Author: thearrowpreacher

I'm a man following Christ to the best of my human sinful ability. I am an Army Veteran and a supporter of Project 22, 22Kill, and 22 is too many. I served in Iraq and I had a pretty close call last year of my own life. Spreading the word of Christ is important to me. I have a love of photography, and I love using my pictures to get the attention for the blog itself. I live alone with just my two dogs, and I plan on traveling to spread my ministry, and teach about the Gospel.

The Arrow

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The Arrow

Half of a whole weapon an archer uses. The projectile of a marksman, someone who knows the wild, knows the purity of the wilderness. Archery has grown into a commercialism sport, but the true nature, someone whose bow was an extension of him or her, a true skill that takes years to master. The arrow, a shafted projectile with a tip or a broad head, fletching or feathers, under many circumstances able to puncture leather armor or chainmail. Ancient Egyptians used bows, and even then the bow most likely predates 3500 BC. Archery is a skill of peace, peace with yourself. Being able to center yourself, control your breathing, your surroundings must be apart of you. You should be able to feel the air, feel the wind, feel the bowstring, feel the feather on the arrow, feel how tight the string is, and then release. Yes I discussed some of this in a recent blog. However, in this blog we’ll discuss the arrow itself.

A single arrow can be broken, but a bundle is stronger. An arrow fired can start a war, or end one. An arrow is only as good as the person shooting it. An arrow is sharp and when used properly it can be used to feed the masses, or for protection, but always to be fired straight and true. The word of the Lord can be used for both. Those who pervert the word who use it for their own personal gain. The wolves in sheep’s clothing, the false profits. The light and the dark.

Lets break down the whole concept, the archer is the master tool for the Lord. The bow is the Holy Spirit, that which gives us the power. The sights of the bow are the vision needed to walk the righteous path of Christ. The arrow is the purpose brought forth by God. An archer’s quiver represents the heart, a place where Gods purpose is kept. As an archer, we use the arrows to always hit our target. Pastors are often attuned to the needs of their flock. When sitting in the church during a sermon have you ever felt that a sermon was written just for you? That the pastor was talking directly to you? The Arrows of Truth that are shot directly to your heart.

God is not the only trainer of archers. Ephesians 6:16 “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” Make no mistake we are at war. Every day the Devil is trying to lie and deceive you. Every day the Devil shoots his arrows of half-truths, lies and temptations. Matthew 10:34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” God sent his Son to level the playing field. To uphold a promise to have his chosen people saved from eternal death, but with free will, the battle for souls still continues. Those of us who choose a life of ministry, pastors, evangelists, counselors, etc, must know how to use the full arsenal given to us in the Bible. Matthew 12:36 “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Stand firm with the Armor and hold fast with your bow. Every day you have a chance to fire the arrows into the hearts of those around you. Every day there is an arrow within your quiver that has a name on it, and it’s up to you as a Christian to use the weapons God as given to you. Speak the truth, do not lie or deceive. Honor yourself and fight for something larger then yourself. With all eternity at stake God will call you to be a soldier. I am an archer for Christ. Are you?

Breaking the Bow

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Breaking the Bow

As a ships Captain the first duty is always to the ship. You must know how to manage the crew, know everything about your ship; know where you’re going, and how to get there. Now this next part will rattle some cages, so before you quickly judge, hear me out. Ephesians 5:22-24 “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” Men, this doesn’t give you free access to be hard headed, or stubborn, this doesn’t allow you to be controlling as a King would, but instead think of this as a ship. You men are the captains of your marriage. You should be leading with dignity, with grace, with kindness and compassion. You should be leading your marriage as a God fearing and loving home. Wives are the first mate, supportive, understanding, and strong in faith. No kingdom should be without a queen. As the saying goes behind every great leader is a great woman. Women play a vital role in the household. My personal belief is a woman can do anything a man can do.

So many males today have kids but refuse to be a father. So many boys today stay boys and never grow into men. It’s not enough to be an adult; you must act like a man. There are so many mothers out there raising children on their own. We men need to learn to act like men, and resume our place as leaders. Christ died for us, for all of our sins, and we men should be willing to die for Christ, for our families if need be. There should be a higher level of devotion from me.

