Giving All

May 29, 2017

Freddie Stowers, an American corporal in the United States Army during World War I, gave his all to serve our country. On the morning of September 28, 1918, his company attacked Cote 188, a heavily-defended hill in Ardennes, France. The battle raged, but the Americans steadily gained ground. Soon, the Germans surrendered, but as a ploy. As the company approached the trenches, machine guns opened fire and reduced the company to half its number.

Commanding officers had been killed, leaving Corporal Stowers in charge. He rallied the demoralized company, taking a German machine gun nest and attacking the second line of trenches. This time, Stowers was hit by machine gun fire. Nevertheless, he continued his barrage and was struck again. Collapsing, he ordered his men to persevere. As Stowers succumbed to his wounds, the company successfully drove the Germans from the hill into the plains below.

THE MEDAL OF HONOR

Corporal Stowers was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his courageous perseverance. Today, Memorial Day, we recognize Corporal Stowers and the 1.2 million soldiers who have given their lives in service of this country.

“We here at Family Radio are grateful for the sacrifice of American soldiers who fell in battle on our behalf."

The perseverance Corporal Stowers displayed on Cote 188 calls to mind Paul’s perseverance in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Corporal Stowers knew his instructions, the rewards of his obedience, and that, in the grand scheme of the war, winning that battle was more important than his own life.

SELFLESSNESS

Christ’s instructions to believers in Matthew 16:24-26 reflect this selflessness:

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Ours is mainly a spiritual battle, not against flesh and blood, but nevertheless requires that we cover ourselves with armor. Our battle is no less real and no less significant than the wars our country has fought for our freedom and protection. We are to persevere no matter what obstacles we encounter as we wage war against the devil and his minions “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25).

Let’s give our all as we dedicate our lives to serving Christ to the fullest of our ability!

Jessie Chamberlain
Family Radio Staff

May Flowers

Days of winter gloom blew away a long time ago. Dreary clouds have cried the last of their April showers. May flowers spread their petals to embrace the spring. These days, the sun beams warmly, pouring a healthy dose of Vitamin D over me. After months of winter lethargy, I finally have ENERGY again!

The storm clouds of life act similarly. If I’m caught off guard, trials can bring me down so that I don’t experience true joy. Then I feel guilty knowing I should be overflowing with joy because of the many blessings God has given me. And I am grateful to God for His blessings, but a disconnect occurs that is sometimes difficult to figure out how to reconnect. After all, I recognize that I’m Christ’s ambassador; people should be able to see my joy in the Lord no matter what circumstance I’m experiencing. Then I spiral downward from guilt to shame.

GUILT vs. SHAME

I’m convinced by the Scripture that guilt is the convicting work of the Holy Spirit (II Corinthians 7:9-10). Then I know I’ve done wrong and that I need to repent, learn my lesson, and move on. I’m also convinced that shame comes from Satan and his minions. Shame imprisons. Shame refuses to extend forgiveness. Shame discourages me from picking myself up to try again.

When I feel shame, I know that God hasn’t abandoned me (Hebrews 13:5). Rather, I haven’t properly attired myself in His armor so I’m ready to face a broken, cursed world (Ephesians 6:10-18). Have I brought my struggles before the Lord, spending time with Him in the Word and in prayer (Matthew 11:28)? Am I focusing on things above (Colossians 3:2)? Am I relying on God’s strength instead of my own (Psalm 37:39)? Am I actively thanking and praising God (Philippians 4:6)? Usually the answer to one or more of these is “no.”

But once I honestly answer these questions, how do I escape the downward spiral? I see where I am and where I’m supposed to be, but how do I get there?

BABY STEPS

It takes one little step at a time – a difficulty in a world filled with instant gratification. Maybe the first step means starting with praying for the desire to do those things that will fill me with the joy of the Lord. Then maybe I can pray for forgiveness, both forgiveness from God and the ability to forgive myself. Then I can focus on looking to God for the will and the energy to change my outlook. After that, I will be equipped to take action, one baby step at a time. But if I expect too much of myself right from the outset, burnout or becoming overwhelmed can result from taking too big of steps too quickly. It’s important to celebrate each victory, no matter how small, and to give myself grace when I make mistakes along the way.

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:10

Let’s step out from under the clouds into the sunshine so we can break free from shame and embrace the joy of the Lord. Our prayers of thankfulness and praise will chase away the clouds so we can fully enjoy God’s blessing of May flowers.

Jessie Chamberlain
Family Radio Staff

Life with Mom

 Mothers. Where would we be without them?

