• Separate: Staying In Ranks

  Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Aug 14, 2009 (message contributor)

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  Scripture:  None

  Tags:  Discipleship

  Denomination: United Methodist

SEPARATE: STAYING IN RANKS

The word "separate" is a military term, and it means to "stay in ranks." My son Jason just graduated from an intensive 9-week school for Drill Sergeants (we Brownworths never seem to finish going to school!). He will now be responsible for training as many as 240 "raw" recruits in each cycle what it means to form and stay in ranks. More importantly he will help them know that in battle keeping in ranks may just save lives. Rank and file is not just about marching in parades on holidays – order, discipline and tactical symmetry are the strength of ranks; it is how battles are won or lost.

Soldiers need to stay in their ranks; Christian believers are also in ranks (local churches) as parts of the Body of Christ. We must not only stay in ranks, there is also the need to keep those ranks strong and alert for signs of the enemy. Paul put it this way – what possible relationship can light (Christ) have with Belial (Lucifer, Satan)? What happens when you mix darkness and light? One of them has to die!