Soldiers and Christians

What are the common concerns of Christians and soldiers? When I was first contemplating what I would write here and asked that question in my head, I thought, "That doesn't sound good. That could be understood to mean that I don't think there are Christian soldiers." So please understand, I know that there are Christians who are also soldiers. I'm thinking about the principles we follow about giving honor where is honor is do. From the vantage point of a Christian, what are some of the honorable motivations behind the actions of a soldier?

The pursuit of justice is a soldier's and a Christian's concern. God will one day "pay back with trouble those who have troubled Christians (2 Thess. 1:6). Why will he do that? Specifically because he is just. God put government in place to provide justice. Government is an agent of wrath to bring punishment to the wrongdoer according to Paul's inspired word (Romans 13:4). When evil doers are active, Christians and soldiers are right to be eager for justice to be accomplished. God sure is – twofold. He's got punishment for evildoers set up here after-here!

Another pursuit of both soldiers and Christians is the drive for an end of oppression. God cares for widows and orphans. He knows full well that both widows and orphans are the targets are greedy idolaters who will take affair advantage of others to fill their pockets. He knows that wicked men in position of power will abuse, steal from, and kill those who cannot protect themselves. God himself will be the witness and the judge of those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice (Malachi 3:5).

Soldiers and Christians have equal concern to bring justice to the evil doers and to rescue the helpless from the wicked who unmercifully oppress them.

But we go about it differently, as ordained by God and his son Jesus. As a soldier, including a Christian soldier, I am part of a force given authority by God to provide justice and protect the oppressed with force – you might say sword.

As a Christian citizen, I have the responsibility of attempting to end violence and oppression through the spreading of the gospel of peace. God would prefer that we reach the future would- be wicked men first, because he doesn't want anyone to perish.

Let's honor veterans; and especially for us, Christian veterans. And let's keep pushing forward to win the world for Christ with the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God!

Forgive Your Neighbor

Owen Schmitt, Seattle Seahawks fullback, beat his head with his own helmet in pregame warm-ups recently and split his head. He was on the sideline with an open wound and blood running down his face. You have to admire a guy like that…. Not!

We know people do that kind of thing. There's no denying that. It's not as if people don't hurt themselves sometimes, but when they do we don't overlook their behavior as if it is normal. We know something is not right. Without thinking, the word "bonehead" comes out of my mouth every time I see the video of Schmitt whacking his noggin.

C. S. Lewis asserts that the same tendency we have to protect our head instead of hurt it is the same tendency we have to forgive ourselves when we do wrong (Mere Christianity, "Forgiveness"). You don't have to write me telling me that some people don't forgive themselves for shameful acts. However, when people don't forgive themselves, we usually know that something is wrong and we try to convince them that they should forgive themselves.

Upon what principle do people usually forgive themselves? In the context of loving their wives like they love themselves, Paul wrote about husbands, "… no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it…" (Eph 5:29). People forgive themselves because they love themselves.

Jesus said that the second greatest command is to "Love your neighbor as yourself." There are many things involved in love, and one of them is forgiveness. How would Paul say you can love your neighbor like yourself? Feed him like you feed yourself. Care for her like you care for yourself. Here's a key application: forgive your neighbor like you forgive yourself.

Here are two reasons why we find it easy to forgive ourselves out of love for ourselves: (1) We know the pain that accompanies blame and bitterness and we don't want to make ourselves live with it; and (2) we judge ourselves by our intentions rather than our actions.

What would happen if you began to let those principles of self-love begin to work in your unforgiving heart for others? What if your neighbors, those who need your mercy, were to be loved by you like you love yourself? Could you, in order to love your neighbor like you love yourself, determine that you are not going to make them continue to live with the blame of what they did to you? Could you, in order to love your neighbor like you love yourself, assume the best about them instead of the worst – judging them by intentions rather than actions?

You can forgive them. That's Life at Work!

When Someone Turns to the Lord

"When someone turns to the Lord…." Isn't that a great line?

Turning is about change. A sinner is headed in one direction. Jesus calls it the road to destruction. Then, the sinner determines there is a better direction, and she turns to the Lord! Jesus says that this is the way to life, and though it is difficult, though it's the road less travelled, this turn is a great turn!

Scripture tells us that some turned from idolatry (1 Thess. 1:9). Others turned from Judaism or The Law (Acts 3:18-20). Everybody turns from death to life when they turn to Jesus. I've made a lot of wrong turns in my life. That's why my family got me a Tom-Tom GPS for Christmas. One turn I made a long time ago, though, was the perfect turn. I turned to the Lord.

When someone turns to the Lord, they follow him where he leads. He leads to green pastures and quiet waters. He leads us to restoration. He also leads us in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Since he leads us in the paths of righteousness and as we walk his way, as we add to our faith the character of Christ we know him better and we become more like him (2 Peter 1:5-9).

