PLUS

James 1:12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.”

Hebrews 10:36 “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”

Sir Douglas Bader lived a life of passion and perseverance highlighted during his honorable service in the British Royal Air Force.  Already an accomplished pilot and aerobatics champion, Bader experienced a horrible crash on December 14, 1931.  While he escaped with his life, he had both legs amputated and had his promising flight career cut short.  His simple logbook entry for that day was: “Crashed slow-rolling near ground.  Bad show.”  Though he fought hard to remain on flying status, his repeated requests and attempts were denied.

All of this changed in 1939 when war concerns swept through Europe.  Bader, who had regained his strength, who had demonstrated skill on his artificial legs, and who had worked tirelessly to convince the authorities that he was valuable to the British cause was finally successful; the Royal Air Force called him to return to service.  Bader reported immediately for flying duty, and quickly was asked to employ his skill against the Germans.  Before being shot down in 1941 over occupied Europe, Bader had achieved 22 confirmed solo aerial victories and had participated brilliantly in the Battle of Britain and other decisive portions of early World War II.  Even as a prisoner of war, Bader made so many escape attempts that the Germans threatened to take away his artificial legs and eventually housed him in a camp with the highest levels of security.

Douglas Bader’s story is one of resilience in spite of all challenges.  Though situations looked bleak at times, Bader’s dogged perseverance enabled him to fully recover and live up to his historic potential. Frankly, he was able to regain a level of amazing usefulness to the cause because he refused to give up. Fortunately for the Royal Air Force and the British, they eventually recognized that Bader should be given a second chance to serve his country.  They would have overlooked a hero if they had continued to dismiss him and his amazing courage, talent, and skill.  As a result of their recognition of his value and worth, he returned to serve with valor and distinction.

No matter how bleak things may look in 21^stCentury secular culture, we are to never give up.  It may be our dogged perseverance that will enable us to fully recover and live up to our historic potential.  Our amazing usefulness to the cause may only be revealed if we refuse to ever give up, and if we serve with steady and consistent valor and distinction. Similarly, we must never give up on those who are around us.  We may overlook a hero if we dismiss those who have crashed and fallen.

PLEASE PRAY FOR A GOD-GIVEN PERSEVERANCE THAT CAN IMPACT OUR WORLD IN SPITE OF THE OBSTACLES WE FACE. May our story be one of resilience in spite of all challenges.

Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”

Proverbs 25:11 “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”

A few weeks ago, Representative-elect Dan Crenshaw was mocked on Saturday night live. Specifically, Dan was taunted for his appearance – primarily stemming from the eye-patch he wears as the result of a wartime injury during duty as a Navy SEAL.  Clearly, such jabs are inappropriate and distasteful.

How did hero and soon-to-be-Congressman Crenshaw respond?  He didn’t retaliate.  He didn’t escalate the rhetoric.  He didn’t plan to get even.  He didn’t even vociferously demand an apology.  Instead, he used it as a teachable moment.  He went on Saturday Night Live to make peace with those who attacked him.  He also authored an opinion piece in the Washington post about forgiveness and reconciliation (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/i-made-amends-with-pete-davidson-on-snl-but-thats-only-the-beginning/2018/11/13/e7314fb0-e77e-11e8-b8dc-66cca409c180_story.html?utm_term=.4406f31371ae).  He even made fun of himself along the way.  He wasn’t weak for doing so, in fact, just the opposite.  He demonstrated a rare strength in an environment that he calls an “outrage culture.”  His soft answer turned away wrath.

You and I live in a culture surrounded by outrage and wrath.  Sometimes it is even directed towards us.  As Congressman Crenshaw reminds us, we “when all else fails, try asking for forgiveness, or granting it.”  Everyone doesn’t “have to fan the flames of outrage.”  In fact, we shouldn’t.  Christ certainly didn’t (https://prayatlunch.us/love-your-enemies/).

PLEASE PRAY THAT THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO OUR OUTRAGE CULTURE IS DIFFERENT AND DISTINCT.  A strong testimony demands that our response be Christlike.  Following an attack, don’t fan the flames of outrage.  Instead, try asking for forgiveness, or granting it.

