PLUS

Joshua 1:7-9 “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

On June 29^th, the world lost a true hero. On that day, Hershel “Woody” Williams slipped off into eternity and we lost the last remaining Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from World War II. Woody’s medal citation should be an inspiration to all of us:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Demolition Sergeant serving with the First Battalion, Twenty-First Marines, Third Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Island, 23 February 1945. Quick to volunteer his services when our tanks were maneuvering vainly to open a lane for the infantry through the network of reinforced concrete pillboxes, buried mines and black, volcanic sands, Corporal Williams daringly went forward alone to attempt the reduction of devastating machine-gun fire from the unyielding positions. Covered only by four riflemen, he fought desperately for four hours under terrific enemy small-arms fire and repeatedly returned to his own lines to prepare demolition charges and obtain serviced flame throwers, struggling back, frequently to the rear of hostile emplacements, to wipe out one position after another. On one occasion he daringly mounted a pillbox to insert the nozzle of his flame thrower through the air vent, kill the occupants and silence the gun; on another he grimly charged enemy riflemen who attempted to stop him with bayonets and destroyed them with a burst of flame from his weapon. His unyielding determination and extraordinary heroism in the face of ruthless enemy resistance were directly instrumental in neutralizing one of the most fanatically defended Japanese strong points encountered by his regiment and aided in enabling his company to reach its objective. Corporal Williams’ aggressive fighting spirit and valiant devotion to duty throughout this fiercely contested action sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

When Woody returned home from World War II, he didn’t stop serving. He fought figurative battles throughout the remainder of his life in the Marine Corps Reserve and the Veterans Administration, and through service to Gold Star Families, as the 35-year Chaplain of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, and through preaching the Word of God. He faithfully served people, his country, and his magnificent Lord and Saviour. And he did so with faith, dedication, strength and courage.

Last week’s PLUS post was about the heritage of our noble ancestry (https://prayatlunch.us/the-heritage-of-noble-ancestry/). In it, my closing line was the following: “May we honor and build upon the powerful heritage of our noble ancestry.” If you are struggling to find a personification of our noble ancestry, please direct your gaze to Woody Williams. There you will find strength and courage so that you can better serve people, our country, and our magnificent Lord and Saviour.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD SERVE WITH STRENGTH AND COURAGE AS WE ARE MOTIVATED BY THE POWERFUL HERITAGE OF OUR NOBLE ANCESTRY.

Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.”

Hebrews 11:1-3 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were made of things which do appear.”

As we come to the end of the July 4^th week, it is important to look back on the source of our freedom and the core of our national strength. Eighty years ago, as world war ravaged the planet and as young Americans were deployed in heavy combat in every corner of the globe, Pastor Lynd Esch wrote these powerful thoughts about our Godly heritage while providing a stern warning if we were to ever wander from our firm foundation (from “Strength for Service”):

“One of the really great heritages of the American people is the heritage of noble ancestry. It is with a spirit of just pride that we point to their achievements in the growth and development of our democracy. They blazed a new trail in the wilderness; this was done, not only with their axes as they carved roadways across the continent from the eastern seaboard to the Pacific Ocean, but also with their freedom-loving minds. They blazed a new trail with mind and heart as they laid the firm foundation for our ‘land of the free and home of the brave.’

We must never lose sight of the fact that these men whom we honor were enabled to do great deeds because they had great faith. Their faith was in God. Belief in a God of justice and righteousness, a God of mercy and love, moved them to heroic deeds in the cause of freedom and liberty.

If we would preserve, extend, and perpetuate the ideals for which our fathers gave their all, then we too must be inspired by faith in their God. If the day should ever come when we should lose our fathers’ God, if enough of the people of our land should definitely turn aside from His teaching, then we would we also lose our own and our children’s freedom. May the God of our fathers inspire our lives to loyal service in protecting their ideals for those who shall come after us.”

We must be moved to heroic deeds for the cause of freedom and liberty today. If we are to preserve, extend, and perpetuate the ideals for which our fathers gave their all, then we too must be inspired by a faith in their God and His principles of justice, righteousness, love and mercy.

PLEASE PRAY FOR TODAY’S AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO DO GREAT DEEDS BECAUSE WE EMPLOY GREAT FAITH. May the God of our fathers inspire loyal service in protecting our nation’s ideals for those who come after us. May we honor and build upon the powerful heritage of our noble ancestry.

