Veterans’ Day Special: Front Rankers: Operation Iraqi Freedom: Operation Flypaper; The Problem of Fifth Columns; An Appeal for Intercessory Prayer

Veterans’ Day Special
Front Rankers

This morning I have some very important business to bring to your attention.  Over the course of the past week it has come to my attention that a member of this congregation is in need of prayer and another will be soon.  First of all an e-mail that I received just last night from:

From: Matt Lawson 
Sent: Saturday, November 08, 2003 5:36 PM 
Subject: Mobilization
 
I just found out today that I will be mobilizing on 7 December.  I will be at Ft. Leonard Wood for no longer than 25 days.
 
We don't know yet where we are going but the destinations are Iraq, Afghanistan, or somewhere here in the states.  The most probable is Iraq.  Which means a one year tour of duty.
 
I will keep you all updated on my status.
 
Matt

I responded as follows:
Matt:
 
Is it alright for me to inform the congregation?  Let me know how the congregation can be of service to Trina and the children in your absence.  Our prayers will solicit divine provision and protection for you all.

To which Matt replied:
Yes, please inform the congregation.  I will not be in class this Sunday but I am sure I will have a couple of weekends off before I ship out.  
 
I appreciate your support and the support of the church.  I can think of no better artillery to go out before me.  
 
Matt

In addition to this piece of news I received beginning last Sunday the following series of e-mails from Mark Davey through his wife, Jill:

From:	Mark Davey
Sent:	Sunday, November 02, 2003 4:57 AM
Subject:	RAMADAN OFFENSIVE

Greetings all!

Today is the second day of the jihad as far as the extremists are concerned and we have been going at it pretty hard.  I would like to give you as much insight as I can on this subject so you can understand the ideology behind the offensive.

Firstly, they are a little late with the claim to jihad.  When we stepped off the plane the battlefield was a visual between God and Satan.  The battle is His and He will be victorious.  Secondly, these guys couldn't organize a dodge-ball game, let alone a "holy war".  There is a hierarchy to the Muslim faith that is similar to turf wars between gangs.  There is an ayatollah (top dog), an imam (very powerful dude who influences sometimes millions), a sheikh (a pain in the ass who influences between 100 to 100,000), and each has their own personal agenda.  Each has his own loud speaker and during the daily "prayers" some of them attempt to catalyze aggression against American forces.

The imam the news reports mostly is a wild extremist who controls the inner city known as Saddam City.  He controls a bunch of bandits and thieves and facilitates major strikes against us.  He is not in our sector but we have mobilized a few times through his area of operation.  In our Task Force's area we have one imam who is pro-American.  He influences a very peaceful people as they were the target of the old regime and exposed to a great deal of torture and oppression.

There are two shiekhs that operate in our area and are anti-coalition and control 200,000 people.  They have open anti-American prayer we can hear on our forward operating base.  We have engaged their followers on numerous occasions and continue to stay a step in front of them.  Now we have the Fedeheen, Saddam loyalists, Syrians, Iranians, and extreme Ba'athists.  Each of these groups has organized throughout the city and continues to bring the fight to the battlefield.  This supports the "fly-paper" theory. It is the idea that if US Forces are here the terrorists will attack in Baghdad instead of the home front.  Fine by us as this is our duty to our country.  We are more prepared and trained to engage these demons than our citizens.  Not only are we the guardians of the United States but most of the population in Iraq who want to get on with the rebuilding efforts and life.  I can tell you this from my experiences on the streets and contact with these people.  They want us here.  If we leave all that has been gained will be lost to a civil war and the streets will run with blood.  So, as the media finds those few Iraqis that hate us and want us to leave there are many who want us to stay I assure you.

Christ is on point and we are following.  Regardless of what you hear remember, God knew of this war, the end state of the soldiers in it, and the outcome in eternity past.  If it is His will that I should pass here than I will be with Him IMMEDIATELY!  How awesome is that.  I know that while I am here fighting this war I must stay true and focused to His Word and His will or I will get lost in the storm.  I have been out there in that storm many times and He is quick to bring me back.  This has nothing to do with me.  If I remain objective and on the path of righteousness, I am able to fight on both battlefields and glorify Him.

God has removed the noise of comfort that deafens these soldiers so they may hear the truth and the Holy Spirit.  They are flocking to Him in large numbers.  It is awesome to see.  WOW!  All for Him.

