Christian Report April 2024
Charting a Course for Christian Marriage
Continuing our Letter of Encouragement to Christian Military Couples
Time to get Herschel out of his recliner and see what “epistles” the letter carrier has left for us today. The flurry of Amazon, FedEx, and UPS trucks serving us during the holidays has abated. The mailbox and the front doorstep are back to normal. Nueske’s catalog still sits on Herschel’s desk.
In our last installment of this series on Christian marriage, we addressed the challenge of becoming more Christ-like as a married person. But today we’ll discuss the difficult topic of resolving the fundamental balance of power within marriage and family life. We are each in a lifelong “discussion” with God about our own degree of submission to His will and how much “in step” we are with His purpose for our lives.
With our “golden years” perspective on power issues in relationships, we are more and more persuaded that the strong personal attitude that “I am right; my ideas are the only ones that matter; my will must prevail” is reminiscent of the Genesis accounts of the urge of early mankind to want to go their own way – eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil before God intended, get their own way by violence if necessary, ignore the requirement to lead a righteous life, even build a tower to glorify mankind and not God. These are essentially the same attitudes that permeate relationships where no one is prepared “to give and inch”.
Using our previous example from our practice and these golden years insights, we would suggest that truly comfortable power sharing in marriage and family life evolves only after the youthful power struggles in a new marriage are largely resolved. These power struggles can only begin to be resolved when both members of the marriage can truly say to themselves that their own opinion, perspective, or decisions might not necessarily be the best or only way to deal with a problem or an issue. The overall tone of humility in our text from 1st Corinthians helps us see that when one can achieve this level of love with its accompanying honesty and humility, it leaves each spouse freer to choose the areas of leadership in the marriage and family for which each is more talented and skilled.
These power balance issues will be dynamic for military couples as members deploy for long periods of time and the spouse back home takes up the slack and develops new skills and abilities. Yes, we know; we are “preaching to the choir.” Military couples are told this over and over before deployments, but more basic than operational divisions of labor, is the development of the fundamental trust involved in sharing one’s sense of independence and autonomy with a spouse.
The ups and downs couples encounter as they work out this trust accounts for a considerable level of marital stress, not because the spouses do not try very hard to display this trust, but because we all start marriage inexperienced at sharing collaborative authority for the most intimate and important functions of our lives. Our families of origin teach us some of what we need to know. Roommate and barracks living will teach us more, but there remains a fundamental deeper level of voluntary surrender of one’s autonomy to marriage and ultimately to the family that must be worked out with one’s spouse. This is invariably a rocky process not because of the lack of good will, but simply the challenge of “melding” two personalities, one of which is female and one of which is male. It is interesting to know that differences in men and women’s brains can be detected in the womb. We can be equal in our rights but, yet, different in our essences.
All of that said, we have five straight forward tips that can help in this process:
1. Check the uniform and rank at the door. One fateful day many years ago, we were having a tiff about something, and Herschel became frustrated and remarked authoritatively, “I’m a commander, I don’t make mistakes!” It’s a hilarious memory now, and to his credit, not too many minutes elapsed before he realized how silly he sounded. But the story illustrates that the military couple has at least one member, if not two, like ours, that have been indoctrinated into strong authoritarian and regimented systems and their associated leadership dynamics.
The marriage relationship is a great deal more collaborative and intimate. Hierarchical responsibilities in certain areas of married life must be negotiated lovingly between each other. This may come as a shock to our readers, but Herschel is in charge of the garage except for the washing machines, and Anne is in charge of her kitchen except for the dishwasher. “Commander Hughes” with drill sergeant precision organizes the loading of the dishwasher! And the grandkids have a good laugh about that when they are recruited into one of his “kitchen parties”! But they do it his way! Yes, we have chosen a fairly traditional distribution of labor in our family, but you may find a different pattern works better for you and your spouse.
2. Be compassionate when your spouse is less than perfect. Military leadership skills are superb at helping young men and women develop a strong work ethic, responsibility for others, and a sense of self sacrifice, all great skills, but within a marriage, there needs to be an emotional equivalent of “WD-40” for those moments when we are not functioning at our best, when it takes us a while to remember we are not perfect and in total control of everything that is important to us. That just because our last performance evaluation in the military unit suggested we “walk on water”, we DO NOT. Only Jesus did that, and Peter, briefly! Paul’s admonition to “not quench the spirit” in our excerpt from 1st Thessalonians is timeless.
3. Appreciate the need for different levels of compassion in blended families. Regarding that emotional WD-40, we recommend praying for the COSTCO size pallet of the stuff in dealing with step relationships because it is way too tempting for the stepparent to slip into an “umpire role” with stepchildren and become too harsh, and that backfires onto the marriage relationship. Our experience both personally and professionally is that the biological parent in blended families will nearly always have more of that emotional WD-40 for their own child than the stepparent. Respecting and honoring that while still collaborating on resolving family discipline and other issues is essential.
