But first, I would like to personally address my readers, whom I presume to be professing Christians (those not yet professing so, please click HERE ).
Especially, I would most like to address those of you whom I had the pleasure of knowing somewhat and hopefully serving well, in the course of my aforementioned employment.
I must at this time ask: “How are you?” For, I have no way of knowing, as I have not received any correspondence back from anyone on our mailing list except one, in the nearly five months that I have been out of work.
One of you I know to be a Pastor. Another, on the staff of a church. A third sings in a music ministry. All have indicated that they love the Lord.
Ironically, I have had more free time to publish newsletters, yet, there have not been many going out in all that time, and none recently.
I thought surely that I would be conspicuous in my absence, and that someone would drop a line of inquiry, a brief well-being e-mail…
Let us return to the phrase I used earlier: frame of mind.
Specifically, discouragement and disappointment.
Both of these attributes are crippling human emotions. They are exactly the sort of feelings that Satan loves to leverage. Satan is the author of confusion. The confused mind will always say ‘No’, regardless of the question, leading to a loss of resolve and paralysis of action. What better way to silence ministries of encouragement and hope, than to direct the focus to discouragement and disappointment?
Going back to: “Has Brother Bruce lost his faith…turned his back on God?”
Not at all! I had, though, been rendered temporarily silent. It is only through God’s Word that I am able to keep my resolve.
Hebrews 12:
1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
I rely fully on His promises!
Romans 8:
1 All things work to the good, to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose.
So, then, what is this all about??
“Why does God allow such and such to happen?” or “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?”
There is always an implied IF embedded in questions of this nature. IF GOD IS A LOVING GOD, then WHY…..
The IF is supplied by that other author, who seeks every opportunity to undermine our faith.
Earlier I stated: “God is just and there are no good people (or none good enough).”
Perhaps you feel I exaggerate. See if you are good.
Now, let’s look at God’s Word:
Jeremiah 17:
9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Have you ever read about Uzzah?
In short, while the Ark of the Covenant was being transported via ox cart, the oxen stumbled and the Ark was in danger of falling to the ground.
Uzzah, who had been walking alongside, instinctively reached out to steady the Ark. God immediately struck him dead. Why? Wasn’t that harsh of God?
The answer is: “No”. The rules for the treatment of the Ark were abundantly clear. The rules were broken. God is just. Justice was served by the taking of Uzzah’s life.
When personal tragedy strikes our lives or the lives of our loved ones, the enemy is right there with the IF…
Friends, the only ifs we should pay attention to are:
1) IF Lucifer had been obedient to God and not consumed with the desire to be God…
and
2) IF Adam and Eve had been obedient to God and not succumbed to the lies of Satan…
…the world we live in would be quite a different place, to say the least.
As it is, we live in a fallen world, born in sin, separated from God, and the only justice we deserve is eternal separation from God.
There is a third IF to consider:
Romans 10:
9That IF thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
John 3:
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Dear Friends, it is the flowing Love of God for His creation that justice is, through unmerited Grace, set aside, our sentences transmuted from eternal damnation to eternal life.
You may be thinking that, yes, this is Good News, but that it is also old news. We are Christians, we have accepted Jesus already, our eternity is secure, thanks, anyway, but we have it covered.
If that is the case, friends, that is wonderful. I’ll looking forward to spending eternity with you.
But…please recall that Christian Soldiers Online is a ministry of encouragement and exhortation.
Therefore, I am ever compelled to remind you that Christendom is more than personal salvation. With our salvation comes a responsibility.
Romans 10 continues…
14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Yes, friends, I am encouraging you all to be preachers of the Word of God! You do not need to stand in a pulpit, nor pound a podium or a Bible. You merely need to bring God’s Word alive by your daily conduct. If you profess to be a Christian, and if folks around you cannot see Christ within you, it should only be because they see Christ in front of you.
2 Timothy 4:
1I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
1 Thessalonians 5:
1But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
11Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
12And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
13And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
14Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
15See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
16Rejoice evermore.
17Pray without ceasing.
18In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
19Quench not the Spirit.
20Despise not prophesyings.
21Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
22Abstain from all appearance of evil.
23And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
25Brethren, pray for us.
26Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.
27I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.
28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Brothers and Sisters, I need you. I need to hear from you. Like you, I need encouragement.
Romans 1:
1For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
12That is, that I may be comforted together with you [encouraged] by the mutual faith both of you and me.
1 Thessalonians 5:
11Wherefore comfort yourselves together [encourage], and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Hebrews 3:
13But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
These are just some of the things that have been on my heart today.
I truly hope that you will take a moment from your busy schedules to leave a comment on the newsletter blog and/or drop an e-mail to:
bruce@christiansoldiersonline.org
As always -
In His Service,
Bruce Macomber
christiansoldiersonline.org
Proverbs 14:
1Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
2He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.
3In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
4Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.
5A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.
6A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.
7Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.
8The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.
9Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.
10The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.
11The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
12There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
13Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.
14The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
15The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.
16A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.
17He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.
18The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.
21He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
22Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.
23In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
24The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.
25A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.
26In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
27The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
28In the multitude of people is the king’s honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.
29He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
30A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
31He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
32The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
33Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.
34Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. 35The king’s favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.
