Lord, as I stand before you tonight I give you anew my mouth.

     I want so to be a minister of Life. I long to have you speak through me and I know that means I must be willing to die daily in this area.

     As commanded, I want to have your Word in my mouth and on my forehead always.  I want to have heaven come forth out of my mouth and radiate through my eyes. 

     I don't' want caution or abandon.  I want You and Your Life to be the source of my thoughts and my speech.

     My Lord and my God.

     Soldier of The Cross, you have always heard that you can't outgive God.

     How is that reflected in your life?

     The bottom line of course is, the money is not yours, but is His to begin with.  The issue is, do you believe you're commanded to give?  To tithe?

     Many preachers love to say that you do not need to tithe.  That the New Testament does not address a tithe.  That is not correct, and in fact there is a New Testament reference to tithing. 

     The New Testament issue is giving above what you think you can afford.

     Soldier, did you earn the money, or does He give Daily Bread by Prayer and by Grace?  Are you flying solo?

     There are promises.

     The issue is not what you can get - the issue is obedience.

     There is a serious pull when it comes to money.  Give God what He has asked before giving or paying anywhere else.  You will see that every bill is paid and there will be an overflow.

     Tell Him aloud.  Today.

     The Soldier of The Cross may not lash back.

     This is particularly difficult when there is a rebellious child still in the home, because it is not possible to avoid anger at some level.

     So, when a Christian parent levels the boom and is angry at the same time, there is overwhelming guilt, and it feels as though you were out of control because you were so angry.

     The bottom line is, if you are raising your children on your knees, you will have wisdom.  It doesn't' mean you will sail a smooth sea through the matter. There can be and probably will be storms..

     It doesn't mean you will feel calm.    It just means you can trust Him for Light on the matter.

     It is entirely possible to make a wise decision and feel like you blew it.
     Give it to Him.

     The child is not yours.  The child is His.  If you ask Him, He will lead you.  It doesn't mean you will feel like a sage or feel like you are in control.

     It is about the Word of God and His leading.

     Soldier, make sure you are dealing with this matter in prayer and aloud.  It is a tremendous protection.

     I am about to turn sixty-four. I have worked with teenagers for forty-seven years.  On a human level, that makes me an expert.  I know a lot of stuff and I do well with teens.  I have them one on one in private lessons, and  there are over two hundred adults who still call me "Mama".  But the dynamic is competely different when they are your own.

     When it comes to any problem or conflict, all ground must be softened by prayer.

     This will protect you from the typical terrible advice about teens.

     Soldier of The Cross, there is no such thing as a stereotype.   

     We are His.  We are led.  We are dependent, and that is the way it should be.

     Tell Him.  Aloud.
     Today.

     The Soldier of the Cross must know how to live and how to die.

     At the same time, the message of the Gospel is not only Salvation, but also how the Christian must live and how the Christian should die.

     Soldier of The Cross, we are moving on.  There is an inertia and a momentum to the Christian Life. And to the vision for passing on.

     I have had many experiences with the dying of loved ones, or the dying of loved ones of the Family of God.

     The issue is always what lies ahead.  The human experience is to dread the unknown, especially when it comes to crossing the Crystal Sea.

      Soldier, whatever He has is for your best.  Chemotherapy is so hard.   For over thirty years, I went through it with my father.  Then, my mother died of cancer.  And now, I have a close friend who is going through breast cancer treatment.

     The bottom line is, who is on control?

     Yes, we have an enemy.
     Yes, we can ask for healing, and sometimes He does and sometimes He doesn't.

     Soldier, this life is a as vapor, and don't you forget it.   We don't know what is His will, but we know we need to agree with Him .

     So Soldier, ask Him for the healing,.  The tell Him you want His best.  Are you the one with cancer?

      Buck up.  Agree with God. Determine that the fear of leaving this life is not the issue.  The issue is service to the Body of Christ.

     Leave the burden at His feet.  You will need to do this over and over and over.    That is OK.  
     Tell Him aloud and experience the relief.
     Do it today.

     Today I was reminded about the cost of compassion.

     Those who are willing to be like Jesus are also willing to pay the cost.   What is that cost?  It is unknown until the moment  it is due.

     Sometimes it is feeding the hungry. 
     Sometimes it is visiting someone when you would rather dive into a bed and pull a sheet over your head. 
     Often it means going the extra mile and investigating what the need is - not the want, the need.
     More often than not, it means inconvenience.
     It can also mean ministering at a time when others think you are over the top and doing what is not deserved.

     Soldier of The Cross, didn't' He say that we should attend to Him when He is ill, visit Him in prison and clothe Him when He is naked?  What specific and valuable instruction.

     My father was a remarkable Servant.  The eldest boy of eight children, he had to work fulltime and raise the family from the age of fourteen.  A year before he died of cancer, he huffed and puffed his way to show me a cowpath in Fonda, Iowa.   He stopped and pointed to a spot of grass and said, "This is where I accepted Christ as my Savior.  I was carrying two pails of milk when I realized that the Sunday sermon has made it clear that I had to make a personal decision.  So, I put down both pails, right here.  I got down on my knees and received Jesus as my Savior.   At that moment, I knew I was not my own, and that I needed to spend the rest of my life letting the Lord reveal Himself through my speech and actions."

     I was forty two when I had those priceless moments with my father..

     And, oh, did he ever live it.   When he was in seminary and earning a living as a church janitor and interim pastor, we had little food.  I  was seven years old when he finished seminary at Trinity Evangelical Free Seminary in Chicago.  Sometimes we had only enough food for a few bites apiece, particularly at supper, but I never knew we were poor.  And when we had the least, we would put everything on one plate, decorate it somehow, cover it with waxed paper, and we would go to someone's house whom we knew had nothing.  We would put the plate on the step, knock on the door and dive into the bushes or run around the side. 

