Chaplain Kay

These are strange words in the civilian world. To be perfectly honest, I don’t know if I have ever had those words directed towards me in my entire life . . . that is until last Monday. After taking a trip with my wife to the doctor to check on our baby girl who will be here very soon, I made my way out to the mailbox to find a letter with an interesting return address: Department of the Army.

My heart immediately leapt into my throat as this journey we began in April got even more real. I went into the house and opened the letter to find the words “you are ordered to active duty.” WOW! After reading the letter I pondered a few important realities.

New Language
As excited as I was to learn that the orders I knew were coming had finally arrived, I realized about halfway into the letter I didn’t understand half of what was being said. I spoke to my dad later that night and read him a line within the orders spelling out the words that aren’t actually words but acronyms. His response: laughter.

So I took a trip up to the office and spent some time deciphering the words that are not actually words (the internet does come in handy for some things). I was successful for the most part and only came across a few unknowns that don’t seem to be too big of a problem.

The presence of the “new” words will not be a one time occurrence in my life but a constant in my life. The Army and acronyms are bed-fellows. The first does not seem to exist without the other.

Heavy Reality
Another thing I pondered: I am going to be in the US Army and these official orders made this a visible reality. I received an email from a friend the other day commenting on his hearing the news of this new ministry. He called the news “pretty crazy and pretty cool.” He could not have been more accurate. I look at what the Lord has called us to and find it to be both crazy and cool. I am obeying God’s call on my life, which will result in my spending a good bit of time away from my family; however, I do not resent the call but embrace it. I am so excited, but the orders made everything real.

I am really going to attend CHOBC in June. I am really going to wake up every morning before the sun comes up in order to run with other Chaplains. I am really going to be connected to a specific unit within the Army. And I am really going to have a really good chance of deploying to Afghanistan or Iraq. The orders made everything real.

These “official” orders revealed our first Duty Station to be the same one we had previously been told. We now have an arms length list of things to do and must get going. We are scared but excited, unsure but trusting. The Lord is our shepherd and guide. Without Him we would be lost, but because of Him we are safe and secure in His arms. Glory to God!!!

I read an interesting blog today entitled “The Sadness of Warfare.” The author, who happens to be a Chaplain, makes some wonderful observations about the conflict/war in Iraq and its impact on America. He rightly asserts that the war in Iraq has done little to affect the way we live out our lives in America and for the most part has had little to no impact on her citizens. I encourage you to read his article by clicking on the title.

My perception of the war in Iraq is uneducated and simple: we must stay until we’re finished. Now this is a scary statement for me to make seeing that after the summer is completed I will then be fair game from a deployment status. Knowing that a deployment to the Middle East is not a question of “if” but “when” I still believe there is much to be done in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Something I have appreciated most about our troops over the past 6 years is there willingness to be placed in harms way so my family is not. Like the Chaplain from the above article stated, “There have been no rations, no air raids, no fears of the war coming home.” If I serve in an Army that must be deployed to keep my wife and child(ren) safe from a greater possibility of attack then that is a sacrifice I am willing to make, and a sacrifice others have made before me.

I want badly for this war to be over, but I don’t want it to end until it is finished. The phrase “Stay the Course” might have been a bit overused by our President, but at least he was and is convicted enough to finish the fight we started.

Pray for our troops!

This is the third and final article in a series of articles addressing the use of the phrase “The God I know . . .” This week I address the third and final statement of misplaced theology and then wrap up the series with some closing thoughts.

#3 – The God I know would never let bad things happen to good people

Once again, emotions and feelings supervise such thinking. It is important that true believers always allow the Bible to circumvent what they might feel about a certain aspect of God. It might pain us to think that God would let bad things happen to good people, but we must realize that we are nothing but retched sinners living in a sinful world; therefore, bad things will happen to everyone. In fact, Jesus said no one was good except God.

In the book of Job we find a particular story that completely debunks the myth of good people not having to suffer. Job, as righteous a man as one could be, was pointed out to Satan by God. God actually said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job.” Scripturally it seems that God initiated the incident with Job to prove His (God’s) own sovereignty and power. Job was allowed to suffer so God would receive the glory.

Conclusion

Christians must be careful when making comments concerning God. You might not know what you are saying, but a few misplaced words might infer you believe something about God that you would never knowingly believe. We must also tread carefully in the area of emotion and belief. God gave us emotions, but not so they would govern our lives. The Word of God is our guiding document. It was given to us so we could not only know the story of Jesus, but know the person of God.

The three false statements discussed in this article are born out of the perception of fairness; however, the Bible never says God is fair. Instead, the Bible says God is just and merciful, loving and jealous. Fairness, in all actuality, would naturally lead God to send everyone to hell because no one could ever earn the gift of eternal life. That is why God says we are saved by His grace and not our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9). We all need to do a little thinking before we talk and make sure we describe God as the God He is rather than the God we want Him to be. His way is BEST!!!

