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Spiritual Lessons from the American Revolutionary War #2

7/5/2012

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(This is the second of a three part blog.) The American Revolutionary War (1775-1781) also called the American War of Independence or the Revolutionary War offers some spiritual lessons which I will present in three parts:
1.       Revolution, Declaration and Freedom
2.       Prisoners of War
3.       Allies and Enemies

During the first months of the war, the British were cautious in their treatment of prisoners, captured towns and countryside. The British had the challenge of fighting the war while building the allegiance of Loyalists (American colonists who remained loyal to and fought for Britain). They did not damage or destroy buildings, they did not ravage or burn the countryside and they treated prisoners well. They offered freedom to the captured soldiers if they either signed an oath to serve as soldiers for Britain or pledged not to return to battle as an opponent to Britain.

That policy changed as the brutality of war grew. Both sides gained and lost captured cities. The British held only a few places of strength for long, so locations for prisoners were limited. They used at least sixteen obsolete, captured or damaged ships as prisons for thousands of American soldiers and sailors. The conditions on the ships were appalling and many of these prisoners died from neglect; their corpses were often tossed overboard. More soldiers died aboard the infamous prison ships than died in battle. An estimated 25,000 American Revolutionaries died during the war; about 8,000 died in battle, about 7,000 deaths were from disease, and over 10,000 died aboard the prison ships.

There is an enemy on the shores of your life today that has a prison ship waiting for you. Perhaps you are already a prisoner on this ship. Once captured, you are invited to change allegiance from God – the giver of life to join sides with the devil – the destroyer of life. The ships bear the names of Doubt, Discouragement and Depression.


Hopelessness surrounds each prisoner like a heavy chain. Despair and neglect are two of the main guards holding people hostage. More people perish imprisoned on these prison ships than those who die in victory and freedom.

The modes of escape are simple, but bold.
#1 Jump ship. Leave the ship of death and board the ship of life by accepting the free gift of salvation offered by Jesus.
#2 Move from isolation to participation. Go to church every Sunday. Participate in a small group sharing your struggles and supporting others in their struggles.
#3 Eat. Reading the Bible, talking to the Lord, worshiping the Lord by giving your time treasure and talent brings spiritual nourishment to your spirit and soul.

Hebrews 2:14-16 (NIV1984)
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil — 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.


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Dependence Day

7/3/2012

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Tomorrow is the 4th of July celebrating our independence from England. It is a day to consider positions taken by our founding fathers regarding our dependence upon God.

“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religion but on the gospel of Jesus Christ."
-- Patrick Henry

"Do not let anyone claim tribute of American patriotism if they even attempt to remove religion from politics."
-- George Washington Farewell Address to Nation

 "The 1st amendment has created a wall of separation between church and state, but that wall is a one directional wall, it keeps the government from running the church, but it makes sure that Christian principles will always stay in government."
-- President Thomas Jefferson in an address to Danbury Baptists.

Joshua was a leader of Israel in the Old Testament. He was old and was passing the leadership to another. His farewell speech to the leaders contains an admonition to remain dependent upon God.

Joshua 23:6-11
6 “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. 7 Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. 8 But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.
9 “The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. 10 One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as He promised. 11 So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

Joshua 24:14-18
14 “Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our fathers up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because He is our God. ”

During your picnics, gatherings, fireworks and rocket’s red glare, remember our dependence upon God this Independence Day .


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Are You a Vexillologist?

6/14/2012

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I am not a vexillologist, nor do I know of any vexillologists, but maybe you are. I discovered the term while reading about the history of Flag Day. Vexillologists are those who study flags.

On this day, June 14 in 1777, the Continental Congress replaced the Grand Union Flag which was the unofficial national flag on July 4, 1776 Independence Day. The Grand Union Flag had 13 red and white stripes representing the original colonies. In the corner where our current flag has stars, this flag had the red cross of St. George of England and the white cross of Andrew of Scotland.

Tradition has Betsy Ross who sewed flags for the Pennsylvania Navy and for President George Washington as the maker of the first US flag. The new flag had 13 white stars in a circle on a field of blue and 13 red and white stripes - one for each state. The number of stars increased as new states entered the union. The number of stripes initially increased, but stopped at 15 and was later returned to 13.

Flag Day is celebrated on the anniversary of this new flag. Flag Day is a day to fly the American flag and reaffirm our belief in liberty, justice and unity for all.

Liberty, justice and unity are attributes of God and are ways He calls us to live individually and as a nation.
Leviticus 25:10

Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan.
Isaiah 56:1
This is what the LORD says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
Ephesians 4:3

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

This Flag Day raise the stars and stripes and continue to proclaim that we are “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

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The 11th Memorial Day

5/28/2012

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Today, we remember those who have fallen while serving our country. It is also a day to honor those currently serving to protect our nation. This is the 11th Memorial Day since the United States launched the Global War on Terror. There were 90,000 US troops in Afghanistan as of April of this year. The withdrawl plan marks the beginning of the end of a troop-intensive approach to the insurgency in that country.

