Discovering what love is one day at a time
I read something the other day that said basically the only time you are ever done with laundry is when you are naked... I do not know about you, but I have had that moment where if you go to take a shower and if you leave your clothes out...(officially they become laundry)…so you make sure the last load is that which you are wearing plus your towel, especially if you are getting ready to go on a trip. Who wants to come back to old laundry. It stinks.
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I have an older son that gets excited about technology, warfare, military stories, and all the different avenues that the battle takes place on…sea, land, air…
Since the beginning of warfare there has been a critical bond that links military employment, the tactics or strategies that relate to the battle, and the psychological factors that connect the soldiers to the units. The absolutely, indispensible or essential ability for success in battle, is for the military units along with weaponry to coordinate tactically and effectively. If a unit is able to coordinate, if it is able to communicate, if it is able to move as one…What strength that unit has! This coordination is a function of the strength of the forces that bind the unit together, inducing its members to set aside their individual interests—even life itself—for the welfare of the group. These forces, in turn, are directly affected both by tactics and by weapons. Military units are groups of people who have high value for life. Honor for one another, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to protect and serve. Technology can be either positive or negative influence. The ancient Greek infantrymen formed a phalanx. They were a heavily armed infantry formed in ranks and files close and deep with their shields joined and their long swords overlapping. Talk about cohesiveness…they had to be in step with one another. However the late medieval knight offers an example of the negative influence of technology. To wield his sword and lance effectively, he and his charger needed considerable room to move about, yet his closed helmet made communication with his unit extremely difficult. He could not hear very well, and his vision was limited. It is not surprising, then, that knights of the late Middle Ages tended to fight as individuals and were often defeated by cohesive units of less well-equipped opponents. HMMM…makes you think right? As a military unit cannot be bound by inner conflict, contention, or dissension…neither can the Body of Christ. We must be committed to unity. We must be committed to honor, and value for one another. We must be committed to protecting and serving one another. We must do battle with the weapons that we have been given, and not with what the world gives us. "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ". (2 Corinthians 10:4,5) We are engaged in a battle. Not against flesh and blood but powers and principalities of darkness. We have a job… obedience training for our thoughts. Just as soldiers train to be a part of a unit. We are soldiers in the Lord's Army. We must not allow untruth to reign in our minds. Anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God is detrimental to the cohesiveness of the Body. There was a King in Israel, by the name of Jehoshophat, who came against a vast opposing army of many nations bent on Israel's destruction (2 Chronicles 20). The King put at the front lines of the army people who PRAISED the LORD with singing saying, "Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever". In this story, The Lord spoke through a man by His Spirit, and told him to :not be afraid or dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. He also told them that they would not need to fight in this battle, but to position themselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you. Do not fear or be dismayed. If the battle is the Lord’s, and He already finished the work, then Who should be our Commander in Chief? Have we positioned ourselves to see His salvation? Are our circumstances bigger than the God who defeated death on the cross? Do your lips utter praise to God whose mercy endures forever, or do your lips cry out an allegiance to the one who is trying to destroy you? Fear, binds you to an enemy unseen, and creates a virtual reality, based on a lie. Faith, based on truth places you in the protection of position: In Christ. A battlement, a shield. Who do you ally yourself with? May we be the Army of the Living God, unwilling to compromise His principals for selfish reasons. United as one. Not by strength or might but by the power of His Holy Spirit. May we be marked by a true and sincere love for one another. |
AuthorI have been married to my wonderful husband for 29 years. We have two young men ages 25 and 20.. This blog is somewhat of a journal and attempt for me to remind myself of my purpose and invite others to join me in keeping an eternal perspective as we move through each day. Archives
May 2023
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