Military Prayer Week Starts Monday!

Fort Hood had a major shooting yesterday. Soldiers and Marines are in harms way on any given day in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sailors face dangers as they ferry supplies, drop bombs, and patrol to support fellow service members and protect the sea lanes. Coastguardsmen and women set sail to protect our shores every day from potential terrorist attack. Air Force pilots and support crews work feverishly to keep planes in the air to support our men and women overseas. 

Into those situations step believers. Some of them are active duty, some reservists or guardsmen, some are civilians at churches or with parachurch ministries. All of them have a chance to turn the world around. All of them need your prayer.

Are you able? Are you willing?

Thoughts on Theology

I am working on a master's degree through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. I'm struggling hard with my current course, THEO 525 (Systematic Theology I) because it is almost all theory and almost zero practical application. I complained to my chaplain but a few days ago that I wasn't getting anything out of this class because I just didn't think it was important to know the difference between redaction criticism and reader-response criticism. He smiled and said something like he has said to me in the past (Seminary is an educational institution...or something like that).

The fact is that in a short time (OPSEC keeps me from telling you when), I will be leading a worship service and facilitating two Bible studies. I'm sure that we'll have numerous discussions as well between various "members" of our little group. You know what that means? It means I'll be in my element. It's being the average saint. It's putting the theoretical to the test, if there is such a thing, and no one is going to be concerned about higher or lower criticism.

Yes, yes, of course, various criticisms are very important. I'm not disputing that fact. My concern is the amount of time at which we study these. Don't get caught up so much in how to study the Bible or what is the best way to do this or that. All of that is theory. At some point, you'll just have to do it.

And I'll tell you how it goes when I'm done!

An Average Saint

I've always wanted to be needed; to be important. Recognition, status, power…you name it and I've wanted it at some point in my life. God, knowing how much damage that would cause me, has been very consistent in giving me regular jobs to do that the average saint does. 


One of my dreams had always been to lead some great ministry or pastor a church. I've never done either of those. Recently, I've realized (finally) that God hasn't asked me to do either of those. For over four years, I've been trying to reach my fellow sailors on board the USS Antietam, a cruiser out of San Diego. I've made lots of friendships, both with believers and unbelievers. Some of those relationships have led to opportunities for the Gospel, and I'm grateful for all of them. Three sailors have accepted Christ over the course of my time on the Antietam. 


The amazing, and humbling thing is that those men didn't come to Christ as a result of any preaching I did or my leadership. The two that I was very involved in coming to the Lord did so because of relationships. The third essentially rejected my message, only to later accept Christ at the Rock Church in San Diego after our deployment. Any part I had in his salvation was based on a mutual respect and concern between us, not a powerful sermon.


You know what that means? It means that I don't have to be called to be some kind of super-Christian. I'm just an average saint, but God uses us all the time. I'm so grateful for that. He'll use you too, if you let him.


There is hope for you too…you don't have to be a superhero either, to be a super saint in God's army!