Soldier for God – The Arrow Preacher

A Line In The Dark

My God, I know you’re near, but I struggle to feel you. My God, I need a hero today, to come into my heart and show me the way, and to save me today. My God you hear me in the night, you know my heart, and you see my tears. I stain the pillow and I wrap it around my face to muffle my scream. I feel so much I can’t bottle it up anymore. So long I hid away the deepest feelings of my heart, and one day they exploded in a moment of weakness. I don’t know how to manage today with so much bubbling up. I know you’re there, but I feel lost in my own night. I sense the evil around me, circling like a pack of hyenas. I can hear the laughing in the dark, the cries of pain, the joy of the suffering; sounds from the cold dark shadows fill the air. I feel the dirt covering me as my body disappears under the ground, my arm outstretched waiting for a hero to grab my hand.

Where’s your inner strength come from when the world collapses down upon you? Can you hear the cries in the dark, can you fill the Nile with the tears you’ve spent in the darkness? I say to you, it’s time to stand with the resistance and fight back. It’s time to stand tall on your faith, and it’s time to dig in your spiked sandals and find the strength blessed by God, paid for by Jesus. Scream aloud as you take no more. Own your life, be the masters of your heart over the Devils attacks. It’s time to rise above, and burst out from the ground Satan tries to bury you in. The Devil wants your heart and it’s time to cry out in a voice, ‘you can pry my heart from my cold dead chest, after I’ve ascended to Heaven!” You’re a soldier, you’re a winner, you’re of royal blood, and the Devil can’t keep you. Be a warrior, and fight back with every ounce of strength you have. We ware for our minds, but never our souls. Our souls belong to the Lord, and though we are pushed, and beaten, the gift cannot be undone. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NKJV)3 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”

My Lord you are my strength when my own fails. You are my guide when I loose my way. The ledge approaches as I dig in my feet, my knees to the ground, and the shield surrounded by fire as the attacks come. The arrows from the enemy fly all around me, and I know the cavalry is on its way. I cannot give up while the blood spilt for me. I’m not going to die tonight, as I will continue to fight. The world says give up, the world says I’m not good enough, the storm says I’m not strong enough, but I know it’s time to fight back. It’s never enough to just hide away from the storm, but it’s time to get back up and take the fight to the storm. How will it feel to take your life back, and stand up to the demons that make you afraid in the night. The sword we hold, the sword of the spirit that is stronger then any steel.

Ephesians 6:10-18(NKJV)10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”

Tonight the line must be drawn here, this far, no farther. The Lord’s vengeance is long lasting, and when you feel the anger bubbling inside of you from what the Devil has wrought on you and your house, remember that peace is knowing the Lord is in control. Romans 12:19 (NKJV) “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.” The fight comes to our lives, but we hold the ground. We take the line, and we never give up the ground. God might seem so far away, but trust that you’re never alone. Some tests the child needs to face on their own, but that doesn’t mean Abba isn’t there. Tonight when the demons come around light up the dark with the presence of the Lord. Call upon father and the angels will come forth and help hold the line. You shall never be on the battlefield alone, and tonight you can hold on till the dawn comes. Don’t let the demons take you tonight, and don’t give up for as long as you breath there’s always hope.

