Fight to Win Pt. 2

On Sept. 17, 1862 and at many other times throughout history we can see the sacrifice made by others for causes greater than themselves. We are all called to give of ourselves for the greatest cause known to man; the cause of Jesus Christ.

But let me share some more of the story of Antietam that parallels our mission to "fight to win";
Leading up to the battle, the Confederates had experienced a number of victories and moral on their side was high. Pres. Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee believed that a northern invasion would provide relief to the weary troops and the ravaged northern Virginia countryside. They hoped to gain more recruits from Maryland which they thought would sympathize with the South and they believed a decisive victory would force the North to seek a peace agreement. Northern moral was miserably low and hopes for a victory in the impending battle were nil. But on Sept. 9th the entire tone began to change. The Union army arrived in Frederick, MD at around midnight and one soldier records that thousands of people cheered their arrival. The people prepared them food and heaped encouragement on the soldiers. Suddenly, the refreshed soldiers took on a new countenance.

**Each of us has a gift that will refresh others; either a kind word or act or perhaps a note.
The reinvigorated Union soldiers pressed on from Frederick to Sharpsburg for one of the most important battles of the war. The Confederates held a tactical advantage-they held the high ground. Yet the North had a new life, a fresh zeal spurred by encouragement.

**We need to encourage one another constantly when the battle seems lost or the odds seem stacked against us. Believing in one another an having support certainly makes us fight harder.
The Union gained only a small measure of military victory when Robert E. Lee withdrew his army across the Potomac. However, it did allow Pres. Abraham Lincoln the leverage to issue one of the most important documents in American history. On Sept. 22nd, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

This paved the way for the end of slavery. Slavery is a common biblical metaphor for the hold of sin on people’s lives without the grace and forgiveness of Christ.

If we are going to fight to win, we must encourage and support one another; especially when the "cost" of serving Christ seems too great. We can not tire or falter in our quest because the proclamation of freedom through Jesus Christ is the emancipation from the grip of the enemy that our friends, our co-workers, our community, and our world so desperately needs to hear. God has given each one of us a special story, a unique part in this battle and now we must faithfully fulfill that mission.

"Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he's called you to be, pray that he'll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ." (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)