Tag: christianity

Honor Thy Fallen

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Honor Thy Fallen

Lately myself along with the rest of the country have watched on the news, and perhaps in person the descent of civilized culture into riots in the streets. While I have no problem with peaceful protests, there is a big difference between a protest and a riot. When you are in the streets and you are calling for the destruction of property, spouting hate left and right, all protected rights in speech should be and are rescinded. While I am choosing not to take a side in this particular political stance, I would like to take the stance on peace and love. Romans 13:13 ““Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.” While I will take the stance that the KKK, Neo Nazi’s, Black Panthers, they all are wildly inappropriate for the age. I find it quite sad that in today’s world there’s still a measure of hate to this degree. While I believe in the constitution and as I once swore an oath to protect it against all enemies foreign and domestic, that means the entire thing, not just the parts I like, and it doesn’t mean ignore the parts I don’t. While I do believe that freedom of speech has its limits, along with many of the others such as the 2nd amendment, I am a firm believer in your right to peaceful assembly.

Let us take a brief moment to really think about what we’re doing as a nation. In the last 5 years as ISIS moved through city after city and it destroyed artifacts of different cultures, different religions some were over a thousand years old, we as a country watched on television in horror and disgust. No respect many of the viewers said. Today as we watch on TV countless statues and monuments that may not be quite a hundred years old are being torn down, desecrated by angery protestors. My question is what’s the difference? While the left claims they want the ability to coexist are we really doing that? While the Right claims it’s taking the moral high ground, I question if that’s the case also. The left has the black Panthers, which during the last Presidential election with Barack Obama the Panthers stood outside voting places and used intimidation and threatening tactics to push away white Republican voters. While the KKK and Neo Nazi’s protest for the opposite things, I saw that, and while I find both utterly deplorable, it is their right to peaceful public assembly. While I’m not a fan of spouting hate in either direction, I would like to point out how inappropriate it is to group everyone together by allowing false stigmas to rule the day. I would not want anyone to consider me to be the same as someone who belongs to the Westboro Baptist Church. While I am a white male, who attends a predominately white Baptist Church, and while I currently live in the south, does that automatically make me racist? No of course it doesn’t. And while my view may not be the average, perhaps it is.

I believe that racism is an ignorant state of mind and should be a relic of the past. While unfortunate it still exists, it is believed that it only exists because it’s still taught and passed on. Hate is largely a learned trait by the world. 1 John 4:20 “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” I am not a perfect man, but I do believe that the strife and discord going on within our fallen nation is a direct contradiction to the teachings found within the Bible. Proverbs 6:16-19 “16 These six [things] doth the LORD hate: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” While I believe in the peaceful gathering to support an ideal or ideology, I believe once you start to destroy property, throw things, light buildings on fire, basically turn from a protest to plundering and discord, that’s when we no longer honor the Father.

 We can disagree without the anger and hate. We can disagree without fighting amongst one another. We can instead respect the differences and speak with grace. Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” No matter if you like it or not Confederate soldiers despite what the war was for, or not for, are U.S. Veterans, and disserve respect. Desecrating monuments because they honor soldiers even ones who fought in a war that had a small portion of its cause to slavery. We fight and riot for something that happened 150 years ago, something that was long enough ago that no one today has been affected by it at all. We’ve seen some of the most influential Americans be of African decent and yet someone claim that racism is the cause that keeps anyone from achieving their goals in life. I myself grew up poor, bouncing from home to home. While I was always around loving people I never knew some of the luxuries may others around me knew. Even to this day, a guy I knew had not one but two houses and one of his houses was twice the size of my own. He lived a life with far more wealth then I may ever know in my life. It had nothing to do with color, just shear will and circumstance. We’ve had a president, high cabinet members, judges, doctors, CEO’s, all from African decent. Any white person in the city of Detroit has the same struggles as any black person from the city of Detroit. Pigment is only skin deep, and has nothing to do with how we present ourselves, how we treat others, the lives or path we choose is our choice and ours alone.

