Three Parts of a Warrior

I consider myself to be a warrior in every way. I'm ex-Military, ex-Law Enforcement, ex-Youth Pastor(I know, that's a lot of ex's. I allow God to use me wherever he needs me the most). To me, there are three different parts of the warrior and God has managed to utilize all three parts in my life.

First, the Physical: as a Military warrior, physical condition is crucial and can literally be the difference between life and death in the heat of the battle.

Second, the Mental: Although Law Enforcement is also very physical, there is a definite mental side that is just as dangerous.

Third, the Spiritual: this seems to be the part of the warrior that God wants me to focus on. As a Youth Pastor, I dealt with troubled teens on a daily basis and it was a true blessing. I had to approach warfare a totally different way though. It wasn't physical or mental; I now had to battle with my spirit. Fighting a foe that I couldn't physically see required an element of faith.

Ephesians 6:12 states: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

We live in a world where the Spiritual Warfare side of the Church isn't openly taught. It seems to be taboo. I recently had a self-proclaimed devout Christian tell me "...the Devil is a lie." If we do not acknowledge that our foe exists, how can we battle against him? He has already lost the battle, thanks to Jesus dying on the cross and being raised from the dead.

Not everyone is a warrior on the front line of the battlefield. There are many different spiritual gifts within the body of Christ. We all should at least recognize that there is a spiritual war going on 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 52 weeks per year. We must wear the full armor of God the entire time. Satan is constantly looking for a weakness in our armor.

As long as we belong to Jesus Christ, we're fighting on the right side. If you aren't sure whether you belong to Jesus Christ or not, please find a Christian that you trust and tell them. The decision to follow Jesus Christ has eternal effects.

The Books of the Bible (In So Many Words)

Wouldn't it be great to have a list of all the books of the bible and a very brief overview of each book? Well, this is at least a step towards that(it can be expounded upon).

There was a song in the late 90's that talked about all the books of the bible and gave a brief description of each book. It was my all-time favorite song, I loved it. It was recorded by Aaron Jeoffrey and was called "He Is". I lost touch of the song until recently and now we are reunited(apparently, I love it that much *lol*).

Here is a break-down of the song. It can be used as a guide to the books of the bible and a quick study referral.

Genesis - The breath of life

Exodus - The Passover Lamb

Leviticus - Our High Priest

Numbers - The fire by night

Deuteronomy - Moses' voice

Joshua - Salvation's choice

Judges - Law giver

Ruth - The kinsmen-redeemer

First and Second Samuel - Our trusted prophet

Kings and Chronicles - He's sovereign

Ezra - True and faithful scribe

Nehemiah - Rebuilder of broken walls and lives

Esther - Mordecai's courage

Job - The timeless redeemer

Psalms - Our morning song

Proverbs - Wisdom's cry

Ecclesiastes - The time and season

Song of Solomon - The lover's dream

Isaiah - The Prince of Peace

Jeremiah - The weeping prophet

Lamentations - The cry for Israel

Ezekiel - The call from sin

Daniel - The stranger in the fire

Hosea - Forever faithful

Joel - The Spirit's power

Amos - The arms that carry us

Obadiah - The Lord our Savior

Jonah - The great missionary

Micah - The promise of peace

Nahum - Our strength and our shield

Habakkuk and Zephaniah - Pleading for revival

Haggai - He restores a lost heritage

Zechariah - Our fountain

Malachi - Son of righteousness rising with healing in His wings

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - He is God, Man, Messiah

Acts - Fire from heaven

Romans - The grace of God

Corinthians - The power of love

Galatians - Freedom from the curse of sin

Ephesians - Our glorious treasure

Philippians - The servants heart

Colossians - The Godhead Trinity

Thessalonians - Our coming King In

Timothy, Titus, Philemon - Our mediator and our faithful Pastor

Hebrews - The everlasting covenant

James - The one who heals the sick

First and Second Peter - Our Shepherd

John and Jude - The lover coming for His bride

Revelation - King of Kings and Lord of Lords

A Father's Love

I guess if I had to choose one thing in my life that I absolutely could not do without, it would be my relationship with God.

I had a pretty "normal" childhood, growing up on a farm in southern Missouri and living the average life. I attended church on an irregular basis and never really gave God a serious thought.

Once I became a teenager, things began to change. Suddenly, what the Pastor was saying during church started to make since. I was fighting this "tug at my heart" to go down to the alter. I fought it as long as I could, then I went down and gave my life to Christ. That moment is something that can never be taken away from me. Do I know the exact date and time? No, but I definitely know where it happened and how my life was changed.

I never had a father growing up. I was raised by my mother and my grandparents. I always wanted to feel the love of my father. When I surrendered my life to Christ, I felt the Holy Spirit reach down and spiritually hug me. It was as if the Holy Spirit was saying to me, "Welcome home, my son". I'll never forget that day. I finally felt the love of my father.

Shortly after giving my life to Christ, I got the news that my natural father had passed away. I never had a relationship with him but I love him dearly. If I have a deep love for a natural father that I never knew, how much more is my love for a Heavenly Father that I know personally? My love for God is deep and I am grateful for the gift of salvation.

What did I do to deserve Jesus dying on the cross for my sin? Absolutely nothing, it was a gift!