There is no such thing as a personality that is more easily filled with the Lord.

     While there are those who have less baggage than others, the cost of The Cross is the same for all. It is certainly true that being trained as a child can result in a more immediate response to the Lord, but it is not a matter of personality type.


     It is a matter of The Cross.

     What does it take to have a song in the heart?  It requires absence of the things that stand in the way of the fullness of the Holy Spirit.  Things have to go and must be dealt with over a lifetime. 

     There must be an affirmative decision to let the Lord deal with the toughest areas:  
                       Having to be right
                       Needing to be esteemed by others
                       Craving security
                       Addiction  to religion
                       Money
                       Control
                       Fear
                       Lust

      The list has no end.  And, in this life, no one arrives.  But there are those who present themselves to the Lord and ask Him to do anything to make them like Himself.  The result?  The infilling of the Holy Spirit.

     Soldier of The Cross, as soon as one considers himself to be humble or wise or able, he is in trouble and there is no room for the Lord.  But those who just want to agree with God and be changed, are available.

     No one is able to parade through everything with a toothy smile.  No one has immunity to grief or heartache.  But those who stand before Him in prayer and take up The Cross daily, make themselves available to the music that existed before the world was created.

     Tell Him. 
     Aloud.
     Today.

    "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
                         Romans 8:14 (Amplified Bible)

     This verse follows another that deals with the death of the flesh and the choosing of Life in the Spirit.

     Soldier of The Cross, in order to learn to follow Him, there must be a willingness to release concept and let Him have full play.    This begins in prayer.

     Being led by the Spirit does not mean more comfort for the flesh.  It means affirmative surrender in prayer and agreeing with God that we do not need to know what tomorrow holds.  It also means being willing to uncurl the fingers that are clenched hard around the need for predictability.

     There must be room for the Spirit.  There must be affirmative submission and it must be in prayer.

       If you are watching and waiting for the Lord, He will show Himself.  He has never hidden from His Own.  The One who holds the stars in place has you just where he wants you today, and has promised to lead you a step at a time. 

     His heart is ravished by your attention (Song of Solomon 4:9.)   What He wants is you. Your obedience, your attention, your service and your pursuit of Him. 


     As an attorney I represent people from all walks of life, including pastors and missionaries who find themselves in terrible personal situations.  The rarest thing is to see someone look for the Lord in the midst of hardship or heartache.  The usual thing is the need to gain control or to howl and stomp.

     A living sacrifice.  Your reasonable service.   
        

     Giving a matter up to the Lord is something that happens in prayer.

     As soon as the effort makes camp in the mind, the battle is lost.  It requires an act of obedience, and you have the power to do this.  You have been told to give it to Him, and so you must.  It's just that it does not feel possible.  The mind loves to capture the matter and drag it around until the emotions are battered.

     Soldier of The Cross, you can't handle it.  You were created to rely on Him completely.

     We have born into the realm of the supernatural.  The balance is, there is no independence.  Like everything else in Him, this is a faith operation.  You have to agree with Him  and then you must hand over the burden in prayer.  This is usually not a one-time thing.  This is particularly true when relationships fail, a loved one dies, or when someone suffers for something not of his own doing.

              Lord, I stand before you today and bring you this matter that is surely too great for me.  You have said      
              you tenderly care for me and I choose to believe it.

              I now choose whatever is eternal and whatever honors you.  I have no idea what you are doing or how you are 
              doing it, but I want to learn not to limit you and I want to learn to give up protecting myself. 

              I want to know you more deeply and recognize you more quickly.  I submit to you, Sovereign Lord and ask you to 
              do whatever is needed, in order to form your likeness in me.

              By faith, I agree that you know and I do not.
              By faith, I agree you can create out of nothing.
              By faith, I agree that I do not need to understand.
              By faith, I submit to whatever glorifies you.


              I will love and serve and leave the matter with you.

     Although it satisfies the intellect, the Gospel is not an intellectual one.

     The more one knows the Lord, the simpler it gets.  The simpler it gets, the deeper the work.