As babies, we kept them awake all night and all day with our endless cycle of tears, feedings, and diaper changes. Then we smiled, and all was miraculously forgiven.

As toddlers, we found our boundaries and pushed. Hard. Usually in the middle of the grocery store or some other embarrassingly public place. Or we proudly displayed our newfound language ability, innocently asking the leather-clad, potbellied biker if he was pregnant...

As children, we stepped over those boundaries and hoped to get away with it. But noooo, my mom knew when I lied about brushing my teeth before school. She knew everything—and came prepared, wooden spoon in hand (while the method of discipline may have changed with the times, the moms who see all and know all have not).

By the time we were teenagers, the tables had turned. We figured we knew everything better than our moms. We were so eager to cut those apron strings and gain some independence. A few life lessons later, we begged for Mom’s advice again.

Then came college. As soon as Mom drove away from campus, we instantly regretted our teenage rebellion for independence. Why didn’t we make more of the time we had together? All we wanted were her arms around us, reassuring us that we could hack it. And we could, no matter how many sweaters we shrunk in the laundry or how many all-nighters we had to pull.

When we started our first jobs in the “real world,” who was the first person we wanted to call? And when we got engaged? Who helped us get ready on our wedding day? Who was there in the delivery room for the birth of our children? Who has been there for us through thick and thin, selflessly investing their time and energy so we turn out to be God-fearing, decent human beings?

Our mothers. We really put them through the wringer over the years, yet they continuously pour God's unconditional love on us. They were and remain our biggest cheerleaders.

Around this time each year, young children excitedly present handcrafted treasures to their moms, who ask carefully-worded questions in an attempt to decipher exactly what the gift in front of them is. “How creative! So many colors! So much glitter! Tell me about it...” Restaurants and churches alike see exponentially higher numbers of patrons and attendees, all seeking to bless their mothers. 

Why? BECAUSE MOTHERS ARE WONDERFUL! And even more wonderful when they serve God and teach us to do likewise. The moms in our lives deserve for us to try any and every way to show them how much they mean to us, not just on Mother’s Day, but the year round. [tweet_box “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all." Proverbs 31:28-29

Jessie Chamberlain
Family Radio Staff

Hiding in Haarlem

Seven years ago, my mom and I embarked on a grand European adventure. We hopscotched across the continent visiting lands we’d only ever pictured in our imaginations. Our first stop was the home of our ancestors: The Netherlands. The quaint town of Haarlem greeted us with fairy tale charm. Cobblestone streets strayed up to the feet of venerable bricked buildings. The town square boasted several outdoor cafés, with tables and chairs brimming over across the square. Colorful flower baskets hung from light posts. Bicycles whizzed by, pedaled by people of all ages and walks of life.

Down one quiet street stood an unassuming dark green door. Next to it hung a simple blue plaque, which read:

The Ten Boom family provided a hiding place in this house for Jews and others who were persecuted and hunted by the Nazi-regime. After being betrayed, the Ten Boom family was arrested here on February 28, 1944. They died in faith believing that the best is yet to come.

Casper, father of the ten Boom family, said, “In this household, God’s people are always welcome.” His heroic stance led to the creation of a “hiding place” in his home as part of the Dutch Underground. Over the course of World War II, they saved the lives of approximately 800 Jews.

THE HIDING PLACE

The hiding place was no bigger than a closet. To enter, one had to get on one’s hands and knees, remove a false back from the bottom shelf of a linen cupboard, and crawl through to the narrow, dark space within. When the Nazis raided the ten Booms’ home, the hiding place sheltered six people from view. They remained there for several days afterwards until resistance workers helped them safely escape. The five ten Booms were arrested and sent to concentration camps. Only Corrie survived.

Corrie could have become bitter towards her captors. The Nazis mistreated her and killed her family, forever altering her life. Instead, she used her experiences to be a witness for the Lord. She wrote several books and traveled the world as a public speaker. Her message? Forgiveness.

“Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.” Corrie ten Boom

A MESSAGE OF FORGIVENESS

In 1947, Corrie spoke at a church in Munich, Germany. She felt the war-torn country needed most to hear the truth that God forgives.

“When we confess our sins, God casts them into the deepest ocean, gone forever,” she concluded.1

Corrie felt they didn’t quite dare to believe her message. The audience silently, solemnly stood up and filed out to leave. She never anticipated any questions after speaking in Germany. Then, she saw him.
Memories came flooding back to her, unbidden. The skull and crossbones on his cap. The pile of women’s clothing on the floor. The fragile frame of her sister, Betsie. The shame of walking naked past him. He approached her, and stuck out his hand.

