Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
Today marks the unofficial conclusion of summer with the end of August. To this point, you have gone through the heartbreaking season of packing and farewells, the uneasy transition period in TX, the hectic spin-up into new roles in country, and a month of owning those new roles on your own. During this whole period, you have worked to make this mission successful, support your fellow soldiers, love your family, and grow in faith. In all of this, God has been supremely gracious.
Now keep walking with the throne of Christ before your eyes, that you might not get entangled in your own sin nor grow weary and faint-hearted. He who began a good work in you will bring to completion at the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1), who walked this road in your place.
Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
Thought of the Day: Loving the Unlovable
Today, as I was counseling a soldier, I was reminded of a convicting experience in my early days as a believer in Jesus Christ.
I was on a backpacking trip with my youth group, and one kid in my group was constantly making fun of other people. It wasn't even funny--just mean and nasty. Naturally, most of the rest of us started talking about this kid behind his back. "What a jerk!" But over the course of the trip, we each had an opportunity to share our "testimony" (life story, and if applicable, how we came to know the grace of Jesus Christ).
When this kid shared, everybody's jaws dropped. He talked about abuse, having cigarettes put out on his skin--a life completely void of love. Right after this kid talked, I remember another guy saying "Man, now I feel like crap." We all felt a sense of shame for labeling this kid by his words and actions, rather than looking at the heart and showing empathy.
I joke that I counsel two soldiers in a day--each of whom talk horribly about the other, and then share incredible stories of heartache that no one else can possibly understand. In our sin and suffering, we line up and shoot at another person with the same wounds. We step closer and realize we shot ourselves.
My friends, we know our brokenness before the Lord. In Jesus Christ, He has forgiven us of our sin and given hope to our suffering. Let us not condemn our fellow, broken sinner, but seek to bind his wounds with the salve of the Gospel.
"He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him." (Psalm 103:10-13)
I was on a backpacking trip with my youth group, and one kid in my group was constantly making fun of other people. It wasn't even funny--just mean and nasty. Naturally, most of the rest of us started talking about this kid behind his back. "What a jerk!" But over the course of the trip, we each had an opportunity to share our "testimony" (life story, and if applicable, how we came to know the grace of Jesus Christ).
When this kid shared, everybody's jaws dropped. He talked about abuse, having cigarettes put out on his skin--a life completely void of love. Right after this kid talked, I remember another guy saying "Man, now I feel like crap." We all felt a sense of shame for labeling this kid by his words and actions, rather than looking at the heart and showing empathy.
I joke that I counsel two soldiers in a day--each of whom talk horribly about the other, and then share incredible stories of heartache that no one else can possibly understand. In our sin and suffering, we line up and shoot at another person with the same wounds. We step closer and realize we shot ourselves.
My friends, we know our brokenness before the Lord. In Jesus Christ, He has forgiven us of our sin and given hope to our suffering. Let us not condemn our fellow, broken sinner, but seek to bind his wounds with the salve of the Gospel.
"He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him." (Psalm 103:10-13)
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Opportunity of the Day: Helping the VCR
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
A soldier dropped me a line the other day with the following opportunity. If you have extra toiletries and other random supplies (no food), then please send them this way. If you would like to donate money, please let me know and I will provide you with a secure way to do so. How Jesus delights in the little children!
A soldier dropped me a line the other day with the following opportunity. If you have extra toiletries and other random supplies (no food), then please send them this way. If you would like to donate money, please let me know and I will provide you with a secure way to do so. How Jesus delights in the little children!
I was talking to [CDR name omitted] about the VCR (Volunteer
Community Relations) trip to the Children's Hospital the other day and he
mentioned he may have resources back in the states that could help with a
donations drive.
I mentioned this the VCR Lead [name omitted) and she gave me
the following address for where to send donations for the VCR. It would go
through the NTM-A CSTC-A Chaplain's Office at the following address.
VCR Program
NTM-A/CSTC-A Chaplain's Office
Camp Eggers
APO AE 09356
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Question of the Day: Did you pray today?
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
Prayer is more than a proscribed part of the Christian life, more than a daily discipline that you need to check off in order to be a "good Christian."
It is an expression of our awe at God's character, humility and penitence over our sin, and trust and dependence upon Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we bow the knee in prayer, we are confessing that we are not Jesus, but need Jesus desperately.
And if you're not in prayer, why not? Perhaps you have trouble finding a time, but really, if it's a priority, we'll find time. I know from experience that I often just don't want to. I want to push God to the periphery and pretend I have things together. Do you experience this as well?
We have a great High Priest who intercedes on our behalf. Therefore, we should not only approach the throne of grace often, but approach it with confidence, knowing that with our lives, our prayers are washed in His blood.
And we need never fear condemnation. For who can condemn? Christ Jesus, who was raised up and now intercedes for us (Rom. 8). The Judge, by bearing God's justice on our sin, has become our Justifier--taking away our sin and crediting us with His righteousness. Praise be to God!
Prayer is more than a proscribed part of the Christian life, more than a daily discipline that you need to check off in order to be a "good Christian."
It is an expression of our awe at God's character, humility and penitence over our sin, and trust and dependence upon Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we bow the knee in prayer, we are confessing that we are not Jesus, but need Jesus desperately.
And if you're not in prayer, why not? Perhaps you have trouble finding a time, but really, if it's a priority, we'll find time. I know from experience that I often just don't want to. I want to push God to the periphery and pretend I have things together. Do you experience this as well?
We have a great High Priest who intercedes on our behalf. Therefore, we should not only approach the throne of grace often, but approach it with confidence, knowing that with our lives, our prayers are washed in His blood.
And we need never fear condemnation. For who can condemn? Christ Jesus, who was raised up and now intercedes for us (Rom. 8). The Judge, by bearing God's justice on our sin, has become our Justifier--taking away our sin and crediting us with His righteousness. Praise be to God!
Monday, August 26, 2013
Thought of the Day: How to Pursue Joy
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
Feeling worn out? Wondering where your joy and peace have gone? Are you stuck in a rut?
A lot of times, as we feel these things, we search for the joy we have lost. "How do I regain it?!"
The problem, as C.S. Lewis has noted, is that joy is ellusive. If we pursue joy, we will never attain it. We must pursue the object of our joy.
How then do we gain it? By pursuing God.
Doesn't this make sense? If I want more joy in my marriage, then I need to spend more time with my wife and delight will follow.
When we pursue God by attending chapel services, spending time in His Word and in prayer, and in fellowship with the saints--in other words, when we draw closer to God--He draws near to us with the joy that is naturally found in Him alone.
He created us to enjoy Him, which means that to be in-joy comes with abiding in Him. As Paul writes in Col. 3, "Set your mind on things above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God."
And even this pursuit is not of our own will, as "He works in us to will and work according to His good pleasure" (Ph. 2).
Feeling worn out? Wondering where your joy and peace have gone? Are you stuck in a rut?
A lot of times, as we feel these things, we search for the joy we have lost. "How do I regain it?!"
The problem, as C.S. Lewis has noted, is that joy is ellusive. If we pursue joy, we will never attain it. We must pursue the object of our joy.
How then do we gain it? By pursuing God.
Doesn't this make sense? If I want more joy in my marriage, then I need to spend more time with my wife and delight will follow.
When we pursue God by attending chapel services, spending time in His Word and in prayer, and in fellowship with the saints--in other words, when we draw closer to God--He draws near to us with the joy that is naturally found in Him alone.
He created us to enjoy Him, which means that to be in-joy comes with abiding in Him. As Paul writes in Col. 3, "Set your mind on things above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God."
And even this pursuit is not of our own will, as "He works in us to will and work according to His good pleasure" (Ph. 2).
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Thought of the Day: Seeking Help
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
Despite living in an age in which counseling is increasingly normal, and despite recognizing the great toll that our line of work often takes on the heart and mind, we are still often reluctant to consider seeking help in our hour of need. Why is this?
Do you feel weak in admitting your need for help? Do you feel ashamed because you feel like we're the only one? (You're not!) Are you scared about what the counseling might expose? Have you seen bad counseling lead to bad consequences?
Whatever the reason, today is the day to stop with excuses. If you're hurting at all--or even just feel a little unsettled--go and talk with the chaplain or mental health. These people exist in the Army because hearts are not meant to bear the burden of war, and these people are the Army's investment in those who bear it anyway.
And it takes strength to confront the demons of your pride and admit that you cannot control your circumstances or your life. You can only shape them and make the best of your circumstances. The chaplaincy and mental health help in this role. More important, Christ did not come for the healthy, but for the sick; not the righteous, but for sinners.
We must recognize that are great sinners in order to recognize our need for a great Savior.
Despite living in an age in which counseling is increasingly normal, and despite recognizing the great toll that our line of work often takes on the heart and mind, we are still often reluctant to consider seeking help in our hour of need. Why is this?
Do you feel weak in admitting your need for help? Do you feel ashamed because you feel like we're the only one? (You're not!) Are you scared about what the counseling might expose? Have you seen bad counseling lead to bad consequences?
Whatever the reason, today is the day to stop with excuses. If you're hurting at all--or even just feel a little unsettled--go and talk with the chaplain or mental health. These people exist in the Army because hearts are not meant to bear the burden of war, and these people are the Army's investment in those who bear it anyway.
