Stand Down, Or Stand Up!

The past couple weeks, I have heard a term more and more that to be quite honest with you, as a person who has not served a day in the military, hadn’t heard the term, and even when I did, I was a bit unsure what it meant.

Here is the meaning of the term STAND DOWN: A relaxation from a state of readiness or alert.

As it relates to the military, it is quite clear that the soldier is commanded to NOT go on the offensive against the enemy, but to cease from either defending or advancing upon the enemy.

I’m sure details will come out in the future as to the entire story concerning the attack on our embassy in Libya in which 4 Americans were killed by a terrorist group on 9/11 of 2012. However, it’s been reported that those who were there on the ground going through the nightmare of the attack were told to “stand down”.

Again, these things may all come out in further detail in the future, and my point is today is not about the attack, but those words “STAND DOWN” are very intriguing to me, especially in light of an upcoming election that has the potential to determine what kind of nation we have become, and will become in the future.

My concern today is not party affiliation, and I can honestly say before God that if a candidate from either party supports the values of what I see clearly shared in His word, then that person will have my vote.

I believe today, if we as the church as a whole around the Nation, and yes, even around the world would begin to care about the things God cares about, and I mean really care to the point of taking action, we could take our Nation to places spiritually that would bring great victory, both for our families as well as for our pocketbooks.

The Bible tells us about the battle that you and I face:

1 Peter 5:8-9 (MSG) 8 Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. 9 Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith.

We are constantly receiving the message to “STAND DOWN” whether it be from a media with no sense of right or wrong anymore, or from friends or family who think for some reason that if we are going to serve God, then we have to do it in secret so that we don’t offend anyone at all.

Well, I believe that if you and I are going to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a dark world, then we are obviously going to offend people because Jesus offended people everywhere He went, and it was the religious crowd who was often the most offended.

I believe today that America and the Church in America is at a Crossroad, and it is up to each and every one of us here to decide whether it’s time to “stand down” or “stand up”! I believe it’s time to stand up… do you?

Today, I’m going to look at just 3 areas that to me are the most pressing and needful in this day:

1. Stand Up For The Unborn

2. Stand Up For The Family

3. Stand Up For Jesus

By the way, that’s not the order of priority because they are all important but I do believe that if we really Stand Up for Jesus, then we will also stand for the things He would stand for. In other words, we will feel and sense His heartbeat and love the things he loves, and hate the things He hates with a holy hatred.

So, soldiers in the army of God it is not time to stand down, but time to:

I. STAND UP FOR THE UNBORN

Before I even touch this subject, I want to assure anyone here who may have had an abortion in the past, that God forgives and if you have come to Him and asked for forgiveness from Sin that assuredly He has forgiven you, and there is no reason whatsoever to sit here today in condemnation and fear.

On September 11, 2001 over 4,000 people were killed. They were future leaders of this nation, doctors who could have saved many, scientist who may have found a cure for cancer, evangelist who may have lead thousands to the Lord and they were loved. Yes on September 11, 2001, evil doers killed over 4000 people.

Some of you might in fact know that the September 11th attacks killed 2,819 people and wondering why I have my numbers wrong!