Honor Thy Fallen 2

In World War II we as a nation imprisoned thousands of Asian immigrants all because members of their ‘race’ attacked us the morning of December 7th 1941 by the Empire of Japan. We condemned our own citizens on the acts of a country they no longer lived in. While some of them may have been spies, that doesn’t justify what we did as a country. However wrong that injustice was, the Asian community isn’t reeling in discord. We are not as a nation fighting for the injustices that happen daily within our own boarders but something that happened 150 years ago we just can’t seem to forget. Child sex trafficking happens every day, human slave trade occurs right under our nose at every major event like the Super bowl, but no one stands up against that kind of slavery. No one stands up against the injustice of child soldiers around the world as we speak, or the child laborers who work in slave shops all over the world some making the precious items you love to buy. Why are we so consumed with breaking down our own statues but we say nothing of the pyramids that were built by the hands by Jewish Slaves. We are content with destroying history instead of using them as a reminder so we may never travel down the same path again. Why we allow some injustices to go unnoticed, while others anger the mob to burn down our own cities with pitchforks and torches. We aren’t some monster horror film, and yet we are as content to destroy everything to kill the faceless monster. Are their bigots, sure there are, but we seem to have adopted this all or nothing attitude. We must take a step back and realize that the actions of the many 152 years ago do not dictate the actions of the many now, simply put, the actions of the minority should not implicate the majority. If not every black person wants to be labeled as a thug, not every white person wants to be labeled as racist. And to both sides, I’d say get over it. You’re all part of the same race, and no matter the pigment of your skin, or the country from which you hale, you’re all human beings under One God. God doesn’t see your ethnicity, simply His children, and I don’t think He’d be too happy watching his children bicker and fight as we are. Get it together America, stop fighting amongst yourselves and watch the real enemy. War perhaps is coming and we need to be focused on repairing bonds, not division.

While I realize this will not sit well with many, I would like to point out that whatever the injustice God will be the one to grant justice. No matter what side of the fence you sit on, judgment is for the Lord alone. No matter what side of the fence you sit on hate is not the way because it is not the teaching of the Lord above. Love is the only way to fight hate, the only way to overcome an injustice. Forgiveness and allowing the past to be the past and only learning from it, not to relive it day in and day out. Atrocities are done every day, and every day the Lord shall pass judgment and with God’s guidance we can find hope in forgiveness, and peace in love.

Trust But Verify

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Trust But Verify

In the last year in my life I have been seeking some sign, any sign to show me I’m not what I thought about myself after my separation. Often times when you are the victim of an affair you question your self worth. You question if anyone would ever love you. You question what was wrong with you, what you could have done that was so bad to push the one who loved you away.

In the time I’ve been alone I have met a few people on social media, a variety of social dating sites. A couple years ago I made the mistake of trusting someone I met online. I considered myself a smart person. I was asked for help and I said I wouldn’t do anything to put my family or me at risk. I was told the money would be transferred into my account, and I’d just have to send the cash western union. When the cash arrived in the account I waited 2 weeks the first time before I touched it. The way the scam works is send some ligit money to gain trust. The next deposits wouldn’t be watched so closely, and the withdrawal would happen sooner. The banks would catch the fake funds and the bank would blame the account that was overdrawn, not the depositing source. Ever since then I have believed heavily in the phrase “Trust But Verify”. Coincidently that phrase is also routed in scripture. 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

The wolf looking for pray will often look and sound like a sweet innocent sheep. What looks like a gift from God may not be a gift at all, but a message from Satan. Even when the most sincere looking person comes into your life and it feels like the greatest gift in the world, I would say the same, trust but verify. If life has taught me anything when you’re a soldier for Christ you never know how long the Devil will try to infiltrate into your life. Even if you are able to verify someone’s motives, the Devil’s motives will always remain. He tries to defile the righteous and sometimes he is able to sway the hearts and minds of those we care about. While I firmly believe in everyone’s ability to change and seek redemption that isn’t always the case. The truth is war changes a person. Sometimes in war there are casualties, but in this war there are no innocent lives. This war for the very souls of mankind the Devil takes no prisoners and no one is safe. Once the Devil finds a loose thread he pulls until an entire life is unraveled. He thrives in the chaos and the rubble that’s left behind after his well-placed sabotages are implemented.

