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The Armed Forces of God: (you are not a nobody). a little sermon by Laura ….

I was in the military, so I experienced first hand, the little kid attitudes that sometimees happen in that arena. Marines thought they were better than everyone, Navy people often looked down on the Air Force, and so on and so forth. It was all based on how hard their training was, and the harder it was, the more “elite” they felt and a sense of superiority. I’m not stupid. I know ‘Uppity” when I see it!!

But my text is more about this passage of scripture “To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” Ephesians 1 So who is he talking to? “The church” and who is the church? Just your church? or the church of Jesus, which is anyone and everyone who is in HIM and saved BY HIM.

Unity does not mean we have to agree on everything. The training for each of our “Armed forces” departments is different. Specialized, according to what job they will be doing. EVERY person matters! Every station needs to be covered.

I see my military training as being A LOT like when we get saved. We are adopted, belong to Jesus now. It’s time to learn his ways, and not be like everyone else in the world. They are called “civilians.”

That’s exactly what happens in the military. You are married to that job now, and your life belongs to them. At times you march in unison, you salute your captain (or Generals) and you know you are part of something bigger than yourself.

People are “assigned” and given orders as to what they will be doing and where they belong, and are entrusted to do whatever it is (With Honor) and if you refuse, you can get what is called a “dishonorable discharge.” The difference is, Jesus is the commander of his Army, but HE is always fair!! Righteous, & Just!

You are never a nobody, no matter what anyone else says. God wants to honor you, invest in you, take care of you, and assign you to certain places and have you gaurd and watch over that territory.

He is the one who will reward you for doing a good job (wherever he has assigned you). He notices when people around you are unjust, treat you like you are nobody, and refuse to acknowledge who you are in his Kingdom. He WILL deal with them in his own good time. But remember this: Your job is to do what he tells you!

When Paul said “I beat myself into submission, lest I become a castaway” that’s another way of saying “I don’t want a dishonorable discharge.” Good soldiers endure hardship” (2 Timothy 2:3).

I know this is a difficult word, but honestly, people mistreating us is not a reason to give up on what God assigned us to do!!

“Father in the name of Jesus, “YOU ARE” Commander of your army. I ask you to assign my duties to me and show me what YOU want me to do. And help me do it! Everyday! IN Jesus’ name!! AMEN