Armed & Dangerous

“Armed & Dangerous”

By

District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr.

2nd Corinthians 10:4-6

OPENING: - Stop and think for a moment why is it that one person is able to do as the Bible says and love thy neighbor while another person loathes his neighbor and steals from him. One person sees all men are created equal and that life is a precious gift of God, while another person judge’s people by the color of their skin and hates them for no other reason then they just don’t look like I do. Environment, economics, culture, geographical location, education, religious beliefs, and social status; although each of these factors will play a role in the life of a person each person behaves the way they do based purely upon the mind-set they possess or even better the mind-set that possesses them.

Our thoughts develop our character and determine our destiny. Through the process of time a person can become a Nobel Prize winner for peace or a serial killer that will terrorize an entire nation, simply due to the fact who has control of the mind.

We must understand that thousands upon thousands of thoughts pass through our minds on a daily basis. Some of these thoughts we rebuke and get rid of them as quickly as they come. Other thoughts we store in the capacity of the mind called our memory for consideration at a later time. Then there are the thoughts that embed themselves in our conscience. It is these perverted thoughts that we must get rid of and replace with righteous thoughts for if we don’t it is these thoughts which fashion our character and ultimately determine our destiny.

In order to develop a morally and spiritually successful life that is filled with meaning, direction, purpose, fulfillment and love we must be able to keep the devil from having control of our minds. We must be strong in the Lord and the power of His might.

We need to understand regardless of our past life, regardless of our current conditions, regardless of our perception of what the future seems to hold that God is able to change our way of thinking, change our way of acting, create new desires and passions within us, change our incorrect concept of Him, make impure thoughts pure, and give us a brand new outlook on life. However, this requires letting Him have control of our mind.

My job is to preach the Word of God and do as the Bible says in Luke 1:4 preach it so “that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.”

MESSAGE: - When I was 18 years old I thought as most 18 yr olds that I was pretty much invincible. I wasn’t the heavy weight champion of the world, but I could handle myself pretty well. I fought when I had to and because I could never run fast enough to normally get away, so if I tried to run I would get caught, then I would be out of breath and have to fight tired; therefore, I would have to stand and fight. In so doing I learned how to handle myself with my fist. Some fights I lost and some I won, it was different then, if you lost a fight you lost you didn’t go and get a gun and kill the person you just tried to beat them the next time, but if you were in a fight with me regardless of the outcome you would know that you had been in a fight.

When I joined the Army and in basic training I had to go through what is called hand to hand combat training. What hand to hand combat training did was it taught me different techniques on how to fight. During this hand to hand combat training the drill instructors would drill into our mind that in a war time situation the person that we were in battle with is in fact the enemy and their mission is to kill you before you kill them. So if you wanted to live then you better use these techniques to defeat him and stay alive – your life depends upon how you use what you are being taught right now.

By teaching me these techniques and literally changing the way I thought they equipped me with something that literally changed me from being an 18 yr old that thought he could handle himself to someone that was now Armed & Dangerous. I was not armed with my M-16, I didn’t have my M-203 grenade launcher with me, my bayonet was attached to my rifle, but I was equipped in my mind with the techniques that gave me the ability to defeat the enemy and most of all to survive.