Stand Your Ground

“Stand your ground; don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” – John Parker

Is it a pivotal moment in history that makes a man or woman great, or is it a great man or woman who brings about a pivotal moment in history?

In the predawn light of April 19, 1775, Captain John Parker called the roll of his militia company on Lexington Green in front of the town meetinghouse. He ordered his small group of about 60 men to charge their guns with powder and ball and stand ready for the British troops who were making their way towards town by the soft light of a waning moon. In the gray of the early morning, the scarlet-clad British soldiers appeared, and halting not far from the line of Minutemen on Lexington Common, loaded their muskets. The patriots stood firm. As the Minutemen did not immediately obey the command to lay down their arms, the British commander wheeled his horse, and waving his sword, shouted: “Press forward, men! Surround the rascals!” At the same moment some random shots were fired over the heads of the Americans by the British soldiers, but without effect. The Minutemen had scruples about firing until their own blood had been spilled. The British leader was irritated by their obstinacy, and drawing his pistol, discharged it, at the same moment shouting, “Fire!” A volley from the front rank followed the order with fatal effect. Some Americans fell dead or mortally wounded, and others were badly hurt. There was no longer hesitation on the part of the Minutemen. The conditions of their restraint were fulfilled. The blood of their comrades had been shed; and as the shrill fife of young Jonathan Harrington set the drum a-beating, the patriots returned the fire with spirit, but not with fatal effect. The blood of American citizens stained the green grass on Lexington Common.

So ended the opening act in the great drama of the American Revolution. The bells that were rung on that April morning tolled the end of British domination in the old thirteen colonies. When the firing began, Samuel Adams was lingering on a wooded hill nearby, and when the air was rent by the first volley on Lexington Common, he uttered these remarkable words: “What a glorious morning for America is this!” With the vision of an inspired seer at that moment, the sturdy patriot perceived in the future the realization of his cherished dreams of independence for his beloved country.

There’s something amazing about a man or a woman with a Reformer’s Spirit. Sam Adams, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Paul Revere, John Parker, and the handful of men whose names we have forgotten were all inspired by a desire to see true change and transformation in the government of their land. They were reformers, one and all; they possessed a different spirit.

Down through HIStory, God has anointed men and women “for such a time as this.” The Holy Spirit IS the Spirit of Transformation. He has kindled His fire in hearts inspiring His servants to activate change and bring about transformation in the Church, in governments, in education, in business, and in all the other realms impacting the daily lives of humankind. Like those few men who stood shivering with chill and anticipation on Lexington Green that fateful spring morning, those anointed with the Reformer’s Spirit understand that shifts in history come only through sacrifice and action. They are willing, inspired by Grace, to lay down their lives for a cause larger than themselves…the Cause of Christ. They’re not scared. They don’t run. They realize they are sent to take back all the enemy has stolen or caused to be withheld. They make History.

Consider this: Jesus is the ultimate Reformer. You have His spirit within you, if you are born again. That Reformer’s Spirit will challenge the status quo of religion and tradition and stand willing to bring about change for the sake of the Kingdom. That spirit causes HIStory to be made.

The bells are ringing, the enemy is on the march… shoulder the weapons of warfare you have been given and stand ready for the fight. God has called you into His Kingdom for such a time as this. You are a great man or woman who is destined to make HIStory!

~Linda Frederick

Amazonian Roots

 

Did you know the Amazon Rainforest is the largest untouched, contiguous forest on the planet? Without it, there would not be enough oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere to sustain life. Yet there is a unique quality to this vast forest – it grows in possibly the worst soil in the world! Massive trees grow in only a couple of inches of topsoil. How is this possible you ask? Simple…it’s all in the roots.

When we look at a tree, all we generally think about is the part we see above ground. But if you could look beneath the ground, you would find a vast, intricate system of roots spreading both out and down. The roots are what hold the tree in place and provide the strength needed to continue growing taller and taller.

“But,” you may reply, “I have seen plenty of trees uprooted by strong winds and storms. The roots can’t be too strong.” This is an excellent observation, but I would ask you this question in response: “How many trees were growing next to it or with it?” Ever hear the expression, “There’s strength in numbers?” Well, there is! The Amazon rainforests survive repeated yearly floods and are never destroyed. The reason being, their roots are intertwined with each other. The Amazon rainforest root system is not a collection of individual trees standing their own individual ground, but an interactive, intertwined, collective mass of roots which provide unwavering strength to the entire forest.

Well that’s wonderful to know, but what does this have to do with me? Great question! Back in October of 2005, the Word of the Lord came to this church proclaiming that the Church will never be any stronger than the strength of the relationships within it. Since then, God has been continuously providing opportunities for us to build and strengthen relationships within the church through multiple classes, events, outreaches, and ministries.

Have you taken advantage of these opportunities or pursued developing new and deeper relationships with your fellow believers? After all, the church is to be “rooted and grounded in love.” God’s love is the root of our strength. Jesus commands us to love the Lord our God with all of our being, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Love is the root that binds us together and strengthens us as an interactive, intertwined, collective Body of Christ.

When we fail to pursue, develop, and/or deepen our relationships with each other, we are spiritually isolating ourselves and are relying solely on our own individual root system. God’s plan is for us to be planted together in one location, spreading our roots out and pursuing deeper relationship with Him and our fellow believers. Intertwining our roots with one another till we no longer exist as individual trees but as one unified, massive jungle of believers, immovable by the world’s storms because of our unified root system.

So stop being an isolationist, and ask God for the grace to be a relational man or woman of God. As we grow our roots through relationships, the world will begin to see the sons of God manifested. After all, isn’t it Jesus who said, “The world will know that you are mine in that you have love one for another?” Spread the love! Spread your roots!

Q: Check up from the neck up…. How strong are your relationships??