Better Chaplain Series - Get On Fire

The Bible is written in several genres, from poetry, to letter, to proverbs, to narrative. The diversity in which God has opted to communicate reminds us that he has spoken in many times in many ways through the prophets (Hebrews 1:1). It’s easy to fall into the error that it’s all just words on a page, but we can’t forget that it’s real people in real life circumstances meeting the real God and feeling real emotions, and it’s written for our sanctification (2 Timothy 3:17)!

How we speak these oracles of God ought to be derived from the text. If the speaker is angry (Numbers 11:10-15, Matthew 23), get angry! If the speaker is weeping (John 11:32-36, Proverbs 25:20), then be sad! If there is mocking (1 Kings 18:27, 1 Kings 22:15, John 11:37), then be incredulous! If the speaker is hopeless (2 Samuel 13:12-13, Jonah 2, John 21:17), make sure your voice is full of compassion! How much is lost on our hearers because we aren’t invested in the story?

As we read, preach, and share the Word of God, we ought to be passionate in the sharing, not just the words, but the power behind them. Many revivalists have called this “Unction.” In fact, Leonard Ravenhill said that the most important thing a preacher can get is unction, a Spirit given passion to know and share the truth. The opposite of unction is a passionless pulpit that treats the Bible like a textbook at best, and a burden at worst. He said the tragedy of the age “is that we have too many dead men in the pulpits giving out too many dead sermons to too many dead people.”

As a chaplain, in and out of the pulpit, we have access to the very power that can quicken a dead soul. If that doesn’t excite you, and your excitement is not contagious, then maybe you’re in the wrong profession.

Get on fire for God, and people will come to watch you burn. ~ Leonard Ravenhill

Key Verse: Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ~ Romans 12:11-12

More:

1. Jonathan Edwards is famous at the beginning of his ministry for reading his manuscripts. Chief among these manuscripts was “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” which did much to start the First Great Awakening in the colonies that would grow to become the United States of America. Which is more important: Passion in the preaching or doctrinal fidelity in the preaching? Are the two mutually exclusive? Make it your goal to be passionately faithful as you are faithful to the Bible.

2. I had the privilege of preaching to a large crowd on a street corner on a warm Florida night. One man, leaning against a traffic light pole, was especially engaged in listening. When I concluded the sermon I offered an invitation for further conversation; as he approached I asked, “Do you believe it?” He said, “I don’t, but it sounds like you do, so maybe I should.” When you preach, does it sound like you believe it?

3. Chaplains who find their authority outside of God and the Bible find it hard to be passionate for the things of God. Voddie Baucham makes the point that some of them say they just don’t have any passion, yet he gives multiple examples (smashing your thumb with a hammer, hitting a golf-ball poorly, and a favorite team losing) that show that passion is not the problem, misguided passion is. Chaplain, you’re a passionate person, so if you have a hard time getting passionate about God’s Word, could it be that you have yet to understand its power?

4. Further Resources:

The Visual Bible: Matthew. Directed by Regardt van den Bergh. Performed by Richard Kiley and Bruce Marchiano. Visual Bible International, 1993. DVD.

Robinson, Haddon, and Torrey Robinson. Passion in the Pulpit: How to Exegete the Emotion of a Text. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2003.

Vines, Jerry, and Adam Dooley. Passion in the Pulpit: How to Exegete the Emotion of Scripture. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2018.

Baucham, Voddie. “Go Home and Love Your Wife!” YouTube Video, Jan 15, 2013. https://youtu.be/P4yS1Fzn3GM

Better Chaplain Series - Redeem their Time

What are some things that we say that Jesus would never say? Take a couple of minutes before reading ahead to contemplate your answer. As we strive to live Christlike lives, we never want to say things that he wouldn’t say, and we definitely don’t want to say the opposite of what he’d say.

A couple of things I know Jesus would never say that I hear regularly from chaplains are, “I want to be respectful of your time,” “I’ll give you some time back,” and “That’s how much time we scheduled, so we’ll dismiss now.”

Can you think of times when those responses would have been acceptable? I think about a time when four-thousand-plus people were in the middle of a desert with nothing to eat (Mark 8:2-3), or when Paul was preaching late into the night and a young man fell out the window and died (Acts 20:7-9), or when Ezra preached all day to people who were brand new to preaching (Nehemiah 9:3). If Jesus or Paul or Ezra were ever going to dismiss early, those were the times, but they prioritized the message over schedules for secular work. There were trades to be cared for, sheep to be shepherded, businesses to be run, sleep to be had, but none of those things were worth more than hearing from the God of Heaven.

When you show people Jesus and share his commands you are literally opening the gates of heaven in men’s faces. Sometimes that can be quick, but other times it can take a very long time. Chaplain, your call is to ensure you are bringing a message that is worth listening to, and that you’re sharing it so that your hearers can be mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28).

            We have too many preacherettes preaching sermonettes to christianettes. ~ Leonard Ravenhill

Key Verse: What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? ~ Mark 8:36

More:

1. Winston Churchill noted that the “head cannot take in more than the seat can endure.” There is good scientific and anecdotal evidence that there is a limit to the endurance of human absorption. How long is your limit to learning? How long is your audiences’? A young child will have a different attention span than a scholar, a junior enlisted different than a seasoned general. Should this truth help you tailor your efforts to make disciples of all nations?

2. Martha and Mary are famous for one choosing hospitality and the other choosing to sit at the Saviour’s feet. There is great truth in that dichotomy, but perhaps it’s too simplified, ignoring the heart of both women. Can the two principles be combined? Can you take Christ’s yoke upon you and be at work at the same time? Can you always be learning and never arrive at the knowledge of the truth? How can you reconcile discipleship with service? Hearing with doing?

3. Can you think of a message that you heard that was too long? Too short? What can you learn from those messages? A solid principle to consider is if it’s not important to you, it’s not important to the audience. Never go long on a topic that’s not interesting to you. If you ever encounter a message that important to Jesus but not important to you, or important to you but not to Jesus, here is an opportunity for your repentance.

4. Further Resources

Adam, Peter. Speaking God’s Words: A Practical Theology of Preaching. Leicester, UK: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996.

Shearer, Canyon. Honing the Congregation to Be Attentive to Expository Preaching at First Baptist Church New Lebanon, Ohio. Louisville: The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2020. https://repository.sbts.edu/handle/10392/6133 (Read specifically on Ezra starting on page 13)

Whitefield, George. “Directions How to Hear Sermons” (sermon). Ken Ramey, Expository Listening: A Practical Handbook for Hearing and Doing God’s Word (The Woodlands, TX: Kress Biblical Resources, 2010).

Better Chaplain Series - Train Your Discernment

Small children, of whom I have a few, are notorious for their lack of judgement between what is healthy and what is harmful. They’ll eat food (and other things) off the floor, take ridiculous risks, ignore what is clearly (to me) the best option, and think only in terms of immediate results. On the spiritual side, if it mentions God or Jesus or gives them a coloring sheet, they are sure it's great, no matter where it's coming from (Consider 2 Corinthians 11:4).

John MacArthur puts it this way, “A small child will stick almost anything into his mouth, touch anything he can reach, go anywhere he can manage to crawl—with no concept of what is good for him and what is bad, what is helpful and what is dangerous. The mature adult, on the other hand, has developed considerable discernment. He is careful about what he eats, what he does, where he goes. The same principle operates in the spiritual realm.”

