Author: John Page 150 of 167

I Kings 2:1-2 “Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man”

This verse was one with a special meaning to the Chief Master Sergeant who passed away so suddenly last Monday.  It was one that he carried with him at all times in his wallet.  It was one that he committed to memory and committed to follow.  The results showed in his life.

Chief showed himself a man.  He was strong.  He faithfully served his Lord and Savior, loved and adored his family, and invested his career in serving America and caring for Airmen.  He was a role model in his servant leadership style, his resolute demeanor, and his firm testimony.

America needs men determined to be strong and resolved to show themselves as men.  Our nation needs strong Christian husbands and strong Christian fathers.  It needs strong Christian leaders and strong Christian pastors.  It needs strong Christian businessmen and strong Christian politicians.  It needs strong Christian laborers and strong Christian craftsmen.  It needs strong Christian teachers and strong Christian students.  It needs strong Christian voters and strong Christian jurors.  We need strong Christian men in every facet of our society.  PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIAN MEN TO BE STRONG.  Pray for yourself and pray for others.  In the absence of such men, our society is crumbling.

James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

This week deviated drastically from the one I had planned.  It was one that I would hope to never repeat.  On Monday evening, I was informed that my Group Superintendent, a seemingly healthy 41 year old Chief Master Sergeant, passed away unexpected from a heart attack while running.  That news kicked off a week that included notification of his wife and young children, sharing the somber news with the members of our organization, rallying support for his family, preparing for a fitting memorial, and welcoming the body back from his off-station location.  It was a horrible week, apart from the comfort of his strong Christian testimony that gave us every indication that he was already in heaven.

As Chief did every day, he had spent his last hours focusing his time, energy, and attention caring for others.  On that day he provided support to a struggling co-worker; visited with the wife of a member of our organization who had recently undergone major surgery; inspired Airmen through group interaction that left them encouraged, challenged, and equipped; and mentored a young Detachment Commander.  He was in the midst of reading a book on being a better Christian father.  He had encouraged me about the PLUS ministry.  He was a wonderful co-worker, confidant, and friend who seized the time he had available to him and used it to improve our nation.

Life is indeed short and unpredictable.  We have no guarantee that we will breathe our next breath.  This truth should motivate us to conduct our lives accordingly, and engage the problems of our land more fervently.  PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD REDEEM THE FLEETING TIME WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON THIS LAND.  Let us do so before our time vanisheth away.

Matthew 25:21 “His lord said unto him, Well done good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the lord.”

As I do every year, last year I ensured that my 2013 Goals followed the traditional good-goal-metric as described by the SMART acronym:

• S – Specific
• M – Measurable
• A – Attainable
• R – Relevant
• T – Time-bound

One of the more amusing goals in retrospect was the one that stated I was to “pray at least weekly for the United States and its leaders.”  While this is a reasonable goal (and one that meets the SMART criteria) for someone like myself who had never regularly prayed for his country, it is far short of where the Lord would eventually take me through a growing burden in my heart.  Once I was faithful in this small thing, He gave me something far greater for which to be faithful.  Looking back, I am so thankful that I had been faithful in something small so that the Lord could magnify this growing burden and give me the opportunity to be faithful over more.

PLEASE PRAY THAT IN 2014 AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD BE FAITHFUL OVER THE FEW THINGS AND THE MANY THINGS.  We should be as faithful with the small as with the grandiose.  With faithfulness through the things we consider small, the Lord can trust us enough to magnify the minor into the many or the mighty.

Esther 4:14 “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

In addition to Luke 2:49, the Lord placed Esther 4:14 on my heart during my time of assessment and reflection at the end of 2012.  It guided me throughout 2013.  It also became the theme verse for the PLUS ministry though I didn’t know exactly how the Lord would use it in my life at the time I made it a personal theme verse for the year.  Yet, this verse did immediately impact my priorities.

Up to that point, I had never made my COUNTRY an explicit priority in my life.  I structure my daily prayer life around my priorities (with FAITH being the highest), and would lump prayers for America into my CAREER category.  I reasoned up to that point that because my career focused on serving my country through the military, that CAREER and COUNTRY were one and the same.  The Lord impressed upon me that this was not the case and that COUNTRY deserved a separate and preeminent priority over CAREER.  After all, without separate priorities what would take precedence if career progression and country advancement came into conflict?

Esther’s career as the queen did come into conflict with the betterment of her nation and her people.  Indeed, as described in Esther 4:14 the option to risk her career for the advancement of her people may have been the reason the Lord brought her to that position, place, and time.  She had to choose which priority took precedence, and she chose wisely.

I have yet needed to make such a stark choice between priorities as did Esther.  Maybe you have; maybe you haven’t.  Yet, it is important to know where our priorities would guide us if faced with such a situation.

PLEASE PRAY THAT WE WOULD PRIORITIZE OUR NATION ABOVE OUR POSITION, COME WHAT MAY.  In an America where institutions are diverging from our principles, such a choice may be closer than we imagine.  As I wrote as a part of my 2013 Goals, we each should be willing to “see my country improve in its spiritual and practical condition, even if at my expense.”

As the New Year approached at the end of 1776, the hopes of the Continental Army were indeed bleak.  For much of the year, they had been on the losing end of the battles they fought, and the enemy seemed to have the upper hand in all respects.  To compound their problems, the revolutionary forces were out-gunned and out-resourced.  As winter closed in on them, they were low on supplies, equipment, and uniforms.  Though they had recently won a Christmastime victory at Trenton a few days before that could have boosted morale, the entire army was afforded the opportunity to permanently leave their spots on the battlefront when the terms of their enlistment ended as the calendar turned to 1777.  The only hope of an independent America was men who would step forward and volunteer to remain in the battle.  In the waning hours of 1776, General Washington addressed his troops with the following words:

“My brave fellows, you have done all I asked you to do, and more than could be reasonably expected, but your country is at stake, your wives, your houses, and all that you hold dear.  You have worn yourselves out with fatigues and hardships, but we know not how to spare you.  If you will consent to stay one month longer, you will render that service to the cause of liberty, and to your country, which you can probably never do under any other circumstance.”

Nathanael Greene wrote the about the men’s response.  “God Almighty inclined their hearts to listen to the proposal and they engaged anew.”  One-by-one, men stepped forward to renew their commitment to the cause and reaffirm their dedication through reenlistment.

As you prayerfully consider how you will be about your Father’s business in 2014, do not be deterred by an enemy that seems to have the upper hand.  Do not be concerned that American Christians seem out-gunned and out-resourced.  Do not be tempted to walk away from the battle with our country at stake.  Though we are worn out, our nation’s only hope is Christians who would step forward to remain in the battle and reenlist in the fight.  All we hold dear is at stake.

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD ALMIGHTY WOULD INCLINE OUR HEARTS TO LISTEN TO HIS CALLING FOR US IN 2014.  He would have us engage anew