And it takes strength to confront the demons of your pride and admit that you cannot control your circumstances or your life. You can only shape them and make the best of your circumstances. The chaplaincy and mental health help in this role. More important, Christ did not come for the healthy, but for the sick; not the righteous, but for sinners.
We must recognize that are great sinners in order to recognize our need for a great Savior.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Question of the Day: Can you handle criticism?
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
One of the great British preachers of the 20th century, Martyn Lloyd Jones, distinguished meekness from humility in this way: meekness is humility before others. It is one thing to say "I suck"--it is quite another for another person to say that I suck. Then I bristle and get defense and think "You don't even know me!"
Younger people have developed particularly thin skin when handling criticism. They are often raised with self-esteem boosting lines--"You're special." "There's no one like you." "Just have faith in yourself and you can accomplish anything."--even with they are totally out of accord with reality.
Thus, when many people hear criticism, they respond with the same childish attitude that I do--whether it is verbalized or not.
But the reality is that we are always worthy of criticism. Even if the criticism is largely wrong or misdirected, it should at least be considered. Maybe it's the tool that God is using to expose sin in your life, even if it is not the one mentioned by your critic. It's at least worth your time and prayer.
So if you are being attacked or criticized, agree with your critic or at least concede that their criticisms are at least worth looking at. Remember Jesus, who being perfect did not open His mouth to defend Himself before Pilate (Matt. 27:14; Is. 53:7). He took the scorn and abuse of sinners in order to save some. We are not Jesus and are sinners ourselves, but we can rejoice in our salvation in Him, swallow our pride, and consider that sometimes our best defense of the Gospel comes with giving no defense of ourselves.
One of the great British preachers of the 20th century, Martyn Lloyd Jones, distinguished meekness from humility in this way: meekness is humility before others. It is one thing to say "I suck"--it is quite another for another person to say that I suck. Then I bristle and get defense and think "You don't even know me!"
Younger people have developed particularly thin skin when handling criticism. They are often raised with self-esteem boosting lines--"You're special." "There's no one like you." "Just have faith in yourself and you can accomplish anything."--even with they are totally out of accord with reality.
Thus, when many people hear criticism, they respond with the same childish attitude that I do--whether it is verbalized or not.
But the reality is that we are always worthy of criticism. Even if the criticism is largely wrong or misdirected, it should at least be considered. Maybe it's the tool that God is using to expose sin in your life, even if it is not the one mentioned by your critic. It's at least worth your time and prayer.
So if you are being attacked or criticized, agree with your critic or at least concede that their criticisms are at least worth looking at. Remember Jesus, who being perfect did not open His mouth to defend Himself before Pilate (Matt. 27:14; Is. 53:7). He took the scorn and abuse of sinners in order to save some. We are not Jesus and are sinners ourselves, but we can rejoice in our salvation in Him, swallow our pride, and consider that sometimes our best defense of the Gospel comes with giving no defense of ourselves.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Deployment Goals: Spiritual
Often times, we desire from the Lord what we desire from our marriages: spontaneous romance and intimacy. "Romance shouldn't have to be planned," we often argue, as if a lack of forethought somehow equals greater love.
I once heard a pastor say that with the Christian faith, feeling doesn't lead to doing, doing leads to feeling. We have to be careful with that--the Christian faith is fundamentally about God saving work in Jesus Christ on behalf of sinners. But when it comes to our growth, God has called us to His means of grace for nourishment: the preaching and reading of the Word, the sacraments, and prayer. He calls us to exercise a responsibility through His strength alone. So here is my basic spiritual plan:
Main Goal: To more fully depend upon the Lord and not on my extraversion.
Secondary Goal: To memorize the book of Philippians and hide it in my heart.
Secondary Goal: To spend substantial time in daily prayer.
Secondary Goal: To attend worship services as well as lead them.
What do you feel to be a weakness in your walk with the Lord? Resolve to attack it. Not in our strength, but in the Lord's mighty power (Eph. 6). And remember, as C.S. Lewis wisely put it, that you can't attain joy by pursuing it. You must pursue the One who gives joy. So whatever you seek to address, make God's means of grace your means of grace and pursue He who never leaves you nor forsakes you.
And trust Him to grow you, even when you don't feel it, for it is God "who works in you to will and work according to His good pleasure" (Ph. 2).
I once heard a pastor say that with the Christian faith, feeling doesn't lead to doing, doing leads to feeling. We have to be careful with that--the Christian faith is fundamentally about God saving work in Jesus Christ on behalf of sinners. But when it comes to our growth, God has called us to His means of grace for nourishment: the preaching and reading of the Word, the sacraments, and prayer. He calls us to exercise a responsibility through His strength alone. So here is my basic spiritual plan:
Main Goal: To more fully depend upon the Lord and not on my extraversion.
Secondary Goal: To memorize the book of Philippians and hide it in my heart.
Secondary Goal: To spend substantial time in daily prayer.
Secondary Goal: To attend worship services as well as lead them.
What do you feel to be a weakness in your walk with the Lord? Resolve to attack it. Not in our strength, but in the Lord's mighty power (Eph. 6). And remember, as C.S. Lewis wisely put it, that you can't attain joy by pursuing it. You must pursue the One who gives joy. So whatever you seek to address, make God's means of grace your means of grace and pursue He who never leaves you nor forsakes you.
And trust Him to grow you, even when you don't feel it, for it is God "who works in you to will and work according to His good pleasure" (Ph. 2).
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
When Deployment Goals Fall Through
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
I had, at least informally, developed an educational goal for this deployment--to start in on a counseling degree at a top-notch institution (Westminster Theological Seminary). Everything look set, and I had even read two books for classes ahead of time. Today, I was notified that they cannot do courses for credit online. This particular goal, with the pleasure and focus it afforded me, was quickly stripped away.
This will likely happen to you at various points as well. What these "setbacks" show us is that while we have a responsibility to plan for the future and work toward those plans, we must rest in the fact that our every day and choice is in the hand of God. God makes this very point through James, who reminds us that instead of arrogantly assuming our future plans, we should always add this crucial piece: "if God wills." This addition reminds us we can plan, but in all of our plans, we must place our trust in God in His providence.
Ultimately, in our firstborn brother, Jesus Christ, we have access to the Father of the heavenly lights, Who gives every good and perfect gift. And in Christ, our past, present, and future is blessed.
I had, at least informally, developed an educational goal for this deployment--to start in on a counseling degree at a top-notch institution (Westminster Theological Seminary). Everything look set, and I had even read two books for classes ahead of time. Today, I was notified that they cannot do courses for credit online. This particular goal, with the pleasure and focus it afforded me, was quickly stripped away.
This will likely happen to you at various points as well. What these "setbacks" show us is that while we have a responsibility to plan for the future and work toward those plans, we must rest in the fact that our every day and choice is in the hand of God. God makes this very point through James, who reminds us that instead of arrogantly assuming our future plans, we should always add this crucial piece: "if God wills." This addition reminds us we can plan, but in all of our plans, we must place our trust in God in His providence.
Ultimately, in our firstborn brother, Jesus Christ, we have access to the Father of the heavenly lights, Who gives every good and perfect gift. And in Christ, our past, present, and future is blessed.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Question of the Day: How do you define love?
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
Yesterday, we noted that we have influences in our lives who teach us about love, typically during our childhood. In word and practice, we learn from them whether love is conditional or unconditional, whether it can be truly severed, whether it can be trusted.
So now I pose the question to you: How do you define love?
Is the love you show toward your spouse, children, parents, and siblings a love that is unconditional? Will it hold fast, perhaps even deepen, during times of adversity?
Looking at it from the other direction, are you able to trust love? Do you let the love of your loved ones truly permeate your heart? Or do you not believe that their love is legitimate? Or that you are not really lovable? Or that something you can do can somehow shake their love?
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us--the godly for the ungodly, the One who had done nothing wrong for those who could never get anything right. He bore the spit and scorn of traitors like us, but cried out in love: "Forgive them."
As we now walk in the power of His Spirit, we are growing more like Him and able to unconditionally love the unlovable. And though we were unlovable, the Father loved us and sent Christ to the cross for us--knowing our sin and treachery better than we do, but forgave it for Christ's sake.
Yesterday, we noted that we have influences in our lives who teach us about love, typically during our childhood. In word and practice, we learn from them whether love is conditional or unconditional, whether it can be truly severed, whether it can be trusted.
So now I pose the question to you: How do you define love?
Is the love you show toward your spouse, children, parents, and siblings a love that is unconditional? Will it hold fast, perhaps even deepen, during times of adversity?
Looking at it from the other direction, are you able to trust love? Do you let the love of your loved ones truly permeate your heart? Or do you not believe that their love is legitimate? Or that you are not really lovable? Or that something you can do can somehow shake their love?
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us--the godly for the ungodly, the One who had done nothing wrong for those who could never get anything right. He bore the spit and scorn of traitors like us, but cried out in love: "Forgive them."
