Law Enforcement

 

I recently had a dream in which it was my first day of work as a police officer. As I was a rookie, I was surprised that I had not been assigned a training officer or partner and also that I had not been issued a gun or any other weapon.

There had been intel that the city where I worked was under a terrorist threat targeting the subway system. My assignment was to travel on the city subway lines and trams and to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.

As I was expecting a rundown, dirty transportation system in dire need of repair, similar to those in most major cities, I was shocked when I entered the outdoor plaza of the central hub. It was immaculate in upkeep and futuristic in design. Each car was transparent, made of plexiglass, bullet-shaped, and trimmed in chrome that gleamed in the sunlight.

There were no ticket takers or transit card punchers, so I entered one of the cars as the doors magically swept open as I approached. I chose a seat near the end of the car, where I thought I would have a better vantage point in the event of trouble. But to my surprise, the car was deserted, as were the platforms at every stop.

The train traveled at great speed, through subway tunnels and on overhead rails suspended above the city, yet gracefully slid to a stop at every station, decelerating almost instantaneously. Finally it reached the end of the line, and I exited the car to a large plaza that was also deserted. As there had been no maps onboard the train and no announcements of stations or routes, I was relieved to see a large, freestanding poster containing a map. But I didn’t recognize any of the station names, so there didn’t seem to be any choice but to get back on the train.

Finally there was a passenger – only one – an older woman stretched out on the bench seat at the back of the car. Her tight-fitting velvet gown accentuating her ample curves, teased hair, overdone makeup, stiletto heels and provocative pose made me wonder if she was a madam.

“I know what you’re thinking, dearie, but you would be wrong,” she purred.  “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”

Even in the dream, her comment reminded me of Scripture stating that only God knows the hearts (1 Samuel 16:7). In any event, it seemed safe to assume that this woman was not involved in any sort of terrorist plot. As I considered my first day at work in law enforcement, I was thankful that I had not encountered any violence, suspicious activity, or even any type of confrontation.

When I was awake and contemplated the spiritual applications of the dream, I considered that every Christian is to be involved in law enforcement, meaning upholding God’s Law and the Ten Commandments (Psalm 119; Exodus 20:1-17). Once we are saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), His Holy Spirit indwells us (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13), empowering us to flee temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) and resist the devil (James 4:7).

Although Christians benefit from Godly counsel and fellowship (Proverbs 27:17) and sound teaching and preaching (Romans 10:14), the Holy Spirit is our primary Guide, Counselor, Comforter and Teacher (John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7). In the dream I had no earthly training officer or partner, as I was to be led by the Holy Spirit.

God has given us His Word to hide in our heart that we would not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). The weapons of our warfare to enforce His Law are spiritual, not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:12), and involve putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-17) before we even leave the house, and preferably before we even get out of bed! In the dream, I had no gun or other weapon to enforce the law, emphasizing that this is a spiritual battle.

In the days of Moses, breaking the law was often punishable by death (Exodus 21). In the New Testament, James wrote that whoever is guilty of breaking any part of the law is guilty of transgressing the entire law (James 2:10-11). This explains why no human can enter Heaven without faith in Christ, as all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Jesus Christ made this standard even more impossible for man to meet, as He said that violating the law even in thought and not in deed was a sin. Whoever looked at another with lust was guilty of adultery, and whoever got angry was guilty of murder in their heart (Matthew 5:22,27).

But thankfully, He fulfilled the law perfectly on our behalf, through His perfect law of liberty (James 1:25). Whoever trusts in Him has His righteousness credited to their spiritual account, and their sins paid for in full by Christ’s suffering on the cross (Romans 4:6-22; 3:25).

Although we are to be spiritually discerning and speak the truth in love, confronting another’s sin according to Biblical principles (Matthew 18:15-17), Jesus Christ warns us not to judge, for only He knows the hearts (Matthew 7:1-5). In the dream, I jumped to the wrong conclusion about the subway passenger, who then reminded me of this principle. Christ Himself did not condemn the woman caught in adultery and told her accusers to cast the first stone only if they themselves were free of sin (John 8:1-11).  

