July 2, 2026

One of my friends, retired Major William Ostan, gives us today’s post, adapted from his incredible book, The Patriot’s Field Manual: A Citizen’s Guide to Saving America at the Local Level. The title of today’s post is:

Getting Back on Course

Will shares:

I’ll never forget being lost in the middle of the night in the Fort Benning, Georgia, swamps with only a military-issued lensatic hand-held compass (no GPS!) and a paper 8-digit grid map to guide me. I was a middle-aged soldier attempting to pass the legendary land navigation test in the Army’s Pre-Ranger course so I could prove worthy of my Commander approving orders to Ranger School, despite my advanced age. Getting a shot at the elite Ranger school had been a distant dream of mine for years.

That dream was in danger of being dashed as the heavens opened, pouring out an unwelcome deluge of hard rain that completely soaked me, my map, and the ground. I was knee-deep in the muck that was trying to suck my boots off with every step, surrounded by thick darkness, accompanied by strange animal sounds and suddenly starting to worry that I wouldn’t find all the navigation points in the required time before sunrise.

Discouragement was beginning to cloud my mind. I could feel my heart racing, induced by the creeping, encroaching thoughts of possible failure.

Then I remembered a sound piece of advice I received from a land navigation instructor shortly after I joined the Army, “First Lieutenant Ostan, when you get lost, don’t panic. Just find the biggest fixed landmark and shoot an azimuth from there. Too easy.”(1)

So that’s what I did. I clicked on my red-lens flashlight, trudged out of the swamp to the most obvious fixed landmark on the map, and re-shot a new azimuth to the next closest point. Over the ensuing exhausting hours, I found enough points to pass the land nav course and successfully completed Pre-Ranger school.

You might be asking yourself - What in the world is an azimuth, and why is it so important? Honestly, explaining how to do land navigation might be harder than actually doing it. So, in the simplest terms possible - shooting an azimuth essentially means climbing to a height where the horizon is visible, sighting an object on that horizon in the direction you are traveling, and adjusting your compass heading to make sure you are still moving in the right direction. You must have an accurate azimuth to reach your desired destination. If you are off in your measurements, even the tiniest variance can result in missing your targeted location by miles. In the military, being in the right place at the prescribed time is vital to mission success. So yes, azimuths are pretty important!

Believe it or not–this is similar to what the Founding generation did for us in 1776. They realized that the King and Parliament in Great Britain had become lost and were no longer honoring the principles of freedom enumerated in the azimuth known as the Magna Carta.(2) So, they dedicated their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to re-shoot an azimuth for humanity that has resounded through the ages and changed the course of history. It can be found in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Federalist Papers, etc. Benjamin Franklin stated the international reach of America’s quest: “It is a common observation here (Paris) that our cause is the cause of all mankind, and that we are fighting for their liberty in defending our own.”(3)

Sadly, this cause has been set back. Today, our generation has reached a critical mass point where we need to, once again, re-shoot an azimuth. For several decades now, America has slowly but steadily abandoned her unique founding principles.

Founder Thomas Jefferson warned of this:

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. …If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”(4)

Trusted historian Stephen McDowell stated the results of our ignorance and lack of diligence:

“America’s founding principles made her unique, free, and powerful, but there are many today who would have her abandon those principles. Many leaders in education and the media have promoted a different ideology, and many government leaders have implemented policies contrary to our founding principles, which have diminished our greatness.”(5)

It’s obvious that we have veered off course and desperately need to find a fixed landmark. The indifference and complacency born of these lies are leading to the collapse of our country. In combat parlance, we would say that the enemy is “danger- close.” Dr. Os Guinness’s most recent book title succinctly sums up our current situation by stating we have entered “Zero Hour America.”(6)

The azimuth America currently needs is a combination of America’s God-given founding purpose - a light to the nations powered by the gospel of Jesus Christ - and the principles elaborated in her founding documents.

America is not perfect and never will be, but she is still the greatest country in the history of mankind. And she has the unique God-given position of being a “City on a Hill” to the nations of the world. When America is free, she remains one of the most powerful conduits for the gospel to spread across the globe.

Lincoln had it right when he described our nation as the world’s “last, best hope.”(7) Let us be reminded, as we celebrate our 250th Independence Day, that we, the Ekklesia, have been given a mission. We must re-shoot an azimuth for humanity. We are in the right place at the right time to see this nation turn back to God, and the gospel flow to the ends of the earth.