I thought I couldn’t hear you Lord, but it was me that wasn’t listening. I thought I was alone, but it was me that wasn’t looking. I thought I was broken inside but it was just the world. I prayed you’d come, but I wouldn’t open the door. I listened to all the wrong voices, I trusted the wrong signs, but now it’s time to rise, my old self dies away, the line drawn and fight for what I know is truth. As Picard said “We’ve made too many compromises already, too many retreats. They invade our space, and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds, and we fall back. Not again! The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!” I cannot stand by and do nothing as the Devil gains ground all around me. The compromising has become a plague, and it’s time to rise as a soldier, and I know the time for retreats is over. It’s time to make the choice to do what is right over what is easy. Tonight, rise a soldier, and raise the sword of the God, and fight back. I will not stay on the defensive anymore. I have allowed to many to drain my happiness, my kindness, and I’ve wasted too much time on those that would only do me harm. Satan’s whispers in the dark will not draw me out unprepared any longer. I will be taking back my life that was stolen from me so long ago. I’ve been on the run so many years, no more. From the ashes a new creature is born. Satan burned my life down trying to destroy me, but instead of removing me from the chessboard, I am stronger, more determined then ever to fight back. My faith, my strength, my battle cry lights up the darkness, like the power of Odin coming down from the sky, but the power of Jesus Christ is unmatched. The demons flea from me, as the battle cry is for Jesus to grant me strength. I cannot loose because it’s my faith, my love of Christ, and I cannot be bought, or broken. The future is hope, and eternal paradise awaits the faithful. My shield is close, my sword is sharp, and I’m ready to fight. Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Don’t Be a Coward

It’s not easy following God’s plan, or the path in front of you. I have spent a long time trying to fit in with the crowd yet no matter how much I’ve tried I never quite did. Recently however, I found my place in a new crowd, and let go of some of my outer defenses. By the end of the week I was nicknamed preacher, and by the end of the weak I’d realized one thing, I became courageous. We are soldiers, every last one of us. We were made to be courageous, and we were made to fight a war. Every day the Devil wins a new soul, yet our fight doesn’t end with our own personal salvation. I would say the day we are saved is when the real fight begins. It’s time we stand up, and we get out of the shadows we’ve been hiding in for far too long. It’s time to realize who the true enemy is, and take the fight to him. Step out of your comfort zone and know that in all things God will make you strong, God will give you the courage, the strength to do whatever he, The Great I AM, wishes of you. I stayed in the shadows afraid to make my faith known for fear of being rebuked. I now realize that the thing that was missing in my life was the thing I had all along. Accepting my place in this world wasn’t being accepted by the people I was surrounded by, but accepting that I am not sheep, but a Shepard. God has called upon me to speak and preach his Holy Word. It’s me that he has called to stand tall, stand proud, and proclaim the word of God. I am humbled by the opportunities He has given to me to expand my voice as I proclaim the truth in ways others enjoy reading. When I finally accepted my roll, finally allowed myself to hear what God’s been saying all along, I had an overwhelming sense of peace. My own Odyssey wasn’t to find or make friends even though I did along the way, it was to find me, it was to find who I am meant to be. When I say I was transformed I cannot overstate the pure raw power I found within that single week.

Months ago I found a song that rang truth in my ears, and I sang it over and over again. I couldn’t hear the words I was singing. I couldn’t see the message that God had sent to me. I was blogging, and I was telling the word, and yet, I felt alone, lost and afraid. I couldn’t see that it wasn’t the world that was holding me back, it was me that couldn’t see how I fit into the world. I was holding back from God afraid to go into the deep end. I was afraid that if I let go of my fear and doubts, I would be mocked, ridiculed, and hated for my stance. In the years I’ve been a Christian I am finding now, it is I, myself that’s been my own worst enemy. The Devil’s lies would be strong, and I would be to weak to stand against them. I believed the lie and even more then believing the lie, I began years ago to live in that lie. I knew I didn’t fit it with my friends, my family, even the women I would love. I would know I was worthless, and a fraud, a poser, a coward. I believed the lies so much that in every aspect of my life I lived the lie. The old saying is true, that when you lie to yourself long enough you begin to believe it. It was no different with me, I believed I was a waist of flesh, and I didn’t deserve anything. I was a nobody lost in the waves, tossed around lost in my own pain. I wasn’t fit to wear the filthy rags of a beggar on the street. The truth was I am no one, without God we are nothing. The God who created the Heavens and the Earth says I am someone, I am his child. The King of all creation, and I was made for a purpose. I was created with love, and I live to serve, to not be a slave to this world, but the Shepard to leave the comforts of home to find lost sheep. I was not created to be a pastor, but I was created to spread and share the great news of Jesus Christ. I know where I belong and it’s to be in Heaven one day with the Father, but until that day comes, it’s my place to reach as many people as I can as often as possible.