In the dream, the immaculately clean, futuristic city and transit system suggested the heavenly City, or New Jerusalem, that will be beyond compare and beyond imagination (Revelation 21:2; 1 Corinthians 2:9). The trains were nearly empty, reflecting Christ’s words that the gate to Heaven is narrow (Matthew 7:13-14), and that few will enter it as He is the only Way (John 14:6). There were no ticket takers or transit card punchers, indicating that we cannot buy or work our way to Heaven, for we are saved only by grace through faith, and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9).

On my first day as a police officer in the dream, I had very little to do, as no laws were being broken! Clearly this was no earthly city, where crime runs rampant because of man’s sin nature inherited from Adam in the fall (1 Corinthians 15:45; Romans 5:12).

Praise God, in Heaven there will be no need for police, first responders, doctors, nurses, counselors, or undertakers, for our glorified bodies will never sin, age, die or experience pain, sorrow or sickness!  (1 Corinthians 15:35-50). In the meantime, may we yield to His Holy Spirit to keep the law ourselves and to refrain from judging others, for only God knows the hearts!

Copyright Laurie Collett 2025

Try, Try Again

 

Photo by Tripjodi 2011

As the old adage goes, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

That came to mind as my husband Richard and I, at our relatively advanced stage of life, attempted our first foray into kayaking. Our son and daughter-in-law had enjoyed it during their recent stay at the beach, and we had found a great sale on an inflatable kayak, so what could possibly go wrong?

Day 1: Having pumped up the questionably seaworthy, bright yellow vessel, Richard christened it the “Banana Boat.”  We dragged it over to the dock, but the lagoon level was considerably below it, and Richard was leery of lowering himself into the seemingly unstable craft. And he fretted over the barnacles he believed were all along the dock’s underwater supports, which could easily jab a hole into the kayak, or even worse, our feet.

So we hoisted it to our shoulders, carried it across the road, over the footbridge to the Gulf of Mexico, and some distance down the beach, away from prying eyes of sunbathers who might find our inexperience a fruitful source for jokes at our expense. All this carrying turned out to be more difficult than expected while we were juggling paddles and encumbered in ill-fitting life vests .

Undeterred, we positioned the kayak parallel to the shore, tentatively got in the shallow water, and attempted to push off with the paddles, only to find that the rudder beneath the boat was stuck in the sand! After many futile attempts to get afloat, we silently braved the “walk of shame” back to the shed, where we stored the kayak for another, hopefully better time.

 

Day 2: At least now we knew to bypass the dock/lagoon misadventure and headed directly to the Gulf, Banana Boat aloft on our shoulders. It seemed the perfect day for kayaking – sunny, not too warm, calm currents. Or so we thought. We actually got afloat, now having learned to embark in slightly deeper water, and to turn the kayak perpendicular to the shore once we got in. But Richard had trouble paddling, as the inflatable seat did not support his back sufficiently for him to maintain an upright position.

After we travelled only about 6 feet, the once calm waves seemed to roughen and crest, threatening our journey. So we turned back to shore, where a wave crashed over the side before we could get out, splashing our faces and filling up the kayak. We made a hasty retreat on our knees before we could stand up, only to repeat the “walk of shame” past the beachcombers.

 

Day 3: Richard had found a discarded circular Styrofoam cooler – just the right size, shape and lightness to insert behind his seat so he could row upright.  Perfect weather once again, with the sea waters calm as silk, bordered in frothy, lacy foam along the shoreline. We embarked without incident and headed out to sea! But our pride deflated a little when a middle-aged woman passing by called out nervously, “Would you like me to give you a push?”

“No, we’re good, thanks!” Richard replied. And we were! Miraculously, with no effort at all, we paddled out to a suitable depth where the surf was even calmer, and turned Banana Boat 90 degrees so we could row along the coastline.

What an amazing new perspective that gave us! We had walked by the beach cottages and enjoyed the coastline before, but now we could take it all in at once and felt more a part of it, warmed by the sun sparkling on the ocean yet cooled by the gentle breeze, moved by it as if we were osprey soaring on the wind.

Suddenly we spotted a black fin ahead and to the left of us. Thankfully, this was a dolphin and not a shark! We stopped rowing in amazement, savoring the moment, as not 6 feet away from us a pair of dolphins surfaced and began frolicking around us, emerging and submerging beneath the waves.

