Tag: bible

The Rain

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The Rain

The rain brings forth life, it makes the grass grow, the plants flowers, it fills the wells with the water we drink. When we think of relationships, life, we are left with images of sunny days, and to represent the bad, stormy ones. The rain comes all the time. It is feared by some that the rain will take everything, and sometimes it does. Are we afraid of the changes that come from a long rain? The flood, the raging waters that can destroy everything we hold most dear. Matthew 7:25-27 “25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” We must learn to build our lives on a solid foundation. Do not fear the rain for if you know your stance, know the platform in which you live your life, nothing can destroy you.

 There’s a saying in the military ‘Embrace the suck’. It means own the struggles. Embrace the hardships, the heartbreaks, the tragedies, and learn how to turn the horrible things into advantages. Akido and Jujutsu are very common martial art forms that use an enemies energy and movements against them. In such fashion I believe we can use the attacks of the Devil to our advantage. If we loose our job because of someone, or the whiles of the Devil are playing games with you, find a better one. Change your direction. If a relationship falls apart then find one that suits you better.

If we embrace the rain and use it, let the terrible things give us strength. Own the anger and don’t let it rule you. Habakkuk 1:2-4 “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! 3 Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. 4 Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.” The question is why does God allow this to happen. God answers in verse 5 “Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told you.” Being prepared for more, the battle the awaits us, is it possible that the rain is perhaps a blessing and we just can’t see it? I’m sure if we look hard enough we can actually see our blessings even in the deepest of tragedies.

After the hardest rains we are left with beautiful sunshine, beautiful rainbows, and a sense thanks to have survived it. When it rains go out into it and dance. Have faith you will not be harmed, have faith that in this life there are simple truths. Those truths are this life is but temporary in nature. When this life ends the rain is no more and sunshine is all we will know. If we do not embrace our challenges how do we know our true potential? You may not have ever liked the rain, but now I urge you to look at your challenges, your personal rain clouds differently. What is it doing for you, find the lesson to be learned, the changes you can make. Instead of sitting inside and being sad about the rain go out into it and dance and sing. Not saying every challenge is easy to overcome, but at the very least try.

Lamentations 3:22-23 “22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

When People Give

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When People Give

 What does it mean to give? Are some people more generous then others? We all know the answer to the last question, yes some are more gracious in giving then others. The internet, because everything on there is accurate says giving is “freely transfer the possession of (something) to (someone); hand over to.” There are many different ways we can give, each is just as important as the next. The act of giving is something that’s very important in our Christian walk. Not everyone can give financially, but those who can in my opinion are very gracious. Money is very hard to come by these days, and to give it away, to give it up freely in a manner that is selfless, and completely generous is a hard concept for me to understand. Let me explain that part. A little back-story about me might go a long way. When I was 19 and in basic training, a very close friend to me was in desperate need of help financially. I had been in basic for a little while and saved up a good amount of money. I was headed for Korea and didn’t feel I was going to need a lot of money over there. My friend didn’t have a car, was not able to get to and from work, was falling behind on some student loans, and looked to be sinking into depression. I wrote her a sizable check the day I found out about her hardships. The check was somewhere in the ballpark of $5000, enough to buy a car, and pay some bills. 15 years later I get a message from her stating how grateful she was for the car, that it had saved her life, and been a great used vehicle. 5 grand lasted 15 years, how wonderful did it make me feel that I was able to change her life so drastically and never wanted or expected any kind of return. A couple months later after I loaned her the money, another friend was telling me about some student loan issues. Hers wasn’t so bad, if memory serves it was in the ballpark of $2000, and again, didn’t think much of it, wrote the check and sent it off. At the same time all this was going on, a family member was in the hospital. Her kids were in need of some support, and I didn’t have much left to give but I gave what I could, $500. In a manner of two months I gave away $7500.

