Fighting For Souls
Many have seen the 2016 historical movie, Hacksaw Ridge. It tells the story of Private Desmond Doss, a Seventh Day Adventist pacifist, who found a way to answer the call to serve in WWII without ever carrying a gun. Believing in the sanctity of human life, and committed to the victory of the allied forces, Desmond enlisted to play his part in the war against the evil Axis powers as a battlefield medic.
He suffered much abuse for his stand of faith, but he stuck to his guns (excuse the pun). He went to the front lines without a gun, and entered into one of the worst fights the Allied Army faced in the Battle of Okinawa. The Allied Army had to withdraw in the first engagement, having faced a strong enemy, and suffered multiple casualties.
As night fell and darkness covered the area, Private Doss stayed on the battlefield while Japanese soldiers roamed through the carnage, shooting wounded survivors. Doss crawled around looking for these survivors and one by one dragged them off that mountain, and let them down the side of the cliff, ultimately saving 75 soldiers who would have otherwise died horrible deaths!
As he crawled around he prayed, Lord, give me one more, just one more. And if that wasn’t enough, Doss suffered a left arm fracture from a sniper's bullet while being carried back to Allied lines, and at one point had seventeen pieces of shrapnel embedded in his body after attempting to kick a grenade away from himself and his comrades.
He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Okinawa.
*Actual photo of Doss receiving his medal of honor from President Harry Truman, October 12, 1945.
Private Doss believed in the sanctity of human life, and the value of every soul. When we step into the fight of faith, God fights on our behalf and gives us victory and fruitfulness.
“Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them. For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory” (Deuteronomy 20:4, BSB).
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12, NIV).
"This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God" (Chronicles 20:15, BSB).
How Does Your Garden Grow?
As the pastor of two churches I've always wanted to have a garden, but somehow most springs I do not find the time to till the soil and get one planted, so out in back of the parsonage is a plot of ground of wonderfully fertile soil, which is growing nothing but a nice crop of weeds.
I used this garden to teach my son an important lesson. The conversation went something like this. "Son, is my garden growing a crop?"
"No Dad, nothing got planted in the garden again this year."
"You're right, but look again. Is the garden growing anything?"
"Well, yes," came the reply, "It is growing weeds."
"Exactly!" I said, "And, if good things are not intentionally planted in your life, by nature, you too will only grow a nice crop of weeds."
Since the fall of Adam, every person is born into this world with a sinful nature. That means we are only capable of producing a crop of weeds. However, we can all produce a good crop with the help of Christ, the sower of "good seed."
"He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;" (Matthew 13:37)
A Starbucks Prayer
I volunteered to feed a group of 49 high school boys for four weeks as we toured across the United States. Needless to say, this required endless visits to Sam's Clubs and Costcos. And the visits were always rushed, involving multiple carts and a lot of grabbing things off the aisle, moving as fast as I could towards check out. There seemed to never be enough time and there was always the very real possibility that in my rush, I would forget something important and the meal would be a disaster.
Sometimes I find myself approaching my prayer life in this fashion. Always hurried, including as much and as many people as possible, with the nagging feeling that something or someone may be left out; rushing for check out so I can begin the work.
Instead of Costco or Sam's Club, maybe our prayer time should be more like a visit to Starbucks with a friend; a time to develop a relationship. After all, Christ didn't ask the disciples to pray for Him or a hundred other concerns. Rather, He told them it was the time they spent with Him, abiding with Him, that would bear the most fruit.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).