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By Josie Rabbitt Bingham —
Chaplain Rondon (left) at July 29 Chapel service,
when 200 soldiers gave their lives to Christ
Army Chaplain Jose Rondon believes “there is
nothing more exhilarating in life than seeing people come to Christ.” In the
last six months, Rondon has experienced that exhilaration with more than 1,400
professions of faith — something one could describe as a spiritual awakening —
at Fort Leonard Wood, his place of ministry.
Because of his reputation for being intentional in
his ministry, many have come to hear Rondon share the Gospel on Sundays.
Soldiers packed into Chapel service
“We have seen 1,459 soldiers come to Christ since
March of this year,” Rondon said. “God is doing great things at Fort Leonard
Wood among the hundreds of soldiers who have come to know Christ personally.”
Soldiers bow their knees in repentance, finding new
life in Christ
Retired Major General Doug Carver, executive director
of chaplaincy for the North American Mission Board, says what is happening at
Fort Leonard Wood is not an exception. Right now there are reportedly 1,348
military chaplains in the Southern Baptist Convention at work.
“Our troops, who are increasingly hungry for truth
and relevancy in their lives, are finding a faith that works through a personal
relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ,” Carver said. “The current spiritual
awakening at Fort Leonard Wood is indicative of a great move of God taking place
within the Armed Services today.”
Consider the following, Carver reported:
— More than 2,000 troops gathered in Doughboy
Stadium at Fort Benning, Ga. this past Easter to celebrate the Resurrection of
Jesus Christ.
— Army chaplains are currently baptizing an average
of 70 soldiers every basic combat training cycle at Fort Jackson, S.C.
— The U.S. Air Force Chaplaincy recently rolled out
a new program called FaithWorks, which is a collection of evidence-based
programs and materials promoting spiritual resilience for airmen and their
families.
— The military has built more chapels since 9/11
than any other period of American history except for World War II.
In the past two years, Southern Baptist military
chaplains have reported there have been tens of thousands of professions of
faith and thousands of baptisms.
“Historically, God has often used the military as a
catalyst for revival,” Carver said. “Many attribute the spread of Christianity
in the first century to Roman soldiers deployed throughout the Roman Empire.
The Lord is answering our prayers for revival within our military communities.
I’ve prayed for over 40 years for our troops and their families to experience
the reality of Jesus Christ in a new and fresh way.”
Chaplain Rondon has been intentional with his words
and with how he treats his fellow soldiers. So when a staff sergeant first
approached Rondon and asked to speak with him, the chaplain knew the sergeant
wasn’t asking for words of wisdom but for listening ears.
“To be intentional is to be faithful to Christ and
obedient to His Great Commission,” Rondon said. “But we will not succeed in
making disciples until the lost make the first step to follow Christ as their
Savior. To be intentional not only means to preach Christ’s Word in the chapel,
but to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit to share His message of reconciliation
if, and when, the time fits.”
So, Rondon listened to the staff sergeant, and then
he prayed with him to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior. Rondon did the same
thing when another senior non-commissioned officer asked for the chance to talk
to him about spiritual matters. This soldier-leader also asked Jesus Christ
into his heart.
“My two soldiers and friends from our current
battalion at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri came to Christ because their lives
were in need of the Savior,” he said. “All of us at some point need to be a
listening ear, to help others to start trusting and believing in anything
again, especially when our wounds are so deep that we lose respect for many
around us.
“They talked to me about their lives because they
respected me and noticed I really cared for our soldiers like I always do
during my pastoral rounds. I invited them both to a meal. God always opens
great doors like this when we listen to people without interrupting. We show
them how much we care by being there for them whenever they need it most.”
In both conversations, a chaplain and a sergeant
spoke about their lives.
“Instead of asking them whether or not they knew
they were going to heaven if they died today, I simply said, ‘I see that you
need Christ in your life. He can not only help you to deal with the challenges
of daily living, but He can also save you from an eternal death because of your
sins,'” Rondon said. “They both agreed they needed Christ to come into their
lives forever and to have His presence to deal with life from that moment on.”
— Baptist Press
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