Once they were gone, we rowed on for a bit, then uneventfully returned to shore, thanking God that we had persevered long enough to experience this awe-inspiring communion with His creation!

 

It made me think of my spiritual and prayer life, how even when I seem to approach quiet time with the right intentions, the peace I crave eludes me. Satan knows that once believers are saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), then prayer becomes one of the most powerful weapons in our spiritual arsenal (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

God can accomplish far more through His saints as they pray than we can by attempting to fight the enemy in our own flesh, for without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). We are to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), prayerfully put on each piece of God’s armor (Ephesians 6:18), and be anxious about nothing, for we can bring all our prayer requests to the Lord (Philippians 4:6), Who knows what we need before we even ask Him (Matthew 6:8,32; 7:11).

Jesus Himself habitually began the day in prayer, coming away to a desert place (Luke 4:42; 9:10), where He drew the strength, peace and wisdom to accomplish His Father’s will (Luke 22:42). He was perfect, tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15), so I imagine He overcame the distractions and obstacles that so often hinder my prayer life.

Some days I intend to pray and yet can’t even seem to find a suitable place or time, like the difficulty we encountered on Day 1 of kayaking when we couldn’t even get afloat. Other days I plunge into prayer, yet soon find myself washed up on the shore of daily life, battered by the waves of life’s real and imagined crises, as on Day 2 when our sea cruise ended abruptly before it even began.

Yet we must not give up on our prayer life. If we try, try again, we will soon find that we need do nothing to work toward the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), the reassurance that God is faithful (Revelation 3:14) and keeps all His promises (Titus 1:2), and the joy of His salvation (Psalm 51:12), for He does it all. If we surrender to His will and way, He will bear us aloft on the current of His Spirit to reach heavenly places with Him (Ephesians 2:6).

May we not grow discouraged in prayer (Galatians 6:9), but earnestly seek His face (1 Chronicles 16:11; 2 Chronicles 7:14) and listen for His voice for the blessings and guidance we need (1 Kings 19:12). He desires fellowship with His children (1 Corinthians 1:9), and if we try, try again to know Him better, He will faithfully reward us by revealing Himself, His wisdom, and His plan for our life (Jeremiah 29:13; Deuteronomy 4:29; Proverbs 8:17; Matthew 7:7-8).

In these divine appointments, we need not try at all, for Christ has done it all through His finished work on the cross (John 19:30; Hebrews 12:2). We can be confident that once He has started a good work in us, He will bring it to fruition (Philippians 1:6) as we yield to Him!  

© 2021 Laurie Collett

The Heir

Photo by Geo Lightspeed 7 2022

 I had a dream in which a famous philanthropist and author of many spiritual teachings had passed away. As he had lived his life as a recluse and had no known family, there was a worldwide search for next of kin who would be the heir of his vast estate.

I learned that an acquaintance of mine had a claim to the inheritance. He was elderly, frail, and wheelchair-bound, so I transported him to a public hearing where any relatives were asked to come forward. After I wheeled his chair to the witness stand, he said that he was the philanthropist’s son and had the documentation to prove it.

At first the lawyers scoffed at him, saying that the philanthropist had never married and had no known children, and that as he was old enough to be the philanthropist’s father, he certainly could not be his son. But the documentation was indisputable, and the lawyers reluctantly concluded that this invalid old man was the legitimate heir of all that the philanthropist had possessed.

They began the philanthropist’s memorial service and had prepared a tomb for his burial. I asked the old man if he had any personal memento that he wished to have placed in the tomb.

To my surprise, he said, “My time has come, and I too must die and be placed in the same tomb. But I bequeath the estate to you, and my only request in return is that you live your life and continue your dance ministry in his honor.”

As I awoke and contemplated the symbolism of the dream, I realized that the philanthropist was none other than Jesus Christ, Son of God and God Himself!

Jesus of Nazareth had no earthly fortune, or even a place to lay His head (Matthew 8:20). Yet He is the greatest Giver of all time, for He suffered and gave His own life on the cross (John 15:13; 1 John 3:16) to pay our sin debt in full (Romans 3:25), the price required for all those who trust in Him to have eternal life (John 3:16).