     In high school I went to a tiny little Texas church that was two blocks from my house.  There was a mentally retarded woman who went to every meeting, including prayer meetings. She also had a cleft palate.  Her name was Shirley.     Shirley drove me crazy and it was probably because she was the only person in the church who knew I was not saved.  When we divided up for the prayer meeting, she always wanted to be in the group with me.  As difficult as it was for her to speak, Shirley went after me over and over and over again. 

     It was only when I gave my life to the Lord fourteen years later that I could see the  Lord had used Shirley to confront me.  The longer I know Him, the more I appreciate Shirley's availability to Him. 

     The Servant does not need to feel smart, experienced or equipped.
     He only needs to be available.

     Those who are truly available are trained in the exercising of faith.  They can be trusted in areas where few are allowed.  They are willing to tackle tough studies or to take on a project that has not been done before.  They can be sent without first knowing what they must do upon arrival.

     They understand God's anointing.
     They have crossed The Line.
     

     The Creator of the universe did not come as a genius.  
     He came as a Savior.         

      Why does it have to hurt?

     How can the agony be so intense if there is a Lord who cares so much? 

     Soldier of The Cross, it is not your business to quantify difficulty. The issue is, He has already said that you could walk on the water if you would trust Him.   In fact He has guaranteed it.  Therefore, the matter is one that must be relinquished in prayer and with specificity.

 
     Years ago, I watched a Christian man give his children to the Lord.  He wrote each name on a piece of paper. On a cold Maine day, he stood against a hundred year old radiator and lifted up those pieces of paper.   Barely able to speak, he told the Lord that He could have the children, and they were offered by name to the Lord, one at a time.

     Since that day, he has no vital contact with his children, but he is free because he agreed with God. 

     Soldier of The Cross, what is your issue?  Is it the need for security?  Do you need to see beyond tomorrow?

     Or, are you available for the Frontier of Faith?

    Make your choice in prayer.  Tell Him.  Aloud.
    Today

      The Lord has always encouraged His Own.

     For those who recognize Him, the spiritual oasis is a place of answered prayer and release.  Those who do not recognize Him can dash past the still waters and crash into the table set for them before their enemies.    They have not been prepared in prayer and have not agreed with God.

     Therefore, they do not see Him.

     Have you asked the Lord to encourage you?  Are you looking for Him?

     Soldier of The Cross, you are in the service of the One who left Glory to become God and man, and die for you.  

     It was personal.  That means He already saw you.  He knew this would happen.  And even though you did not feel prepared, He did prepare you. 

     Let me cross examine you:


     Isn't it true that He allowed this situation?
     Isn't it true that He is faithful?
     Isn't it true that He said He would withhold no good thing?
     Isn't it true that you have power to trust and obey because of the Indwelling Holy Spirit?

     Why are you letting the enemy have your thoughts?

     Ask Him to encourage you.  
 

     You have the privilege of boldly approaching the Throne of Grace.   Ask to have your eyes opened.  Ask to see the hidden things.  Memorize Jeremiah 33:3 and offer it up in prayer.

     Soldier, there is much to be done.  There are many to rescue and Love must abound.
    

     Let Him show you Himself and lift you out on to a higher plane.

     You have decided to serve Him.
     Do it.

     What was the Apostle Paul's identity?

     It certainly could not have been popularity.  Or success.  Or physical freedom.  He could not have found security in being safe from harm.  By the time he wrote the letter to the Galatians, we know he already had serious eye problems.   He did not find his identity in his family.  There is not a word in the Bible about his human family.

     Paul did not find his security in his intellect and says so. 
     He had no job security.

     Why does the heart burn so, when reading his epistles?  

     Because he found His security in the Lord.  And, because even deserted and imprisoned for preaching the Gospel, beaten and worse, his words reflect his determination to find his identity in Jesus Christ.

     When a thing eats and eats at you, it means there is an issue with your identity.  Something that is highly valuable to you is either being threatened or has been shaken or taken away.

