A TRUE FATHER

This post will be very different from my normal “warrior” posts. On Saturday, I received word that my father had passed. Before you go sympathizing, please know that this is a man that I met only twice as an adult. I’m sure buried in my brain is some remembrance of him when I was young. I was adopted when I was either 4 or 6 (depends on which story I believe). One of my sisters introduced him to me when I did my birth mothers’ funeral. The second time was when I did my sisters’ funeral. Neither was a suitable place for a family reunion! The second time, I sat at the table with him and his sister at the Legion Hall. He didn’t speak a word to me. He was physically abusive to all 3 of us boys, but supposedly didn’t lay a hand on the girls. I remember none of this.

Each of you have stories and memories of growing up. Some are good stories and some of you were raised in a horrid environment. Evil has done some of its’ best work in the very institution that God ordained from the beginning as good! I was raised for the most part by my Gran. She was used by a loving God to show me what love – unconditional love really is. I learned at her knee that first off, there really was a God; a God who wanted to be very personally involved in a committed, loving relationship with me!..ME!..the feisty, messed up, closed off and untrusting little whelp! Wow!

I try to be a student of God’s Word and through the years have learned a thing or two. I know well that God is a holy, exacting and righteous God who hates evil and did the only thing possible to provide a way for all of us to be re-connected with Him who created us – created us for one reason: to be utterly connected with Him. I know He is saddened when we do wrong and break away from Him. I also know, though, that my namesake, King David wrote in the Psalms that God is a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows(Psalm 68:6). The first time I ever read that, I wept uncontrollably. I never had a father! That verse meant me! My adoptive dad was also abusive and emotionally distant. I yearned with all that was in me for one who would accept me, teach me, counsel me and guide me. Guess what? The Bible proves out every single one of those requirements! I readily acknowledge that God is Almighty, holy and all powerful. BUT…He does not sit in some throne room “up there” somewhere! He lovingly invited me to crawl up in His lap, feel His arms around me and hear Him tell me that He loves me so much that He gave His only son to take on my sin and die so I can be free to surrender my life to Him!  I have a DAD!! He has been and always will be the only Dad I ever needed. He knew me even before I was born. There is a song that has come to mean so much to me over the last while that sums up all this truth. Please listen to it. Even if you had an awesome father when you were growing up. God is indeed a good, good Father!

 

LET FREEDOM RING!

Song of Solomon 2:15-17 English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁵ Catch the foxes^[a] for us,
    the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
    for our vineyards are in blossom.”

This may appear to be an odd way to start a post about freedom! Permit me also to say right off that this is NOT a political post! Most of us, I’m sure think we have a pretty good idea of what freedom is. Many of you that read this live in a nation of relative freedom (compared to some rather  well known despotically ruled nations). If you are like me, though, we live under the assumption and can’t really display it. I am a free citizen in a “democratically ruled” country. I know there are laws that even though a free citizen, I must obey. I, like many who read this are also free in another sense – free from sin’s curse! I will talk more about that in a minute. In the nation just south of me, they have a storied history of the fight for freedom. The nation began with those who fled religious persecution and wanted to be free to worship how they believed God was leading them to believe. Soon others would venture out to live in freedom – freedom to make a better way for themselves etc. They came from every nation under the sun. In the harbour of the city that many arrived at stood a statue ( later on in 1884) that stated the following:

Yet another nation was founded as a penal colony! Only the condemned, the “dregs of society” were sent there. Today, it is a FREE nation of citizens that deplore criminal behaviour. We love the idea of freedom. Wars have been fought to secure it. Songs have “freedom’s theme”. There is one area though, that every single nation on this planet, has a very low percentage of freedom from – SIN! The verse that I started this post with is addressing that. The Bible is full of references to this seldom preached about subject. It is not a nice topic, so many preachers won’t touch it. Without a doubt, I know that when one studies the history of humankind, it is quite evident that we are a mess. Crime, hatred, persecution, enslavement of many forms, are but a few proofs that there IS evil in this world. Sin enslaves. Oh I’m sure, if some who are not Christians, and have actually read this far, will say they are not a slave. Really? Can you freely stop lying, hating, cheating etc etc. Can any of us say that we are totally pure, and right in God’s sight? No! Oh most of us can stay clear of the big sins (at least that is how we categorize them) We don’t murder, we don’t abuse, we don’t do this or we don’t do that – but we do! All of them – in some form or another. We live in a day and age where what the Bible calls wrong (read sin) is increasingly being accepted as right. If I dare speak out about these, then I’m castigated for being politically insensitive or discriminating. Like that verse from the wisest man on earth says, it is the “little foxes” that ruin the vineyard of our life.

