We live in a hostile world. It wobbles and lurches; allegorically speaking, mountains shake and quake; it's huge nostrils flare, it's mouth spits fire; the sky darkens, an abyss opens up; life seems a trenchcoat of black cloud darkness, and the screaming, hurling depths of the sea are about to swallow you ( as described in Psalm 18:7-15)....
BUT THEN --- get this: then my Knight in Shining armor bursts out of heaven with a great shout -- and pandemonium erupts as He hurls lightening, spraying hailstones and fireballs! Roaring His protest in a hurricane anger at the one who would destroy His child! And as I was falling into the destruction that the enemy had planned for me, look!
"But me he caught -- reached all the way from sky to sea; he pulled me out of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos, the void in which I was drowning. They hit me when I was down, but God stuck by me. He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved -- surprised to be loved! God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before Him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. Now I'm alert to God's ways; I don't take God for granted. Every day I review the ways He works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to His eyes.....
Suddenly, God floodlighted my life; I'm blazing with glory, God's glory! I smash the bands of marauders, I vault the highest fences. What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth. Every God direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs toward Him MAKES IT!!" (16-24)
The Message Bible
Monday, June 25, 2007
Thank you! My Hero's
Thank you! to my heros of the red, white, and blue!
(Thank you! to those guys and girls who fight for me and you.)
Thank you! that no matter what the ones you fight for say
You go back out and fight for them to gripe another day.
Thank you! that this land I love and freedoms I enjoy
Are mine because of soldiers volunteering to deploy!
Thank you! that in spite of others blind and ill regard
You take the pride of all that's great and fight for it so hard!
I celebrate America today, and unashamed
I celebrate the courage and the honor of the maimed
and those who've died for this great Land, this Country God has blessed
with men and women who have given US their very best.
I lift them up today, to ask God to keep them safe
These heros I'm so proud of in that hot and dangerous place.
I ask Him to encourage them, and keep their families too
To give back 100 fold for all that they must do
in order for us all to look again this time next year
at safety, and at freedoms we enjoy each day right here.
Thank you!American service men and women!
From Camille Challis
(Thank you! to those guys and girls who fight for me and you.)
Thank you! that no matter what the ones you fight for say
You go back out and fight for them to gripe another day.
Thank you! that this land I love and freedoms I enjoy
Are mine because of soldiers volunteering to deploy!
Thank you! that in spite of others blind and ill regard
You take the pride of all that's great and fight for it so hard!
I celebrate America today, and unashamed
I celebrate the courage and the honor of the maimed
and those who've died for this great Land, this Country God has blessed
with men and women who have given US their very best.
I lift them up today, to ask God to keep them safe
These heros I'm so proud of in that hot and dangerous place.
I ask Him to encourage them, and keep their families too
To give back 100 fold for all that they must do
in order for us all to look again this time next year
at safety, and at freedoms we enjoy each day right here.
Thank you!American service men and women!
From Camille Challis
The Exposed Soldier
Can you imagine what would happen if a marine got up one morning and stumbled toward the door in his socks, saw his gun and considered taking it, but decided it was too heavy, felt too lazy to bother getting dressed, left his helmet on the nightstand, and stumbled sleepily out to join his division in his bvds and a t-shirt as they set off to meet the enemy? Let's assume for a minute that his Commanding Officer didn't make him go back and gear up. How long do you think he would last as the bullets started flying? And what about his fellow marines? They would have to work extra hard to try to keep him alive. He certainly wouldn't be in any shape to help THEM out if they got in trouble. He would be more of a burden than anything else. ...almost makes you mad just thinking about it.
Yet, that is what we, as Christians, do on a daily basis. We stumble out of bed and shuffle off to our day without bothering to do what our Commanding Officer has ordered, "put on the whole armor of God..." We should always start with the HELMET OF SALVATION which will guard our thoughts throughout the day. Everyone knows that sin starts in the mind... so where is your protection?
And we don't bother putting on the BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS which will guard our hearts, when everyone knows that "as a man thinks in his HEART - so is he..." The enemy has a straight shot at our hearts without that BREASTPLATE...