Pray with me:

Father, You inspired our ancestors to re-shoot an azimuth for humanity hundreds of years ago, and we ask You to guide us to do so again in this strategic hour. Please continue to strengthen the hearts of Your Ekklesia with the same “never-give-up” commitment we saw in America’s Founders. We are partnering with You to bring this nation to the right place at the right time according to Your purposes in heaven, in order to once again be a City on Hill - a light and a glory for the nations of the earth to know Jesus and live in true freedom. Benjamin Franklin was more correct than he knew: “Our cause is the cause of all mankind.”(8)

This week, as we celebrate what You have done for this nation, remind us of Jefferson’s poignant words: “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”(9)This same vigilance is required in our prayers. “Be on the alert,” You told us in Scripture (1 Corinthians 16:13, Ephesians 6:18, Colossians 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 1 Peter 5:8). Let every celebration of every believer this week be accompanied by an “appeal to heaven” for revival and reformation. We ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our decree:

We declare that the Ekklesia is bringing a course correction to America–our nation will be in the right place at the right time to fulfill her God-given purposes!

Today’s post was adapted from Major (Retired) William Ostan’s book, The Patriot’s Field Manual: A Citizen’s Guide to Saving America at the Local Level. It is available at WillOstan.com, along with more of his story. I encourage you to get this book; it’s excellent.

Click on the link below to watch the video.

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1. John, Vickery P. “The Lost Art of Dismounted Land Navigation.” Fort Benning, https://www.moore.army.mil/infantry/magazine/issues/2015/OCT-DEC/pdf/4)%20Vickery%20-%20Land%20Nav_txt.pdf. Accessed 22 March 2023.

2. “The Avalon Project: Magna Carta.” Avalon Project, https://avalon.law.yale.edu/medieval/magframe.asp. Accessed 22 March 2023.

3. Benjamin Franklin in a letter to Samuel Cooper, 1777. Major William T. Coffey, Jr., Patriot Hearts (Colorado Springs, CO: Purple Mountain Publishing), p. 290. 

4. Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Colonel Charles Yancy, January 6, 1816. Ibid Patriot Hearts, p. 289.

5. Stephen, McDowell. “American Exceptionalism.” Providence Foundation, 14 October 2022, https://providencefoundation.com/american-exceptionalism/. Accessed 22 March 2023.

6. Guinness, Os. Zero Hour America: History’s Ultimatum Over Freedom and the Answer We Must Give. InterVarsity Press, 2022. 

7. Lincoln, Abraham. “President Abraham Lincoln’s Second Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862.” National Archives, 25 July 2019, https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/sotu/lincoln.html. Accessed 22 March 2023.

8. https://quotefancy.com/quote/772035/Benjamin-Franklin-Tis-a-common-observation-here-that-our-cause-is-the-cause-of-all 

9. https://www.thisdayinquotes.com/2026/01/eternal-vigilance-is-the-price-of-liberty/

July 1, 2026

Church in the Rotunda?

As we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday this week, it is good to be reminded that God created America for His purposes. It is clear that the motivation of the early settlers, long before we became a nation, included furthering the gospel of Jesus Christ. John Winthrop, an English lawyer and leading figure in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, led the first large wave of colonists from England in 1630 and served as governor for twelve of the colony’s first 20 years. On the voyage to America aboard the Arbella, Winthrop composed a lay sermon, “A Model of Christian Charity,” in which he pictured the Massachusetts colonists in covenant with God and each other, divinely ordained to build “a city upon a hill” in New England. He took this phrase from Christ’s message in Matthew 5:14.(1)

“On May 19, 1643, Winthrop organized the New England Confederation among the Colonists of New Plymouth, New Haven, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. They covenanted together under the Constitution of the New England Confederation. Here is a portion of the covenant:

“‘Whereas we all came to these parts of America with the same end and aim, namely to advance the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to enjoy the liberties of the gospel thereof with purities and peace, and for preserving and propagating the truth and liberties of the gospel.’”(2)

Just over 130 years later, following the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a committee was appointed to design a seal for the newly formed United States to express the spirit of the nation. Thomas Jefferson, who penned the Declaration, suggested that it be “the children of Israel in the wilderness, led by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.”(3)

Wouldn’t that have given today’s Marxists, leftists, and secularists indigestion?!

Facts such as these infuriate the progressives and revisionists on the left, who want to distort America’s heritage and destiny. But the facts clearly reveal that our Founders knew the birth of America was orchestrated by God – not just for their benefit, but for His as well. No, they did not want to establish a national religion or favor one religious group over another. But did they know God was involved in our founding, and did they want His involvement to continue? Absolutely.

