PLUS

Isaiah 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound”

On July 9^th, 1776, General George Washington ordered that the newly-signed Declaration of Independence be read to the American Continental Army.  On that evening on their parade grounds in New York City with the British Army closing in on them, 30,000 American soldiers heard those words proclaiming liberty and announcing separation from tyranny.

General Washington’s rationale for doing so was clearly described in his General Order from that day:

“The General hopes this important Event will serve as a fresh incentive to every officer, and soldier, to act with Fidelity and Courage, as knowing that now the peace and safety of his Country depends (under God) solely on the success of our arms: And that he is now in the service of a State, possessed of sufficient power to reward his merit, and advance him to the highest Honors of a free Country.”

Indeed, this proclamation had its intended impact.  Even on that same evening, a large statue of King George III was torn down in New York City and melted into bullets to add to the revolutionary arsenal.  Though it was several years before victory was ultimately achieved, the spark of freedom that was lit on that evening caused the sacred fires of liberty to burn within the hearts of every soldier warming their passions throughout the conflict.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SACRED FIRE OF LIBERTY TO BURN WITHIN YOU AS WE SERVE OUR NATION AND OUR SAVIOR. Like our forefathers, may we proclaim liberty to the captives in bondage around us while fighting our every battle with fidelity and courage.

I Corinthians 16:13 “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”

Psalm 37:23 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD:  and he delighteth in his way.”

Edmund Burke, the conservative British politician of the 18^thCentury and long term Member of Parliament, is often credited with the following: “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”  Regardless of who said this powerful and thought-provoking quote, it lists two things that are necessary to stop the triumphing of evil:

• We need good men
• We need them to act to counter evil

On this Father’s Day weekend, may we recognize the importance of being good men, acting against evil, cultivating good men, and prompting them to act against evil.

God directs us to watch – to diligently seek out the battles in which we are to engage.  He commands us to stand fast in faith – to act in an unwavering way in support of Biblical principles.  He orders us to quit like men – to live as Godly men in all ways and in all areas of our lives.  He encourages us to be strong.

Burke also reminds us of the following:

“When leaders chose to make themselves bidders at an auction of popularity, their talents, in the construction of the state, will be of no service.  They will become flatterers instead of legislators; the instruments, not the guides, of the people.”

Our steps are to be ordered by God, not by the dictates of popular society.  If we let culture order our steps instead, then we will be of no service to Him nor to our fellow man.    We will be flatterers and instruments instead of legislators and guides.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIAN MEN TO BE GOOD AND USEFUL.  If America is to have a hopeful future, we must be the good men that God intends for us to be and to act for Him against the evil around us.  American males – Quit You Like Men!

NOTE:  I will be taking the next two weeks off of posting to enjoy a much needed vacation.  Please keep praying daily and fervently for our nation and our leaders!

Psalm 126:1-3 “When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.  Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing:  then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.  The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.”

Early in the morning of May 10^th, 2018 three Americans stepped onto the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews to celebrate their freedom from brutal captivity in North Korea. They were met by the President and the Vice President, among others, and the freed prisoners gave Vice President Pence a small 3 x 5 notecard with Psalm 126:1-3 inscribed on the back.  That Psalm celebrated the freedom of the Israelites from their captivity in Babylon, and the release of Israelites was a dream come true.  Their mouths were filled with laughter and their tongues with singing.  They praised the Lord for the great things He had done for them, and they were glad.

These freed Americans felt the same way upon their release from North Korea, and happily praised God as they shared their testimonies with our Vice President.  He considered it a moment that he would never forget.

As our nation’s leaders meet in Singapore with the North Korean delegation this next week, may they remember that there are millions more who need to be freed from captivity. May these leaders also remember that they must rely upon the Lord Himself who is the One who can do truly great things for all of mankind.  He can turn away captivity and make dreams come true.  He can spread gladness that fills mouths with laughter and tongues with singing.

PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR NATION’S LEADERS AS THEY SHAPE THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION OF A WORLD IN BONDAGE. Through them this week, the Lord can do great things!

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

This week marks the 74^thanniversary of what is commonly known as D-Day, the Allied invasion of mainland Europe at the beaches of Normandy during World War II.  It was a daring, but necessary step towards victory against entrenched German forces.  It was also a finely choreographed military operation that ultimately saw over 120,000 Allied troops cross the English Channel on that day, June 6^th, 1944.

Such an operation required extensive planning and practice in utmost secrecy.  The Allies found a large area along the southern British coastline that closely matched the coast of Normandy, especially replicating the Utah Beach area, and had it carefully evacuated and sealed off from public view for the months leading up to the real invasion.  Here, at a place called Slapton Sands, the Allies performed practice invasions.

As a culmination of their practice, they designed an extensive week-long drill at the end of April 1944 that was named Exercise Tiger.  Unfortunately, during the early morning of April 28^th, 1944, a group of German torpedo boats stumbled across the exercise and brutalized the surprised and defenseless force.  On that morning, 749 Americans lost their lives, ironically more American lives than were lost on Utah Beach on the actual D-Day.

It is relatively easy to counter an adversary that we are expecting.  Yet, we are at our weakest when we are surprised because we are often defenseless.  The deadly experience at Slapton Sands provides a stark reminder of the importance of constant vigilance and enduring sobriety.  Like a group of German torpedo boats, our adversary is looking to sink our ships, destroy our lives, and devour us.

PLEASE PRAY THAT OUR LIVES WOULD BE CHARACTERIZED BY VIGILANCE AND SOBRIETY.  May we never be surprised and defenseless.

Joshua 4:3 “And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.”

Joshua 4:5-6 “That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?  Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off:  and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel forever.”

It is critical to remember the trials, struggles, sacrifices, and victories of the past. These things remind us of God’s amazing presence and power, humble us regarding our own frail weaknesses, and motivate us to live up to the faithfulness of our forefathers.  Our remembrance of Memorial Day provides us a prime time to reflect upon these timeless truths.

In the History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides from around 400 BC, an Athenian leader named Pericles delivers a speech as a part of the Athenian Memorial Day.

To the loved ones of the fallen, Pericles charges the following:

“Wherefore I do not now pity the parents of the dead who stand here; I would rather comfort them. You know that your dead have passed away amid manifold vicissitudes; and that they may be deemed fortunate who have gained their utmost honor, whether an honorable death like theirs, or an honorable sorrow like yours, and whose share of happiness has been so ordered that the term of their happiness is likewise the term of their life.”

We too must be comforted by the lasting honorable sacrifice of the fallen and the ongoing sacrifice of the sorrow we provide for their loss.

Additionally, Pericles goes on to talk about the impacts of the sacrifice of the fallen throughout their national history:

“I will speak first of our ancestors, for it is right and seemly that now, when we are lamenting the dead, a tribute should be paid to their memory. There has never been a time when they did not inhabit this land, which by their valor they will have handed down from generation to generation, and we have received from them a free state. But if they were worthy of praise, still more were our fathers, who added to their inheritance, and after many a struggle transmitted to us their sons this great empire. And we ourselves assembled here today, who are still most of us in the vigor of life, have carried the work of improvement further, and have richly endowed our city with all things, so that she is sufficient for herself both in peace and war.”

We too must pay a tribute to the memory of our forefathers.  After all, we have received a free state from them.  Motivated by their memory, we must carry on the work of steady and constant improvement to make our land sufficient for herself both in peace and war.

PLEASE PRAY TO BE HUMBLED, HONORED, AND MOTIVATED BY THE SACRIFICE OF OUR FOREFATHERS.  May we always uplift their sacrifice as an enduring memorial.