When we are given a gift from God we must cherish it, nurture it, guard it, protect it every day to try our best from allowing the thing that we love the most in this world from being used against us. This is a hard lesson I’ve had to learn. Just because something is a gift doesn’t mean one mans gift isn’t another’s weapon. One man turned my ex wife, but the strings being pulled were the Devils. Sure there’s always free will, but the Devil knows our hearts and He knows just how to get to each of us. The Devil fights to pull us away by using our weaknesses against us. For me that was the need to be accepted, and the need to be loved by family and friends. Take that away from me, and you find me where I was in September of last year. Lost, broken, and alone. The deceiver knew just how to hurt me the most, and hurt me He did. For that instant I fell to my knees and looked at my life without hope. The pain caused was more then I felt I could bare and we can’t survive long without hope.

Look toward heaven and thank God for the blessings in your life. When a gift shows up in your life, do your due diligence to verify it’s origin. Not all may be as it appears. We are taught to have faith in the things that we cannot see, but no where does it ever say to have blind faith.

 

 

 

Shēngcún (Survive)

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Shēngcún (Survive)

Survive in Mandarin is Shēngcún. Some days I see some of my friends and they are just barely making it day to day. It makes me thankful for where I am today. I don’t have much, but I have more then some. I am greatly blessed and thankful for what I do have. Though, I don’t want to just survive, I want to thrive.

In life we can sit and live with the bare minimum our potential has to offer, or we can stand up and grab life by the horns and take control. We can’t always plan for the future, but what we can do is attack every problem, every situation with a zeal that pushes us to be our best selves. No matter the troubles, the trials, the knocks that are sure to come, we can chose how we want to live. We may not always be able to fix every problem, but maybe we aren’t supposed to. While we never know what our future may hold, we know we have the ability to alter our perception of each problem. We have the ability to choose our attitude and more importantly how we treat others in every situation we find ourselves in.

I challenge all of you not to just survive but thrive. You can be a light in others lives, and you can be there for others to make their world a better place. We can leave this world a better place by the lives we touch. Psalms 78:4 “We will not hide [them] from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.” Always keep in mind what you do in all situations may be how you’re remembered for generations, by generations.

I heard a sermon today about David and Bathsheba, and one of the key components was to make sure blame goes to the right place. I have been known to take the blame for things I never did. As my studies in scripture have led me to a better understanding of sin nature, I have found obviously the wrongs done are usually sin influenced. The Devil will place people in our lives to draw us away and sometimes he is successful, sometimes he’s not, but he will always try. When we give in to things like lust, lies, hate, and self we see that sin nature taking hold. We may be able to lie to everyone around us, we may be able to lie to those we love the most but when the day comes and we stand at the foot of God’s alter we will have to answer for everything we’ve done. Nothing will remain hidden, and when we answer to God, we must think in the here and now, what will this do for me later? Don’t just survive, thrive by making Godly choices.

Admitting Failures

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Admitting Failures

One year ago I faced a near death experience. After I survived and found myself reeling in the aftermath I was calm for months. No matter what came up or what challenges I faced I was composed and without concern or worry. Now as time has gone on and life has continued that calm, cool and collected nature has drifted into memory. It’s not uncommon for a believer or non-believer to come to Jesus after a traumatic incident. They may stay church bound for 6 months to a year, but as life returns to normal the feeling of grace can subside.

1 Corinthians 13:4 “4 Love is patient and kind;” I heard a sermon recently on Love. Love is being patient and not just patience with others, with our neighbors, with our spouses, but with God. We always want things our way and right now. Let me tell you in the last year I’ve lost my wife, my house, my job, my closest friends, not because of anything I’ve done per say, but just a purging fire within my life. Life doesn’t always go the way we think it should or the way we envision it, but the truth is, we are just the train, we go the direction the tracks go, and God lays our tracks in front of us, we go where God wants us, He’s the conductor.

