Not Invincible

I learned the hard way to savor every opportunity for evangelism. Click here to read how God used a high school tragedy to shake me from apathy and show me that although I'm young, I'm not invincible, and neither are the lost friends and classmates around me.

The article is in the January 2009 issue of Focus on the Family's Breakaway magazine for teen guys. I'm a regular contributor and have written many feature articles using stories from my life to teach about subjects like dealing with divorce, taking responsible short-term missions trips, facing fear, trusting God's supremacy and becoming a man.

My first article recounted my adventures sharing the gospel on a backpacking trip in a restricted Asian country. After being detained and released by border police, I got a taste of how adventurous the Christian life could be if I got off the pew and into the real world.

Details of that journey can be found on this blog by clicking here.

Key to the Battle

I've been lucky enough never to have to experience war firsthand. Because others sacrificed their lives, I've had the privilege of living in peace. And because our country remains prosperous and vigilant, I've never been called upon to carry the burden of freedom's defense.

But I was ready to enlist today, as the television confronted me with the precious gift that I've received from the brave soldiers who have protected the U.S. throughout our history. Ironically, I turned on the TV to watch football and waste my Saturday away like only spoiled Americans can do. While flipping channels, I came upon a Pearl Harbor documentary and couldn't take my eyes away.

After that was over, a Band of Brothers marathon kept me glued to my couch, its velvet upholstery making me feel like a pansy as the airborne infantry dropped into Normandy to take care of business. I stayed there for the next four hours, switching from football to battlefields with listless clicks of the remote.

I thought about how football - and other sports - are like harmless, silly little parodies of war in a nation so blessed with peace. Strong men fight it out on the battlefield while civilians watch and wave banners, hoping desperately for victory.

This is both sad and wonderful for our generation. It's sad that we're so starved of purpose that we've created and invested so much in these metaphoric battles, but it's amazing that our country is blessed enough that we have time and energy to devote to leisure.

Why do we love war stories enough to create games that mimic them? I think it's because as we follow the characters through their crises, we see how the prospect of death reveals the simplicity of life. Soldiers facing their end value things like milkshakes, as one Pearl Harbor survivor said, or a peaceful plot of land, as a Band of Brothers character put it.

We also see how being embroiled in epic conflicts helps soldiers gain a firm sense of purpose in their roles. Each soldier depends on his group, and each mission is critical to the overall war strategy.

Although our lives aren't filled with mortars and hand grenades, the Christian life seems, at least metaphorically, very similar. We are to live with a singular purpose on one mission for our King, carried out with the help of our brothers in arms. We don't always see the fruits of our missions, but we trust our commander that our effort is a worthy part of a grand victory scheme.

In Band of Brothers, one elite paratrooper becomes petrified with fear as soon as he hits the drop zone. When battle starts to rage, he ducks into a hole, screaming and covering his ears while bullets whiz by. Then he remembers the advice of one of his fellow soldiers: We're all scared, but if you consider yourself already dead, you'll have the strength to fight without the influence of fear.

The key that helped the fearful soldier fight is the key to the battle of our lives. When we turned to Jesus, we counted our old selves dead. We need not fear the fight or the scars we may receive in the battle. The war is won and our fates sealed in him. We are wrapped up in his story. If we follow his objectives, we will receive the glory of the kingdom he is building.

Photo: WWII Memorial in Washington. Copyright Trevor Williams 2007.

The War on Passivity

Strange how great friendships work. I've seen my friend Chuck only a handful of times in the past few years. Since 2004, we've gone to Jordan and Panama together, and it seems that our paths cross only when one or both of us is traveling.

Building up men is the keystone of Chuck's ministry. When I was in Panama for business in May, he was coincidentally there to lead a men's retreat. I met with him in a small Panamanian church, where a small circle of men had gathered to pray for the weekend event. He humbly asked God to work in spite of his weakness, and he specifically requested that God shake the men of the church from passivity and awaken them into the fierce battle for which they were called. The prayer was refreshing for a variety of reasons. For one, it was in English and I could understand it. Also, as I listened, it touched me with its candor and relevance. Men, including myself, too often allow the tides of the world to carry them and lose the dominion and life that God offers through that strange combination he requires: personal fortitude and reliance on him.

Chuck despises the idea of passivity and does his best to live by design, insomuch as his plans fit into what he believes are God's purposes for him. Usually, his thought process yields some dangerous adventure that make you want to thank God for safety and pack your bags at the same time. Last week, for example, Chuck passed through Atlanta en route to Dubai, where he'd catch a rickety plane bound for war-torn Afghanistan. He's reporting on the war effort, and gathering material for CBN features and possibly another book with Oliver North. North's first book with Chuck as editor, "American Heroes in the Fight Against Radical Islam," recently hit stores to great success.