"But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory…" (2 Cor. 3:16-18).

In what ways are you more like Jesus than you were twenty years ago? Or ten? What about three? Are you more merciful? Do you practice greater patience? How have you grown in generosity? How much more zealous for God's will in this world have you become? Are your more prayerful? Are you filling up with love for God and for your neighbor? Turn to the Lord and follow his lead! God will transform you with ever-increasing glory! That's Life at Work!

They Got to Sleep

My friend John Dobbs reminded me of the "Held" video. "Held" was the song that a friend here introduced us to when our family friend Brad Skelton was killed in his car wreck. It was important to me then. I listened to it a lot when John Robert, John's son, died. I'm not sure how I would describe what it does for me. Comfort? Not sure. Explain? Don't know. Challenge? Maybe. "Can we not wait for one hour watching for our Savior?" Yes, I can; but it hurts while I'm waiting. At least the disciples got to sleep. And at the end of the song something is better. Maybe closer. Maybe.

Essential Prayer

"Pray continually."

I still like the King James, "Pray without ceasing."

"Pray all the time!" is good, too.

Do I have to pray? Is there a minimum requirement? Some religions emphasize a particular number of times to pray each day. Christians haven't been given a number, and the ambiguous "Pray continually" translates into "Pray once or twice a day… over your meal… maybe."

Was the last nationwide impromptu push for prayer on September 11, 2001?

Is prayer essential? No, it isn't.

I don't mean by that, "God doesn't demand that we pray." I mean that many of us do not consider prayer essential enough to do it persistently. I'm not basing that conclusion on a survey where the question was asked, "Do Christians consider prayer to be important?" I'm basing it on my personal observation that worshippers of God have not prayed as often or as fervently as we would if prayer were truly essential to our lives.

Don't wait to pray in your closet or in a room where there are no disruptions. Pray now. When someone tells you some good news, pray with them – right then and there. When a sister voices her concerns, pray with her – right then and there. When you're talking on the phone with a brother who is job hunting, pray with him – right then and there. When you are texting someone stuck in their home with the flu, text them a prayer.

Pray all the time! That's Essential Prayer! That's Life at Work!

Can Prayer Really Change Things?

Can prayer really change things? Does God hear us? Does he care? Does he bring faster, more complete healing to people sometimes when we have prayed for them? Does his arm of safety reach out to people for whom others have prayed? What impact does prayer have on the actions of God and the future of our lives?

Those of us who have prayed a lot know that we don't always receive what we've requested from the hand of God. We've had people whom we loved, and for whom we prayed fervently, continue in sickness and die – even while we prayed.

Yet, those of us who have prayed a lot also know that there have been times when we have made requests out of desperate hope and experienced something great for which we have to thank God with a heartfelt "Hallelujah!" Praise God!

It's difficult to balance out truths like his ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9) and "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16). We must trust him, and in our trust we will not stop praying! That's Life at Work!

What have you prayed for and received a tremendous answer from God? What have you prayed for, but didn't get what you requested; and how are you dealing with that?

God’s Issues

"If the poor and sick and widowed and disadvantaged aren't in our sight, they aren't really an issue" ["My Paparazzo Profile", Homiletics, (Sept/Oct 2009)]. That reality is the sad consequence of our virtual reality. We have so much visual input, 24 hours a day, we have little time to think about anything that isn't on our computer, TV, or mobile phone.

Yet, the poor, sick, widowed and disadvantaged are in God's sight – and they remain an issue with him.

"Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor. Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?" (Jer 5:28-29)

Keep your head up and your eyes open to see the hurting people around you. Look long enough to allow compassion to be born in your heart. Follow through with genuine help. Make God's issues, your issues. That's Life at Work!

Take Your Stand

Take your stand!

The war is against the evil spiritual forces! The battleground all around you! The enemy's tactics are the devil's schemes! And they can be defeat when you are strong in the Lord and his mighty power!

Get your belt of truth. Straighten up your breastplate of righteousness. Fasten on your gospel sandals. Pick up your shield of faith, put on your helmet of salvation, and take hold of the sword of the Spirit. And stand your ground!

Wait! There's one more very important weapon. One more critical piece of armor!

Pray. Invite prayer. Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. And keep on praying for all the saints in the army of the Lord!

To take our stand against the devil's schemes, we need to be praying and having others pray for us. When the church prays great things happen!

What can we do to be a body that prays more? How can we pray so often that prayer becomes our native language? Can we become a family who trusts God so much that we approach him persistently when we are in our closets or with each other? Imagine group prayers in our foyer for the jobless. What if four or five were huddled together in the auditorium before the assembly praying for the sick? Envision leaders praying for the spiritually wounded with hundreds of us looking on, linked together in prayer!

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Eph 6:10-18).

Amen! That's Life at Work!