Obeying Our General Orders

Obeying Our General Orders

By

Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.

OPENING: - When I enlisted in the Army and before I went off to Basic Training I like every person that enlist in the (military) U.S. Army had to recite the Oath of Enlistment which went “I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So, help me God”.

What was being said was at all costs I will do whatever necessary to defend the Constitution of the United States, I will obey those that are over me, I will possess esprit de corps which is loyalty to pride in and enthusiasm for the United States of America even if it cost my life, because I enlisted in the military and I was a soldier in the United Stated Army.

Then when I was in basic training we had to learn, memorize, repeat on demand, understand, and explain our general orders. The General Orders are the foundation of the U.S. Army and consist of a series of guidelines that one must follow in the absence of more specific orders from a superior officer.

There are 3 Army general orders that every soldier must remember. The Marines, Air Force, and Navy have 11.

The 3 Army General Orders are:-

I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved.

I will obey my special orders and perform all of my duties in a military manner.

It’s my responsibility to report violations of my special orders, emergencies, and anything not covered in my instructions to the commander of the relief.

These general orders are the basic rules and personal conduct for how duties need to get performed while on watch.

Well, we are soldiers in the Army of the Lord, Watchmen that must obey our general orders.

PRAYER: -

SCRIPTURE: - Jude 1-25

Focus Verse #3 “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints”.

BACKGROUND: - When Jude began this letter his purpose was to write of the common salvation we share, that is, the salvation enjoyed by all who are saved. He says, “I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation”. His intention was to give a nice uplifting message to the people, to encourage them, excite them, and motivate them but as he began to write the Holy Spirit compelled him to appeal to his readers, to commission his readers, to stimulate his readers to “earnestly contend” for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.

This earnestly contend like saying sick-him to a dog, to excite a tenacity and a ferociousness in the people of God. The Greek word Jude chooses “Epagonizomai”, is translated “earnestly contend,” describes an athlete striving with extreme intensity and tenacity to win the victory in a physical competition.

When Jude wrote this in A.D. 66, understand that apostasy had entered the church, grievous wolves had come into the fold in sheep’s clothing and were spreading lies and damnable heresies in the church, false doctrines were being preached, damnable ear tickling, sugar-coated, watered-down half-truths were being propagated, much like it is in the church today.

Sure, we must be concerned about the evil forces which are at work outside the Church, the wicked governmental system, the corrupt political system, crime etc., but we as people of God must be particularly concerned about those which are at work inside the Church. There are grievous wolves that are in the church and are destroying or at least trying to destroy the faith with false doctrine, damnable heresies, lies, propaganda, unholy alliances, trying to mix the Holy with the profane thinking they are on their way to heaven and are only headed to Hell in a hand basket with gasoline underwear on and sadly taking many so-called Bible believing people right along with them because they fail to understand truth and are being destroyed for the lack of knowledge. It is the duty of every born-again believer to stand for Holiness and earnestly contend for the faith.

So, Jude is stressing the fact that we have a duty as believers of God to defend, fight for, and uphold the faith in these days of apostasy, spiritual decline, morale upheaval and utter disgrace in which we live.