Chaplain's Devotional Corner - Penn-Del Royal Rangers

"Ye Penn-Del Independence"
Royal Ranger News in the District

Packing Up Christmas

Published Thursday, January 14, 2010 by pdrangers.

Packing Up Christmas

Right after Thanksgiving I make my annual pilgrimage to the Christmas corner of the attic and I bring out Christmas. Over the years we've accumulated more and more ornaments and decorations so now it's a major chore when they are brought down from the attic. Once everything is in place the house seems to take on a new feeling. But before too long Christmas day has passed and I now have to reverse the exercise, repack everything in their aging boxes and return it all to the attic for another year. Think about it - we unpack Christmas when we want it and we put Christmas away when we don't want it. How many of us do that with Christ? You can do that with Christmas but you can't do that with Christ, but a lot of people do. We bring Jesus out when we'd like to have him be a part of our lives - like on Sundays, Christmas, times of crisis or when we just want to be religious. Many folks keep Jesus at the edge of their lives; mostly in their heads and not in their hearts. Do you experience the Christmas blues following Christmas?

Perhaps you've slipped into bringing Christ into your life only when it's convenient, like the Christmas decorations. Let's change that this year. Let's come away from Christmas as the shepherds did when they visited the baby Jesus. The shepherds could not stay forever at the manger and we cannot stay forever on "Christmas Day." What the shepherds did when they left the manger we should do. Luke 2:7-20 gives us the details. The shepherds came away from the manger proclaiming the message of a Savior. Their message was penetrating and filled with enthusiasm because they had a personal encounter with Christ. Their words were filled with praise. May each of us go out this year proclaiming the message of the Gospel with enthusiasm and praise for what God has done in our lives and for what he can do for those we encounter.

You often hear people say "I wish every day was Christmas - I wish I could feel like this year round. The good news is you can--just don't put Him away like this years decorations!

In His Service,

Greg Scott

District Cmdr.

Devotion for March

Published Saturday, March 14, 2009 by pdrangers.

More than just a indication but a reality that the Royal Rangers Ministry has turned a corner and under the present leadership striving to maintain or better yet gain a renewed interest causing a positive stir to bring about growth in our outposts.

Whether we build on another's foundation is irrelavent. The fact that the "spirit of change" is for every commander to catch the renewed vision and do kingdom work in ministry to our boys as required. To aid the saints, leaders and boys regardless of what level of administration we find ourselves is our God given calling. Sucess throughout the organization demands a cooperative spirit of willingness to go above and beyond the call. Cementing our ministry to boys is to contribute to the well being of the entire Royal Rangers Ministry which always requires sacrifice on the part of our leadership.

ROMANS chapters 12 to 16 tells us to "Live in harmony with one another". Unless we are all pulling in the same direction, progress will be slow and our work cumbersome. When we all (leadership) have the "mind of Christ" we then see the spirit of cooperation moving this ministry forward for the Kingdom of God. Diversity, not uniformity, is the mark of God's handiwork. It is so in nature, it is equally so in grace, and nowhere more so in the Christian Community.

How long can we go?

Published Wednesday, October 22, 2008 by pdrangers.

October 2008

A pastor, Guy Duty, which I do not know personally, but read about recently in my studies said "The diseased moral mind sinks lower and lower in the moral scale". Jude 16, 18-19 supports this statement by saying "they are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage...; scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires...who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit"

Three young attractive local women choose to wear a message garment to advertise to the public the general content of their character. Across the chest a message "Sloppy Hoes". Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight... with eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed- an accursed brood! 2 Pet. 2: 10-14.

If there has ever been a time when our young need some solid direction found in the eternal Word of God it is now, now, now. Our ungrounded Ranger boys is like sending apostles out "like sheep among wolves" (Matt. 10:16). What an opportunity we have to present the truth of the Master Ranger to these young 'potentials for change'. I hope that Royal Rangers never gets so modern that we drift away from the foundational curriculum established by our program founders from the past. Let us as leaders maintain the Johnny Barnes vision and keep that which has proven to be successful and discard 'beating the dead horse, to no avail'.

