I will be out of town at the All Army Navigator Conference so here is a 4 day supply of SWORDPOINT. Remember to help others get the point!
DAY1
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
Combat Life-Savers
One thing I like about the Combat Life-Saver Course is giving and receiving an actual IV. You can't pass the course unless you are able to successfully stick the needle in your buddy's arm and safely administer intravenous fluids. It makes the skill practical verses intellectual. I think that's what we encounter when we have endured various trails and God heals our wounds. We have experienced both the pain and the comfort. Then we become compassionate and effective ministers to those in like circumstances. Have you experienced the comfort of God? Pass it on.
Day 2
Jeremiah 9:23 This is what the LORD says: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD.
Fruit Salad
As men and women in uniform, our eyes are drawn to the left breast pockets of our comrades. We can see the accomplishments and achievements of an individual almost immediately. We have instant bragging rights written all over our uniforms. But is God impressed when He looks at us? Is it about ribbons, tabs, badges, and medals? No, God looks at the heart. If a Christian has anything to righteously brag about, it would be they know the living God. The most important symbol I wear on my uniform is the cross.
Day 3
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
No Pain, No Gain
Often soldiers come to me with the desire to be stress free. Reminds me of the time, while driving, I eyed a billboard stating, ‘Live a painless life.’ I laughed so hard I almost wrecked my car. How ridiculous! Anyone who has lived a little bit of life knows ‘it ain't pain free.’ I think you can place man's goals in to two distinct ventures; pursue happiness and avoid pain. You can boil God's goals down to one: help us become Christ-like. Sometimes our desires and God's are at odds. Don't get me wrong. I like to be happy as much as the next guy, but it's not my ultimate goal. To be like Christ is what we strive for. That's why we call ourselves CHRISTians.
Day 4
Romans 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Master Tracker
I had a habit of walking at a distance from the Ranger student patrols. For fun, I tracked them as they went. One of the worst things that could happen to you as an instructor was to lose a Ranger student. But I was good and there was little risk. Right!? One night I was a short distance from the patrol and I was tracking them by the noise they made. Suddenly, in the pitch dark it was deafly silent. I had been separated from the patrol. I had lost not only one ranger student but the whole patrol! In a panic I broke noise and light discipline and yelled out, ‘Patrol Leader!’ At which point I heard a small faint voice down in the valley below, ‘Yeees, serrrgggeanttt?’ True Confessions of a Ranger Instructor. Let me assure you God's love is the master tracker. There is no way we could ever elude its reaches.