He wrote no books or even documents, yet His Word and teachings changed the world and have been faithfully recorded by men of God inspired by His Holy Spirit. Although word of His miracles and teachings spread quickly, causing Him to be followed by large crowds, He did not seek out publicity or worldly fame. Instead, He preferred to consult with His Father in private, and to witness one-on-one to lost individuals like the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-43), the blind man whom He healed (John 9), and Nicodemus (John 3:1-21).

Jesus of Nazareth had an earthly mother (Mary) and siblings (James, Joses, Simon and Judas; Matthew 13:55) but did not consider them to be His family on that basis, reserving that title for His followers who did God’s will (Mark 3:31-35). He never married and had no biological children, yet all those who have trusted Him as their Lord and Savior are adopted into His family as children of God (Romans 8:16-21).

I believe the old man in the dream represents the old sin nature (Ephesians 4:22) that hinders our spiritual growth once we are saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6). I did not consider the elderly gentleman to be my friend, but my acquaintance. Similarly, I am familiar with who I was before I came to know Christ, and do not glorify or condemn my former self, for despite my past, Christ Himself has forgiven my sins (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

This “old man” fights against the “new man,” or new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) that we progressively become by yielding to His Holy Spirit. To do this, the apostle Paul said that we must “die daily,” mortifying the deeds and desires of our sinful flesh (1 Corinthians 15:31; Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5). Yet it is amazing that Christ died for us while we were still His enemies, children of the devil (Romans 9:8), and rebels against His Word and perfect will.

To follow Him, we must take up His cross and be willing to put the “old man” to death, so that we can no longer serve sin and instead be raised to newness of eternal life (Romans 6:4-6). Then we can truly share in Christ’s legacy of forgiveness of sins (1 John 1:9), peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), joy in His salvation (Habakkuk 3:18), being seated in heavenly places with Him (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6), and fulfillment that comes from doing His work (Ephesians 2:10), sharing His Word (Matthew 28:19-20), and submitting to His perfect will for our life (Luke 22:42).   

As feeble as we are in our own flesh, He transforms us into God’s children and His joint-heirs (Romans 8:16-21), betrothed (Revelation 19:9), friends (John 15:15), fellow-workers (1 Corinthians 3:9), and ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). As unbelievable as this seems, it is clearly documented in God’s Word, giving believers an undisputable claim to our inheritance in Christ.

Although baptism is not required for salvation, it is an act of obedience symbolizing the new believer’s willingness to identify with Christ’s crucifixion (standing upright in the water), burial (being plunged beneath the water), and resurrection (being lifted up from the water) to new life (Romans 6:4), in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

In the dream, the old man recognized that he needed to die for my benefit and for God’s glory. He bequeathed his legacy to me as the new creation in Christ, to use it for His glory and to continue serving Him and living for Him.

Sadly, real life is not that simple, and we must daily war against our flesh, equipping our spirit by putting on the whole armor of God before we enter spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18) against the flesh, the world, and the devil. May we be willing to put the “old man” to death daily so that the Holy Spirit can feed and grow the new creation we are in Christ, using our inheritance for His glory! 

© 2023 Laurie Collett

Photo by Geo Lightspeed 7 2022  

Spiritual Triathlon

Photo by Funk Dooby 2015

 A triathlon is an endurance race consisting of three consecutive events, usually swimming, cycling and running long distances. I have neither the inclination nor the stamina to participate in such an event, although I admire those who do!

While at our favorite beach getaway, though, I do enjoy my own kind of modified triathlon, first swimming alone in a refreshing outdoor pool surrounded by hibiscus, tall evergreens and palms and frequented by mourning doves, butterflies and a pair of osprey tending to their nest atop one of the Norfolk Island pines.

Then I join my husband for a long walk on the beach, searching for special treasures and enjoying the antics of sea birds frolicking at the water’s edge, a squadron of pelicans flying overhead, and even dolphins surfacing and diving not far from shore. In the afternoon, we often cycle through charming beach neighborhoods and have to pedal hard to make it up the steep bridges connecting the barrier islands!

