Recently transitioning from Temple Church Prior to Chaplain, this is my first “Chaplain’s Battlefield Report” for the Priory. I’ve had a restless vacation from writing as your Prior, but a writer’s gotta’ write – so here we are turning yet another page (pun entirely intended). It is so good to be behind the keyboard again, as I look forward to these twice-monthly reports.
The scripture I have chosen for these bi-weekly Chaplain Battlefield Reports (the disambiguation of said word means “once every other week” in this space) is the repeated use of Psalm 91:11, emphasizing God’s very personal relationship with you:
“For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.”
Satan used the beginning of this same verse, plus verse 12, when he tested Jesus for the second time after His 40 days and nights of fasting in the wilderness. The tempter took our Lord to the holy city and placed Him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to Him,
“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
‘He will command His angels concerning you,’
and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
(Matthew 4:6 quoting Psalm 91:11a, 12)
I elect this verse, not just because I am led to do so for reasons I will never fully come to understand, but as I recognize it now, because this verse, among many others, reminds us all as Christ Followers that we are never wandering through this life alone. Each of our lives is carefully crafted, planned, and protected as elect children of the Most High God. This greatly underappreciated fact is a rare privilege that so few value or typically even notice.
For each Christ Follower, it is never true that we “live on borrowed time.” Instead, we “live on gifted time” with lives that are always extraordinarily blessed by the only One Who can extend such supernatural gifts to His own, each hour of every day.
In many ways, this unbroken attention to our every step or misstep, from glory to glory as well as from sorrow to sorrow, is carefully attended by the unseen meticulous Keeper of our days, supernaturally talented Architect of our lives, and deepest Lover of our souls.
The enemy wants the same thing from us today as he wanted from Jesus – to keep us as far away from God as he can and substitute anything and everything to keep us distant from our Lord and His Word. As Jesus knew well – and as He has instructed us clearly – the closer we remain to Him, His Word, and to one another, the more protected we are and insulated from the damages our sinister foe wishes to pour out in our lives.
One of my jobs, therefore, as your Chaplain, is to encourage unity, love, and adherence to the Templar discipline, which is defined by our Grand Prior as Growth and the Oath – actually living the spirit of growing our Order and devoted adherence to our Oath.
The point in these Chaplain’s Battlefield Reports is that, as your Chaplain, I intend to stay in touch with you. I love and admire you on a personal level. And, as your brother in our Lord, fellow Templar, poor soldier of Christ, and truest friend, I want most sincerely to stay in touch with you. I want even more to hear from you regularly.
PLEASE let me know your prayer requests – large and small. I will fully respect your privacy and keep them between just us, or I will share them with the Priory for added prayer support, as you decide. Just let me know!
My main email address is easy to remember: Dr.Dennis.Chamberland@gmail.com
Use it AS MUCH AS YOU REQUIRE!
And finally, you are precious to Claudia and me. You are treasured family and our beloved brother or sister in the eternal Way. The worst thing that can happen in any family is distance and silence. May it never be!
Dr.Dennis.Chamberland@gmail.com
321-537-8914 (text or call)
(If I can’t pick up for any reason, leave a message and I will return the call ASAP)
Blessings!