On Alert

Lieutenant Colonel Ward Graham, USAF (Ret.)

Today is a time of rich opportunity for Christians in the military—a time which calls forth the warrior spirit in the followers of Christ. As an officer said to me recently, "Are we warriors or are we to find safe havens where our lives will be comfortable and secure?"

What is your answer to that question? Mine was to recall some of the warnings and injunctions of the New Testament. Jesus told His followers to be ready for times like these when there would be ". . .wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom . . ." (Matthew 24:6-7 NAS).

He also told them to be alert for such times. "Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is. Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, . . .lest He come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert’"(Mark 13:33, 35-37 NAS).

Are we on alert? Are we warriors ready for spiritual battle and available to the master’s call to spiritual action? While Jesus may have been speaking of His return, the principle of alertness applies to us all in every generation and circumstance.

I spent seven years of my life "sitting alert" in the Air Force. For part of that time I was a "good guy" piloting an air defense fighter in protection of U.S. assets at home and abroad. Later I was a "bad guy" manning a nuclear bomber ready to wreak destruction upon the enemies of America. In both situations, I was required to hold myself ready for an immediate launch at the sound of the trumpet.

Many times I "scrambled" into the air in minutes to fight off an attacking bomber or raced out to the runway ready to launch with weapons of mass destruction. I know what Jesus means when he says, "Be on the alert."

Later, as a Christian officer, I applied some of the lessons of "sitting alert" to the people and circumstances of military life. New friends in the body of Christ trained me to be prepared with a ready explanation of the gospel for those opportunities I could create or which came my way.

Are you similarly "sitting alert" with the good news of Christ’s redemptive plan? Are you prepared to pay the price for standing up for His Name and His moral instructions for man?

The Apostle Paul surely knew how to make the most of opportunities to do battle in any and all circumstances. Do you remember his memorable return to Jerusalem recorded in Acts 21–22? In the midst of his worship in the temple area he was arrested, dragged from those hallowed grounds and the gate was slammed shut behind him. His accusers then tried to kill him.

A Roman commander became aware of the riot, and taking a contingent of officers and men, proceeded to break up the melee and to rescue Paul. The violence was so heated that the soldiers had to physically lift Paul above the crowd as they took him toward the barracks. When they reached the stairs, Paul procured permission from the commander to address the crowd below.

In a similar circumstance, what would you have done? What would you have said? The bloody, battered, and bruised Paul chose to ignore the hatred of his adversaries. Instead, he spoke a message of the love of God in Jesus Christ.

Can you picture yourself turning such adversity into an opportunity to witness to your accusers? This is what the Christian life is all about—turning adversity into a message of love.

The committed Christian will see much trouble and adversity in his lifetime as Paul explained in 2 Timothy 3:12, saying, "And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." Jesus explained that the world would hate Him and His friends (John 15:18-20 NAS). His close follower, John, perhaps echoing Jesus’ teaching, said, "Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you" (1 John 3:13 NAS).

What is the role of the OCF warrior in times like these? We describe it by what we call the OCF Strategy, which is composed of the OCF Purpose, Pillars and Vision Statement. Are you familiar with them? The OCF Council and Staff would like you to know and understand these because they are the "battle plan" by which the Holy Spirit is guiding our warfare in enemy territory.

The OCF Purpose is, "To glorify God by uniting Christian officers for biblical fellowship and outreach, equipping and encouraging them to minister effectively in the military." Historically, OCF has sought to accomplish this calling of God by what we know as the Spiritual Pillars of OCF. We seek to:

• Be a lay movement within the services to which called.
• Center on Scripture, individually and corporately.
• Engage in prayer, which shows our dependence upon God.
• Unite for fellowship, for encouragement and mutual strengthening.
• Equip to serve, so that we may be effective warriors in our units.
• Integrate faith and profession, so that our whole lives reflect Jesus Christ.
• Nurture military families.
• Support and encourage chaplains.

While we do the ordinary, everyday work to which God has called us (Purpose and Pillars) we call out to God to accomplish an extraordinary work in the military and the nation. This we call the OCF Vision, which is: "A spiritually transformed military, with ambassadors for Christ in uniform, empowered by the Holy Spirit, living with a passion for God and compassion for the entire military society." This vision has led us to ask our members and friends to join us in praying for revival in the military and our nation. This has been the purpose of the "Sound the Trumpet" weekend gatherings and other prayer vigils.

Are we willing to be identified with Jesus no matter what the cost? This is a time to be bold for Jesus, and to seize the moment afforded us by the great turmoil in our nation and military, and to proclaim the liberating work of Jesus! Jesus is calling to His warriors, His ambassadors in uniform. Are you answering the call?

In 1979 LTC Ward G. Graham, USAF (Ret.), became a member of the Officers’ Christian Fellowship staff. LtCol Graham travels with his wife, Bobbe, to military installations and ROTC schools east of the Mississippi River. He served in the U. S. Air Force for 20 years from 1952-1973.