These consecutive forms of exercise got me thinking about analogies in our spiritual life. The apostle Paul told Timothy that physical exercise profits us a little, but that flexing our spiritual muscles is far more important, for godliness is profitable for all things, in this world and the next (1 Timothy 4:8). Yet physical exertion has its place. Paul and other occupants of a ship sailing to Italy were saved from drowning and shipwreck by swimming to shore (Acts 27: 41-44).

Other mentions of swimming in Scripture are mostly metaphorical and refer to God’s infinite power. To accomplish His purposes, He can even make iron swim, or float on water (2 Kings 6:6). To save His people, He will spread forth his hands in the midst of their enemies as a swimmer spreads his hands to swim, conquering pagan nations (Isaiah 25:11-12), and He will fill rivers where His enemies once swam with their own blood (Ezekiel 32:5-6).

New Jerusalem, our heavenly home, will be supplied by a river of blessing so deep that we will be completely submerged in it and will swim through it to fully experience its goodness and provision! (Ezekiel 47:1-5). These living waters (Zechariah 14:8) constitute the pure river of water of life gracing the Heavenly City (Revelation 22:1-2). Jesus Christ Himself is the Living Water (Song of Solomon 4:15; Jeremiah 2:13; 17:13), which He freely gives those who believe in Him (John 4:10).

Water baptism (Acts 8:36-39) does not save us (Mark 16:16; John 3:18), but it is a glorious picture of our faith, by which we are saved (Ephesians 2:8-9), in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). When we are submerged beneath the water, we depict the burial of Jesus Christ, and dying to our sin nature, to be raised to new life in Him! (Romans 6:4). Once we are saved by believing in Jesus Christ, living water flows from us to nourish others (John 7:38). What a transformation from the sorrow we experienced when we had no hope, expressed by the psalmist David as swimming in his bed overflowing with tears! (Psalm 6:6).

Running is a key component of most triathlons, but even the most hardened runners must sometimes walk to recover between sprints. Scripture tells us that we should walk in love (Ephesians 5:2), walk in light (Ephesians 5:8; 1 John 1:7), and walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16,25). Not coincidentally, God is love (1 John 4:8), God is light (1 John 1:5), and God is a Spirit, and we must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

Our Christian walk refers to our thoughts, lifestyle and behavior. Although we are saved by faith and not by works (Galatians 2:16), we are Christ’s workmanship, saved to do good works ordained by Him since before time to glorify Him and benefit others (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 3:8; James 2:14-26).

If we bring our sin nature under subjection, we can run with patience the race set before us (Hebrews 12:1) until we cross the finish line entering Heaven! Paul encourages us to be inspired by athletes who run for an earthly, temporal prize, yet to realize that the race we run is of far more significance (1 Corinthians 9:24), and that its rewards are eternal!

Cycling was not a thing in Bible times, but we could substitute fighting in this analogy of a spiritual triathlon, not in the sense of brawling or contention, but rather of being a warrior in God’s army. The patriarch Jacob fought so earnestly in prayer that he wrestled all night with God Himself, until God agreed to give him a great blessing (Genesis 32:24-30).

Like any good soldier, we must endure hardness (2 Timothy 2:3-4), obey our Commander (John 14:15,21), and fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7). In spiritual warfare, God gives us His armor of protection (Ephesians 6:10-18), He is the Victor (1 Corinthians 15:57), and in Him we must prevail! 

© 2022 Laurie Collett

 

In God’s Army

I dreamed that I was being conscripted into the Armed Forces and sent to a different country for boot camp. My husband is helping me pack. I take three pairs of ballroom dance shoes, made of cloth rather than leather, and am pleased that they fold up compactly and fit easily in my duffel bag. I realize that I don’t have a military ID, but my husband says I can use his, because “they’ll never check.”

Upon awakening and thinking about the meaning of the dream, I realized that once we are saved and born again (John 3:3-8) by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), we are not meant to be passive bystanders, but to be soldiers in God’s army. He has designed each of us specifically for His unique purpose, each individual assigned their own rate and rank, working together corporately under the command of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12).

