God's Promises for American Heroes

[Soldier4Christ]

Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto

by Chaplain Wood

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.

One of the things drilled into me in Ranger school was always having a Ranger buddy. No matter what you did, you always did it with your Ranger buddy. Heaven help you if a ranger instructor caught you in the chow line, cleaning your weapon, or even running to the latrine by yourself. The benefits are obvious. But in the faith there is the one additional benefit of having your buddy with you, the presence of the living God. It doesn't mean He's not there when we are alone. But there is some added experience of His presence when we are with brothers and sisters in the faith. Don't be the Lone Ranger.

[Soldier4Christ]

Pay Day

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

    I remember my first earned wages as a Private in 1977. $360. I thought to myself, ‘I'm rich!’ Although I managed to spend it pretty quickly it still seemed like a lot of money to me at the time. I had the opposite reaction when I learned in the Bible what my wages were going to be for my many wrong doings. DEATH! I was bummed. But through God's grace He didn't leave us there. He gives us a gift we don't deserve. He cancels out the debt of death through His Son's own payment on the cross. All we have to do is endorse the check with our faith.

[Soldier4Christ]

A Little Book Learnin’

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, [17] so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

SFC Ramsey was a stickler for perfection. He wanted to make sure every ‘i’ was dotted and every ‘t’ was crossed when it came to tactics. He made us read field manuals (FM), books, journals, history, and Combat Lessons Learned. We read until our eyes fell out. But by the time his ranger instructors hit the ground they were ready to teach from a broad base of knowledge. As Christians we look to the Bible for instructions and guidance. It's our FM-1.

[Soldier4Christ]

Is Here By Promoted to...

John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

My promotion to Master Sergeant was by far my most exciting promotion. It was almost the top of the NCO chain. My commanders, MAJ Bowline and GEN Diaz, pinned the rank. And the good old Sergeant Major pounded 'em in. But what if I'd said, ‘Thanks for promoting me but I don't want to wear the stripes. I don't want to receive this promotion. I acknowledge the pay, responsibility, and honor. I intellectually acknowledge this promotion.’ Would I be promoted just because I had come to recognize the promotion or do I have to receive it? Of course I have to be willing to pin those stripes on. The same goes for our faith in Christ. It must go beyond an intellectual assent. We must receive the gift of forgiveness and eternal life by trusting in Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Good Intel

1 John 5:11-13 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. [13] I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.


As a Reconnaissance Platoon Sergeant I spent a lot of time on the radio with the Battalion S2 (Intelligence Officer) and the Battalion Commander, ‘Smoken Joe’ Kinzer. The things they didn't want to hear when we called in our SALUTE Reports was, ‘I think...’ or ‘I guess...’ No, they wanted the cold hard facts and RECON was committed to getting them. You know we don't have to wonder whether or not we are going to Heaven. We don't have to say, ‘I think I'm going’ or ‘I guess I'm going.’ You can KNOW for sure. He who has the Son has life. Now that's good Intel.

[Soldier4Christ]

Holy Airborne

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I've said a C-130 aircraft is the best chapel ever built and being a paratrooper is a very religious profession. There are more sincere prayers offered up to God before a parachute drop on Thursday than there are in church on Sunday. Why? Because we want God's protection. And according to this passage of Scripture He delivers. Fear is the platform on which the bricks of courage are laid and God is the cement. Is something causing fear in your life? Remember, He is with you, wherever you may be.

[Soldier4Christ]

Son Beams

Lamentations 3:22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

It would be a long cold night in the field and finally the ‘Great Heat Tab in the Sky’ would come up. As that big fireball rose in the blue it's heated beams would break their way through the trees. We would find ourselves migrating to the sunspots on the ground to bask in the warmth and shake the chill from the night before. It’s just one of those little treats that all suffering soldiers know. God's love is a lot like that. Morning after morning we can stand in the SON beams of His love that come breaking through the circumstances of life and warm our very souls.

[Soldier4Christ]

FOLLOW ME

Matthew 4:19 ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’

Being assigned to the 5th Ranger Training Battalion under the headquarters of Ft. Benning, Home of the Infantry, I wore the 'Follow Me' patch. It's a blue shield with a sword and the words 'Follow Me.' Most people didn't like the patch because it meant you were assigned to a training unit with a lot less unit heraldry than a combat unit. But I liked it because it had another meaning for me. As a Christian, it reminded me of my mission. I was to follow Christ and to live my life by the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God, Ephesians 6:17). It's good to have a reminder of our Christian mission sewn on your shoulder, to follow Him and to recruit others to the faith.