     I have a retired missionary aunt.  She spends all her time knitting and is passionate about it.  She just turned eighty years old, and she is still knitting up a storm.  It seems that the older she has gotten, the more she has enjoyed her hobby.  But last night she told me that she thinks she is getting arthritis in her elbows and it might be because of the knitting.  Then she said "I told the Lord that if He wanted to take the knitting, it is fine with me."

     I drank in that moment. Not because she might not be able to knit, but because no matter how much knitting means to her, it is nothing compared to her trust in Him.

     Address the matter in prayer.  Don't you want to live and move and have your being in Him? (Acts 17:28)  Tell Him so.

    You can't fix anything, but the One who holds the stars in Place can fix you in an instant.

     Soldier, what is the object of your longing?
     Make sure it is the Lord.

     Declare the Truth.

     Soldier of The Cross, His name is The Word, and He has never spoken casually.  He means what He says.  He has also made it implicitly clear that you must do the same.

     On a daily basis, I receive phone calls and e-mails reporting stunning and explosive ruptures that people are willing to launch against another.  It seems the conscience is easily seared, and there is a momentum that ends in emotional quicksand.

     This is a matter for prayerful consideration and possibly fasting.  In my experience, Christians who have a serious problem with the tongue have never been "being filled" with the Holy Spirit.  There is a tendency to be casual about the effect on others, and most often there is a complete lack of empathy.

     When the Holy Spirit is invited and allowed room to heal the soul, the Believer begins to have a healing of hearing - the voice of God, and the awareness and hearing of the Believer's own voice as well.

     He who created all with "His Mighty Word of Power" (Hebrews 1:3, Amplified Bible) wants to create His own likeness in us.

     Here is the beautiful thing; there is tremendous power in the tongue.      

                  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or
                 life.]

                       Proverbs 18:21 (Amplified Bible)

      Is your tongue yours, or does it belong to the One to whom you have given your life?  Who owns your mouth? 

     Soldier of The Cross; do not cheapen your ability to formulate words.  Only in Glory will you understand the infinite value of words.

  
     For now, give the matter to Him.  Let Him know He can speak through your mouth and that He can say the thing that may be beyond your understanding.


      This is a serious matter for those who would serve Him.  It is about His Word.  It is about more of Him and less of you.

     
     Soldier, speak to Him about this matter.  Dedicate your ability to speak to Him.
     You are appointed to Praise Him and declare His works. 
    

     Let Him have His way.  You just take one step at a time.  
     Tell Him aloud.  
     He is faithful and He will lead.

     The hardest things are usually the best things.

     I remember the first time I thanked the Lord for something painful.  It was in 1979.  I had been a Christian for two years and had told the Lord over and over that I wanted Him to do anything He wanted to with my life.  I meant it.  Everything else paled compared to Him, and I could see that clearly.

     The problem was, there were feelings that I could not shake.  I felt betrayed, used and trapped.  At the ripe old age of thirty-one, it felt like I would never recover and it was eating me alive.

     During that time, I used to walk into the Maine woods for my quiet time.   I love to memorize, and there was a particularly friendly log I claimed as my own for those special times.  I was alone with only mosquitoes.  There was no building or road or person for a mile in any direction, and it was safe to sing and to pray without interruption.

     For months I had begged and begged for the situation to change.  Then, one day as I was talking to Him, I suddenly saw that He could be trusted, even in the hard thing.  I knelt in the soft, rotting leaves and put my hands on the moss that covered part of the bark of the log.  I remember barely being able to speak, because I was so moved by the revelation that He would withhold no good thing.  I remember seeing that He knew what I needed and would supply my "needs"  and not necessarily my "wants".

     Even now, my hand-raising is usually in private.  But that day, I lifted both hands to the One who holds the stars in place, and learned what it meant to agree with God.

     What a release.  What a revelation of Love. 

     I do not teach that Christians should pray for trials or hard things.  There will be trials enough. 

     He named you.  He called you.  And, He has kept you. 