Yet He also has a general plan that applies to the life of every believer – our marching orders, if you will. We are to seek God’s kingdom first, and His righteousness, and then He will supply each of us with all our needs (Matthew 6:33). Each of us is to spread the Good News, or Gospel message, so that others can be recruited into His ranks (Matthew 28:18-20). Each of us is to love Him and one another (Luke 10:27), following His commandments (John 14:15), which is only possible through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 7). Each of us is to study and follow His Word (2 Timothy 2:15), which is the code of conduct we must live by.

The dance shoes in this dream could represent the talent of dance God has given me to serve Him through our dance ministry, with the three pairs reflecting both the Trinity (Galatians 4:6) and man’s number (6; the total number of shoes). Their being made of cloth, easily folded and packed, could indicate my desire to carry this gift with me into my service in God’s army, to be flexible in its use even in what seems to be an incongruous situation.

Dance shoes would seem to be a strange weapon of choice. Yet throughout Scripture, God has used not only ordinary people, but ordinary things, to accomplish His purpose. David carried five smooth stones to the battle in which God used him to fell Goliath (1 Samuel 17:40-51); a small boy gave his lunch for Jesus to transform into a feast for thousands (John 6:5-13); and Christ’s followers used palm fronds to worship Him (Matthew 21:1-9). What matters is not what we bring to the battle, but whether we yield ourselves and what He has given us to His command.

Yet the dance shoes may represent not only our dance ministry, but also a personal passion of mine to express myself through dance. This could be a warning not to be encumbered with personal desires as we seek to follow and obey Him. The shoes in the dream were not made of the customary supportive and durable leather, but rather of cloth that could easily wear out or even cause blisters or a twisted ankle.

Not exactly combat boots! While dancers strive to have pretty feet, with flexibility and line enhanced by proper footwear (Song of Solomon 7:1), Scripture refers to beautiful feet as belonging to those who preach the Gospel (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15). Christ’s disciples and missionaries throughout the ages have trod on dusty, rocky roads, no doubt with calloused, bleeding feet, lacking physical attractiveness but reflecting the spiritual beauty of the truth of salvation.

In His second letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul warned his young protégé to endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and not to get entangled with the affairs of this life; that he may please Christ, who chose him to be a soldier (2 Timothy 2:2-3). Like Timothy, all believers are to fight the good fight of faith so that we may lay hold of eternal life (1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7).

The centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant sick with the palsy recognized that His authority far exceeded his own over the many soldiers he commanded, and that His spoken Word was sufficient to bring about the healing he desired. In turn, Jesus commended him for his great faith and granted his request by merely speaking it as a fait accompli. (Matthew 8:9-13; Luke 7:1-10). May we have such faith!   

Not having my own military ID in the dream, and considering using my husband’s ID, was a reminder that each of us must pledge our own allegiance to our Supreme Commander. We must each have our own identity in Christ by personally asking Him to be Lord and Savior of our life.

We can’t depend on church membership, or being born into a Godly family, or associating with Christians to get us into Heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9). If that is our only claim to salvation, we will be sorely disappointed. It’s not enough to talk the talk -- we have to walk the walk, not only in the good works that spring from our salvation (James 2:18-26), but in our heart attitude of trusting and obeying Christ.

Those without that personal allegiance to Him face an eternal future in hell rather than in Heaven, as Christ bars them from the gates of pearl (Revelation 21:21) with the words, “Depart from me, for I never knew you.”  (Matthew 7:21-23).

But those of us with legitimate credentials – those who trust only in the blood of Christ to wash away our sins (Romans 3:25, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:14) and have been sealed with the Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13, 4:30) – will be enlisted in the most glorious army of all time.

After the Rapture of believers (1 Corinthians 15:52-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17) and Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9), Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 17:14; 19:16), will return to earth to defeat the enemies of Israel, Antichrist, the false prophet, and Satan, with the Word of His mouth. Accompanying Him will be an army of all believers of every time and nation, each in fine white linen, riding a powerful white horse (Revelation 19:11-21).

In my dream, I was packing for boot camp in a different country. In a way, our life on earth is like the boot camp where we are being trained for that great ultimate battle, which will take place once we have attained citizenship in a new, heavenly country.

May we be willing to endure the hardness of battle for the blessing and honor of being in God’s army, not only in this life, but when Jesus Christ comes again! 

© 2022 Laurie Collett