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

No, you were not directed to the wrong link, nor were you sent the wrong message. No, I haven’t lost track of time and forgotten that we have just started summertime and are far from the winter season. No, I have not lost my mind and mixed up holidays. And yes, I am intentionally publishing a Christmas message in early July during the Independence Day weekend. I do so on good authority.

President John Quincy Adams said the following in 1837:

“Is it not that, in the chain of events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity and gave the world the first irrevocable pledge of the fulfillment of the prophecies announced directly from Heaven at the birth of the Savior and predicted by the greatest of the Hebrew prophets 600 years before.”

Our nation is fundamentally tied to Christianity, and our nation’s birth is indissolubly linked to the birthday of our Saviour. Our cornerstone of human government, the Declaration of Independence, is laid upon the first precepts of Christianity. Our founding document is a social compact that is an intentional extension of the Redeemer’s mission. Thus, Independence Day is a time to rightfully celebrate Christmas Day. The fireworks of the 4^th of the July illuminate the powerful truth that Christ’s birth is inscribed on our national character.

DURING THIS WEEKEND THAT CELEBRATES OUR NATION’S BIRTH, PLEASE REFLECT ON ITS LINK TO OUR SAVIOUR’S BIRTH, AND PRAY FOR OUR NATION AND OUR LEADERS. We must always remember that the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior, and use this truth to motivate us to individually and collectively pursue the Redeemer’s mission.

Hebrews 12:1-3 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

Several years ago, I decided that I needed to learn how to scuba dive. I signed up for a class that included a natural learning progression of classroom academics, a swimming pool dive, a small lake dive, and a concluding open-water dive. All was going well, until the final checkout off the coast of North Carolina.

Before that trip, our instructor recommended that we take some medication to avoid motion sicknesses. After all, the dive site was an hour away from the shore and the weather conditions were expected to provide a bumpy boat ride out to the point where we entered the water. I was an active fighter pilot, with no problems with motion sickness during a career of bumps, twists, turns, rolls, and loops. Thus, I scoffed at his recommendation.

Indeed, it was bumpy on the way out to the dive site, but nothing my iron stomach couldn’t handle. All I needed to do was maintain a gaze on the stable horizon and I stayed oriented and well. But, at some point as we approached our destination, we were directed to don our full scuba gear. At the moment I looked down to pull up my suit, I started mentally tumbling. I recovered by shifting my gaze back to the horizon, but the damage to my stomach had been done.

Please note, I never got actively sick. But, I was miserable the rest of the day. And, while I completed the dive and received my full qualification, I have never had the stomach to return to the water to try it again.

God provides us trusted stability in our lives, in spite of the bumpy ride that we all face. During the race we are called to run, we are to do so with patience and with a gaze firmly fixed on the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and for ever. On our behalf, He endured the cross and despised the shame. And, regardless of whether we seem to have an iron stomach and a stable orientation, a slight glance away from the Horizon may cause us to tumble and never truly recover from the damage that is done.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO NEVER TAKE OUR GAZE OFF OF CHRIST. In a world of bumps, twists, turns, rolls and loops, we are rely on the sure and steady Horizon that is Christ Himself.

Please see the following for another example of the importance of a fixed gaze on Christ:

Garbage Can Casualties

I Peter 2:1-3 “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby; If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

Hebrews 12:14-15 “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled”

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Galatians 5:22-24 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against which there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

There is so much to be concerned with in our lives and in the world around us. There are plenty of reasons to be anxious, concerned, shocked, angered, and embittered. We have been wronged, we have been maligned, and we have been marginalized. We have been underappreciated and we have been unsupported.

We could respond with malice, guile, hypocrisies, envies, and evil speakings. We could be troubled by bitterness and defiled by an attitude of revenge. Our energy could be sapped and our effectiveness could be subdued. But, God has a far better plan! It is the path that Christ followed as He endured the cross and despised the shame.

The Lord directs us to keep our gaze focused on Him, regardless of the plentiful distractions that would otherwise divert it. He wanted us to grow through the milk of His Word. He calls us towards holiness and peace with all men. He recommends that we lay aside all the weights that are hindering our forward progress.

And, He seeks for us to enjoy the rich fruits of the Spirit that taste and nourish far better than the bitter morsels offered by secular society.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AS AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WE WOULD FOLLOW A CHRISTLIKE RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE IN OUR DAILY LIVES. The rich fruits of the Christian life come from a counter-cultural, Christ-like response to adversity.