Recently I shared my concern over a statement finding its way into people’s conversations more frequently. The statement begins with the phrase “The God I know . . .” Today I would like to address another statement that contains this dangerous phrase and debunk scripturally its believability. In another blog I will tackle the final statement.

#2 – The God I know would never let anyone spend eternity in Hell.

A statement like this is usually made based entirely on feeling and emotion. To say that God would never allow an individual to spend eternity in Hell denies totally the God of the Bible and the existence of Hell.

This statement, like many others, imposes something upon God that is truly our own fault. People do not spend eternity in Hell because God is mean; instead, people spend eternity in Hell because they are unrepentant sinners. Jesus was abundantly clear when speaking of the way to obtain eternal life. He told Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6). Jesus is not a way but THE way. There is no other way in all the world or universe to gain everlasting life. Therefore, the burden of belief is placed on the individual. God, in all His wonder and splendor, does not force people to come to salvation. Therefore, He will not force anyone to spend eternity with Him. The sad thing is once people are cast into the fiery Hell they recognize their misfortune but the time to repent has passed (Lazarus and the Rich Ruler - Luke 16:19-31).

Hear you me . . . Hell will not be a place to party but a place of torment. For all eternity those confined to the prison of Hell will not only suffer pain beyond human understanding but will spend FOREVER separated from God, and this will be the greatest pain of all.

There is a phrase that seems to be gaining steam throughout the country we live in. I have actually heard this phrase used for some time but have only recently heard it being used extensively in the church. The phrase I am referring to is more so the introduction to a thought or belief. Are you ready? I am baffled that so many “Christians” are willing to say things like, “The God I know . . .” (fill in the rest).

Some endings to that phrase might be, but are not limited to the following:
1. The God I know is a loving God and would never let anyone experience pain.
2. The God I know would never let anyone spend eternity in hell.
3. The God I know would never let bad things happen to good people.

These phrases speak volumes about one’s belief in God. It has come to my attention that all too often we try to get God to fit into our boxes of conformity. In doing so, we make God into something that He most definitely is not, and if a “Christian” is guilty of such an action, then he not only deceives himself, but he cheats any unbelieving hearers out of the truth. We, as sinful and depraved humans, believe we know best, and by making such statements, produce insight into our theological beliefs whether intentional or not. I will respond to the first statement here and the following two statements later in the week.

#1 – The God I know is a loving God and would never let anyone experience pain.

On the surface, this statement seems to be true, and actually the first part is true. 1 John 4:8 says, “God is love,” but making such a statement meshes biblical truths with human emotions and creations. It is plenty okay to reference God’s love and His abundant grace, but to focus on God’s love leads believers down a dangerous road. God does not possess merely one attribute; instead, He embodies many attributes that work in perfect harmony with one another. It is true that God is love, but He is also just, all-knowing, everywhere, gracious and powerful. These are just a few of His attributes.

Emotional theology is problematic in our churches. When we begin to put God into a box because we don’t like the way things turn out, we diminish who He is. May we never forget, the world we inhabit is filled with depraved humans who can never achieve goodness apart from God. If you don’t believe me, watch a couple of 5-year-olds play for about 10 minutes and see how long it takes for one to do something evil or mean to the other. Trust me, it won’t take 10 minutes.

As I shared in one of my earlier entries, upon resigning from our current church and before making the trip to Ft. Jackson for CHOBC, I must move my family. Since we live in a parsonage, the four of us must move before we can move. This has actually been one of my biggest stressors.

I like to plan. Now this doesn’t mean that I never procrastinate, but when it comes to my family I am on top of things. I am typical man . . . when it comes to wanting to provide for my family, I want to know how to accomplish the providing.

My wife and I have hoped to move closer to her family so while I am at CHOBC, and she is caring for our 2 ½ year old and 3 month old, she can get some help with the kids. So, beginning at the first of the year, her parents began asking around about places for us to live and a few possibilities opened up. Well, yesterday God came through in this specific area with a huge provision. One of the before mentioned places is a parsonage at a church near their community. The pastor doesn’t use the house since the church made the commitment long ago to open it up to missionaries or other ministers in need. Upon hearing of our situation, they have said we can have the house, move into and out of it when ever we please, and we don’t have to pay any rent. All we have to pay are our utilities. God is so awesome.

When all is said and done, the only One who can receive credit is the Lord God Almighty. There have been a number of times over the past few months where God continues to confirm that this is in fact the path He desires us to walk. I would never call them “open doors,” but they are major provisions and once again prove He is still and always will be in control.

The past few days have driven my heart to the point of heaviness. When I began the process to becoming an Army Chaplain back in April, I was ultimately aiming for a January CHOBC spot. I worked feverishly to lose weight (over 60 pounds) and the other stuff that accompanies the process (biggest pile of paper work I have ever encountered). After some hang-ups with timing issues, and our family expecting a baby in March, the reality was made that I would not attend CHOBC until June. Now that January is here, I am amazed at my emotions knowing that some of you are at Ft. Jackson this exact moment when I expected to be there as well.