A fine message, Fräulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea! You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk. I was a guard there. But since that time, I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fräulein, will you forgive me?1

He clearly didn’t remember her. He wouldn’t – how could he remember one prisoner from the thousands? Corrie knew that she had been forgiven, and should so forgive others, but Betsie died there. The seconds seemed to stretch into hours as she wrestled, frozen in place. She prayed for God’s help to shake that man’s hand.

And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.1

“I forgive you, brother!” she cried, “with all my heart!”1 The ten Boom house remains exactly as it did during World War II in memoriam to the heroes in the faith who used to dwell there. May we all live out our faith with such conviction.

Jessie Chamberlain
Family Radio Staff

1. Ten Boom, Corrie. “I’m Still Learning to Forgive.” Guideposts Magazine (July 24, 2014). Accessed March 24, 2017. https://www.guideposts.org/better-living/positive-living/guideposts-classics-corrie-ten-boom-on-forgiveness

Persecution & Prayer

One morning on my way into work, I followed a car with an ichthus decal on it. You’ve seen them – that fish symbol that Christians drew in the sand during the Roman Empire to show that they were believers during a time of heightened persecution. Now it’s a popular adornment on cars. But this particular ichthus had something written in the fish’s belly. I wondered, Does it say, “Darwin,” like the evolutionists’ ichthus with legs? But I don’t see any legs. At a traffic light, I pulled up close enough to read it. When I did, my heart stopped.
“Exterminate.”

PERSECUTION

Persecution can feel distant to Americans. Compared with other countries, we don’t experience much violence in the name of exterminating Christianity, but it does happen occasionally. If you are one of the people who has been affected by these terrible atrocities, our prayers are with you.

In America, persecution usually happens in comparatively minor ways. Slowly but surely diminishing political rights. Poor treatment by those who don’t agree with our beliefs. Ichthus decals that read, “Exterminate.” But in light of the recent church bombings in Egypt, let’s adjust our perspectives by remembering what our brothers and sisters in Christ face overseas.

Persecution is real. It happens around the world every day. Jesus warned us it would happen. “But

before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake” (Luke 21:12). Eleven of the twelve disciples died violent deaths, and the twelfth while in exile on an island.

More persecution occurred during the 20th Century than all the years previously since Christ’s resurrection combined1. More persecution occurred during the 20th Century than all the years previously since Christ’s resurrection combined.

PRAYER

Persecution and prayer go hand-in-hand. While we know the power of prayer, few people truly rely on it. Our brothers and sisters in Christ need our prayers. It supernaturally strengthens them (Ephesians 3:14-21). It puts the devil’s minions at bay (Daniel 10:12-13). Ultimately, it changes our hearts as we communicate with our Creator (Ephesians 1:15-19).

Recently, I attended a writers’ conference at which one of the instructors, Kay Strom, shared a personal experience from a trip to India2. She and some Dalit (lowest class) women were sitting in a circle when one of them asked, “Did you ever go hungry because you’re a Christian?”

Kay responded, “No, I haven’t.”

Another woman asked, “Did you ever have your house taken away?”

“No, I didn’t,” Kay said. 

“Did you ever lose your job because you’re a Christian?” asked another.

Kay started to feel uneasy. “No, I haven’t.”

“When people find out you’re a Christian, do they throw rocks at you?” 

“No, no one throws rocks.”

“Has anyone ever thrown you in a fire because you are a Christian?” The first woman leaned forward, her scarred arms visible.

“No,” Kay explained, “these things are illegal in America.”

“But if it doesn’t cost you anything, how do you know what it means to be a Christian?”

Silence reigned. Kay was still thinking of a response when another woman asked, “If you in America did have to suffer, would you still be Christians?”

Kay answered honestly, “Some would and some wouldn’t. We need your prayers for the strength to endure it if we do face persecution.”

The women assured her, “We will pray. Tell them we are praying for them.”

Let’s envelope our brothers and sisters throughout the world in prayer for God’s strength to sustain them through persecution. And not only that, but let’s heed Jesus’s call to “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

Jessie Chamberlain
Family Radio Staff

     1. Wooding, Dan. “Modern Persecution.” Christianity.com. Accessed April 17, 2017.     http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1901-2000/modern-persecution-11630665.html

     2. Kay Strom, Daughters of Hope (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 190-191.