Chaplains will encounter all sorts of people who believe all sorts of lies. Some lies are well veiled and you maybe will understand why someone would fall for them, others are so obvious that they’d be laughable if not so tragic. I’ll never forget one young Airman who readily admitted his life was a disaster, then rattled off five known heretics (some dead, some retired, and some active) who he was listening to and reading, and wondering why God wasn’t blessing his circumstances.

Ask these questions:

1. Is it true? By what standard?
2. Is it Christ honoring?
3. Is it helpful? Is it building up the church?
4. What is the logical end of this path?
5. Is there a better way?
6. Does the Bible speak directly or indirectly to this topic?

Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right. ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Key Verse: Solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. ~ Hebrews 5:14

More:

1. The Bible teaches us that discernment is not a “one-and-done” proposition. You don’t gain it by taking a Sunday School class or earning your degree or reading one devotional. It requires new effort and new considerations every day and in every circumstance. It’s easy to point out Sabellianism, Pelagianism, Marxism, and Aryanism in the past, but how do we get good at pointing out Driscollism, Shrirerism, Marxism, and NARism when it’s found its way through the doors of our chapels or churches?

2. If someone served you a full cup of poison, your senses would scream at you not to drink it. Your eyes would water, your nose would revolt, and your gag-reflex would ensure the poison could not find its way anywhere near your digestive system. But if they dilute that poison with something pleasant, meter it in a smaller quantity, and cover those warning signs, then it would be easier to get you to drink it. Consider Proverbs 5:3-11 for one case study on how poison can be dressed up to look and taste sweet as it leads many straight to ruin and Hell.

3. People will bring you all sorts of questionable teachers, books, music, and movies that they like for a variety of reasons. The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart: they like having their ears tickled. I would too if I didn’t know the danger of such poison. Many genuine believers can be deceived, so our call is to help them out of the fire, but we hate the sin that got them there (Jude 22-23). Life is too short and eternity is too long for us to entertain false teachers even for a moment. We cannot be soft on false doctrine, because it "comforts no one, sanctifies no one, elevates no one, helps no one towards heaven." ~ JC Ryle

4. Further Resources

Baucham, Voddie T. Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe. Washington: Salem Books, 2021.

MacArthur, John. The Truth War: Fight for Certainty in an Age of Deception. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007.

Papa, Matt. Stay Away from Jesus. YouTube video, 4:33. Posted by Matt Papa, February 7, 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jXfWW2U5bI

Better Chaplain Series - Holiness Over Happiness

In premarital counseling I lead with, “What’s the purpose of marriage?” I hear the usual cliches such as “someone to do life with,” or “because we love each other,” or “to start a family”, and even “for the legal and financial benefits.” There is truth in all of these, but what is the ultimate purpose of marriage? The purpose of marriage is not to make you happy, but to make you holy (compare Ephesians 5:22-33, especially vv. 25-27). This is why the vows include faithfulness in horrible (worse) unions, instances of sickness, times of scarcity (poorer – Habakkuk 3:17-19), till death does you part; because marriage shows us how to sacrifice for someone else, to love an unlovable bride (you get to be like Christ!), and to reveal our deep-seeded selfishness and sinfulness.

Given this introduction, what do you think the purpose of chaplaincy is? If you’re paying attention, you know that the purpose of chaplaincy is to make you holy. You’ll be faced with challenges, impossible bosses, long hours, conflicting priorities, and unlovable people (whom you’re called to love). Each of these is to conform you to the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-29).

If you became a chaplain to find fulfilment, or a paycheck, or a title, or a missions field, or to see the world, or any such thing, you may find those things to some degree (like a marriage can fulfil worldly promises for a moment), but you’ll miss God’s will and plan for your ministry. God is doing a great sanctifying work in his saints (those he has made holy) through many means, using all things to conform them to the image of his Son.

Holiness is not the way to Christ. Christ is the way to holiness. ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Key Verse: This is the will of God: your sanctification (holiness). ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:3

More:

1. Many of our military members have never thought deeply about the purpose of life. Their expectation is that if they just do their best, good things will happen. We understand that God creates things for a purpose, and when we don’t fulfil that purpose we’re likely to misuse and abuse God’s good design. What would happen if we tried to turn an MQ-9 into a passenger plane, a C-5 into a fighter jet, and M1-A1 tank into a Surface to Air Missile (SAM) site, or an aircraft carrier into a low-earth-orbit reconnaissance satellite? Not only would they hopelessly fail their missions, but they would despair of their purpose completely. Helping our people to understand their purpose is paramount in the chaplain’s duties; we have to help them first to be image bearers of God, second to be trophies of his grace, and third to serve faithfully in their calling. This will help all of our disciples to not just know their purpose, but to fulfil it, and to understand their purpose is to be set apart from the world to magnify Christ in all they do.

2. Chaplaincy, like marriage, may lead to happiness, and I pray it does for you. But if you had to choose between happiness and holiness, which would it be? Which will matter most in the life to come?

3. The goal of Christianity is to look like Christ, the way to look like Christ is to walk with Christ, and the way to walk with Christ is to be saved by Christ. We say, “I was saved, I am being saved, I will be saved.” Do you look more like Christ today than you did yesterday? Than the day you were saved? Saintly chaplain, this is the will of God: your sanctification.

4. Further Resources:

MacArthur, John. Strang Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2013.

DeYoung, Kevin. Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2009.

Better Chaplain Series - Float Boats

When you leave a meeting, do you leave anything behind? Do you think people noticed that you were there or that you left? How about bigger: when you leave a base, a church, a city or state, the military, or the earth? Are people better for you being in close proximity to them?

David said that goodness and mercy followed him all the days of his life. The chaplain ought to be a source of hope in every situation with encouragement, love, and life pouring into every person as God gives opportunity. In their wake should be people who were faced to think on eternity because of the christian's witness.

Being indwelt with the Holy Spirit means that you’re going to bear much fruit in love, joy, patience, self-control, calmness (not a named fruit of the Spirit, but I often say that a chaplain should be the calmest person in the room), etc. because the chaplain ought to be an ever-present encouragement to those he ministers to. They may not have the same beliefs but one of your jobs is to make them jealous of how God is blessing you, so that they may be saved (Romans 11:13-14).

There is no such thing as neutrality, we are either for Christ or against Christ. Everyone you meet will be better or worse for having you in their life. You’ll either push them towards the Kingdom of Heaven or inoculate them against the truth. Richard Wurmbrand is an extreme case, but he spent years in a Romanian prison and found a ministry in which he was able to lead several prisoners and at least one guard to Christ. He summarizes his ministry like this, “It was strictly forbidden to preach to other prisoners. It was understood that whoever was caught doing this received a severe beating. A number of us decided to pay the price for the privilege of preaching, so we accepted their terms. We were happy preaching, they were happy beating us, so everyone was happy.”

Chaplain, how can you be spreading love and hope? Is it true of you that goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life?

I pray that when I die, all of Hell will rejoice that I am no longer in the fight. ~ C.T. Studd (When I paraphrase this I say, "I pray that you will live your life and so order your faith that when you die, all of Hell will rejoice that a great saint has stepped off the field of battle.")

Key Verse: Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. ~ 2 Corinthians 2:14

More:

1. I tell new servicemembers that if they are running low on hope to visit a chaplain, because we have an overabundance of hope and we’re happy to give some away. The adage says, “Hope floats all boats!” Are you ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you, that is, Christ in you, the hope of glory? If you don’t have any hope to give away, how can you, as Heath Lambert declares, “Go nuts in the hope department!”?

