“Roddie’s Code: choose right, oppose wrong, dignify life, and esteem everyone.”
You’ve lived for Jesus all your life. You’ve chosen to “want to be near Him” more than anything else in life. You read and live out the scriptures as your faith grows.
Then WWII erupts. You enlist. You make your way up the chain to become a Master Sargent. When you finally enter combat, you become part of Nazi Germany’s last major offensive – the infamous Battle of the Bulge.
This is the first combat experience for both you and your men. You become surrounded. With no way out, you and what’s left of your men surrender.
As a POW, you’re fed sawdust filled black bread. You’re surviving on 500 calories a day. After 90 days, you’re truly a living skeleton.
Then the moment comes. You say you love Jesus. The One who said, “If you love Me, you will obey Me. And love your neighbor as yourself.”
You are the highest ranking officer in the camp. You are told to only have Jews fall out, while the rest of your men are to remain in their barracks. By this time, stories of what Germans have done to Jews have begun to spread. What do you do?
Roddie Edmonds, age 24, had every single man of his almost 1,300 Americans fall out. The German commandant was outraged. He only wanted the Jews. So, what do you say to the man who points a loaded Luger at your forehead and says, “I only want the Jews.”
Roddie replied, “Sir, we are all Jews here.” The commandant walked away in disgust. Roddie saved 200 lives, who happened to be American soldiers of Jewish decent. He acted on a code that Jesus gave him.
You don’t have to be perfect to do something extraordinary. You just need to act on what you say you believe. Be hero. Love Jesus.

Where you sit determines your perspective.
The Scriptures tell of a throne in heaven that the LORD sits on forever, where He rules over the nations (Ps. 9:7; 11:4; 47:8).
In heaven means there is no throne or power above His, despite what you see, feel or think.
Forever means no angel or human can ever kick Him off that throne, despite what you see, feel or think.
The nations, peoples and politicians, are accountable to Him, despite what they think, say or do. Isaiah talks about this very thing. Nations judged for how they treated Israel.
This is the perspective from where God sits.
And, did you know that you’re sitting where He sits and should have that same perspective, which brings peace despite what you see, feel or think?
The moment you put your faith in Jesus and what He did for you, not you for Him, then the Father raised you up and seated you in Jesus’ lap on this throne in heaven (Eph. 2:6)!
Therefore, His perspective should be your perspective: the Father is working behind the scenes to accomplish His purposes (know the end of the Book!), regardless of what the peoples and politicians of the nations think, say or do.
What throne are you sitting on? It will determine what you see and how you’ll react in world that might seem to be going a little crazy according to your perspective.

Yesterday is over. Today is now.
My mom took my brother and me to see the Dodgers play when we were little. We’d sit either in the outfield seats or the nosebleed section behind home plate. We didn’t care. We were at the game.
I still vividly remember one game in particular. It was the day I broke my front tooth. As we exited the stadium doors, I heard the crowd roar. I turned my head to see what was happening while still walking toward our car.
You can guess what happened. When I turned around, I walked into one of those concrete parking bollards and chipped my tooth. Oh, it sure felt good once it stopped hurting!
Looking backwards while traveling forwards is hazardous to one’s health physically and spiritually.
I recently wasted most of a morning looking backward. I was focusing on something I couldn’t change, let alone do anything about. What a waste of time!
Yesterday is gone. Done. Kaput. By looking backwards, you and I will miss opportunities to love, become like and share Jesus today to our own detriment.
Stay focused on who’s ahead – Jesus (Phil. 3:13-14). Unwrap the package of the moment with Him. It will put an unbroken smile on both of your faces.

“No one stares up at the Northern Lights and says, ‘Wow, I’m incredible.’” Pete Grieg
Many of my hikes are taken in places where there can appear to be easier than other paths to take.
Pictured is one of them. The dirt path on the way out was full of ruts I needed to avoid in order to not twist my ankles. So when I got to the point where I needed to turn back home, I noticed this opening in the fence.
Entering that opening would make my return walk shorter and easier. I had a choice to make. I could enter the opening and walk on the easier paved path saving twisted ankles. Or, I could by pass the opening and take the longer more difficult path home.
Obviously, I wanted to take the shorter and easier path until I remembered an important fact. I took the easier route before only to discover there was no such opening at the other end!
My shorter route then became much, much longer as I had to back track to the fence opening; and then, take the longer more difficult route home.
Our walks with Jesus are much like this opening in the fence. Life is not about easy! It’s about loving Him. And sometimes, the longer, more difficult route is best because of what Jesus wants us to experience with Him.
Filter your choices through Jesus. He is the Way/Path to real living in these very uncertain times in which we find ourselves.
If not, hopefully, you’ll learn from your mistakes like I did.

“A battleship in harbor is safe, but that’s not what it was made for.” Anonymous
I’ve played sports all my life; and, I’ve never ever had an opponent do something to me while I sat on the sidelines. Why? I’m not in the game; and thus, am no threat.
Once I stepped onto the field of play, however, I’ve now become a threat. They must make a plan to keep me from defeating them.
Right now, with so many born-again Christians sitting on the sidelines (listening to and following their own “Christianized” dreams and goals), Satan gets a lot of credit for doing nothing!
Real spiritual attack comes from being in the game, which means listening to and following Jesus, not self, every day everywhere.
If this isn’t you, it’s time to repent and be who the Father made you – a secure child of God who experiences His presence and victory as you go about your daily living.
As you do, you’ll fulfill a purpose for being here (Matt. 28) despite the increased spiritual warfare that comes with it.
Be a threat to your enemy, not threatened by him. He’s a loser because he follows himself. You’re a winner because you’re in and follow Jesus.
Our current world needs you to get into the game!