Satan certainly doesn’t want this, which is why he motivates individuals to try to transform us into a godless, secularist nation. One of his most successful campaigns to remove God’s influence from our government and our education system is the oft-repeated doctrine concerning “the separation of church and state.” This phrase is not in the Constitution, of course, but instead, in a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to assure one concerned religious group that there would never be a national religion, as there was in Britain.(4) The First Amendment prevents the government from establishing an official religion or interfering with the free exercise of religion. It was NOT about keeping God’s–or the Bible’s–influence out of government.

Just two days after writing this letter, Jefferson actually attended a church service in the rotunda of the Capitol! In fact, there was a church service in the Capitol rotunda every Sunday for the first 100 years of our nation!!!(5) Can you imagine?!

We have certainly defiled God’s plan for America at times throughout our history, polluting the nation with unrighteousness, selfish ambition, and greed. That, however, has not changed His plan. It simply means we must be revived in heart and mind, reconstituted in purpose, and restored to this destiny. This is occurring and is why the Rededication of our nation to God on May 17 of this year was so strategic and powerful. (You may have noticed that no liberals or leftists showed up at the Rededication events. They DO NOT want God’s influence in our nation.)

Thankfully, the praying church and God-honoring patriots are rising to the occasion in this season, just as Esther, Deborah, David, Joshua, Caleb, Nehemiah, Haggai, and many others did in Israel’s history. These people served God’s purpose in their generation (Acts 13:36). Now, it is our turn…and we WILL serve His purposes, as did our Founders, the spiritual warriors of the First and Second Great Awakenings, Lincoln and his generation, and the selfless heroes of two World Wars!

We are appealing to heaven for our help, just as the early patriots did, and we will persevere in doing so. Yes, these are trying times, but we are not “summer soldiers” or “sunshine patriots,” as Thomas Paine wrote in his book Common Sense in 1776, those who shrink from duty in times of crisis.(6) We are sons and daughters of the Most High God, constrained by His heart and committed to His cause here and around the world. We have knelt with Hunt at Cape Henry’s cross, embracing the covenant he declared and committing our lives to its fulfillment. In our hearts, we have signed the Declaration and pledged our allegiance.

Because we are partnering with the Supreme Owner and Ruler of the earth, who is the strength of this operation, we will not fail. America shall be saved. The harvest of the ages will be reaped because the Father promised it to His Son, and His Son has raised up a church over which the gates of hell cannot prevail. This is all guaranteed through the victory of the Cross, the covenant established through the shedding of Christ’s blood, and His overseeing of it (Hebrews 7:22). We, the church, are now spiritual enforcers of this victory, and we will continue to do so.

We will not be intimidated by any shaking, nor any uprising of demonic forces here and around the world. We can endure course corrections because we, like Christ, are looking at the joy set before us (Hebrews 12:2). We will not be intimidated by unprincipled and corrupt politicians, judges, dictators, or armies. We are more than conquerors and know that we cannot be separated from the love of Christ (Romans 8:37-39). We do not fear any evil, including death (Psalm 23:4).

Fly the flag this week. Keep your patriotism aligned with the cause of Christ, and make no apologies for it. Grab the baton from our Founders and press on. Continue daily in passionate prayer for America’s restoration, and align with others who do so.

Pray with me:

Father, we are so thankful for this great nation You raised up. We are jealous for Your Kingdom purposes here and around the world–we’re all in. Make this nation once again the trumpet You intended her to be, blasting the Jubilee message of the gospel to all the world. Change all that is needed to fully restore this destiny, then take it to the next level. Awaken and reform.

We pray for President Trump–keep him strong. Encourage him–do not let evil wear him down. We pray for our leaders in Congress as they legislate and as they investigate and uncover corruption. Lead them, give them wisdom, and protect them, their families, and staff. Give them boldness and tenacity, meekness and humility. May they have the anointing of Jeremiah to “root out, pull down, destroy, throw down, build and plant” (Jeremiah 1:10).

And we continue to pray for a spiritual harvest of millions in the Middle East. We ask You to continue the process of dethroning “the prince of Persia” (Daniel 10) and all of his allies, ending violence, destruction, and spiritual blindness. Turn the tables on them and end their terror. End the plans of other evil leaders around the world to steal, kill, destroy, rule unrighteously, and hinder Your great harvest. Show Yourself strong against them!

We commit to standing for these things, asking for and believing for them in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Our decree: 

Just as the patriots of old, we appeal to heaven for God’s help and wisdom. He will give us victory.

Click on the link below to watch the the video.