The Devil wants me to fail; he wants me to loose hope, to distract me from the mission. For so long I was afraid to step out from that boat, and now when the Devil whispers in my ear I’m not strong enough to withstand the storm, I now whisper back ‘I am the storm.’ I challenge you all to find your courage to stand up and be loud and proud. We all have our gifts, and every last one of us can be a soldier for Christ. Do not be afraid of the Devil because he can’t do anything to remove your salvation. Do not be afraid of death for we all must meet our maker someday so even if the Devil puts me on the fast path to death, that just means I get to go home sooner. The voice of truth says do not be afraid, do not be dismayed for the Lord is with you. The voice of truth says the war is won, the Devil just doesn’t know it yet. Allow your pain and suffering to fuel your faith, to stand taller, to yell as loud as you can that the living waters of the Holy Spirit have washed you creating a new creation. Don’t just say what people want to hear, say what they need to hear. Don’t be a yes man, do what’s right. Sometimes doing what’s right is to say no. The Lord has seen fit to wash away the doubt I held in my heart, and the transformation within me has been nothing short of a miracle.

I’m not a perfect man, but I strive to have my Father be proud of me. I strive for God to be pleased in what I say and what I do. I’ve seen the way I was, and the way I am, and that feeling of not fitting in was washed away. I know I will fail, and I know I will fall, but I know God will forgive my shortcomings, and I know that God will love me enough to scold me when I’m wrong, reward me when I’m good, and will over a hand when I need it. God is always with me, and I know now that sometimes being a believer in Christ may make me an outsider with man, but I will fit right in when I go home. When I expire I will leave this world, and leave this broken body for a life of beauty and perfection. I will be given a new perfect body where I will be beautiful and accepted for me. My journey didn’t end at my Odyssey, no, it was just the beginning, it was my beginning. I hope to stand tall, and stand proud proclaiming the one truth anyone will ever need. I will be attacked in the coming days, weeks, and years, by the Devil who will try to break me. I know the battle was won, but the war for me is far from over. Like so many greats before me, I could only dream of standing as tall as them. David, Esther, Moses, Paul, any of them I would gladly set as my inspiration to become more like. Each struggled with their own failings, but God has made ordinary people into legends. While I have no belief I will be remembered as a legend, I know that I can at the very least offer to leave this world a better place then where I found it. With every breath I take I now know my true place in this world. Hallelujah to the one above who helped me cut the last tie to a scared boy.

Zephaniah 3:17 “17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” The Lord created you, gave you life, and in that life inlaid gifts, talents, and a soul to love. God loved us so much that in an act of love sacrificed his only son, to spare us the pain of total separation from the Father. Romans 5:8 “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” It’s this love we see the true sacrifice made. We are not saved by works, but through God alone. Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” We are to live like Christ, and in that we are told to share and preach the Gospel. To gather followers, and baptize the world in the Holy Spirit, so we must be willing to follow as Christ walked. John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Do not just stand by and watch, get out there and get ready for the long road. We cannot stay in the shallow ends if we are to be the Shepard in Christ. Ready yourselves with the armor of God Ephesians 6:10-18. Stand tall, and find your courage. The world may hate you, friends may turn their backs on you, but God, God will never forsake you. I want to be remembered when I die for being a Godly man, who fought the good fight. I want to leave behind a legacy of Godly children who follow in dad’s footsteps. But if I’m a coward and I run from danger, I run away with fear in my heart, I’ll never achieve greatness. If I am to achieve any real measure of success it must be before the Lord all mighty, not the standards of man. Stand tall, and be courageous in your walk with the Lord. Do not be afraid if you stray a little along the way, God will help you back on course. The promise made by God is a tab that’s already been paid. The Blood of Christ spilt so our sins may be forgiven and that relationship with God no longer divided. Believe in yourself because God believes in you.