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MISSION STATEMENT

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

I must have listened to a 1000 warning orders as a Ranger Instructor. In the warning order you have the mission statement which covers the 5 W’s: Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Here Jesus gives His mission statement to His disciples and to the church for that matter. Who = You, What = Receive Power, When = the Holy Spirit comes on You (you become a Christian), Where = Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth, Why = to tell others about Christ. Pretty simple, right? It was meant to be. Are you accomplishing the MISSION?

Application: Step 1: Tell someone in your city about Jesus. Step 2: Tell someone in your state about Jesus. Step 3: Tell someone from another nation about Jesus.

THE LAW OF GIVING

Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. (Proverbs 3:9-10)

One of the things chaplains get stingy about is their vehicle. First, they have to be lucky enough to have one and then they have to be like a pit bull to keep it from being taken away. Another thing chaplain’s vehicles are know for is being poorly maintained. I took a lot of pride in the fact that not only did I have a vehicle but kept it in great shape. One day the SGM asked me if he could have one of my windshield wipers. WHAT? Everything in me wanted to say NO but I remembered the law of giving. When you give, you receive. So with great reluctance I gave him one of my two windshield wiper blades. From that moment on the SGM flooded me with things I needed. He gave me a radio for my vehicle, a man to help me when my chaplain assistant got sick, different supplies, and the list goes on and on. All for one windshield wiper blade. When you give, it comes back. That’s the law of giving.

Application: How are you giving to the Lord (your finances, your time, your abilities)?

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

We were at the NTC and it was time for the arduous task of fixing, cleaning, and turning in vehicles. As I walked through the motor pool talking to troops and passing out ice-cold sodas, I saw CPT B. Now, to see a Captain in the motor pool was not rare, but to see one covered in grease and oil, armpit deep in the engine compartment is another thing. As I talked to the guys in Headquarters Company it was evident they really admired their commander. The good captain did not spend more that a couple of hours playing mechanic, but it sure made an impression on his men. As leaders we have a lot to do but it pays great dividends when we will occasionally pitch in on the mundane stuff our warriors do day in and day out. Christ did it and so can you.

Application: Who can you serve for the Kingdom today? Write down one thing you can do for one person today in order to demonstrate Christ’s love.

ROCK STEADY

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

As we run in formation we may hear someone calling jodies and hear the term ‘rock steady.’ I love that term because that’s the way I’m supposed to live my life. But this doesn’t only pertain to the military. It also has a lot to do with living the faith. We, as Christians, can’t afford to be weak or wimpy. We’ve got to give it our best everyday. God’s given us our marching orders for the day. Are we hardcore about completing the assignments or do we snivel and fall out? Never Quit! Rock Steady for Christ!

PRIORITIES OF WORK

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)

In setting up any defensive perimeter you must establish the priorities of work. This is a logical order of tasks to ensure the defense is established in a secure and effective manner. If the priorities of work are out of order you can have confusion, wasted time and resources, and potentially the loss of life. In the Christian life it’s the same. Our first priority is to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness. If we put this task anywhere but at the top of the list we will be hindered in all other tasks. What’s your top priority?

Application: How can you leverage your job, possessions, family, experiences, knowledge, etc… for the Kingdom of God?

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:18)

One of the greatest advantages I have in my ministry to soldiers is my prior enlisted time. I’ve raked pine needles and piled rocks as a private. I’ve had to lead my buddies as a newly promoted SGT. I’ve had the leadership challenges that come with leading a 32 man platoon as a PSG. I’ve been cold, wet, and hungry. Yup, I’ve been there and done that. And soldiers appreciate someone who has walked a mile in their boots. But God has too. He came to earth as a man. He showed us that He had to endure hunger, sadness, temptation, pain, and yes, even death. He showed us how to fish for men as a man. He’s walked a mile in our boots. He knows what we’re going through. We can trust Him because we know He’s been there, done that.

ON RAPPEL

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

The tensile strength of a climbing rope is about 3000 lb. The strength of a snap-link is about 500 lb. These are the numbers we use to give to the Air Assault students before they rappelled from the 30 ft. tower. There were two kinds of students. Those who were a little nervous but trusted the rope and snap-link to hold them, and those who were terrified that the rope or snap-link would break and you couldn’t pry them off the tower with a crow bar. This lack of faith can be paralyzing. Of course, the parallel can be easily seen in the spiritual realm as well. What’s God’s tensile strength? INFINITY. He can hold you.

Got Stars in Your Eyes?

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,
(Philippians 3:8)

“The writers of the gospels were not afflicted with the biographic mania. Moreover the Apostles were not their theme. Christ was their hero; and their sole desire was to tell what they knew of Him. They gazed steadfastly at the Sun of Righteousness and in His effulgence they lost sight of the attendant stars. Whether they were stars of first magnitude or of the second or of the third, made little difference.” (The Training of the Twelve, A.B. Bruce)

Application: Look up at the dawn sky to watch the sun rise. All those stars that are disappearing before you represent any famous or noteworthy person compared to the brilliance of the Son.

Day 11 – FOLLOW ME

‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ (Matthew 4:19)

Being assigned to the Ranger Training Brigade under the headquarters of Ft. Benning, Home of the Infantry, I wore the ‘Follow Me’ patch. It’s a blue shield with a bayonet and the words ‘Follow Me.’ Most people didn’t like the patch because it meant you were assigned to a training unit with a lot less unit heraldry than a combat unit. But I liked it because it had another meaning for me. As a Christian, it reminded me of my mission. Jesus said “follow me” and the bayonet reminds me of the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God, Ephesians 6:17). It’s good to have a reminder of our Christian mission always visible on your shoulder, to follow Him and be an expert in the use of the Word.

Application: Name five ways other people around you would know that you are a follower of Jesus Christ.

Day 11 – FOLLOW ME
Day 12 – Son Beams
Day 13 – Holy Airborne
Day 14 – Good Intel
Day 15 – A Little Book Learnin’
Day 16 – Pay Day
Day 17 – Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto
Day 18 – Telling It Like It Is
Day 19 – Takin’ Out the Trash
Day 20 – The Master of His Trade

Day 12 – Son Beams

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

It would be a long cold night in the field and finally the ‘Great Heat Tab in the Sky’ would come up. As that big fireball rose in the blue it’s heated beams would break their way through the trees. We would find ourselves migrating to the sunspots on the ground to bask in the warmth and shake the chill from the night before. It’s just one of those little treats that all suffering soldiers know. God’s love is a lot like that. Morning after morning we can stand in the SON beams of His love that come breaking through the circumstances of life and warm our very souls.