"Christians are soldiers in the army of the Lord." You've likely heard this phrase before, and there's profound truth behind it. In a world filled with spiritual battles, we are called to be active participants, spreading the Gospel and opposing the works of the enemy. Just as soldiers in a physical army are equipped for battle, we, too, are equipped with armor and a sword. But are we truly embracing our roles as spiritual soldiers? Let's dive deeper into this analogy and explore what it means for us to engage in the battlefield of faith. Arming Ourselves for Battle Picture this: Just like soldiers gather their gear from the Supply and receive weapons from the Armory, we receive our spiritual equipment in the church setting. We gather for worship, teaching, and fellowship, all of which prepare us for the battles we'll face outside those walls. The church, in this analogy, becomes our Supply Depot and Armory. Our pastors serve as spiritual armorers, equipping us with the tools and teachings we need to navigate the challenges of the world. The Call to Action But here's the question that deserves introspection: Why do many believers only engage in their faith on Sundays, treating the church as a mere armory and supply depot? The battlefield is where the real action takes place – where lives are transformed, darkness is pushed back, and souls are won for Christ. Yet, some believers seem content with giving their spiritual gear a casual glance before returning to their routines. They miss out on the opportunity to fully embrace their roles as soldiers of Christ. Embracing the Soldier's Lifestyle Soldiers in an army aren't confined to armories. They train, strategize, and spend time in various settings to prepare for battle. Similarly, our lives should reflect our commitment to the mission. We need to be active participants in the body of believers – not just during Sunday services, but in our daily lives. The analogy emphasizes that we shouldn't be content with only looking like soldiers once a week; our actions, attitudes, and choices should consistently align with our identity as followers of Christ. Equipped for Victory In the military, soldiers don't linger indefinitely in the armory. They get equipped, trained, and then they head to their assigned positions. Similarly, after gathering in church, we're called to go out and fulfill our unique assignments. This means embracing a life of prayer, fellowship, and actively engaging with the world around us. Just as soldiers can use communication tools like radios, our connection with God through prayer empowers us to call for spiritual help when needed. Advancing the Kingdom The analogy also highlights the significance of advancing the Kingdom of God. If we only focus on holding the line – maintaining our personal faith and attending church – we miss out on the opportunity to push back darkness, impact lives, and make a difference. Our collective effort, as an army of believers, is crucial for the growth of God's Kingdom. Conclusion The analogy of Christians as soldiers in the army of the Lord serves as a powerful reminder of our purpose and mission in the world. We're not mere spectators in the realm of faith; we're active participants in the spiritual battles around us. Let's take the lessons from this analogy to heart: Show up for muster, grab your gear, replenish your supplies, and engage with the world. Embrace the soldier's lifestyle in every aspect of your life. Remember, there's a unique assignment for each of us – an assignment that only you can accomplish. The war is ongoing, and together, as soldiers of Christ, we have a victory to achieve.

