Bob calls for people to be brought down front; sounds like the auditorium is crowded. Sounds like Bob is being the usher.

2Cor. 12:15a And I will with great pleasure exhaust myself and be exhausted for your souls,...

Concluding principles from Last Time

1. When the pastor gives his congregation doctrine, that gives them capacity for freedom, love and life.

2. Giving must be based on these capacities.

3. By such grace giving, the pastor is free to study and teach.

4. One freedom in supergrace starts another freedom. He will have money when he comes into Corinth a second time and can study and teach.

5. Paul is coming to those who do not have any of these capacities; they are in reversionism. They are not capable of grace giving.

6. Paul will not get a gift from them and he will make grace and doctrinal recovery the true issues.

7. Paul’s choice to give freely of doctrine will be expressed in the next verse. Law of supreme sacrifice.

8. Paul is ready to come to Corinth to give them doctrine.

Paul is the right pastor; he is the giver. He gives the congregation something to which they can respond. Legalist is a taker not a giver. The legalist is the parent acting like a child.

Conjunctive use of δε and should be rendered moreover. Adverb ἡδιστα which means with the greatest of pleasure, constructed from a word which means pleasure. The verb is the future active indicative of δαπαναω = I will spend. This means to spend money, energy and strength. It is used for wearing out and exhausting and the fulfillment of the Apostolic ministry. Next word is the future passive indicative of the same word, which means to be destroyed, exhausted to the point of destruction. The gift of cooking belongs to the pastor teacher only. Paul is willing to return in spite of their reversionism and their reverse process reversionism. True love does not demand a response. Paul truly loves the Corinthians, even though they do not have the capability or the ability to respond to him.

Then we have ει as the beginning of a 1^st class condition, and it can be rendered though, if [and it is true]. This is the sacrificial statement of Paul, who loves in a phenomenal way; and he does not receive any love in return, as they lack the ability.

At age 54, Bob can look back into his youth and recall those who died for their country and our country has little appreciation for what they have done. Bob is going to illustrate this passage with something which occurred on this anniversary.

5–10 people in the U.S. have this information; and there are very few who care. The more they exhaust themselves in love, to the point of destruction, yet no one cares or remembers. These men have been buried and forgotten by a population which does not have the capacity for freedom.

This began in January 1943, 29 years and 6 months ago, in Casa Blanca. FDR and Churchill (?) met to discuss strategy. Ploesti was a huge complex, larger than Harris county. Sits in the Balkin area in Transylvania. The German army could not function without oil and fuel.

4 squadrons of 30–40 planes. About 10 planes to a squadron. Or 40? The Baker 2-4, called by several terms; it did not even look like a plane; it had little tiny wings. Big body. Designed to carry a big payload and designed to fly at a high altitude. A colonel in the Pentagon said that is the only plane that can be used against Ploesti.

5 groups, 44^th 93^rd, 98^th, 376^th and one other. Some of the most phenomenal men. Jacob Smart in 1955 was a major general and he came up with the idea that a low-level attack would give the level of surprise. He said it was poorly defended, but it was one of the best defended target at that time. Germans had 40 batteries of 60 mils. 240 guns + innumerable anti-aircraft weapons of all kinds. 3 fighter groups. ME109's and ME 110's; quite unusual. A bunch of Romanians and others flying all kinds of wicked little crates. First called operation soap suds and then operation tidal wave.

9^th bomber command commanded by General Ent (or Lent?). 4 full colonels and 1 lieutenant colonel under him. Against it, but told to do it, so he did.

Colonel Cain (also called killer Cain). One of the most courageous and ruthless. 98^th group and called the pyramiders as they flew so tightly. The 8 balls, the 44^th command Colonel Leon Johnson commanded them. They both won the Congressional Medal of Honor. Addison Baker had the traveling circus, the 93^rd bombing group? He would die in this mission and win the CMH. Highest number of decorations for an air battle were given for what happen August 1, 1943 for a 30 minute attack. One general stood up and said how lucky they were and he was blown off by a wind. The Liberandos the 376^th. The last was a green organization, the 389^th activated without combat experience, and they were called the Sky Scorpions. All planes and groups were named.