2. As a chaplain I regularly have people miss appointments or fail to do something optional that they said they were going to do. Often because of the rank disparity they ask if I’m going to report them. My response, “I’m here to alleviate stress, would reporting this alleviate stress or add stress?” Granted, there is room for accountability and the blessings thereof, but would you say you’re better at stressing people out or bolstering their hope? What would they say about you?

3. An anecdote from the Soviet Union says that soldiers despondently said they were having an “average” day. When asked what was average about it, they said it was “worse than yesterday, but better than tomorrow.” That's a sad “average”; are you making people’s day worse or better than yesterday? My prayer for you, dear reader, is that you’ll have an average day: better than yesterday, but worse than tomorrow, and that you'll do likewise for those God has put you in close proximity to. Only in Christ can this prayer be answered.

4. Further Resources:

Burroughs, Jeremiah. The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. Reprint, Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1964.

Wurmbrand, Richard. Tortured for Christ. Washington Depot CT: Spire Books, 1971.

Wurmbrand, Sabina. The Pastor’s Wife. Bartlesville, OK: Living Sacrifice Book Co, 2005.

Better Chaplain Series - Understand Justice

When the world only does what is right in its own eyes we see a pandemic of interpretations of what is right and wrong. This results in victimhood and false accusations running rampant, and complex judgments falling to opinion and anecdotal evidence rather than authority and factual evidence. As chaplains we often fall into a defensive posture, one where we’re only waiting for people to come to us and when they do, we rely on their knowledge or faith to find an answer that suits them, something right in their eyes. Because of this, we’re already back on our heals when we hear of injustice.

Have we forgotten that as followers of the Truth (John 1:17, 14:6, 18:36, Revelation 19:11), we have a monopoly on truth (Romans 1:18, 1:25, 2:8)? The world won’t agree with that statement, but the question is: Is it true?

As one entrusted with the truth it is our responsibility to speak the truth. A convenient lie or agreeing with someone in sin may lead to a quick and painless conversation, but help comes from directing people to the truth which can set them free (John 8:31-32). When we enable someone in their belief that they are not thriving because of something that happened to them (or their ancestors) in the past, we lock them up in that abuse (or perceived abuse) and cut them off from the gospel that is able to transform and redeem. When we don’t stand up to a commander who is using an Airman as a scapegoat to a larger injustice, we silently give credence. When we leave a complex legal problem up to historical precedence, we deny that the Word of God speaks to every nuance and manner of justice. And especially when we don’t press into the idea that forgiveness is an option (a mandatory option), we might as well not even be chaplains.

As salt and light in this world, we have a duty to our commission from God to be men of sincerity, speak in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:17), and injecting his truth into the world so that they may know him and live life according to his precepts. You’ll look like an abomination to many (Proverbs 29:27), but your call remains to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

God’s law has been written on all of our consciences, but only in Christ is it written on our hearts. ~ Alistair Begg

Key Verse: Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it completely. ~ Proverbs 28:5

More:

1. Proverbs 17:15 sets up an incredible dichotomy that is hard to reconcile with who God is. The summary is that God is furious with people who curse the innocent and who bless the wicked. But what happened on the cross of Christ? Wasn’t an innocent and righteous man cursed? Weren’t we the chief of sinners and yet we’ve received all of God’s blessings and heaven too? How is it that God is not the abomination in this story? Attempt to answer yourself first, then look at Isaiah 25:21, Romans 3:25, 5:8, and Psalm 85:10-13 for a hint.

2. As chaplains we hear heartbreaking stories. Within the span of a few days I had two young Airmen in my office with extremely similar trauma. Both had been horribly abused and their abusers never brought to justice. One was as bitter, emotionally hurt, angry, and scared as the day they were abused; in essence still under the control of their abuser. The other was joyful, forgiving, thriving, and loving; their question was, “Is there something wrong with me that I’m doing so well?” These were nearly identical situations, with practically exact opposite responses. The discernable difference was the first had no expectation of God’s justice being shown to their abuser, the second knew that God would mete out perfect justice either in eternal conscious torment, or on the cross of Christ, and amazingly their prayer was that their abuser would find the same redemption that they had found in Christ’s grace. How did understanding justice help? Can you think of similar testimonies?

3. Further Resources:

Edwards, Jonathan. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. 1741. Reprint, Carlisle PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1995.

Ryle, John Charles. Holiness: It’s Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots. Reprint, Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 2014.

Better Chaplain Series - Be Exhausted

Early in my career a senior chaplain told me, “A chaplain can do nothing and get away with it, or a chaplain can work themselves to death and (pause for effect) get away with it.” Finding the balance where you’re serving Christ but not thinking everything depends on you requires constant consideration. Feeling refreshed is definitely more comfortable than being stretched until you say like Bilbo Baggins, I feel like too little butter scraped over too much bread. But is comfort your most fruitful course of action?

There is far too much ministry to do on this terrestrial ball for you or I to accomplish even a fraction of it, but that is why God is employing his church all over the world. Knowing this, he has entrusted to you a few acres, a few sheep, and a few years to steward. What are your priorities in life and ministry? If you succeed in everything except what God has called you to, will he be pleased?

A chaplain who has been at the gospel work all day (at work, at church, and at home) will have no trouble sleeping because he has been spent for God’s sake (Psalm 127:1-2); a chaplain who has spent the day poorly in his own pursuits may find that sleep eludes him (Ecclesiastes 5:12, Daniel 2:1). On the other side, working so hard on everything that nothing is accomplished, or something important gets missed. The balance is in spreading the right amount of butter over the right amount of bread.

Consider today where you can work to publish the good news that God saves sinners through the life, death, and resurrection of his Son, who has been working from the beginning, and is working still, so that you can rejoice in the good work that he has given you to do!

It’s a father’s job to be exhausted. ~ Matt Chandler

Key Verse: In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that or whether both alike will be good. ~ Ecclesiastes 11:6

More

1. If we knew which events would be remembered, which conversations would be meaningful, which briefings would bear fruit, and which risks would be rewarded it would cut a lot of our exhaustion because we’d only do things that matter. I heard someone say that if they could turn back time three hours their life would be radically different. But we don’t know what will be formative or meaningful, so our call is to run and not grow weary (Isaiah 40:31)!

2. As we eagerly await the hour of Christ’s return and the consummation of history, we must remember that the blessed worker is found at work when his master returns (Matthew 24:45-51). If Christ returned today, would he find you in the work he left you?

3. It’s tempting to view your home and family as a sanctuary space away from work, but your family ought to be your first priority in your God-given work; in fact if you fail at your family, your faith is null and you’ll be counted an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8). Many chaplains have determined not to bring work home, but to be fully present. Maybe it's helpful to have a landmark that work cannot cross, such as a telephone pole, or an intersection, or an off-ramp. Would it be helpful for you to set a boundary like that? You'll have to consider things like duty phones, TDYs, and places where work blends with your family, such as at worship, but imperfect boundaries are better than no boundaries.

4. Further Resources:

Hamilton, James M. Work and Our Labor in the Lord. Wheaton: Crossway, 2017.

York, Hershael. “Tanya York on Marriage, Family, and Ministry.” Pastor Well – Episode 5. SBTS, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8907fTzVWR4

Better Chaplain Series - Stare Out the Window

In our reactionary world I often wonder what someone was thinking when they made a major decision that is not just counterintuitive to God’s kingdom, but their own wellbeing and beliefs. Total depravity is sometimes skewed as to think that people are evil, know they are evil, and are consciously making the most evil choice possible. But most, if not all, people don’t know they are totally depraved, are only acting in their own self-interest, and they genuinely think that they are making right choices (confer Proverbs 20:6, 1 Corinthians 2:8).