Because I freely, of my own volition (yes I agree that it is the Spirit of God that moves us to repentance) choose to surrender to Jesus Christ, I am declared FREE! I no longer suffer under the holy and just penalty for being a rebel against God – in other words, a sinner.

There are many other verses in the Bible that talk about our freedom that was bought by Christ’s death on the cross. I am now free to worship my King, serve my King and live in His amazing grace.  I love the following verse so much:

Romans 8:1-4 English Standard Version (ESV)

Life in the Spirit

8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.^{[a] 2} For the law of the Spirit of life has set you^[b] free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. ³ For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,^[c] he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

People! We are free from sin’s curse, but also from its’ grip on our lives. Live like you are free! Stop letting the “little foxes” sneak into your life and trip you up. Not one single person – be they secular or saint, pastor or layperson, can dictate how you are to live. Only ONE authority is who I serve under. In the military, I had many who could tell me how to live, serve and act. Though I am accountable today to obey the laws of the land, I am not answerable to one single person for my conduct. Yes! a fellow believer can in love come alongside me and encourage me or even admonish me in areas that I have to clean up. The key phrase there is “in love”.

What am I trying to say in all of this? We all yearn to be free. It is written in every fiber of our being. I am only truly free to experience all that God plans for each of us, when I freely choose to surrender my rebellious heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. What a paradox! Listen to the words of this song that I will post. We all hurt, we all feel the lash of criticism. We aren’t free from pain or grief or tragedy. We can be free from its’ eternal price though! In the meantime, freely choose to serve one another, encourage one another and when prompted by God, even lovingly admonish one another to do better for Him. Live in such a way that the freedom in Christ He gives totally screams “Let FREEDOM ring!!!!”

ARE YOU A “BUTTER BAR”?

Most pastors today are “butter bars”! Huh? you ask. I am sure many of you have no idea what a butter bar is. In the military, a new 2nd Lieutenant, freshly out of RMC or St. Jean ( this is in Canada); or West Point or VMI in the US, are referred to as butter bars because of the single gold bar signifying their rank of 2nd Lieutenant. They have all the knowledge of being an officer but no experience. The poor ones come in a cock of the walk and the price can be very costly to the squads! The good ones come in and take the time to talk with and more importantly, listen to the wily, seasoned senior sergeants. With that kind of leadership, the “team” grows and they will follow that officer through hell itself!

What has happened in the church? Before I go any further, let me say that not all “pastors” are ordained. I know of brothers and sisters in Christ that are called to that and serve among the flock of the Master in many areas – worship, prayer, encouragement etc. They help the sheep grow and tend to the needs of us when we are weak or sick. When a pastor leads (or in fact doesn’t!!) the flock by being dictatorial, stand-offish, doctrinally weak or just plain unapproachable; seemingly not seeing the hurting or worse, the unsaved and doesn’t tend to that, then the whole flock can be adversely affected.

For me, I can’t help but equate this to my training. I was never an officer. I had to follow the orders of those above me and implement said orders to those under my care. In a firefight or mission, those orders, if impractical or simply lousy could get people killed! You may think I’m being overly drastic. Sorry, but I see spiritual death of people in the flock as being even more serious!

Jesus told ALL the disciples – when He spoke to Peter. We are all called to minister – to lay down our lives (our wants needs and priorities) for those among us. I watch some I admire and love, do that on a daily basis. I’ve witnessed pastors who not only encourage, but enlist those with gifts – prophetic, worship, hospitality etc. and isn’t threatened by their involvement. I’ve also watched with sadness through the years  -both pastoring as well as being a member of a church family, pastors who control, manipulate or neglect the feeding of the sheep.

All I’m trying to say is that we can’t congratulate ourselves for being in the light if others remain in the dark. We can’t ignore the hurting, the weak or the problem sheep and simply go on our own mission (agenda) while the flock suffers. We are in the firefight or our lives right now. This world is becoming increasingly evil. If you “pastor”, spend most of your time with the Great Shepherd so that you can learn how to listen and lead. Spend time with believers who have been in the trenches and on the front line. Learn from them. Be humble enough to have them teach you; so you in turn, can teach others.

 

LEAVE THE FUZZY TEDDY BEAR!!..It has no place in your ruck!

THIS is your life:

Do you see it? Yep, your “life” is that full rucksack on view there. That is it. Everything that is needed and NOTHING that is not. Time and time again, I have been given parallels between my military service and now my service as a warrior for the King of Kings.  Comparison after comparison. Permit me to walk you through this.