Psalm 40:1-4 “I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. 4 Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.” David awaited the Lord for the better first half of his life. He ran from assassins, he survived war, and yet he knew his destiny was to become King, he just didn’t know when. When we are at our lowest do we curse God or do we raise Him up, praising him for his plans for us, knowing that one-day we too will be lifted out of the miry clay, and our feet will be placed on solid rock. Do we truly understand the nature of the divine and the planning, and patience it takes to create a masterpiece? Our lives are molded and scripted since before birth. We are given chance after chance within free will to follow, or rebuke the Lord. Every waking moment we are given chances and as God has seen every possible outcome and plans for every single one, we must have faith and trust in the Lord. As I heard recently “You don’t give the keys to the car to your six year old.” (Dr. M. David Chambers, D.Min) You don’t give your kids the keys, because obviously they just aren’t ready. I’ve touched base on a similar outlook. We cannot be given the test before we are ready for it.

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Getting on the train tracks as the train and not knowing the destination or how we’re going to get there is having faith. When we get on a plan we have faith that the pilot knows how to fly it, and we will get to our destination safely. Why don’t we put the same faith in God? Every air traveler put his or her faith in the pilot no matter where we go. We put our faith so blindly in a human being, but can’t or wont put our faith in God, so beyond our miniscule understanding of the big picture our faith should always unequivocally go to God first, and last.

Proverbs 3:24-26 “When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. 25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. 26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.” We often make decisions and sometimes we make decisions based on fear. Life can often cause us to be afraid of a great and vast many things. That fear can be loosing a job, our loved one, loosing our status, or friends, a vast plethora of things that fear can force us to act on. In the essence of fear I have made choices some good and some bad. That fear can lead us to say things to people that are mean and hurtful. Like a cornered animal we frequently lash out towards others. We loose focus on the big picture and we allow that fear to take over in the drivers seat.

 Isaiah 7:4 “And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.” No matter what situation you find yourself in, no matter how deep the muck, the dangerous or twisted, we must keep the faith, keep calm, quiet our minds to the world, and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us and give us the direction we must go. We spend to much time fighting against the direction the Lord has us on, it’s like trying to jump a train off the tracks and land on the tracks of our own choosing. Obviously it doesn’t work that way. We can’t simply take the plane off auto pilot and fly ourselves when we are not pilots. Sure we can play flight simulators all day long, but that doesn’t make us qualified to fly or land a plane. Why do we think we are so capable of doing things better in our own way? It’s a lack of faith, a lack of trust, because to us, the problem we face is just to big for God to handle. As we say that after we beat the odds of millions of possible outcomes in our very own conception. We stand upon the Earth within the universe the perfect distance from the son, with the perfect access to support human life. We say this that we are the only ones who can handle our specific problem when we know what the God above is capable of. We loose sight, we loose faith, and we listen to the world and the society in which we live. God in societies eyes is small, outdated for a time of such revered science and human accomplishment and understanding of the world and the universe in which we live. Our faith in God supersedes that notion and if we are to call ourselves true Christians, we must act like it.

I have made plenty of mistakes in my day. Mistakes, sadly I must own up to, and confess to my brothers and sisters. The lessons I teach in today’s blog post are lessons I must teach myself. If I am to make good on what I teach, then I too must practice what I teach. We must all learn to let go of our fears, learn to take that leap, and let God be the conductor for this train. Faith is something you must work on all the time. It’s also something the Devil will target you for. The deceiver, the king of Hell walls you to fail. He wants to rip you away from the graces of God and although his method’s haven’t changed much in the last few thousands years, because he doesn’t have to change them, they work. You must remain vigilant, you must maintain your time with the Scripture, and you must continue to work on your life with God. Pray often, love all, forgive easily, and be firm when the Devil prowls around. Give yourself and your problems to the Lord. Don’t forget the ways of scripture and even as difficult as it is some days, we must work towards that goal each and every day of our lives.

