Army Rank

One of my valued possessions is an Army jacket that my father gave to me.  It was the one he wore when he fought in Vietnam. 

At one point it fit him.  At one point it fit me.  Now it doesn’t get worn.  But I still have it.

It reminds me that I am a “son of a warrior/conqueror.” (Which, by the way, is the meaning of my last name.)

If you know anything about army ranks then one look at the jacket and you can tell me his.

Why?

Because of the number of stripes he has.

The number of stripes signifies the rank, and with that, the authority someone has.

Sometimes people in the army (or other rank and order structure like the police or of government) will say, “that is above my pay-grade” when asked to make a decision or take action on something that goes beyond their authority… past the number of stripes they have. 

They know that there needs to be the rank and authority behind they words, or nothing will get done.

And when it isn’t “above their pay-grade” they can act decisively, knowing that it will happen.

Stripes = Rank = Authority. 

When these are in line, when someone exercises the authority associated with their rank you have what the Bible calls in the Greek exousia which is translated power.

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power(exousia) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Matt 28:18

There is nothing above His pay-grade because He has paid the price for our redemption through His sacrifice.

 He has the stripes…

“And by His stripes we are healed.” Isa 53:5

No greater Name in heaven and earth. 

All authority and power.

Whatever we ask… He is able to give.

In Jesus’ name.

SDG

Re-runs… again.

As you may know, I joy in speaking about the things of God.  I look forward to it.  I find purpose in it.  It edifies me.  I get so much from it (more than I think anyone else does.).

And there are times when I feel like I am in between seasons… like last year’s episodes are old news and we are waiting for the “Season Premier.”

And so I find myself all too often wondering “Is there anything new I can say?”

That might seem too commercial… like I am looking for a new product or a new gimmick… and to some extent it may be.

But it is a true desire of mine to minister the Word of God in a way that is fresh and relevant… in a way that connects to those with whom I am speaking.

I want revelation.

And as I was walking today and praying about this I felt the Lord move in my spirit.

“Look again.”

Two simple words that made me realize… in order to gain new perspective – a way of seeing something – you must look at it again.

If we want to minister the Word of God in a way that is relevant to our situation… to the situations of the people around us… to a hurting world…

We must look at the Word of God again.

We want the curtain to be pulled back so that we can see what is revealed… but do we take the time to look at the curtain? To be focused on the one place where revelation is certain to happen?

And so I realized… I don’t necessarily need something new to say or some new way to say it… I need to take the time to revisit what God has said in His Word, through others, and to me personally.

We all do.  We need to remember that He makes His mercies new every morning.  We don’t.

And so, if you have ever found yourself in the place I often find myself in… the place of “Lord, what would You say to me?”… consider for a minute that He may reply…

“What I have said before?”

Just before a new season starts for a TV program, often the network will replay the prior season over a few nights to remind viewers why they were watching and convince them to watch the new season as well.

 Don’t get discouraged when you have to watch re-runs… they just might get you ready for a new season.

Here are a few of my favorite “re-runs” from past seasons (you can follow the links):

Hearing from God in Sterizo

The Buggy Whip

Are You Going to Fight With Me…

By Prayer and Fasting

Time Under Load

I would love to know if you had a favorite, and if so, to share it with me.

SDG