Lets fast forward to today. Recently I have found myself in some financial distress. If I were a country my flag would be upside down. The real blessing is the amount of people who’ve found their way to help me financially. One person even sent a large enough amount to help with a major bill. I can’t ever thank those who’ve helped me out enough. The struggles I’ve faced recently have left me under the thumb of stress and anxiety. I know better then most the scripture to go to for relief, but some days it’s hard. Deuteronomy 16:17 “Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.” Proverbs 21:26 “The righteous gives and does not hold back.” Proverbs 22:9 “He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor.” There are far more verses about giving but I think you get the point.

It’s almost a proven fact that when you give freely and faithfully, the Lord will bless that and multiply what you’ve given and you shall get in return. Remember that the Lord gives all gifts. The Lord can take all gifts away if we do not respect what we’ve been given. Just because it’s new and shiny doesn’t mean it’s right for us. Finally the words of Matthew 6:3-4 “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Meaning it’s not truly giving from the heart if you are seeking adulation from it. If you are truly intent on giving because you feel compelled to do so then God will bless you. Often we hear about celebrities giving a ton of money to charity. Be cautious with those tales, not everything may be as it appears. Do they give to get the huge tax breaks? Giving with the anticipation of getting in return is not the deal. Have faith in God. He will provide. Every time I’ve needed help, or been on the brink of bad things, some how, some way, God has provided right when it’s been needed. Some day I myself pray to be in a situation where I can help others again. In my heart I miss it. God is good always.

Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s broke

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Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s broke

Isaiah 54:17 “17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.”

The arrow is one of the oldest ways to hunt yet we still use it today. A projectile (bullet) has hardly changed at all in nearly 200 years. The guns themselves, though they look different, the ergonomics have made things more comfortable, haven’t changed in functionality. The Brownings .50 cal machine gun, didn’t go through any changes till just recently. For so long the gun didn’t have any alterations despite being as old as it was.

Luke 5:36-39 “36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.” Jesus isn’t saying that new things aren’t good, what he’s saying is just because it’s old doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value.

Where do we find our valued items? Do we discard the things we have that we stop using; do we discard things even if they can be fixed? Do we place value in things of old?

Many in our society today feel that Christianity, or religion in general is an antiquated idea, that has survived far longer then it should have or needed to. Many feel that religion though once held a valid purpose no longer holds the same function of the days when forward thinking was considered witchcraft.

It’s amazing; recently Nintendo released the NES classic. This is a system that’s based on 25-year-old tech, but we still love it today. No matter how old our faith goes, it has survived the passage of time. Faith springs eternal. Faith James 1:5-8 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways.”

 In Star Trek TNG ‘Relics’ Scotty is found alive and well by the crew of the Enterprise 1701 D. As he struggles to find his place on a ship nearly 75 years into the future he and La Forge quickly realize that just because something’s old, doesn’t mean it can’t be useful.

Scotty: Maybe so. But when they can build ships like your Enterprise, who’d want to pilot an old bucket like this?

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge: I don’t know. If this ship were operational, I bet she’d run circles around the Enterprise at impulse speeds. Just because something’s old doesn’t mean you throw it away.

 Before you pass judgment on something old, remember, look beneath the surface, dig round a little, you never know what kind of treasures might still exist. As for Christianity, well the biggest treasure of all, eternal salvation.

The Battle Rages On

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The Battle Rages On

When you feel all alone and then when you feel you can’t breath at all, how do we learn to survive? We survive because we must. The alternative isn’t very flattering. When we try to find others around us to depend on, sometimes we look in all the wrong places, and sometimes we just don’t have what we need, or at least that’s what we think sometimes. Often we wish we had more but really, is it the best thing for us, is it what God has in store?

The thing about surprises is, they are meant to shock us. When Christmas comes around we love to open our gifts and be surprised at what we get. When our surprises in life are good we couldn’t be happier. So why do we compete? When we join a sports team of some kind, what’s the fun in winning without challenge? How do we ever know our true potential unless we are tested.