By no means am I a subject matter expert on this war.  I can only report from my vantage point and hope to give you an honest assessment of what is going on here.  Pray that I can remain in His light and am quick to rebound when I am not.  Please pray for my family and there safety.  I love you all beyond words.  I look forward to seeing you after this is over.  Stay close to Him and I will pray for your vigilance on your battlefield.  Stay strong and available.  God Bless.

In Christ,

Mark

1 Chronicles 29:

v. 11	“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all.

v. 12	“Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all.  In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.

v. 13	“Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name.”

From: Jill Davey 
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 2:14 PM
Subject: Prayers

Hi all, we have gotten some news today that an RPG hit close to Mark's platoon last night.  Two of his soldiers were injured.  One was medevaced to Germany (don't know name yet) and the other, Sgt. Goolsby, is being treated there in Iraq.  They both took a lot of shrapnel.  Please pray for their recoveries and for their families.  Thank you so much.

Jill

From: Jill Davey
Sent: Friday, November 07, 2003 10:45 PM
Subject: Mark's Platoon

Hi everyone; more news from Mark.  He has had to deal with a lot of personal issues with the soldiers lately.  Not to mention the injuries they just sustained.  It seems like it's all hitting them at once right now and right at a time when they are on a very difficult mission.  Following is the prayer request via e-mail from Mark on 7 November.

"These guys are at a fragile state right now and can't handle too many more blows from the home-front.  Things are a little crazy there.  When one thing happens to one guy's wife/family it is like a shock wave through the platoon. It REALLY affects morale.  We are currently involved in one of the toughest missions we have had.  It won't be short and it won't be easy.  Please don't worry and continue to pray for us.  Pray that the enemy is confused and we gain some ground on them.  We have been running VERY hard this week and the men are tired."

Thank you so much for your prayers.  I just know that all these things from home can affect their performance on the battlefield and they need their heads in the game right now.

In Christ,

Jill

To amplify what Mark has written here is yet another e-mail passed along to me by Mark Vesser from a friend of his who is also deployed in Iraq:
From: Mark Vesser [mailto:mvesser01@earthlink.net] 
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2003 10:11 PM 
Subject: From the Front Lines

Joe,
 
Below are some excerpts from an e-mail I just received from one of my Army buddies who has been in Iraq for 6 months now and is also on our prayer list.  He is a career soldier with a wife and 3 children.  He was also deployed in Kosovo before this.  His comments are in essence an appeal from the front lines that our citizens stand behind our President while we have troops in harms way and until this war is resolved.
 
"..This is a real war.  I've lost several people that I work with but I know we have got to win here or it will come to our homeland.  ....Our army is small and we are stretched very thin. ....We have done great work here but much remains and I worry more about our country's commitment than I do the army."