Chaplain, what keeps you from making the same mistakes (and/or sins)? Why are your decisions more righteous in your eyes than the bad decisions you see made every day? In one sense it’s because good trees make good fruit (Matthew 7:17-19, Galatians 5:22-24), but we ought not presume that just because the Holy Spirit lives in us we will always make good decisions (Romans 7:21-8:1).

Jared Wilson says, “Pastors are paid to stare out the window.” An obvious play on words, he doesn’t want us to mindlessly watch what’s outside our study, but to engage in deep thought about what matters most. Our stakes are too high to play fast and loose with decisions that have eternal consequences, so much as it is in our control we must be right in our words and actions. This requires deep thought, intentional research, and prayer to ensure we’re acting in accordance with what Christ has commanded us in his Word.

We are prepared to make many of those decisions because we’ve had to think deeply about seminary topics, but becoming a chaplain confronts you with things you probably never saw in the classroom. What can you anticipate in your future, chaplain? How can you think now about hard topics so that when they arise you will be ready to share the hope that is in you, Christ in you, the hope of glory?

            We cannot play at preaching, we preach for eternity. ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Key Verse: Brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ~ Philippians 4:8

More:

1. President Teddy Roosevelt was known for concerning his cabinet with what seemed like brash and rushed decisions on topics of huge importance. However, it became apparent that he had already thought through many of those decisions and only had to give his decision at the time of presentation. He said, “Make preparations in advance. You’ll never have trouble if you are prepared for it.” At another time he said, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” Chaplain, the best way to do nothing is to be caught unawares, unprepared to offer wisdom or action. How do you prepare for action? You ready yourself.

2. Aesop tells of a boar observed by a fox in the forest. The boar is sharpening his tusks, which worries the fox; the fox soon realizes that there is no immediate danger and ridicules the boar. The boar announces that when danger is present, he won’t have time to sharpen his tusks. How can you sharpen your tusks now before you need them? What do you need to think deeply about?

4. Chaplains, when they arrive on station, are given an office. What a chaplain needs is not an office, but a study. How can you change your office into a study? Is the space you’ve been given conducive to stare out the window (figurative or literal) and think? How can you make it more-so?

5. Further Resources:

A topic that you can’t wait to happen before you find answers:
Shearer, Canyon R. "Hope in the Loss of a Baby." Trust and Obey. April 4, 2020. https://trustobey.blogspot.com/2020/04/hope-in-loss-of-baby.html

Wilson, Jared C. “Pastors Are Paid to Stare Out the Window.” For the Church. April 3, 2023. Accessed 26 March, 2025. https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/pastors-are-paid-to-stare-out-the-window/

Broadus, John A. On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1944.

Comfort, Ray. Think on These Things: Wisdom for Life from Proverbs. Savage, MN: Broadstreet Publishing, 2017.

Better Chaplain Series - Make Great Tents

In the civilian world it’s not uncommon to be a bi-vocational pastor, someone who works during the week and pastors on weeknights and weekends. These pastors are in good company, as the Apostle Paul pastored full-time while making tents. This is how he met Priscilla and Aquila who were doing likewise (Acts 18:3).

I’ve previously said that “the Chaplain is the most overpaid minister in the world.” This is partly true when you look at the compensation, but it is not entirely true when you consider the chaplain’s duties. The chaplain should be a pastor first, but they are still an officer and have diverse and important roles to accomplish in this role. Some examples are supervising other chaplains or team members, overseeing budgets and spending, assisting with reports, running special events, and chairing meetings. As a chaplain reading this, you can probably add several items that you’re personally responsible for.

Maybe you can draw a direct line between pastoring and these additional duties, like developing a great Christmas event, or maybe you can’t, like sitting on a court-martial. Regardless, you’re being paid to accomplish diverse tasks by your employer, and these tasks are funding your gospel work. While I’m not making literal tents, I am supervising volunteers, coordinating funds, and writing reports which in essence is my tent-making profession.

While your highest and best usefulness should be in the pulpit, counseling room, commander’s office, and inspiring excellence, you should be equally great in your tent-making trade. Your spreadsheets should be world-class, your volunteers should be exceptionally well cared for, your handling of money should be above reproach, your briefings should be outstanding, your legal compliance should be impeccable, everything you are responsible for should shine, and it should be delivered on-time or early.

A chaplain who is not faithful in his small tasks ought never to be put in charge of large tasks. Show me the quality of your tents, and I’ll show you the quality of your chaplaincy.

He that had so much excellent work to do with his mind, yet, when there was occasion, did not think it below him to work with his hands. ~ Matthew Henry

Key Verse: You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ~ Acts 20:34-35

More:

1. A popular question in chaplain circles is, “Are you a chaplain or officer first?” Well, which is it? Do you ever expect to retire either title? When asked this question I declared that I was a minister before I became an officer, I intend to be a minister afterwards, but I will never cease to be a minister. Do you agree?

2. Are your bi-vocational duties a hindrance or an extension to your ministry? Do you think that anyone has ever judged or blessed Jesus based on the quality of your work in his name?

3. Chaplains—as highly paid ministers of the gospel—have more money to share than their civilian counterparts. Take a moment today to consider if you are spending your money well to help the weak and sow blessings through your giving.

4. The word "vocation" has direct etymological roots to God's voice/call in your career. What has God called you to?

5. Resources:

Crowe, Brandon D. Every Day Matters: A Biblical Approach to Productivity. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020.

Piper, John. “Tentmakers in Minneapolis.” Desiring God. Minneapolis, 1981. Accessed 25 March 2025 from https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/tentmakers-in-minneapolis

Wilson, Doug. Ploductivity: A Practical Guide to Consistent Productivity. Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 2018.

Better Chaplain Series - Jewels in Your Crown

Without reading ahead or peeking at the verse, what is your hope or joy or crown of boasting before the Lord Jesus at his coming?

a. Jesus

b. Your disciples

c. The number of Bible Verses You’ve memorized

d. Your fruit of repentance

e. Your suffering

f. The Holy Spirit

g. Your pastor

h. All of the above

The answer is actually b. your disciples, and this is a theme found all through the New Testament. John said he had no greater joy than to hear his children were walking in the truth (3 John 4), Paul said the only thing that would keep him on earth was the sake of his disciples (Philippians 1:24-25), the author of Hebrews calls pastors to watch over the souls entrusted to them with joy (Hebrews 13:17), and Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before him (Hebrews 12:2), an inheritance of nations (Revelation 21:26).

How does this apply to the chaplaincy? What’s your hope, joy, and/or crown of boasting (chaplain edition)?

a. Your promotion 

b. Your stratification

c. Your paycheck

None of the above! Jesus told you to store up your treasure in Heaven, none of those things are worth boasting about and none of them will last long in comparison to eternity. What is the only treasure that lasts forever? Souls. Human souls are how you store up treasure in Heaven, you help them towards the Saviour and exhort them to be born again.

As you make disciples, may you be storing up an imperishable reward in Heaven, a crown ready to be presented to the king who saved you, called you, employed you, and used you for his glory and the good of many.