For those that are attending CHOBC at the beginning of this New Year, things get underway tomorrow, January 7 – a Sunday. In five very short months, I too will begin the same journey, but until that day comes I commit to pray daily for those already in attendance. I know the physical demands will wreak havoc on your bodies and the absence from your families havoc on your hearts. If you would like our family to pray for you specifically, I invite and encourage you to leave a little note in the comments section of this post. I ask that you only leave your first name, since I don’t want the “world out there” to know too much about who you are.

I thank God for the commitment you have made to obey the Almighty. May God bless you and your families for your faithfulness and obedience to the call. May He also give you the strength needed to endure the road ahead. God Speed.

I came across an article as of late that captured my attention. The title of the article was “General Wants Gay Ban Lifted.” Now for those of you that might not know, the military has a policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and concerns those claiming to be homosexuals. The military does not ask applying soldiers their sexual preference (Don’t Ask), but soldiers are not allowed to be homosexuals and if they are found out then they are discharged (Don’t Tell).

Now I want to say up front that I have absolutely no military experience whatsoever. I have fired a 12-guage shotgun a few times in my life and a rifle of some sort once, and this is the extent of my weaponry training. Also, I have not been to any military colleges and taken classes designed to teach our brave men and women about military strategy and how to fight battles and wars. Therefore, I do not address this article militarily but religiously.

I do not know the general from the above article (I encourage you to read the article – just click on the link above) and I do believe it is safe to say that he is not the first person to speak of a “need” to eliminate the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. My question with the article affects chaplains in the military: If soldiers were allowed to practice homosexuality, would chaplains be allowed to call homosexuality a sin? I believe this is a pertinent question that needs addressing since many chaplains (major and hopeful assumption) would in fact take such a position. Another question comes to mind: Now that democrats control the House and Senate (not that all democrats are pro-homosexual marriage), is this actually a real possibility?

To address the main question, I must first state that I am an expository preacher. I say this because I do not go around looking for “topics” to preach on. I tend to preach through books of the Bible and therefore hit a number of the “topics,” homosexuality included, worth preaching on. I also never preach with the intention of “getting” someone, but I do believe the Word of God is offensive at its core. Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” – AN OFFENSIVE VERSE!!! If, when preaching through a book of the Bible, say 1 Corinthians, and being true to scripture point out that homosexuality is not an acceptable lifestyle in the eyes of God, would I be in jeopardy of retribution from a soldier whose lifestyle is now condoned by the military?

I really have no answers to my questions although I would like to think that chaplains will always be able to preach their convictions (within reason). I do know that I don’t intentionally preach on topics, but I do address topics of interest as I preach through the Bible. I also know that a chaplain cannot and must not compromise his or her own beliefs to appease a policy. Maybe this will be some food for thought and give you something else to pray for.

2007 is already shaping out to be a monumental year for our family. In March, my wife and I expect our baby girl to make her way into this crazy world. Words cannot begin to express our excitement and apprehension. Our family is about to grow from 3 to 4 and should stop growing at that point (though one can never tell what God has in store). About two months after her arrival, too short to conceive, I will move my family from our comfortable church to an unfamiliar community where I will then leave them to attend CHOBC. This single solitary event is possibly the grandest undertaking our household has ever participated in. I am leaving the security of the pastorate and embarking into the world of missions, pastoring, preaching and counseling all rolled into one. In September, upon completion of CHOBC (prayerfully), the family will again move to Fort Hood, which is where the Army has currently designated as my first Duty Station.

Pretty much, this is shaping out to be a big year, could get even bigger (possible deployment), and we’ve only just begun. That being said . . . I am so thankful that the Lord continues to use sinners in His plan. There is no way I could ever be deemed worthy enough to participate in the spreading of the gospel on my own merit, yet He continues to allow, request and require my participation. As we prepare for this “big year” there are some major things we must do. We must pack up our house and move to a new location (we live in a parsonage and will leave upon resigning) before the Army packs up our house and move us to a new location (I know it sound redundant . . . and it is). We will be packing with a one month old and 2 ½ year old so this could be stressful, although we have already started packing in an attempt to relieve some of the stress. In preparation for CHOBC I continue to “workout” hoping to arrive at Fort Jackson not sucking wind after a quarter of a mile of running, 3 push-ups and 5 sit-ups. I also continue to strive to lose a little weight and get to the point where I don’t need to take a tape test.

2007 will be a busy one but a great one. I read today where a Chaplain attending CHOBC in January will leave for Fort Jackson this week. My heart and prayers are with these families that prepare for this journey. We, too, are excited about the journey because God has been the planner and perfector of the path.