4. Be liberal with compliments. Catch your spouse doing something “right”. One of our trainers many years ago remarked that the research indicated that we need ten positive reinforcers for every piece of negative feedback we get about our behavior for us to feel like we are in a good relationship. Now we know that most military supervisors, including ourselves, might have trouble hitting that 10:1 ratio, but if a ratio close to that exists, even if nonverbal, it contributes to a sense of belonging. We can do with less frequent positive feedback when it is poignant and meaningful. Here is a good military example. One of Herschel’s old buddies, a former Marine told him about this incident during his friend’s training at Quantico. After a 20-mile march with his own pack plus the platoon radio, he was having trouble maintaining a jog during the final laps around the track. His Drill Instructor, without saying a word, jogged up beside him and slipped his hand under his pack, relieving him of some of its weight. They finished the jog around the track, thus finishing the march side by side together. Again, not a word was spoken – ever! His friend remarked with more emotion than Herschel had ever observed in him, “I’d have taken a bullet for that man!” It is equally strong when a husband and wife can give that kind of support to one another when one is making the effort but falling a little short. Catch each other doing things right or even just in the direction of “right.” When you can trust your spouse to do that you have gone a long way to develop the trust of shared leadership for the marriage and the family that gets you beyond the issue of “who has the power in the marriage”.
5. Relate the attitudes about control in the marriage with attitudes toward submission to God’s will. How we think about our personal power is not confined to our human relationships. Our spiritual growth is reflected in our personal relationships, and this is most pronounced in our ability to humble ourselves and collaborate with our loved ones especially our spouse. Kneeling in prayer before God on a regular basis helps, both through the content of our prayers and our actual physical posture, to keep a proper relationship of humility before God. Praying regularly. “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven” is a powerful antidote to accumulating the attitudes that make collaborative problem resolution with a spouse difficult.
Hopefully, these five tips will be thought provoking and stimulate meaningful discussion. Leaving military rank and privileges at the door, honoring the basic sex roles you negotiate for your marriage, family and home, remembering the need for emotional WD-40 (especially in step or blended family situations), catching each other doing things right – a lot, and kneeling in prayer humbly seeking God’s will! These are some of the building blocks of trust that we have found lead, in turn, to resolving power struggles.
See you next time when we continue to move forward through our other topics: risking emotional vulnerability, resolving daily conflicts, and enjoying the romance and passion of marriage. So, with all that said, where did that Nueske’s catalogue get off to?
Dr. Herschel Hughes, Jr., CDR, MSC, USNR (Ret.) and Dr. Anne S. Hughes, LCDR, USNR (Ret.) are CMF Local Reps who are engaged in CMF’s Marriage & Family and Combat Trauma Ministries. During different seasons of the year, they are able to adopt a vagabond lifestyle with their RV and enjoy traveling to different military ministry posts while continuing their own Bible teaching and ministry via video conference.
TAPS: In Memoriam
It is always with great sadness to us remaining here on earth to learn of the passing of our beloved friends and co-laborers in the Kingdom. Yet we rejoice as they have been promoted to their great reward, for as it is written “...no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him…” (1 Cor 2:9). Indeed, what is sorrow for us is not sorrow for them, and their homecoming is precious in the eyes of our Heavenly Father (Ps 116:15).
We often hear about the passing of our members far after the fact, so please bear with us when our announcements are not timely. Please also forgive us for not announcing the passing of one of your loved ones as this is a new feature of the Christian Report. Please call or send an email letting us know if we can inform our membership of the passing of your loved one.
SFC Fred Cline, USA (Ret) — March 5, 2023. Fred was a long-time member of CMF and is survived by his wife, Renate, and is interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA.
Mr. Jerry Fry — February 4, 2024. Jerry was a long-time member of CMF and the husband of Jeri Fry, CMF’s long-time Office Manager. Jerry and Jeri were friends to everyone they met. Jeri passed away during the pandemic on March 26, 2020. They are interred at the Olinger Crown Hill Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, CO.
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
Mailing Address: PO Box 449
Veradale, WA 99037-0449
(303)761-1959
(800) 798-7875
We are members of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability and Christian Service Charities in order to maintain the highest standards of excellence and accountability.
Using The Exegetical Summary Series
Using Different Greek Lexicons
Examines how to right click on a word in your Bible (in this case "pentecost") and explore all of the various ways you can research that word with lexicons, Bible Word Studies, etc.
- “If all be a gift, see the odious ingratitude of men who sin against their giver! God feeds them, and they fight against him; he gives them bread, and they give him affronts. How unworthy is this! Should we not cry shame of him who had a friend always feeding him with money, and yet he should betray and injure him? Thus ungratefully do sinners deal with God; they not only forget his mercies, but abuse them. ‘When I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery [Jer. 5:7].’ Oh, how horrid is it to sin against a bountiful God!—to strike the hands that relieve us!” (Thomas Watson)
Annual Report March 2024
!Gracias a Dios por Puerto Rico!
Fort Buchanan’s Ministry Team led by Guz, seventh from the left.
What are CMF’s most-prayed prayers? There are three: The first is for more to come to saving knowledge and faith in Jesus, and the second is to disciple and equip believers so that they may stand strong when their faith is challenged. But our third prayer? It’s for provision. You might be thinking, “Ah, money!” But no. While we do pray for financial provision, we know that the LORD knows our needs. Our big prayer for provision is our petition for more laborers in keeping with Matthew 9:38 to fulfill our first two prayers.