As we now walk in the power of His Spirit, we are growing more like Him and able to unconditionally love the unlovable. And though we were unlovable, the Father loved us and sent Christ to the cross for us--knowing our sin and treachery better than we do, but forgave it for Christ's sake.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Question for the Day: Who defined love for you?
Growing up, we all had various figures--usually parents--who defined love for us. The ways they cared for us taught us about how to display love and the security that comes with love.
The problem is, many of us may have been taught wrong conceptions of love. If you were the victim of a parent's abuse, divorce, or abandonment, you might still live under the shadow of the notion that love is conditional--that somehow, we might do something in our present relationships to sever the bond of love.
This also affects our view of God. If those who influenced us growing up taught that we can somehow sever the bond of love, what does that teach us about God's love? Do we struggle with the idea that our sin will somehow repulse God and turn Him away from us? Do we pray with fear because we believe he won't listen to us because of our sin?
What does Scripture tell us about God's love for us in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:28-39)?
So, back to our original question: Who defined love for you? And what definition did they provide?
The problem is, many of us may have been taught wrong conceptions of love. If you were the victim of a parent's abuse, divorce, or abandonment, you might still live under the shadow of the notion that love is conditional--that somehow, we might do something in our present relationships to sever the bond of love.
This also affects our view of God. If those who influenced us growing up taught that we can somehow sever the bond of love, what does that teach us about God's love? Do we struggle with the idea that our sin will somehow repulse God and turn Him away from us? Do we pray with fear because we believe he won't listen to us because of our sin?
What does Scripture tell us about God's love for us in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:28-39)?
So, back to our original question: Who defined love for you? And what definition did they provide?
Saturday, August 17, 2013
True Love Pt. 2 (Phil. 1:9-11)
Yesterday, we considered the truth that God's love is far beyond our own, and we should not mock it with our casual usage of the phrase "God is love." We also considered the truth that Christianity can't be boiled down to love, because the call to love is burden we cannot possibly bear apart from the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truths of God's Word. So, remembering our identity in Christ and filled with gratitude, preparing to walk the road of life in love, we started receiving a reality check on the true nature of our love.
Our first three reality checks were that (1) our love falls short, (2) our love is foolish, and (3) our love will be exposed. Today, we will look at two more reality checks concerning our love.
Fourth, our love will not overcome. Paul's prayer for the Philippians love continues with the prayer that it would be "filled with the fruit of righteousness...to the glory and praise of God" (v11). But again, we cannot attain to these great standards. Our lives often bear rotten fruit that brings discredit upon the God we serve, and poisoned fruit--words and deeds that hurt others and injure relationships. And as James notes, the same tongues that bless God also curse others, made in His image! We bear no fruit on our own, and on our own accord, we will rob God of the glory due His name. But that leads us to the last reality check, which provides us with good news in both of these regards.
Fifth, the love of Jesus Christ changes everything. You have probably already noticed one phrase I skipped in this last verse, "through Jesus Christ" (v11). In John 15, Jesus teaches "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me bears much fruit; apart from me you can bear no fruit." So when Paul prays that we would be "filled with the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ," he is praying for something that Jesus has promised to those who abide in Him. Jesus explains in the same passage, "By this my Father is glorified, if you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." So when Paul prays that we be "filled with the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God," he is again praying for something that Jesus has promises. If we are connected to the life-giving Vine by faith, then we will bear the fruit of righteousness, which is the fruit of the Spirit of Christ carrying His saving truths to our hearts and transforming them. And as Christ transforms our hearts through His Holy Spirit and we bear good fruit, we bring glory to God.
But remember that all of these great blessings started with the love of Christ. Jesus again tells us in John 15 in a famous verse that "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Well, who truly exhibited that greatest love? It was Jesus Himself, who laid down His life for His sheep. He says that "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit." Why did He choose you? Because of the rotten and poisoned fruit you were already bearing? Because of your selfish and self-glorifying ways? No! He chose out of His own eternal, unconditional love, rooted in His own will. And unlike our petty love, His love can never change or diminish. That is why Paul can say "Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
So, my friends, the Christian life is not solely about love, as if love is something that we can produce of our own accord, it is--to use Paul's words in Galatians--about "faith working through love." And that faith is a gift of God, not by works so that we cannot boast. We love because He first loved us, and that transforms the way we live. So when Paul prays that your love would abound more and more, know that it will because Christ loved you from before time began to the cross and then poured His love into your heart by His Holy Spirit. Now, abide in Him, for then you will remember your identity in Christ, be filled with gratitude, and with Paul, overflow with love for God and His people, by His grace alone.
Our first three reality checks were that (1) our love falls short, (2) our love is foolish, and (3) our love will be exposed. Today, we will look at two more reality checks concerning our love.
Fourth, our love will not overcome. Paul's prayer for the Philippians love continues with the prayer that it would be "filled with the fruit of righteousness...to the glory and praise of God" (v11). But again, we cannot attain to these great standards. Our lives often bear rotten fruit that brings discredit upon the God we serve, and poisoned fruit--words and deeds that hurt others and injure relationships. And as James notes, the same tongues that bless God also curse others, made in His image! We bear no fruit on our own, and on our own accord, we will rob God of the glory due His name. But that leads us to the last reality check, which provides us with good news in both of these regards.
Fifth, the love of Jesus Christ changes everything. You have probably already noticed one phrase I skipped in this last verse, "through Jesus Christ" (v11). In John 15, Jesus teaches "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me bears much fruit; apart from me you can bear no fruit." So when Paul prays that we would be "filled with the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ," he is praying for something that Jesus has promised to those who abide in Him. Jesus explains in the same passage, "By this my Father is glorified, if you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." So when Paul prays that we be "filled with the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God," he is again praying for something that Jesus has promises. If we are connected to the life-giving Vine by faith, then we will bear the fruit of righteousness, which is the fruit of the Spirit of Christ carrying His saving truths to our hearts and transforming them. And as Christ transforms our hearts through His Holy Spirit and we bear good fruit, we bring glory to God.
But remember that all of these great blessings started with the love of Christ. Jesus again tells us in John 15 in a famous verse that "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Well, who truly exhibited that greatest love? It was Jesus Himself, who laid down His life for His sheep. He says that "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit." Why did He choose you? Because of the rotten and poisoned fruit you were already bearing? Because of your selfish and self-glorifying ways? No! He chose out of His own eternal, unconditional love, rooted in His own will. And unlike our petty love, His love can never change or diminish. That is why Paul can say "Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
So, my friends, the Christian life is not solely about love, as if love is something that we can produce of our own accord, it is--to use Paul's words in Galatians--about "faith working through love." And that faith is a gift of God, not by works so that we cannot boast. We love because He first loved us, and that transforms the way we live. So when Paul prays that your love would abound more and more, know that it will because Christ loved you from before time began to the cross and then poured His love into your heart by His Holy Spirit. Now, abide in Him, for then you will remember your identity in Christ, be filled with gratitude, and with Paul, overflow with love for God and His people, by His grace alone.
Friday, August 16, 2013
True Love (Phil. 1:9-11)
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn," we're told in the movie Moulin Rouge, "is just to love and be loved in return."
That sounds wonderful, but the reality is, we can barely comprehend love, let alone express it. That is why we often insult God with the cliche "God is love." We take a concept we barely understand, and in an attempt to endorse our understanding of it, baptize it with a misunderstood Bible verse. Often times, when we say "God is love," we are silently adding "And He doesn't care what I'm doing."
"But surely love is at the core of the Christian faith," we often protest. We don't need these divisive doctrines, when, as the Beatles put it, "All you need is love." Yet this claim is made as if love were somehow easy for us to perform. If the Christian faith truly boils down to loving God and other people (the Two Great Commandments), then I'm screwed. There is no way I could possibly do either of those things in a way that would be remotely acceptible to God.
Out of gratitude for his identity in Christ--an identity Paul shares with the Philippians--Paul overflows with love for his brothers and sisters in Christ. This is, for us, the next stage in our progression as well. As our identity in Chirst gives way to gratitude, our gratitude should lead us to overflowing love. Our BLUF today is this: As we prepare to walk this road of life with love, we must get love right. And here's a few reality checks to help us get it right:
First, our love falls short. As many reasons as Paul has to be thankful for the Philippians, he prays that their "love may abound more and more" (v9). This follows along with an axiom of the Christian faith: We are not done growing until glory. We will not have "arrived," until Christ arrives. And to reduce our faith to the simple concept of love is to place a burden on us that we cannot bear. Rather, we must strive to comprehend the barely comprehensible love of God, lavished upon us from all eternity and live in the light of that dawning comprehension. In other words, to love, we must reflect upon our identity in Christ and the love behind it. This will never make our love complete, but by His Word and Spirit, God will continually make to grow as He makes us more like Christ.
Second, our love is foolish. I imagine that you have all seen foolish love before. It is the obsessive love of one teenager for another, the kindly love for the poor expressed in money rather than sacrifice, the callous love for the suffering that tries to bind wounds with trite phrases. Paul prays that the Philippians love would be accompanied "with knowledge and all discernment" (v9). In the Greek here, knowledge is that of biblical truth, and discernment is that wisdom that applies biblical truth to a messy and complicated world. Love must be illuminated by the light of Scripture and applied in wise ways in an endless array of unique circumstances. The reality is that we often don't seek to walk in the light of God's Word, nor prayerfully analyze a given situation to consider how best to love. Thus, we rarely are able to "approve what is excellent" (v10). The beauty of God's love is that it was never divorced from His wisdom. All of human history bears testimony to this fact, as God's love, accompanied by His wisdom, was whispered in the Garden, spoken with greater and greater volume in the Old Testament promises, shouted upon the cross, and will be proclaimed with trumpets when Christ comes again.
Third, our love will be held to account. There will be a day when the purity of our love, in other words our motives, and the blamelessness of our love, in other words our relationships--will be exposed to the light of day. This is a terrifying thought when we consider how far short our love has come of the glory of God. We know that our love has never had entirely pure motives, and our every relationship has been tainted by selfishness. But, my friends, I have great news! As we approach that throne of judgment, eyes set upon the group and awash with tears, hearts filled to the brim with shame. God's Spirit will draw our eyes to the throne of judgment before us, where with unfathomable joy we will look upon our Justifier who perfectly loved in our place. The "day of Christ" (v10) will not be a gloomy one for us, but one of rejoicing. The waves of Christ's love will break upon our hearts once and for all, removing our shame and the lingering power of sin. And we will be reminded and secured by the truth that He not only lived the perfect life of love in our place, but that same love carried Him to the cross for our sin and to pour His love upon our hearts by His Holy Spirit.
Come back tomorrow for our remaining reality checks on love!
That sounds wonderful, but the reality is, we can barely comprehend love, let alone express it. That is why we often insult God with the cliche "God is love." We take a concept we barely understand, and in an attempt to endorse our understanding of it, baptize it with a misunderstood Bible verse. Often times, when we say "God is love," we are silently adding "And He doesn't care what I'm doing."
"But surely love is at the core of the Christian faith," we often protest. We don't need these divisive doctrines, when, as the Beatles put it, "All you need is love." Yet this claim is made as if love were somehow easy for us to perform. If the Christian faith truly boils down to loving God and other people (the Two Great Commandments), then I'm screwed. There is no way I could possibly do either of those things in a way that would be remotely acceptible to God.
Out of gratitude for his identity in Christ--an identity Paul shares with the Philippians--Paul overflows with love for his brothers and sisters in Christ. This is, for us, the next stage in our progression as well. As our identity in Chirst gives way to gratitude, our gratitude should lead us to overflowing love. Our BLUF today is this: As we prepare to walk this road of life with love, we must get love right. And here's a few reality checks to help us get it right:
First, our love falls short. As many reasons as Paul has to be thankful for the Philippians, he prays that their "love may abound more and more" (v9). This follows along with an axiom of the Christian faith: We are not done growing until glory. We will not have "arrived," until Christ arrives. And to reduce our faith to the simple concept of love is to place a burden on us that we cannot bear. Rather, we must strive to comprehend the barely comprehensible love of God, lavished upon us from all eternity and live in the light of that dawning comprehension. In other words, to love, we must reflect upon our identity in Christ and the love behind it. This will never make our love complete, but by His Word and Spirit, God will continually make to grow as He makes us more like Christ.
Second, our love is foolish. I imagine that you have all seen foolish love before. It is the obsessive love of one teenager for another, the kindly love for the poor expressed in money rather than sacrifice, the callous love for the suffering that tries to bind wounds with trite phrases. Paul prays that the Philippians love would be accompanied "with knowledge and all discernment" (v9). In the Greek here, knowledge is that of biblical truth, and discernment is that wisdom that applies biblical truth to a messy and complicated world. Love must be illuminated by the light of Scripture and applied in wise ways in an endless array of unique circumstances. The reality is that we often don't seek to walk in the light of God's Word, nor prayerfully analyze a given situation to consider how best to love. Thus, we rarely are able to "approve what is excellent" (v10). The beauty of God's love is that it was never divorced from His wisdom. All of human history bears testimony to this fact, as God's love, accompanied by His wisdom, was whispered in the Garden, spoken with greater and greater volume in the Old Testament promises, shouted upon the cross, and will be proclaimed with trumpets when Christ comes again.
Third, our love will be held to account. There will be a day when the purity of our love, in other words our motives, and the blamelessness of our love, in other words our relationships--will be exposed to the light of day. This is a terrifying thought when we consider how far short our love has come of the glory of God. We know that our love has never had entirely pure motives, and our every relationship has been tainted by selfishness. But, my friends, I have great news! As we approach that throne of judgment, eyes set upon the group and awash with tears, hearts filled to the brim with shame. God's Spirit will draw our eyes to the throne of judgment before us, where with unfathomable joy we will look upon our Justifier who perfectly loved in our place. The "day of Christ" (v10) will not be a gloomy one for us, but one of rejoicing. The waves of Christ's love will break upon our hearts once and for all, removing our shame and the lingering power of sin. And we will be reminded and secured by the truth that He not only lived the perfect life of love in our place, but that same love carried Him to the cross for our sin and to pour His love upon our hearts by His Holy Spirit.
Come back tomorrow for our remaining reality checks on love!
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Thought of the Day: Faith Under Fire
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
We often hear about how proper training produces a sense of muscle memory, which in turn enables us to do the things we need to do in hard situations without much thought--only instinct.
I would argue that proper training in the spiritual disciplines (i.e. prayer, Bible-reading, etc.) enables us set our minds on the right things when hard situations arise. We never know what God has planned for us on any given day, but we can certainly prepare our minds and hearts in Christ Jesus for whatever comes our way!
We often hear about how proper training produces a sense of muscle memory, which in turn enables us to do the things we need to do in hard situations without much thought--only instinct.
I would argue that proper training in the spiritual disciplines (i.e. prayer, Bible-reading, etc.) enables us set our minds on the right things when hard situations arise. We never know what God has planned for us on any given day, but we can certainly prepare our minds and hearts in Christ Jesus for whatever comes our way!
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Thought of the Day: Loving the Unlovable
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
Having a hard time loving someone today? Do you find what they do or how they speak--perhaps even who you believe them to be--somewhat repulsive?
Remember that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8)
He didn't die for friendly people, good people, or lovable people. He died for the same people who hated Him so much, they brutally and unjustly murdered Him. As the traitors taunted Him, He cried out "Father, forgive them..."
If such love was wielded toward you and me, the worst of sinners, then we can surely turn the other cheek and proactively love those who in some manner offend us.
Having a hard time loving someone today? Do you find what they do or how they speak--perhaps even who you believe them to be--somewhat repulsive?
Remember that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8)
He didn't die for friendly people, good people, or lovable people. He died for the same people who hated Him so much, they brutally and unjustly murdered Him. As the traitors taunted Him, He cried out "Father, forgive them..."
If such love was wielded toward you and me, the worst of sinners, then we can surely turn the other cheek and proactively love those who in some manner offend us.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Thought of the Day: Time with the Lord
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
First of all, it is kind of misleading to say that we should "spend time with the Lord," because the reality is that He never leaves us nor forsakes us. He doesn't only come to visit us when we open our Bibles or submit ourselves to Him in prayer. And His Holy Spirit doesn't only visit us when we call upon Him, but is always at work in us, making us more Christ-like, and carrying us until glory.
That said, it is our pleasure to go before the Lord often in prayer and in reading His Word. God uses these precious disciplines to mold us by His Spirit, which enables to better fulfill our ultimate purpose: To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
There is no recipe for how you engage in these disciplines, but here some ideas:
1) Spend 10-15 at the beginning and/or the end of the day in concentrated prayer to God.
2) Make silent "breath prayers" thoughout the day, knowing that God's ear is always open.
3) When you pray, spend time adoring God for who He is, repenting of your sin and sinful nature, expressing gratitude for Jesus' sacrifice in your place, and praying for the various needs and struggles of you and those you know--whether they seem large or small.
4) Memorize an occasional passage of Scripture--large or small--and meditate often upon it.
5) Read through the entire Bible in order to grasp the overall picture, which is a picture of God working out His redemptive purposes for you and His people in the promised work of Jesus, the accomplished work of Jesus, and soon enough, the completed work of Jesus when He comes again.
6) Read an Old Testament book, then a New Testament, and keep going back and forth.
7) Ask questions concerning whatever passage you read on a given night, such as: What does this say about God and/or His law? What does this say about man and his sin? What does this say, or how does this point forward to, the work of Christ? How am I now called to live in light of these truths?
8) Journal your thoughts on a passage, your experiences in life, and the intertwining of the two. Perhaps even write out your prayers.
These are just some random thoughts to jog your mind in case your devotional life seems stale!
First of all, it is kind of misleading to say that we should "spend time with the Lord," because the reality is that He never leaves us nor forsakes us. He doesn't only come to visit us when we open our Bibles or submit ourselves to Him in prayer. And His Holy Spirit doesn't only visit us when we call upon Him, but is always at work in us, making us more Christ-like, and carrying us until glory.
That said, it is our pleasure to go before the Lord often in prayer and in reading His Word. God uses these precious disciplines to mold us by His Spirit, which enables to better fulfill our ultimate purpose: To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
There is no recipe for how you engage in these disciplines, but here some ideas:
1) Spend 10-15 at the beginning and/or the end of the day in concentrated prayer to God.
