My journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, taking me from the battlefields of the United States Air Force to the spiritual frontline of ministry. During my twenty-plus years in the military, my most significant role was First Sergeant. My mission was clear: to be the Commander’s voice and lead, support, and uplift fellow Airmen. Little did I know this role would become the cornerstone of my life in ministry and beyond. Here, I found my voice, and more importantly, I learned how to be the voice of the one in charge. It’s here I found my calling as a human being for Jesus, the Commander of God's Army, and learned to embrace the power of faith by just believing in God’s voice.

As a Christian, Pastor, Author, and Spiritual Coach, my role is to be the voice of Jesus's grace and truth, just like a First Sergeant is the commander's voice to the troops. It's my responsibility to ensure God's mission is carried out by communicating Jesus' commands to the soldiers of Christ. This voice is how Jesus's followers hear his voice (John 10:27), and we must be obedient to God's Commandment and Commission (Matthew 22:34-40 | Matthew 28:16-20).

As a First Sergeant, disciplining soldiers asleep, in error, or ignorant of their roles and responsibilities is one of the most challenging duties. Similarly, being an authentic voice for Christ in the United States is difficult because many Christians are either absent, misinterpreting, or not listening to the Commander's voice, Jesus! The church's retreat mentality and silence in the face of spiritual warfare are unacceptable. It's time to take action and fulfill our responsibilities or face the consequences of failure and defeat in our day and age (2 Chronicles 7:14).

When problems arise, a First Sergeant, Commander’s voice, takes action to fix the brokenness. This deviation is why Elevating Life Church is partnering with Rocky Mountain Voice, Cover 4 Threatre, and others to awaken God’s Army in Northeastern Colorado and ignite God’s voice of truth once again. To light the torch, on April 14th at 11 am and 1 pm at the Cover Theatre in downtown Fort Morgan, Colorado, a free screening of “Letter to the American Church” will be shown (one of the only public screenings in the nation). All are invited! More importantly, if you are a soldier of God, Christian — Protestant or Catholic, directly, let me say, “BE THERE!” God’s Army must hear such a charge in our day and age. If you stand for what is good, right, and just, make it a priority to be present at this critical time—for those out of range, please pray!

In a military combat situation, the First Sergeant is typically positioned in a command center to champion the commander's "Call to Action" to the personnel. Today, you are invited to join God's squadron in Northeastern Colorado in "The Good Fight" to be part of His Army and to do good as we pray together and take action in this hour of need. Let's all just believe in God's voice and work for the greater good during these desperate times in American history.

With charge and boldness,

Pastor Drake