Persecution

I read this in a book titled "Spiritual Warfare and Missions"

"Believers in China, when asked how Christians in the West can pray for them, often discourage them from praying for relief from persecution. They say, "Pray that we will be faithful in suffering, but do not pray for persecution to be removed because we might become weak and lethargic like churches we hear of in the West. One can know the fullness of God's grace only in suffering and denial. One who has not suffered for his faith is as a child without training."

How many American Christians would agree with this statement.

I have never heard of fellow believers asking for other believers not to pray for persecution to be removed.

Paul said in Acts 14:22 "strengthing the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, "It is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God."

Paul was simply telling them that "many troubles" will come to those who seek the kingdom of God.
Paul also said in Acts 20:24 "But I count my life of no value to mysef, so that I may finish my course and my ministry."

Do American Christians count their lives of no value compared to living their life for Christ?

Examine yourself and determine how much you love Christ.

Tears of Sorrow, but dried by Grace

Disappointment is how I would describe my first trip to Israel. I suppose you could also say I was naïve in my thinking of what I would experience while touring the Promised Land. I had such high hopes for a spiritual revival among our soldiers, but it didn’t happen. Most were laughing, smoking, and unaware of the scriptures which speak to Jerusalem’s rejection of Christ. Don’t get me wrong, there were certain aspects I absolutely enjoyed, such as our boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. When our boat stopped in the middle of the sea I was blessed to share four very powerful scriptures which occurred on the Sea of Galilee or nearby, to include Matthew 7:22-26. Perhaps like many American Christians I expected to feel something special, but I felt nothing but sadness as I realized just how dark and fallen our world is. I spent most of my time praying that God would have mercy on the Jews, Muslims, and false Christians which I encountered. Like the rest of the world, Israel is in desperate need of Jesus. This came into vivid focus when we arrived in Jerusalem our first night. They were celebrating the festival of Purim. However they have added significant more to the celebration since the original festival the book of Esther speaks of, to include alcohol. I was brokenhearted by the Orthodox Jews and the religious piety. They don’t know God since they have rejected the Messiah, Jesus. They think they are following the Ten Commandments, but Jesus is the only one who ever has or ever will do that. I respected their devotion, but was troubled by how the Devil has misled so many of God’s chosen people. They serve an impersonal God, much in the same way the Muslims do. During the Sabbath day, they weren’t smiling, but approached the Western Wall with mournful looks on their faces. I think of how happy I am to worship each week at my church and how they see worship as a ritual of the flesh and to be experienced by the law. There is nothing like seeing something first hand. Inside the Old City, the people were rude and bumping into one another without saying a word. There was no love, but I kept telling myself that the will of the Father is that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life. No one seemed to be looking for the Son, apart from some images of Jesus on some crosses and a hole which they think Christ was buried in.

My pastor, Pastor Mike wrote me an email and spoke about a story in Luke 19:41-46 where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Luke wrote that “and when Jesus drew near and saw the city, he wept over it.” I absolutely felt the same way. A few verses later, Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold in it. Jesus wept over His coming rejection by the city of Jerusalem. I looked up the Greek meaning for “wept” and discovered it meant intense sobbing, not merely shedding tears. In the same way grief overwhelmed Jesus, grief and sadness overwhelmed me. I remembered the corruption of Jerusalem which caused Jesus to turn over tables and drive out those who were conducting dishonest business inside the outer courts of the temple. When Jesus finished “weeping” He drove the crooked merchants out of the temple. Jesus described these men as “thieves or robbers.” Which is still true today, there is more business inside the courtyards than prayer. In fact one of our soldiers was “robbed” through a credit card purchase by a retailer overcharging Him. The corruption, rejection, and sin continue to this day, which is most likely why I wept inside my heart. But when I saw the Mount of Olives in the distance my heart was filled with joy because my Savior will return as a mighty warrior and stand on top of that mount, judge the unrighteous, and take His throne on earth for 1,000 years.

What is Duty?

This is a letter I wrote for my February Spiritual Newsletter. I write about a new Army Value each month to increase the knowledge o fmy soldiers about values. There is a great ignorance about values, ethics, and morals which undermines military leadership.

