Author: John Page 80 of 166

Matthew 20:26-28 “But it shall not be so among you:  but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:  Even as the Son of man came not to be minister unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Sadly, yesterday I attended a memorial service for an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technician.  EOD Techs are the brave members of the military who disarm bombs like improvised explosive devices.  The latest count indicates that 133 EOD Techs have lost their lives in combat since 9/11 in the midst of doing their heroic duty.  The following is known as the EOD Prayer:

Lord of power and might,
whose mercy is everlasting,
guard and guide those who
place their lives in the balance
to ensure the safety of those nearby.

Look with favor upon those
with the prowess and skill to disarm
explosive devices,
render them safe,
and remove from others the threat of harm.

Bless those who have been set apart
by this hazardous duty,
and give support to their families
and love ones who wait
through each tense call.

Receive into eternal rest
those who have given their lives
and bring healing to those who mourn.

Grant that in the EOD Family
there may be unity of spirit
for the well being of all

To your glory
with grateful hearts
we thank you loving God.
Amen.

While EOD Techs play a particularly heroic role in our military, they provide a great representation of the service, bravery, and sacrifice of all the members of our Armed Forces, past and present.

We need the Lord to guard and guide the members of the military who place their lives in the balance to ensure the safety of those nearby.  We need God to protect our military members from the threat of harm.  We thank the Lord for setting apart those whose serve bravely and sacrificially, and ask for peace and grace for their loved ones.  We are thankful for those whose service is intended for the well being of all!

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE MEMBERS OF OUR MILITARY!  Do so on Veteran’s Day, and throughout the year.  Do so for EOD Techs, and for all who serve!

On a related note, please enjoy the video at the following link entitled This Flag:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0xNa7tZRtQ

Proverbs 30:8-9 “Remove far from me vanity and lies:  give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:  Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD?  Or let I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”

Revelation 3:16-17 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knoweth not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”

In a wealthy nation like the United States, nearly all of us fall into what is described as the top one percent.  Yes, 99 percent of the world’s population is less wealthy than the average American.  Yet, prosperity, like power, tends to draw us away from God.  When we are full, we are tempted to deny the Lord.  When we are rich, we believe that we have need of nothing.  All the while, we neglect to recognize that we are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

As Christian Americans, we need to establish checks in our lives so as not to fall into this trap.  We must realize that prosperity has a powerful influence on us that can lead us away from God because we are comfortable and seemingly self-sufficient.  Regardless of our situation, we still have a desperate need for the LORD that we must never forget.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO AVOID THE TRAPPINGS OF PROSPERITY.  Regardless of our financial condition, we are always a needy people.

Acts 17:6 “And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also”

The Battle of Britain played a decisive role in World War II.  Lasting from July 1940 until October 31^st, 1940, it was the German Air Force’s attempt to gain air superiority over the United Kingdom to facilitate a German seaborne invasion or to force the British into a negotiated peace settlement.  The British Royal Air Force rose to the occasion and sufficiently repelled the German Luftwaffe.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill recognized the oversized role that the Royal Air Force played in the German’s first defeat of World War II.  He prepared the following emotional line to use in a speech to the House of Commons:  “never in the history of mankind has so much been owed by so many to so few.”  While rehearsing in front of Major General Hastings Ismay enroute to the speech, Ismay wisely remarked “What about Jesus and his disciples?”  Churchill, recognizing the truth provided by his General, changed the pivotal line of his speech to: “Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few.”  After all, nothing in human history could rise to the impact provided by Jesus and his disciples.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD LIVE OUR LIVES IN A WAY THAT RECOGNIZES OUR INFINITE DEBT TO CHRIST.  Indeed, so many of us owe so much to our Lord and Savior.  In reality, we owe it all to Him!

Proverbs 16:3 “Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.”

Psalm 37:4 “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart”

As a proud people, we often assume that God is on our side.  We seek to bend His will to match our will.  We mask our questionable actions with Godly pretenses and justify our stubborn desires with an air of moral superiority.  We do so while failing to ask the real question:  “Are we on His side?”  It is this reminder from President Abraham Lincoln that is the real query of importance.

In order for our thoughts to be established in the proper way, we must first commit our works to the Lord.  We must ask – are we on His side?  In order for the desires of our hearts to be properly prioritized, we must first delight ourselves in the Lord.  We must ask – are we on His side?  A proper heart and a proper mind come first through obedience.  They come through the repeated asking of the question – are we on His side?  Once we commit ourselves to being on His side, then He molds our minds and hearts to align with His will.  At that point, His desires become our desires.  Our desires never become His desires.

PLEASE PRAY FOR A YIELDED HEART AND MIND THAT ALIGN WITH GOD’S WILL.  Do so by constantly asking the question – am I on His side?

For a related thought, please see:  https://prayatlunch.us/are-we-on-his-side/

Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

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

On October 14, 1947, the famous World War II fighter pilot and ace Chuck Yeager became the first to break the sound barrier by flying faster than the speed of sound is his Bell X-1 rocket plane.  It was a technical accomplishment that had been elusive for many years, and was a hurdle that some thought impossible to overcome.   That single flight proved the doubters wrong.  Thus, on an October day seventy years ago, Yeager’s flight test team shattered three barriers at once:  the sound barrier, a technical barrier, and a psychological barrier.

Too many of us see challenges instead of chances.  We see obstacles instead of opportunities.  We see barriers instead of breakthroughs.  For Christians, it should not be so.

We have a God for whom all things are possible!  With us as individuals it is not so, but we have a God who is unlimited by impossibilities.  May we trust in Him to break the barriers that surround us.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO RELY UPON A GOD WHO CAN BREAK ANY BARRIER.  We need to trust the One for whom nothing is impossible!