With all her faults he loves the Church of England still, he loves the souls of men much more, and most of all the gospel of their salvation. ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon on JC Ryle

Key Verse: What is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy. ~ 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20

More:

1. Paul unapologetically takes possession of his converts/disciples; he is invested in their salvation, sanctification, and glorification (Philemon 10, 1 Corinthians 4:14-15, Galatians 4:19, Philippians 4:1, 2 Timothy 2:12, Titus 1:4, 2 Corinthians 11:28, etc.). Do you have any “children” in the faith? What do you think about calling them yours? Are you ready to give an account for their growth (or lack thereof)?

2. What sort of things have you heard people boast about that seem impressive on earth (to some) but have no weight in Heaven? A couple I’ve heard are pitching a no-hitter in baseball, paying off a mortgage, titles at work and church, achievements of children, and the amount of alcohol that can be consumed in one sitting (Isaiah 5:22). What would you add? What sorts of things will your disciples boast about you (2 Corinthians 1:14)?

3. Read 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 and consider: who is the ultimate example of disciple maker who finds infinite joy in his disciples? Are you imitating him?

4. Further Resources:

Shearer, Canyon R. "Crown of Boasting." Trust and Obey. March 23, 2012. https://trustobey.blogspot.com/2012/03/crown-of-boasting.html

Henry, Matthew. “1 Thessalonians 2 Commentary: Effects of the Christian Ministry.” Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary of the Bible. Accessed March 17, 2025. https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/1-thessalonians/2.html

Better Chaplain Series - Give Truth: Give Joy

As a chaplain you’ll visit a lot of different churches. The dynamics of different churches are listed in Revelation 2-3, and constant practice trains your discernment to quickly identify what type of church you’re walking into. My favorite church to walk into is one full of joy and love. I wish every church were that way, but some are cold and dead, others are doctrinally sound but are too busy learning about how to help people that they don’t have time to help people. Then there is the energetic church that is trying to manufacture joy but are in fact producing a poor counterfeit.

Oh that every church could be filled with the joy of the Lord. Indeed, I believe the Ezra when he says, “The joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) I’ve yet to meet a joyful church that wasn’t walking in the strength of the Lord. Conversely, I’ve seen many weak churches that are devoid of joy.

I often say, “If I could shake you and make you believe the truth and make you obey the gospel, you’d better believe you’d be getting shaken right now.” The joy of the Lord is so valuable and wonderful that if I could give it to you through any means, you’d better believe I’d go through those means. If you could give the gift of joy to the world, free without measure, without diminishing your own joy one iota, would you?

The key is found in Acts 8; in fact verses 6 and 8 revived the idea of the Study Bible when a friend of Cyrus Scofield drew a line between verse 6 and 8 to show the connection. Scofield originally objected to writing in a Bible but quickly saw the value in it.

Verse 6 says the people paid attention to the Word of God. There were other things going on too, but they were being effectively counterfeited by Simon the Magician, so it could not have been those things that caused what happened next. The people paid attention to the Word of God and what happened? Verse 8, there was much joy in that city.

Want to inject joy into a church, city, state, nation, and world? Preach the whole counsel of God with Jesus as the main point and encourage people to pay attention! Joy will come, and it’s contagious.

Key Verse: The crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip…so there was much joy in that city. ~ Acts 8:6,8

More:

1. How many classes have you taken on preaching? How many classes have you taken on listening? Would you guess that the Bible says more about preaching or listening? How can you help your church to listen better?

2. What sort of things can rob joy? Why do you think so many churches are joyless places and nobody seems to notice? Have they seen true joy? How can you show it to them?

3. What is the difference between excitement, happiness, and joy? Read Hebrews 10:34 and consider how they accepted such abuse and remained joyful. Could excitement and happiness endure such trials?

4. Further Resources:

Shearer, Canyon. Honing the Congregation to Be Attentive to Expository Preaching at First Baptist Church New Lebanon, Ohio. Louisville: The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2020. https://repository.sbts.edu/handle/10392/6133 (Read specifically Chapter 3 starting on page 38, and download the “Listening Helps”)

Ramey, Ken. Expository Listening: A Practical Handbook for Hearing and Doing God’s Word. The Woodlands, TX: Kress Biblical Resources, 2010.

Beeke, Joel R. The Family at Church: Listening to Sermons and Attending Prayer Meetings. Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2004.

Better Chaplain Series - Stay In Your Lane

A poem makes its rounds every year claiming that the American Soldier is why the United States is great. It relegates the pastor to this role, “The soldier, not the minister, has given freedom of religion.” But there is a major fallacy with this: many nations have soldiers without freedom. Often soldiers, unchecked, can lead to exponentially less freedom (Uganda in the 1970s comes instantly to mind, but unfortunately is not an isolated case).

The poem also attempts to relegate ministers only to the realm of religion. But, if you’ve spent any time at all in the Bible, you know that it speaks definitively on every topic it touches. Granted, it doesn’t speak on every topic directly, but a direct application can be applied to every topic from the Bible. I defy you to find a single matter of life and godliness that can't be answered by the Bible.

It’s popular to hear chaplains directed to “stay in their lane”, to speak only about matters directly related to the chapel, and to leave everything else to others. In essence, the chaplain is told to retreat from spiritual battlefields which they are supposedly unqualified to speak.

I hope I have impressed on you this far in this devotional that I have high expectations for the chaplain because God has high expectations for the chaplain. When they tell you stay in your lane, perhaps its time to state that the world is your lane!

            The world is now my parish. ~ George Whitefield

Music, do you say, belongs to the devil? Does it? Well, if it did I would plunder him for it, for he has no right to a single note of the whole seven. Every note, and every strain, and every harmony is divine, and belongs to us. ~ William Booth

Key Verse: His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence… ~ 2 Peter 1:3

More:

1. Building from the chapter on training our replacements, there is a very real temptation to build a “cult of personality” where we become the most important personality in our disciples’ lives. Beloved chaplain, this ought not to be. Luke 6:40 tells us that a disciple cannot exceed his teacher, therefore we must stay in our lane of being a disciple who makes disciples, always pointing at the true master and teacher: Jesus Christ. Have you or someone you know ever fallen into a cult of personality? Would you recommend it, or flee from it?

2. Ambassadors represent their kings and their governments. An ambassador who usurps this authority, fails to deliver the whole message, or acts as the king or government and makes decisions antithetical to their wishes is likely to be fired, if not executed as a traitor. According to Deuteronomy 13:5 the punishment in God’s kingdom for falsely representing his decrees and will is death. How should you, as a good ambassador for Christ, stay in your lane?

3. Where do you draw the boundaries of your lane? Can you speak definitively on finances even though the chapel is not your branch’s comptroller? Can you speak on mental health from a biblical worldview? Should you speak on just war despite you not being a lawyer? Should you fly airplanes or drive tanks or lead SEAL teams? There are boundaries and lanes you must stay in, where does God want you to serve? Could a Christian have different boundaries and lanes than a chaplain?

4. Further Resources:

Ham, Ken. "Genesis: The Foundation of Christianity." Answers in Genesis. December 29, 2016. https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2016/12/29/genesis-foundation-of-christianity

Struecker, Jeff and Dean Merrill. The Road to Unafraid: How the Army's Top Ranger Faced Fear and Found Courage through "Black Hawk Down" and Beyond. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2006.

Shearer, Canyon R. "Promising Freedom." Trust and Obey. July 3, 2011. https://trustobey.blogspot.com/2011/07/promising-freedom.html

Kidd, Thomas S. George Whitefield: America’s Spiritual Founding Father. New Haven CT: Yale University Press, 2016.

