SEMPER FI

My dad is a Marine .. I say “is” because I was always told, “Once a Marine, Always a Marine”, and on the back of his truck you will see a bumper sticker that says “Semper Fi”. Semper Fi is short for Semper Fidelis and is the Marine code motto which means “Always Faithful”.

There is no question that right now in America and all over the world you are seeing economies failing, companies closing, unemployment rising and yet, I feel as a Christian, that God is asking me what my attitude and outlook will be. Will I recognize that the Bible says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer…”(Psalms 91:9). Will I stand in the peace knowing that His Word says, “And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! And don't worry about food - what to eat and drink. Don't worry whether God will provide it for you. These things dominate the thoughts of most people, but your Father already knows your needs. He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.” (Luke 12:28) Will I remain “Always Faithful” even in the times of trouble?

A friend of mine recently pointed out that “in times from Genesis to now God’s people have always prospered in financial upheaval, and now more than ever we must recognize our source is God, not the government.” How true, often when difficulty or trouble comes we fail to look to the one that can rescue us from that trouble – the one who is our deliver. Take some time this month and study the lives of Joseph, Gideon and David. Despite the circumstances surrounding them they remained faithful to God and lived the motto “Semper Fi” knowing that the God they served would always remain faithful to them as well. “The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer.” (2 Sam. 22:2)

Wake up and declare the blessing of the Lord over your life, your family, your church and your business, and declare and promise to God that your motto in the midst of circumstance will be “Semper Fi”.

Here are some thoughts on what I have been studying in the Word lately:

In Genesis 11:31-32 - it says that Terah took his son Abram (and family) and left Ur and were heading to Canaan - but when they came to Haran, they settled there. The next verse says Terah died in Haran. The word "settled" just kept ringing in my mind - how often do we go part way and just settle thinking that the journey we are on is too hard to travel or that we get tired of waiting on God and His promises to come to pass ... so we just "settle" - we settle and never fulfill the real purposes He has for us.

Then in Genesis 12:1-3 God tells Abram to go - leave Haran and go to Canaan - go to where God originally intended his father to go - in fact the verse says "Go For Yourself" - then God says, I will make you a great nation and bless those that bless you and all the earth will be blessed.

I think this verse is important too - for two reasons.
1. If Terah had continued to go - would he have gotten the blessing, would he be the one that God would have made a great nation. Everyone knows Abraham, but how many christians know Terah - what if he had not "settled" ... so to me it says, how many times have I missed out on the blessing of God or the future He had simply because I "settled" halfway along the way. I got tired of trying or thought that where i had gotten to was good enough. What have I missed out on.
2. You have to be like Abram - -God says, "go for yourself, go for your own advantage" - too often in life we allow others to dictate where we will go and how far we will go in God - but this verse says, go for yourself, don't let others make you stop halfway - if they stop then you keep going forward.

Well, since I am no longer youth pastoring, this is just a blog where I might post random thoughts from time to time. Blessings!!