Gentlemen,

I pray that you finished well in 2008. I know that we did in the ALERT Cadet office and in the Farr family household. We were able to look back on the many things God accomplished and in which we were able to participate; we are grateful.

One thing we finished is now on its way to you! Look in your mail box next week for our 2009 camp schedule and the new, 2008 ALERT Cadet Year-End Report. The Report contains stories and facts for the ALERT Cadet ministry in 2008, and I pray it will be an encouragement to you. If you are a unit or squad leader in ALERT Cadet look for the new ALERT Cadet Leadership Manual next week as well. This was another project needing to be completed which we finished in 2008!

On December 31, in both my Bible reading and in my devotional book, the topic was on finishing the work that had been assigned. I’ve written previously about finishing well, in the sense of a life lived to the full, but this month I’d like to write about finishing any job. I encourage you to teach your children to finish their jobs; frankly the joy comes at the end of a finished job.

Let me start by sharing with you from my friend LeRoy Eims of the Navigators. In his book Daily Discipleship (1998, NavPress) regarding 1 Corinthians 14:12, he says:

“Now when you and I think of our involvement in the Great Commission, we need to think of finishing the job. And that involves two things – winning the lost and building up the saved. We want those who turn to Christ to become strong, robust, dedicated, mature disciples. We want to see them built up in the faith, so they can reach out to others with the gospel and begin to build up those new ones in the faith. That is what Paul was pleading for in 1 Corinthians 14:12, where he told the Christians in Corinth to “try to excel in gifts that build up the church.” It is imperative that you and I know how to help people growth in thier Christian lives. Why? Because if a person comes to Christ and does no go on to become a mature disciple, the job is half done.”

Mr. Eims is correct. Discipleship, in terms of finishing the job of growing up a new believer, is essential. In fact this will be the focus of the ALERT Cadet camps in 2009; we will work on becoming fruitful disciple-makers for Christ utilizing 2 Timothy 2:2 as our teaching text.

In 1 Kings 20 Scripture records the story of the evil Israeli king Ahab and his war with Ben-hadad of Aram. There are two lessons in this story. First, let’s look at Ahab and how he did not finish the job. God was using even evil Ahab to execute His judgment on Ben-hadad by allowing Ahab to achieve victory with a very few men. However, when it came time to execute Ben-hadad, verse 34 records that “Ahab made a covenant with Ben-hadad and let him go.” However, the judgment from God came on Ahab in verse 42, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.” Just because Ahab did not finish the job he was going to lose his life, and all Israel would suffer. A good example of why each of us must finish each task given to us by God!

Now let’s look at another passage in the same chapter before the battle. Ben-hadad and Ahab had this conversation just before they went to war in 1 Kings 20:10-11:

“And Ben-hadad sent to him and said, ‘May the gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me.’ Then the king of Israel answered and said, ‘Tell him, ‘Let not him who girds on his armor boast like him who takes it off.’’”

Ben-hadad taunted Ahab because he had the superior army and he believed that he would totally destroy Israel. However, Ahab’s response was right. In modern-day English baseball philosopher Yogi Berra said it this way, “It is not over, until it’s over!” Ahab told Ben-hadad that the proof of the victory is shown by the one who is able to take off his armor. Anyone can put on his armor and issue a challenge, but it is the victor, the one who finishes the job, who takes it off after the victory.

Dads, you and I must be finishers of the tasks set before us, whether they are small on-going “honey-dos” around the house or a lifetime of disciple making. Finally, let us not grow weary in the raising of our sons to be mighty men of God. Let us teach our sons to follow our examples and also be finishers!

In Christ,

Roger D. Farr
ALERT Cadet Commanding Officer