Soldier of The Cross, you must learn to pray in your daily bread.

     It is an interesting principle, and those who want to know Him must learn it.  Most Christians think they are financially independent until there is reason to worry.  What does God's Word say?

     Where does the provision come from?  Those who give without considering what they have left are those who are financially secure. 

     Yes, stewardship is godly.  No giving, no stewardship.

     Soldier, are you able to tell Him that your money is no longer yours, but is His?

     Lord, I come before you today and ask that you teach me to follow you through the minutes and the hours.  I want to spend them wisely and must learn your priorities.

     I know you are not limited by time.  I also know you can stretch time, just as you do money.

     I want my time to belong to you.  I want to learn to live by faith in this area and listen to you.  Please do whatever is needed in me to produce your own life in this area. 

     I want to know what it means to give to you the firstfruits of my time.

      Serving the Lord means doing all as unto Him.

     It does not mean having to be in a recognizable Christian position.  I have known missionaries and pastors who were tremendous saints. I have also known some choice servants who served the Lord without recognition and in the most pedestrian of circumstances.

     Children must be taught to serve the Lord.  They should learn to sing when they are afraid, to give of their money, and to encourage others.  Children who have given their hearts to the Lord should be taught to pray privately and to do so aloud.  They should understand the purpose of life is about the Lord and that it is not about having a good life.

     Children should be taught to visit sick friends and encourage Christian friends.  Regularly.  It should be the normal thing to do.

     A good children's church is fine.  That is, if the purpose is to train Soldiers of The Cross.  Children must understand the most basic tenants of the faith and not be separated out, only to have a better time.  They must learn that when they are saved, they are members of the Body of Christ. They need to see mature Brothers and Sisters in prayer, in song and in service.  They also need to hear anointed preaching.

     Children need to hear and memorize the real Word of God and not watered down versions.  The intellect is not the interpreter of the scriptures, but rather the Holy Spirit.

     They are not our children.  
     They are His.

    

     Though it seems like such an emergency to resolve the matter now, when we are with Him we will see that it was a brief discomfort and well worth it.

     The issue is, are you really a Soldier of The Cross? Are you willing to do it His way in His time, or does it have to be fixed right now according to limited concept?

     He has promised delight beyond comprehension.  Is it true?  Can He be believed? 

     This is the bottom line.  We are not living for now.  What we experience must result in an attitude that agrees with God.  What we choose must be in agreement with God.  What we want must be in agreement with God.

     It comes out of the mouth, the eyes, and is reflected in the entire countenance and body language. 

     Who do you belong to?  Were you bought with a Price?  Or do you dare to say that you are your own?

     Soldier, talk to Him about this matter and do it aloud.

  
          Oft times the day seems long, our trials hard to bear,
          We're tempted to complain, to murmur and despair;
          But Christ will soon appear to catch His Bride away,
          All tears forever over in God's eternal day.
    

          It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
          Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
          One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
          So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

     Nehemiah did not give value to the threats of his enemies. 

     He gave himself to the task before him and let the Lord deal with the efforts of those desperately trying to prevent the rebuilding of the wall.

     Anyone who has determined to serve the Lord has found that there are always those who try to subvert or stop the work.   Almost anything is game.  The enemy will threaten, storm about and lie.  

     There must be wisdom about how to handle the matter.  For the most part, Nehemiah riveted his attention on the job and refused to be distracted.  Hallelujah!  What a magnificent picture of a trusted servant who has his priorities in order.

     There are times when action must be taken, but wisdom will preside.  Counter measures should never be taken just because of fear or self-defense.  The important thing is the work of the Lord, and if it is His work, He will oversee it.  This applies to everything from the missionary frontier to the home life. 


     Isn't it all His work?
     Aren't we building that which cannot be built with human hands?
     Aren't there constant attacks and missiles of distraction?

     Soldier of The Cross, look up and move on!

     The problem with walking by faith is that you just can't get your hands around the matter.

