Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

• 1 John 5:19

And I will put enmity
    between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
    and you will strike his heel.”

• Genesis 3:15

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

• Matthew 1:21

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

• Matthew 19:23-26

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

• John 16:33

This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
    he took many captives
    and gave gifts to his people.”
(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?

• Ephesians 4:8-9

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

• John 15:13

“Over the years, as I’ve listened to Rangers share their experiences with Christianity, I’ve noticed a problem. It shows up again and again. Mind you, these warriors are among the toughest of the tough. They’re the type of men who walk into their Army career center, slam their fist on the desk, glare at the recruiter, and growl, ‘Give me the hardest thing you’ve got!’ But here’s the tension: it’s hard for tough guys to follow Jesus.
“The problem isn’t Jesus.
“The problem is the ‘Jesus’ who is presented to them. …
“As early as the first century AD, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus were being compared to a great military victory over a formidable enemy. This doctrine is called Christus victor (Latin for ‘Christ the Conqueror’), and for many centuries it served as the primary framework for understanding Jesus’s mission on earth? According to this doctrine, the skirmish in the Garden of Eden was nothing short of a military coup. Satan, a chief angel, usurped God’s rightful rule as King and placed humanity in slavery (2 Peter 2:19; 1 John 5:19). Not willing to surrender, God dispatched his greatest Warrior to defeat the Enemy and rescue his people (Genesis 3:15; Matthew 1:21). About this great victory, Jesus said, ‘Take heart, because I have overcome [conquered or prevailed over] the world’ (John 16:33). The apostle Paul added that Christ ‘descended to our lowly world’ and then ‘led a crowd of captives’ away to high ground (Ephesians 4:8-9, from Psalm 68:18). In other words, he came to earth to defeat our great captor and take us to be with him.”

• John McDougall, Jesus was an Airborne Ranger

First, why did I even get this book?  It was in my favorite Used Bookstore on the outskirts of Nashville, TN.  I had picked the book up on previous visits to the bookstore, and I kept putting it back on the shelf, so obviously others did not really want it either.

But I got a lot for the books that I had sold them that day.  I was willing, having been an Army officer myself.  But I was stuck in the problem that he mentions in the first half of the quote.  Jesus is portrayed, not as a mighty victor.  Jesus is portrayed as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) and turning the other cheek (Luke 6:29).  The idea is that we equate Jesus to a Hippie – Love, Peace, my hair is full of grease. – Sorry, an old line from an old Cub Scout song.  But we portray Jesus as that kind of Hippie.  When confronted by the temple guards, He goes with them freely, chastising Peter for using his sword.

When He returns, He will be in His full glory and leading an Army of Angels, the fighting kind of angels.  That full glory thing is scary.  Read Revelation 1.  Bronze feet, a tongue like a double-edged sword, fiery eyes.

I have had even more attacks from people saying that Christians never suffer, but John 16:33 says that this world is nothing but trouble.  Yet, we have peace – that is, peace within us for God is within us.  We can be calm in the times of suffering.

In other scriptures, Jesus said that even in His first coming, He came to bring a sword, not peace, by putting father against son, etc.  This means that some will understand the message of Jesus, and some will not.

But the last Scripture is mentioned much later in the book.  The entire book is one point in the Ranger Creed after another.  And when he gets down to the bullet point in the creed that they will be faithful to their comrades regardless of the mission.  In other words, even if they have to die, they will see the mission through in performing their mission and bringing their comrades home.  Thus, someone who would lay down His life for His friends…  That’s an Army Ranger.

Yes, Jesus was a tough guy.  No one could endure the beating He received, yet He did not try to defend Himself.  At times being silent.  He endured the cross.  Only when He gave up His spirit did Jesus die.

Tough?  Few today could come even close to that kind of toughness, and He did so for you and me.

Jesus message is love, even loving one’s enemies.  And I have discovered over the years, that is one of the toughest things on earth to do, but God commanded it.

Jesus may have preached love, but He knew when to fight back.  When He comes again, we must not be wimps ourselves.  He is coming back to finish the job He started, the total and utter defeat of Satan, evil, sin and death.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.