Tag: god

Don’t Let Life Pass You By

thearrowpreacher19 Comments

Don’t Let Life Pass You By

So many times in life we miss opportunities or chances to do things we want. When opportunities in life slip through our fingers the regrets that are left behind can be powerful. It’s hard to ‘live life’ without regrets. Sometimes we regret doing things, or regret not doing things. It’s tough though struggling with your decision one way or another. We can’t let ourselves be directed by fear, or controlled by indecision.

There are a vast number of things we regret not doing, we don’t kiss the girl, we don’t sky dive, we don’t ask out that boy we like, we don’t try out for the position or ask for the raise we want. What prevents us from reaching out is fear, fear of rejection, ridicule, or failure. There are a lot of sad truths out there but we rarely swing for the fence afraid of striking out. When we are too scared to try, we will never succeed.

James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

 Do not be foolish with the gifts God has given to you, but don’t be afraid to take risks either. To be a leader takes courage and risks. As Captain Kirk said to Captain Harriman “Risk is part of the game, you want to sit in that chair.” We only know how far we can go if we take the risks to get there. We don’t know where the frontier is and the great things we can accomplish if we don’t step out of our comfort zone. One of my favorite songs ‘What if I gave everything; by Casting Crowns’ “So afraid of what it might cost to follow you. I’d walk by faith if I could get these feet to move.”

 2 Corinthians 5:7 7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” If we gave it our all, our best every day, if we learn to take risks, and learned to swim beyond what we felt was far enough, fear wouldn’t control us.

In this life we only get one shot sometimes to be great, to get the girl, to get the job, to have the experience of a lifetime. We must learn to fly. Romans 8:31 “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” If God is on our side the worst that can happen is failure, rejection. It’s in those times we learn the most. We cannot live in fear, we cannot live in doubt, so take a chance, and see how far you can get. Greatness starts with that first step outside your door, but you have to take that chance. No time like the present. Everything in this life takes work to get. Follow by faith.

Take Aim

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Take Aim

The Devil targets the strongest of Gods warriors to try and break them down, break the bond with God. The Devil is relentless, never resting to destroy all we have worked for. The mistakes we can make can change our lives forever. The Devil can only win if when he knocks you to the mat you stay down. Draw that breath, and like an arrow, when life draws you back, prepare to fly by never giving up. Never surrender to the Devil and always draw your bow and shoot forward. Dig in your boots and prepare for the storm. If God is for us who then will be against us. Take aim and like your arrows, you can fly through the air to hit your target. Gods love and grace is where our aim should be. We may not always hit our target, we may not always be able to withstand the attack and stay on our feet, but with the whole armor that our Lord and Savior has given us we too can stand as soldiers for God. We can fight the fight everyday. When you get knocked down, never be afraid to extend your hand to God to help lift you back up. God will never leave you, God will never forsake you. God loves his children.

The Rain

thearrowpreacher4 Comments

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.”

The J Path

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

The J Path

 Traveling down the wooded trail, notice the sun coming through the trees. The chirping of the birds and crickets, the leaves that blow gently in the wind can be heard as it fills the senses. The beauty of what can be seen all around, the colors of green, and brown, some yellows, and even oranges light up the eyes. The smell of the woods, a hint of water, a hint of dandelion, leaves, and other scents that we may or may not know.

Where are we going? What are we doing on this trail? What’s the goal, the point? How does the trail seem? Is it rocky, is it full of tree roots, what does the canopy look like? From my path I can only see a little blue in the sky. The canopy is think and full. The choice of left or right, high or low, the choice is simple. Even if the path of the most resistance is the J path that’s what I follow. For every day the path may become harder to traverse. The path may seem at first to be scary, and impassible, but the truth is nothing can stop us. When we feel like we can’t get passed the trees, when we feel like the brush is too much, cry out to the J man as ask for the path to be cleared.

The J Path, the path to Jesus is the only path through the woods. When the wolves come around and taunt us to leave the trail, when we are asked to defend our faith, when we are rebuked for our beliefs, are you strong enough to stand up and fight for Mr. J? Jesus knows we aren’t perfect. He knows we will fail at times. Jesus knows that some days the strength we have may falter. Do not be ashamed for what you believe in. Stand up and let it be known. The day may come when faith is outlawed, when uttering the word Jesus may be taboo and those who do may find themselves facing criminal charges. We cannot back away from our path. Find your way. Don’t loose sight of the right and wrong. The path to Mr. J is the only path worth taking. That path may not be the earthly feel good path, but everlasting life sure seems better then a few moments of bliss on earth. Just remember walk far enough on the path, and the sun will shine through.