A young soldier, First Lt. Dan Chanski  US Army, is on a brief leave from his post in Afghanistan. He made it in time to be present for the birth of his son, Jordon Joseph. His days of holding his wife and first child are numbered before he takes the long flight back into a very different world.  Dan is my niece, Melissa’s husband and our families are very proud of his commitment of service to our nation.

Today we remember the fallen, honor those who serve with our thanks and our prayers for peace.

1 Timothy 2:1-3 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.


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Remember

5/25/2012

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Memorial Day, traditionally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembering those who have fallen in our nation’s service. During my high school years, I would play taps at local cemeteries on Memorial Day where special services included a color guard and a 21 gun salute to honor the fallen.

In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

On Memorial Day the flag is raised to the top of the staff and then solemnly lowered to the half-staff position, where it remains until noon. It is then raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day.

The half-staff position remembers the more than one million men and women who gave their lives in service of their country. At noon their memory is raised by the living, who resolve not to let their sacrifice be in vain.

From http://www.militaryfactory.com/american_war_deaths.asp
“In its first 100 years of existence, over 683,000 Americans lost their lives, with the Civil War accounting for 623,026 of that total (91.2%). Comparatively, in the next 100 years, a further 626,000 Americans died through two World Wars and several more regional conflicts (World War 2 representing 65% of that total). “

The war among ourselves remains the most costly war America has ever fought.

The Bible records a stone that was placed as a war memorial, reminding the people that God had helped them defeat their enemies and to remain unified under His rule.

1 Samuel 17:12
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.”
( Ebenezer means “stone of help”.)

Conflicts within nations, businesses, organizations, churches, families and marriages continue to be the most costly. Our nation needs to have a stone of remembrance that God has helped us and will be our deliverer when we are unified under His rule.


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Mark's World and God's World

5/22/2012

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God’s world is so much different than my world. The way He chooses to do things is so much better than the way I do things.

In my world, if expectations are not met the consequences are negative. When our children were growing up, an unpleasant summertime activity was weeding the garden. There was a greater success if there was a specific reward when the weeding was complete. If the garden was weeded in the morning I would take them swimming, or some reward for their success.

If they breached the unwritten contract there would be a new contract without a reward and perhaps a punishment. Because they did not finish weeding, they were not going swimming and they had to clean their rooms instead.

God operates much differently.

Jeremiah 33:31-32

“The time is coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,”
declares the Lord.

Right now I would be holding my breath wondering what harder task is ahead because of failing to do what God wanted us to do in the first written contract or covenant. But God’s new covenant is BETTER than the old covenant. God begins to explain that the sacrifices will end because Jesus will be the perfect sacrifice for our sins on the cross. Jesus will be our High Priest whom we can have a relationship with God through, not just the priests in the temple. The Holy Spirit will be God’s guide in our minds and hearts.

Jeremiah 31:33-34
“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Instead of a more restrictive or punishing covenant, God gave us a SUPERIOR covenant. I am glad God is in charge and not me, because I need to operate more like God in my life.


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Why are taxes due on April 17?

4/16/2012

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There is a saying that there are only two things in life that are certain – death and taxes. Every April 15 income taxes must be filed. If the 15th falls on a Saturday or Sunday, taxes are due on Monday unless it is a holiday. This year taxes are due on Tuesday. Most calendars do not list Monday as a holiday. But is is.

Today, is Emancipation Day, established in 1862, by President Abraham Lincoln, which ended slavery in Washington DC bringing freedom to 3,100 individuals. The Compensated Emancipation Act was signed on April 16 and is a public holiday in Washington DC.

Historian C.R.Gibbs writes, “News of Lincoln’s action raced through the city. The joy in the District’s black community was dramatic and profound. One black District citizen wrote to a friend in Baltimore, “This indeed has been a happy day to me sights have I witnessed that I have anticipated.”
"He then described how he gave the happy news to two female friends of his, one of whom had an enslaved son:
When I entered they perceived that something was ahead and emmediately [sic] asked me “What’s the news?” The District’s free says I pulling out the “National Republic” and reading its editorial. When I had finished the chambermaid had left the room sobbing for joy. The slave women clapped her hands and shouted, left the house saying, “let me go and tell my husband that Jesus has done all things well.” While the cook who is free retired to another room to offer thanks for the blessing sent. Should I not feel glad to see so much rejoicing around me? Were I a drinker I would get on a Jolly spree today, but as a Christian I can but kneel in prayer and bless God for the privilege I’ve enjoyed this day….Would to God that the Law applied also to Baltimore but a little patience and all will be well.”

The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863, which immediately freed 50,000 slaves and applied to 3 million of the 4 million slaves in the United States at that time. Formal slavery did not become illegal until the end of the Civil War in 1865 which officially ended slavery in our country.

Declared freedom comes before full freedom. The prophet Isaiah, told about a Messiah coming to set people free centuries before Jesus came. All who believe and follow Jesus are set free, yet a fuller freedom happens when Jesus comes back and establishes His kingdom on earth.

Galatians 5:1  It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Celebrate three things today:
  1. An extra day to do taxes.
  2. The end of slavery in our country. 
  3. Freedom in Christ Jesus.

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    Mark Radeke

    Husband of one, father of five, pastor and friend of many.

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