Call of the Soldier

“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us.” 2 Thessalonians 3:6

We can look to the writings of the apostle Paul to understand the importance of powerful and relevant words. When words are used that people can connect with, the message has a way of penetrating hearts as shrapnel from explosive devices. In the letter to the Thessalonians, Paul uses the military language to enforce the urgency of his message. You will notice the multiple use of the word “command” in chapter three (3:4, 6, 10, 12). The use of the word refers to the authority of a military superior as he issues out orders to their subordinates. Paul picks up this image to instruct the Thessalonians to become a soldier for Jesus Christ.

We are commanded to become soldiers of Jesus Christ. Paul gives us two commands from these verses to follow: fall in and follow orders. The first command that Paul gives to us is to “keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life.” The Greek word “unruly” refers to a soldier who has gone AWOL and has abandoned his post. We are to avoid the person who has forsaken his assignment. I know several individuals who have received a dishonorable discharge from the military. Even to this day I am told that employers will look unfavorably on individuals who have this mark on their record. Paul tells us not to follow after those individuals who have broken the ranks of the Christian armed forces. We are to fall in and report for duty every day and not be swayed by the actions of others who are not faithful in reporting to duty.

The second command that Paul gives is to “keep away from every brother [who does not live] according to the tradition which you have received from us. Paul is referring to the apostolic teaching that has been handed down from disciples. I remember the first time when my brother Dean joined the Navy. His preparation and training took place at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center right off Lake Michigan near Chicago. The last image that I had of Dean was a hefty 6’3” young man with long hair. The recruits were allowed to call home when they arrived but could not call again until the end of the boot camp. Dean was given several packs of literature to prepare when he arrived at the Naval Center: training booklet, drill and ceremony booklet, literature on ranks, and Navy Core values. He was instructed to study and memorize certain sections of these booklets. Dean was excited. My mom and I traveled to Chicago to see Dean graduate from boot camp, we were amazed to see how much he has changed. He was so thin. My mom almost did not recognize him. As we talked we learned all that he went through: the first thing that he was taught when he arrived was to stand at attention (stand there and not say a word unless someone asks you a question), took his clothes and was issued Naval fatigues, and followed medical and physical procedures. He said that the first three weeks were the toughest. He had to learn how to fold his clothes, polish his shoes, lessons on professionalism and courtesies, take swimming tests, etc.

As I thought about Dean’s recollection of what he went through, I am amazed of the parallels between his experience and ours in the church. We too must be prepared with the Word of God if we are to go into battle. And there is nothing more that the enemy would love to do is to distract you from the Word of God. He loves to downplay its importance in our lives and cause us to trust in other things that the Bible. Not only are we commanded to fall in, but also to follow orders.

Happy Mother's Day

Written by the late Erma Bombeck after she found out she had a fatal disease.

If I Had My Life To Live Over
by Erma Bombeck

If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more.I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.I would have cried and laughed less while watching television - and more while watching life.I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."There would have been more "I love you's".. More "I'm sorrys" ...But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it ... live it...and never give it back.

© Erma Bombeck

First Revival

I conducted my first revival a couple of weeks ago. Pastor Tommy Mills of Pleasant Hill Baptist, Steubenville, OH, extended an invitation for me to come and speak in their church. This was my first revival, and Pastor Tommy prefers revivals that continue the whole week not just through Wednesday. I enjoyed the opportunity of sharing God’s Word with them and the pleasure of meeting some fine folk living in Steubenville. Thanks.

Those of you who are not familiar with Steubenville, OH. It is the home of Dean Martin and the town is considered the “mural” capital of America.

Jesus, the Son of ....

Why am I shocked? Except to wonder where do people find their ideas? I wonder where these theories are concocted…during a dream? On a drug binge? Creativity at its worst? Have you heard the latest scandal in the life of Jesus? That’s right! A scandal. Director Paul Verhoeven has written a biography on the life of Jesus. He reports that Mary was raped by a Roman soldier during an uprising which resulted in the birth of Jesus. See "Jesus was the Son of?!"

Call me naïve, but I am amazed by the things that people will write with no shred of evidence or basis. However, after reading that Verhoeven was affiliated with the Jesus Seminar, now I realize how people begin on slippery slopes. When people begin to question the foundation of Christianity, then we will eventually throw the proverbial baby out of the bathwater.

Claire's First Birthday

Last year this time, we were up half the night trying to soothe a new born. One thing has changed! She's now a year old. Here are a few pictures of Claire's first birthday. Both of our parents came to Martietta to join the festivities. While the grandparents enjoyed spoiling her with their love and time, Nicole and I enjoyed a few nights out on a date. You parents will understand.

Poppa's favorite girl:


Claire and Aunt MiMi:

Grace...

Ruth 2:20 “Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ‘May he be blessed of the Lord who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and dead.’” I will be teaching from this verse on Sunday on the meaning of grace. Now I know that there is an exegetical problem in the text: “who is the antecedent of the pronoun, who?” Is Naomi referring to the Lord or to Boaz? Either way I believe that God is demonstrating His kindness to Naomi through Boaz. Indeed God is grace, but He chooses to use you to convey His grace.

There are so many ways that we can demonstrate God’s grace to others. When the world sees us serving and ministering to our community, our acts should represent the grace that we have received from our Lord. Joseph Sittler defines grace this way: “The fundamental meaning of grace is the goodness and loving-kindness of God and the activity of His goodness in and toward creation.” How has God shown grace to you? How are you showing it to others?

The Muscle that Needs No Gym!

There are two things in life that you can never retrieve: lost time and spoken words. These two entities are forever gone. Once you miss an opportunity in time, that moment fades into the past. Though there may be similar opportunities in the future, that particular opportunity at that moment has passed. That opportunity was ripe with its moment in time, yet one can never retrieve it again. Likewise, spoken words can never be revisited. Once words have been spoken, the possibility of taking them back is gone. To retrieve spoken words is like “letting out water,” (Proverbs 17:14), it is impossible to gather it together again.
What a vivid reminder to us about our speech. The Bible admonishes us about the use of our tongue and its influence on others. Whether we believe it or not, our words carry a lot of weight and power. Just ask yourself the last time you were encouraged or discouraged by someone’s words to you. Solomon was wise when he correctly noted that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). How do you pepper you speech? Does it build or tear down?