There is a little piece of land which goes out into the Mediterranean Sea. If you cross the Med in 3 hours, due north, you will hit a small island called Corfu off the coast of Greece (close to the dividing line of Albania and Greece). The Danube separate Bulgaria from Romania. The second Leg goes north east. Pitesti is a town. From Pitesti, they were to drop down 500 feet and fly to Floresti. They would come into Ploesti from the northwest. They’d have to make a right turn and fly southeast. 4 groups would hit this area. Another group would hit Campina, which was another place where oil was refined.

2700 mile round trip, 178 planes, a 12 hour flight. The first leg, is the northern leg. Then the northeastern turn, and then the southeastern turn. 3 tactical turns, with 7 targets; 5 in Ploesti; and two others.

A lot of trouble in training in Africa; a lot of sand and dust. Everyone had dysentery. Many were killed in training. A lot of accidents. A mock up was built for them, which they destroyed in 10 minutes. Sometimes, you could not see 10-20 feet in a plane. You knew others were there. Dawn 1August, 1943. Each plane had trouble getting off. Each carried 4000 pounds of explosives. Delayed fuses. 311 tons of destruction. 1725 men manning these planes. Fine looking men. Only Johnson had a mustache. 540 would not come back. Many would bleed to death in planes which limped back. Many would have their brains dashed out on a table in front of them. Many went down and burned. Many knew they would not come back. A tremendous volume of letters written. General Lent said this mission would be worth it if no one came back. They were willing to knock out a monster; they were willing to destroy Hitler’s Germany.

Strict radio silence; for 6 hours, no one could get on the radio. They did not know that German intelligence knew that they were taking off. First casualties were those who had to be returned and they landed in zero visibility; but hit a concrete pole. 10 planes dropped out.

The lead plane, wango wango, carrying the lead navigator went down. No one knows why. Another went down to see if there were any survivors. He could not bring his plane up and had to return.

165 planes now. The highest mountains peaked at 9000 ft. however, there was a fantastic cumulus build up to 700 ft? They had to follow specific planes. Went up 16000 feet and caught a tail wind which carried them out of sight from the others. The 376^th and the 93^rd and at 17,000, they went rapidly toward the target. Killer Cain decided to go in at 12,000; and they all hit bad headwinds, putting them far behind the first two groups. Radio silence maintained. The first two on their way to Potesti. They were to go down to 500 ft. and then make a right turn at Floresti and go right into the target. There is the new lead navigator in the Brewer Wagon, which went right to Floresti and made a right turn. Heaviest flak concentrations in Bucharist and they are coming in on the wrong target. Brewer Wagon was coming into Ploesti all alone; they others were going to the wrong place. John Pong knew what he was supposed to do, even though he looked back and saw the rest of the group turning. Every bit of flak was cut loose on one plane, his. 37 mm, 20 mm. Fighters jumped them as well. Of the first plane, some of these men survived as prisoners for the rest of the war.

General Ent realized that he made a mistake and admitted it. B. Potts came on the radio and said, “Wrong” and another said, “Mistake.” About 60 planes stacked up on the deck. Brewery Wagon could turn, because they are the lead plane. The 93^rd went back up to Ploesti, and they are attacking from the south. John Jerstid (someone that Bob knew) had to hold his plane on the target and he showed them where it was by diving right in on it. He could have made a forced landing. He let out his bombs, and then, the fire of his plane became impossible to deal with, and he took his plane into the target. John’s plane was Hell’s Wench. The 376^th came in right behind him. As they came in, the 93^rd was coming out. An incredible move to make this work. Ploesti is a mass of smoke and fire and detonation, with enemy planes circling around constantly. 396^th got in there and then they got out.

Johnson and Cain followed IP1 and then IP2 and then they were to make a correct attack on Ploesti as planned. The Germans had rebuilt a railroad from Ploesti to Poresti. There was this German anti aircraft train on it. When Cain saw that his targets had been hit, he still led 41 planes into the target and 19 came out. Johnson came out with 7 in one; another of his groups his Brazia. 2^nd Lieutenant Lloyd Hughes for his attack and his Medal of Honor is read. He also could have made a forced landing after being severely hit many times, with profuse gasoline leaks. 5 Congressional Medals given here; more than at any battle.

