In 1997, our team headed to Heritage Baptist Church for the first time. We have been back multiple times. There are several on staff there who have become good friends. Pastor Michael Edwards founded the church and was the pastor there for decades. Recently he stepped down, and Pastor Jeff Amsbaugh became the pastor. I really enjoyed getting to know him.
The student body was “all in” to the War of Special Forces from day one. In fact, on Friday, when all was said and done, the largest score ever had been compiled—122,900. The team who had that score and won the week was the Super Seals! The other two teams also crossed 100,000 points, so I believe history was made. The Incredible Rangers were second with 121,600. I do not believe there has ever been a War of Special Forces where all three teams crossed 100,000 points!
Most importantly though, the Lord worked in many hearts. The week had a couple of hot days. One day it peaked out over 90. As a result, the team was downing the Gatorade. When supplies began to get low, I went over to the Food Lion across the street. While I was in the Gatorade aisle, a teen with his parents was coming up the aisle. I engaged them in a conversation about the War of Special Forces. The mother said she would bring her son, and she did. Later that night Hunter, the Ranger team captain, led him to the Lord.
One young lady in the Christian school was struggling with feelings of worthlessness because of things her peers would say. She realized this week that she had a lot of bitterness in her heart but was struggling to know how to get rid of it. When she heard the message on forgiveness, she realized that she had not forgiven. She let go of her bitterness and believed God’s promise about her worth to Him.
Another young lady was also really struggling with bitterness. She talked with Hannah, the Seal team co-captain, about everything that was going on in her life. She said that she was holding on to resentment because of something that had happened. She shared in her testimony:
“[Brother] Van Gelderen preached on ‘Don’t hold onto bitterness and just give it all to God.’ Once I heard that message, it changed me; I felt this relief when I gave it all to God…and I just want to say thank you!”
A young man had been holding on to bitterness against a family member since he was young. He prayed one night for the Lord to show him what was eating at him! He shared in his testimony:
“…the very next day, the first five or six words out of [Dr. Jim’s] mouth…he spoke on bitterness against your parents and forgiveness. And man….that threw me. It’s been a rough and rocky road. I’ve been carryin’ too much burden along the way, and I need to let it go…I only pray that I can keep to it.”
Another young lady asked to talk to Rebekah, the Marine team co-captain, after the rally on Friday night. She had been struggling throughout the week with assurance. Rebekah went through the gospel with her, and she made sure of her salvation! She was also struggling with bitterness. After looking at verses in the Bible, she was able to pray and let go of the bitterness. This young lady started taking steps to obey Jesus!
Below are some other encouraging testimonies from the week:
“…I pushed away God because I felt a common thought of ‘Why would He do this to me if He cared so much, and if He loved me so much why would He let me suffer like this?’ And I struggled and pushed God away from me for my entire life, and in middle school I attempted suicide because…I felt so empty and sad. But through this week, I realized that I had bitterness in my heart…So I had to ask God…to help me realize that I need to forgive them through Him. And He gave me that strength.”
“God spoke to me today—this morning—during the chapel service we had here. And…the service was about God being a 100% and your relationship being 0%. So that really convicted me because I knew I was asking God…what I should do, but…it was what I should do, so there was still that percent of me in that relationship, and I knew that…I couldn’t do anything, so I had to get my mind right. And so…I went to the auditorium and got it right, and I walked out of the boat—like Peter did…and I’m on my way to walking for Jesus. And honestly…there is peace!”
“I used to just be really bitter and didn’t seem to forgive people well, and I didn’t respect my mom as much as I should’ve. But something changed me during that time…like, my pride just kept me from being the man that I should’ve been …the War of Special Forces has changed me; like, I just got rid of that pride that was inside me, and I let God take charge.”
“I was so far away from God. I struggled with so many sins in my life, I felt like I was bitter at everybody, and, really, I was not happy at all. I couldn’t defeat my sin on my own…I realized that I had been trying to live my own life, and that I had been trying to make decisions on my own, and I had been miserably failing. I had been looking for happiness in places that I knew I would not find them, but…I finally surrendered my life to the Lord this week, and I’ve given my whole entire life to Him, ‘cause I realized that I can’t do this on my own; I don’t have enough strength!”
“I was able to get assurance of my salvation, and I would like to say that Jesus is the only thing that satisfies. If…you think that the next video game will make you happy—the next iPhone, whatever, will make you happy—it…it’s not going to! Only Jesus—Jesus is the only thing that satisfies. When you see that joy—that undescribable joy—on somebody’s face after they get saved, that’s what true joy and true satisfaction is!”
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