A song that I am reminded of is:

Help Me Find It by Sidewalk Prophets.

I don’t know where to go from here
It all used to seem so clear
I’m finding I can’t do this on my own

 I don’t know where to go from here
As long as I know that You are near
I’m done fighting
I’m finally letting go

 I will trust in You
You’ve never failed before
I will trust in You

 If there’s a road I should walk
Help me find it
If I need to be still
Give me peace for the moment
Whatever Your will
Whatever Your will
Can you help me find it
Can you help me find it

 I’m giving You fear and You give faith
I giving you doubt
You give me grace
For every step I’ve never been alone

 Even when it hurts, You’ll have Your way
Even in the valley I will say
With every breath
You’ve never let me go

 I will wait for You
You’ve never failed before
I will wait for You

 If there’s a road I should walk
Help me find it
If I need to be still
Give me peace for the moment
Whatever Your will
Whatever Your will
Can you help me find it
Can you help me find it

 I lift my empty hands (come fill me up again)
Have Your way my King (I give my all to You)
I lift my eyes again (Was blind but now I see)
‘Cause You are all I need

 If there’s a road I should walk
Help me find it
If I need to be still
Give me peace for the moment
Whatever Your will
Whatever Your will
Can you help me find it
Can you help me find it

 No matter the road we walk ask God to help you find your path. If you need to be still ask God for the peace for that moment. God can and will give you what you need to fight the fight as long as you pray and ask for it. God will always give you the peace and shelter you seek when you need it. Have faith and see your blessing all around you. Just because you can’t see the Angels from heaven doesn’t mean they aren’t there. I’ve personally felt their presence and I know they exist. We sometimes loose our way, and as for me, I have the two best pastors anyone in the world could ever help for that help me back when I start to stray. I couldn’t and wouldn’t ever ask for anyone better, I’d never find it. Love you guys. Speedy, you’re my Brother and the best partner in ‘crime fighting’ anyone could ever ask for. Doc D. C, you have a way with words my brother. You’re a blessing to the church and I always appreciate you. Love ya’ll.

 

Go, and Don’t Die

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Go, and Don’t Die

What does the great commission mean for Christians? First, we must ask what is the great commission? Matthew 28:16-20 The Great Commission “16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” We must go forth, meaning to go out, within our ability to reach everyone, to include those at our jobs, in our towns, wherever we may go. Not everyone is suited within their gifts to go abroad and go head long into mission trips. Within our gifts we need to focus on what they are, focus on the paths God has put us on, and it’s in that, we will find how we can complete the Great Commission.

1 Peter 4:10 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:” Each of us has been given a special and specific gift, some of us are great public speaker, when we talk people listen. Others are painters, or writers, others are good at serving, and thus our gifts open the stage for us to be able to reach people who need to hear the word of God. I have a few gifts God’s given to me that I enjoy and thus since I enjoy them it gives me great pleasure and pride to reach people around the world. To the date of writing this post I have reached 72 countries. My gift of writing and photography has helped me put this together and reach thousands.

Going out and preaching the word can be a dangerous business. Missionaries from around the world often find themselves hiding from those who wish to do them harm. The persecuted church is not something we think about much here in this country, but around the world it’s very real, and very dangerous. Christians are hunted throughout the world and because of that, as many mission trips are planned and scouted first to ensure safety not all missionaries are called to safe areas. Someone I know once had to hide from the authorities in India because he had stirred so much controversy the non Christian authorities weren’t too happy with the one causing problems. In places like Africa, Christians are murdered for their belief in Christ, and their refusal to rebuke Him publicly. Some of the top countries for persecution are North Korea, Somalia, Iran, Sudan, India, Vietnam, Egypt, China, and so many more just to name a few of the worst to the moderate.