Deployment Day -10    You have been given the generous amount of time of 10 days before you ship out. In the scramble that sums up your life when on leave, you need to sort, choose and pack what you will take……as far as the base or garrison or post (different names for the same thing: your regiment or battalion home station). When you get there and check in – usually 24+ hrs prior to ship out) you will be tasked with taking all those “things” you felt were NEEDED and paring them down and “pairing” them with what little you know of the deployment assignment.  What do I take?  What will I need? Well, soldier, that depends. Oh good! you say, that helps soooo much! Actually, it should. We are HIS soldiers. HE, the Lord God of Heaven, is the Commander in Chief. HE knows the what, the where and the how. HE has given us that mission briefing in the “field manual” aka THE BIBLE!!! 

This is the one I was issued.

Within the pages of this manual are found every single key thing any of us needs to LIVE! Whether civilian or military, the Bible has the answers. It has been taken from schools, hotels and is no longer freely distributed in so many locations now. BUT the evil one and his minions can burn it, they can ban it and they can buck its’ authority – to no avail! The eternal Word of God CAN and SHOULD BE burned into our hearts and minds. This manual is the FIRST AID item that goes into YOUR ruck. Like the tv commercial for a credit card company says…”DON’T leave home without it”  You also need to include some energy bars.

 These are the Canadian version…they do NOT taste anything even approaching chocolate! lol

These bars are small and pack some good energy boost, so throw them in little sustainment pouches on either side of your ruck or inside your poncho roll etc. For the Warrior of the cross, what is our “energy bar”? Well, there are at least THREE “flavours” that I would submit to you are part of your stash. Number 1? Look back up at the “field manual” picture. THAT is and always needs to be the first source of energy. It is our FOOD. Jesus said that we cannot live by bread alone, but, by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4)

Number 2? PRAYER.

When we pray, that is like having the Commander -who indwells each of us in the form of the Holy Spirit – right there every step of the mission. We can talk over our feelings, we can ask for help and guidance and we can ask for correction and “shaping up” by confessing our sins.

Number 3?

You are not the only soldier on the field of battle. Similarily, you are not the sole Warrior for the King either. You have team! Within your squad are veterans –  the ones who have been there and know how to succeed in a mission and survive! Within the area of walk of faith, we have fellow followers of Christ – who have been through the fires of testing and doubt and are ready to be a mentor and helper. I can’t tell you how many times, I benefitted from the counsel of both a veteran soldier and a veteran believer! WE stand in the gap TOGETHER. That truth gives me ENERGY.

What else goes into your ruck? You will need clothing…for the soldier it is extra camo and SOCKS!! Stuff as many pairs as you can in there, cuz, ,man oh man! you will need them.   Several verses really capture this for me.

• Colossians 3:12 ‘Clothe yourself with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”
• Romans 13:14  “Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ”
• I Peter 5:5 ” Likewise, you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

We all most likely are very familiar with the Ephesians 6 “armor of God” passage. THAT is also what we wear. We don’t pack “spare” salvation or truth or righteousness! We wear that every minute of the mission He gives us.

 I can just sense some of you still waiting for where this teddy bear bit comes in. Right? Well, okay, I ‘ll bite. All I am trying to say is we have a very serious mission deployment. We are tasked with serving the King. We are sent out into this evil world and our mission is to bring the truth of God’s offer of salvation; His desire to ALL to come to saving knowledge of Him; to bring the water of life to those who thirst and the bread of life to those who hunger! It is a long and arduous mission! WE have NO room in the ruck for the extra comforts. Sorry, people, but that is the hard and fast reality. I am going to hit hard here. You SAY you want to be a Warrior for the King. You SAY you NEED a vehicle to get around on your “mission”. Tell me, do you really NEED a $50,000 one? You SAY you want to be ready to “deploy” anywhere, anytime for Him…so, do you NEED a $400, 000 home? Do you NEED the cruises and timeshares and Nieman Marcus wardrobe? PLEASE!!!! Try and convince me that you do, while you look at THESE believers’ lives:

 Christians fleeing Mosul in Iraq

 Christians in Nigeria and their burned out church.

 Pakistanis killed for being Christian

I’m not saying we need to embrace a poverty level existence! I pray you understand that! I’m merely saying that we have to live simply so that others may simply live. That includes things like megachurches and pastors that drive Hummers. I don’t say this out of envy or judgement. It’ really clear in Scripture. We are warriors, not rich oligarchs! Back to the point:

How are you doing with your “defense”? WHEN this time of tribulation worsens in the next months or year, we WILL be getting back to the church in Acts!- whether we like it or not, all our “things” will be gone. We will only have each other and our allegiance to the King of Kings. So, people, I encourage and adjure you, check your ruck. What is in YOURS?