As Captain Pike said to Kirk, “Do you like being the only genius-level re-offender in the mid-west? So your Dad dies, you can settle for a less than ordinary life. But you feel like you were born for something better. Something special.” What will force you to face your true potential? The only way it seems is to challenge our selves and push us beyond our comfort zones and rise to the occasion. When God gives us our challenges, it’s so we can rise above. When the Devil gives us our knocks, we can kick the Devil’s proverbial rear end, and please God as we overcome the Devils temptations. Our hardships are nothing more but training for the mission, temptations away from God, or mankind’s’ free will. James 1:13-18 “13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”

Living is not for the weak, and to live is to truly show strength. We cannot live our lives down and depressed. We cannot continue just floating in the water waiting for the sharks to devour us. If we want to live we can’t just flounder around, we must actually work for it. Life is nothing without joy, life is nothing without having fun. So why don’t we work on that more?

 

The battles we face can break us, or make us thrive. “Sooner or later, we all go through a crucible” Sabastian Blood He goes on to say “Most believe there are two types of people who go into a crucible. The ones who become stronger from the experience and survive it, and the ones who die. But there’s a third type. The ones who learn to love the fire and choose to stay in their crucible because it’s easier to embrace the pain when it’s all you know anymore.” How will you survive yours? How will your crucibles shape who you are?

Carry Your Burdens to Find Light at the End of the Tunnel

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Carry Your Burdens to Find Light at the End of the Tunnel

Matthew 16:24-26 “24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

 Luke 9:23 “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

 Mark 8:34 “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

 What does it mean to pick up your cross and follow Christ? The walk with Jesus as our Lord and Savior is never an easy one. We are called to sacrifice our earthly desires, called to love Christ and let go of our sinful desires. Do we deny God; do we deny our Lord and Savior when pushed, when threatened with reprisals, or persecution? Do we have the fortitude to bare the burden of what it means to be a follower of Christ? Remember as the 11 Apostils followed Christ were brutally tortured and killed for it. Amongst strong opposition they never waivered in their faith, they saw Christ for what he was, they saw Him in the flesh. It was once said, “You have seen with your own eyes and yet you doubt, imagine those who will never see.” Colossians 1:11-12 “11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” The cross is not a race; it’s a long marathon. The travel takes time. The travel takes fortitude.

When we are weak, we must look to God to help us. As Christians we must help our brother and sisters when they are in need. We all stumble on our journey. Even Christ fell on his trek to meet His destiny. Thus teaching us another lesion about humility, about pride. Galatians 6:2 “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” If Christ was willing to bare the sacrifice for all mankind’s Sins what are we willing to bare for Christ? Are we willing to take public ridicule, or even worse loosing people we care about? What is eternal salvation worth? The life we spend here on Earth is merely a short while, but the end result is perfection in Heaven. Our burdens will be great, John 15:18-21 18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.” It was foretold that the world would turn on Christians. It was foretold that the life of a Christian would be difficult and full of anger and hatred.

Entering Easter remember what it truly means to give it all, to give up life, and sacrifice ones self for something bigger then yourself. Are you truly giving up something to follow Christ? Are you truly in your heart following? What does following Christ mean to you? As Christians we face more opposition today then we ever have. Do we sit silent and watch as the world tries to snuff out any last resemblance of our right to choose what we believe in? There’s too much empirical evidence to prove Jesus Christ the man lived. Denying the truth is simply the same as denying the oceans are full of water. 11 men could not have held together some conspiracy. The fulfillment of scripture prior to the New Testament, the fulfillment of the crucifixion, that not one of Christ’s bones were broken, yet he underwent excruciating amounts of pain. Do not doubt, do not forget what’s at stake. Christ bore the burden of sin for us, what can we do to possibly measure up, nothing. All we are asked is to love one another, love Christ, love God, and obey the commandments. Do this and eternity may very well be yours.

 

 

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.

 

 

Know when to hold em, know when to fold em.

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Know when to hold um, know when to fold um.

By The Arrow Preacher

As most of us know the song by Kenny Rogers, it’s great advice that old man gave on that lonely train. Though a parable the example of knowing when to fight for something, and knowing when to walk away, and knowing when to run and not look back is good advice we all should follow.