While the Great Commission is a calling to all Christians to spread the word by teaching and preaching, it’s not without risk. Not everyone is up to the risk that comes with deliberately going into harms way. While not everyone is called for such missions everyone is called to use their gifts to spread the word of God to others. I firmly believe that when we fully explore our gift and use that gift we will prosper. I believe each of us is given our gift by God for a very specific reason. We all have our roll to play in the big picture. From the man or woman who takes out the trash, to those who stand in the pulpit no matter where that happens to be. No matter who you are, or what you do for a profession it doesn’t take years of training to talk about Jesus. It doesn’t take a degree in biblical studies or even apologetics to tell the world what Jesus has done for you.

When I was a soldier fighting in Ar-Ramadi I had a bible in left breast pocket under my armor. I kept it there every day, during every mission. It was a reminder to me that God was watching over me no matter where I was. Even the days it felt I was in a literal hell on earth, I knew and felt God presence. When we spend our day around people we have every opportunity to talk about what Jesus has done in our lives. When I was in Iraq I regret not focusing more on my faith. After surviving a few attacks that should have probably taken my life and didn’t, I should have and could have used that opportunity to talk about God in my life. Those are chances we must not take for granted. Every day we live we have an opening to spread the word of God. Not only do we have the opportunity we have an obligation to do so. “Since God has displayed to us so great a love the least we can do is accept and Carry Out the Great Commission.” (Dr. M. David Chambers D.Min.) Last year God spared my life, and when I came back, I came back with only one goal, to save as many souls as I could. I came back as someone else, something else. I came back as the Arrow Preacher.

 

 

 

 

Forging Steel

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Forging Steel

 From birth we are being taught new things, how to write, read, how to get along and play with others, share our toys, and many other various traits we learn. One of the hardest lessons is the difference between right and wrong. How hard is it to teach those lessons, and how hard is it to learn? I’m sure many of you have experienced hardships that taught valuable lessons. We learn by doing most of the time, we value experiences in our life. The phrase sometimes we have to learn the hard way is one of the truest statements we’ll ever experience first hand. We see events around us, we feel them some more deeply then others. Sometimes we are the cause and other times we are collateral damage to hard lessons. One of my favorite shows has a quote I love to use. “Living is not for the weak.” (Arrow) It takes a great deal of courage to face the cruelty of this world over and over. Some people happen to face more challenges then others. The strength to carry on is largely one of faith.

 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 “11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” How often is the term forging faith through fire used? Our daily lives and struggles can be considered a crucible. “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.” (Sabastian Blood, Arrow) How do we face our fire? How do we face our challenges? Do we allow the fire to burn us and break us down?

The thing with good and evil is a certain matter of perspective. In the best stories the villain is often considered the best villains when they are believable or when we can see their point of view. Thus just because something is used for good, or evil you cannot dictate an object. In the movie the Book Of Eli the main villain wants to use the Bible as a weapon to control the towns people. The thing about objects are it’s in the use of the owner. “One mans tool is another man’s weapon.” (Bruce Wayne, Dark Knight Rises) This perspective is interesting and put into the right context explains a good portion of the human condition. We often see things as good or evil. We often see based on perspective, such as a quote from yet another episode of Arrow. “Tot zhe molot chto drobit steklo, kuyet stal.” The same hammer that shatters glass forges steel” (Tayana, Arrow)

I would like to think that as people we could understand both sides of a conflict to better ourselves. We must learn to communicate instead of arguing. We must learn to better ourselves to minimize our judgments. As we go through our own fire, our own crucibles, we must understand that to follow Christ we must learn to allow our old selves to be burnt away, allow our sinful imperfections to be burned away and allow ourselves to follow the Lord. “It’s not enough to just feel the flame You’ve gotta burn your old self away” (Hard Love, by NEEDTOBREATHE) We live by the sword and die by the sword. We must not let the world turn us into hateful, vengeful people. We must learn to Love all, to remember not to allow ourselves to be burned by the fire, instead allow it to burn away anything and everything that isn’t used to live a Godly life. While fire can burn away a life, it can create wonderful pieces of art. A sword for instance is a beautiful creation, a hand-crafted piece of steal that is forged in fire. A sword can break under great pressure, or can withstand the persistent blows it may endure to be used in protecting ones self. Philippians 4:11-13 “11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” In all things take comfort, and allow yourself to embrace a trial, and stand firm in the fire and allow it to burn away what is necessary to be burned away in accordance to Gods will.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I reach out

