Why do so many Christians live in semi-desperation and feel as though they barely get through each day?

     You have a range of choice not available to the lost.

     You are also always the target of the one who loves to see you suffer.   The taking up of The Cross may be simple, bit it isn't easy, especially for the flesh. 

     Because you have the possibility of walking on the water, the enemy is constantly setting up holograms to make you think the storm can't be survived.  He wants your soul to be marinated in fear and unending alternate plans in case God doesn't come through.

     Because you have the possibility of walking on the water,  there is a constant temptation to do it yourself under your own steam.  To do it now  according to the imagination.  To scoop others into your own anxious web of worry and to constantly attack the winds and the waves.

     The One who made them is the same One who will calm them.

     Soldier of The Cross,  God's Word is More Real Than the Way That You Feel.

     He has not called us to take care of ourselves.  He has called us to learn to lean on The Everlasting Arms and to prepare for eternity. 

     When feeling contradicts with His Word, we get on our knees and claim His Word by faith, in prayer.

     Many Christians have not learned to identify their own thoughts.  Thoughts lead to feelings and often to sin.

     Look away from the storm and gaze upon Him.

     Tell Him.  Today.
     Aloud.

     Oh Soldier, is this your question?

     He is secure and can take it. The issue is, are you entitled  to know why?

     No.

     Are you or are you not  Soldier of The Cross?  It means you will take up The Cross and follow Him no matter what.  It means that He does not need to explain His reasons to you.   Or does He?

     Soldier, listen well.

     He is the Commander.  He is the Lover of Your Soul.  He gave His life for you.

     Is His Love real to you?  You must pour out your heart to Him, and it must be aloud.

     Tell Him and do it aloud.
     Today - there is nothing to loose.

     There is far too much contemporary emphasis on what you can get and who you can be.

     This is no secret to the Soldier of The Cross who daily stands before the Lord and declares his determination to die daily and to take up The Cross and follow Him.

     There is, however, a truth in the assertion that many Believers seem to think there is a place where the Lord allows things to just operate and where things stay the same if there is enough prayer and effort.

     Wrong.

     The enemy loves to assault the Church with distorted teachings of things that are delicate and beautiful, such  as  teachings about the gifts and the incomprehensible blessing of God.

     Soldier of The Cross, this is not about being all you can be.  This is about dying to self so that He can be revealed through your eyes, your mouth and your life decisions. It also means the Holy Spirit needs to be allowed to  move in your thoughts and bring you a vision for something that far beyond anything that could possibly happen.

      After all, that's what He does.  The impossible.

     May He do it through you?

     Tell Him.  Aloud.
     Today.

     Remember, prayer is supernatural.

     Most of us tend to forget that the world changes when we pray.   Souls are healed and lives are transformed.

     The universe is affected by a single prayer when the Soldier of The Cross comes before the One who holds the Mighty Scepter.

     Most Christians want to feel something when they pray.  I have been with folks who practically do a wardance. 

     Mistake.

    The King of the Universe is poised to listen and poised to act.  At His disposal, He has all Power and has promised to intervene according to His will.  The issue is, His will and His name.  What does that mean?

     I have often prayed for things that  I wanted, not knowing if He would grant the request.    It isn't about learning how to get a genie, it is about learning to submit to the Lover of Your Soul.

     Oh, Soldier, pray aloud.  Start by telling the Lord who you are and who He is.  You must pray in the language of your heart.  I take no issue with tongues and do not believe that they have passed.  But in my experience, Christians who have to pray in tongues all the time do not know how to pray according to God's Word.  They are often unable to pray with others concerning matters of extreme importance.

     Most Christians do not pray privately unless in a crisis.

     Soldier, develop this habit and He will lead you day by day. 

     He will make you secure in Him.
     He will open up His Word to you.
     He will illuminate your steps through the day.
     He will cause you to love the unlovely.

     He will reveal Himself even in a terrible and agonizing relationship.

     Tell Him now.
     Aloud.
     No time to waste.
    

     Lord, as I stand before you tonight. I agree with you by faith.

     I agree with you that I know so little and that I must learn to lean. 

     Lord, it seems like so much is wrong.  My children.  My finances.  My marriage.  The local assembly is rupturing.  My body is decaying. 

     I want to be real.

     Lord, I want to learn to follow you through the minutes and the hours.  I want to unlearn the habits of the flesh and go after you hard and fast.

     I seem to fail so often.  I get distracted by the regime of the schedule and oh Lord, I wan to be changed.  I want to learn to listen to you and to set aside the things that interfere so I can hear clearly.  I long to obey and to be used.

     Lord, please do what ever is needed to keep me from unuseful habit.  I want to serve and honor you, but I feel so tiny. 

     As I stand before you tonight, I ask that your Word would penetrate more deeply, that you would lead me in prayer beyond my human limitations and that you would do whatever is needed to make me like you. 

     I know it might be painful to the flesh, but more than anything, I want to be obedient and to agree with you.

     My Lord and my God.

     Following the Lord means just that.

     You don't wait until things look right.  Has He spoken?  Is He leading?  If you are going to wait for all the doors to be open before you move, you will never learn to follow.

     Often when He leads, it is a quiet idea, like a fine silver thread, and it just won't go away.  Everything looks wrong.  No money, no time,  you're not qualified and everyone has said you will fail.

     Well, not Everyone.

     Soldier, you stay if He says stay.  You go if He says go.  And you do it no matter what.  The Christian who only does  what is guaranteed to work, doesn't understand Heaven's guarantee. 