When it comes to front rankers, Mark Davey and others like him qualify on both the physical and spiritual battlefronts.  Both a visible and invisible hero, Mark is standing in the gap during what history will prove to be the greatest test this client nation has ever confronted since its War for Independence.
When the Colonists were engaged with the British, there was a large number of Loyalists, the name given to those loyal to Great Britain during the War for Independence.  Also called Tories, they comprised about one-third of the population.  In the South, New York, and Pennsylvania, where they were most numerous, they were often officials or professionals.
The Loyalists did not rise as a body to support the British Army, but individuals did join the army or form their own guerrilla units.  The revolutionaries, calling themselves “patriots,” embittered by the “treasonous” activities of the Loyalists, passed national and state laws forbidding the Loyalists from holding office, disenfranchising them, and confiscating or heavily taxing their property.
Many Loyalists subsequently moved to Canada where the British government provided them with asylum, compensated them for losses in property and income, and paying pensions to Loyalist officers.
This attitude of “loyalty to the enemy” was played out again during the Vietnam War and many American citizens formed a fifth column in this country in concert with the national media to place not only our military personnel in danger but also catalyze the untimely withdrawal of our forces from the conflict.
The treacherous mental attitude of those who marched in protest, rebelled against the authority of university administrations, and fled to Canada to avoid the draft has remained as a blight on the psyche of our national consciousness ever since.  As a people we have denied the price that a free people must be willing to pay for their freedom.  No piece of real estate on the face of this earth may be held by any group of people unless they can defend it militarily.  The hatred for our armed forces that characterized the Vietnam Era has not openly returned but the cowardice that inspired it remains in our collective souls and has metastasized as evil.
Frankfurt philosophy has so blinded the elite, the literati, and the anointed over the past 50 years that as a people we are incapable of sustaining a military offensive long enough to successfully defend our shores.
Every day for six months the mainline media have bombard the population with news stories that document the worst events that occur in Iraq while ignoring those that illustrate the many successes that have been accomplished.  These “worst events” are the handiwork of the enemy and our press reports their successes for the sole reason of fomenting doubt and discord among the people.  The Columbia graduates that have captured the news rooms of American journalism hate President Bush and intend to use the Iraq War to bring him down regardless of the fact that discontent on the home front leads to discouragement among the troops while it emboldens the enemy.
Regardless of what one thinks about the decision for us to engage Iraq militarily, once our troops are committed the media of this country should report their exploits in as positive a manner as possible making every effort to support their efforts, compliment their successes, and herald their victories.
It is morally wrong for this nation’s press to once again side with our enemy while our soldiers are in Harm’s Way.  It is biased for it to magnify the successes of our enemy while ignoring the successes of our troops.  It is treacherous for them to criticize every move made by this government to bring terrorists to justice while at the same time protecting them with demands for political correctness.
The freedom of press that our media enjoy is one of the first things to be eliminated if Operation Fly Paper is unsuccessful or is canceled by public outcries for withdraw or by future elections that permit it.
To be fair, these efforts by the press to propagandize the people would not be successful if the people had the establishment integrity to discern its intent.  But unfortunately the people have lost the thought and as a result they have allowed themselves to be brainwashed by the legerdemain of the spin meisters. 
Even worse is the fact that the people have lost their moral compass.  While our men are stepping in front of bullets, having RPGs fired on them, and made the constant target of snipers, homicide bombers, and foreign fifth columns, their morale is being destroyed by the news that their fellow citizens no longer support their efforts and their spouses are committing adultery.  Our soldiers are courting death in an honorable attempt to protect a weak, staggering population ripe from slaughter.
Were it not for the likes of Mark Davey and those who have the doctrinal courage to fight the good fight with the Lord Jesus Christ as their Guidon this country would not stand a chance in this conflict.  Lucifer has trained his forces well while the Lord’s are AWOL from the spiritual battle.
If our troops are not successful in winning the War on Terror in the terrorists’ back yard, and if instead our leaders cut and run, then we will have to face the wrath of Islamic jihad in the streets of America and we will richly deserve it!
There is only one solution to the problem our military faces and that is the benevolence of divine Providence.  Those in this country who have doctrine in their souls had best wake up and understand that our nation is on the brink of disaster.  Those with doctrine have an ordinance they can launch into this battle that can turn the tide to our advantage.  And that ordinance is prayer.
The enemy is both demon influenced and demon possessed.  Lucifer’s legions are in the battlefield and they are directing the enemy’s strategies and offensives.  But our Lord had command authority over the entire angelic population.  They may not occupy a piece of real estate He doesn’t permit and they may not possess a body that He doesn’t allow.  Include in your prayer the petition that in the Lord’s control of history that He would control the battlefields of Iraq by forbidding the demons to indwell the enemy and cast out those that already do.
I don’t know how to more strongly implore your involvement in this offensive than by passing along to you the e-mails sent to me by Jill Davey from Mark.  If you enjoy your freedoms, if you like the opportunity to comfortably attend Bible classes, and if you enjoy the prosperity to which you have become so accustomed, then you need to remember those who are putting their lives on the line to insure these things.
I therefore implore you to pray for Mark Davey and those in his platoon and for Matt Lawson who is soon to be deployed around the first of the year.  In addition, there is a list of men and women currently deployed in the Iraqi theatre of operations who also need your prayer.  They are identified in our prayer-bulletin and on our Web site’s Prayer page by means of a star by their names.
As we commemorate Veterans’ Day this coming Tuesday, let your thoughts not only reflect on those who have served before but especially those who are face-to-face with the bad guys right now.  Here’s the list:
* Kirk Burton
* Matthew Darjany
*▼ Mark Davey 
* Joseph A. DiFilippo
* Mike Fraizer 
* James Gresham
* Scott Gross
* Jay Huetterman
* John Humphrey
* James Isitt
* Joseph James
* Philip Joubert
* Anthony Knight
* Adam Kolhaas
* Brad May (East Ridge Bible Church)
* Tony Mitchell 
* Jim Nobles 
* Phil Paternoster 
* Dwayne Reihl
* Bert Robbins
* David J. Roseland
* Heather Storlie 
* Daniel Thurston 
* Kevin Underwood
* Michael Wallen
* Bruce Woodsmansee
Also:
†▼Brett Turner, South Korea

Let us pray: