Month: July 2007

‘You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. (Exodus 20:7)

‘Oh, sorry chaplain.’ I hear that phrase often. It’s the familiar expression soldiers use when they swear in front of the padre. Most of the time, I just nod my head to acknowledge the expression of regret. But, there is a form of swearing that is very dangerous: the misuse of God’s name. God’s name is often spoken in curses, jokes, and interjections without even thinking. Yet this is one of the least recognized sins. Anytime we use His name for anything other than to address Him or to speak of Him respectfully, we use His name in vain. His name is holy and should only be spoken in reverence. Handle with care!

Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. (Numbers 11:1)

Complaining is one of the soldier’s favorite pass times. I know, I have done my fare share and still do. But, the scriptures remind us that whining and sniveling really ticks God off. Now why is that? Well, one of the big reasons is because complaining communicates a lack of trust in God. It’s a indication of wavering faith. I mean, do we believe that God has our best interest at heart or not? There’s a deeper question with deeper ramifications. We should be asking; ‘Ok God, this situation stinks but what are You trying to teach me through this?’ Case in point: My wife and I were discussing this over dinner one night and we both agreed that her cancer has drawn us both closer to God, not the opposite. Go Figure?

If you would be interested in financilly supporting the ministry at Fort Benning, please email me at charleswood1@gmail.com

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

I stood on faded yellow painted lines. The barracks were long gone. But after 25 years I was standing in the exact spot where it all started. I was standing in the street where we jumped off the buses and Drill Sergeants skillfully molded me into a soldier. Although there was little evidence, the memories came flooding back. It was the beginning of my military career. But what if someone came to me and challenged the fact that BCT never happened in that place. What if they said I was just making it up. Could I convince them beyond the shadow of a doubt that 25 years ago I was doing push ups right there in the now abandoned street? The answer is no. The only thing I could do is to point out the evidence and hope they would believe me based on the credibility of my character. They would have to take it by faith because they weren’t there to see it all happen. And so it is with God being the source of all creation. We can’t prove it but we can point out the evidence of intelligent design. And we believe God is the author of creation based on the character of the scriptures.

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2)

As a chaplain, I heard the confessions of a lot of sins. From drugs to theft to sexual immorality. By now, you would think that I’ve heard it all. However, at times, I’m still taken back by the destruction in some peoples lives. Sin has ripped through them like a nuclear blast leaving a wide radius of devastation. As I listen and I quickly remind myself of a quote I heard many years ago. ‘The seed of all sin is within us. All it needs is a little water and fertilizer and it will bear its ugly fruit.’ After reminding myself of that truth, I tend to be more compassionate rather than judgmental. When I see that I could also be tempted by the same sin and I am eager to restore rather than just reprimand. Restore one another.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (Romans 12:3)

I never celebrated a near miss on the rifle range. I wasn’t content with “almost” hitting the target. And, I’m sure if I was satisfied with “close enough,” my time as a sniper would have been extremely short. Sometimes we have a little trouble hitting the target when it comes to self-assessment. We can overestimate our skills or abilities, which can lead to arrogance and eventually failure. We can woefully underestimate ourselves and limit our own potential. Our greatest personal fulfillment will come when we accurately assess our strengths and weaknesses. Our best contributions to the others will be achieved when we have a true sight picture of who we are and what we can do.

He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. (Matthew 8:26)

The rain was coming down in sheets on the M16 range at Ft. Lewis, WA. Normally it just drizzles, but on this day, it was pouring buckets. It was raining so hard the water would splash off the carrying handle of the rifle into the rear site aperture and I couldn’t see my target. It was useless to try to fire so the platoon waited for a break in the weather. We were sitting in the bleachers under a tin cover and the noise was horrendous. One of my fellow rangers in the platoon, who was poking fun at my newfound faith, yelled, ‘Hey, lets get Wood to PRAY that the rain stops.’ Immediately, the rain stopped and there was a deafening silence. All were speechless, myself included. I never again took any grief for being a Christian. Whether it is actual atmospheric conditions or figurative, Christ still calms the storms.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

After 9-11, I heard a woman on the radio say she “wasn’t against the war in Afghanistan but was unwilling to send her own sons.” At first, I was angry and I scolded the talk show caller, “Hey, we are at war and sometimes there are sacrifices to be made.” Then I thought about my own two boys. Am I willing to send my own sons into combat? I trembled at the possibility. Suddenly, I could identify with the lady on the radio. I mean, I was willing to go myself but, what loving parent wants to send his child off to war? The answer, God. The Father was very willing to send His Son into the middle of a spiritual firefight, knowing full well, He wouldn’t make it out alive. And, the Son willingly went to war to secure our eternal freedom through His sacrificial death. Now that puts God’s love into perspective and it compels me to follow Him all the more.

Then some soldiers asked him, ‘And what should we do?’ [John the Baptist] replied, ‘Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely–be content with your pay.’ (Luke 3:14)

Ever wonder what God thinks about our profession? John the Baptist gives us a clue as one of God’s spokesman. He was one of the top prophets of all time (Matthew 11:11). John was in the business of telling people about the coming of Christ and Repentance (getting your life straight). His message was simple, ‘Stop living in sin and start living for God.’ Now you know with a message like that, he’s a straight shooter. John wouldn’t pull any punches if he saw sin in a persons life. But, when some soldiers came to him for advice, notice what he did not tell them. He didn’t say “stop soldiering” as though it were a sin to be a warrior. No, he tells them “don’t abuse your power and carry on (be content with your wages)”. So, Guardian of Freedom, Giver of Liberty, and Keeper of Peace do what’s right and carry on.

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.’ (John 4:23-24)

‘Hooah, Air Assault Sergeant!’ That was our reply to the Air Assault Instructor as he informed us we would be doing more push-ups. This was after spending several minutes going though ‘break area’ procedures (Basically a smoke fest intended to get the students attention right from the get go). My arms were starting to look like truck axles as a result of the millions of push-ups I had already done. There may have been one or two kooks in that formation that wanted to do more push-ups but most of us were giving an obligatory ‘Hooah’ just to please the instructor. It was all false motivation. When we practice the rituals and traditions of religion we can fall in to this same attitude. We kind of go through the motions but really our heart is not in it. Attitude Check? Worship in spirit and in truth.

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

Probing for mines was not one of my favorite things to do. It involves sticking the ground with a sharp non-metallic object at a 45 degree angle every two inches until you clear a way through the minefield. It’s slow, tedious and if they’re real mines, DANGEROUS! It’s the lead soldier’s responsibility to find a safe path through the explosive real-estate. That’s what Jesus has done for us. He is the safe path to the other side of a life filled with land mines. He led the way and cleared a course to God. Now it all boils down to our decision to trust Him for this safe passage by following Him.