Here however are the meat and potatoes of the post. Divorce. Husbands, especially ones who’ve served in the military should understand this. She’s (your wife) is your battle buddy. You don’t retreat. You lever quit, never surrender, never leave your buddy behind. We have to learn the language of love. Love isn’t a feeling. It’s a commitment. It’s doing it every day. Everyone goes through rough patches. You both need to learn how to bring each other up, not tear down. Often in a marriage especially one where infidelity has occurred it’s difficult to find any kind of peace. How do we move forward after an affair? 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rue. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes for all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” Now even though the bible allows divorce for one reason alone adultery, that doesn’t mean that’s the right course for everyone. As Christ so loved us he forgave us for the most horrible of crimes. We however must want and ask for forgiveness. Any marriage can be saved so long as the lines of communication remain open. As long as both parties are welcome to the idea of seeking wise counsel. Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” Proverbs 19:20“Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.” Proverbs 1:5 “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,” We men can be stubborn; we can be bull headed, and ignorant. We have gotten into an attitude of not wanting to ask for help, not admitting we need it. How foolish can we be to think we can handle every situation, every problem? The truth is every problem and situation has a solution, and even world leaders have a slew of people within their counsel. Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” In all things God will be there for us. He will provide the answers if we just learn to ask the right questions. As Peter wrote his letter 1 Peter 3:8-12 was particularly important in how to live within a Godly Marriage. “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10 For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; 11 let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Be your ships captain, be the masters of your ship, but bow down to the greatness of Gods creation. God’s master over all but expects us to command our homes. Don’t let your bow break on that ship of yours, navigate your waters, and avoid the storms when you can, but learn to prepare for them. Fight the storms, fight for your marriage, fight for what’s right and always remember God is your North Star. Place the compass North and set sail.

 

 

 

 

This ain’t where I parked my car!

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This ain’t where I parked my car!

You ever feel like you are lost, like you can’t figure out how you got to this point in your life? Sure you do, we’ve all been there sometime. We never fully know where our path is taking us, or what lurks in the darkness. In any instance in life, at any point, at any intersection we may run into Ecclesiastes 3:8 “A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” The biggest question when that time comes is how prepared are you? We all have that fight and flight response, but how we choose to handle each situation in life, pushes us to the next, then the next step. The thing about being lost is we don’t have to stay that way. As a hiker, and a camper, the fear of getting lost is always very real. Sure you try to prepare the best you can by taking rations, water, an emergency kit, a compass…. Wait, a compass? That’s right boys and girls, I said a compass. When you’re traveling anywhere in life having a good well-kept compass is the best option you could have. With a little understanding about where you are, that compass can keep you headed in the right direction, as long as you know how to use it.

God it seems had the same thing in mind for us. As we move through our lives we are raised with a basic understanding of right and wrong. We have a basic understanding of failure and success. Each of us has a code we live by. Buddhist believes in Karma or also known as what goes around comes around. It’s a cosmic balance sheet. Not a bad way to look at it. This however is not a theological debate on religion. Matthew 7:12 “ “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Now if you want to be a jerk to someone it’s easy to expect someone to be a jerk back. BUT, again that’s against the code. Matthew 5:39 “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” May not seem fair, but no one said life was easy or fair.

So the moral of this story my friends is simple. If you’re not where you thought you would be, if life isn’t treating you how you think it should, if people are mean and cruel, that’s all part of the journey. You’re not home yet, so this world isn’t where you belong. We all belong at home with our Heavenly Father. To get there you must follow the roadmap and compass He gave you. There’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the pearly gates waiting for you. If you feel like you got lost along the way, grab your compass (the Bible) and find your way North again. It’s never too late to change your direction. Just like Dorthy following that Yellow Brick Road once she stepped off she found herself in the field of poppy. Stay on the trail. Though the Goblins and Orchs will try to track you along your way, try to break your spirit, try to tempt you off the path, you must resist temptation. Just like Hansel and Grettle, don’t follow the candy “It’s a TRAP!”

 

 

 

Time

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The sands of time, and the acts of men judge us all. What we do, who we are, and what we leave behind is judged in our families, the history books, and legacies. Opinions of some matter not, hard works by some are overlooked, and the most evil sometimes get by without a scrape. If history favors the bold then that leaves a question mark. Truth is supposed to be liberating, but when truth is turned into punishments and when light is made the dogs of war are unleashed, the truth and the bold now seem foolish endeavors and now the storm that’s brewing casts shadow and one must hunker down and wait for the storm to pass. The question of surviving the oncoming storm runs through ones mind, and now you hope and pray. A sad day when you fight through a storm alone, the day that men fail you.

Tale of Darkness

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When life gets hard, a test we face, the dark as night, the shines of light, we feel a fright, but heavens right, the faith shall keep, as the devil shall creep, for evil can’t live, the night won’t always be, the brink of day, shines the darkness away. Hold out for light, don’t worry, it’s not to bright, follow what’s right, and believe in the light.

