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Fearless

I've deployed multiple times into combat and dealt directly with survival and fear.  I experienced two types of fears, crippling fear and a guiding fear.  

The guiding fear was a helper.  It aided decision-making and helped me to stay alive and well in dangerous situations.  

The crippling fear was a killer.  This is the irrational fear which causes you to believe their is a gun pointed at you from every window and a bomb behind every rock.  It's not a useful fear and it overpowers the instincts you trained hard to instill.  

Here is how I know I should live fearless - God loves me.  God didn't create me so fear would stop me from doing what He has placed me on this earth to do.  There isn't any illusion or irrational fear that can stop me from boldly moving forward towards the things God has put in my heart.  

God proved His love when he placed his Son Jesus on a cross where he was tortured, died, and rose again from the grave.  No one else has done this for me.  Not my parents, not my wife - no one has demonstrated that type of love for me except God and Jesus.  

If you are struggling with crippling fear - right now pray to God to lift fear out of your life and show you His love.  Accept His love through Jesus and move forward.  Do this.  You will not regret it.

Source of Peace

The past few days I can't get the image of the Cross in the barn at Billy Graham's residence in North Carolina out of my mind.  The scene is so peaceful and quiet.  Here is this man living in peace but renowned by a bustling and chaotic world.  

Where did this peace come from?  Man has not been able to create peace.  Jesus himself said He brought a sword and would turn a man against his father. - Matthew 10:34-35.   

I've never met Billy Graham but I know where his peace came from.  His peace came from God through Jesus.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ isn't peaceful.  It's about God providing His only Son to die for us so that we can be free.  If we believe this to be true, and we surrender our lives to God through Jesus, then we are free men and we live in peace.  We won't find peace through others, or from ourselves. 

Through Jesus we can live in peace even when the world around us is churning.  This peace brings creativity, perspective, wisdom, and many other fruits the world simply doesn't have a seed for.  

The seed for everything we strive for is Jesus.  The seed is already paid for and available to us right now.

If you're desperately seeking peace in your life stop what you are doing and ask accept Jesus Christ into your life.  Surrender everything you have to God and let Him bring peace into your life.  I promise - you will not regret this decision.

Stupid and Strong

I learned a saying in the Navy, "If you're going to be stupid, you better be strong!"  This prophecy came true over and over throughout my military career.  A hasty plan, or an unthoughtful approach, would always increase our labor.  

2500 years ago an author penned this:

"If an iron axhead is blunt and a workman does not sharpen its edge, he must exert a great deal of effort; so wisdom has the advantage of giving success." - Ecclesiastes 10:10

Make your effort count and gain wisdom.  Fearing the Lord is the beginning of discernment and wisdom and our stubbornness will keep us from wisdom.  

If you are working really hard but not seeing the benefits of your labor, pray that you will trust in the Lord and ask He provide you wisdom so you prosper.  I promise - you will not regret this decision!

 

Don't miss out on this

God blesses us.  We say this but do we really get to experience it?  Maybe.  Do we really recognize and seek after this blessing?  Probably not.  Most of us probably get through our day and don't spend too much time seeking God, or thanking him for the grace he has given us.

We have all been given an incredible gift to access heaven here on earth.  Through this gift we can know things we haven't read, seen or heard.  It's another sense to help us accomplish what God created us to do.  Once you have accessed this gift it's hard to imagine going through life without it.  

Spending more time with God does two things - your gift develops and favor increases in your life.  The catch?  Simply our own pride.  Pride blocks our connection with God in so many ways.  Seeking God while filled with pride is just frustrating.  

If you're frustrated with God and nothing seems to be working, humble yourself and confess your sins to God.  If you haven't accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, read the Book of John in the Bible and consider this grace.  You won't regret it. 

Eternity

What does it cost to live forever?  What great accomplishment brings never-ending life?

One way we try to live on forever is through legacy.   Our spectacular act or impact on the world may be remembered for the rest of time.  There are many heroes who have changed the course of time in our nation and in our homes.  People such as warriors going into combat, reformists changing our culture, and single moms raising a family.  These people become hero's in our memories.

Painfully, great acts, heroism and sacrifice don't bring eternal life.  Even being a good person doesn't open the doors to eternity.  No one on earth has the keys to living forever.  Our destiny is death.  The wise, the dumb, the rich, the poor, all will die and our great accomplishments will fade into time.

There is only one way to eternal life and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ.  -John 14:6.

Since there is just one path to eternal life, don't let any person or situation on earth manipulate, steal, kill and destroy you for a ransom they cannot pay.  It's a lie.  No family member, no government official, no boss, and no other authority on earth is capable to either grant or revoke eternal life.  

If your surrounded by lies, regret, imprisonment, and shame, pray that God restore you and accept Jesus Christ as your savior.  He will restore you and lift you above the mess surrounding you today.