Boot Camp
Paul’s plan to Timothy for the church encourages him in a time when he is facing much suffering. It is inevitable. There is no way to get around it. Those who desire to be a registered, proven member of Christ’s army, will suffer. To endure suffering, it is necessary for us to embrace it. We must go through suffering if we want to experience growth and God’s anointing. We will not see oil until the olive is squeezed and pressed to produce that which is already inside. The Lord uses suffering with a purpose for His glory, but the key is not giving up. To endure is to suffer patiently; to experience without giving in; to undergo a tough situation.
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Cleaning Out the Clutter
I felt all the clutter had value, and saw no purpose in this purge. I rationalized why I wanted to keep all my belongings. But my parents overruled my feeble attempts to rationalize keeping the clutter. Their end goal was…
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Charles E. Maldon, Jr.: The Reflection
“What if I looked like this all the time?” Rich said, joking.
“I would still love you,” Carol said. …
Charles E. Maldon, Jr.: Roots that Linger
Challenges never gets better when we don’t deal with nuisances at the root but instead allow them to linger. …
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Charles E. Maldon Jr.: The Master’s “Right Tool”
Trees had overgrown the fence, and the shrubs needed a trim. Numerous weeds had overtaken what used to be a vegetable garden. I was overwhelmed at the scale of work that I needed to accomplish, but I knew I had brought the necessary tools. …
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Charles E. Maldon, Jr.: This Is Your Moment
As he peered out, the reflection of light on the ocean created the appearance of a million shimmering diamonds. He focused on the sound of the engine coming from the rear of the speedboat as he heard the captain’s baritone voice say, “Two minutes out, get ready everyone.” Jake knew this was it. Was he ready? Or was the sweat on his brow just nerves. He knew it was now or never–if he was going to break free of his fear of the ocean, he had to jump. This was his moment…
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Charles E. Maldon, Jr.: Staying Purpose-Driven
Staying purpose-driven must be a lifestyle we are willing to take on. …
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Charles E. Maldon Jr: The Work of a Bridge Builder
Recently while coming back from travel, I crossed a bridge that caught my attention. This was not my first time crossing, but this particular time was different. I could see a glimpse below of endless deep blue water. I pondered not only the time spent on constructing this bridge, but also its strength. …
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Charles E. Maldon Jr. : The Trust Factor
On that faith-stretching night my wife and I experienced, we had to stop trying to figure it all out and instead trust the Holy Spirit for direction. We learned that we are not the conductor. We are just the instruments selected to participate. …
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Charles E. Maldon Jr: An “Uncut” Version of Me
We can add nothing to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ’s love. He accepts us enough to die to reclaim us, and redeem us from the effects of sin. …
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Charles E. Maldon Jr: Victory in the Trial
Do we consider the joyful attitude we must muster, as a key to enduring a trial, as James mentions? Our outlook determines the outcome, and our attitude determines the action. We must become more dependent upon the Lord, allowing Him to craft us into a beautiful masterpiece as we work through each trial. He teaches humility, compassion, self-control, peace, and faith as we walk through them. The more we surrender our mindset to Him, the more we can rest assured that a mighty work is happening in our lives, despite what we see on the surface. The hard truth is, we cannot expect everything to be problem-free all the time. Jesus tells us in the gospel of John that trials are inevitable.
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