The Archer

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The Archer

The breeze flows over the ground and pushes the leaves across the earth. The man stands firm, feet planted, slow smooth breaths. The air fills the lungs, cool and crisp. The string is taught, the bow is lifted and the sight lines up. The air exhales from the lungs, the bow rests, and all three fingers release from the string at the same time. The bow jars forward slightly as the arrow is projected forward at 1535 fps. The arrow soars through the air, the sound of the thud hitting the target 35 yards away. Not everyone can be an archer, just as not everyone can be a soldier, not everyone can play football, or other sports. Our gifts are from God and we must learn to embrace the ones we have. Stop trying to be something or someone you aren’t. Love your gifts and make them the best you can.

Psalm 18 1-3 “I love you, O Lord, my strength.2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18 34-35 “He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35 You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.” The archer is a long time tradition that crosses the globe. The Japanese have a word kyudo (way of the bow). It’s a martial arts form that uses, physical, moral and spiritual development. The myth of Odysseus’s wife Penelope using his bow to find her next husband, someone worthy who can string his legendary bow and shoot it. Archery can take years to master, but you can walk with Christ today.

Archers are warriors, hunters, protectors, they are one with nature. It takes great time and patience to become an archer. As for me, archery has become an important part of my life. Archery is a gift; it’s a passion that when used for mindfulness can allow quiet time with God. Every great army has a great battalion of archers. Today the roll of archers has turned into snipers with rifles. As Gods army has it’s soldiers, I am an archer for Christ, I am patient, aware, and accurate. As the devil uses his flaming arrows of lies and deceit, I shall use the words of the bible as my weapon for Christ. Draw back your bow and let every one of your senses take over. Let the arrows fly and let every one hit their target.

 

Defeat

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Defeat

 In a war you won’t win every battle. You won’t have a successful run every day all year. When the world feels like it’s against you, when it feels like everyone you know is turning their backs on you, when your loved ones betray you, best friends leave you, just know that these things are temporary set backs. John 15:18 “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you.” We all go through pain and suffering, we all feel low at times. Does the tree feel defeated in the winter when it looses its leaves, it looses its looks? No, the tree accepts the natural order of the seasons. There’s a season for love, a season for pain, a season for joy, and when the seasons for pain and suffering come around just know that like the spring rains, the spring warmth, the blossoms always come back, the leaves and the greens always defeat the gray.

Think of pain slipping away as rebirth. Each time we suffer, each time we feel defeated we are given the opportunity to go through our own rebirth. We have the chance to be who we want to be, fight for what we want. We can always redeem our situation. Redemption is only a course of action so why not take it?

Psalm 144:1-2 “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples[a] under me.” You can overcome this world and fly like an eagle because God will never leave you or abandon you.

In the last 12 months I’ve learned what pain feels like, I know what despair feels like and what I’ve learned going through all that is even in the fight to recovery you’ll have your bad days. It’s not a matter of having bad days; it’s how we handle it. The bigger question is if we let those bad days breed and spread. We cannot allow negativity to infect our lives like a virus. We must learn to focus our energy towards positivity, towards the grace of God, towards the wonderful gifts God has given us in our lives. If we ever question anything about our lives never questions God is with us. Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” No matter what the world does to you always follow 2 Corinthians 4:8 “8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”

 Through it all the storm wages on and passes by, the pain will fade but the scars will always remain. Keep them as a reminder of the battles one, or even the mistakes you’ve made. Learn from them. Hebrews 10:35-36 “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” God’s love will always surround us. God’s love is our security blanket to keep us warm, to keep us safe. This life is temporary, Gods glory, Gods promise is forever.

 

 

Hallelujah

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Hallelujah

I trusted and went with the flow.

I put my faith in all the wrong places.

Every breath I drew was that of lies.

No matter how far I went I couldn’t see what was there.

I ignored my God, and I fell to my knees and Cried.

Hallelujah My God, I am sorry for my sins.

Hallelujah My God, I’m sorry for my cries.

I’ve walked so far, and now I know I can’t see, can’t see my way out.

God you are Good, but I don’t understand. The storm wages on around me.

God you’re my God, you are keeping me safe even if I can’t see it.

God you loved me enough to save me.

God you owe me nothing, and I owe you everything.

No matter how my mistakes hold me in the mud.

No matter how deep I am, you save me.

God you are glory. God you hold me close when I can’t breath.

My God always has my life in his hands.

My God knows my heart and knows my pain.

Fear, doubt, and disbelief are only tools for the Devil.

Step out of the boat and reach for Gods hand.

Ye of little faith, me of little faith, at times.

Knowing I failed, watching myself fail, there’s only one course.

Be a warrior again, be a holder of the word.