     And of course, you and I were created to live only by faith.

     So then the issue is control, isn't it?  That desperate need to strive for predictability.  Soldier of The Cross, it is not possible to serve the Lord and avoid faith.

     So then, it must be the best thing for us.  Why is the flesh so unwilling?  Many times it is because there is so little agreement with God in prayer.  There must be articulated agreement.  Submission. 

     There is no adventure greater than living by faith.
     There is no true security except living by faith.  It is only lack of experience with God that makes it feel so risky.

     Most importantly, there is no knowing God, but by faith.

     Tell Him today.  Aloud.
     Commit to taking up The Cross and following Him.  No matter what.

     There is nothing else.
     There is no one else.

      Here is the issue - either He is true or He is not.

     Soldier of The Cross, can you say that you believe that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose? (Romans 8:28)  
 

     Either you believe it or you don't.
     Either you put your weight down on His Word, or you choose to hold the matter in your own limited human hands.
     Either your words reflect His, or they reflect your refusal to agree with Him.
     Either your mind clings to His reality and promises, or it massages and rehearses the problem.

     It is not a matter of circumstances.  It is a matter of choice.  Will you choose faith, or not?

     Is He able or is He not?
     Does He love you or does He not?

     What has He said?
     Can He be trusted?

     ". . . Let God be true, but every man a liar. . ."   (Romans 3:4)

      He has promised to be our God, and we will be His people.  (Hebrews 8:10)

     We have a Lord who is not only all knowing, all present and all powerful, but who cherishes us and attends to us.  We must keep this in mind when we pray.  So often it is tempting to pray as though He has to be awakened to the matter.

     We tend to operate in a microcosm of happenings.  For many the Christian life is a gauntlet of tension and release. 

     Our personal God intends that we should think about Him all the time.  Pray about all things.  Have His word written on our hearts and always in our mouths.   We were not created to bear worry, fear, resentment or pride.  We were created for a relationship with Him, and this includes the manifestation of that relationship as it is expressed in the Body of Christ and in fellowship with one another.

     What have you ever gone after with all your might? 

     Everything God does is a miracle.

     The greatest miracle is that of a soul set free. 

     Just before I met the Lord, I called my godly father and asked him how he knew the Gospel was true.  Without hesitation he said "because of changed lives."  And of course, I knew exactly what he meant.

     The week before, I had read Chuck Colson's "Born Again"  and Corrie Ten Boom's "The Hiding Place."  I hid the books and would not have admitted I was reading them.    But there was no denying it.  No story was like any other, yet the theme was always the same.  Love.  Release.  Transformation.  Grace.

     When there is availability, He comes in and nothing is ever the same.  

     Do not tire of telling about the miracle in your own life.  He touched us, and we did not deserve it.  He drew us to Himself and we did not deserve it.  He filled us and we did  not deserve it.  He reveals Himself to us now and He leads us.  Maturity does not merit blessing.  It is still about grace.

     Be bold. 
     And, pray in confidence, knowing that He longs to reveal Himself to those you are praying for. 

     Those who are around you know what is most important to you.

     It comes down to choice.  Obedience.  The use of time.  The tongue.  The countenance.

      Soldier of The Cross, those of us who want Him are completely transparent and are always on display.  Onlookers can identify what gets our attention. 

     We must never let the urgent take place of the important.  There are always things that tug at us inside and out.  The tendency is to try to deal with everything and that is not effective.   It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking it is possible to get to a place where things will stay on an even keel.

    Not in this life!  It will not happen.   He said He would make the way even by the experience of following Him and living in Him.  Before I met Christ, the most obvious evidence of His existence was the stability in the lives of Christians who were going through hardship and loss.

         You can't preach it to your children unless you are willing to live it out before them in the home. 

     We value Him. 
     We value His Word.
     We value walking by faith.
     We value His Body.
     We value being changed and being disciplined.
     We value The Cross.

     It begins in the prayer life.  Tell Him.
     Aloud.
     Today.