Matthew 15:8 “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”

There is no more ironic and sad juxtaposition on the American calendar than Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday.  Just hours after Americans finish their prayers of thankfulness and contentment, we wrestle with one another to get our hands on those things we think will bring us happiness as we seek to fill the voids in our lives.  Wiping away the tiredness of our post-dinner coma, we wake up early because we are concerned that we will miss out on the things that will finally satisfy us.  With the taste of turkey dinners still on our taste buds, we look to consume more and more. In one moment we are honoring God with our lips, and the next we are cursing those who cut us off in the parking lot.  In doing so, we reveal that our hearts are far from Him.  American Christians are guilty of the same.

A day of thanksgiving provides us the perfect springboard into the Christmas season as we prepare to celebrate and commemorate the perfect gift – the birth of our Savior. Unfortunately, we negate this opportunity when we rush out the door in the middle of the night, leaving our thankfulness and contentment behind, to find those things that we hope will satisfy us during this season.  All the while, it is thankfulness and contentment to the Lord that are the only things that will actually satisfy.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICANS TO EMBRACE A SPIRIT OF THANKFULNESS AND CONTENTMENT THROUGHOUT THE CHRISTMAS SEASON.  May we draw nigh unto God with not just our mouths, but with our hearts also.

For a related thought from five years ago, please see:  https://prayatlunch.us/contentment/

II Chronicles 6:40 “Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.”

II Chronicles 7:1 “Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.”

Psalm 92:1 “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High”

In the nation’s first year under the Constitution, 1789, President Washington directed a day of prayer and thanksgiving (see:  https://prayatlunch.us/thanksgiving/).  This special observance was encouraged by Congress based on the following resolution from September 25, 1789:

“That a joint committee of both Houses be directed to wait upon the President of the United States, to request that he would recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a Constitution of government for their safety and happiness.”

An argument for the resolution included the following historical model:  “the solemn thanksgivings and rejoicings which took place in the time of Solomon after the building of the temple”

It is indeed a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises to His name.  He is the Most High!

It is also fully legal for those in government to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises to His name.  After all, the resolution above was approved on the exact same day as the Congressional approval of the wording for the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Yes, our founders who crafted the Bill of Rights passionately and publicly gave thanks and praise to our Almighty God.  So must we!

PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD PASSIONATELY AND PUBLICLY GIVE THANKS AND PRAISE TO OUR ALMIGHTY GOD!

Judges 17:6 “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

II Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Lieutenant General Harold “Hal” Moore was a decorated and famous member of the United States Army. He was the first member of his West Point class to be promoted to 1-star, 2-star, and 3-star General.  The popular book and movie We Were Soldiers Once … And Young colorfully detailed his role as a Lieutenant Colonel and as the commanding officer of the 1^stBattalion, 7^thCalvary Regiment in the first major battle involving the American military during the Vietnam War.  This week-long battle, starting on November 14^th, 1965, saw innovations in warfare including the first-ever helicopter air assault, but its mixed outcome may have convinced the leadership of North Vietnam that they could ultimately defeat the Americans in a prolonged and bloody conflict.

In We Were Soldiers Once … And Young, Moore offers his overarching thoughts on American history and culture.  He boldly stated: “There were two great tragedies in the twentieth century.  One was the decline of morality in our country. The second was the war in Vietnam. It was an unnecessary war.”  What a telling and thought-provoking comparison on this Veteran’s Day weekend and 53^rdanniversary of the start of that conflict!

Over 58,000 American servicemen died in that “unnecessary war.”  Additionally, over 200,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died and over one million North Vietnamese military members perished.  Finally, over two million civilians died during the conflict.  Yet, according to Moore, the decline of morality in our country is equivalent to all of that.  Even if he is only partly correct in this powerful statement, then Christian Americans must awake and act.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AN IMMEDIATE AND REMARKABLE REVERSAL OF THE MORAL DECLINE OF AMERICA.  May our faithfulness, our prayerfulness, our humility, our repentance and our godly passion reverse the tragedy involved in the moral decline of our nation.