The LORD answered our prayer for ministry in Puerto Rico so wonderfully in providing SGT Hugo “Guz” Guzman, USA (Ret). Guz was ministering to inmates as a prison chaplain when he felt the Spirit’s call to minister to his brothers-in-arms at Fort Buchanan, adjacent to his home in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
Guz is a dynamo. His vision and passion are attractive because they are both born and borne of the Spirit. As Guz met with his pastor, Army and VA chaplains, and other veterans, doors were opened, the ministry team grew, and the Ft. Buchanan ministry came into being.
While CMF Fort Buchanan is still growing, Guz and his team are engaged in teaching active-duty troops about Jesus through Bible studies, prayer meetings, one-on-one mentorship, outreach, discipleship and fellowship events. They are also involved in meeting with soldiers and veterans who suffer from traumatic events, praying for them, encouraging them, and guiding them through the Combat Trauma Healing Manual. There are also plans to begin an outreach to Military Wives, both offering Bible studies and mentorship in keeping with Titus 2:3-4.
Please join us as we pray for CMF’s Fort Buchanan ministry and for the Lord of the Harvest to continue to send out laborers into His harvest!
CMF Ministries Overview
Bangor Naval Base Ministry—Scott and Kristi Radetski: Bible study, discipleship, prayer, fellowship, community relations, counseling
Buckley SFB Ministry—Robert Flynn: discipleship, prayer, encouragement, counseling
Camp Lejeune Ministry—Dick and Sue Price: Bible study, discipleship, prayer, fellowship, counseling
Camp Pendleton/MCAS Miramar Ministry—Wallie Brobst: Bible study, discipleship, prayer, fellowship, counseling
Christian Military Wives Ministry—Bible study, discipleship, prayer, encouragement, peer mentoring
Coast Guard Ministry—Vic Primeaux: Bible study, discipleship, prayer, counseling
Fairchild AFB Ministry—Bible study, discipleship, prayer, encouragement, hospitality
Florida Veterans Ministry—Dr. Herschel Hughes, Jr. and Dr. Anne Hughes: Bible study, discipleship, mentoring, counseling, PTSI outreach
Fort Buchanan Ministry—Hugo Guzman: Bible study, discipleship, prayer, fellowship, counseling, military wives
Fort Carson Ministry—Dan Cartwright: discipleship, prayer, encouragement, counseling
Fort Cavazos Ministry—Ron and Pam Weinzapfel: Bible study, discipleship, prayer, fellowship, family counseling/mentoring, Reboot Recovery, women’s ministry
Keesler AFB Ministry—Dave and Karen Wittman: Bible study, discipleship, prayer, fellowship, counseling
Marriage & Family Ministry—Robert Flynn, Scott Radetski, Dick Price, Rick Hamme, Dr. Herschel Hughes, Jr., Dr. Anne Hughes: counseling
Minnesota Veterans Ministry—Carol Simning: Discipleship, prayer, visitation with aging and disabled vets
Naval Base Kitsap Ministry—Scott and Kristi Radetski: Bible study, discipleship, prayer, fellowship, community relations, counseling
Naval Station Pascagoula Ministry—Dave and Karen Wittman: Bible study, discipleship, prayer, fellowship, counseling
NCBC Gulfport Ministry—Dave and Karen Wittman: Bible study, discipleship, prayer, fellowship, counseling
Pease Air National Guard Ministry—Greg Holm: Bible study, discipleship, prayer
Pensacola NAS Ministry—Rick Hamme: Bible study, discipleship, prayer, fellowship, counseling, PTSI outreach
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard—Greg Holm: Bible study, discipleship, prayer
Prayer & Encouragement Ministry—Greg Holm: Battle Plan, Electronic (daily) Battle Plan
Quantico / Rally Point Ministry—Udell and Janet Meyers: Bible study, discipleship, prayer, fellowship, counseling, women’s ministry
The Christian Military Fellowship Oath of Membership
I agree with the objectives of CMF and subscribe to the following affirmation of faith and commitment without reservation:
I know that as a sinner I deserve the wrath of God; therefore, since Jesus Christ died for my sins, was buried and has been bodily resurrected, according to the Scriptures, I have accepted Him as my own personal Lord and Savior and am saved by His grace alone.
As an expression of my commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the objectives of the Fellowship, I intend to participate actively and prayerfully in the ministry of the Christian Military Fellowship with my time, talents, spiritual gifts and financial resources.
Welcome to our 2024 Board of Directors
SGM Daniel L. Cartwright, USA (Ret) (Chairman)
COL Herman Ter Meer, USA (Ret) (Vice Chairman)
Pam Albano, Veteran, USAF
SMSgt Tony D. Barnes, USAF (Ret)
ADCS Robert W. Flynn, USN (Ret)
LCDR Robert O. Guilliams, CHC, USN (Ret)
Please pray for the Lord’s wisdom and guidance as we seek to increase Him among the ranks in this coming year.
Are You Interested in Becoming a Local Leader?
Christian Military Fellowship exists to help you fulfill your calling in Christ to share the hope that is in you with those with whom you interact as part of your daily life.
Briefly, CMF Local Leaders will start, and sustain a CMF fellowship made up of members of the military community in their area. While CMF is an “all ranks” ministry, our area of focus is on enlisted personnel. Local leaders institute and lead the military community in Bible study, prayer, and fellowship, keeping in communication with participants. They should also seek to build relationships with the chaplains and the chaplain team.