In our spiritual journey, we often seek guidance and direction to navigate through the complexities of life. It is in these moments that the profound analogy emerges: "The Holy Spirit is not only the oil in our lamp, but also the liquid in our compass." This comparison beautifully encapsulates the multifaceted role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, offering both illumination and a sense of direction. Let's explore this analogy further and discover how the Holy Spirit becomes our guiding light and true compass. The Oil in Our Lamp: In ancient times, lamps were essential sources of light in the darkness. Fueled by oil, they illuminated the path, provided warmth, and ensured safety during the night. Similarly, the Holy Spirit acts as the oil in our spiritual lamp. It brings light into our lives, dispelling the darkness of confusion, doubt, and fear. Through the Holy Spirit, we receive divine guidance, wisdom, and understanding. It enables us to discern the right choices and make decisions that align with God's will. Just as the oil in a lamp kept it burning steadily, the Holy Spirit keeps our spiritual flame ignited, illuminating our path with clarity and purpose. The Liquid in Our Compass: A compass serves as a reliable navigational instrument, aiding us in finding our way. The liquid within the compass ensures that the needle remains steady, pointing us accurately towards the magnetic North. In our spiritual journey, the Holy Spirit acts as the liquid in our compass. It keeps our hearts and minds steady, aligned with God's will, and provides a sense of spiritual orientation. Through the Holy Spirit, we discover our true direction, leading us towards God's purpose and calling in our lives. Just as the liquid in a compass prevents the needle from wavering, the Holy Spirit keeps us rooted in our faith, guiding us through life's challenges and uncertainties. To truly benefit from the Holy Spirit's presence as the oil in our lamp and the liquid in our compass, we must open our hearts and minds to His leading. This begins with developing a deep and intimate relationship with God. By spending time in prayer, meditating on His Word, and cultivating a sensitivity to His voice, we can experience the Holy Spirit's guidance in a profound way. Through the Holy Spirit's illumination, we gain insights into God's truth, receive comfort and encouragement, and find direction in the choices we face. In our quest for guidance and direction, we are blessed to have the Holy Spirit as our guiding light and true compass. Just as the oil in a lamp brings light and the liquid in a compass points us in the right direction, the Holy Spirit illuminates our path and ensures our spiritual alignment with God's will. By surrendering to the Holy Spirit's leading, we can experience a deeper connection with God, navigate through life's challenges with confidence, and fulfill our objectives with clarity and purpose. Let us embrace the Holy Spirit as our constant companion, allowing His presence to guide us every step of the way.

Humans are creatures of comfort. We will work towards being comfortable, and then stay there. That's fine, unless we are called to keep moving. Christians love to gather, but are often reluctant to scatter. This isn't a new thing. It has been a problem that God continues to solve with a swift kick. After the flood, God commanded humans to fill the earth. They decided to stay in one place and build a tower to keep them from being scattered across the globe (Genesis 11:4). It took God confusing them with different languages for them to go where He wanted. Look at the early church. Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He told his disciples that they would be witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). But after they received the Holy Spirit they continued to grow and gather in Jerusalem. It took persecution led by Saul to scatter the church - and the believers who were scattered preached the Gospel wherever they went. The same example applies to the church today. We are called to be His witnesses. And yet we continue to gather in one place (the local church) and make that place the focus of our lives as Christians. I believe that the Lord is gracious in giving us time to get moving. But He will not wait forever. Just as the axe is already laid at the root of the trees, so is the Lord's foot poised above the backsides of believers who are not yet obedient. If you are not yet moving, are you at least ready for takeoff?

The Jews being exiled in Babylon was a punishment. It was also what saved them. God didn't send all of the Jews into exile. Some stayed behind in the promised land. That didn't benefit them. Whether they moved to Egypt or stayed and intermarried with the pagans around them, they suffered and struggled in the promised land. Because God promised to protect them in Babylon. Babylon was a place to keep them while He purged and cleansed the land. The Jews in Babylon were given instructions. They were told to be productive and multiply. To work in the communities and to pray for the leaders there. They obeyed the Lord in this. And the Lord worked a mighty miracle in Babylon. For seventy years they were kept pure and holy. They prospered, surrounded by unbelievers and far from home. When they were called to go home 42,360 Jews left Babylon. Only 652 people (1.54%) could not tell their father's house and their ancestry. As opposed to the Jews who never left, who so intermingled with the surrounding peoples that their children became the Samaritans! This is an example of how Christians should live in this current world. We are strangers in a strange land. We must be in it, but not of it. We are commanded to be productive and to pray for the leaders here. We are called to multiply - to make more Christians - and to be ready for when God calls us home. We are not to isolate, but to be a shining example of what the world needs in this present darkness: Jesus Christ.

An ambassador is a representative of a nation. They have the authority to speak and act for their leader. They represent their country wherever they go. They are usually stationed in a foreign land and reside in an embassy. The embassy is like a base of operations. It is filled with their countrymen and is a source of strength and support. But an ambassador cannot spend all of their time in the embassy. In order to fulfill their duties, they must leave the safety of the embassy and interact with the people of the land that they are in. It is the only reason they are there. As a Christian, I am an ambassador for Christ. I represent the Kingdom of God in the fallen world. I have been given an embassy in the form of the church I attend, and I draw strength and support from it. But I must leave the church in order to do what God is asking me to do. I return to equip myself for the task at hand, but my King's work requires that I be in the world - just not of it. The light that lives in me shines the brightest in the darkness of this world. While I live here, I don't belong. I am a citizen of Heaven and an ambassador of God's kingdom. My goal is to lead others to become citizens as well, and to do that I need to spend time with those who are foreigners to my homeland.

