Tag: jesus

What Color is Your Lightsaber?

thearrowpreacher6 Comments

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?

The Strongest

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

The Strongest

Living day to day is never for the weak. The ability to fight the fight is something that takes time and effort, and a lot of faith. As the strongest are often the ones who take the brunt of the fighting, we must remember that the war is not that of flesh and blood but of principalities, the spiritual plane, the fight for our very souls. We may never fully understand how lucky we are, but if we understand nothing else, we must know God is for us. We may fall and fail our fellow man, and fail ourselves, but in the words of Thomas Wayne “Why do we fall, so we can learn to pick ourselves up.” It’s okay to get knocked down, just always fight to stand again. Be vigilant against the whiles of the Devil. He will sneak and lie, whisper, and deceive to achieve his goal. The great deceiver is always on the hunt to find a chink in the armor. Defend yourself.

Second Chances

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

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.”

Who We Are?

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Who we are?

We are mothers, fathers, brothers, Sisters. We are doctors, retail, manufacturers, security professionals. We are white, Asian, African American, Hispanic. We all come from the same place, we all have a Mom and Dad. We may have fundamental differences in ideologies, but we are all residence of this place. We are all here for a short time. We are all sinners. What makes some people good and some people bad? People who claim Christ as their Lord and Savior can still do bad things. We must understand that we all fall short to the glory of God. No matter what we think, we are children of the king. Perfect in our own way. Created for a purpose. When we are burdened by life’s unfair nature where do we turn? Do we have enough self respect to know that whatever we may look like, whatever we may sound like we are perfect in Gods eyes. We are his creations. God loves us in all of our imperfections but we need to learn to embrace them. Tall or short, glasses or no, freckles or not, handicaps or not, we all all children of the King. Our souls are the most important thing about us. Stop making skin deep judgments. Look at a persons soul. Live as the person Christ would want you to. Stand up to bullies who make fun of what they don’t understand. Rise up against those who prey on the weak. Stand firm against those who would use and abuse others for their own personal gain. If you’re going to be a lion, be a lion for Jesus. We all have insecurities about ourselves. We all wish something would be different, but you are the one in a million and that’s saying something. Who you are can never be duplicated. You are a unique creation and anything that unique is special. Psalm 139:13-14 “You alone created my inner being. You knitted me together inside my mother. I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.” Never underestimate your importance. Isaiah 64:8 “Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Be in tune with God and let him shape you into a warrior for Christ. Psalm 119:73-74 “You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands. May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in your word.” Never loose faith in yourself. Be beautiful inside and people will see the beauty shine from within.

The truth is, this is something I struggle with every day of my life. For years I was ridiculed in school, berated for the way I looked, dressed, even sounded. For years I was tortured in school by bullies. To this day I have lost two wives to affairs. The long-term affects of this heartbreak have forced me into great struggles of self worth and my own self-esteem. As I find myself questioning myself, my own self worth, scripture is my guide and my comfort. I have my faith to guide me. I have my love for Christ, but more importantly, I have love FROM Christ that I know one day my struggle will end. Never forget how important life is, and no matter what happens you are special.

On a personal note, to a friend that offered to help spread the word about this page and showed herself to  be a beautiful lady. Thank you for the kindness!

 

Fighting the Devil one Battle at a Time.

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Fighting the Devil one Battle at a Time.

As a man who has seen war, I myself know the horrors that mankind can create. The sad part is even what I have seen isn’t the worst thing out there. My experiences in war were tame by most standards. The war between men however is nothing compared to the battle going on around us that we cannot see. Every whisper, every pull on a heart to go in the wrong direction in life is part of the fight. The first thing we must understand is no matter what happens to our bodies in this life the true fight is our souls. 2 Corinthians Chapter 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” We all know that the Devil plays games, pulls at our desires, our sinful nature, but what we don’t usually realize is part of the chess match with the devil is also a race against the clock.

Though the end of our life is not known to us, it is to God and we but only one chance to win the war for our very souls. At the end of our life we have only one chance to know in our hearts where our salvation lays. We must lay down our hearts to the lord and protect ourselves from the games of the Devil. Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” The Devil loves to bring chaos to order. Heaven was order, it was created as perfection, and the Devil destroyed that direct link with the God almighty. Trusting in the Lord is always difficult and even more so when we can’t understand our own pain, our own suffering. We don’t understand the testing of faith. The Devil prays on our weak points, our weaknesses in our very heart. When we are given the free will of choice and we choose hate, when we choose cruelty over love, we have lost the battle.

The war is not lost but we cannot loose battle after battle. We cannot give in to those desires, we must not walk that path because the longer we’re on it the more likely we are to continue to scrape away those things in our heart that point us to God. We must not let the darkness within take hold. We must take every situation into account and know when to put on the Armor and go to battle. The war ends the day we die for us anyway. The clock ticks on our lives and as a time bomb always goes off and finds it’s target, death always gets it’s prize. How do we welcome death? Is it as an old friend, and enemy, an opponent in a game of cat and mouse? It seems to me we should embrace life to make the most out of it, to spread the Gospel as much as we can, but when the time comes be so comfortable in the life you’ve live, the love you’ve shared, the scripture you’ve learned and used that you welcome death because the juice is worth the squeeze. Heaven is the end of the war, the end for those who live faithfully. The end may come at any time, and as we never know when the battle ends, when the war ends, what side of the war are you on? What team do you play for? As for me, I’m team Jesus.

