Howdy all! How has your week been so far? I must admit mine has been outstanding. Even the mighty Steve, Great Dane extraordinaire, had his case of being a dangerous dog dismissed in court! Maybe I should run for office. Better yet, maybe I should be plaintiff's council for eligibility hearings! I wish!!
Any hoo,..
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. ~ Matthew 20:28
The discipline and character of the national forces should not suffer, nor the cause they defend be imperiled, by the profanation of the day or name of the Most High... The first General Order issued by the Father of his Country, after the Declaration of Independence indicates the spirit in which our institutions were founded and should ever be defended:"The General hopes and trusts that every officer and man will endeavor to live and act as becomes a Christian soldier defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country."~ Abraham Lincoln, Order for Sabbath Observance, (including quote from General George Washington) Nov 15, 1862
So, does this sound like these great gentlemen were promoting a specific religion? Well they're not. But is does suggest something even better. Lincoln wanted the forces to be able to celebrate their sabbath, plain and simple. He related to the Christian faith method of celebrating sabbath, but his words did not say celebrate AS a christian. The same can be said of Washington. Endeavor to live and act 'AS BECOMES' a Christian soldier. He was using a Christian Soldier as an example to follow, not mandating to BE a Christian soldier. Why is this important? Just read the verse from Matthew. He came not to be served, but to serve others, even to die for others. As far as I know, there is only one entity besides Jesus Christ that has been willing to give their lives to serve others. That is the American military members. All of them, in all races, all creeds, all sexes. They are not all Christian. But, to act 'AS BECOMES' a Christian soldier is to lay down one's life to save another. Lincoln wanted the troops to celebrate their faith as an effort to allow the troops to stay close to their Creator, therefore keeping them within their calling to be as a Christian soldier. The US armed forces are all voluntary forces. These brave men and women have chosen a life that may cause them to be in harm's way, even give the ultimate sacrifice. For you. For your neighbors and families. For your opponents. For anyone you like or dislike. For freedom and liberty. In recent history, members of the armed forces have been given much greater respect and honor than before. Medals, awards, hugs at airports, parties upon return. This is not enough. You might think this is all you can do, but it's not enough. There is only thing you can do to honor the sacrifice these finest of the finest have offered. Smile, look them straight in the eye, and say thank you. There isn't anything more important you can do than that.
Take care, God bless,
AND STAND WITH ISRAEL!!!
Tom Kiley
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