Begin by request the following:
Orientation (Brief #1) that shares an overview of the CMF ministry.
Developing a Local Ministry (Brief #2) that shares the Biblical foundation for and delineates the logical steps in beginning your local ministry.
Pray and Plan (Brief #3) that shares the most important activity of all! Asking Jesus what He would have you to do and then being obedient to follow His leading in your local ministry.
If you choose to begin this process, please reach out to us via phone or email at:
office@CMFHQ.org
We’re praying for you!
2023 Board of Directors
Thank you to the 2023 Board of Directors for their tireless service.
Dan Cartwright, Chairman
MaryLee Heller, Vice Chair
Pam Albano
Tony Barnes
Doug Sullivan
Herman Ter Meer
Dr. John E. Woods
Your continued prayer and support are appreciated.
Our Troops Need the Hope Found in Jesus!
Increasing suicides among active duty and our veterans weigh heavy on our hearts. The Navy Times reports that a total of 70 sailors died by suicide in 2022 — up from 59 suicides in 2021 and 65 in 2020. And this is only reflective of active duty Navy.
We have had several reports from field reps this past year of personnel who were at or very near the end of their respective ropes. We’re happy to report that all such personnel are safe, comforted, and continuing to grow in Jesus.
We pray daily for divine appointments. We would covet your prayers that the Lord would put us in the right place at the right time to be there for these dear brothers and sisters who are suffering from discouragement and hopelessness in the ever-increasing darkness of this world.
Office Staff
Kathleen J. Orr, CEO/President
Robert Flynn, CIO
Kim Traffas, Resource Clerk
CMF Financials - Kathleen J. Orr
The annual financial reporting period for fiscal year 2023 runs from October 2022 through September 2023. This is the same fiscal year that the US government uses for its reporting period.
As you aware, CMF’s annual auditors have always given us a great rating for the way we have kept records and conducted business over the last 12 months. The accounting department will always do its best to make sure funds entrusted to us are handled with the utmost care and diligence.
We have a good rating with Charity Navigator and have earned the Platinum Level transparency award with Candid/Guidestar, so you know you can give with confidence.
As always, we are trusting the Lord for finances to continue the Christian Military Fellowship’s ministry to the great men and women of the US military and their families.
CMF has maintained a strong investment in the spiritual resilience of our military families since our beginning as a Bible study during WWII. With the help of our committed membership and the blessing of the Lord, the vision and mission laid down by our leaders in the past and present will continue to be upheld.
It has been my joy to witness how the Lord faithfully meets our needs every year, often in a miraculous way. CFC donations used to largely fund our back office and the administration required to support our military missionaries and outposts. As a member and supporter of CMF, would you make a commitment to take the needs of your organization in prayer to the Lord this year? Ask Him what He would want you to do to help meet the growing needs as we serve together in this ministry.
Lastly, we would really appreciate your prayers for provision as our office staff functions are at “bare-bones” capacity, with each staff member handling what used to be at least two full-time positions. Our CIO, Robert Flynn, continues to fully donate his time to the ministry. We continue to be a truly lean machine!
As a reminder, there are a number of ways that you can automatically support the ministry by either monthly credit card or payments from your bank through the CMF office, FaithLife, PayPal, or EService Payments with links from our website. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all you have done for Christian Military Fellowship. We look forward to a blessed year with you in FY 2023!
SUPPORT AND REVENUE
“Restricted Ministry” represents gifts that were preferenced by the donors for a specific purpose approved by the Board of Directors. “Unrestricted Ministry” represents income from direct giving and the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC).
CMF received $481,296 in revenue in FY23. Of this, $61,117 came from “Other Income” which includes government grants, investment gains, and miscellaneous income. The government grant of $47,697 reflected in “Other Income” will not be realized again. CMF’s contributions in FY23 was $420,179.
EXPENSES
“General and Admin” represents what we spent for utilities, supplies, and generally keeping the computers and staff up and running at the home and remote offices. It also includes expenditures allocated for fundraising, which is derived from a percentage of office overhead and ministry support such as postage and printing for such resources as our Christian Report as well as a percentage of payroll for office staff to produce it. We have not engaged any professional fundraising services to help us with our needs, nor do we have staff that is engaged for the purpose of fundraising.
“Program/Ministries” represents what we spent on restricted and unrestricted ministry activities—the costs incurred to do everything else that is recapped in this report.
We are pleased that our administration and fund-raising costs were only 17% of our total revenue for the year. Our overall financial position increased by $36,819 this Fiscal Year due to the government grant of $47,696 for which CMF qualified. However, due to some decreases in giving (which we believe to be a reflection of the current economy) and larger decreases in CFC funding, we are endeavoring to engage a development director to obtain foundation and corporate grants, something we have not historically needed to fund our mission. It is our plan that engagement of a development director will not be funded through charitable giving from our members. Please continue to pray for the LORD’s provision!
WE NEED YOUR PARTICIPATION BOTH IN PRAYER AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT!
We are members of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability in order to maintain the highest standards of excellence and accountability.
