Rejoice - the Lord is King. . .   What does that mean for you?    Soldier of The Cross,  His Word is the bottom Line.  What  assurance that is for you.  What a refuge that is for you.  What a protection from all that comes at you.    There is a Ruler - and He died for you.  It was personal.  Not general.  He is over all, and He holds the stars in place.    Truth is simple.     He is everything.  He is King.  He has the authority.  And, He is perfect.  He loves you and He asks that you obey Him.    It is settled.

   There is no middle ground for the Soldier of The Cross.    It is always disturbing to hear Believers say things like, "We are dreaming of owning our own home someday. . ."  or, " I just want to travel as much as possible and see all the sights of the world. . ."    While those things are certainly not wrong, they should not be sought apart from Christian service.  If there is a home, it must be dedicated to the Lord and given for His use, whatever that happens to be.  Vacations re not unchristian, but a goal of seeing much of the world is not a godly one unless it is for the purpose of serving the Lord.    Heaven is not real to many Believers.     Being a Soldier of  The Cross means dwelling and living in a place of the death of the gravity of the flesh, and following hard after Him.     You have one life.  There must be a single eye and a firm goal - knowing Him, serving Him and preparing for eternity, all the while bringing as many to Christ as possible.    No compromise.  Your pockets will be turned out when you stand before Him.

   What sets the Soldier of The Cross apart from all others?    The determination and commitment to take God at His Word and move according to what He has said, rather than circumstances.    Soldier,  American children believe in the Tooth Fairy and in Santa Claus.  They believe in these fantasies because they have been instructed to believe.    You have been personally touched by God.     You have been chosen and you know it.    You have been called and you know it.  You are being led and you know it.     You have not been instructed to believe.  You have been instructed to listen to the One who touched you and whose voice you recognize.  It is the weak  who operate because they have been persuaded by others.    We move by faith.    Look up and move on.

   Who shall bring any charge against God's elect [when it is] God Who justifies [that is, Who puts us ion right relation to Himself?  Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen?  . . .                   Romans 8:39(a)  Amplified Bible    Soldier of The Cross, when you gave Him your life, you stepped over The Line.  You told Him  He could do anything with your life.  Can He be trusted or  not?  Why are you distressed when you are falsely accused?    He will deal with the matter.    The  lies are never from casual relationships because those who are not close to you have  no motive to impeach you.    Soldier, here is the issue:  can He  be trusted?  Has He spoken the truth?    Of course He has.  Therefore,  His Word guts the accusation, but you must claim this by faith.  Stand before Him.  Agree with Him.  Let Him have His way.  Say that you will allow Him to do anything, and tell Him aloud.   Do it today.  There is  no time to lose.

   If  He said He would supply all our needs, why is there so much worry about money?    Firstly, we must agree with God that He is the source of all things.  If we work and are paid for the work, there is a principle to be understood - to all labor there is a reward.  Still, the source of the money is the Lord and not the job.  This is heaven's perspective on money.    Secondly, few believers are faithful to pray in their "daily bread."    This is critical because we see the things we bring to Him in prayer.  No prayer, no sight.  No sight, no peace.    If we think we are responsible for bringing in the provision, we can't be thankful.    Soldier of The Cross, every molecule of air is provided by Grace.  So is every tiny portion of money.  The Believer can not see anything but self-sufficiency unless there is dependent prayer.     Learn to lean.

   It is a thrill to serve the Lord.    Those who are in love with Him enjoy life.     There is no design that make miserable each Soldier who is fully committed.  In fact, those who are His have the possibility of enjoyment of life that is beyond words.    There is a provision to allow the Soldier of The Cross to walk on the water.  He or she does  not need to fear.    Every need is provided. Even laughter takes on an added dimension when the Lord is in it.    Hidden things are revealed.    Soldier, it is His desire to bring you into eternal pleasure, and it does  not begin after physical death.    Those who are His learn to take pleasure in hardship as well as ease.    Look for Him.  Listen for Him.  Memorize His Word and agree with Him.  He has designed you for infinite delight.  It is the burden that prevents joy, and quenches the Holy Spirit.    Let Him lift the burden and taste freedom.

Lead me to some soul today, O teach me, Lord, just what to say; Friends of mine are lost in sin And cannot find their way. Few there are who seem to care, And few there are who pray. Melt my heart and fill my life; Give me one soul today    Words by Will H. Houghton    Music by Wendell P. Loveless

    He is the Great Initiator and He has created mankind with the capacity to respond to Him.    Not only has He initiated through Creation, but He is always initiating to the available heart.    Soldier of The Cross, how did you become a follower of Him?  How did you learn to recognize Him?  How did you develop a love for His Word and His Own?    Simply by responding.     When you accepted the gift of Salvtion, you entered into the privilege of response.  The Indwelling Holy Spirit allows you to respond to Him in infinite ways, and this response will never end.    He is always available.     He always listens.    He is never impatient.    He is ever eager to bless.    What

   Why should you serve Him with all your might?    When things get rough, why should you believe Him?  Why not take a little digression and indulge old fantasies or revert to old habits?  Why not deal with things as they appear?     Because there is nothing else.  There is no one else.    You can't go back.  you can not crawl back into the womb and unborn yourself.  Once you have been born from above,  it can not be undone.  That means that living as though He were not real, is the ultimate foolish living.    Soldier of The Cross, He touched you. You responded, and He lives within you.     Refuse distraction.    Deliberately feed on His Word.    Go out of your way to serve and be with His people.    Pray regularly and specifically, in Agreement with Him.    He will move you along by revealing Himself.

   God has designed a stunning framework for our period of choosing or rejecting Him.    We dwell in the dimension of time and no moment can be relived in reality.   Each day that passes provides numerous opportunities to obey God.  Of course, the initial act of obedience must be the accepting of His gift of Salvation - by faith.  Then, because of the Indwelling Holy Spirit, there is Power to walk with God in obedience.    Each obedient act and thought leads to an other, Conversely, each choice that moves away from Him leads to more distance and possibly to another and more serious choice.    As we grow older, we realize that the things the world offers are of  no eternal significance and that habits and vectors must be corrected.   The older one is, the greater the realization that time is short.    The Soldier of The Cross must learn to recover the ground.    There may be a sharp tongue.  Perhaps there are secret thoughts that are unhealthy.  Thoughts against others.  Passivity or aggression.    There is no time to waste.  On the other hand, the Soldier who brings the matter to the Lord in prayer does not panic about the brevity of life.    The theme must be "Lord, change me."    We are not leaving  the best - we are preparing for the best.