and the Middle and Far East.

     Today, Soldier of the Cross, you must understand that He who called you and anointed you, has also protected you from anything other than His best for you.  If you are willing to serve Him with abandon, you will most certainly encounter this oppression.

     In the words of Robert Jaffray to Darlene Deibler Rose, “Don’t be afraid, for he is a defeated foe, undone by Calvary.  Never forget that greater is He that is within you than he that is in the world."

     The Soldier of The Cross cannot afford burnout.

     The major cause of burnout among Christian workers is assuming responsibility for the result, and this is usually accompanied by a distinct lack of private time with the Lord.

     For years and years, well-meaning people have insisted that I must take more vacation time and cut back on activities.  I have learned some things:

     The busier one is, the longer the prayer time should be.
     If work is really the Lord's, the worker will not look for job satisfaction to come from the results.
     No one can be someone else.
     If the Lord so desires, it only takes an instant for Him to do what seems like an endless task.
     There will be an unction for the task if it is assigned by the Lord.

     Eat sensibly, sleep well.  Then, be willing to go without either.  Each of us is to be a living sacrifice.  The more self-protective the worker, the more frantic he or she will be to try to preserve the thing that produces a temporary sense of safety.

     I am thankful for those who have gone before, some of whom like the apostle Paul, were willing to endure anything.  Am I willing?

     You have decided to serve the One who holds the stars in place.  Can He be trusted?

     Our time is His.  Our bodies are His.  Soldier, bring this before Him and ask Him to lead you in this matter and to train you. 
     Tell Him aloud.

     Lord Jesus, I come to you tonight and stand before you as one who wants you over all else. 
     My problem is me.  And, I ask you to change me.    Lord, I come to you with all that I am and all that I have.  Please take it and do whatever is needed to make me like you.
     I know you are over all and I know you are not limited.
     Oh, Lord, though I feel like a failure, I know that your Word reigns over feeling. 
     Nothing is as attractive to me as you.    None is as interesting as you.  There is no comparison. 
     Lord Jesus, take me as I am.  Change me.  Use me.  Anything you want.  I stand before you and ask that you do your deepest work. 
     I know there is nothing else.

     I want you more than anything.
     My Lord and my God.