Shield yourself and using the sword of courage pound your shield.

Stand tall against the Devil; stand tall against the demons that wish to bury you.

Take back the fight and rid yourself of those who wish to do you harm.

Fear nothing for The Lord Thy God is with you.

Justice not Vengeance, for vengeance is for God alone.

Love all, Faith in God, Pray, and fight the fight.

Hallelujah My God, I fall to my knees

Hallelujah for my Lord Saves me.

Cross the Bridge to the Lord,

Leave the life behind you’ve live.

Trade for a new life, a new Love.

Hallelujah for Gods love.

Hallelujah for the bridge to salvation.

Rejoice in the Lord.

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Rejoice in the Lord.

The room is dark, the sounds of the fan swirling the sounds of a tongue licking whatever Cooper licks. The day in and day out of monotonous routine can often be exhausting. Never giving the praise God desires, never taking the time to be thankful for the little things we have. Ecclesiastes 3:4 “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” 2 Samuel 6:14 “And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod.” We don’t take into account the wonderful things we’ve been given.

Yes absolutely can life be one giant train wreck after another? Can life just suck and we not give thanks for it? NO! We must thank God for the good and the bad. We must not fall victim to blaming God for our woes or sorrows. God wants us to dance; God wants us to celebrate our lives. Rejoice in love and the look to the skies. It’s in the expanse of the heavens we realize how little we are. We may be small, but we are important to the Big Guy upstairs. The sky has near infinite stars, and thus our lives can be changed at a time of deep crisis because that’s when change needs to happen most. We can’t always know what our path is, but we try our hardest to walk with God. Psalm 150:1-6 “Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! …” Always love God and Gods path will in time be illuminated for you. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” We must learn to take the pleasures with the pain. We must learn to rise above and reach for God in our time of need. Never fret for tomorrows new. Dance for the lord under the stars. Romans 5:3 “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,” Without trials and suffering, we never know our true potential.

If you find yourself outside looking in the middle of the night, embrace the night, embrace the beauty of it, enjoy the game. Gods plan isn’t always the easiest, but no matter the plan we will always have something to dance about.

The Battle that Rages on

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The Battle that Rages on

Sometimes we lay in our bed unwilling to get up. Some days we don’t want to leave the house or face the masses. Some days we are afraid to be in our own skin. When we look in the mirror whose looking back? Many tell you you’re special, you’re kind, you’re a wonderful person and while that all may be true, but the monster inside lies to you. The healing path is never an easy one, it’s full of monsters that creep around the woods, monsters that sleep under your bed, in your closet. How do we fight back against a monster we cannot see or touch. For some, some people resort to cutting or self-harm to feel physically the monster inside. The physical nature of the manifestation of an internal fight is a scary place to be. How do we fight back? How do we explain to others how we are feeling?

We must step out of our own feelings and realize it’s worth fighting for. We can be redeemed, we can learn to fight back, we can find a new way. Ephesians 1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” Don’t be a slave to this world, don’t let the Devil win the fight for your soul. Stand high, stand proud, and know that you have the golden ticket. 1 Corinthians 7:23 “You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.” A man died to give us peace. A man died to save our eternal souls. As tough as life may be today, with a lot of prayer, action, and fortitude anything can be changed. People walk again after serious spinal injuries. People learn to live again after everything they have is taken from them. Have no fears for the Angels above watch over us. Gods will, will be and we can fight the path or walk the path. Colossians 1:20-22 “And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,” No matter what we did, what we have in our closet, confess our pain, our sins to Christ. Be washed new and cleansed in the light of the Lord. Run your race but know that one day we will stand and be judged. Don’t just know the word, live it, walk with it. Surrender yourself and all your pain and suffering to the lord.

PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, Heart Break, Betrayal are all serious and should never be taken lightly. Even the strongest can fall victim to the above syndromes. Find peace and guidance by the Northern Star of Christ. When the world is too much and you feel like you can’t take anymore follow in the path of Christ. Luke 5:16 “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” It’s okay for us to be alone when we need to be. We must learn to know what the difference is. We must learn when solitude is the right path, when reaching out and talking to someone is what we need. Never give up hope and never loose sight of the Golden Ring at the end of this crazy ride. Remember when the time comes as a bow is drawn back, so if you feel like you’re being drawn back, the bow will release and the arrow will soar through the air to meet it’s target. You can be Gods Arrows, let yourself be drawn back to pick up tension to fly forward. As an archer is patient, holding the arrow, feeling the breeze, feeling the air, the tightness of the string, knowing his or her own breath, the archer knows when it’s time to release. Never underestimate the power of finding calm. Know that when you fly, you’ll find your own target.