His name was John Fears. He was a Confederate Soldier, a doctor…and my great-great-grandfather. He was from Texas and served with the 27th Texas calvary. He was wounded but survived the war. When the nightmare of the Civil War was over, any of those people who lived in a state that had been in rebellion against the United States of America needed to swear allegiance to their country in order to obtain any kind of license or accreditation. Dr. Fears refused to personally surrender and pledge allegiance to his country. He was a rebel who had taken up arms against the United States and I suppose technically, or at least in his heart he died not as an American. For whatever reason his rebel heart was more important that his love for his nation. Those were the stories told me about him. I saw a very old newspaper article written after he died about him and apparently he was a respected and maybe even beloved doctor. But he could not give up his love of being in rebellion against his nation. I’ve thought from time to time about this one who is a part of my family line. And it makes me think of how all of us are right there with Captain…or Dr. Fears. We people are not creatures who need reforming or need to just work to become better people. That thought is from the enemy. We are rebels…all of us. And the God of the Bible is calling us to lay down our arms and to change our allegiance from everything and anything to him and him alone and receive his love and kindness and forgiveness. That’s what it means to receive this Jesus as Lord and Savior. Like the old hymn’s chorus says:
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
Each day, God is calling each one of us to lay down our arms of rebellion, to surrender all and embrace his offer to become a citizen of his kingdom…forever. Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Hebrews 11:14-16 BSB Now those who say such things show that they are seeking a country of their own. (15) If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. (16) Instead, they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
Remember I’m praying for you!
With love, PJ
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
Each day, God is calling each one of us to lay down our arms of rebellion, to surrender all and embrace his offer to become a citizen of his kingdom…forever. Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Hebrews 11:14-16 BSB Now those who say such things show that they are seeking a country of their own. (15) If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. (16) Instead, they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
Remember I’m praying for you!
With love, PJ