Personally I’ve gone through a very rough divorce and as hard as it’s been at some point you have to learn when to cut ties and run away. As hard as it’s been emotionally I still find myself sitting on the couch crying after a blog, after a song, watching a movie that brings back memories. The worst part is working at the very spot I once proposed. Seeing it every day, thinking about how nervous I was, how upset I was that it was raining, it’s a reminder every day.

Having faith is hard. Knowing that God is always with us, and remembering that in the hardest of times of our lives, but it’s so important for us to keep the faith. 1 John 5:5 “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” We need to be steadfast in our walk with Christ so when the time comes we can judge if something is better or worse. James 1:6 “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” Let’s remember though, that having faith is also having faith that whatever we need to do is right or wrong. When a relationship turns bad and is no longer healthy, and can no longer be repaired, sometimes it’s best to run away. Figuring out what hand you have and figuring out what cards to play is something that takes patience and a walk close enough to God to know what to do. You should always try your hardest to save a life you’ve built with someone if ever it can be.

Due to the invention by God of free will we cannot change what other people do. People will use you, cheat you, abuse you, and all you can do is figure out how much are you willing to take? Even sitting at a poker table the table can eventually get cold, and it’s time to get up and walk away. Don’t be afraid to say goodbye to something causing you pain. Much like a gangrenous limb, you must sever the limb to save the body. Our souls are very similar. Hate and pain can be a cancer for our very souls, and in order to prevent scar tissue from forming hardening our hearts, we must be willing to let go and push forward to heal. So know when to throw in your cards, pick up your chips win or lose, and walk away. Don’t think of it as failure. Think of it as protecting your very soul. Even Thomas Edison once said once asked about how many times he failed to create the light bulb. “I have not failed. Ive just found 10’000 ways that it won’t work.”

 

What Color is Your Lightsaber?

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What color is your Lightsaber?

As the country has been engulfed in pop culture you’d be hard pressed to find any household where someone doesn’t know the name Star Wars, or Lightsabers. The bigger question is what do light sabers have to do with Christianity? In the world of Star Wars each light saber’s color represents the holders personality and specialty. As seen on screen there is Green: Peace through force when necessary. Blue: Justice and Protection. Red: Evil and Power. Purple: Moral ambiguity. Yellow: Intrigue and pursuit (patrol). There are many, many more colors. When you start to break down your place in this world each of us has a personality, and that personality will match up with a particular color light saber. My color, much to my own chagrin would most likely be blue. (My favorite color is green) Being a Jedi Guardian Using Force on a physical level, light saber combat rather then strength with the Force. Protecting civilians. Romans 12:4-6 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;” As we are one bodies in Christ, so as the Jedi’s mission with the Jedi counsel. Protect the universes and maintain the balance within the force. Proverbs 27:19 “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.” When you consider the color of your own light saber, how do we use our gifts for the Lord? Do we want to be a villain, a protector, a negotiator? Christ recruited fisherman, tax collectors, zealots, and with each of their own particular gifts, and personalities they used them in their own way of teaching and preaching. As each personality of the Jedi provided them a place in the universe, so do our gifts for the great commission. As my gifts lead me to a protective role and justice, I know now how to use my particular personality for Christ. Some people have a moral ambiguity and this purple light saber would often fall to people who follow the rules they want to, but bend them when they feel it suits them. Red obviously is that of evil. Those who fail to follow the Lord, those who have an appreciation and love of Sin would hold a red saber. Find your place by evaluating your own saber color. Which force are you? Do you fight for the light or the dark? Are you a Jedi for Christ, or a Sith for Satin?