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I reach out

I reached out and no one was there, the cold bitterness of the dark blackest night. The frozen rain stings against my bare face. The frozen waist land all around and cracks in the ground that would swallow you whole. The moon is gone hidden behind the black clouds. The wind howls and whistles over the ice. Lost on the ice with no compass. The storm so thick two steps in front of you is blotted out in the white wall of snow and ice. The wind chills deep down into your bones. The prick of the icy mix feels like a thousand cuts all over your face. You look down using your arms and hood to block the wind, but it’s no use. You fall to the ground and dig into the snow. You dig until your fingers are numb and there’s a hole big enough to crawl into. You crawl in and curl against the tiny wall you created. You close your eyes.

The storm rages on around you, beating down upon your resolve, your patience, your hope, and yet you remain resolute. Huddle down upon your inner strength and focus on your today, planning on surviving the wintery blast, and hold onto that small bit of warmth inside you to get you threw the now, and into tomorrow.

Psalm 46:1 “46 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” When it’s cold outside and we don’t know how to survive the night, it’s in Psalm we find our truth. Psalm 107:29 “29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.” No matter how bad the situation may be, tomorrow’s sunlight can wash away the snow. Psalm 34:17 “17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” Are we the righteous, or are we the damned? Are we to rise above the clouds and survive the storm, or are we to die in the frozen waist land of our sorrows? When you are huddled up and you don’t know where to go or how to continue the journey of King David. Psalm 91:1-2 “91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” Do we have true faith that in our time of struggles the Lord will be there with us and protect us? Is our faith strong enough to save ourselves in that faith? 2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Open your eyes huddled down beneath the snow. When you open them your world is in your hands. Your life, your faith in God can be the defining fact. If God’s will be done you open them to the storm subsiding. The sunshine covering the white covered ground, glistening, glowing in the light. The sun glistening off the snow brighter then anything you’ve ever seen. The wonders that the storm stopped, praying for your life, placing your life in God’s capable hands is the direction we should follow. No matter how dire the situation God is capable of surrendering the storm and although you may not come out of the storm completely unscathed, you can be pulled from the heavy weight of the snow.

 

 

 

 

Remember Who You Are

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Remember Who You Are

No matter the fire and brimstone you will go through in your life an important thing to remember is who you are in Christ. Remember the promises the Lord has made to us. We know that we will face the worst humanity has to offer, but in that we remain faithful to the Lord. We must remember that we are not to speak with a wicked tongue. In all things we know and value love in our hearts. We must remember that the Devil will try and break us, the Devil will attack us relentlessly until we are on the ground bleeding, crying out that we cannot take anymore. When we are on the ground bleeding, unable to stand and face the bombardment of attacks we must remember whose name to call. We must call out to Christ and ask the Lord above to help us, to deliver us from evil.

Occasionally we may get off the rails. Sometimes we may wander off and forget who we are. Our behavior may leave much to be desired, and our tongue may speak wickedness. We can always find a way back. We can always find our way back home if we follow the light of the Lord. As long as we do so before death there is always a chance to return to the Lord. Luke 23:40-43 “40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” The key is we don’t know when our last day is. We don’t know how much time any of us has on this world. God wants all his children to return home. 2 Peter 3:9 “9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Don’t waist what little time we have on this world living in hate, and fear, and allowing anger and a vindictive spirit to poison who we are.

Rise above and treat everyone with respect and dignity even if you do not receive it in turn. This may be one of the hardest things to do but it is something we should attempt every day. Wake up and try to find a way to make someone’s day brighter, a little better. Have faith in God, and live your life to put a smile on God’s face.