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1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Winthrop 

2. Leo Godzich, Faith of Our Fathers (Phoenix, AZ: NAME Publishers), p. 33.

3. William J. Federer, America’s God and Country (Coppell, TX: FAME Publishing, Inc.) p. 322.

4. https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html 

5. https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel06-2.html

6. https://www.ushistory.org/paine/crisis/c-01.htm

June 30, 2026

Poignant Words from Ronald Reagan

In yesterday’s post, we saluted Old Glory. Heavy doses of patriotism will continue throughout this week.

Two hundred fifty years ago, on July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress passed the Resolution for Independence, declaring the freedom of America’s 13 colonies from Great Britain. Two days later, on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence, which officially announced and explained the case for independence, was approved. Throughout the week, we will celebrate this monumental day.

George Washington, when addressing his troops regarding the War of Independence, stated with sobriety:

“The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of brave resistance, or the most abject submission. We have, therefore, to resolve to conquer or die.”(1)

Washington, it seems, was prophetic when he said, “The fate of unborn millions…will depend on the courage of this army.” Fast-forward 168 years to Normandy, France, and the decisive battle of WWII, known as D-Day. This bloody and horrific battle turned the tide against Hitler’s evil plans. Pvt. Charles Neighbor said of that day, “As our boat touched sand and the ramp went down, I became a visitor to Hell.”(2)

Pointe Du Hoc 

Pointe du Hoc is a prominent cliff on the coast of Normandy. It was a strategic point heavily fortified by the Germans. The United States Army Ranger Assault Group scaled the cliffs under intense enemy fire to capture and secure the location. At the 40th Anniversary of the D-Day Ceremony Pointe du Hoc, Normandy, France, on June 6, 1984, President Ronald Reagan gave a powerful speech entitled “The Boys of Pointe du Hoc.” Here is a portion:

“We’re here to mark that day in history when the Allied peoples joined in battle to reclaim this continent for liberty. For four long years, much of Europe had been under a terrible shadow. Free nations had fallen, Jews cried out in the camps, and millions cried out for liberation. Europe was enslaved, and the world prayed for its rescue. Here in Normandy, the rescue began. Here, the Allies stood and fought against tyranny in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history.

“We stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of France. The air is soft, but forty years ago at this moment, the air was dense with smoke, and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack of rifle fire and the roar of cannon. At dawn, on the morning of the 6th of June 1944, 225 Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs.

“Their mission was one of the most difficult and daring of the invasion: to climb these sheer and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns. The Allies had been told that some of the mightiest of these guns were here, and they would be trained on the beaches to stop the Allied advance.

“The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers - at the edge of the cliffs, shooting down at them with machine guns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After two days of fighting only ninety could still bear arms.

“Behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs. And before me are the men who put them there.

“These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.

“Gentlemen, I look at you, and I think of the words of Stephen Spender's poem. You are men who in your ‘lives fought for life...and left the vivid air signed with your honor…’

“Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. You were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet you risked everything here; why? Why did you do it? What compelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs? What inspired all the men of the armies that met here? We look at you, and somehow, we know the answer. It was faith and belief; it was loyalty and love…

“You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One’s country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.

“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children’s children say of us that we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.”(3)

On her 250th birthday, America faces another war for her freedom. This war is ideological, but no less consequential. Liberty and the salvation of millions depend on the courage of the spiritual army called the church, the Ekklesia. With God as our help, as surely as we celebrate liberty on July 4 and victory over tyranny on June 6, we will one day celebrate victory over this attempt to destroy America and delay God’s great harvest.

Pray with me:

Father, You had great plans for America, and still do. We have sown much toward the spreading of the gospel and given much to humanitarian causes around the world. Yet, we lost our way and, like the prodigal, squandered our inheritance and forsook our destiny. Thank You for the fresh start You have promised. Continue to orchestrate this turnaround and a new beginning. We know that the fate of untold millions still hangs in the balance. We will not relent in our prayers and efforts until we see complete victory. Refresh and refire Your intercessors.

And Father, You told us to pray for those in authority; we do so again today. We ask that divine wisdom be given to President Trump, leaders in Congress, and Supreme Court Justices. Our President is so hated. We ask that You protect him, his family members, and staff. Expose EVERY plan to harm them and bring the plan/s to nothing. Keep the watchmen engaged.

Please guide and direct our leaders in the conflict with Iran, and end the influence of the evil regime that has ruled there. Bring forth Your solution.

In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Our decree:

We decree that the ideological war for the soul of America will be won by Yahweh through the prayers of the body of Christ.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

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1. Major William T. Coffey, Patriot Hearts, (Purple Mountain Publishing: Colorado Springs, CO), p. 118.

2. Ibid, p. 16.

3. https://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/ronald-reagan-normandy-speech-point-du-hoc/