To all who are serving or have served, we the SONS OF GOD M/C Salute and Thank You!

People may question the war and our leaders ways. The things they tend to forget about are the consequences and the sacrifices made.

To free a people long held prisoner is a noble cause. Americans tend to forget that this war has a just cause.

To free a people from tyranny is the second greatest thing to seeing them free from Satan's reign.

Yes the war has a cost but freedom has no price, if only we stay the course we can do what's right.

LETTER OF FAITH

IN MEMORY OF

Sergeant Bradley Stephen Crose US Army Ranger

A LETTER FROM A LOVING FATHER

^{The 4th of March 2002, seven Green Berets are killed in Afghanistan during a military operation called "Anaconda." CBS Nightly News gave us the breaking news concerning the largest number of deaths (at that point) in the war on terror. No details were given, but heaviness in my heart and a lump in my throat would not be denied. I did take consolation that my Son was not a Green Beret but a Special Operator assigned to the First Ranger Battalion stationed at Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah, GA. However, the feeling that something was wrong refused to subside.}

Prior to my Son's departed for deployment to Afghanistan my wife and I laid our hands on his shoulders and prayed that God would draw him closer to Him through this experience and that he would be safely delivered home. I kissed his cheek, shook his hand and said goodbye.

He was a strong Christian in both thought and lifestyle. He witnessed to his fellow Rangers and told them about Jesus and what it meant to have a personal relationship with Him. He didn't hang his Christianity at the door of Ranger toughness and determination. He was a Christian and a Warrior. A rare combination - especially in the Special Forces.

Ten-thirty p.m. March 5th the doorbell rings. Who in the world would be visiting at this hour? I knew. With a breaking heart and heavy steps I turned on the porch light and saw the Command Sergeant Major and an Army Chaplain standing outside. The time had come.

With tears in his eyes, the Sergeant Major informed me that my Son, 22 year old Sergeant Bradley Stephen Crose had been killed in action during the Battle of Takur Gar. I wish I could remember more of what was said, but it was just like in the movies when everything slows down and the words run together and cannot be remembered. I thanked them for their thoughtfulness and commented on the difficulty of their assignment. They took their leave and I remember a tremendous sense of loss but also a feeling of security; that God was Sovereign, that He was in control, that He had ordained the number of Brad's days from before the foundation of the earth.

How was I able to have this security? The 10th of March 1996, I was sitting in the congregation at the Legonier National Conference in Orlando, FL. The speaker was John MacArthur and he told the following story: "A good friend of his who had labored without any obvious success as a Christian Missionary in Salt Lake City had a daughter who was about to be enrolled as a freshman at Kings College in California. The orientation date arrived. His friend packed up the station wagon with his two daughters and two foreign exchange students who had never been to California. After the orientation was completed everyone packed into the automobile. When pulling out into the intersection he failed to see a 18-wheeler bearing down on him. The crash was horrific; both of his daughters had been killed. Both he and his wife had sustained injuries. Only the two foreign exchange students were unharmed. When John MacArthur got the news he rushed to the Hospital. He didn't know what to say.

His friend who had just lost his two daughters looked at him and said, "It seems like a dream, but, wasn't it gracious of God to take the two who were saved and spare the others. When I told my daughter that I wanted her to have the experience of singing in a big choir I didn't know how big a choir God had planned."

When I heard that story it was as though a lightening bolt had passed through my body. I said to God, "I want to know you like that. Show and guide me my Your Holy Spirit to develop that type of faith in You." He did it. Through good Doctrine and Theology He matured me to the point where I could say, "Wasn't it gracious of God to take the three Rangers, who were Christians and spare the lives of the other Ranger members of his Quick Reaction Force."

John MacArthur was right. His friend understood. God is Sovereign, He's in control and ordains everything that happens in our lives. God answered my prayer. I just didn't know how close He was going to draw Bradley and I didn't know to which Home he was being safely delivered.

"Heaven is where Christ is. The communion of the God-man is that of which they shall eat and drink abundantly, and swim in the ocean of love, and be eternally swallowed up in the infinitely bright, and infinitely mild and sweet beams of divine love; eternally receiving the light, eternally full of it, and eternally compassed round with it, and everlastingly reflecting it back again to its foundation." Jonathan Edwards

LOVING FATHER and SOGMC Supporter RICK CROSE