PLUS

II Timothy 2:22 “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

Genesis 39:11-12 “And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.  And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.”

II Samuel 11:2-3a “And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.  And David sent and enquired after the woman.”

I recently came across this stunning though not surprising thought in the book Atomic Habits: “When scientists analyze people who appear to have tremendous self-control, it turns out those individuals aren’t all that different from those who are struggling.  Instead, ‘disciplined’ people are better at structuring their lives in a way that does not require willpower and self-control.  In other words, they spend less time in tempting situations.”

Discipline comes largely through structure and intentionality, not solely through some personally-manufactured willpower and self-control in the spur of the moment.  As soon as Joseph saw he was in a bad situation, he fled.  In contrast, when David saw he was in a tempting situation, he lingered.  In many ways, we are a product of our surroundings – those with whom we spend time and those things with which we surround ourselves. 

If you want to start a disciplined process in your life, schedule it and structure your life and your surroundings around it; linger on it.  If you want to eradicate an undisciplined process in your life, structure your life and your surroundings to avoid it; flee from it.  In these ways, we can better strive towards lives characterized by righteousness, faith, charity, and peace.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO EXPRESS DISCIPLINE BY STRUCTURING DISCIPLINE INTO OUR LIVES.  Tremendous self-control, for clinging to the good and avoiding the bad, comes largely through intentional structure designed to live life with a pure heart.

Luke 2:8-14 “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

The world’s first text simply stated “Merry Christmas”.  The world’s first telegraph post transmitted a Bible message:

What Hath God Wrought I

What Hath God Wrought II

On Christmas Eve, 1906, the world’s first radio broadcast brought a Christmas program to ships at sea.  This revolutionary transmission passed on a hearty Christmas greeting, complete with a reading of the Bible and the playing of the classic “Oh Holy Night.”  Across the air waves, the magnificence of God’s Christmas message was transmitted to common voyagers in the Atlantic Ocean.  They received good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  They heard the life-changing, eternity-shaping, joy-filled message – Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.  The glorious news was all about the birth of a Saviour, Christ the Lord!

On the first Christmas, the shepherds heard such a transmission too, meant for common voyagers like them.  It was passed on by a multitude of the heavenly host declaring good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  It was a life-changing, eternity-shaping, joy-filled message – Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.  The glorious news was all about the birth of a Saviour, Christ the Lord!

Regardless of the medium – text, telegraph, radio, or proclamation by a multitude of the heavenly host – the truth is life-changing, eternity-shaping, and joy-filled.  It is the entire reason for the Christmas season, and the entire rationale for the swelling joy in the heart of a Christian.  It is meant for common voyagers, just like us and those around us.  It is news that should cause us to rejoice and that we should retransmit. 

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO JOYFULLY PRAISE GOD FOR THE BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOUR.  Christ the Lord – a message for common voyagers everywhere!

Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

Jeremiah 33:3 “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

Legendary test pilot Brigadier General Chuck Yeager passed away a few days ago at the age of 97.  General Yeager embodied and personified the characteristics of a fighter pilot, in all the good ways and in all the bad ways.  In his autobiography, “Yeager,” a coworker described it this way: “Fighter pilots are the most egotistical bunch in the business.  But flight test fighter pilots are a couple of orders of magnitude higher than that.”  Though Yeager didn’t particularly like the term ‘the right stuff’, he had it, either through experience or by birth.

Interestingly enough, Yeager didn’t start out with a life that telegraphed fame and glory.  In fact, as he entered military service slightly before the beginning of World War II, he questioned his own abilities to rise through the ranks because of his very humble West Virginian upbringing and notable lack of formal education.  He even got airsick on his first few flights, stumbling through the beginnings of his career.  Yet, he went on to break a slew of aviation records and became known as the quintessential test pilot and the first to exceed the speed of sound.   

Some of us may start out life with a humble upbringing.  Some of us may be concerned about our notable lack of formal education.  Some of us may stumble at the beginning, or even in the middle, of our careers.  Yet, it is amazing to consider what God may have in store for us.  After all, He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.  He can do great and mighty things which we know not. 

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO LIVE TRUSTING GOD’S POWER TO OVERCOME ALL OF OUR INADEQUACIES.  While we may not live our lives beyond Mach 1 like Yeager did, we can still be used in ways we couldn’t even imagine.

II Corinthians 5:20 “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

Colossians 3:1-2 “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”

Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

In “The Back Channel”, Ambassador William Burns tells the following story:

“When I was a junior diplomat, George Shultz used to invite outbound U.S. ambassadors into his office for a farewell chat.  He would walk over to a large globe near his desk (which many years later I had in my own office as deputy secretary) and ask each ambassador to point to ‘your country.’  Invariably, the ambassador would put a finger on the country of her and his assignment.  Shultz would then gently move their finger across the globe to the United States – making the not-so-subtle point that diplomats should always remember who they represent and where they come from.  Not a bad lesson to reinforce today.”

Perspective is everything for ambassadors and diplomats.  While these professionals are immersed in a climate and culture of a foreign land, and strive to build relationships and develop mutual understanding with foreign officials, they are there for a very specific reason and purpose.  A diplomat must always be mindful that they serve and represent their homeland.  They are away from home to meet the objectives and goals of the place of their citizenship.  There will be opportunities in their efforts for pathways of mutual benefit, but the goals of their sending land should always reign supreme in their minds. 

We are ambassadors for Christ, and our perspective is critically important.  While we are immersed in a climate and culture of a foreign land, and strive to build relationships and develop mutual understanding with those around us, we are here for a very specific reason and purpose.  We must always be mindful that we serve and represent our homeland in heaven.  We are away from our heavenly home to meet the objectives and goals of the place of our citizenship.  There will be opportunities in our efforts for pathways of mutual benefit, but the goals of our sending land should always reign supreme in our minds. 

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO SET OUR AFFECTIONS ON THINGS ABOVE.  We must always remember who we represent and where we come from!

John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Ephesians 6:12-13 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rules of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

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

America is in the midst of a spiritual battle.  We struggle against a devil who is seeking to devour us.  We wrestle against spiritual wickedness that is looking to bring us to our knees.  We contend with a thief who is striving to steal, to kill, and to destroy.  The solution is to soberly and vigilantly return to a Christ-centered foundation dressed in a spiritual attire characterized by the whole armour of God.  The Lord desires for us to enjoy a fulfilling, fruitful, and abundant life, and in the midst of our challenges, it is wise to reflect upon the broader perspective.

I recently read The American Spirit by renowned author and historian David McCullough.  There are a few uplifting thoughts that I think will encourage you as you fight the good fight against a determined spiritual adversary who seeks to destroy us:

• “With the hope that what I have had to say will help remind us, in this time of uncertainty and contention, of just who we are and what we stand for, of the high aspirations that inspired our founders, of our enduring values, and the importance of history as an aid to navigation in such troubled, uncertain times.”

• “When he [Jefferson] wrote the Declaration of Independence he was speaking to the world then, but speaking to us also, across time. The ideas are transcendent, as is so much else that is bedrock to what we believe as a people, what we stand for, so many principles that have their origins here”

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO SOBERLY AND VIGILANTLY DON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD.  May we never forget that the thief seeks to steal, kill, and destroy.  We must resist him at every point, robed in God’s armour and encouraged by the faithfulness of our predecessors.