Get Invested
The general ministry income for last fiscal year was provided by the sacrificial giving of 308 of our members. We are thankful beyond measure for each of these dedicated saints. I pray that they will receive a special blessing for their faith expressed. Consider what we could accomplish together if each of our members would consider a monthly investment in the Gospel of Jesus Christ through this ministry. For those who have received hundreds of dollars of resources please consider this an opportunity for paying it forward.
Please consider a gift today! You may make a secure online donation through our website. You may also setup regular contributions by credit card or EFT through our website or by contacting the home office.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”—ST MATTHEW 5:2.
In the preliminary review which we took last Sunday of Christian moral teaching we saw that it is not to be taken as exhaustive, but as corrective and supplementary; that in its emphasis on inward intention it was corrective, and in its tacit assumptions it was obviously supplementary. The Beatitudes, which stand in the fore-front of Christ’s moral system, are not meant therefore to convey an exhaustive description of the Christian character; they one and all refer to moral qualities of which society can take no cognizance and to which it offers no rewards—unobtrusive qualities which press no claims and exact no recognitions, and which depend for their existence on a man’s own inward self-regulation. No doubt the qualities here described issue in action, and often in very striking action. They are the motive power of many noble acts, they inspire much of the heroism of the world, their results win the praise, the enthusiasm, the homage of mankind; but in themselves they must exist, before anything of this kind can take place, as deliberately-chosen laws of character and of inward being. They do not easily lend themselves to that self-advertisement which is the bane of our modern quasi-religious movements, and it would be hard to construct out of them materials for a thrilling biography; and yet, when accepted as a basis of character, they are full of power—their un-self-conscious influence is the strongest thing in the world, the thing that still works miracles, the thing that attracts, and moves, and sways, and tells in spite of every external gulf. They are to be cultivated for themselves not for their results; for a man would find it hard, if not impossible, to cultivate any one of them for the value of the power and influence it would give him. The passion of the heart must love them for their own sake, if it would take them in perfectly and distribute all around their precious results. They come down from heaven, and none may summon the gifts of heaven for any ulterior reason; those who would win them must love them for themselves, for their own intrinsic beauty. Every one of them, if rightly looked at, will kindle within us that sense of beauty, that desire, that longing, which is the first step towards possession. It is something—nay, it is much—to admire, to envy, to long for them, to be able to appreciate their moral beauty, to have “eyes to see and ears to hear,” even if one fails grievously to reproduce them in oneself. And the very tone and temper of our day, while in some ways it is a hindrance, comes in here to help us. In an age when men were weary of the rules of ecclesiastics, the hairsplittings of mere ceremonialists and of moral expedients, Christ first uttered them, and their simple ethical beauty went into the hearts of those who heard them. Who can say that there is not much in our modern conditions of the same weariness, produced, too, by much the same means?
“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
I. Is it a benediction on the “soft padding of the universe,” on the feeble, on the helpless? Far from it. *Our use of the word poor-spirited leads us astray. When we use the expression poor-spirited we mean to imply poverty of nature, poverty of the lower soul—an ignoble disposition that falls short of energy or lacks the power of initiation, that is weak and ineffective, and pulpy and nerveless. Poverty of spirit in Christ’s sense is not poverty in the lower soul but in that higher part of man which comes into immediate contact with the Divine, in the higher soul which comes face to face with God, in that spirit with which “the Spirit bears witness that we are the children of God.” Poverty of spirit is not a feeling of self-disgust which comes over us when we compare our gifts and talents with those of others; it is born from no earthly inspiration, it proceeds from coming face to face with God. A man may be poor in spirit while his soul is on fire with enthusiasm for the cause of God, for the good of man. It is born of a double sense, both of the Divine greatness and of the Divine nearness. It is shewn in an unrepining acquiescence in our present limitations; it is shewn in acceptance of the Will of God in everything; it is shewn not in self-depreciation, but in the strength that comes of trustfulness. It is the attitude which, in the Presence of God, recognizes its entire dependence, empties itself, and is as a poor man, not that it may be feeble, but that God may fill it. It is the virtue which sends a man on his knees bowed and humbled and entranced before the Divine Presence, even in the hour of his most thrilling triumph. It is quite consistent with any amount of downrightness or forwardness at the call of duty; with a head uplifted, and a voice upraised to denounce oppression and to clamor for righteousness. Nay, it gives force to all this, for it destroys that subtle element of self, which is like a secret poison. It is the spirit that recognizes the Father, not only in acceptance of the Cross, but also in energy of action. “I go to Jerusalem,” it cries, “to be crucified,” and it steadfastly sets its face to go there; but it also is energetic in word and action in all that has to be done. “I do always those things which please Him,” is its ideal; and the reward is always the work and not the outward success.
