Soldiers in the Battle

Our family listened to a wonderful message on Sunday by Dr. Scott Pauley about Enduring Hardness          In that wonderful message was this poem, a wonderful reminder that we Christians are indeed in a battle daily, and that we are Soldiers in the army of GOD.                       I am a Soldier

Cindye Coates I am a soldier, a prayer warrior, of the army of my God. The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer. The Holy Bible is my code of conduct. Faith, Prayer and the Word are my weapons of warfare. I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity, and tested by fire. I am a volunteer in this army, and I am enlisted for eternity. I will either retire in this army at the Rapture or die in this Army; but I will not get out, sell out, be talked out. I am faithful, capable, and dependable. If my God needs me, I am there. I am a soldier, a prayer warrior.   I am not a baby. I do not need to be pampered, petted, primed up, pumped up, picked up, or pepped up. I am a soldier, a prayer warrior. No one has to call me, remind me, write me, visit me, entice me, or lure me. I am a solider, a prayer warrior.  I am not a wimp. I am in place, saluting my King, obeying His orders, praising His name and building His Kingdom! I am a soldier, a prayer warrior. No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy, or give me handouts. I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for, or catered to. I am committed. I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around. I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside. I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.



CHECKLIST FOR ENCOURAGERS

The command to “encourage” others is found throughout the Bible. In I Thessalonians chapter 5 Paul gives many specific examples of how we can encourage others.

I Thessalonians 5:11

Build each other up.

“Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”

Christians are to encourage one another. A word of encouragement offered at the right moment can be the difference between, finishing well and collapsing along the way. Look around you. Be sensitive to others’ need for encouragement, and offer supportive words or actions.

I Thessalonians 5:12

Respect leaders.

“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you.”

Look for ways to encourage and cooperate with your pastor.

I Thessalonians 5:13a

Hold leaders in highest regard.

“And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake, and be at peace among yourselves.”

Express your appreciation, tell them how you have been helped by their leadership and teaching, and thank them for their ministry in your life. If you say nothing, how will they know where you stand? Remember, they need and deserve your support and love.

I Thessalonians 5:13b

Live in Peace

Search for ways to get along with others.

I Thessalonians 5:14

Encourage the timid

“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”

Encourage those who are timid by reminding them of God’s promises.

Help the weak

Support those who are weak by supporting them and praying for them

.

Be patient

Think of a situation that tries your patience and plan ahead of time how you can stay calm.

I Thessalonians 5:15

Resist revenge

“See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves and to all men.”

Instead of planning to get even with those who mistreat you, do good to them.

Be joyful

I Thessalonians 5:16

“Rejoice evermore.”

When we do God’s will we will find it easier to be joyful and thankful. Remembering that even in the midst of turmoil, God is in control.

Pray continually

I Thessalonians 5:17

“Pray without ceasing.”

We cannot spend all our time on our knees, but it is possible to have a prayerful attitude at all times. This attitude is built upon acknowledging our dependence on God, realizing His presence within us, and determining to obey Him fully. Then we will find it natural to pray frequent, spontaneous, short prayers. A prayerful attitude is not a substitute for regular times of prayer but should be an outgrowth of those times.

Give thanks

I Thessalonians 5:18

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Paul was not teaching that we should thank God for everything that happens to us, but in everything. Evil does not come from God, so we should not thank Him for it. But when evil strikes, we can still be thankful for God’s presence and for the good that He will accomplish through the situation.

Make a list of all the gifts God has given you, giving thanks to God for each one.

Count on God’s constant help

I Thessalonians 5:23

“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Realize that Christian life is to be lived not in our own strength but through God’s power.

I pray that I can be an encouragment to others!

This was sent to me by my sweet and dear friend Marie. (This could have been written about her!) Thanks Marie!

A Lot Can Happen In a Year...

On this day last year, I had the blood test that revealed that I was very, very sick.

It has been a challenging year, frought with physical illness, financial stress, emotional distress, and 

lots of adjustments.

(And did I mention surgery, CT scan, MRI, countless blood draws, iv's, bone marrow test, colonoscopies, endoscopy and too many dr appointments and specialists to count!?)

However, it has also been a learning time.

A time full of surrender, reflection, prayer, quiet time,

contemplation, and relinquishment.

I have seen that God can take something bad, and make something good out of it.

That our lives are full of His purpose, and plan.

That He doesn't have to explain everything to us--He doesn't need for us to

understand, nor does He need our permission.

He is GOD.

I learned how much I don't know.  That there is much for me to learn.

I have also learned that I am a much weaker  person than I thought I was--we all are.

And that I need God for every single thing--including my next breath.

I have also learned that each day of life is a gift.

This has been a struggle at times-as I often have "down days".

But it is still true!

Every minute needs to be enjoyed and savored.

I no longer take laughter, breezes, rain drops, the smell of cut grass, and

lots of other things for granted.

Am I better?

Well, physically I'm a lot better than I was...

And for that, I am thankful!

Spiritually, well,  I have a long way to go yet. :)

I don't know what the future holds,

but I do know Who holds my future.

Thank you Lord for another day!

Enjoy yours too :)

“Boast not thyself of to morrow;

for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”

 Proverbs 27:1

IF

I heard this in a John MacArthur sermon today...

I have a desire to be more steadfast as a Christian, and listened to this message

concerning that.

He used this poem as an illustration...

IF - Rudyard Kipling's Verse

IF
Rudyard Kipling's Verse

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream-and not make dreams your master;
If you can think-and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And-which is more-you'll be a Man, my son!

