Month: June 2008

“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

“Sir, you are making my job very difficult.” The commander replied, “How’s that chaplain?” “Well, sir, I spend a lot of time asking God to bless the men and the efforts of your battalion and you turn around and ask God to curse it.” This was a discussion a wise chaplain friend of mine had with his boss about his using the name of God in vain. From that point on, the commander made every effort to eliminate using God’s name in vain. We need to remember God’s name is holy and should never be used in a trite and trivial manner. If we are to invoke the name of God, let us do so with reverence and admiration. When you call His name, He’s listening. SP303

“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God.” Exodus 20:4-5

“Chaplain, with your little prayer and my lucky rubber band on my wrist. I know I’m going to shoot well during gunnery.” Hmmm, is that so? Today, idols may come in the form of trinkets like a rabbit’s foot, medallions, statues, horseshoes, or even the cross I wear around my neck. These objects, in themselves, have no power. But when we believe they supposedly bring good fortune or have some intrinsic spiritual value, we’ve got a problem. We establish these items as idols that inherit the same value as some mystical favor-giving god. They become idols if we ascribe any power to them. In reality, there is no power in such things. And why would we place our trust in some blind, deaf, dumb, and impotent object when we can simply pray to the Creator of the Universe? True and righteous power comes from God and God alone. There’s no such thing as luck. SP302

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“You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3

I love the Army but it’s not my god. I believe in the Army values but my supreme loyalties and duties belong to Christ. Over the years I have watched men and women sacrifice their spouse, the kids, the cat, the dog, and maybe even the kitchen sink in homage to their “career god.” But it’s not just career. False gods come in all shapes and sizes. Relationships, recreation, fame, and fortune can all demand our highest devotions. Worship is reserved for the One and only true God, the Lord Jesus Christ. He and He alone deserves our greatest affection and allegiance. And consider this: we worship more by our actions than our words. If someone placed 24-hour surveillance on your life, whom would they say you worship? May it be the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Jesus Christ. (John 14:6) The closer I look at the commandments, the more I realize I need the mercy of a forgiving God. SP301

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11

I was on the edge of my seat listening to a Vietnam Medal of Honor recipient share his testimony. One of the things he mentioned was that he and his comrades had counted themselves as already dead in order to deal with the stress and fear of combat. This gave them tremendous focus on the job at hand and gave them the ability to overcome very dangerous circumstances. Wouldn’t we be wise to adopt the same attitude as Christians? We need to come to realize that we are already dead to sin and the ways of this world. We have died to self and now live for Christ. This frees us up seek Christ’s will for our lives with courageous focus, fearing only God Himself. SP299

Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD . Repent and live! Ezekiel 18:31-32

I learned how to execute an “About Face” when I was a JROTC cadet in high school (my sons are doing the same today.) FM 22-5 says “On the command of execution…move the toe of the right foot to a point touching the marching surface about half the length of the foot to the rear and slightly to the left of the left heel…On the second count, turn to the right 180 degrees on the left heel and ball of the right foot, resuming the position of attention.” Sounds complicated but after some practice, you get the hang of it. The intent is to turn from one direction to the opposite in one movement. I learned another kind of “About Face” a few years later. It turned out to be the most important “About Face” I ever made. It’s a spiritual one. God calls us to repent and turn from our sins to His righteousness in Christ. This “About Face” is so important; it’s a matter of life and death. SP300

And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
(Luke 2:51-52)

It doesn’t seem right for God to “fast forward” through the mundane. I’m sure Jesus experienced everything from diapers to the awkwardness of puberty. He embraced the natural order of things. All for our sake He became human. Experiencing the things we do so He could be an effective model that we could identify with and emulate. FJ13

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. Psalm 103:13-14

Some of the most moving photos of American GIs in action are those of soldiers taking care of children. In a past issue, the cover of the “Army Times” exhibited one of our finest carrying a wounded child to aid of the medics. The muscular warrior with camouflage and body armor is a stark contrast to the small defenseless kid in a hostile environment. The photo speaks volumes of the protector and defender. Power coupled with compassion is perhaps one of the most striking characteristics of the American soldiers. Could it be that we are only following the example set by our Maker? In this war torn world there are also spiritual casualties and the Almighty scoops them up in His loving arms and rescues them. He knows our frailties and weakness. He is our protector and defender. The Great Almighty and Compassionate Warrior comes to our aid in our time of need. SP298

Finding her “lost” son, Jesus’ mom asks, “why have you treated us this way?” He replies, “Did you not know I had to be in my Father’s house.” Answer: the Father has priority in my relationships. Jesus would teach about these competing loyalties later in His ministry. He would explain how relationships, material goods, or pride may become an obstacle to following Him completely. Each disciple must make a choice because ultimately they could not serve two masters. Jesus demonstrated as a 12 year old boy that His supreme loyalty belonged to the Father. FJ12c

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