Poverty of spirit is born of the conscious meeting with God. It lives by the constant daily, hourly realization of God. Therefore, it keeps a man strong, it makes him stronger than all the self-asserting vaunters who trust in themselves, or in their brains, or their rank, or their money, or their power of making a noise—it makes him strong, because he is always feeling the true source of his strength, always in touch with his Inspirer. He is not casting about wildly to find support in other men’s appreciation of him; the sources of his strength are present to him—they are ever with him; he is and God is—and in his case the unforgotten Voice ever says, “Fear not, for I am with thee, I have called thee by thy name, and thou art Mine.” He cannot vaunt himself, he cannot push himself, he is but an instrument, and an instrument that can only work as long as it is in touch with its inward power; the ‘God within him’ is the source of his power. What can he be but poor in spirit, how can he forget, how can he call out ‘worship me,’ when he has seen the Vision and heard the Voice, and felt the Power of God? Poor in spirit, emptied of mere vain, barren conceit, deaf to mere flattery he must be, because he has seen and known; he has cried “Holy, Holy, Holy,” he knows God, and henceforth he is not a centre, not an idol, but an instrument, a vessel that needs for ever refilling, if it is to overflow and do its mission. His is the receptive attitude; not that which receives merely that it may keep, but that which receives because it must send forth. And so he accepts all merely personal conditions, not as perfect in themselves, but as capable of being transmuted by that inward power, which is his own, yet not his own—his own because God is within him, not his own because he is the receiver, not the inspirer. His cry is ever, “Nevertheless I am alway by Thee, for Thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel: and after that receive me with glory. Whom have I in heaven but Thee: and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of Thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.”
Ah, blessed are the poor in spirit—blessed beyond words, blessed beyond imagination, because they have within them the secret consolation, the secret fount of all real strength.
II. And so the consequence follows, “theirs is the kingdom of heaven;” they sit even now on thrones: they win, even here, the highest place, in reality, and that through acquiescence in the lowest.
The Kingdom of Heaven—what is it here? Surely we shall read the words aright if we think of them as conveying the promise of a present dominion of no ordinary kind; an inward power that comes here and now, and finds its exercise in ways all unknown to the possessor, that blesses those whom it has never seen and cheers those who have felt only its shadow; an inward un-self-conscious, often unrealized power, that flows out and is conveyed in a word or a look, or even by something more subtle still. So does the Christian influence work among men. The poor in spirit make men believe that Christ is God, because they show the Divine beneath the human. “Christ is God,” shouts the mere dogmatist; “Christ is God,” cry his imitators; “Christ is God,” repeat the parrots, and it all means nothing—it is a mere phrase and leaves no impression. “Is he?” says the hearer, languidly; “how wonderful!” But translate it into life, as the man with the Christ-spirit does, and he need not shout the words, he conveys the truth through his personality, he shows the Divine through the human, he becomes a proof that needs no words to enforce it. Yes, Christ is God, because the man who is in Christ and has the Christ-spirit is so Divine, and brings Christ so near. He really teaches the Incarnation by living out its deepest truth among men in his own personality.
“Theirs is the kingdom of heaven;” they are ready now to take part in it, because they have learnt their true position in it—fit to rule because they have learnt to serve, fit to influence because they have felt the Divine spark kindling them. They illustrate in the highest sense that great law which experience is always teaching us, viz., that, if you would fit yourself to have anything, you must first learn to do without it; that you gain in the deepest sense only what you are able to forego; that you are ready only for higher seats when you have learnt to sit contentedly on the lower; that when once you have learnt that acquiescence which is born of the Divine ordering and the Father’s nearness, you are at once by no external order or arbitrary arrangement compelled to sit in the higher—cannot help it; yours is the kingdom of heaven here and now, an unearthly kingdom, so that when you ‘lose your life, you find it unto life eternal’—find it in a larger and truer way than you ever thought or dreamt of before.
“Theirs is the kingdom”—they reign even now, they may not be called to high office; their place in the world may be a very lowly one, but their rule is more of a fact now than if they had the mastery of many legions. For there is no influence so certain, so strong, so compelling, as that which is founded upon the assured sense of the Divine indwelling, and the Divine co-operation; if a man has that sense he must become poor in spirit, emptied of mere conceit and shallow pride, because he has seen what real greatness is. “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven”—yes, a pushing age may teach you that the only way to advance your influence is to “strive and cry” and publish yourself to the world; it may inculcate its maxims about everyone taking you at your own valuation; and if you listen to it, on certain lower levels you may succeed, you may become the sensation of the hour, you may share with some jester or some abnormal monster of strength or activity, or some defier of social laws, the sort of fame which comes from self-advertisement; and you will not miss or rather you will never aim at the Divine rule of the kingdom of heaven; you will forfeit the possibility of ever gaining that influence that comes from a kept heart and a surrendered spirit—an influence, strange, subtle, impalpable, inexplicable, but more real and more lasting than aught else that the world can give. Yes, “theirs is the kingdom,” the empire. Even now they gain a new insight into things around them. They are not to be led away by claptrap phrases, or ensnared by frothy incompetence; they estimate distinctions at their real value. The true children of the kingdom have little regard for matters of external show, money, rank, or loud-mouthed blatancy, but their eye is ever keen for moral beauty and spiritual nobility. They detect it, proclaim it, worship it; they devote themselves to it.
Great is the power of the single eye which belongs to the poor in spirit; it is not dazzled by externalisms, or taken in by mere pretense; great is the power of that singleness of heart, that oneness of aim which never loves to over-reach, or to put others in the wrong, which is always proving its own essential dominion, which has that strange unearthly power of seeing things as they are. To see through things with too many means to see the bad side of them; it does not take much to do that, or help much when it is done, for the bad side is generally pretty obvious; but to be able to reach down through external appearances and see the hidden possibilities of unpromising things is the privilege of the poor in spirit, of those who have felt the Divine within, who have seen the Vision and heard the Voice, and have owned and recognized in Its Presence their own inevitable limitations.