 

I found this so wise!

Pure-Hearted and Powerful

This was sent to me by my friend Marie, and I thought I would share it...thanks Marie!

Pure-Hearted and Powerful

God is seeking people who are pure in heart (Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8).

A person who has a pure heart, who is wholeheartedly serving God, is truly powerful. In Psalm 51:6 David tells us that having a pure heart means having truth in our “inner being,” which is who we really are deep in our hearts. Having a pure heart starts with paying attention to our thoughts, because from our thoughts come our words, our emotions, our attitudes, and our motives.

God will not bless actions that are done out of wrong motives or an impure heart.

Purity of heart is not a natural trait; in most of us, it is something we must work on. First Thessalonians 4;3 teaches us to desire and work toward purity of heart because that is God’s will. This is a challenge that every believer should be excited about accepting, but we do not have to face it alone.

God has created us to be dependent upon Him, to bring Him our challenges and allow Him to help us with them. Only He knows what is in our hearts, and He is an expert at removing the worthless things from us while retaining the valuable.

There is a price to pay to have a pure heart, but there is also a reward. We do not have to be afraid to make the commitment to allow God to do a deep purifying work in us. We may not always feel comfortable about the truth He brings us, but if we do our part—facing it, accepting it, and allowing it to change us—He will make sure that we are blessed.

The Work of Christmas Begins

The Work of Christmas Begins

When the song of the angels is stilled,

when the star in the sky is gone,

when the kings and princes are home,

when the shepherds are back with the flocks,

then the work of Christmas begins:

to find the lost,

to heal those broken in spirit,

to feed the hungry,

to release the oppressed,

to rebuild the nations,

to bring peace among all peoples,

to make a little music with the heart…

And to radiate the Light of Christ,

every day, in every way, in all that we do and in all that we say.

Then the work of Christmas begins.

-- Howard Thurman, adapted

This was sent to me by my friend Marie, and I loved it.

Thanks Marie!

Great Post on Voddie Baucham

My dear friend Marci has a wonderful post about Voddie Baucham on her blog. Hurry over and check it out....it talks about his new book too!

Great Resource!

I am often asked by other parents about some good resources, and I just can't pass up the opportunity to mention this one!
The Centrality of the Home in Evangelism and Discipleship by Voddie Baucham is an excellent, excellent CD!
Here is the description:
Current statistics show 75-88% of professing Christian young people are lost by the end of their first year of college. According to Dr. Voddie Bauchman, the response of the church has been a decidedly large focus on "relevant" and "hip" family-fragmenting youth ministries. In this message from the 2006 Conference for Uniting Church and Family, Dr. Baucham presents the case that the home must be a central training ground for evangelism and discipleship. He charges parents to understand their role as shepherds by embracing the joy of their biblical duties and responsibilities. 58 minutes.

Our family listened to this over the summer...then, I just listened to this the other day, told my husband about it again, and we all listened to it again that night. It is a powerful CD!
I hope that you get to listen to it, and that it blesses you as much as it did us! :)



If you want to order it, just click on the Christianbook.com box to the right as I am an affiliate of theirs-thanks!

Choices

I was quite stirred this morning in my devotions, and thought I'd include it in my blog today.
My Daily Bread Devotional today was titled "One Small Choice". It talked about the impact of one small bad choice on a young mans entire life.
It really struck me while reading this that our lives are made up of a series of minute-by-minute choices. Everything from when we're young: "Who will I play with?" "What will I play?" "Will I be obedient to my parents?"....to young adult choice..."Will I go to college?" "What will I study?" "What are my goals?"...maybe even "Will I choose to drink, or do drugs?"
Of course there is the biggest choice we will ever make-it is the most important, and it will determine where we spend eternity. (we will spend it somewhere!) The choice I'm talking about, is accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. If you haven't made that decision, or aren't sure...click here to find out!
But the choices that I keep meditating on today, are the ones that we make after we have gotten saved. The ones you make once you know the Truth and you're reading your Bible and know it's principles.
Everyday these choices stare me in the face. Will I obey God-or will I obey me? Now, you may think I am exaggerating the importance of these choices...but am I?
In Joshua 24:15 it says..."choose you this day whom ye will serve; ...but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Here is an example in God's Word that tells us that this is an important choice.
What kind of choices am I talking about? How about..."Am I using my words the right way...to encourage...or am I harsh?" Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."
"Do I choose to submit to my husband?" Or do I do what I want? Ephesians 5:22 "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord."
"Do I choose to be thankful?" "Or do I complain?" Ephesians 5:20 "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;"
"Do I take the resposibility of my children's spiritual training?" Or, do I push it off on the church? Ephesians 6:4 "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." and Deuteronomy 6:7 "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. "
"Do I go about my job of being wife and mother cheerfully?" Or not? Philippians 2:14 "Do all things without murmurings and disputings"
All of our choices affect others. They have a ripple effect. And, our children are watching us as their example~even more reason to make the right choices!
But mostly, I don't want to grieve Christ. I want Him to be pleased with my growth in Him, and with the choices that I make.
I am so glad that Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
I do not have to do this in my own puny strength! Christ will provide the strength.

I choose Christ!

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

No turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me the cross before me;

The world behind me the cross before me;

The world behind me the cross before me;

No turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me, still I will follow

Though none go with me, still I will follow

Though none go with me, still I will follow

No turning back, no turning back.

You can never go wrong with that choice! It's always the right one.