Let us bury past failures and press on to 'excellence' for the future.

May God bless your every endeavor to raise up another champion for Christ.

Pastor Joe Finan, chaplain

chaplains devotion

Published Tuesday, July 22, 2008 by pdrangers.

Eph; 4:12 We as teachers/commanders are directed to prepare God's
people for the works of service. It is your God given duty to "equip
the saints for ministry". Courses should be taught regularly and young
leaders and potential commanders need to be mentored and directed
under the supervision of a knowledgeable commander. The ulimate
responsibility of leading boys is a high calling and the commanders
assigned duties should not be taken lightly. In the light of eternity,
time is a rare commodity. The apostle Paul's concept of time is a
fragment of eternity given by God to man as a solemn stewardship and
so he, Paul exhorts us to "redeem the time". With days and duties in
mind, carefully allocate time, in other words make appointments for
the following:
Study
Prayer
Correspondence
Extra reading
Writing and planning
Relaxation
Family
Ministry
If you are to be approved of God, a personal assessment is necessary:
How have I expended God's week?
Has the week been useful?
Have I extended God's work?
Has there been advancement?
Has there been retardment?
Finally the life in the Spirit provides a right attitude for
dependability and accountability in our service to God and man.

Who's In Your Pool?

Published Thursday, May 29, 2008 by pdrangers.

Jesus had promised that His disciples would duplicate His works. (John 14;12)

When a young man died in a New Orleans pool at the close of 1985’s summer swimming season, it was tragic. But the tragedy grew as details emerged. The man had been at a party celebrating a perfect safety season at the pools. For the first time in many years, not one person had drowned. Yet this man had drowned in a pool filled with one hundred trained, successful lifeguards.

Sometimes the church can be like that pool party-gathering of people with much to celebrate. But like the lifeguards, tragic things happen when we let down our guard and become careless. We may feel safe and comfortable in our pool of the church, but we must never lose sight of the needs around us.

God has made Christians lifeguards. Like Jesus, we are to seek the lost and introduce them to salvation. Sometimes, as we enjoy fellowship with each other and with God, we start to see past those close to us who are sinking.

A Royal Ranger is ALERT, mentally and aware of everything within his/her world.
Is someone struggling in your outpost, family or even a friend (in your pool)?
Needy people are everywhere, even in church. Look around. You cannot minister to their needs if you do no see them. Do not let anyone “drown” on your watch. You have been called to be there lifeguard; it is in your ability to see them saved.

Pastor Joe Finan
May 2008

Have you sent in your support this month for the Honey Grove Ranger Camp?

March 2008 Devotion

Published Friday, March 7, 2008 by pdrangers.

In all things God works for the good of those who love Him. Rom 8:28

Good things can come from difficulties; this is for you, especially if
your going through rough waters at this time.

A young girl with a talent for speed skating pursued her dream of
Olympic gold. Her coaches believed she had the potential to be the
best skater at the ice rink. But she lived with her single mother, and
the family was poor. Because her mother worked the night shift, she
could not drive her daughter to skating practice each evening after
school. So the girl rode an old bike thirty minutes each way. At first
she was exhausted after biking and practicing, and she had less time
to do her homework and to sleep. It seemed like a terrible added
burden for such a promising athlete to bear.

But after a few months, it became obvious that this problem was
working for the girl's good. Riding the bike exercised the same leg
muscles she needed for skating. The extra workout made her stronger
and gave her better endurance than any of the other skaters. After
years of biking and skating, the young woman won two Olympic medals.
She credited the victory to the good that came from her poverty. Truly
good things can come from difficulties in our life; remember that in
the valley experiences HE is building character in us. Even when we
are feeling the lowest of the low we can come out the other side a
victor.

Remember to financially support the Penn Del Royal Rangers Honey Grove
camp this month; that property is Gods gift to this great ministry to
boys. Shalom.