And the BELT OF TRUTH - HA! Christians tell almost as many lies as unbelievers - small things, maybe, but lies nevertheless. Many of them to ourselves! That Belt OF TRUTH is what secures the BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS so even if we've managed to throw on the BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, it's just flopping around in the breeze and may or may not guard our hearts because nothing is holding it down. The BELT OF TRUTH is where our freedom comes from - everyone knows it's TRUTH that makes us free!
And then there are the Nike's of the GOSPEL OF PEACE! Where in the world do we think we are going without them?? Don't you wonder sometimes how you get into the emotional messes and seem to be sucked into the trauma that is suppose to be your life? PEACE will be wherever you are if you have your footgear on. Don't forget the Nike's...they will take you in the right direction, and you will lead those around you into peace as well.
So you've got your gear on, but you still have two important items to pick up before you head into battle. Your SHIELD OF FAITH. It is the essence of things hoped for (victory in everything) and the evidence of things not seen. And most importantly - without it, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD!!! The thing is, that SHIELD is what is going to ward off all the fiery missiles the enemy is surely going to send your way. It's his job! He's going to be taking care of his business - you'd better be taking care of yours... It's going to make all the difference!
And the last thing - your weapon! Remember how stupid we thought the marine was? Well, you are no more capable without your weapon than that marine. Your weapon is THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT - God's Word. It has the whole battle plan, it gives you insight into the enemy's tactics, it warns you about where he is going to attack - it's better than having superman by your side!
Make no mistake - you are in a war...not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers of darkness. If you expect to not get slaughtered, do what any good soldier does - every single day "Put on the WHOLE armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the enemy..." Eph. 6:11 When you do, your victory is assured, because "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." Oo-rah!
Yet, that is what we, as Christians, do on a daily basis. We stumble out of bed and shuffle off to our day without bothering to do what our Commanding Officer has ordered, "put on the whole armor of God..." We should always start with the HELMET OF SALVATION which will guard our thoughts throughout the day. Everyone knows that sin starts in the mind... so where is your protection?
And we don't bother putting on the BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS which will guard our hearts, when everyone knows that "as a man thinks in his HEART - so is he..." The enemy has a straight shot at our hearts without that BREASTPLATE...
And the BELT OF TRUTH - HA! Christians tell almost as many lies as unbelievers - small things, maybe, but lies nevertheless. Many of them to ourselves! That Belt OF TRUTH is what secures the BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS so even if we've managed to throw on the BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, it's just flopping around in the breeze and may or may not guard our hearts because nothing is holding it down. The BELT OF TRUTH is where our freedom comes from - everyone knows it's TRUTH that makes us free!
And then there are the Nike's of the GOSPEL OF PEACE! Where in the world do we think we are going without them?? Don't you wonder sometimes how you get into the emotional messes and seem to be sucked into the trauma that is suppose to be your life? PEACE will be wherever you are if you have your footgear on. Don't forget the Nike's...they will take you in the right direction, and you will lead those around you into peace as well.
So you've got your gear on, but you still have two important items to pick up before you head into battle. Your SHIELD OF FAITH. It is the essence of things hoped for (victory in everything) and the evidence of things not seen. And most importantly - without it, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD!!! The thing is, that SHIELD is what is going to ward off all the fiery missiles the enemy is surely going to send your way. It's his job! He's going to be taking care of his business - you'd better be taking care of yours... It's going to make all the difference!
And the last thing - your weapon! Remember how stupid we thought the marine was? Well, you are no more capable without your weapon than that marine. Your weapon is THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT - God's Word. It has the whole battle plan, it gives you insight into the enemy's tactics, it warns you about where he is going to attack - it's better than having superman by your side!
Make no mistake - you are in a war...not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers of darkness. If you expect to not get slaughtered, do what any good soldier does - every single day "Put on the WHOLE armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the enemy..." Eph. 6:11 When you do, your victory is assured, because "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." Oo-rah!
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