Sempangi, Kefa. A Distant Grief: The Real Story Behind the Martyrdom of Christians in Uganda. Wipf and Stock, 2006.

Better Chaplain Series - Train Your Replacement

Our modern military is in constant motion. Commanders change stations on average every two years, chaplains every four years, and enlisted members every four years. Not only that, but a twenty-year retirement means that after five or so moves, a chaplain is likely to leave the service. There are outliers, but the statistics show that chaplaincy is motion: our time at any duty station surrounded by the same people has an expiration date.

God—in his infinite wisdom—has written an expiration date on every human body (Psalm 90:3-4,9-10). The wisdom we gain, the Bible verses we believe and memorize, the illustrations we use, and the skills we acquire will all be swallowed by the grave.

If Enoch had not been carried off to Heaven, if Elisha were still teaching in Jericho, if JC Ryle were still bishop of Liverpool, if Preston Taylor were still the Air Force Chief of Chaplains, then we would have no need to train their replacements, and for us younger men (than them) we would have no audience for the advanced wisdom of centuries of pastoral elites available, nor would we want anyone to listen to us over those living, breathing, time-tested faithful pillars of Christianity.

But God has created in this world and in his church a constant need for discipleship and regeneration and replacement and replenishment. Wisdom is constantly lost when great saints die. The adage says, "When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground." Muscles and mind are returned to dust. Important information is sealed in silence. And, chaplain, it will happen to you much sooner than you probably expect.

If we want the name of Christ to persist among our followers and in our world, if we want to be found as faithful watchmen on the day of Judgment, if we desire to bless our progeny, then we must be training our replacements. Share the story, teach how to know God’s will from his Word, show the future generation how to continue in the dominion of the earth and church of which we are stewards over, and especially make known the way to the Father through Christ's life, death, and resurrection. How will they hear without someone preaching to them? "Where there is no vision, the people perish." (Proverbs 29:18) "My contention is with you, O Priest...my people perish for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:4-6)

Do you know that you neither can keep your teachers forever nor do you have infinite time to invest in your disciples?

Yes, I know. Hush. ~ Elisha (2 Kings 2:1-15)

Key Verse: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you… ~ Matthew 28:19-20

More:

1. Many great teachers have held to a sort of baptismal progression all the way back to John the Baptist. In essence, the person who baptized you was baptized by someone else, they were baptized by someone else, and so on and so forth until we get all the way to John in the Jordan River. The Swiss Brethren complicated that when they could not find a faithful minister to baptize them so they baptized each other (which I believe was legitimate), but the principle is still mostly sound. More importantly, most Christians would be able to draw a direct line in their gospel hearing to the Apostles. The call to make disciples is to continue that tradition. Will Christ find faith on the earth when he returns? If he doesn't, let it not be because you didn’t train (disciple) your replacement. If he does, woe to the minister who did not preach the gospel so that the rocks were forced to cry out.

2. What would the world look like if Moses had not trained Joshua? Or if Elijah had not trained Elisha? Or Jesus had not trained the Apostles? Of if Paul had not trained Timothy and Titus? Or if your mentors had not trained you? Consider that everyone who got off the Ark knew the power of God's terrible wrath and the joy of his salvation; for millions of people living today someone in their lineage from here to the Ark did not think that discipling their replacement with that information was necessary. Are you willing to subject the world to a future where the knowledge of God's favor (Genesis 6:8) died with you?

3. Attributed to Abraham Lincoln is the quote, “Surely God would not have created such a being as man, with an ability to grasp the infinite, to exist only for a day! No, no, man was made for immortality.” Godliness is of great value forever in the world to come, but for those on this earth we only have a finite amount of time to impart it to others. Isaac Newton made famous the idea that if we have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants. How can you help someone onto the shoulders of giants?

4. If you knew you were dying, how would you live differently? I have to break it to you: Bad news, you’re dying. At best you’ve got 100 years left, at worst you might not survive today (Psalm 90:12, Psalm 39:4, Luke 12:19-20). Let the short nature of military chaplaincy train you to equip someone now and so long as you have breath in your lungs, so that they may carry on the work when you’re gone. (Confer Philippians 1:22-26)

5. Resources:

MacArthur, John. Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2002.

Wiersbe, Warren. 50 People Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Spiritual Giants of the Faith. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2009.

Friel, Todd. On the Shoulders of Giants. DVD. Newnan, GA: Burning Bush Communications, 2012.

Better Chaplain Series - Be Perfect

Until we are glorified in Heaven, none of us will be sinless, but we should increasingly sin-less until that day. None of us will have perfect wisdom, but we should be growing and conforming and applying God’s Word to our lives and growing incrementally if not exponentially.

Paul writes to Timothy, “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) When something is complete, it is lacking nothing and is ready for the purpose for which it was made, and this is Paul’s goal for Timothy and God’s goal for you, “those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” (Romans 8:29)

Chaplain, your calling is to grow in the grace of Jesus Christ, to be the best chaplain, pastor, man, husband, father, account manager, supervisor, counselor, advisor, evangelist, author, communicator, etc. etc. etc. ad nauseum, you can be.

What more can he say than to you he has said, to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled? Fear not! and be not dismayed, for I am thy god, and will still give thee aid; I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my righteous omnipotent hand. ~ John Rippon, How Firm a Foundation

Key Verse: Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus made me his own. ~ Philippians 3:12

More:

1. It’s common in the military to meet people who have no idea how to do laundry, how to keep up with their finances, or how to interact with others. The easy option, which far too many people do, is to ridicule them, but the chaplain option is to realize that they are NOT perfect because they are lacking every good thing that Christ has promised to those who trust in him. Chaplain, don’t just strive for perfection yourself, help others to see the measure of perfection in Jesus Christ, then help them towards him, so that he may present them perfect on the last day. Do you know any such people?

2. Sometimes you’ll get those big questions: How do I become a minister? How do I love my wife better? How to I become a better father? How do I redeem this pile of rubble that is my life? But don’t despise the day of small things! Helping someone learn how to tie their shoes, or create an excel spreadsheet, or say a biblical name, or use a circular saw, or run a meeting are all ways you are ensuring that we are not lacking in anything, but equipped for every good work. The temptation is to think that we are just as bad off as everyone around us, but that negates the grace that has been given to you already to be conformed to Christ. What has he equipped you with so that you can you teach someone today?

3. The adage said, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” The truth is that the chaplain should be a “jack of all trades, master of one (pointing people to Christ, midwifes in the rebirthing process), well on his way to master of all.” Hudson Taylor said, “A small thing is a small thing, but faithfulness in a small thing is a great thing.” What is a trade that would be useful for your ministry that you struggle with? How can you fulfill what is lacking so that you can be closer to perfection? Can you start it now?

4. References:

Begg, Alistair. Made for His Pleasure. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2018.

Benge, Janet and Geoff Benge. Eric Liddell: Something Greater than Gold. Seattle: YWAM Publishing, 2015.

Better Chaplain Series - Don't Be So Quickly Convinced

An Air Force chaplain with ample access to Officer Training School (OTS) and Squadron Officer School (SOS) did an informal study of what Line-Officers (the majority of Air Force officers) thought of chaplains. The results were alarming, line-officers thought of chaplains as aloof, judgmental, and incompetent. Then the chaplain asked if there were any chaplains in their classes; when there were, he asked the line-officers, “What do you think of your chaplain?” The answers were caring, value-added, friendly, and all manner of good things.

