April 1st. National Atheist Day

   The first time I saw that bumper sticker "April 1st.  National Atheist Day" I laughed and laughed and laughed.  But now the more I think about it the more it makes me a little sad.  I am friends with some pretty hardcore atheist's and I don't want them to wind up in Hell.  I have a t-shirt that says. "Friends Don't Let Friends Go To Hell." I try to witness to them but they just reject what I say.  They respect my right to believe in Christ, but they don't agree.  So instead of bible beating them, I try to do the next best thing.  I try to lead by example.  But I also try to be transparent to them.  I let them see me fail.  I let them get a glimpse of who I am.  But I also use wisdom in what I show them.  I am very good at showing people only what I want to show them.  Except my wife of course.  She sees right through me. There are some people who will try to hurt you and use what you give them against you.  So I just pray for wisdom when sharing with people I know.  I try to preach to people to be careful of who you air out your dirty laundry to.  Sometimes people don't want to be around the stink and then there are others who will use it as gossip.  I think that at times, in a church enviroment, we can be naive and use prayer requests as a form of gossip.  I'm sure there is not harm intended, but it can be the nature we breed. But I digress.

   Matthew 5 14-16 says,¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."  But what does that mean to you?  Me and my wife share that verse with our daughter at least once a day.  We want her to be fearless in sharing her faith and we want her to be an example in the world.  But for me, being a parent is one of the most humbling things in this world.  God will speak to me through my daughter, and my wife does a great job pointing out my inconsistencies when sharing life lessons with our daughter.  Sometimes I am the fool and it's not just on April 1st.  I believe that the majority of parents feel this way at times though.  I will tell my daughter that we need to pray for those who don't like us, or our enemies, but I struggle to do this.  And if I do, my prayers for my enemies aren't for their salvation, but for a punch in the eye.  I try to mold my daughter's heart into a Godly heart while mine is polluted.  My daughter is a better person than I am and she's not even 6 years old yet.  God continues to teach me and at times break me down by the words and actions of a child.  Thank God for my wife.  Thank God for my children and Thank God for the Cross. I know that me and my wife are a good balance for each other and for our kids, but it can sometimes be an eye opener for what's really going on in my heart.  But if God told us that King David was a man after God's own heart, then there is hope for me.

  To be an example I also have to prepare myself for battle.  Ephesians 6 10-18 is a great example of what I need to do to prepare myself.  If you don't know these verses they tell us to, "¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² 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. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
 ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." 

  Being a veteran, I can visualize putting on the armor of God.  But did you notice that these verses said nothing about protecting your back?  In verse 14 it mentions the breastplate of righteousness, but never mentions anything about protecting the back.  Do you know why?  The early Roman military armor did not include that back protection and the only direction for them to go was forward.  Plowing right through the enemy.  That's what we need to do.  We need to keep pushing forward.  We need to keep pressing through the enemy and staying the course.  Joshua 1:9 says, "⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”  So be strong, be the light and stay the course.