Author: John Page 79 of 163

Luke 14:16-20 “Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:  And sent his servant at supper time to say to the that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.  And they all with one consent began to make excuse.  The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it:  I pray thee have me excused.  And another said, I have bought five yokes of oxen, and I go to prove them:  I pray thee have me excused.  And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.”

Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

In our busy American lives, we all have excuses about why we cannot serve God fully with our lives.  We have jobs, we have families, we have hobbies, and we have friends.  We have commitments, we have burdens, we have obligations, and we have debts.  We have an endless stream of demands from a society that is ceaseless in its capacity to require more from us.  All the while, God gets crowded out.

This is not a new problem.  God has been calling people to come to him from the beginning of time, and yet they often conclude that they “cannot come.”  There always seems to be a valid reason to say no.  There always seems to be a valid reason to delay.  Yet, our priorities are askew.

When God calls out to us, the other things can wait.  When the Lord needs us, the other things can be delayed.  We need to say yes to God, and no to these other priorities.

S. Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A tells us the following: “I think I’d like to be remembered as one who kept my priorities in the right order. We live in a changing world, but we need to be reminded that the important things have not changed, and the important things will not change if we keep our priorities in proper order.”

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO BETTER PRIORITIZE OUR LIVES TO ELEVATE THE LORD.  Let us say “Yes!” to God, and seek Him first.

Matthew 21:12 “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves.”

On September 18^th, the United States Air Force turns 70 years old.  This year’s birthday theme reminds us of our Air Force’s willingness to push the envelope – Breaking Barriers since 1947.  Indeed we have!

How have American Christians been breaking barriers?  How have American Christian Churches been breaking down barriers?  How have we been influencing our world?  How have we been making an impact?

If we haven’t been doing a good job at any of these things, then maybe it is time to reassess our lives and our ministries.  Maybe it is time to:

• Begin new community outreach efforts
• Find new groups of people to serve
• Build new relationships with like-minded believers
• Establish new prayer groups
• Reassess your assumptions about ministry effectiveness
• Mold new subordinate leaders
• Relook at stagnant customs and traditions
• Engage newer Christians with ministry opportunities and responsibilities
• Establish relationships with community leaders
• Ensure our personal prayer and devotional lives are active, fresh and vibrant

PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD DEVELOP A PASSION FOR RELEVANCE IN OUR NEEDY SOCIETY.  It is time to break barriers!

I Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”

II Corinthians 12:7-9 “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:  for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

September 15^th, 2017 is National POW/MIA Recognition Day.  It is a time for all Americans to remember the sacrifices of those who were Prisoners of War and those who are Missing in Action.

A notable POW was Brigadier General James Robinson “Robbie” Risner.  Risner was an Air Force fighter pilot, an ace, and an American hero.  He spent more than seven years in POW camps in North Vietnam after being shot down on September 16^th, 1965.  He spent more than three years of those in solitary confinement.  Risner experienced extra harsh treatment as the prison’s Senior Ranking Officer, returning home with honor in 1973.  When asked how he survived his tortuous treatment, Risner said the following:

“To make it, I prayed by the hour.  It was automatic, almost subconscious.  I did not ask God to take me out of it.  I prayed he would give me strength to endure it.  When it would get so bad that I did not think I could stand it, I would ask God to ease it and somehow I would make it.  He kept me.”

As the Senior Ranking Officer, he issued the following guidance:

“I’m in charge, and here’s what I want you to do.  Be a good American.  Live by the Code of Conduct.  Resist up to the point of permanent physical or mental damage and then no more.  Give as little as possible and the bounce back to resist again.  Pray every day.  Go home proud.”

Risner went home proud!  He also offers us all important spiritual truths.

No matter what we are facing, we are to pray by the hour; pray every day.  It should be automatic, almost subconscious.  Whatever you are going through, ask God to give you strength to endure it and to ease it.  His strength is made perfect in weakness.

AMERICAN CHRISTIAN, PLEASE PRAY BY THE HOUR!  He will keep you!

Psalm 95:1 “O come, let us sing unto the LORD:  let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.  For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.”

Matthew 6:16 “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance:  for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast.  Verily, I say unto you, They have their reward.”

General Colin Powell reminds us that “perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.”  A positive attitude is contagious, spreading quickly to uplift any group.  It encourages, it motivates, it challenges, it attracts.

Unfortunately, many Christians follow the path of the pessimistic, gloomy, depressed donkey from Winnie-the-Pooh.  They are Eeyore Christians who wander through lift with an “Ohhh-kayyy” attitude that attracts no one to the cause of Christ.  After all, who would want to follow the person who seems perpetually miserable.

We serve a great God and a great King!  Our attitude should reflect the joy in our hearts and the thanksgiving of our spirits.  This demeanor encourages, motivates, challenges, and attracts.

PLEASE PRAY FOR A POSITIVE, OPTIMISTIC SPIRIT IN THE LIVES OF AMERICAN CHRISTIANS.  We need such a force multiplier!

Ephesians 4:27 “Neither give place to the devil.”

A wedge is one of the six classical simple machines that have been in use for thousands of years.  It is defined as “a piece of hard material with two principal faces meeting in a sharply acute angle, for raising, holding, or splitting objects by applying a pounding or driving force, as from a hammer.”  It works by “converting a force applied to its blunt end into forces perpendicular to its inclined surfaces.”  With just a relatively small amount of force, it can separate objects, lift objects, or secure objects.

A wedge needs only a small opening to operate.  Once placed in an opening, it magnifies force through mechanical advantage that allows it disproportionate effects.

The devil seeks a small opening to operate in the lives of believers.  He does the same to operate in the affairs of a nation.  Once he makes his way into an opening, it magnifies his force and allows him to have disproportionate effects.  In doing so, he can severe relationships, move institutions, and stifle progress.

American Christians need to realize that giving even a small place to the devil can provide inroads into our lives that give the devil advantage.  In many ways, this effect has been evident in our acceptance of sin and acquiescence to the worldliness around that has caused our nation to steadily slide away from God.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO SEAL UP THOSE FISSUES THAT GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL IN OUR LIVES.  We must no long accept the small openings that allow the devil a wedge that can impact our lives through mechanical advantage.