Stereotypes and prejudices have been a hot topic in recent years and the general consensus is that pre-judging someone is wrong. What hasn’t been talked about nearly enough is that the human heart is deceitful beyond all things (Jeremiah 17:9) and an idol factory (John Calvin). It is our fallen nature to hold prejudice and latch on to stereotypes and we often succumb to anchoring bias (the first piece of information is correct), and confirmation bias (we are more likely to interpret evidence in light of what we want to believe).

Chaplain, the sooner you realize that (1 you’re a sinner and (2 your counselee is a sinner and (3 everyone you both are interacting with are sinners, the sooner you’ll be able to interpret their concerns through a biblical lens and deliver godly counsel.

Common lies (or at best ingrained misconceptions of reality) that you’ll hear are:

1. I’m a faithful Christian married to an unfaithful Christian (if you can call them that) and all of my problems are caused by them.

2. I’m the only person keeping my work center running and my coworkers and commander hate me for it because I make them look bad.

3. I have the best motives, but I just make mistakes.

4. This was the first time I’ve ever broken the law! I can’t believe just because I got caught my first time that they’re going to hold me accountable.

Key Verse: The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. ~ Proverbs 18:17

More:

1. Jesus was constantly opposed for claiming to be God. The evidence was clear, “The works I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me…” (John 10:25) What more could he do than what he had done? He was well on his way to fulfilling every prophecy that identified him as the Son of God (John 19:28), yet the people were convinced by their own sinful desires that Jesus was not their Messiah (Compare Isaiah 5:4). Which biases are you bringing into your relationship with Christ, into the chaplaincy, and into the counseling room that are untrue? How can you attack and rectify them so that you’re not just believing what you want to, but so that you can know and believe the truth?

2. Nicodemus recognized the bias against Jesus and appealed to the law, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” (John 7:51) The next time someone brings you damning evidence against someone else, remember that the law requires you give him a hearing before casting your judgment. Are you guilty of circumventing the law? How can you repent of that?

3. We are our own best defense lawyer: everything we do we know intrinsically that our motives were pure and if the outcome was not positive, it wasn’t our fault, and we have a plethora of excuses to prove it. We are also the best prosecutors: we know that other people, even when they have a positive outcome, had hideous intentions, and we have a plethora of examples to prove it. This is a sure way to make shipwreck of every relationship and to cut ourselves off from the grace of our awesome and forgiving God. The next time you’re tempted to defend yourself and accuse others, why not reverse the roles? Defend your adversary and accuse yourself! (Confer Job 40:8, Judges 21:25, 1 Corinthians 11:31)

Better Chaplain Series - Do Good to Everyone

This chapter comes approximately half-way through this devotional for a reason. I hope God’s Word has convinced you in many ways heretofore that the chaplain has many opportunities to do good. Building from the previous chapter (Jeremiah 29:7), you are called to seek the welfare of the people you are among in exile.

But, not everyone will be happy that you’re seeking the good of the people you’re trying to bless. Have you ever worked with or for someone who gets mad that something good is happening? Where does that come from? Laziness? Hatred? Jealousy? Some combination of those and more?

Sometimes this opposition is direct, other times it will be subtle and hidden, but never forget that most of the world does not want you to do good in Jesus’ name, if at all. Violence and anger may erupt, but it also comes dressed as budget restrictions, impossible bureaucracy, or veiled optimism. I’ll never forget planning my first outreach which was a breakfast provided to our church’s nearest police station and fire station. A week later I learned that the whole project had been scrapped. Upon digging I learned that it had been pitched to the budget committee to feed practically every police officer and firefighter in the county, costing multiple thousands of dollars. I learned later that the person who pitched it did not want to run the outreach and had taken a calculated risk to see that it was not funded.

But you, chaplain, have the opportunity to seek the welfare of the people, not just to feed their bellies, but to feed their souls with a message that will keep them full for eternity. Christians and—more importantly—Christ, will “rejoice with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6) in the good you are doing for the people.

Key Verse: “It displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.” ~ Nehemiah 2:10

More:

1. It’s important to realize that many Christians who have been martyred (suffered and/or died for their faith) throughout history were not thought too loving, too joyful, too friendly, or too godly, but were accused of standing against the established gods, swaying people away from expensive economically important sins, and of causing unrest amongst the populace. Paul Washer predicts that the next great persecution will come because Christians will not yield to the definition of love popularly used by the world. Is this a true saying, “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12)?

2. It has been said that Christianity is “one beggar showing another beggar where to find bread.” But isn’t it more accurate to say that Christianity is “one traitor to Satan’s kingdom telling his fellow soldiers to defect and join the opposing force.”? John Bunyan put words in Apollyon’s mouth, “I am the prince and god of [the City of Destruction]…there is no prince that will lightly lose his subjects, neither will I as yet lose thee; but since though complainest of thy service and wages, be content to go back, and what our country will afford I do here promise to give thee.”

3. It’s common in some chaplain circles to say, “I love Jesus, but…” the “but” is related to following regulations, openly identifying yourself with Christ, or spending money. Is there ever a legitimate reason to say “I love Jesus, but…”? Is anyone helped by saying that? Based on John 14:15, 1:20, and Matthew 10:32-33 shouldn’t you say, “I love Jesus, so…”

4. Resources:

Spurgeon, Charles. Lectures to My Students. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008.

Harris, Alex and Brett Harris. Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations. Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah Books, 2008.

Better Chaplain Series - Bloom Where You're Planted

“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit,” says the old proverb. Military members, almost to a man, will make improvements that they shall not enjoy long (if at all); it’s the nature of our mission, including chaplains, to be a blessing for a finite amount of time and then we head on to our next assignment.

In a grander sense, this world is not our home either, we are temporarily on mission here to make disciples and bless people, ultimately convincing them that here we have no lasting city, we seek the city that is to come.

The people of Israel went to a land that they did not choose and they did not like; the intention was to leave their place of exile and get home as soon as possible. But God had other plans for them, he left them in that assignment for 70 years with the standing command to not just seek their own welfare, but the welfare of everyone around them.

Men like Nebuchadnezzar have been eternally blessed because God had Christians live in a place that was not their home. Peter, in his first letter to the church, makes it clear that Christians are living in this exile from their true home, and seeking the welfare of the cities in which God has sent them into exile.

Only one life,
‘Twill soon be past,
Only what’s done
for Christ shall last. ~ Charles Thomas Studd

Key Text: Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. ~ Jeremiah 29:7

More:

1. If you’re supposed to bear fruit in the place you’re sent into exile, is there a parallel for the person who is not happy in the body they are wearing?

2. The South Dakota state bird, the Ring-Necked Pheasant, and the Oryx in New Mexico were only released in the last century or so, yet are thriving in their new environments. Christians need one thing to thrive, and that’s Jesus to walk alongside them. Where in this world could Jesus send you that you wouldn’t be able to not just survive, but thrive in the role he has for you?

3. Peter concludes his letter with, “She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings…” How could someone in Babylon hear about the living Christ and be saved by his amazing grace if God had not sent someone to Babylon to bring the good news? Chaplain, does she who is in your place of exile send greetings?

Resources:

Bunyan, John. The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World to that Which is to Come, Delivered Under the Similitude of a Dream. London: Nathaniel Ponder, 1678.

Lawton, Wendy. The Tinker’s Daughter: A Story Based on the Life of Mary Bunyan. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2002.

Piper, John. Don’t Waste Your Life. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2003.

Better Chaplain Series - Expect Miracles

I’ve had a number of difficult conversations recently, in one I quoted Adrian Rogers, “We’re just making the world a nicer place to go to Hell from!” and in another I yelled, “The problem here is you don’t believe Jesus saves people anymore!”

