BLOOD TRAIL

Sunday, September 5, 2021

Personal Mission and Vision

Back in 2007 I was still a new Christian. My wife and I were taking courses through the denomination's School of Christian Studies. Quite likely the most important to me was the Leadership M-03 course. At the end of the course, we were required to write our personal mission and vision statement. Doing this turned out to be useful over the years. I framed mine and hung it above my workstation in our home office. It's probably a good thing we didn't know at the time what the Lord would lead us through. Valerie and I happily worked in the areas that presented themselves. Since then we have served in a variety of roles. I have served as chaplain of a motorcycle ministry chapter, as a deacon at two different churches, as a licensed preacher, as the evangelism and assimilation coordinator, as an interim pastor and briefly as part of state leadership in a motorcycle ministry.

There have been some ups and downs since then. The Holy Spirit has used different people and situations to guide and encourage us. When I have felt less than enthusiastic about our calling and all the effort we were applying I have referred to that statement to refocus myself in the ministry. I encourage all Christians to write out what they believe their personal ministry is. Your personal statement may be simpler or much more extensive but it's important to focus yourself on what God wants you to do. Your honest efforts will be rewarded. The Holy Spirit will remind you of your victories and whose child you are.

The following is my personal mission and vision statement. I hope it will encourage you to write out your own.

Leadership M-03

Personal Mission and Vision Statement

Gail Hodges

9/10/07

Mission

Personal

· To be driven by the knowledge of the certain fate of the lost
· Reach others for Christ
· Learn how to effectively present the Gospel

Corporate

· Convince other of the fate of the lost
· Encourage others to evangelize
· Help others show genuine gratitude for their own salvation
· Teach others what I have learned

Vision

· To reach as many with the Gospel as possible through personal evangelism and public outreach
· To see people soundly, completely saved not just make a “decision”
· To see myself and others seek a deeper burden for the lost
· To see those who are apathetic toward the lost to be awakened to their own lost state.

Have we fulfilled the great commission if we haven’t warned our neighbor

about the wrath that awaits them on judgement day?

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

The moment you put a stop to people taking advantage of you and disrespecting you is when they define you as difficult , selfish or crazy.

Manipulators hate boundaries .

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Faith is not believing in spite of the evidence.

Faith is believing in spite of the consequence.

Geoffrey Studdert-Kennedy

Thursday, August 9, 2018

The only business that repentant born again believers have on this earth is to bring others with us.

Monday, August 6, 2018

Luke 7:36-50

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”(Luke 7:36-50)

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Great News!

Rom 5:6-19 ESV

FOR WHILE WE WERE STILL WEAK,

AT THE RIGHT TIME CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY.

1. WE WERE WEAK -

2. WE WERE UNGODLY –

3. WE WERE DISOBEDIENT –

4. WE WERE ENEMIES

5. WE WERE CHILDREN OF WRATH-

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Eph 2:1 ESV - And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

6. WE WERE JUSTIFIED

7. WE WERE RECONCILED-

8. WE WERE SAVED - But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,(Tit 3:4-6 ESV)

9. WE CAN NOW REJOICE- VERSE 11

15) But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. (16) And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.(17) For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. (18) Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. (19) For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Did you ever start a new job or go to a new school or church and feel overwhelmed by all that was going on? Everyone seems to have their particular role. Each piece of equipment has a set function. Your question is, “Where do I fit in???” How do I become a part of this confusing spectacle in front of me? Many people will find someone they trust or has been assigned to them to show them around. Others will just stand there and go blank. After a while they will just turn around and wander off.

I’ve seen almost the same thing happen on the highway. Occasionally I’ve seen folks so overwhelmed by the prospect of merging into heavy traffic that they will just sort of drift to the end of an on-ramp and freeze. Sometimes a kind soul will see their predicament and slow down just enough to let them into traffic. Later they’ll tell a friend that they will never drive in that area again. The traffic is just too dangerous and confusing. “The drivers in that area are just crazy!”