Finding Courage

thearrowpreacher2 Comments

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.

Quenching Your Thirst

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Quenching Your Thirst

As the weather gets warmer we will undoubtedly be working outside, playing outside, going out into the sun. The average person can go without any kind of liquid for 3 days, some have gone as much as 6 or 7 days but that’s rare. The ability to drink liquids is so important. We must stay hydrated or our vital organs will start to shut down. What does this have to do with Christ? As we know Christ said at the last supper “Take this cup, and drink, for this is the blood of my body, which will be given up for you.” When we drink from the blood of Christ we thirst no more. John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

As Christians something we have a tendency to do is want and want. We rarely are satisfied with what we have. We are rarely satisfied with the newest and greatest for long before we envy what others have, we covet the things we don’t have or what we want. We can think about these things as Lust. “Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” If you drink of an earthly cup you will never be fulfilled. If we are always thinking things could be better, the grass could be greener we will never respect what we have right in front of us. 2 Cor. 12:9-10 “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” …Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” These things can be said for money matters and how we spend what we don’t have, spend our hard earned money on shiny baubles, things that would make us happy. This can also be said for marriage and relationships.

Why do some people cheat? Why are some people unfaithful? Why do we look with lust towards others? The answer is simple we fall short on Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” If we cannot find joy in the gifts God has given to us we will always want more. We must learn to be grateful for what we have. Respect our gifts and pray for change according to Gods will. Luke 12:15 “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” The water we drink will always leave us to thirst, the ash in our mouths never to satisfy as the food we eat. Only the blood and bread of Christ will satisfy. We must learn to give thanks. Colossians 3:5 “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:” Satisfy your lust, to love Christ. Satisfy your thirst by the blood of Christ, and your hunger by the body of Christ. Love your wives, love your husbands, but never put one greater then that of God. God must be the number 1 in your life. Proverbs 3:6 “ In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.”

 

Rearview Mirror

thearrowpreacher2 Comments

Don’t let your rearview mirror be bigger then the windshield. We all have regrets and mistakes, missed opportunities. Today, leave the past where it is. Love conquers all, forgive others, forgive yourself. Hug your wives, your husbands, your parents and your children. Dont let yesterday ruin your day. We never know how much time we have. Life is short and only God knows the whole plan.

Matthew 6:34 ‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’

Sword forged in fire

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Sword forged in fire

When a sword is made in the traditional sense it is placed in fire, pounded, shaped, heated, cooled, pounded on more. It’s no surprise that scripture teaches us how our faith is tempered. Just as the sword it placed in fire and pounded, our faith is also tested in a similar fashion. James 1:2-4 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” When life is hard, when spiritual warfare is well underway, those of faith are tested on the spiritual battlefield. We don’t always know why bad things happen, we don’t always know why our lives can go from what seems like long stretches of happiness to spin out of control to chaos. Isaiah 48:10 “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” When King David was a young boy he made a name for himself by killing Goliath with nothing but a sling. David would spend the next 20 years running for his life, fighting for it, his faith being tested over and over. Just as David would have to trust in God, believe God’s intentions would always be in the promise that was made to David to be King. The number of times the testing of faith is mentioned in scripture is many. Deuteronomy 8:2-5 “You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. “Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.” It’s easy to say you have faith when life is love and roses. When you’re all alone and it seems like tomorrow will never come. When life has you at your lowest, when depression and pain is all you feel, that’s when your faith, when God will peer into your heart and see what’s truly there. 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes being beaten, shipwrecked, threatened, on the run from those who meant to kill him, and yet while Paul was facing execution during his imprisonment he wrote some of the most influential letters in the Bible. His faith was tested to the max. Job lost everything he held most dear and he survived knowing that God loved him. Gods grace, mercy, and love are all some people have. Through the fire we are forged. Never forget no matter how bad it seems, through the Lord all things are possible and all wounds can be healed. Learn to trust in the Lord and let go of the pain and hate that fill your heart.

Fighting Anxiety and Fear

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

I was asked recently why I kept my social anxiety a secret. As it was said to me recently my levels of anxiety probably saved my life in Iraq. The tough part I suppose is knowing how to flip the switch on and off. When someone suffers from anxiety the ramifications can be almost to much to bare. Proverbs 12:25 “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Often being in or around crowds is difficult. Not being able to provide my own security, my own ability to feel comfortable is compromised. For so long it was my life to rely on others. It’s difficult to change the mindset once it’s in place. Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” When struggling as I have, diving into the word does alleviate some of the stress, some of the struggles.

What does it mean to be afraid? What does it mean to fear the things others find so easy? When the thought of going out into public alone comes up, the feeling of my chest pounding, quick shallow breaths, a throbbing in my temples is an undesirable occurrence. James 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Paul who suffered long wrote many of the most well known books in the bible. Finding peace is not to replace ones feelings, it’s not that easy, but as it’s written in Philippians 4:11-13 “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Never stop fighting. Never let the world force you to give up or loose hope. Wherever you go, God is walking along side you. As we all bare our own burdens, we don’t have to bare them alone. Allow your brothers and sisters to help bare that burden. Give your heartache, your troubles to the Lord and never give up.