2) Make silent "breath prayers" thoughout the day, knowing that God's ear is always open.
3) When you pray, spend time adoring God for who He is, repenting of your sin and sinful nature, expressing gratitude for Jesus' sacrifice in your place, and praying for the various needs and struggles of you and those you know--whether they seem large or small.
4) Memorize an occasional passage of Scripture--large or small--and meditate often upon it.
5) Read through the entire Bible in order to grasp the overall picture, which is a picture of God working out His redemptive purposes for you and His people in the promised work of Jesus, the accomplished work of Jesus, and soon enough, the completed work of Jesus when He comes again.
6) Read an Old Testament book, then a New Testament, and keep going back and forth.
7) Ask questions concerning whatever passage you read on a given night, such as: What does this say about God and/or His law? What does this say about man and his sin? What does this say, or how does this point forward to, the work of Christ? How am I now called to live in light of these truths?
8) Journal your thoughts on a passage, your experiences in life, and the intertwining of the two. Perhaps even write out your prayers.
These are just some random thoughts to jog your mind in case your devotional life seems stale!
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Thought of the Day: The Seal of Combat and the Seal of Peace
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
Recently, many of you received your first combat patch (some of you received a new one). Congratualations. Among other things, this patch signifies that you not only belong to the US Army, but have been engaged in its service. This patch is a seal of your service to your country.
But there is a more important seal--one that confirms your belonging to Jesus Christ and your active engagement in His service. This seal is the Holy Spirit. He not only opened your heart and eyes and gave you saving faith in Jesus Christ--He now seals you, body and soul, as a child of the living God. It is in His power that you approach the throne of grace in prayer with confidence, and by His strength that you stand, even in the darkest of days.
And He will preserve you unto the very last and present you blameless with glory and great joy to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord. This is the seal that matters most.
Recently, many of you received your first combat patch (some of you received a new one). Congratualations. Among other things, this patch signifies that you not only belong to the US Army, but have been engaged in its service. This patch is a seal of your service to your country.
But there is a more important seal--one that confirms your belonging to Jesus Christ and your active engagement in His service. This seal is the Holy Spirit. He not only opened your heart and eyes and gave you saving faith in Jesus Christ--He now seals you, body and soul, as a child of the living God. It is in His power that you approach the throne of grace in prayer with confidence, and by His strength that you stand, even in the darkest of days.
And He will preserve you unto the very last and present you blameless with glory and great joy to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord. This is the seal that matters most.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Starting With Gratitude (Ph. 1:3-8)
You need to find yourself in Christ if you are to find your way in life. And when you find yourself in Christ--as a slave, saint, and saved--you naturally become grateful. It is this gratitude, then, that becomes your controlling drive as you journey though this life.
In our passage, we see that Paul was grateful for the Philippians partnership in the Gospel. They were fellow partakers of grace, both in his imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel. When you realize that you belong to a great mass of people who, despite their rebellion, have become partakers of grace, it makes you grateful. And as you realize that even in your sufferings, God is working in and through you and the rest of His people to make His Gospel shine as light in the darkness, it makes you grateful. But who are you grateful to?
Paul was grateful to God and expressed it in prayer. After Paul begins the letter with his greetings, he immediately launches into gratitude to God: "I thank my God..." (v3). He recognizes that the same God blinded him and threw him off a donkey in order to bring about his salvation is the same God who "began a good work" in the Philippians. Their steadfast love and fellowship is possible because of God's good work in making them partakers of grace.
Only the glorious God of the universe, with immeasurable grace in Christ Jesus, could draw Lydia from amongst the women at the river into that precious relationship that now brings her life. Only the mighty God of the heavens could use hymns sung to His glory, as well as an earthquake, to rock the hearts of a Philippian jailer in his family and grant them life in His name. God uses the weak to manifest His strength. He uses the foolish to manifest His wisdom. He saves the worst of sinners, like you and me, to bring glory to His name.
And Paul gives God all of the glory for His precious work. He does this through prayer. In fact, prayer should become the default response to the believer who knows his dependence on God's grace. You do not need to pray if the only person you have to thank for your life is you. But if your utterly broken life is made who in God's grace in Jesus Christ, then you must express gratitude to God in prayer. If you are not prayerful, there is a good chance that you're not truly grateful. Yet, here is a point of comfort, being prayerful also makes us grateful. When we approach the throne of grace and recall the grace of God, it stirs our hearts in the same way the we see Paul's heart stirred.
As we survey the grace of God in Jesus Christ in prayer, we become grateful. And as our hearts fill with gratitude, we naturally express that gratitude in prayer. We get trapped in a vicious cycle of heart-expanding, life-transforming, God-glorifying growth! As we then grow in grace in which we now stand, our gratitude gives way to several other precious fruits of the Christian faith.
Paul's gratitude gave way to present joy, future hope, and overflowing love. As Paul lifts up his prayers of gratitude, they give way to joy. This is what recollection on God's saving work in Christ does for you--it not only gives you gratitude for that work, but joy in the present. Notice that I'm not saying happiness, which tends to rise and fall in conjunction with your circumstance. Joy--that deep-seated delight in God begins to become a constant, despite your circumstances. Thus, gratitude gives way to an enduring joy, regardless of whether you share in Paul's chains.
And gratitude gives way to future hope. Paul is sure that "He who began a good work in [the Philippians] will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus" (v6). Gratitude not only gives way to present hope, but in reflecting on God's gracious work in the past, you also gain assurance regarding His gracious work in the future. That's why in the Old Testament, God's people are constantly called to "remember" the God who delivered them from Egypt. In remembering His grace, they would be faithful in the present and trust in Him for the future.
God is not only the author of our salvation, but its perfecter. He does not change like shifting shadows and does not let anyone or anything snatch you from His hand. If you are caught up in anxiety or insecurity with regard to the future, remember what God has done for you once and for all in Christ Jesus (aside from every other way He has attended to you over the years!).
Finally, gratitude gives way to overflowing love. Paul yearns for the Philippians with "the affection of Christ Jesus." The affection of Christ Jesus drove Him to the cross. Now that affection, poured out by the Spirit upon the heart of Paul, makes him ready and willing to do anything and everything for those whom the Good Shepherd has welcomed into the sheep-fold. The more you reflect on what Christ did in your place, the more He transforms you by His Word and Spirit to become more like Christ. This affection that Paul feels is not only an imitation of Christ's affection, but an overflowing of that affection as it is being poured into Him. That then becomes the basis of our love for our fellow believers and for the unbelievers in our midst. We love because He first loved us.
So at the end of the day, Paul's life is marked by gratitude--a gratitude for the Philippians partnership in the Gospel, to God and expressed in prayer, and it gives way to present joy, future hope, and overflowing love. And now Paul is ready to find his way in life because He can rejoice in gratitude that He has found himself in Christ. Now, with gratitude for God's work for us in Christ, let us prepare to walk by faith and for His glory.
In our passage, we see that Paul was grateful for the Philippians partnership in the Gospel. They were fellow partakers of grace, both in his imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel. When you realize that you belong to a great mass of people who, despite their rebellion, have become partakers of grace, it makes you grateful. And as you realize that even in your sufferings, God is working in and through you and the rest of His people to make His Gospel shine as light in the darkness, it makes you grateful. But who are you grateful to?
Paul was grateful to God and expressed it in prayer. After Paul begins the letter with his greetings, he immediately launches into gratitude to God: "I thank my God..." (v3). He recognizes that the same God blinded him and threw him off a donkey in order to bring about his salvation is the same God who "began a good work" in the Philippians. Their steadfast love and fellowship is possible because of God's good work in making them partakers of grace.
Only the glorious God of the universe, with immeasurable grace in Christ Jesus, could draw Lydia from amongst the women at the river into that precious relationship that now brings her life. Only the mighty God of the heavens could use hymns sung to His glory, as well as an earthquake, to rock the hearts of a Philippian jailer in his family and grant them life in His name. God uses the weak to manifest His strength. He uses the foolish to manifest His wisdom. He saves the worst of sinners, like you and me, to bring glory to His name.
And Paul gives God all of the glory for His precious work. He does this through prayer. In fact, prayer should become the default response to the believer who knows his dependence on God's grace. You do not need to pray if the only person you have to thank for your life is you. But if your utterly broken life is made who in God's grace in Jesus Christ, then you must express gratitude to God in prayer. If you are not prayerful, there is a good chance that you're not truly grateful. Yet, here is a point of comfort, being prayerful also makes us grateful. When we approach the throne of grace and recall the grace of God, it stirs our hearts in the same way the we see Paul's heart stirred.
As we survey the grace of God in Jesus Christ in prayer, we become grateful. And as our hearts fill with gratitude, we naturally express that gratitude in prayer. We get trapped in a vicious cycle of heart-expanding, life-transforming, God-glorifying growth! As we then grow in grace in which we now stand, our gratitude gives way to several other precious fruits of the Christian faith.
