The ministry of Grace is a feature of the life of one who has told the Lord that He can do anything with that life.

     Grace encompasses forgiveness, but goes so much farther.  Grace takes on the responsibility of going beyond the comfort zone, for the sake of another. 

     Grace allows the personality to released in fullness and issues forth from the freedom experienced by those who are determined to be like Jesus.

     Grace creates the capacity in hearts to turn to the Lord and to receive Him.  Grace protects the Believer from the first response of irritation or resentment.

     The flesh always wants to choose those who should receive it, but, then it would not be Grace.

     Thank God for His Grace!
     By Grace we have been saved, and by Grace, we live each day.

     There is no perfect church.

     There are those who try everything, looking for just the right balance of teaching, youth groups and or experience.  More often than not, these Christians are hunting for something they will never find - the kind of church in which they thought they were comfortable once upon a time.

     Then, there are those who are hunting, because they have been in prayer and are looking for a place to love, minister, pray and lay down their lives for the Brethren.

     Soldier of The Cross, if you have not found the right place yet, the Lord will lead you somewhere.  Be there every time the door is opened.  Be of prepared heart before the meeting.  Sing vigorously. Greet all, whether you feel like it or not.  Give cheerfully.

     Remember, when a seed is planted and dies, Life springs out of it.

    Soldier of The Cross, Eternity is real.

     All He has said is real.
     His Love for you is real.
    

     Are you sensitive to His outreached Hand?  That He has said He will lead you with His eyes?   Can you see Jesus in The Word?

     So then, are you able to see the lostness of the lost?

     Soldier, what do you have to lose?  What if someone does not like what you have to say?  Is your identity at stake, or is your identity in Him?  

     Where is reality?  And, how does it relate to those around you? 

     My father's funeral was a remarkable experience for me.  I knew he loved the Lord and it was unquestionably the theme of his life.  When I visited him, I knew he was thrilled when someone met the Lord, but I had no idea that he was such an evangelist.  He had fought cancer for almost thirty years and had also worked for most of that time. 

     In the receiving line after the funeral, about twenty people pumped my hand or hugged me, telling me that my father had led them to the Lord at work.  I will treasure those minutes for all eternity.

     Who will be there because of your availability?

     There is so much stimulation in today's Christian Church.

     Nevertheless, although it is hard to find a service without lots of trimmings, there are many who are genuine in their participation.   More and more though, it seems that the Church attracts people wanting to experience the Lord, rather than people know Him.

     One can taste a vast array of stimulation and experience, but those who have tasted intimacy with Him are usually not found at the fireworks. 

      Those looking for stimulation are addicted to it.  It is difficult to pray with those Christians, and often they are found to have bleak or non-existent prayer lives because they can't function without emotion or experience.

     He is known by faith.  He is known by those who take Him at His Word, regardless of how things seem or regardless of circumstances.  He is known by those who faithfully pray according to His Word and meet with Him, even when they do not feel like it.

     Soldier of The Cross, He made it clear and He has not changed His mind - take up The Cross daily and follow Him. 

     There is nothing else.  
     There is no one else.

     Soldier of The Cross, who is the Victor?

     It is He.  Not you.

     Your job is to trust Him and to tell Him so.  What are the issues?  Do they have to be explained to Him?  He will listen, but of course, He is familiar with the issues and knew about them before you were born.

     The bottom line is always, will you agree with God?  No matter what?  Or, do you have a limit as to how far you will go with Him?

     This is a matter that you should take up with him.   Let the Holy Spirit lead.  Talk to Him and do it aloud.

     It is not about this life.  It is about eternity.
 

       Soldier of The Cross, are you or are you not thankful?

     Certainly, if you agree with God, you are thankful.  So, tell Him.

     When before the Lord you begin to list the things for which you are thankful, you will find that there is no end to the list.  It goes on and on. You will begin with what The Word says.  Then you will move on to what He has done for you.  Then what He has done for others.  Then you will begin to list the things in nature that thrill you.  Then the things in others that thrill you.

     There is simply no end. 

     Those who thank the Lord are not only able to see Him.
     They are also able to revel in Him.

     If asked, what occupied your thoughts today?

     If the answer is "I don't know", it is not an honest answer.   There is a theme to the thought life of each day.  Often the thought are ensnared in problem solving and other times they are involved in fanaticizing about a better past or an impossible future.

     What does the Word of God say?  That the thoughts must agree with God and that thoughts must be taken captive and led away.  This means two things:  1)   You must be aware of your thoughts  2)  You must be in control of your thoughts.  This is only  possibloe supernaturally.

     Soldier of The Cross, this is not difficult.  It is a matter of yielding to the Lover of Your Soul.    You must agree with God, and this happens in prayer.  You must tell Him that you want your mind to be His - after all, that is one of the elements of the first commandment.  Then, you must tell Him that you are available to be changed in any way that will make it possible for you to have thoughts in line with His.

     Is there some other way of life you consider to be higher than this?  Of course not.

     Soldier, you can not be what you can not see. 

     Are you able to see yourself agreeing with God?  Are you able to see the Indwelling Holy Spirit reminding you and empowering you in the discipline of the thought life?

     Surely there is nothing higher.  No reason to refuse?  After all, it is for your good. 

     Ask Him to lead you and to let you see what is really happening.  Ask Him aloud.
     Ask Him today.

     What is important?

     Worth thinking about?  Worth wanting?  Worth dying for?

     That which is eternal.  And, that means obedience must be the theme of word, thought, prayer and action.    We have an enormous amount of choice.  Most importantly, we choose direction.  We choose thought.  We choose purpose.  We choose what to say.

     We cannot choose what someone else does or thinks or says.  And, so often that is the thing that gets Christians off the rail.

     Soldier of The Cross, keep your face set like flint - toward the Goal.  Determine to be available for Love to be poured through you, no matter what.  Take Him at His Word.

     Your life reflects the things that you have chosen to make important.  Your words reflect this.  Your eyes reflect this. 

     "Let your light so shine before men. . ."

     He never tires of you.

     He never complains about you to the Father.  He is not tempted to give up, nor is He willing to just cut you off and let you go your own way without giving you another thought.

     He is about the business of preparing you for heaven.  He is longing for your attention and He has provided you with the gift of prayer.  The Indwelling Holy Spirit will never leave.  He can be quenched, but He cannot be expelled.

     Soldier of The Cross, you must realize what you have in Christ and it must be from dealing with Him in prayer.  This is a tremendously freeing thing and also stirs hunger to meet Him in His Word.

     Yes, we slog on, on one level.  But far above that is the Life for which were you created.  We were created to enjoy Him.  To trust Him.  To recognize Him and to follow after Him.

     There is nothing more precious.  Pass it on.

    When I met the Lord, everything changed.

     It was not just a matter of changing direction - music was different.  Color was different.  When I saw children, I was desperate to love them and to tell them about Jesus.  I wanted to be with Christians and was desperate for the lost to be saved.   I could not get enough of the Bible.  I thought of Him every waking minute.

     How was it for you?

     Has anything changed?  Since that time, have the ordinary things of every day life taken over?    Can you honestly say that you are in love with Him and that His Word fills and directs your days and your hours?

     Soldier of The Cross, you were created for a throbbing, intimate relationship with the Creator of the universe.

     Look into His eyes again, take up The Cross and move on!