Author: John Page 74 of 166

Psalm 126:1-3 “When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.  Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing:  then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.  The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.”

Early in the morning of May 10^th, 2018 three Americans stepped onto the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews to celebrate their freedom from brutal captivity in North Korea. They were met by the President and the Vice President, among others, and the freed prisoners gave Vice President Pence a small 3 x 5 notecard with Psalm 126:1-3 inscribed on the back.  That Psalm celebrated the freedom of the Israelites from their captivity in Babylon, and the release of Israelites was a dream come true.  Their mouths were filled with laughter and their tongues with singing.  They praised the Lord for the great things He had done for them, and they were glad.

These freed Americans felt the same way upon their release from North Korea, and happily praised God as they shared their testimonies with our Vice President.  He considered it a moment that he would never forget.

As our nation’s leaders meet in Singapore with the North Korean delegation this next week, may they remember that there are millions more who need to be freed from captivity. May these leaders also remember that they must rely upon the Lord Himself who is the One who can do truly great things for all of mankind.  He can turn away captivity and make dreams come true.  He can spread gladness that fills mouths with laughter and tongues with singing.

PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR NATION’S LEADERS AS THEY SHAPE THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION OF A WORLD IN BONDAGE. Through them this week, the Lord can do great things!

I Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”

This week marks the 74^thanniversary of what is commonly known as D-Day, the Allied invasion of mainland Europe at the beaches of Normandy during World War II.  It was a daring, but necessary step towards victory against entrenched German forces.  It was also a finely choreographed military operation that ultimately saw over 120,000 Allied troops cross the English Channel on that day, June 6^th, 1944.

Such an operation required extensive planning and practice in utmost secrecy.  The Allies found a large area along the southern British coastline that closely matched the coast of Normandy, especially replicating the Utah Beach area, and had it carefully evacuated and sealed off from public view for the months leading up to the real invasion.  Here, at a place called Slapton Sands, the Allies performed practice invasions.

As a culmination of their practice, they designed an extensive week-long drill at the end of April 1944 that was named Exercise Tiger.  Unfortunately, during the early morning of April 28^th, 1944, a group of German torpedo boats stumbled across the exercise and brutalized the surprised and defenseless force.  On that morning, 749 Americans lost their lives, ironically more American lives than were lost on Utah Beach on the actual D-Day.

It is relatively easy to counter an adversary that we are expecting.  Yet, we are at our weakest when we are surprised because we are often defenseless.  The deadly experience at Slapton Sands provides a stark reminder of the importance of constant vigilance and enduring sobriety.  Like a group of German torpedo boats, our adversary is looking to sink our ships, destroy our lives, and devour us.

PLEASE PRAY THAT OUR LIVES WOULD BE CHARACTERIZED BY VIGILANCE AND SOBRIETY.  May we never be surprised and defenseless.

Joshua 4:3 “And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.”

Joshua 4:5-6 “That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?  Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off:  and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel forever.”

It is critical to remember the trials, struggles, sacrifices, and victories of the past. These things remind us of God’s amazing presence and power, humble us regarding our own frail weaknesses, and motivate us to live up to the faithfulness of our forefathers.  Our remembrance of Memorial Day provides us a prime time to reflect upon these timeless truths.

In the History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides from around 400 BC, an Athenian leader named Pericles delivers a speech as a part of the Athenian Memorial Day.

To the loved ones of the fallen, Pericles charges the following:

“Wherefore I do not now pity the parents of the dead who stand here; I would rather comfort them. You know that your dead have passed away amid manifold vicissitudes; and that they may be deemed fortunate who have gained their utmost honor, whether an honorable death like theirs, or an honorable sorrow like yours, and whose share of happiness has been so ordered that the term of their happiness is likewise the term of their life.”

We too must be comforted by the lasting honorable sacrifice of the fallen and the ongoing sacrifice of the sorrow we provide for their loss.

Additionally, Pericles goes on to talk about the impacts of the sacrifice of the fallen throughout their national history:

“I will speak first of our ancestors, for it is right and seemly that now, when we are lamenting the dead, a tribute should be paid to their memory. There has never been a time when they did not inhabit this land, which by their valor they will have handed down from generation to generation, and we have received from them a free state. But if they were worthy of praise, still more were our fathers, who added to their inheritance, and after many a struggle transmitted to us their sons this great empire. And we ourselves assembled here today, who are still most of us in the vigor of life, have carried the work of improvement further, and have richly endowed our city with all things, so that she is sufficient for herself both in peace and war.”

We too must pay a tribute to the memory of our forefathers.  After all, we have received a free state from them.  Motivated by their memory, we must carry on the work of steady and constant improvement to make our land sufficient for herself both in peace and war.

PLEASE PRAY TO BE HUMBLED, HONORED, AND MOTIVATED BY THE SACRIFICE OF OUR FOREFATHERS.  May we always uplift their sacrifice as an enduring memorial.

Mark 9:23-24 “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

Joel 2:21 “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice:  for the Lord will do great things”

Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible”

Dr. Benjamin Rush was a prominent Founding Father and signatory of the Declaration of Independence. He recalls a conversation with John Adams as follows:

“Upon my return from the army to Baltimore in the winter of 1777, I sat next to John Adams in Congress, and upon my whispering to him and asking him if he thought we should succeed in our struggle with Great Britain, he answered me, ‘Yes – if we fear God and repent of our sins.’”

Indeed, after the Revolutionary War victory, Rush acknowledged God’s great hand in the results:

“I do not believe that the Constitution was the offspring of inspiration, but I am as satisfied that it is as much the work of a Divine Providence as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament.”

Rush and Adams both knew that nothing was impossible with God, even a successful revolution against a mighty British world power when the situation looked bleak.  Their secret was that they needed God to help their unbelief. If they feared God and repented of their sins, they knew that all things were possible.

The power that our forefathers harnessed in the late eighteenth century is the same power that we can harness today to see the impossible come to reality.  It is the same power that can enable a nation that proudly and defiantly has their back towards God to turn around and humbly embrace God.  Nothing is impossible with God, even when the situation looks bleak.  Our secret needs to be that we ask God to help our unbelief. If we fear God and repent of our sins, then all things can be possible.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO FEAR GOD AND REPENT OF OUR SINS.  Can we win the culture wars of today?  Yes – if we fear God and repent of our sins.

Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:  and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

Psalm 122:6 “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:  they shall prosper that love thee.”

Seventy years ago, on May 14^th, 1948, the State of Israel was established.  Eleven minutes later, the United States became the first nation to recognize its sovereignty.  In spite of strong opposition within his inner circle even up to the last minute, President Truman boldly made the decision to support the new nation and declared so through his press secretary with the following statement:

“This government has been informed that a Jewish state has been proclaimed in Palestine, and recognition has been requested by the provisional Government thereof.  The United States recognizes the provisional government as the de facto authority of the new state of Israel.”

Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, recalls a meeting he had with President Truman years later 1961:

“I told him that as a foreigner I could not judge what would be his place in American history; but his helpfulness to us, his constant sympathy with our aims in Israel, his courageous decision to recognize our new state so quickly and his steadfast support since then had given him an immortal place in Jewish history.  As I said that, tears suddenly sprang to his eyes.  And his eyes were still wet when he bade me goodbye.  I had rarely seen anyone so moved.”

President Truman boldly and wisely recognized Israel at the earliest opportunity in 1948.  He did so with a sense of passion and purpose that benefited Israel, but that undoubtedly also recognized that it benefited the United States as well.  PLEASE PRAY THAT WE WOULD BOLDLY SUPPORT ISRAEL TODAY.  Through our steadfast support to them, we will be blessed.