Paul's gratitude gave way to present joy, future hope, and overflowing love. As Paul lifts up his prayers of gratitude, they give way to joy. This is what recollection on God's saving work in Christ does for you--it not only gives you gratitude for that work, but joy in the present. Notice that I'm not saying happiness, which tends to rise and fall in conjunction with your circumstance. Joy--that deep-seated delight in God begins to become a constant, despite your circumstances. Thus, gratitude gives way to an enduring joy, regardless of whether you share in Paul's chains.
And gratitude gives way to future hope. Paul is sure that "He who began a good work in [the Philippians] will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus" (v6). Gratitude not only gives way to present hope, but in reflecting on God's gracious work in the past, you also gain assurance regarding His gracious work in the future. That's why in the Old Testament, God's people are constantly called to "remember" the God who delivered them from Egypt. In remembering His grace, they would be faithful in the present and trust in Him for the future.
God is not only the author of our salvation, but its perfecter. He does not change like shifting shadows and does not let anyone or anything snatch you from His hand. If you are caught up in anxiety or insecurity with regard to the future, remember what God has done for you once and for all in Christ Jesus (aside from every other way He has attended to you over the years!).
Finally, gratitude gives way to overflowing love. Paul yearns for the Philippians with "the affection of Christ Jesus." The affection of Christ Jesus drove Him to the cross. Now that affection, poured out by the Spirit upon the heart of Paul, makes him ready and willing to do anything and everything for those whom the Good Shepherd has welcomed into the sheep-fold. The more you reflect on what Christ did in your place, the more He transforms you by His Word and Spirit to become more like Christ. This affection that Paul feels is not only an imitation of Christ's affection, but an overflowing of that affection as it is being poured into Him. That then becomes the basis of our love for our fellow believers and for the unbelievers in our midst. We love because He first loved us.
So at the end of the day, Paul's life is marked by gratitude--a gratitude for the Philippians partnership in the Gospel, to God and expressed in prayer, and it gives way to present joy, future hope, and overflowing love. And now Paul is ready to find his way in life because He can rejoice in gratitude that He has found himself in Christ. Now, with gratitude for God's work for us in Christ, let us prepare to walk by faith and for His glory.
Friday, August 9, 2013
It Starts With Gratitude (Phil. 1:3-8)
So you need to find yourself in Christ in order to find your way in life. Check. But what is it about our identity in Christ (as slaves, saints, and saved) that affects the way we live?
It all starts with gratitude.
This truth really hit home for me this past Fall when a mass was found in my wife's ovaries during an ultrasound on our unborn baby. For a couple of weeks, I thought that I might lose either my wife or baby or both! But as my wife and I would talk late into the night, we began to reflect on God's goodness to us in Christ over the years. And those reflections produced gratitude.
And on the night of my wife's surgery, with the prayers of a hundred saints echoing her own, my wife's prayers were transformed from pleas for mercy to praises for grace. And in this gratitude, she found peace as she went before the knife. God in His grace drew her back awake after her surgery to the sound of two heartbeats on a monitor.
When you find yourself in Christ, you become grateful. And that changes the way you live. Paul alludes to this when he writes "I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy to offer yourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God." (Rom. 12:1) You offer yourself because you're grateful.
This gratitude can occur in the most miserable of circumstances. Take Paul, who is bound in a Roman prison and awaiting death. As soon as his greeting is over to the Philippians, he expresses profound gratitude. His gratitude, naturally, is expressed for something, to someone, and affects the way he lives.
Paul expresses gratitude for his church family's partnership in the Gospel. He thanks God because of the Philippians' partnership in Gospel from the first day until now. What does he mean by partnership? He describes it in this way in v7: they are "fellow partakers of grace, both in his imprisonment and in defending and confirming the Gospel." Fundamentally, they are fellow partakers of grace. The same Word and Spirit that broke Paul's heart concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ also broke the heart of this people--from the wealthy merchant, Lydia, to the jailer and his family (Acts 16).
The fact that these people were fellow partakers of grace filled Paul with gratitude. Why would another's salvation and sanctification have that effect? For one, it reminds us of our own salvation. The joy of knowing Jesus from birth, or of knowing him for the first time in later years. It draws us back to our own experience of grace. It also reminds us of the power of God. There are few greater evidences of the Spirit's work than in the repentance and faith of a sinner saved by grace.
These are a few of the practical reasons (aside from the biblical ones) for why we join in fellowship with God's people and share the Gospel with the lost. Watching another grow in Christ, or come to Christ for the first time, draws us to our knees before the Author of so mighty a salvation and brings joy to our hearts in how He glorifies His name through sinners like us.
But there are two particular dimensions of this partnership in the Gospel--this partaking of grace--that Paul mentions: imprisonment and defending the Gospel. How can the Philippians share in Paul's imprisonment (lit. chains) when they are not imprisoned? God's grace turns fellow believers into fellow sufferers. It is one thing to talk of death. It is another to hold a dying person's hand. It is one thing to grieve a friend with a terminal illness, or with crippling depression. It is another to engage that person even more and not shirk away because of uncomfortability.
Fallen human nature drives people away from suffering. God's grace draws us toward it. And in praying, crying, and caring for the suffering, we become co-sufferers. This in turn strengthens the God's people--the saints. That is why Paul says that the Philippians are in his heart. In this blessed partnership of grace and suffering, it is as if the prayers and love of God's people have placed them right alongside Paul in the prison cell. Oh the joy of being part of God's people rather than a lone ranger who "worships God in his own way."
Finally, this partnership is expressed in "the defense and confirmation of the Gospel." Together, God's people not only partake of the grace of God, but proclaim it. Francis of Assisi once said that we should "Preach the Gospel, and if necessary, use words." While you might appreciate the sentiment, this is absolutely false. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God proclaimed (Rom. 10). And as it is a marvelous act of God's grace to open a sinner's heart to the Gospel, so it a continuing work of God's grace to open a sinner's mouth to share the Gospel.
As the chains bear down upon the sinner, they are unable to obstruct the saving message. Paul may stand condemned by mankind in its hatred of God while he sits in his prison cell, but through him and God's people in Philippi, the defense and confirmation of the Gospel continues. Just as Christ was condemned and died the sinners death at the hands of cruel world, so His resurrection vindicated His message, fully defending and confirming the Gospel He proclaimed and established with His own perfect life and atoning death.
So together, the people of God are partners in the Gospel. They are fellow partakers of grace. And this grace is made manifest in the way the suffer together and proclaim the Gospel together. Paul writes that "though I am bound with chains like a criminal, the Word is not chained." (2 Tim. 2:8) This blessed partnership in the Gospel is a passive one, where God works in the hearts of sinners and through the tongues of sinners to proclaim His glory. And this great work makes us grateful.
Tomorrow, we will continue with who Paul is grateful to and how it affect the way he lives.
It all starts with gratitude.
This truth really hit home for me this past Fall when a mass was found in my wife's ovaries during an ultrasound on our unborn baby. For a couple of weeks, I thought that I might lose either my wife or baby or both! But as my wife and I would talk late into the night, we began to reflect on God's goodness to us in Christ over the years. And those reflections produced gratitude.
And on the night of my wife's surgery, with the prayers of a hundred saints echoing her own, my wife's prayers were transformed from pleas for mercy to praises for grace. And in this gratitude, she found peace as she went before the knife. God in His grace drew her back awake after her surgery to the sound of two heartbeats on a monitor.
When you find yourself in Christ, you become grateful. And that changes the way you live. Paul alludes to this when he writes "I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy to offer yourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God." (Rom. 12:1) You offer yourself because you're grateful.
This gratitude can occur in the most miserable of circumstances. Take Paul, who is bound in a Roman prison and awaiting death. As soon as his greeting is over to the Philippians, he expresses profound gratitude. His gratitude, naturally, is expressed for something, to someone, and affects the way he lives.
Paul expresses gratitude for his church family's partnership in the Gospel. He thanks God because of the Philippians' partnership in Gospel from the first day until now. What does he mean by partnership? He describes it in this way in v7: they are "fellow partakers of grace, both in his imprisonment and in defending and confirming the Gospel." Fundamentally, they are fellow partakers of grace. The same Word and Spirit that broke Paul's heart concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ also broke the heart of this people--from the wealthy merchant, Lydia, to the jailer and his family (Acts 16).
The fact that these people were fellow partakers of grace filled Paul with gratitude. Why would another's salvation and sanctification have that effect? For one, it reminds us of our own salvation. The joy of knowing Jesus from birth, or of knowing him for the first time in later years. It draws us back to our own experience of grace. It also reminds us of the power of God. There are few greater evidences of the Spirit's work than in the repentance and faith of a sinner saved by grace.
These are a few of the practical reasons (aside from the biblical ones) for why we join in fellowship with God's people and share the Gospel with the lost. Watching another grow in Christ, or come to Christ for the first time, draws us to our knees before the Author of so mighty a salvation and brings joy to our hearts in how He glorifies His name through sinners like us.
But there are two particular dimensions of this partnership in the Gospel--this partaking of grace--that Paul mentions: imprisonment and defending the Gospel. How can the Philippians share in Paul's imprisonment (lit. chains) when they are not imprisoned? God's grace turns fellow believers into fellow sufferers. It is one thing to talk of death. It is another to hold a dying person's hand. It is one thing to grieve a friend with a terminal illness, or with crippling depression. It is another to engage that person even more and not shirk away because of uncomfortability.
