Weapons

Two of the Christian soldiers most effective weapons are gentleness and meekness because they must always be wielded with humility, mercy, and grace.

68

68. That's the magic number. If the Lord gives me my three score and ten, I've got at least two left. These are a few of the things the Lord has taught me--and is teaching me--through all these years. You didn't think I wasn't going to try to "teach" a little bit on my birthday, did you? Here's just a few--only ten--bits of old man advice.

1. Celebrate each day--regardless of the circumstances! You are still here because the King of Kings has something for you to do today in His name and for His glory. Don't waste it on moping and a pity party.
2. A broken heart is one of His most loving gifts to you.
3. Long after my students forget everything I tried to teach them, they will remember how honestly I loved them, loved Him, and was honored if they chose to love me.
4. Treasure your friends--of all ages.
5. You do not need to know and understand what He's doing, just trust and obey.
6. Take your blindfolds off--His beauty is reflected all around you.
7. You cannot change a single heart--pray to the One who can.
8. There's a whole lot more that you don't know then there is that you do know.
9. Be a student of the Word.
10. May your last prayer every day be "Even so, come Lord Jesus!"

In year 68, Mom went Home to be with Pop and her myriad of friends; the Lord has graciously allowed me to stay on the Acres; I have been enabled to love a tremendous "bunch" of "kids." Can't wait to experience the blessings of year 69.

Callings

Your calling is sacred. God needs witnesses in the political arena, in sales, in the business world, on Wall Street, in education, in professional sports, on the construction site, in our hospitals, in the military, in the art world--everywhere. He has placed you where He needs you.

Wrapping the Cross

When you wrap the cross in anything--and the most dangerous "wrap" may be nationalism--you greatly undermine the message of the cross. As I've said before the gospel is not "go into all the world and make Americans of everybody." Stop and think about that for awhile and it will make you shudder. And as I've also said before, the church--God's people--His royal priesthood--are scattered like seeds all over the world. And when God tells His Bride to remember the poor, the widows, the orphans among His people (for starters), it means wherever they are in His earth-wide body. Everywhere they are. If I'm not mistaken, the one offering mentioned in the New Testament was the one taken for the church in Jerusalem because they were in need because of a famine. Churches taking an offering for poor churches in need. Sounds like a plan to me.

Political power is the most ineffective power in the world when it come to producing a godly culture.

Radiate

The disciple humbly takes up his daily cross because he knows that the struggle of transformation and the fellowship of suffering enables him to radiate a life of grace: a life grounded in patience, a life visibly at peace--resting steadfastly in the promises of God, a life reflecting the joy of delighting in Him, a life that spontaneously loves the unlovely, a life that undeniably proclaims "He is all I need to satisfy my soul." And the saint who radiates grace lifts up the Source of grace, and if He is lifted up, He draws men to Himself.

"And we beheld His glory, full of grace and truth."

"And of His fulness we have all received grace upon grace."

Radiate. Make the invisible God of infinite, inexhaustible grace visible.

Self-deception

Pride is rooted in a lack of self-knowledge or a willing self-deception. It's motivation is self-interest. Often it is hidden in the subtlety of my criticism of others, a critical spirit--perhaps, the most insidious form of pride. In any manifestation, self--pride--is incompatible with the Spirit's purpose in our lives to transform us into the image of Christ. It is the devil's sin--and his weapon against our desire to draw near to God. When I humbly submit to the need I have on a daily basis for cleansing by the Word and for the purifying of my heart of self-love by a confessing--an agreement with God--about the sin in my life, He supplies the forgiving grace that I need to walk in fellowship with Him and other believers--to spend my day walking in the light. And it is such submission, cleansing, confession that resists the devil and sends him fleeing. There is no greater battle to be fought than the one I must fight each day between pride and humility. And the only way to fight the battle is with an honest admission that I need God's forgiving grace daily and that there is more abundant grace available than all my selfish sin. "Thanks be to God who gives the victory through Christ Jesus, our Lord."

"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."

Today

"Today is the day of salvation."

"Give us this day our daily bread."

"Choose you this day whom you will serve."

"Take up your cross daily and follow me."

"Each day has enough trouble of its own."
"Call upon Me in the day of trouble. I shall rescue you, and you will honor me."

"So teach us to number our days that we may present to you a heart of wisdom."

This day is your life. Not yesterday--it's gone. Don't try to live there. Not tomorrow--it is not here, nor is it even promised. No, this day is your life. How will you spend it? Trusting in Him for the provision of this day; thankful for its abundant supply? Making choices that you know will serve His purposes in the kingdom? Embracing the cross He has lovingly given you to bear so that you might know Him more deeply who willingly suffered for you? Learning that He is willing and eager to help you bear it with an infusion of His cross-bearing joyful strength? In humility calling out to Him knowing that it honors His love to do so?

To not so "number your days" is to live a fool's life--to be a practical atheist denying by your festering in yesterdays heartaches and failures and in tomorrows worries and fears that He is Lord of Lord, King of Kings. and Lord and King of love. You are not an afterthought in His plans for today. You are His beloved child--the adored child of the perfect Father.

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Anything else is disobedience. And disobedience is a lack of love for Him. And the idolatry of self-worship.

This day is your life. Have you dedicated it to Him, surrendered it to His wisdom and love? Do you trust Him? Do you believe He is good with all your heart? Then, live it in such a way that all will know that this is your life, a gift from Him, and committed with thanksgiving to His will.