Killer Cain came with just a few left. One plane in his outfit was chased by a fighter. Killer Cain picked up all of the limping planes that he could and took them back, and saved quite a few aircraft, and made it to cypress. 540 men were casualties; out of 178 planes, there were 30 planes that could still be flown in flying condition. Then men who went on that raid were some of the most great men of our country. They gave their lives for freedom.

Sept. 1955 Aircraft Magazine. In the air, a man is often alone; each man is his own master. He can run into weather, enemy or mechanical problems. He never turns back from a task. In the short history of our air force, a heap of living, much dying,... There are 10 people who know about the wrong turn; how a perfect plan fell apart in every way, how everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. The more I love, the less I be loved. As it was with the Apostle Paul; the less he was loved, he continued to do his job.

Paul wanted to bring these believers into the super grace life, so that doctrine could be assimilated into the edification complex.

Bob remembers 4 men, small men; and he points out that you could never tell who would make it and they were great men. John Jirstan was one of these men. Another was 5'3" and had the greatest number of kills (38). Here’s the goal:

ὁ τροπος = way of life, manner of life. αφιλα γυρος = no love of money (or silver). Mastery of the details of life; mastery of the details of life. αρχεω = to be sufficient, adequate, content. Sufficient is capacity for freedom; adequate is capacity for life. Present tense, middle voice (the subject participates in the action). The subject voluntarily yields himself. Constantly being content with such present things as you have...

Gen. 28:18 Deut. 31:8 Joshua 1:5 2Chron. 28:5 Psalm Isa. 41:10 and several others are quoted here.

There is a subjunctive here along with 5 negatives. Ου μη ουδε ου μη which are not translated. One negative for each verse. Ου+a consonant; ουκ+a vowel; ουχ+a rough breathing and a vowel.

Μη is used with a subjunctive to state uncertainty. Together, they should be rendered not never. The third negative is a negative adverb ουδε. I will not never not even not ever abandon you or desert you. It does not get any stronger than this.

Heb. 13:5 Your way of life be without the love of money, and [constantly] being content with such things as you have, for He has said, "Not at all will I leave you, not at all will I forsake you, never! [or, I will not never not even not never abandon you or desert you]”

Heb 13:6 ...so that being confident, we may say, "The Lord helper to me [for my advantage], and I will not fear what man shall do to me."

This is a good battle verse. Sometimes your own people. A pilot in India was drunk and missed the steps he was on, and fell and broke his neck.

The supergrace life is only mentioned in two verses. Paul said, with the greatest of pleasure, I will exhaust myself to the point of complete exhaustion; the more I love, the less I am loved.

We need some great military holidays. We just have Thanksgiving, which is a farce; Christmas, which is a super farce; and Easter, which is a spring farce.

The men who died at Ploesti are not remembered and their faces and blotted out forever. Believers were not designed to grown on their own. It is lousy propaganda that coo coo clocks of the glorious life try to pass on to us.

ἑγεομαι = to rule. A pastor is a man; and you are under that person until death do you part. No woman is a pastor; they are feisty, etc. In the spiritual realm, you have one pastor, and he rules over you.

Ploesti is more than just a name. It is where 544 men gave their lives. We don’t recall it and we lose out in the American tradition. We never get even close to the supergrace life.

Then the Word from the God, a perfect name for the Word of God. This is what the pastor teacher communicates. From the source of whom. The local church is the classroom where strict academic discipline must exist. Μιμεομαι = to imitate, to strive to equal or excel, to emulate. This is a conscious effort to equal or to excel. Πιστις = that which is believed, doctrine.

Heb 13:7a Keep concentrating on the ones leading you, who [are such a kind to] have spoken to you the Word of God, whose faith keep on emulating,...

Keep on concentrating on the issue. Αναστροφη = manner of life, which is the supergrace life.

Heb 13:7b ...follow, considering the manner of conduct: which is the supergrace life.