Author: Chuck & Deb

Read Mt 3.7-10, Lk 3.7-14

John the Baptist’s job was to help people achieve a right attitude. He accuses the people of having false motivation disguised under spiritual pretense. When John was asked, “what should we do?” which really means “how shall we repent?” each response has something to do with relationships. The fruit of repentance is always about repairing relationships. Whether it’s our relationship with God and our relationship with other people, John’s message would needle into the true motive. He was the perfect forerunner for Jesus’ message of loving God and loving neighbor. FJ15

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Exodus 20:8

In Kuwait, I made the big mistake of telling the XO I’d take a day off when he took a day off; four months later, not a single day off. By the end of the tour, we were both crispy critters. Then, just as we were ready to fly home, Operation Desert Fox kicked off and we headed back to the desert. As I looked him in the eyes, I could see a deep weariness. Then it dawned on me: I was looking in a mirror. All because we had not taken time to rest. There was no way to be at our best for this very unexpected crisis. We have a very demanding job and there are times we can’t afford to take a break in the midst of our demanding duties. But God has commanded rest for a reason. Leaders, there comes a time when you may have to order your “High Speeds” to stand down. And you owe it to your soldiers to be at your best and get rest yourself. A rest plan is just as important as a security plan. Get some rest. That’s an order from God. SP304

Read Mk 1.1-6, Lk 3.1-6, Mt 3.1-6

Getting soldiers ready for combat is the primary objective of TPLs (Troop Leading Procedures) There are orders to give, inspections to conduct and rehearsals to perform. All in preparatory to accomplish the mission. It seems God does a lot of preparation as well. He helps us to recognize Him and receive Him by doing some work in our hearts and minds before we will actually respond to Him. Some of that prep work may be giving us knowledge that we lack. Some may have to do with changing some of our attitudes. It’s a matter of getting the heart ready to receive the teacher and His teaching. Repentance is a very crucial component of heart preparation. It is the expression of need, a need to change, a need to be forgiven, a need for Jesus. As a discipler, are you alert to God’s preparatory works? Are you participating in the work that is necessary to get a person ready to receive Christ? FJ14

“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