[Soldier4Christ]

ON RAPPEL

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

The tensile strength of a climbing rope is about 3000 lb. The strength of a snap-link is about 500 lb. These are the numbers we gave to the Air Assault students before they rappelled from the 30 ft. tower. There were two kinds of students. Those who were a little nervous but trusted the rope and snap-link to hold them, and there were those who were terrified that the rope or snap-link would break and you had to pry them off the tower with a crow bar. This lack of faith can be paralyzing. Of course, the parallel can be easily seen in the spiritual realm as well. What's God's tensile strength? INFINITY. He can hold you.

[Soldier4Christ]

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

Hebrews 2:18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

One of the greatest advantages I have in my ministry to soldiers is my prior enlisted time. I've raked pine needles and piled rocks as a private. I've had to lead my buddies as a newly promoted SGT. I've had the leadership challenges that come with leading a 32 man platoon as a PSG. I've been cold, wet, and hungry. Yup, I've been there and done that. And soldiers appreciate someone who has walked a mile in their boots. But God has too. He came to earth as a man. He showed us that He had to endure hunger, sadness, temptation, pain, and yes, even death. He's walked a mile in our boots. He knows what we're going through. We can trust Him because we know He's been there, done that.

[Soldier4Christ]

THREE THINGS THAT’LL GETCHA

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of his eyes and the boastful pride of life is not from the Father but from the world.

As a soldier I have discovered three things that don't go well with the warrior lifestyle: Insubordination, Laziness, and Comfort. It seems that the soldier who can't steer clear of these three won't make it. It's counter to the culture and they'll getcha. Similarly, there are three things that'll getcha in the Christian life: the lust of the flesh, the lust of his eyes, and the boastful pride of life. We have to master our bodies and our desire for material things. We have to be careful not get a big head and forget that God deserves the glory. Concentrate on mastering these three and you'll be a good soldier in Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

PRIORITIES OF WORK

Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

In setting up any defensive perimeter you must establish the priorities of work. This is a logical order of tasks to ensure the defense is established in a secure and effective manner. If the priorities of work are out of order you can have confusion, wasted time and resources, and potentially the loss of life. In the Christian life it's the same. Our first priority is to seek God's kingdom and His righteousness. If we put this task anywhere but at the top of the list we will be hindered in all other tasks. What's your top priority?

[Soldier4Christ]

ROCK STEADY

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

As we run in formation we may hear someone calling jodies and hear the term ‘rock steady.’ I love that term because that's the way I'm supposed to live my life. But this doesn't only pertain to the military. It also has a lot to do with living the faith. We, as Christians, can't afford to be weak or wimpy. We've got to give it our best everyday. God's given us our marching orders for the day. Are we hardcore about completing the assignments or do we snivel and fall out? Never Quit! Rock Steady for Christ!

[Soldier4Christ]

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

We were at the NTC and it was time for the arduous task of fixing, cleaning, and turning in vehicles. As I walked through the motor pool talking to troops and passing out ice-cold sodas, I saw CPT Bertenneti. Now, to see a Captain in the motor pool was not rare, but to see one covered in grease and oil, armpit deep in the engine compartment is another thing. As I talked to the guys in Headquarters Company it was evident they really admired their commander. The good captain did not spend more that a couple of hours playing mechanic, but it sure made an impression on his men. As leaders we have a lot to do but it pays great dividends when we will occasionally pitch in on the mundane stuff our warriors do day in and day out. Christ did it and so can you.

[Soldier4Christ]

THE LAW OF GIVING

Proverbs 3:9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

One of the things chaplains get stingy with is their vehicle. First, they have to be lucky enough to have one and then they have to be like a pit bull to keep it from being taken away. Another thing chaplain's vehicles are know for is being poorly maintained. I took a lot of pride in the fact that not only did I have a vehicle but kept it in great shape. One day SGM Fleenor asked me if he could have one of my windshield wipers. WHAT? Everything in me wanted to say NO but I remembered the law of giving. When you give, you receive. So with great reluctance I gave him one of my two windshield wiper blades. From that moment on the SGM flooded me with things I needed. He gave me a radio for my vehicle, a man to help me when my chaplain assistant got sick, different supplies, and the list goes on and on. All for one windshield wiper blade. When you give, it comes back. That's the law of giving.