When People Give

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

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.

Hosanna

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Hosanna

God you’ve healed my soul. You let me walk through that open door, and you’ve given me the gift of Heaven. Let me live this life till you choose to call me home. Let me save lives, let me give the word to those who need it, let me show others the path. Give me the grace of the angels with me and let me have the patience to follow through. Let me hear the music of the heavens. I fall to my knees and pray your sweet name. I pray to heal this broken heart of mine, and to know tomorrow’s new day brings a new canvas. Hallelujah my Lord, praise you Hosanna in the highest. Let me tighten my Armor so that I may defend against the lies and deceit that flood my mind and heart. Let me be quicker, let me outsmart the enemy, let me out draw the enemy. Let my arrow fly straight, let my compass guide me by the light at night. Keep my boots dry and my lips moist with the blood of Christ. God you sent me to this world full of so much trouble let me stay true to the course. You sent me, you saved me, God you did something, you created me. Let my sun rise remind me that your Son did Rise, the beauty of a new day always.

We Can Only Imagine

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

We Can Only Imagine

We can only imagine how life will be tomorrow. We can never fully prepare for the war that awaits us, or the absolute joy around the corner. We can never imagine how our lives will change day to day, but what we find is ourselves loving Jesus for the promise at the end of the race. We have been promised the best gift of all and during the path to get there we will cry, we will laugh, but when we finally get home we will be in the aww of God, we will fall to our knees and sing praises to the one true King. We can only imagine what the greatness will be like, we can only imagine how eternity will be. We can only guess what tomorrow will bring, we can only imagine those who will hurt us. We can only imagine those who will fall before us, those will rise to the call and we only have our eternal hope in the Lord. What will you do with the one life we have? Will you use it to lift up those around you, or will you use it for your own personal selfish gains? Some people live only for themselves, they don’t care who they hurt. Some people live to hurt others, while some live to praise the Lord, give him all the Glory. Be one of those, be a lion amongst the lambs. Be a soldier by living in the light. Show others the grace and love. Don’t hurt others in the pursuits of your own happiness. Be that someone that God uses to bring joy and light to the world. Be that warrior be that example. Be the reflection to the best of your ability of Christ. Love like we were taught, forgive as we were commanded.

The Battle Rages On

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

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?

The Passage of Time

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

The Passage of Time

It’s amazing isn’t it how some days seem to fly by, but some days drag on? When you’re alone in isolation the clicking of that clock can seem slow, barely moving at all it seems. The perception concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” It’s hard for us puny humans to except that time is both linear and perceptive.

When time is so finite how do we manage it? When life is going great and wonderful what are we doing with the time we are given? When life is terrible and full of sorrow, how are we managing it? I myself sit at home and often feel low and down about my situation. Spending much of my time in non-voluntary solitude, I find that as long as I am using my time wisely, as long as I’m still doing God’s work, I can emotionally manage the struggle. Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” We are always so worried about getting stuff done, so worried about not having enough time to do everything in a day.

Have you ever thought about what happens when time runs out? Have you ever thought about when our time is up on this Earth, have we completed everything we wanted, have we live like we wanted too, have we seen the world, or did we squander the most precious gift we have, life/time. There have been many times in my life when I saw time slip by me, as the day should have turned into a forever sleep, but by the grace of God, time didn’t catch up to me on those days.

Some people are afraid of time. Some people are afraid to get older, but it’s been my experience that most of the time people who age also grow in wisdom. In many cultures to live to old age is to become a village elder. We should understand that time can be a friend. We often want time to go by more slowly, or more quickly, but what if we actually got to the point in our lives that we embraced exactly what time was for us because it’s God’s plan. James 4:14 “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” We cannot worry about tomorrow for time is fleeting. Time is not always a friend to us when we are alone, and scared. Rejoice in the great times we have. Proverbs 27:1 “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”

