Horse Soldiers
Like many of your kids…..my new rising 6th grader had to read a few specific books this summer. He has finally finished the books he was assigned to read and is very glad. Much like his dad, Peyton would rather be outside playing than curled up with a good book. However, I am trying to get him to see the joy and learning in reading. I also read through a book this summer…….Horse Soldiers! (you can look to the right of this BLOG and my recent reads….and click on the info about the book.)
Horse Soldiers is the dramatic TRUE story of a small band of American Special Force soldiers who secretly entered Afghanistan days after 9/11. These incredible soldiers rode to war on horses along side of the Afghan people to fight against the Taliban that had taken over their country. The book tells about how the Taliban had come in and were ruthless dictators to the people. American Special Forces joined the people there after 9/11 to kick out the dreaded Taliban and give the country back over to their struggling government and people. The book tells about the intense battle for the city of Mazar-i-Sharif. The small band of Horse Soldiers were out numbered and ambushed….however, they prevailed over 600 Taliban soldiers to win the battle and take the city. They only lost one of the American Special Forces in the entire battles from being dropped in and taking over the city.
It is stories like this that reminds me of the greatness of our country and our military. The hand full of Special Forces were all in the 30′s and had families just like mine ……that they left behind days after 9/11. They were dropped in behind enemy lines and immediately had to link up with Afghan military leaders that they had never seen before or knew anything about. It is a great story of American soldiers riding on horses while calling in lazier guided smart bombs that would enable less than 30 men to take on hundreds.
Do you like to read? How many books do your read a month? Many people love to read and will fly through a series like Harry Potter, Twighlight, Chronicles of Narnia, leadership books, sports books and the list goes on. What about the Bible? Do you read your Bible on a daily or regular basis?
It is still summer time for a few more weeks….. I want to challenge you to read your Bible. It is full of mystery, drama, love stories and all the things you love about other books. However, IT is the only book that is God inspired and perfectly TRUE. Moreover, it is the only book that can speak the very words of God to change your life. Let’s all become readers of the best book ever written. My guess is that for most of us…..it is not a time issue. We have time to read all kinds of books, Facebook, BLOGS and the like. Let’s all commit to read God’s holy word!
I have heard it said many times ……Leaders are Readers! This is never more true than for those who want to be Christian Leaders in their everyday lives!
Romans 3
1 Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? 2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.
3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,
“You will be proved right in what you say,
and you will win your case in court.”
5 “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) 6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? 7 “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” 8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.
9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—
not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”
13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “They rush to commit murder.
16 Destruction and misery always follow them.
17 They don’t know where to find peace.”
18 “They have no fear of God at all.
19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.[j] 31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
