05/18/2026
Kasserine Pass. That is where we as a nation entered WW2 in Europe, and it was a disaster. 27 days later the German army advanced, and that same army that broke and scattered 4 weeks before not only held, but delivered a notable loss to the Wehrmacht. Why? We took the loss, and we didn't excuse it away. We didn't pin it to every outside variable that we could find. The US military took the loss, and they looked hard, long, and unflinchingly, at what had transpired and what had to change. Then, the changes were made. By the time Germany fell, Patton's 3rd army was the terror of the German military. They actively feared an engagement with his forces because he consistently out maneuvered, overpowered, and outran them. What has this to do with church? It is simple. We as Christians must be willing to look at our sins with unflinching eyes, own them, and do what is needed to deal with them. We cannot succeed on our own. We must seek Christ in repentance, and with an eye to seeking His aid in the absolute removal of even the desire, let alone the deed. We cannot do this if we will not look openly and honestly at our behavior, and if we will not own it as ours and ours alone. It does no good to pin our sin on what others have done or are doing. It does no good to simply say that it is in our nature, or that we are sinners saved by grace. If we are saved, we want to eliminate sin, and to do so, we have to dig deep and openly with our Lord. We can do this, and through our blessed Savior achieve a more complete victory, or we can hide, shift blame, or even refuse to look, and appear before our Savior a slothful and unprofitable servant, There is a hymn, "Must I go and empty handed". Look well to your sins, or you, and I shall be thus.