DayBreaks for 12/07/15 – The Weapons of Our Warfare

DayBreaks for 12/07/15: The Weapons of Our Warfare

Throughout the millennia, mankind has tried lots of things in order to try to spread their faith.  Sadly, tragically, even today there are religions that attempt to spread their influence and faith through the sword, the bullet, land mines and IED’s.  The blood runs through the streets of many cities around the world in the name of religious idealism.  As horrible as it seems, there are those who have waged warfare on their fellowman in the name of Christianity, too – witness the crusades and even the struggles between the Protestants and Catholics in Ireland.

We can watch the explosions and hear the stories on our television screens nearly every night.  And when we see such abuses in the name of faith, when we see the power that fear can have on millions of people, we may be tempted to think that there’s nothing we can do to change the world for the better.  In The Undoing of Death, Fleming Rutledge wrote in order to correct that mis-conception: “…it may be that you think there is no role for the small deed, the little contribution, the quiet gesture.  Never, never think that.  The big stuff has already been done by the Lord of heaven and earth.  He has already come with the heavy artillery.  Our part is mostly to be foot soldiers.  Just remember: the heavy artillery is not the weapons of the world.  The weapons of Christ are those of suffering love.”

We sometimes forget that love is stronger than bullets, bombs, rhetoric and even fear.  And love is a weapon that we can all wield.

2 Cor. 10:2-5 – We are human, but we don’t wage war with human plans and methods.  We use God’s mighty weapons , not mere worldly weapons , to knock down the Devil’s strongholds.  With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ.

Copyright 2015 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, we are fearful creatures.  We feel intimidated by those who threaten us.  We sometimes feel that there is nothing we can do to change the spirit of hate that we see in the world because we forget that you are on our side, that you are our strength, that your wisdom is so much greater than that of the enemy.  Help us to not only share, but to fully experience the full power of your love.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

DayBreaks for 01/11/12 – Trust in the Third Millennium, Trust #15

DayBreaks for 01/11/12 – Trust in the Third Millennium, Trust #15

Modern times/weapons make it difficult to hold onto hope, and trust...

From November 2001:

This is a time like no other in history.  Never before has a millennium (or for that matter, a century) started in which mankind had the power of destroying the world’s living things through nuclear, biological or chemical warfare.  That power exists today, and there are those that would use it if they can find a way to do so.  Some would do it because they are motivated by hatred.  Others would do it in the name of their god.  How, as Christians, are we to live in such a world?  We find ourselves faced with a dawning awareness that if we had ever put our trust in the goodness of our fellow man, that perhaps we were wrong.  And if we can’t trust one another, what is there that we can trust?  A God that none of us have ever seen?

“As we enter the third millennium, ruthless trust is the courageous confidence that despite suffering and evil, terrorism and domestic conflict, God’s plan in Jesus Christ cannot fail…the day will dawn when the lion will lie down with the lamb…”. (Brennan Manning, Ruthless Trust)

Sometimes it is a bit hard to believe that the lion will lie down with the lamb when we go to bed at night wondering if we’ll awaken to another terrorist strike or deadly water in the shower.  But ruthless trust, the kind of trust that takes no prisoners, hears those words from the mouth of God and against all reason and logic, believes in them and believes that whether we live to see that day in our time or not is irrelevant because sooner or later, that day will certainly come.

Some would say that we’re crazy as Christians to feel that way, that we’re out of our minds and just deluded dreamers.  “We are neither boozy dreamers, hopeless idealists nor cockeyed optimists.  We are not playing ‘the religion game’…Search your heart for the Isaac in your life – name it and then place it on the altar as an offering to the Lord – and you will know the meaning of Abrahamic trust.”

What is the “Isaac” in your life that God has been asking you to relinquish, to sacrifice to Him – in trust?  Is it your family?  Is it your job?  Is it your finances?  Is it your fear about the future?  Is it your doubts about His existence, or His goodness?  Stop fighting against Him and let it go.  Put it all on the altar.  If you live with ruthless trust in Him, your past failures will haunt you no longer, your insecurity be swallowed up by the security He offers, your fear of anthrax, botulism, smallpox or plague will disappear in the knowledge that NO MATTER WHAT happens to you in this world, you have nothing to fear – only heaven awaiting you on the other side.

PRAYER: I know, Lord, that we are not to fear what other humans can do to us, but we do fear such things.  We fear the unknown future and conjure all sorts of demons in the darkness of our minds and imaginations.  Remind us that we have nothing to fear, for your will WILL be done and the day when the lion lies down with the lamb will surely come!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2012 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

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