 When we have companionship it seems time goes by so quick. The joy we have not being alone, being with someone we love, being loved in return. When that time has passed however, the time alone seems so long indeed. Being with someone for 10 years, then that time is gone, 7 months feels and seems like an eternity. The Lord teaches us patience, but it’s difficult. The nights feel like ages, reaching for someone that doesn’t exist anymore. The time it takes to recover from heartbreak is different for everyone, but how that time is spent is distinctive to each person. As for me in the past I’ve had friends to get me out of the house, take me out, introduce me to new people. This time however has not gone smoothly. 7 months I’m told is not a long time. How do they come up with that? How does someone assume to know what is or is not a long time for you? The perception of the passage of time largely depends on how we feel about the moment. There’s a difference between being okay alone, and wanting to be. There’s also a big difference in being single, and being alone. Most people have a vast number of friends there for them to get them out of the house, to help them heal. What if you don’t have that? What is 48 hours in isolation verses 48 hours of parties? When someone tells you their weekends went by too fast, do you judge them on their passage of time? When someone spends 48 hours in a cell for 48 hours do you tell him or her it’s not that long? Who are we to judge how someone should feel? Who are we to tell someone how much time should pass for them to be okay? Before you judge someone, before you pass advice, perhaps you should take the time and ask how they feel, get to know their perception, and try to walk a mile in their shoes. Maybe that mile might seem longer when you try to understand. It’s best to have compassion. Have a little companion for the suffering of others. Understand that sometimes the hurt goes deeper then you may know. Pain is a tricky thing, and the amount of time it takes for that pain to go away even the shortest of times to ‘you’ could be an eternity for someone else. Don’t judge what you don’t fully understand.

We may sit in isolation, or sit in a group of friends. No matter the situation and how uncomfortable or enjoyable it may be, know that God is in control and we are precisely where we need to be. Have faith always.

Emergency Preparedness Kit

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Emergency Preparedness Kit

 I enjoy hiking and camping. I love going out into the woods and seeing what nature has to offer. To be surrounded by all of Gods glory what does it mean to you? Some people hate the idea of being in the woods. The bugs, the heat, the humidity, some people just hate it. Me, I thrive on walking in the woods, going on hikes, long and short. It’s not the hike itself we’re going to talk about today; it’s being prepared for it.

When I was in Iraq I was known for one thing and that was being prepared for as many contingencies as possible. I would consider as many outcomes of a mission as possible and I would pack my bag with as many things I could carry that I thought would be needed. When I go hiking I do the same. My boots, my belt, my emergency kit in my bag, my hand held GPS, my binoculars, fire starters, mirrors, even as much as my Phoenix strobes (night vision strobes). I try to plan for as much as possible. What happens if I fall and break or sprain something? What happens if I get turned around and lost in the woods? What happens if something bites me? What do I do if the worst-case scenario happens? Will I be prepared for it? How do you go about preparing yourself for the worst-case scenario?

When I am getting ready for my hike I think about where I’m going. I think about the weather for the next 24 hours. I think about the amount of water I would need, how long could I go without food? I consider what kind of terrain I’m walking and what I can do for shelter or long term water. I have everything in a pack I can carry. I always have a little extra water, I always have a few extra protein bars, and I always tell someone where I’m going. Not everyone plans ahead as I do.

It’s always a good idea to plan ahead because Private Murphy is always lurking around the corner. What can go wrong, will go wrong. And sadly it usually does. As many times as I’ve gone hiking, or out playing around in the wilderness so far I’ve never needed the emergency kit, but for the same reason I take it day in and day out on my travels, why do we keep insurance on homes or cars? It’s not a matter of if it’ll happen, but what if it does and you aren’t prepared for it. I would rather have it and never use it, then need it and not have it. I have insurance on my home, but pray to God I never have to use it.

What does all this have to do with God? Matthew 24:44 “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Will you be ready when the wolf growls at your door? Will you be ready when Satin decides it’s your time? The Devil will find you when you least expect it, and that’s when the enemy will attack you. 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” The day may come when the fight comes to you, are you faithful in the Lord to withstand the attacks? The power of the Word Of God, is how we prepare. God is my Emergency preparedness Kit. Through God I can withstand the attacks by the wicked one. It’s not about wishing the fight will never come it’s about being able to fireproof, to guard and withstand the flaming arrows. The fight will come one day, the battles will happen whether you like it or not. Matthew 25:13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Police officers wear body armor knowing that have it but pray they never need it. As such we have the tools to do so also. Ephesians 6:11 “11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”

When the day comes I hope your emergency kit is solid and ready to go. As for mine, I have my kit for hiking, and for life, I have my God. God is my emergency preparedness kit.