This is an idea that has been on my mind for a while. As Christians, we tend to try to make ourselves look different from the world in every way. We want to be set apart from them, and that can be a good thing. The problem comes when the way we are distinct isn't from the bible, but from the traditions of men. Some believers won't listen to any music that isn't branded as Christian. Some only interact with Christians, choosing to stay as far as possible from unbelievers. Some treat any consumption of alcohol as a sin. And not just for alcoholics. This is what the Pharisees did. They made up rules to help keep them from breaking God's rules. They treated their rules like they came from God - all the while ignoring God's commands. Drinking a glass of wine isn't a sin; Christ drank wine, and He was no sinner. We are called to share the good news with unbelievers. We can't obey God and have nothing to do with them. All good gifts come from above, so we should be able to enjoy music as long as it isn't glorifying evil things. When we make ourselves different from the world, the world will focus on what is different in us. When what is different is a bunch of stuff that we made up, we look like every other worldly group trying to be different. You aren't better than the world because you don't go on Facebook. But when the only thing about us that is different than the world is our faith, then the world will only look at our obedience to God. They will see our good deeds and praise our father in heaven. Be just like the world, except where the world contradicts the Word of God. When God prospers you despite persecution, they will only have one explanation for your success - for faith in God.

I am lazy. Part of the reason that I am writing this is that it's been over a month since I've written anything. I find myself getting busy with stuff to keep my mind off of the things I can't do or don't have, while the important things sit on the back burner. I want to blog more - but I would need to spend time thinking of what to write. I want to journal more for my kids - but I don't for the same reason. It's easier to not write than find something to write. I end up working my butt off to stay on the path of least resistance. God is moving sovereignly in my life. He is setting up things for my future even as He provides everything for my present. I find myself relating more to Martha than her sister Mary. I am doing valuable work but miss out on the more important things. I want to be an active participant in becoming more like Christ. His mercies are new each day, but the time is drawing short. I need to hurry.

As a Christian, I am called to prayer. To spend time in communication with God, both talking and listening. And I do. Communication is necessary in developing any relationship. I hear from believers that spend hours each day in communion with the Father, just enjoying His presence and hearing from Him. It sounds amazing and I want that in my life. But I don't. Lately, my prayer life has been more like calling God up on the phone when I want to talk. I have times of praise, supplication, intercession, and even speculation on what is going on in the world. But there is a clear sense of "now I'm going to talk with God" and later a sense of "now I'm done talking to God". At some point in time, it always reverts to me talking to myself instead of this continuous immersion in His presence. I understand that God is always with me, because His word tells me so. But I want to feel it. I want to see Him, as I hear that other believers do. I know that those who believe without seeing are blessed, but I want it all. It is starting to feel like I'm either excusing a lack of faith or worse, questioning my salvation. I know that one day I will be in His presence forever. I don't want to wait until heaven to experience it. I am asking Him for that now and will continue to ask until I receive it. I know that He hears every one of my prayers and is faithful to answer in His timing.

The holidays have always been a hard time for me. My memories of growing up are broken and spotty, and for that I am thankful. What I do remember from the holiday season is mostly negative. Bad things happened over the years, and each season seems like an anniversary of those things. It is easy to get stuck on that, and compensate by going ho-ho-ho overboard on "Christmas cheer" to make up for it. It never works. Christmas isn't about Santa or gifts. It isn't about spending time with family or serving others. Those things are not bad, they just aren't the point. Christmas is about God coming to earth as a baby. Choosing to live as one of us to show us how. Living a sinless life so that He could be the sacrifice that would allow us to one day live with Him. Forever. It is the beginning of a love story so incredible that countless believers have given their lives instead of denying it. Thousands of years later, and it is still drawing people to Him. The world may twist what Christmas is, but people are changed when they learn the truth. I still struggle with the holidays. I still have the memories of years gone by. But when I think of the truth of Christ's birth, I can't help but also see the Cross. It reminds me of my future and gives me hope for today.