 

Facing Fear

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Facing Fear

Sometimes in life we are put into situations that force us to face our fears. In my life I have seen war, I’ve seen death, I’ve seen evils, and I’ve seen cruelty. I’ve seen the evil in a man’s eyes as they try to murder another human being. I’ve seen the color leave someone as the heart stopped beating. I’ve had to face fear and in that fear I’ve had to face my own mortality. I’ve had to go out on faith and trust that the Lord was leading me to a place that would be best for me. As I survived the ambush in 2004 in the city of Ramadi, I could feel the Holy Spirit guiding me to safety. When I moved to the city of Durham from Indiana in 2010 with a woman I didn’t really know that well I found myself following faith and the things that led me to where I was. As I am now in another situation in my life, I have to face the fear deep down and trust in the Lord once again.

Psalm 27:14 “14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” Trust the Lord and be faithful. Trust that the Lord has good plans for you. Trust that no matter what trials you face, the Lord will bring you through it. No matter the life’s struggles we face Jesus promises to never leave us. Hebrews 13:5-6 “5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

What do we fear? Do we fear failure, not being accepted, or being hurt? Do we fear being left behind, or forgotten? The truth is, at some point we all feel something along these lines. These fears are strong and often justified, but the allowing of ourselves to be driven by that fear if it stops us from moving forward is just as bad as sin. What we must remember is that the promise of the Lord is to lift us up, to protect us in our time of sorrow, to wipe our tears in our times of sadness. Finding someone we choose to love, finding that love and knowing that to love is a choice. Love is action, it’s doing every day, it’s making the effort to listen to the words of God and allowing them into our hearts. We are often put into a situation where we love others, sometimes that love comes with surprises, other times we are the surprise. Don’t let the fear of being hurt stop you from jumping out on faith. Trust in the Lord and love like we are taught to love. Make love be something that you do, not something that you feel.

 

 

 

Fighting Insecurities

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Fighting Insecurities

Let’s face it we all have our insecurities about something in this life. Everyone’s different and everyone has their own battles to face. Over the years a particular event has occurred in my life on more then one occasion that has created and cultivated a unfortunate, and disturbing insecurity. I would go as far to say it’s certainly not an endearing or attractive quality. Nevertheless it’s here and fighting back against it is truly a struggle.

An understandable fear of abandonment has settled in and has taken up residence in the deepest part of my mind. With it it’s cousin the insecurity of feeling wanted, or needed. When a message is sent to someone, you know they’ve seen it, and your brain automatically goes to ‘what did I do wrong?’ and ‘am I not important enough to them?’ These things may be true, but the most likely fact is, it’s in our head. My self worth has been in question for some time now. These things the Devil tells you, whispers to you in your darkest hours are thorns in your side.

We must learn to focus on the good things we have to offer in a relationship. Everyone brings something special to a relationship, and thus we are all special. Philippians 4:6-9 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” If we are loved and love, we must learn to lift up our loved. 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” If someone’s important to you, then it’s in that importance you would want to set their fears aside and show them they have nothing to fear. Lift up your partner, lift up your friends, and help fight back against the whispers of the devil.

The number one thing to remember is placing your self worth in others is always a recipe for disaster. No matter what you beat the odds in this life and God has made you just the way he wanted you. Consider why you are unhappy, or why you are insecure. John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” The only thing we should need is the knowledge that Christ loves us just the way we are.

You must learn to trust in yourself and focus on your own gifts. Know what your gifts are and know that they are good enough. If your partner doesn’t see or appreciate them, perhaps there are bigger issues, which may or may not be your fault. A deep internal look at the cause may be warranted to understand and justify, and then overcome.

I believe sharing these with your significant other is important. Be sure to communicate and allow that open line of communication to face the problem head on. There will always be a way to face the insecurities that plague you. Allow yourself to face your insecurities and then you can own up to it, and overcome. Have faith in the Lord and what the Lord created. Each of us has been given gifts and we should focus on those gifts instead of our shortcomings. Romans 12:6-9 “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” Use your gifts. Allow someone to love you for what you have to offer, and fear not for what you do not have. The ice will melt one day and the life preserved, frozen in time, will once again show it’s colors and it’s beauty. Let the ice melt over your heart frozen in time, and warm up to the idea of loving once again.