I caught up with Chuck for a meal during his layover. While asking blessing for the food, he asked God to remove every semblance of passivity from my life. He prayed that God would allow me to lead my family with the strength he provides. Chuck's words are often powerful. He makes his living through speeches, articles and books. But he'll be the first to tell you that they're nothing without the influence of the Holy Spirit. For me, his short prayer was a whisper from God, calling me back into the adventure he's mapped out.

To check out the one God has mapped for Chuck in Afghanistan, visit his blog here. Check out his "Boots on the Ground" CBN news blog for the most recent updates.

A Man's Bear

I just found this post on a friend's blog. He talks about one of my favorite television heroes, Bear Grylls, the survival guru featured on Discovery Channel's "Man vs. Wild." Not only is Bear an amazingly tough guy, he's also a hardcore believer. Check out his story at the link above.

Are you crazy?

Martin Luther often paced around his room at night, when the lights were out and the devil’s voice began to torment him. He would speak out loud to his enemy, scorning him for introducing thoughts of silence and comfort when a loud, gritty resilience was necessary to uphold the Reformation he had begun. At least according to the movie released a few years ago (I don’t claim to be an expert on church history), Luther was rough around the edges, dissatisfied with the status quo, and ruthlessly loyal to the God of the scriptures. Was he sane? Probably not, but sanity, by necessity, could not be a prerequisite for a mission that would pit a lowly monk against the Roman church.

John the Baptist was a man’s man, a desert dweller with a camelhair cloak and a thick leather belt. He lived off the land, and despite his disheveled look and his affinity for bugs, people revered him as a prophet. His wild voice called for repentance amid a chorus of civilized, Pharisaical voices screaming righteousness over grace and ritual over reconciliation. He was the courier for the Messiah, the messenger of the one to come, and his mission was not one of appeasement. He knew his Lord from the time he was in the womb, and even though he had his doubts, he steadfastly proclaimed the word of God even in the face of the religious establishment of the day.

These men are not the tame, silent little believers we have come to respect in this day and age. In fact, their tactics and words may seem offensive, bordering on repulsive at times. But they had these things in common: they were as fiercely devoted to Christ as they were unconventional in their methods, and both prepared the way for the grace of Christ to overshadow the empty religious practices of their time.

One of my mentors once told me that to do anything for God, you have to be a little bit messed up in the head. The more I read the Bible and study the people I admire in the faith, the more I believe that it’s true. Are you crazy enough to usher Jesus into your sphere of influence?

Photo: The sun goes down over the Dead Sea, in a desert region similar to the one John the Baptist looked at every night. By Trevor Williams.

Still Standing

Sometimes I wonder where the line is between fighting my own battles and relinquishing control. In some instances, I'm told to "Stand firm," in others to "Stand still." Which is it Lord? Both?

Spiritual warfare is a reality for any believer. Regardless of what you thought you were signing on for when you accepted Christ, you have been thrown in the thick of a raging battle. We have a real enemy who has developed devious schemes not only to derail us from the track that God set out for us, but to completely and utterly destroy us. Every warrior must gird himself not with the physical armor of this world, but spiritual armor that God has forged for us. But once we have donned our armor, what do we then do?

This question has tortured me throughout the past few years as I have struggled to practically apply in my heart what I know in my head about spiritual warfare. Yes, I know there is a battle and that my survival depends on my ability to fend off spiritual assaults. Yes, I know the stakes are high. Yes, I know that the outcome of each skirmish is a step toward or away from my desired destination. But how and with whose strength do I wage war? As my enemies charge, do I wait for the Lord to crush them with hailstones from above, or do I have an active role in the fight?

I have searched the scriptures for the answer, and Ephesians 6 best represents the overwhelming message of the scriptures: "Be strong in the Lord and in HIS mighty power" and later, "Stand firm." The word "stand" emerges four times in this the most popular biblical passage on spiritual warfare. Even in the Old Testament, when the Israelites were told that "the Lord will fight for you," standing firm was a prerequisite to the Lord's deliverance (see Ex. 14, 2 Chr. 20).

So why is God so preoccupied with our standing? He certainly doesn't need our approval or help. He has all power at his fingertips, so why doesn't he just crush every adversary before it becomes a problem? The answer is that he wants to teach us how to be a warrior. He wants to lead us into the dominion he created us for. And most of all, he wants to teach us to trust his strength.

The book of 2 Samuel 23 lists the many exploits of David's mighty men, the 10th century BC's version of the special forces. One of these stories encapsulates the lesson of standing in the Lord's strength. Take a look:

11) When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel's troops fled from them, 12) but Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck down the Philistines, and THE LORD brought about a great victory that day.

Shammah was one man, but he knew he was fighting with a strength greater than the entire Philistine army--God's spirit. He could have fled like the rest of the army, but Israel's progress toward the Lord's purposes would have taken a massive step backward. He had strength enough to stand, and God took care of the rest.

May we be a people that, when all others flee, can be found still standing, waiting in eager expectation for the Lord's victory to be revealed.