Fallen human nature drives people away from suffering. God's grace draws us toward it. And in praying, crying, and caring for the suffering, we become co-sufferers. This in turn strengthens the God's people--the saints. That is why Paul says that the Philippians are in his heart. In this blessed partnership of grace and suffering, it is as if the prayers and love of God's people have placed them right alongside Paul in the prison cell. Oh the joy of being part of God's people rather than a lone ranger who "worships God in his own way."
Finally, this partnership is expressed in "the defense and confirmation of the Gospel." Together, God's people not only partake of the grace of God, but proclaim it. Francis of Assisi once said that we should "Preach the Gospel, and if necessary, use words." While you might appreciate the sentiment, this is absolutely false. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God proclaimed (Rom. 10). And as it is a marvelous act of God's grace to open a sinner's heart to the Gospel, so it a continuing work of God's grace to open a sinner's mouth to share the Gospel.
As the chains bear down upon the sinner, they are unable to obstruct the saving message. Paul may stand condemned by mankind in its hatred of God while he sits in his prison cell, but through him and God's people in Philippi, the defense and confirmation of the Gospel continues. Just as Christ was condemned and died the sinners death at the hands of cruel world, so His resurrection vindicated His message, fully defending and confirming the Gospel He proclaimed and established with His own perfect life and atoning death.
So together, the people of God are partners in the Gospel. They are fellow partakers of grace. And this grace is made manifest in the way the suffer together and proclaim the Gospel together. Paul writes that "though I am bound with chains like a criminal, the Word is not chained." (2 Tim. 2:8) This blessed partnership in the Gospel is a passive one, where God works in the hearts of sinners and through the tongues of sinners to proclaim His glory. And this great work makes us grateful.
Tomorrow, we will continue with who Paul is grateful to and how it affect the way he lives.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Thought of the Day: Battle Rhythm
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
So the hardest parts of the transition and spinning up are likely coming to a conclusion. You might be tempted to keep the tempo of this transition period, though you'll have the opportunity to settle into a more steady battle rhythm. I would encourage, whenever possible, to create a rhythm that is healthy for you and ultimately makes you a more effective soldier.
In particular, make time PT thoughout the week. Make sure you have time to call your family at some point every day or two. Make sure you're eating every meal, and if possible, doing it in a relaxed manner with fellow soldiers. Work hard to get good sleep throughout the week--like PT, it will pay huge physical and mental dividends for you. Carve out space for some fun time thoughout the week--whether it be 20 minutes of reading or watching a TV show each night, smoking a cigar with you battle buddies 1-2x a week, or watching a movie 1-2x a week.
And, of course, make intentional time for communing with the Lord. When you get up each morning, consider spending those first couple of minutes in prayer. Before you set out in a convoy, take a few minutes to reach a passage from God's Word and then pray for your trip. At the end of the day, take a few minutes to reflect on the passage you read, the day you just completed, pray over it, and take a few minutes to write a few thoughts about it.
God created your days; give them back to Him!
So the hardest parts of the transition and spinning up are likely coming to a conclusion. You might be tempted to keep the tempo of this transition period, though you'll have the opportunity to settle into a more steady battle rhythm. I would encourage, whenever possible, to create a rhythm that is healthy for you and ultimately makes you a more effective soldier.
In particular, make time PT thoughout the week. Make sure you have time to call your family at some point every day or two. Make sure you're eating every meal, and if possible, doing it in a relaxed manner with fellow soldiers. Work hard to get good sleep throughout the week--like PT, it will pay huge physical and mental dividends for you. Carve out space for some fun time thoughout the week--whether it be 20 minutes of reading or watching a TV show each night, smoking a cigar with you battle buddies 1-2x a week, or watching a movie 1-2x a week.
And, of course, make intentional time for communing with the Lord. When you get up each morning, consider spending those first couple of minutes in prayer. Before you set out in a convoy, take a few minutes to reach a passage from God's Word and then pray for your trip. At the end of the day, take a few minutes to reflect on the passage you read, the day you just completed, pray over it, and take a few minutes to write a few thoughts about it.
God created your days; give them back to Him!
Deployment Goals: Physical
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
As you all know, my dear wife had our first baby about 3 1/2 months ago. One of the ways in which my wife wants to get through this deployment in a healthy manner is through working out. She wants to fit into the same clothes at the end of this deployment as she wore prior to her pregnancy.
And even though I didn't have to carry a baby around for nine months, it is also important for me--and for you--to work out for many reasons, including: (1) Sitting in a chair (or seat in a military vehicle) all day is bad for your physical health. We are meant to move. (2) Exercise makes you more mission-effective. When you get those endorphins pumping, it renews your energy and mental vigor. (3) Your mental health depends in large part upon working out. Those same endorphins are proven combatants against depression, anger, etc. So get moving!
Here's how a plan might look for my wife:
Main Goal: Fit into pre-pregnancy clothes.
Secondary Goal: Attend Mommy Boot Camp 3x/week.
Secondary Goal: Go for walks every day with the baby.
Secondary Goal: Get more sleep.
Secondary Goal: Sign up for Weight Watchers.
Here's how a plan might look for me:
Main Goal: Run a 3:30 marathon.
Secondary Goal: Run at least 3x/week.
Secondary Goal: Strengthen my whole body through Cross Fit classes (3x/week).
Secondary Goal: Eat relatively healthy (i.e., eat dessert rarely).
Ultimately, we need to work out and eat healthy--not to show off our beach bodies, but to honor God's creation. Our bodies are meant to be offered to Him and His service. And one day, believers in Jesus Christ will have these very same bodies resurrected in eternal glory. So let's treat them well now, out of gratitude for His grace and for His glory.
As you all know, my dear wife had our first baby about 3 1/2 months ago. One of the ways in which my wife wants to get through this deployment in a healthy manner is through working out. She wants to fit into the same clothes at the end of this deployment as she wore prior to her pregnancy.
And even though I didn't have to carry a baby around for nine months, it is also important for me--and for you--to work out for many reasons, including: (1) Sitting in a chair (or seat in a military vehicle) all day is bad for your physical health. We are meant to move. (2) Exercise makes you more mission-effective. When you get those endorphins pumping, it renews your energy and mental vigor. (3) Your mental health depends in large part upon working out. Those same endorphins are proven combatants against depression, anger, etc. So get moving!
Here's how a plan might look for my wife:
Main Goal: Fit into pre-pregnancy clothes.
Secondary Goal: Attend Mommy Boot Camp 3x/week.
Secondary Goal: Go for walks every day with the baby.
Secondary Goal: Get more sleep.
Secondary Goal: Sign up for Weight Watchers.
Here's how a plan might look for me:
Main Goal: Run a 3:30 marathon.
Secondary Goal: Run at least 3x/week.
Secondary Goal: Strengthen my whole body through Cross Fit classes (3x/week).
Secondary Goal: Eat relatively healthy (i.e., eat dessert rarely).
Ultimately, we need to work out and eat healthy--not to show off our beach bodies, but to honor God's creation. Our bodies are meant to be offered to Him and His service. And one day, believers in Jesus Christ will have these very same bodies resurrected in eternal glory. So let's treat them well now, out of gratitude for His grace and for His glory.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Deployment Goals: Financial
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
One of the mistakes we often see fellow soldiers make (and perhaps we make it as well) is to blow the money they get from an AT or deployment on trivial things. For many soldiers, this is the most money they have ever seen in a short period of time, and it burns a whole in their pocket. So, instead of plugging their additional income into their budget and delegating money for paying off debt, adding to savings, moving toward a downpayment on a house, or filling retirement or childrens' college funds--they buy new electronics and flashy vehicles.
As with so many other things, such short term investments seems exciting in the moment, but ultimately not satisfying. While our days are numbered by God, we must not give in to the meaningless mantra of "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die." The reality is that tomorrow will most likely carry with it responsibilities for a spouse, children, and retirement. Here is an example of arranging a financial goal:
Main Goal: Eliminate Debt
Secondary Goal: Pay off credit cards ASAP
Secondary Goal: Pay off car loans
Secondary Goal: Build emergency fund to prevent reliance of credit cards
It's a helpful rule of thumb to start with the debt with the highest interest rate. Also, if something has an incredibly low interest rate (i.e., student loans), it might be better to simply pay the minimum and put your money in savings accounts that accrue interest. Another example:
Main Goal: Put $15k in Savings and $10k in Retirement
Secondary Goal: Fill your $10k deployment account ASAP (accrues 10% interest)
Secondary Goal: Set aside $500 from each paycheck for savings account
Secondary Goal: Set aside $1200 from each paycheck for Army TSP (retirement account)
These are just a few ideas and there are many more wonderful avenues to take. Most of my extra money will go toward savings and retirement (along with a deck for our townhouse).
Key takeaway: Invest in your future and use God's money wisely!
One of the mistakes we often see fellow soldiers make (and perhaps we make it as well) is to blow the money they get from an AT or deployment on trivial things. For many soldiers, this is the most money they have ever seen in a short period of time, and it burns a whole in their pocket. So, instead of plugging their additional income into their budget and delegating money for paying off debt, adding to savings, moving toward a downpayment on a house, or filling retirement or childrens' college funds--they buy new electronics and flashy vehicles.