     The bottom line is, who is God?  Is He the One we sing and preach about?  Is He really omnipotent?  If these things are true, why does the mind go round and round like an old fashioned record player after the record is finished?

     If God can be believed,  here is the thunderous Truth:

             He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely
            and graciously give us all [other] things?

                             Romans 8:32 (Amplified Bible)

          
     Soldier of The Cross, of course He cares about the circumstances.    He cares to the extent that He has made it clear He
values each word, His heart is ravished when you think of Him and He knows how many hairs are on your head. 

 
     The thing is, you can't feel His attention.  It is something you receive by faith.  You are empowered to do so because you have the Indwelling Holy Spirit.

     There is no cavalier thanking the Lord for the fiery trial.  It isn't the trying of a good idea or the repeating of words that sound good.  Standing before the Lord to thank Him for the thing that He has allowed, is a stepping off of the cliff of walking by sight. It is a faith leap into the Everlasting Arms.

     It has to be aloud.  Articulated.  Otherwise it becomes wool-gathering.

     Just stand before Him and tell him what you are going to do.  The Holy Spirit will lead you and you will know the covering of being an obedient servant.  You will be released and you will be able to rest in faith about the matter.

     You have met Him.
     Before you can know Him intimately, you must agree with Him.

     One of the most important exhortations in God's Word is that of waiting on Him.

     There are almost 200 verses about this matter.  Why is it so hard?  

     One might think that it is not as difficult for the cautious Christian to hunker down and just wait and watch for the Lord.   Not so.  

   
     It is a matter of faith versus flesh. 

     Soldier of The Cross, the natural thing is to want the solution now.   The sense is that the matter needs to be resolved, and with a touch of emergency. The natural thing is to do even guaranteed fruitless things, just so there is a feeling of addressing the matter.  The natural thing is to talk to everyone and anyone who might be able to exercise an influence.  The natural thing is to worry.

     I have been in life and death situations and know that there are times when it is essential to not only knock on doors, but to kick and to pound.  I have been in airports in the tiniest and most obscure countries of the world and have had to get on a plane that has been either canceled or overbooked.  I know what it means to stand for hours and insist that there will be another plane scheduled, even when the agent thinks I am daft.  I know what it means to think someone you care about will be imprisoned or tortured  or killed if you are not there in time.   You do all you can and then you prayerfully tackle the impossible. 

     God has never been late.

     Herein lies the problem:  it is faith that enables the Soldier to advance without guarantee of ”success".  So, without reliance on God, there is hope only in the foreseeable.

     Faith is a frontier.  Are you willing to move into the formerly unknown?  We who are His have the only guarantee.  We serve a Sovereign Lord who has made promises, and He has never failed.  Is there any matter in which you can say "God failed me"? 

     Do you believe Him?  He said He would "withhold no good thing. . . “  Is it, or is it not true?

     Why did He ask David to wait until he heard the sound of marching in the tops of the Mulberry trees? (I Chronicles 14:15)

     What difference does it make?  It does not matter.  It was God's plan, and it included waiting, assurance and recognition of His deliverance.

     It is the same for you. He has not changed.    He cares for you just as much as He did His Servant David.  He cares about your job.  He cares about your thought life.  Your marriage.  Your reputation.  Your depression.   Your grief.  Your sickness.  Your children.  Your finances.

     He cares, and He is on the way.

     Tell Him.  Agree with Him. 

        Lord Jesus, there is nothing but you.  I stand before you now and declare that I will wait for you and I will submit to anything and everything that pleases you.  I do not need to understand and I do not need to have anything on my own schedule.
     I want to learn to wait for you.  It does not feel good now, but I am asking you to change me.  Oh, Lord, please do the thing in the deepest recesses of my heart in order to bring about your own likeness in me.
     By faith and according to your Word, I hereby claim the victory that is mine in your name.

     Change me, change me,   Oh Jesus, please;
     All of my heart and life, oh Jesus seize;
     Teach me to live out my life on my knees.
     Change me, change me, Jesus.