Tribute to Veterans

Today is Veterans Day.  It is one of the days of the years we remember all who have served and are serving for the USA military.  The veterans who secured our freedom from previous wars fought for a cause, that is they loved their country and the freedoms of this beautiful land.  I joined the Navy when I was 18 and that quickly changed my life.  My dad did not serve but my mom did serve.  The only reason my dad did not serve was that he was a farmer and their contribution to the war effort was in the providing of food.  Many Americans joined the effort to help our country during the two world wars and to them I say thanks.  Today we live in a different world and we are face with a different challenge but do not think our freedom can be taken for granted.  Our technology has changed and our enemies have changed but we still have many brave men and women who willingly serve to protect us.  We also live in a time when many people have a variety of opinions on our government, our military, the use of force and how to secure freedom.  To that I am grateful to all our veterans to make that possible for one of the freedoms we have is the right to speak.  Let us never quiet the voices of opinions but let us have health respectful discourse concerning the differences that are in our land.  As a believer in Jesus Christ my first allegiance is to God and to living a life that pleases Him as my Lord and Savior.  Within this blog I cannot get in much detail but I want to give you several things that I believe a follower of Christ can do as a patriotic American.
First, we are called to prayer for our leaders, I Timothy 2:1-4.  We are called to unconditional prayer for our leaders so it does not matter if we agree with our leaders or not we are to prayer.  Second, we are to obey and cooperate with the law enforcement personnel who is there to secure stability and peace in our neighborhoods, Romans 13:1-7.  Third, we can participate within the national discourse which choose our elective representatives.  This means we ought to vote for the candidate of our choice and express our views on the direction of our country.  Fourth, this is the most important, we as believers in Christ are called to be light and salt to our county, Matthew 5:12-16.  The message of Jesus is the great hope for the future of America.  Billy Graham who is a great man of God, has just communicated his last message to America, My Hope America.  I encourage you to watch this 30 minute video and to encourage you to share this with others.  The true church of Jesus Christ is called to share the light of the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ to all who are caught in the world of darkness of sin.  The value of our freedom as Americans will be lost if we lose the value of our freedom from sin and darkness through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross.  Let us be the church that pleases the heart of Jesus.
May the God of all love and peace bless all our veterans.

Pastor John