As with so many other things, such short term investments seems exciting in the moment, but ultimately not satisfying. While our days are numbered by God, we must not give in to the meaningless mantra of "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die." The reality is that tomorrow will most likely carry with it responsibilities for a spouse, children, and retirement. Here is an example of arranging a financial goal:
Main Goal: Eliminate Debt
Secondary Goal: Pay off credit cards ASAP
Secondary Goal: Pay off car loans
Secondary Goal: Build emergency fund to prevent reliance of credit cards
It's a helpful rule of thumb to start with the debt with the highest interest rate. Also, if something has an incredibly low interest rate (i.e., student loans), it might be better to simply pay the minimum and put your money in savings accounts that accrue interest. Another example:
Main Goal: Put $15k in Savings and $10k in Retirement
Secondary Goal: Fill your $10k deployment account ASAP (accrues 10% interest)
Secondary Goal: Set aside $500 from each paycheck for savings account
Secondary Goal: Set aside $1200 from each paycheck for Army TSP (retirement account)
These are just a few ideas and there are many more wonderful avenues to take. Most of my extra money will go toward savings and retirement (along with a deck for our townhouse).
Key takeaway: Invest in your future and use God's money wisely!
No BS BS 1: The Gospel According to Abel—More Than Murder
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
Here is the outline of our first No BS BS. I encourage you to follow along with your Bible:
Here is the outline of our first No BS BS. I encourage you to follow along with your Bible:
I.
Promise and Provision to Adam and Eve
a.
Recount the Fall—what did Adam/Eve use to cover
themselves? Did it work?
b.
Read Gen. 3:15—what is this promise
saying?
c.
Who clothes Adam/Eve as they leave the Garden? What are
they clothed in?
Bottom line: Our sin cannot be atoned for by the "fig leaves" of our own hands, but only by a blood sacrifice provided by God. This blood sacrifice will be what accomplishes the promise of Gen. 3:15--Jesus Christ will crush Satan under His feet (1 Cor. 15).
II.
Two Types of Sacrifices (Read Gen. 4:1-7)
a.
What sacrifices did Cain/Abel make? How were
they each received?
b.
Two differences— (1) God’s pattern of blood sacrifice
for sin, and (2) only one done “by faith” (Heb. 11:4)
c.
How does Cain respond to this rejection? What
warning does God give Cain?
Bottom line: Abel, part of the line of the woman, followed God's pattern and offered a blood sacrifice, and he did so by faith. Cain, part of the line of the serpent, followed Adam and Eve's pattern trying to atone for himself, and did so in rebellion against God. Like his parents, Cain did not subdue the serpent who was "crouching (slithering) at the door."
III.
Cain’s Murder of Abel (Read vv8-16)
a.
Sin upon sin: Premeditated murder, talks back to
God, disavows love for fellow man
b.
How does God respond? What is blood of Abel
crying out to God for?
c.
The power of Abel’s name— means chaos/meaninglessness
(key word from book of Ecclesiastes)--result of sin, summary of this act
Bottom line: If Genesis 3 introduces sin, Genesis 4 shows us what it looks like. It is rebellion against God and His people and it results in chaos. It is as if Cain raised his hand to strike God, but unable to do so, brought it down upon His servant (as we would do to Christ). The blood Abel thus cries out against mankind in judgment.
IV.
The Blood Still Speaks
a.
Cry for judgment echoes through ages against
God’s enemies (read Eph. 2:1-3)
b.
How much more for Son’s blood, but another cry
accompanied: Forgive them—mercy
c.
Heb. 12:24—the blood of Jesus speaks a better
word than the blood of Abel
d.
Also reversed curse of Cain—Christ did subdue Satan and
was without sin, ultimate keeper of his brother by dying for him and securing him from all eternal harm
e.
Read Eph. 2:4-10
Bottom line: The blood of Abel is echoed by the blood of Christ, who bears the judgment of all the Cain's of this world (us included) and cries out for mercy. And this shows for us the pattern of Scripture and human history: Two lines--those belonging to Christ and those belonging to Satan. And the line of Christ will often suffer (have its heel struck), thought Christ will prevail (after having his heel struck) and crush the head of Satan and all of his followers (1 Cor. 15).
Preview: In Gen. 4, the line of Satan grows worse and things look bad for the line of Christ. At the end of chapter 4, the line of Christ is continued through the birth of Seth ("God has appointed") and people once more call on the name of the Lord. In Gen. 5, the genealogy shows us the continuation of this line that would eventually lead to Christ. In Gen. 6, the line of Satan continues to grow worse and threatens to eradicate the line of Christ, thus preparing us for the next "Christ in the Old Testament" lesson in a month: The Gospel According to Noah.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Deployment Goals: Parental
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
One of the hardest things for a soldier in his/her redeployment is to return home and find that the kids have grown older, routines have changed, and they are resistant to attempts to actively engage and parent them again.
This is why a parental deployment goal may be helpful. Here is what I basically set up with my wife:
Main Goal: To stay involved in the parenting of our child.
Secondary Goal: Read Shepherding a Child's Heart with my wife and discuss it over the deployment.
Secondary Goal: Talk with my wife daily about new habits/routines/rules she has made with regard to our child.
Secondary Goal: While recognizing that she's the only practical authority right now--work with my wife through the decisions she has already made and those yet to come (and support her!).
Secondary Goal: Send home DVDs of me reading children's books through United Through Reading.
Secondary Goal: Get plenty of face time over Face Time with my little boy!
Please take any of these ideas or come up with your own in order to help close the distance between you and those most dear to your heart!
Your Servant in Christ,
The Chappy
One of the hardest things for a soldier in his/her redeployment is to return home and find that the kids have grown older, routines have changed, and they are resistant to attempts to actively engage and parent them again.
This is why a parental deployment goal may be helpful. Here is what I basically set up with my wife:
Main Goal: To stay involved in the parenting of our child.
Secondary Goal: Read Shepherding a Child's Heart with my wife and discuss it over the deployment.
Secondary Goal: Talk with my wife daily about new habits/routines/rules she has made with regard to our child.
Secondary Goal: While recognizing that she's the only practical authority right now--work with my wife through the decisions she has already made and those yet to come (and support her!).
Secondary Goal: Send home DVDs of me reading children's books through United Through Reading.
Secondary Goal: Get plenty of face time over Face Time with my little boy!
Please take any of these ideas or come up with your own in order to help close the distance between you and those most dear to your heart!
Your Servant in Christ,
The Chappy
Deployment Goals: Marital
Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.
I was thrilled to see many of you today at Phoenix. I certainly miss you all and pray for you all when we are apart.
As I mentioned before, it is good to have deployment goals--not only because it recognizes that God has a purpose for you beyond mere survival, but also to help orient your time toward a greater purpose and give added meaning to your days.
One goal you may want to create is "marital" (or for you unmarried types, a "relational" category with a significant other or family member).
Your overarching goal should deal with "Where do I want my marriage/relationship to be at the end of this deployment?" This will be your main goal.
Then ask "What do I need to do to get there?" And that will for your secondary goals. For example:
Main Goal: I want our marriage to have better communication.
Secondary Goal: Read and discuss a book on better techniques for communication in marriage.
Secondary Goal: Pray specifically each week for a better ability to listen and understand my spouse.
Secondary Goal: Memorize the passage in James 3 on "taming the tongue."
Secondary Goal: Practice the principles I learn in my phone/online communication with my spouse.
Secondary Goal: Have a weekly AAR on successes and areas for improvement.
In this way, you can build your marriage up, rather than try to rebuild it after a stressful deployment. And by maintaining a healthy and growing marriage through a deployment, you are showing a watching world how God loves His church despite her ugliness and sin. And reminding yourself and your spouse, as members of the church, of God's love for you in Christ.
I was thrilled to see many of you today at Phoenix. I certainly miss you all and pray for you all when we are apart.
As I mentioned before, it is good to have deployment goals--not only because it recognizes that God has a purpose for you beyond mere survival, but also to help orient your time toward a greater purpose and give added meaning to your days.
One goal you may want to create is "marital" (or for you unmarried types, a "relational" category with a significant other or family member).
Your overarching goal should deal with "Where do I want my marriage/relationship to be at the end of this deployment?" This will be your main goal.
Then ask "What do I need to do to get there?" And that will for your secondary goals. For example:
Main Goal: I want our marriage to have better communication.
Secondary Goal: Read and discuss a book on better techniques for communication in marriage.
Secondary Goal: Pray specifically each week for a better ability to listen and understand my spouse.
Secondary Goal: Memorize the passage in James 3 on "taming the tongue."
Secondary Goal: Practice the principles I learn in my phone/online communication with my spouse.
Secondary Goal: Have a weekly AAR on successes and areas for improvement.
In this way, you can build your marriage up, rather than try to rebuild it after a stressful deployment. And by maintaining a healthy and growing marriage through a deployment, you are showing a watching world how God loves His church despite her ugliness and sin. And reminding yourself and your spouse, as members of the church, of God's love for you in Christ.
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