The Army defines duty as being able to accomplish tasks as part of a team. It also says that we fulfill our duty as a part of our unit every time we resist the temptation to take “shortcuts” that might undermine the integrity of the final product. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines duty as a moral or legal obligation. The English word duty came about in the 13^th Century from the Anglo-French word duete, and from the Old French word deu, which means "due, owed, proper, or just.” But as with most values and words, the Bible has provided us with a deep understanding of most words thousands of years before the US Army came into existence. So how did God use the word duty? Because once we understand this, then we can understand how to apply this value in our lives. In the Bible, Jesus used the word “duty” in Luke 17:10. In that scripture, Jesus talks of how faith and duty are closely related. The reference here is that a disciple of Christ should not expect special commendation for doing what is required. But they should serve God because this is what it means to follow Him as disciples. Jesus was saying it was a disciple’s duty and they shouldn’t be looking for an award for simply doing their duty. Jesus understood duty to mean to be under obligation. General Patton once said “If I do my full duty, the rest will take care of itself.” This is actually a very true statement. But how many know what their full duty entails? The Army further defines duty as not engaging in illegal and immoral actions. Which begs the question who defines what is moral. When the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, the Bible was the source for determining what is moral and immoral. Our founding fathers and those who followed after them, quoted the Bible and often stated it as the standard for all moral law, which is one reason they felt like it was their duty to engrave the Ten Commandments into the walls of many buildings in Washington, D. C. Did you know that the first act of America's first Congress in 1774 was to ask a minister to open with prayer and to lead Congress in the reading of 4 chapters of the Bible? They understood this to be part of their duty. Also of note was the fact is that throughout American’s Founding, Congress frequently appropriated money for missionaries and for religious instruction, a practice that Congress repeated for decades after the passage of the Constitution and the First Amendment. So as soldiers what can we learn about our duties. We can learn that duty involves doing everything to the glory of God. Paul wrote in Colossians 3:17, “and whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving every thanks to God the Father (the Creator) through Him.” When we understand the God sees all things, we will not “cut corners,” cheat, lie, or be self-serving. Duty is about how you live.

Texas Flag in Egypt

One of the Texas units painted the Texas flag on a concrete baracade. This is for you Ashley!
The Texas flag is proudly being displayed in the Egpytian desert. We used to live in Montgomery, Texas, the birthplace of the Texas flag.

Red Sea Crossing

The above picture is most likely within a mile or so of where Moses parted the Red Sea. It's approximately 12 miles across to the other side, which is Saudia Arabia. This picture was taken at one of our Observation Posts located in Nuweiba, Egypt. There is a natural underwater bridge going across to Saudi Arabia, making it the most likely location for the crossing. Also, Nuweiba is positioned on a large open sandy area, where the 600,000 plus Israelites would have been able to camp before crossing. They have also discovered corral growing on what appears to be Chariot wheels, from where God destroyed the Egyptian forces.
 

The Spiritual Danger of Video Games

http://vimeo.com/47887027

While I don't play video games and certainly don't know the names of different games, I do know they are extremely detrimental spirirtually.
The Devil has many schemes and strategies to manipulate people, especially the youth. Because he knows if he can get them hooked and addicted on video games at a young age he will be able to divert their attention away from God and ultimately the truth.
The Devil knows that if he can keep destroying marriages and families, and keep men and women having children out of wedlock, then these single parents will put a video game system in front of their kids to occupy their time. Thus the Devil can control them through anti-biblical messages imbedded in these games.
I watched this video (link above) and was disturbed, saddened, and angered at how the Devil does his dirty work.
I can't even imagine the thousands of youths and adults who have been influenced by the messages in this video.

I posted the article below which describes the video:

Assassin’s Creed is one of the most popular video game series ever released. The series includes more than 12 different games for Nintendo Wii, Wii U, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Playstation Vita and mobile platforms.
The franchise has sold more than 38 million copies since the launch of its first game in November 2007. Assassin’s Creed III was released on October 30, 2012.
Are you familiar with the messages preached in the Assassin’s Creed series of games?
Hebrews 2:1 tells us that, “…we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.”
Reasons for Hope equips and empowers Christians to stand strong in their faith and encourages them to “Know It! Live It! and Share It!”
Our newest project is a documentary that reveals the messages of the video game world and discusses their detrimental impact on the faith of Christians. The documentary will create awareness and promote discriminating evaluation of the many games on the market today.


 

Prayer Answered, Part 1!

Hey Everyone,
I wanted to share this quick story about prayers being answered. Without hesitation I can say this has been a challenging ministry environment, especially for evangelism. Sometimes it seems like no one is receptive to the gospel. The hearts of my soldiers have been hard, calloused, and closed. It was at Camp Atterbury that I began praying this first prayer. But first let me share this. In my corporate chaplaincy ministry I have prayed with numerous employees who professed to receive Christ as their Savior, yet never found a church or showed any evidence of change or that the Holy Spirit ever entered their body. Thus there was never regeneration of their soul. I prayed that the Lord would provide me a hand full of soldiers who would be fully surrendered to Christ and would seek after discipleship. The Lord has answered that prayer and entrusted me with two individuals who have been on fire for Christ and continue to seek after truth. I am so thankful and it has been a privilege to watch them grow and transform.
God is Great!

"There is no truth, no faithful love, and no knowledge of God in the land! Cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery are rampant.."
Hosea 4:1-2

Sound familiar?