II Timothy 2:3 “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 6:13 “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.”
Joshua 1:9 “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, nether be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
II Timothy 4:7 “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith”
As World War II in Europe was coming to a close in the spring of 1945, British leaders at RAE Farnborough realized that they needed to mobilize in order to acquire notable German aviation technology for subsequent Allied use and to prevent the Russians from doing the same. British Royal Navy test pilot Lieutenant Eric “Winkle” Brown was named the commanding officer of the Enemy Aircraft Flight and was tasked with leading the British contingent on their mission into Germany. Winkle’s team entered the rubble of post-war Germany in the spring of 1945 to collect the Luftwaffe’s best technology as Allied ground forces gained German territory. In this chaotic environment, Winkle would fly all types of German aircraft, mostly flown with little documentation or training.
Lieutenant Brown’s experiences as the war was ending were extremely unique in an unpredictable environment. During this period, Winkle and his team flew to Denmark to exploit Germany’s jet reconnaissance bomber, the Arado 234B. Based on Army intelligence, he expected Allied occupation of Grove Airfield where the Arados were based. Unbeknownst to him, the Allies were slow in their advance and Winkle’s landing at Grove was instead at an active German airfield. Fortunately, the German commanding officer surrendered to him upon arrival and Winkle controlled the airfield and its 2,000 men until Allied ground troops arrived the next day.
Brown’s experience seems to be the opposite of many of today’s Christians. Instead of pushing the boundaries on the front lines of the conflict that is swirling all around us, we prefer to stay safely and passively in the rear. We are comfortable and content in letting others engage in the fight while we are relatively secure away from any attacks. As we sit in the comforts of disengagement, we wonder why we are collectively losing ground and are somehow surprised that the battle lines are quickly closing in on us.
PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO WILLINGLY FIND OUR WAY TO THE FRONT LINES OF THE CONFLICT IN WHICH WE ARE ENGAGED IN TODAY’S SOCIETY. If we do so, we may be pleasantly surprised to see an adversary who is willing to surrender.