Second Chances

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Second Chances

How often in life do we get a redo? How many chances do we get to overcome true adversities and mange to come out of the storm with your head held high? In life Gods gifts are big and small. Our faith will often be tested and pushed to the brink. It is often only at the brink were we fully realize our true potential. No matter the path we believe we are on the only true path is that of Christ our Savior. The strength of character to live a life in Christ is a path that is not for the faint of heart. What does it mean to truly live a life in Christ. We have struggles so we are tested. We have faith and courage to keep that faith. For it is our faith that keeps us true to the larger course. The forest grows with no help from man, and yet we feel the need to control our every minute. The true power is no power at all. There is no power of man that is true power. Power is an illusion that is made up to make us feel better about ourselves. When the sun rises on the morrow what power do we as mortal men have?

We can build great monstrosities, we can create wondrous pieces of technologies, but the true power is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us strength beyond our wildest imagination. We have the ability to overcome death and enjoy eternal life. 1 Corinthians 1:18 “ For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” Wise men live and die but those who truly choose life understand that the flesh of this world is but temporary in the eternal plane. To live life is to understand what that life is built upon. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” The path of Christ will be one of trouble and pain and as Christ was tortured in this life we too will bare a cross, one we must truly accept.

The second chance is a second chance of life. When this world ends and it will end, which side of the wall do you want to reside? Will you labor for Christ to live inside the walls of paradise or will you accept the world as it is believing that you are in control, that you have power within your life? When threatened with death one often faces a realization that either they are afraid, or welcoming the unknown. The other side is beyond human comprehension. Isaiah 45:5-8 “I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things. Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it.”

Facing ones own mortality is the truest of second chances. To see death, to witness death, and to hear the voice of God and the love and compassion of our Father is a gift. Know that for our sins we are not in bondage any longer. If we remain in chains it’s of our own doing. Lay down your heart and follow Jesus. Do not give in to the prince of darkness, he will deceive you, he will lie to you, fool you. The prince of darkness will steal you from your place in paradise for the promise of worldly desires, for it is in those desires that sin is truly born, and true death is a reality. Isaiah 40:28:31 “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Finding Courage

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Finding Courage

“It takes courage to look inside yourself and even more courage to write it for other people to see.” Benjamin Sisko. I hadn’t really thought about it before, what making a public website would actually mean, what putting my deepest most intimate thoughts on paper in one blog after another for all the world to see, would actually mean. September 12th of 2004 my truck was ambushed in the downtown region of Ar-Ramadi Iraq. During the 15 minutes of absolute Hades on earth the courage of 7 men would be tested literally under fire. After the first two explosions obscured HQ 25 the first bullet hit my truck HQ 26 on the door right at head level. At that point the feelings of fear and doubt started to creep in. The bullets from the enemy AK’s where striking the truck. One RPG after another was being fired at both of the trucks. An RPG that passed just a few feet from the front of the truck, and hit a barrier near the truck blew out the front right tire of HQ 26. If the truck stops we’re all dead. If we don’t keep up with HQ 25 and were separated we all die. When the MK-19 failed and my gunner Haley had to switch over to his M-16 rifle. With no side shielding he would be completely exposed to enemy fire. The amount of courage he would show under extreme stress was nothing short of a miracle, in fact the courage of Stevens, and Watson the HQ 25 gunner/driver would stand out as heroes. What does it take for a person to show courage? “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” (Nelson Mandela) Many people in their lives are faced with incidences that will test their fight or flight response. For me September of 2016 would test my fight or flight response again. This time, for the first time my flight response would kick in, and alter my life forever. Living it seems is not for the weak. If it weren’t for close calls some people never fully realize their potential, the gift of life. 1 Chronicles 28:20 “David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.” True Courage cannot be had without faith. We must have faith that the situation we find ourselves in is worth courage. Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” When Haley stood up and shot back the faith he would have that the need to survive, to save the lives of his crewman would win out over fear. For me my faith that God was in control is unrelenting. True courage however might be as simple as truly trusting in the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” When we give our lives to the Lord we put our faith in Him that we will never be alone. Sometimes God has a plan for us that take us out of our comfort zone. It takes a great deal of courage to follow God. No matter the cost, to have faith, is to have courage, and that courage is the key to everlasting life.