And those who thus begin the inward work by making the tree good, who begin by coming face to face with the Divine and learning the true strength, those who are poor in spirit in the true sense, because they know too much about what is greater than themselves to be puffed up by the praise of men, what dangers they escape! How fearless, how simple, how straightforward, how modest, how upright the course of a man is who has really learnt the first great lesson of God and self. Be he soldier, sailor, politician or merchant, how straight, how prompt, how lofty, how noble, how trusted, how felt to be worthy of trust! To be trusted by one’s fellow-men! Surely they bear the highest rule of all, who are really so trusted; and is not the man in whom we feel is the lofty lowliness of the Christian spirit the man whom we do trust? “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Let us not then be led away any more by false and worldly maxims into the honor of mere self-advertisement, into the worship of success, however gained. Things do not always tell their own tale; high positions do not exert the influence they seem to; the history of the Church as well as the history of the State is full of the stories of the harm done, the stumbling-blocks created by the men who would climb into high seats somehow, the self-advertisers, the men of mere violent force. Let us not ever believe that the true empire is theirs; let no inner voice lure us, by a vision of the good which we might do, into following their steps. Moral empire and spiritual rule are lasting facts which will endure when the bubbles of self-advertisement have burst; they will live, and grow, and fructify. “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The poor in spirit do not wait for it; it is theirs. And, whatever be our talents, it is ours if we follow Christ, if we live with the Father, if we walk hand in hand, spirit with spirit with Him. We shall influence others, we shall support the weak, we shall guide the strong, we shall gain the only empire worth having—the empire that will endure when kingdoms fail and thrones perish—the moral empire of the true children of the kingdom.
* Cf. Moberley on the Beatitudes.
Eyton, R. (1896). The Benediction on the Poor in Spirit. In The Beatitudes (Second Edition, pp. 14–24). Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co. Ltd. (Public Domain)
In these 17 sermons, Robert Eyton preaches on each of the eight Beatitudes. These readable discourses draw out the profound depth of the Beatitudes to show how they provide a complete map of Christian living. For Eyton, the Beatitudes capture the way Christ is calling people to live, by laying down a series of principles to form the “moral faculty” of each person, rather than giving instructions for every circumstance.
Christian Report February 2024
Seven Marks of a Godly Disciple
You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave. (Matthew 20:25b-27)
While the specific ways in which we serve will differ in time, place, and position, there are things that all God’s servants have in common.
A Servant Is Humble
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:3-8)
Just before his death, Jesus decided to give his followers a clear picture of the attitude they should have. He took off his outer garments, got a basin, and washed their feet.
The 12 pairs of feet Jesus washed belonged to hairy men who walked rough roads shared with all manner of livestock, in a time before regular road cleaning or daily showers. Cleaning them would be the job of a servant, and a lowly one at that. The disciples resisted the idea that their master and teacher should stoop to such a thankless task, but Jesus persisted.
You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:13-17)
If Jesus humbled himself in this way—and even further in his death—then we also should be humble in all we do for him and others.
A Servant Prepares
Rather, train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come … Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. (1 Timothy 4:7b-8; 15)
When you’re hiring someone to make important repairs or improvements to your house or car, you want someone who’s spent hours learning and perfecting their craft, and is respected in their field. You wouldn’t take on someone with no experience.
However, that is exactly what Jesus does. He is taking on complete novices with no real experience in the work of God whatsoever. Provisionally, through Scripture, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the ministry of the Church, God offers on-the-job training.
Jesus completed the work of salvation for us on the cross, brings us into it, gives us the Holy Spirit as our counselor, and sets us about his business. He has finished the work of our salvation, but he still calls us to work for his kingdom. Therefore, with gratitude and love, we train to be the most effective servants possible.
A Servant Perseveres
Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes … If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! (Luke 12:35-37a; 38)
The work we’ve been given is long and tiring, receives little thanks or recognition, and may seem to count for little while it’s being done. Continuing in such work is a challenge none of us is up to on our own.
But we are not on our own. The Master gives us others to work beside, a glorious future to work toward, and a promise that our work is not in vain. Most importantly, he give us himself, working in us and through us, so that we may be truly ready for whenever he comes.
A Servant Serves Where Needed
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them…I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:19; 22b-23)
Jesus walked hundreds of miles. He likely often slept on the ground. He was pawed at by people. He got dirty. He had to deal with the bickering of his coworkers. He washed his follower’s grimy, smelly feet.
He did what was needed to advance the gospel. While pursuing that end, there was no task beneath him.
Likewise, Christ’s followers should have no limits to their willingness to serve; whether that means going abroad or going into the not-so-nice part of town; giving to missions or giving up free time; changing a tire or changing a diaper.
A Servant Serves (or Not) As God Directs
David wanted to serve and honor God by building God a wonderful and permanent house. He drew up building schematics, made plans for all the details of the Temple, and even talked to the priests and Levites to make sure everyone was on the same page. Even with all the preparation he had done, and all the other ways he had served God, 1 Chronicles 28 shows that the Lord did not allow David to build the temple. It was for Solomon, David’s son, to build it. David, as God’s obedient servant, accepted this and made as much ready for Solomon as he could.