     I thought it was the best thing in the world and the most fun a person could have.

     Many times, I saw my father weep over the lost, the hungry, the dying, the poor and the unfairly accused.

     A stunning impact on a child.

     Soldier of The Cross, because you are a Soldier, it means you are a Servant.  You have told Him you will take up the Cross and follow Him. 

     The willingness to pay the cost is supernatural and is the result of prayer.
     Tell Him aloud.  In the understanding.
     Today.

     There is not one verse in God's Word that even hints we can know why in the Now.

     We are not advancing because we know His reasons.  We advance by faith because He has asked us to trust Him.

     The death of a child is a stunning loss.  Serious illness and chronic pain can only be understood by those who goes through it.  There are no words to describe public humiliation and unfair loss or accusation.

     But, we have a Lord.  That means we come under the One who rules.  We come in submission to Him who named us and counts the hairs on our head. 

     We come to the One who collects our tears in a bottle.

     The Soldier of The Cross must come to the Lord and declare he or she will embrace the death of the flesh. 
That means giving up the right to know why.

      Wanting to know why is the same as saying to the Lord, "I need to know your reason to see if I approve of your decision and I am challenging your sovereignty. . ." and that is not a position of faith.

     The bottom line is always the same thing - can He be trusted? 

     Of course He can.   He is the Prince of Peace.   The Indwelling Holy Spirit can usher in supernatural Peace even in times of desperate grief, physical pain and stunning unfairness.

     Oh, Soldier.  Life is short.  It is eternity that never ends, and it is in eternity that we will be privileged to see it all and know it all.

     Until then, tell Him you will rest in Him and take Him at His Word.  A daily exercise. 

     The Christian Soldier must learn how to live, and it can't be done without unbearable challenges.  If it could all be humanly borne, there  would be no need for faith.

     Tell Him aloud.  Right now.

     What does the offender deserve?

     You don't have be his best friend or even reach out to him.  But if we all got what we deserved, no one would be saved.

     Soldier of The Cross, you must not and may not punish an offender by getting even.  This issue can sneak up in may ways.  One of the most  common is the tendency of women to withdraw and expect the man to grovel in order to restore a liveable atmosphere.

     It is not His way.

     The Indwelling Holy Spirit is gracious and empowers the Believer to behave in the manner commanded by Heaven.  It is not about evening the score or teaching a lesson.  It is about being a Living Sacrifice.

     According to the Word of God, your behavior and your words and your attitude are all to reflect Him.  Not the other guy.

     This is maturity.  This is submission.  This is obedience.  This is protection against the ploys of the enemy that come through those who attack us.

     Soldier, buck up.
     Remember, all of the unseen powers in existence are watching you and listening to your words, or your silence.

     Tell Him in prayer, and aloud.

     Whose are you?

     Are you His or, in fact, are you yours?

     There is a bottom line issue here.  If you are His, it means that on a regular basis you are telling Him He can do anything with your life.  You are telling Him you will go anywhere, and you are telling Him you will say what He wants you to say.    If this is not happening, chances are, you are holding back a personal reserve.

     Oh, Soldier.  Is there anything to gain by holding back?

     The real issue is, can He be trusted?   Is here any advantage to holding back? 

     Who has all knowledge?
     Who is Love?    
     Who holds the stars in place?
     Who called you and named you?

      Many are devoted to business.  To family.  To religion.

     Soldier of The Cross, stand before Him and let Him know you are His and that it is your bottom line. 

     Tell Him aloud.  Today.

     Addiction takes many forms.

     Most of us are addicted to something that needs to be released, and it is the business of the Indwelling Holy Spirit to prod us to submission in the area needing healing.

     Addiction is not always drugs or alcohol.  The flesh has cravings and habits that develope andfeel compelling, though they may not fall into the most societally disturbing categories.

     The flesh wants to be right all the time.
     It wants to get attention, and it may be a screaming need.
     It is desperate for security.
     It wants control.
     It wants to get even.

     Soldier of The Cross, every human being has some issue, and each knows what it is.  No mystery.  It is often under lock and key in the recesses of the heart.

     A physical addiction must be starved.  Cutting back doesn't do it.    And there must be a taking of things one minute, one hour and one day at a time.

     All addictions must be taken to the Lord in prayer.
     Have you understood that He is never impatient?  Have you understood that He understands?

     The issue is, you must want to be changed.  Age does not matter.  He who can do anything is not limited by anything you could name.    

     Go for it.

     Tell Him you give yourself to Him for anything.  Tell Him you will pay any price to be His and to be able to serve Him.

     Tell Him now.
     Aloud.

     There is no room for unforgiveness in the life of the Soldier of The Cross.

     Moreover, the Word teaches that unforgiveness blocks the prayer life and makes an opening for the enemy.

     Without realizing it, many hold a grudge for the way something has made them feel, rather than for the thing that actually happened.  So, because the feeling is so intense that  it is impossible to foresee leaving it behind, unforgiveness settles into a riverbed of the thought life and seals off the power of the Holy Spirit in the Believer.

     Forgiveness happens in prayer.  It's a matter of taking God at His Word, telling Him so, and being willing to lay the matter down.  This might need to happen over and over.  Maybe even seventy times seven.

     We serve a Lord who heals.  We serve One who has told us to cast all our cares on Him.  That means He will receive us, listen and respond.

     Forgiveness is not about acting like nothing happened.  It is not about feeling healed.  Forgiveness is a step taken by faith, so that the The One who holds the stars in place is free to heal us and do His deepest Work.

     Tell Him.  Aloud.