Whose are you?

     Are you yours or are you His?  That is the bottom line.

     It defines your reactions to everything that happens and everything that is said. 

     The issue is, what is your relationship to the Word of God?  Can He be believed?  Trusted? 

     His "delay" is not the problem.
     The circumstances are not the problem.
     Actually, others are not the problem.
     Debt collection is not the problem.

     The issue is, will I trust Him or not?

     Is there anything else?

     Stand before Him and tell Him you are His.  Tell Him aloud.   In the language of your heart.
     Today.
 

     I can't tell you how many have said to me "I just wish I knew what the future holds . . ."

     Soldier of The Cross, you are not allowed to go there.  Haven't you told him you would  be His?  Haven't you told Him He could have His way?  Haven't you said you want to be a Liiving Sacrifice?

     Taking up The Cross and following Him means that you are willing for His Way and that you are eager to leave behind your need for a blueprint.

     Oh, Soldier.  What is your issue?  You don't need to know the future.  You need to see Jesus.

     Is there anything else?   Is there any conrtol that is better than faith in Him Who holds the stars in place?

     Tell Him you don't have to know. Tell Him you trust Him.  Tell Him you will submit to anything that will glorify Him.

     Tell Him now and tell Him aloud.

     Forget the television pleas.

     What does He say in His Word?  He is no man's debtor.

     Your money is not yours.  You worked, but you did not earn it.  He paid you.

     Soldier of The Cross, if you do not pray "Give us This Day Our Daily Bread. .."  you will think that you are financially responsible for yourself.    Of course, that is not possible.

     Giving is a matter of faith like everything else in the Christian walk.   He gives the increase and if you are not praying in your Daily Bread, you will be under the impression that you are providing for yourself.

    Oh, Soldier.  It is His.  Give Him off the top.  No matter what.  It is not about the bills,.  It is not about the small income.  It is absolutely not about the economy.

     It is about The Word of God.

    Do you believe Him or don't you?

     Tell Him.  Today.
     Aloud.

     It doesn't have to be fixed  now.

     It feels like it, but that is the flesh's impatient throbbing.

     The Lord never does things as soon as possible in terms of our craving for resolution.  He always works according to the eternal plan, and that means it is done with creativity and in such a manner that His Glory is ultimately revealed.

     The sting of misrepresentation, misunderstanding, back-stabbing and impending loss,  all press on the soul for immediate relief.  He who designed the universe and keeps it in motion by His Mighty Word of Power is on top of each seemingly out-of-control matter you are facing.

     According to God's Word, when we don't know what to do, we either wait or we choose the wisest move and go forward, knowing the Indwelling Holy Spirit is able to direct us.   Either way, we don't take action fueled by of our own need for relief.

     There's an old song, "Just Jesus and Me. . .".  But of course, that isn't true.  We are on this planet with multitudinous other people, and some of the most difficult are Christians. 

     Things often seem out of control.  We see the wrecking ball in motion and we see the structure that is about to receive the blow.  In particular, anxiety soars when we are in the path of destruction.

     Soldier of The Cross,  He uses time to reveal Himself and to teach us how to follow Him.  He has never darted behind a bush, but has always taken the outstretched hand.   He has never covered His ears to keep out the cry for rescue.

     He designed Time.  Brilliantly.  He uses time.  And, His Word tells us over and over that we must learn to let Him decide when.

     We deal with the matter in prayer.  We lay it out before Him in honesty and by the Holy Spirit.   We tell Him we are living sacrifices and we ask that He be revealed and that the enemy be bound.    We make it clear and declare aloud that anything He does and any way He does it is what we want.  We tell Him we stand before Him to receive training.

     Then, there is peace in the storm.  Power to wait.  Power to love.

     Soldier, tell Him.  Today
     Aloud.

     Are you in fact a Soldier of The Cross?

     Are you willing to agree with God about absolutely anything?  What about those secret moments?  May He have them?  Do you have  a standard that He must meet before you will agree?

     Soldier, this is about Love.  We serve the One who is Awesome, and the word is not ntended in the way teenagers say it today.  He is an Awesome God. 

      We have been called and chosen by One who created the universe. 

      Can you put your arm around the one who is dirty?  Are you willing to feed the hungry?  What about the widow and the orphan?  Do they all need to meet your standard first?

      You are a Soldier.  That means you have said to Him that you are a Living Scrifice.  There is no compromise.  Take the hits.  Why is it important that someone should think less of you?

      Why?

      Soldier, stand before Him and give it all to Him.   Other wise there is no freedom.  Is there an issue with a rebellious child?  He can give wisdom for the moment.  Tell Him you will wait for Him and that you will expect Him.

      Tell Him aloud.

     He has always chosen those who are not humanly qualified.

     Why do you list your inadequacies?  What are you waiting for? 

     This is about one step at a time.  The Indwelling Holy Spirit empowers, encourages and leads, but never, never lights up the path more than a step at a time. 

     It is the flesh that screams for the false security of sight.

     Soldier of The Cross, those who have gone before have found Him worth anything.  You know it to be true.  Will you stand before Him and tell Him that you agree to do the thing He places before you? 

      Or do you have to hold out for something that seems special?

     Tell Him today.
     Aloud.

     Oh Lord, as I stand before you tonight I lif up your Word as high as my arm will allow.

     Thank you so much for something I can touch. 
     Thank you for the witness I have that every word is True. 
     Thank you that I know you speak to me personally from each page.

     I know you are a God who does only the impossible.  I know you use the weakest to show the greatest strength.  I know you intend that Your Own should rise up and follow you into frontiers of faith.

     Lord, I want to be such a Soldier.  I declare to you now that I want more than anything to be used, to be transformed, and to be made into your likeness.

      Whatever it takes.  No matter what.

      My Lord and My God.

     When did you last tell the Lord that you loved Him?

     We sing it and we hear about it in sermons, but few tell Him directly. 

     When you stand before the Lord and talk to Him aloud, something happens with regard to the choice of words.  The Indwelling Holy Spirit leads, and there is revelation and illumination.   Confessing love for Him and to Him, takes the Soldier of The Cross into the divine momentum of prayer.  There begins to be a craving to tell Him why, and that is followed by a new revelation of how Great and Awesome He is.

     Soldier, He created you for Himself, not for the resolution of conflict.

     Tell Him.  Aloud.

     Soldier, how much do you want Him?

     Are you willing to walk on the water, or are the winds and the waves so daunting that you think you are unable?   Did you hear Him say "Come"?

     What is the alternative?    Have you gotten any peace by relying on your evaluation of the circumstances?  When you pray, are you demanding that the Lord do the thing you think has to happen ?

     Being a Soldier of The Cross means that you agree with God and that you take your place on the daily altar of a Living Sacrifice.   Have you done that?  In prayer?

     If so, the Indwelling Holy Spirit is able to reveal His extended Hand.

     Soldier, tell Him over and over.  Aloud.
     Today.

     Soldier of The Cross, you have no idea what He is doing. 

     All you see is what you see.  It is tempting to draw conclusions, but that is not scriptural.   You are not to guess.  You are to follow.

     He has never been hard to find.  He leads with His eyes and He does not obscure Himself.

     The issue is, do you want what you want, or do you want to see Him?  The frontier is before you.  Let Him know that you are available.

     Tell Him aloud.
     Today