     The Impossible is not hard for Him.  And, it won't be hard for you.  It's only hard on the flesh.

     Commit in prayer.  Aloud
     Take the first step. 

     When there is much prayer about a matter,  the Holy Spirit energizes more prayer.

     It is not possible to endure in prayer about something, absent the power of the Indwelling Holy Spirit.

     You are a Soldier of The Cross. You have put aside your own agenda and your own preferences.  You have told Him  you want to be transformed into His Likeness.  And, you press into that each day in prayer. 

     There is an assault. Something that is daunting and appears to be threatening.  Is there any situation in God's Word when that was not the case?  Is there any situation when God did not come through?  Did He ever fail?  Was He ever deaf or weak?

     Soldier, He will still send the fire to burn the false sacrifice and lick up the water.  He will still part the Sea.  He will still extend His hand and you will walk on the water.

     Oh, Soldier.  For today, memorize the next verse in your devotional reading.    Pray about it  - in the understanding.

     Then, look up and move on!

     Soldier of The Cross,  what is the cost of discipline?

     How much do you want what you want?  What is it worth to you?

     So many can't resist a good bargain and end up buying things that are not needed, but they are seduced into the purchase by the price. 

     Others constantly struggle with weight, but will do anything other than get up and leave the table.

     And the tongue.  The unruly tongue. 

     It's hard.  Really hard.  But it has to start somewhere and it has to be a determined vector.    You mess up, you start again.

     How much do you want to know the Lord? He who has a Hand outstretched to you?

     You have a lifetime of habit, but it is never too late.    There is a divine process that is empowered by the Indwelling Holy Spirit.  First, you take it to Him in prayer.  Set out to Him what you long for.  Submit to his reminders and correction.  Tell Him you will stay the course.

     You are not alone. For goodness sake.  He who holds the stars in place is willing to see you through.  He is never impatient.  He doesn't think you should just be able to break off an addiction and never think of it again.  He understands.  He will provide help.  Support.  Will you accept it?  Are you too proud?

     How much do you want this?

     Tell Him.

     Aloud.

     What makes you cry?

     I have never been much of a crier, but I cried during Beauty and The Beast.    And 101 Dalmatians.  Mostly, I find myself weeping in prayer because of the greatness of God or the lostness of the lost. 

     When I was younger , I often shed tears over false accusation or misunderstanding and most of all, the children.

     When I examine the scriptures, it seems to me that God's Word teaches us that to some extent we can choose what causes us to shed tears.   Is there anyone who has been stoic during the death of a spouse?  Or a parent at the death of a child?  

     We are human and we live in a fallen world.  We all cry when certain things happen.  It is a stunning gift given to us, like the gift of laughter.  Something is expressed physically that can't be expressed in words.

     The devotional life draws the Soldier of The Cross into a Fort of Light.  We see what is real and what is  not real.   By walking in the Light as He is in the Light and fellowshipping one with another, we discern what is of Him and what is from the enemy.  We learn how to put on The Armor.

     We learn Love.

     We learn to walk on the water.  We learn to agree with Paul when he declares:

          "But none of these things move me; neither do I esteem my life dear to myself, if only I may finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have obtained from [which was entrusted to me by] the Lord Jesus, faithfully to attest to the good news (Gospel) of God's grace (His unmerited favor, spiritual blessing, and mercy)."

        Acts 20:24   (Amplified Bible)

       Soldier, remember He said He collects your tears in a bottle.  It means He is mindful of your distress.   There is not a situation He dismisses. 

     Each of us has his or her own appointed tests and we must learn to take the matter to Him.  I have known single adults who have no "problems."  No marital troubles, no recalcitrant children, no financial problems, and no action against them.  Yet, they are subject to significant attacks in the area of depression and self-doubt.

     Forget psychology.  It is the study of the flesh.  Let's run to the Lover of Our Souls and submit to His surgical knife.

     After all, there is nothing else.  There is no one else.  And, He always answers.  He always places His hand on the wound and pours on the salve of Heaven's assurance.

     Oh, Soldier.  Trust the Lord.

     Tell Him.  Aloud. 
     Today

     The  ninth commandment says "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

     It is a specific commandment concerning statements about another.

     Soldier, this one is so easy to violate.  Gossip falls under this commandment.  So does offering a slanted report of a disagreement in order to gain support.    Jealousy, greed, insecurity and irritation all tend to launch burning temptation into the tongue.   So often, it is almost impossible to resist some barb or even a disguised comment that give an impression that may not be accurate.

     The flesh always wants to even the score.  The flesh feels vindicated when it gets another person to agree with it.  But the flesh is wrong and this behavior opens the door for the enemy to make camp in the festered area of the disobedient soul.

     You are a Soldier of The Cross and your commitment is to follow Him.  To move by prayer.  To let Him discipline you with regard to everything, the tongue included.  To be made into His Likeness.

     James say if one has complete control over his tongue, he is perfect.  I don't know about you, but I am not perfect and I make mistakes.   I have made it a goal of my Christian life to govern the tongue, but I am convinced that is this life, we will always need His discipline in this area.

     I have learned the precious value of refusing to speak about other Christians or anyone else for that matter, in a way that might not be accurately representative of the situation.   It's an essential part of serving the Lord.  It is also a protection against cancer of the soul, which comes not to the one being misrepresented, but to the one with the loose tongue.

     The Holy Spirit will check the one who is listening for Him.

     Tell Him.  Aloud.