As a Christian, I am called to gather with my fellow believers. The Word says to not forsake the gathering of the brethren. I am also called to serving and furthering the kingdom of God. We can do that in many ways. Some preach, some minister to the homeless, still others enter into times of intense prayer in order to advance the Kingdom in the spiritual realm. But attending church and serving God are not the same thing. Your church attendance can be part of serving God, depending on what you are doing during the service. But if you are just attending in order to receive spiritual food, that is not serving God. To think so would be like thinking that your boss should pay you while you are on your lunch break. Serving God should be benefiting Him instead of us. It is a necessary sacrifice that is our reasonable service to the one who did so much for us. I am not saying that we should serve God instead of attending church. There is no reason why we can't do both. We just need to realize that they are different things that are walked out in a similar way. Instead of boxes to check off, they should be the way in which we live our lives.

As a Christian, I have the phrase "Kingdom building" many times. I understand it to mean work that forwards or advances the Kingdom of God here on the earth. It could be evangelism, discipleship, caring for the homeless, or any number of things that demonstrates the love of God for the unsaved. The secular world also uses the phrase "kingdom building". It is the way someone in a company makes themselves indispensable in a way that gives greater job security. They find a task or tasks and ensure that they are the only one that is able to perform them. They will end up being the only one who has access to passwords, materials, or the equipment to do the job. Unfortunately, the church (or rather, churches) is also practicing this kind of kingdom building. If you want to gather with believers, worship the Lord, hear a word from God, experience discipleship, or study the Word, it is expected that you do these things in the church building. Not any church building, just the church building that you normally attend. They might be okay with you attending a special teaching at another church, but it needs to be of the same denomination. If there is only one place to go to seek God, then that is where you will go. It is job security for a church that relies on attendance and tithes to operate. Now, I'm not saying that if your church is like this that you find another church. As believers, we are called to reconciliation. If you are witnessing this, it needs to be brought up to the pastor or the elders. Also, we are called to grow where we are planted. If the Lord has planted you someplace, do your best to grow there while He is preparing the next place. But if you are hindered from growing where you are and church leadership isn't allowing you to be fed elsewhere while under their covering, then it's probably time to find a new pasture to graze in. Don't help build a kingdom at the expense of the Kingdom. The time is growing short and we need to be getting equipped to draw others to Him.

I used to think that I knew what it meant to take a step of faith. I have had to make decisions in my life where the outcome was unknown. I felt that I was faithfully doing what I heard God tell me to do when I didn't know what would happen, and it seemed to me that I was stepping out on faith instead of the solid ground of what was visible. But when I look back on those times, it is clear that I was trusting in God to continue providing and caring for me. I was relying on God to do the same things that he has done my whole life. I am not saying that His response to my trust wasn't supernatural. I am saying that it was something amazing that He made a regular and normal occurrence in my life. It wasn't the same as me stepping out into open air, expecting the firm support of earth beneath me. I think that is what stepping out in faith should feel like to me. I think of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah standing up to Nebuchadnezzar and facing what seemed like certain death in the fiery furnace. It wasn't like anything that they had ever faced or anything that they had ever seen God do for them. They didn't do it because they were certain that God would save them, they did it because they were going to obey God no matter what. I have heard it said that acting in faith is like stepping off of a diving board at an empty swimming pool, trusting God to fill it before you hit the bottom. There should be a sense of the unknown as you hang in the air, knowing that you stepped out in obedience regardless of the cost. I don't honestly know if I have ever taken a step of faith like that. When I look back at the amazing things that God has done for me, I often feel like He blessed me despite my lack of faith. I want to have the kind of faith that allows me to be like those Jewish boys and stand firm in the face of certain death - to live out a testimony of faith in God even if I am not delivered from it. As the time draws short, it seems like more and more of a possibility that I will get the chance.