Devotion
November 11, 2019
John 15:13
Our Veterans Gave or Were Prepared to Give ALL
Sermon Prayer: “Heavenly Father, I stand before Your people, to deliver Your message. Though the words are mine and I prepared this message, I pray that this message is Your message in its entirety. I pray your blessing and anointing on its delivery, its reception and most of all its application in our lives.” Amen
As a youngster, Saturdays were movie matinee days at the old Edgewood movie theater. Parents were happy to have a cheap babysitter for the day. We sat and watched cowboy movies, Tarzan movies, science fiction movies and whatever else was projected on the screen. Cartoons and the “News Reel” were automatic adjuncts to the matinee movie of the day.
The horrors of war were vivid displays of the military men and women fighting in the Korean War. When I say “HORRORS” that just about sums it up.
History of the United States of America includes the accounting of our veterans of war from the inception of our founding. None of the military actions escaped the HORRORS of war.
Sometimes when exercising our “rights” and our “freedoms” we discount the price that men and women that gave us those freedoms and now maintain them for us.
You have probably read this poem before, but it so accurately says what I mean:
It is the Veteran, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Veteran, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Veteran, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Veteran, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the Veteran, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Veteran, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Veteran, who salutes the Flag,
It is the Veteran, who serves under the Flag,
To be buried by the flag,
So the protester can burn the flag.
-Author Unknown
“Greater Love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:13
I officiated a wedding yesterday afternoon. The bride requested a brief memorial for her recently deceased beloved Grandfather. I certainly honored that request. Next, with her permission I also led a memorialization for fallen veterans and acknowledgement of veterans. It was very well received by all.
You see, what many don’t think about is the honor due to men and women who served in our military PREPARED to give all for our safety, peace and very way of life. That honor also extends to husbands, wives and families who make many sacrifices while the spouse is serving in any capacity and in any location.
This is a short little message intended to align with the many others of today honoring VETERANS past and present.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12
Let us pray
Almighty God, we lift up to the memory of our military men and women who have served honorably protecting our nation and our freedoms. We now also lift up to you all military men and women of the United States of America and ask for Your divine protection upon every one of them. In Jesus’ Name AMEN!
Let us now go forth loving and serving God by loving and serving each other – EVERY each other.
I humbly and sincerely ask for your prayers!
https://churchleaders.com/outreach-missions/outreach-missions-articles/311609-how-to-pray-for-your-pastor-ronnie-floyd.html?utm_source=outreach-cl-daily-nl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=read-more&utm_campaign=cl-daily-nl&maropost_id=&mpweb=256-7370272
“…but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4)
Note: It is the practice of this church to preach straight from the bible. We follow the lectionary assigned readings from which the sermon/messages are derived.