Sometimes the Lord says no to our plans to serve. Maybe there’s someone more qualified, or we are already serving in other places. Maybe we don’t know why. But we trust and obey God, knowing that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
A Servant Expects to Suffer
A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. (Matthew 10:24-25)
As Jesus’s light shines through us, people who love darkness (John 3:19) will become convicted and uncomfortable in the light of his glory, and will hate and ridicule us. If we truly seek to serve Jesus, it’s only a matter of time before we must share in a portion of his suffering.
But we take heart that someday Jesus will stand in victory, and we who acknowledged him before men will stand with him.
A Servant Is Not Ashamed
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)
The work we do we do is for Jesus, by the Father’s command, through the power of his Holy Spirit. We have the privilege to carry the gospel—that Jesus died to pardon sins and rose to conquer death—to the world.
It is a joyous work we’ve been given, and we look to the day when our Master returns and says to each of us, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23).
© Open the Bible by Brad Archer. Used with permission. https://openthebible.org/article/seven-marks-of-a-godly-servant/
Book of the Month: The Parables of Jesus
One of our long-time members and Local Representatives, Douglas “Pete” Peterson, has co-written an excellent study on the parables of Jesus. While it’s true that we love the parables and the wisdom they bring, it is also sometimes true that we may not have studied them as deeply as other parts of the Bible. So with that, we bring a little quiz to test our personal knowledge:
1. What is the meaning of the word “parable”?
(A) A mysterious story
(B) A familiar idea cast beside an unfamiliar
idea to give truth-seekers understanding
(C) A discourse on two parallel themes.
2. What is represented by the thorns in the parable of the sower?
(A) The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches
(B) Persecution
(C) Ailments of the flesh
3. The slave who was forgiven much did something astonishing. What did he do?
(A) Refused to forgive little though he was forgiven much,
(B) Forgave the debt of anyone who owed him,
(C) Never got into debt again.
4. The Parable of the Slighted Invitation is about people invited to a dinner. What happened?
(A) Everyone first invited enjoyed the dinner
(B) Everyone first invited refused to come
(C) Only one person turned up
5. The parable of the whitewashed tombs represents ...
(A) Purity and holiness,
(B) The Pharisees who looked down upon others and promoted themselves as righteous, yet their own hearts lacked humility, justice, and love,
(C) Outstanding people of wisdom, light, and beauty
Answers: 1. (B) Matthew 7:24 2. (A) Matthew 13:22 3. (A) Matthew 18:21-35a 4. (B) Luke 14:15-24 5. (B) Matthew 23:27-28 https://www.simplybible.com/f88d-parables-quiz-30.htm
BOOK OF THE MONTH
PARABLES OF JESUS
No study of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ is complete without an understanding of the parables he taught. Most books that cover parables generally cover the better-known ones. They avoid the difficult, challenging, and obscure.
Art Zacher and Doug Peterson break that tradition in this book, covering dozens of the parables spoken by Jesus. When Jesus shared these parables with individuals and groups, He challenged them to live a godly life—and that challenge is still relevant today.
Each parable is set in its historic setting, with previous and following events noted. The authors reveal where Jesus spoke each parable, who His audience was, and what each one means. Each parable is classified with other parables on the same topic for easy reference.
Get detailed insights on what Jewish people were thinking as they waited for their Messiah along with insights on the practical applications of Jesus’ teachings today with the lessons in Keys to the Kingdom.
The book is free, and postage paid to our members. Not a member? Join CMF
Supplies are limited. Order yours by calling (800) 798-7875 or emailing us at office@CMFHQ.org
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Switch between books in the mobile app
Sometimes when you’re reading a Bible you want to see how another translation handles a passage; or you want to consult a different commentary; or you want to see how another lexicon discusses a particular word.
The parallel books button in the mobile app makes it easy to switch between books of a similar type, enabling you to quickly draw insights from a range of books in your library.
Simply tap the title of the book and select a different book from the dropdown menu.
The video shows a few worked examples to demonstrate.
Check out the Logos Help Center for articles and videos to help you get the most out of your Logos Bible Software. Register for free, interactive training at logos.com/webinars .
What is Repentance Anyway?
Getting Started
Now that you have become a member of Christian Military Fellowship, you can start enjoying the many benefits of the Christian Military Fellowship and the FaithLife Equip Platform.
The first thing you will want to do is login with your account at FaithLife.com.
Next browse to the Logos "get started" page.
Once there you will see the above options.
The "Launch the web app" will take you to the Logos online application page where you can login and enjoy studying the Word using Logos through your web browser. You will want to bookmark the page for future use. Browsing there directly will require you to login using your account information.
The "Download Windows" option will start the process of downloading the Logos Bible Software for Windows onto your Windows based computer. The download option allows you to study without using the internet. Everything synchronizes with the Logos network so online or offline everything is updated.
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The "Download on the App Store" option allows you to download and install the iPhone/iPad version for use on your mobile device. You can also just search for "Logos" from the App Store on your device.
The "Get It On Google Play" does the same for Android devices.
Once you have Logos open online or offline take advantage of the Quick Start option on the home page.
May the Lord bless you endeavors as you study His Word!