In a new place most of the time a friendly face can act as a guide to help them focus on their new surroundings to show them what is important and what isn’t. In a new area with daunting traffic we need someone to lead us to go in front of us through those difficult merges, lane changes and around frightening vehicles.

Look for those people who are in need of our leadership. Guide them gently. God has placed you here to bring others with you.

And he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.

(Luk 22:25-26 ESV)

BLOOD TRAIL

Hunting is a great pastime activity. In today’s world, with a few exceptions hunting isn't among the skill sets necessary to acquire our food and clothing. We are accustomed to 40 hour work weeks and the availability of less labor intensive hunting areas such as Walmart, Krogers and Sears. It’s much easier to work a job and then spend your money at a department store than to invest many hours studying, patterning, hunting, killing and preparing wild game for a few pounds of meat ,a hide and a set of horns. To those who don’t hunt it may look like a huge waste of time. Those of us who hunt know the benefit of the activity. It’s outdoors, usually solitary, relaxing, and requires preparation, diligence and discipline. (Kinda like a job) For those of us who hunt the rewards of relaxation and enjoyment outweigh, for the most part, all the hard work involved. One of the most important skills you can learn is blood trailing. In the daylight it is a relatively straightforward task after you find the first drop of blood. Each drop tells us something new. It can tell us weather the animal is moving or standing, If it’s moving which direction and how fast. It can tell us weather we should pursue quickly or allow it to rest. At times we can tell where the animal is wounded. There is certainly a good amount of satisfaction in the work, but probably the most rewarding part of the hunt is the stories we can tell. The things you notice while hunting, a bird you haven’t seen before, the antics of a squirrel or a fawn, the moment of the kill and the labor of retrieving your harvest.

My last hunt involved some blood trailing in the dark. As is common, my shot at a buck came just before sunset. I didn't like the placement of the shot so I waited until I thought he had gone out of earshot and hastily looked for the first blood sign I could find and marked it. I left it and went home to have a little supper and to get adequate lighting to follow the trail. When I came back I was able to quickly find the white tissue paper I had tied on a limb above the first drop of blood. Four hours and five hundred yards later I was privileged to retrieve the animal I had harvested.

I don’t want to bore you with all the details of a four hour tracking job but I do want to point out some interesting parallels to our Christian walk.

* Its important to pursue as quickly as possible. We must follow the trail with diligence unless we loose our harvest to other predators or scavengers. (2 Peter 1:10)

* What we see in the woods at night is completely different from what we are used to seeing during the day. The subtle yellows, greens and browns we see during the day becomes nearly monochromatic at night.

* The human eye is naturally drawn to the color red.

* At night there are different types of light, close in as from a gas lantern or a campfire, focused light as from a flashlight and the bluish white light of the moon on a really clear night. (Mat 5:14-16)

* Sometimes you will find yourself searching for the next drop of blood on your hands and knees.

* As you turn leaves over looking for the slightest trace of blood you may see a spot of red on the middle of a leaf. When you inspect more closely you discover it is a false drop. Maple leaves and others naturally have spots of red. I call them false drops. After a while you learn to recognize the difference between the real blood and the false trail randomly spread by the wind. (1 John 4:1)

* The real thing has the shine of authenticity. The more you see the real thing it becomes easier to recognize.

* Sometimes the trail is hidden by the forces of nature, rain, wind or animals. Even our own big feet can obliterate a blood trail. (Mark 4:4)

* At times you will loose the trail. At that point go back to the last drop of blood you found and begin searching in widening circles until you pick up the trail again.( Acts 17:27)

* Each step on the trail brings us closer to our harvest. (Philippians 3:14)

* Sometimes we need to go back to where we began and start the trailing process again from the beginning. We must ask ourselves questions about the important details. Was my shot really on the mark? Did I miss completely? Was the blood trail I was on actually real or was I fooled by the vagaries of nature? Once we assess where things truly stand we can either continue on the trail or begin the hunt again. (2 Cor. 13:2)