In Thessaly (Acts 17:6) the opposition to the gospel declared that it was “turning the world upside down!” When is the last time your message turned some-one's world upside down?

When we look at what most of the world considers to be a miracle, we realize that Jesus has no limitations, here are some examples:

1. Raising people from the dead (Mark 5:35,41-42, John 11:43-44)
2. Healing birth defects (John 9:1,6-7)
3. Healing war wounds (Luke 22:50-51)
4. Feeding people (Mark 6:38-44)
5. Healing terminal illnesses (Luke 17:11-19)
6. Healing the mentally unstable and/or demon possessed (Luke 8:27,29,33)
7. Stopping natural disasters (Mark 4:39)
8. Language without Learning (Acts 2:6)
9. Alchemy (John 2:11)
10. Etc.

If our greatest need was food, he proved that he had that covered. If our greatest need was physical health, it was as easy as a word (Luke 5:23-24). If our greatest need was avoiding death, he proved that we don’t have to die (Hebrews 11:5). When we run around praying (solely) for health, wealth, prosperity, daily needs, and employment, we are forgetting that Jesus could give any of those freely and often with a word, and he chooses not to.

Except in counterfeit versions of these, we do not see miracles happening today in these ways. Why then did men like Elijah, Elisha, Jesus, Paul, Peter, and a small spackling of others do them? To prove that they are certainly possible, but they do not bring lasting joy, peace, fulfilment, or life! Lazarus died again eventually, the water turned to wine was consumed and exists no-more, seminaries and language institutes train missionaries constantly to learn difficult languages, some war wounds will be carried to the grave (2 Corinthians 12:10), and a miraculous meal doesn’t even satisfy for a day (John 6:26).

Chaplain, do you believe Jesus saves people today or are you just making the world a nicer place to go to Hell from?

The greatest miracle which Jesus does thousands of times every day is transform his greatest enemies into his greatest friends through the regenerative power of the gospel when he became sin for us so that we can become the righteousness of God in him. If you’re enamored with miracles (and you should be), don’t settle for piddly little events that don’t change peoples’ eternities. Look for the greatest miracle: the redemption of an eternal soul that is justified, washed, and sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God! Have you seen one recently?

Hear him ye deaf
His praise ye dumb,
your loosened tongues employ
Ye blind, behold your Saviour come;
And leap, ye lame, for joy! ~ Charles Wesley

Key Verse: You, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him. ~ Colossians 1:21-22

More:

1. Leonard Ravenhill said, “The greatest miracle that God can do today is to take an unholy man out of an unholy world and make him holy, then put him back in that unholy world and keep him holy in it.” When people aren’t truly saved, we often substitute all sorts of signs for a conversion that isn’t there: baptism, church membership, decision cards, “spiritual-disciplines” (aka works righteousness), and wishful thinking. Do you know any truly holy (set-apart, sanctified) people according to God’s standards?

2. Who gets to decide if the miracle of regeneration has occurred? The Deacon Philip baptized a man who would go on to be one of the first-century’s antichrists (Acts 8:13, 20-24), but he did not let this one false-convert ruin his ministry. Who is responsible for performing the miracle of regeneration?

3. Further Resources:

Comfort, Ray. True and False Conversion. Bartlett, TN: Living Waters Publications, 2006.

Cottrell, Travis. “Just as I Am.” On When the Stars Burn Down. Incite Media, 2011. (Improved version of Charlotte Elliott’s song)

Foote, Billy and Cindy Foote. “Rescue the Perishing.” On Not a God. Independent Release, 2004. (Improved version of Fanny Crosby’s song)

Green, Keith. “Asleep in the Light.” On No Compromise. Sparrow Records, 1978.

Mooring, Leland, “Tears of the Saints.” On Sound of Melodies. Essential Records, 2006.

Better Chaplain Series - Love the Local Church

The US Army changed its slogan years ago to, “An Army of One.” I do appreciate the sentiment of individual strength, the acronym ONE (Officers, NCOs, and Enlisted), and the idea that for a just cause we would fight even to the last man. But the slogan was scrapped before long because it was deemed a hindrance to esprit-de-corps. A successful Army must be made up of multitudes from the tactical, logistical, fiduciary, strategic, and operational levels.

Likewise, the chaplain must have a robust network of encouragers, helpers, volunteers, friends, prayer-warriors, teammates, and experts. We have term for God-sent versions of these, we call them the local church. A chaplain of one is cut off from an invaluable network of godly counsel and burden bearers.

I am not exaggerating when I say that at least half my job is knowing the right people. Due to deployments, transfers, and unexpected absences I’ve operated professionally very near to a chaplain of one, and the amount of ministry that had to be shed or shelved to keep the chapel running was tragic. But even there we reached out for augmentees, deputized NCOs from other offices, and utilized volunteers to care for our people. Guess where most of these came from? If you guessed church-connections you’d be right.

More than anything else I say to encourage chaplains I try to emphasize, “Be committed to the Local Church”. Build and be built, be encouraged, be rebuked, be challenged, be fed. Have disagreements, meet burdens, bring a burden, pray for them, be prayed for, rejoice, weep, eat their food, provide a meal, invest in their kids, entrust your kids to them. What more can we say? The local church is Christ’s bride on earth, she's blood-bought, she’s wonderful, she’s growing, and she has a hope and a future. Is she perfect? No, but if you want to be a better chaplain, you’ll fill what is lacking in her sanctification.

"The church is in trouble," that's what they say anyways. The problem is most of what they call the church is not the church, and the church is not quite as in trouble as everybody thinks. As a matter of fact, the church today is absolutely beautiful–she's glorious, she's humble, she's broken, and she's confessing her sin. ~ Paul Washer

Key Verse: Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. ~ Hebrews 10:24-25

More:

1. Can you think of lone-ranger chaplains, ministers, or evangelists who are doing great things for the kingdom? Can you think of any who have fallen into grievous sin with the excuse that they were spending too much time alone?

2. If you don’t like my bride, what will happen to the relationship between you and I? If you slander her, neglect her care, and belittle her are you and I going to be friends? How does Jesus feel about how you’re caring for his bride? Is he jealous for her care? Is his jealously a good thing or a bad thing for you?

3. Andrew van der Bijl spend his life encouraging the church in closed countries through Bible donations, prayer, preaching, and visits. He credits much of his success to those who supported his visits. Likewise, William Carey said, “I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the rope.” Are you going? Who is holding your rope? Read Matthew 25:34-40 and Galatians 6:2 and consider who is ministering to you as you minister to others.

4. Resources:

van der Bijl, Andrew and John & Elizabeth Sherrill. God’s Smuggler. Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, 2015.

Green, Keith. The Sheep and the Goats. Pretty Good Records, 1980, Vinyl.

DeYoung, Kevin and Ted Kluck. Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2009.

Fuller, Andrew. The Armies of the Lamb. Edited by Michael A.G. Haykin. Dundas, Ontario: Joshua Press, 2001.

Shearer, Canyon R. "Love the Local Church." Trust and Obey.  Jan 9, 2019. https://trustobey.blogspot.com/2019/01/love-local-church.html

Shearer, Canyon R. "Love the Southern Baptist Convention." Trust and Obey. May 31, 2020. https://trustobey.blogspot.com/2020/05/love-southern-baptist-convention.html

A Favorite Cartoon of Brother Andrew - Displayed Prominently in His Office