davidbowerkingwood

Your War Years

During the years I served on board the USS Hemminger, DE 746, the entire crew looked forward to “MAIL CALL“; letters from home were always a big event and it was a happy moment when a sailor got a letter from a loved one at home!

Letters from home helped establish links with the known, the familiar; serving in any branch of the military resulted in changes that could, in some instances, produce extremely difficult situations and pressures. Letters from home helped to provide a foundation for why all of this was even necessary and gave a feeling of connection with what had been left behind.

Soldier/Ambassadors

Previously, I had written on your role as a Royal Warrior Priest who has been appointed an ambassador to this troubled world. This time, I would like to devote some attention to your collateral role as a warrior, a soldier of the Lord. Whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, these are in fact, your war years!

Today, as a Christian, you are living your life as a soldier on a spiritual battlefield, you are not home. I have written more on this in the three-part series, “To the Soldiers in the Spiritual War,” You should not be surprised if you are feeling pressure as you fight the forces of evil on this troubled world.

We have been appointed ambassadors to this world but have no political immunity granted to us by the rulers of this world. Instead, we find ourselves as warriors, soldier/ambassadors who represent our home government, but must also defend ourselves from attack by the world we are sent here to help.

This is a familiar story, as our King and Lord, Jesus Christ, was also killed as he came to redeem this world. In accordance with God’s plan, King Jesus rose from the dead and ascended back into heaven where he now prepares a place for us.

As soldier/ambassadors, we are truly dependent on the support that is available to us from home. In his grace, we have God, the Holy Spirit living inside us, ready to provide all we need to successfully complete our mission.

Even a Royal Warrior Priest Needs Letters from Home

As on any other battlefield, from time to time, mail can be delivered to those at war. God has been faithful to send us letters of encouragement and hope; we call those letters from home, the Holy Bible. The Bible makes some things very clear, in Philippians 4:4-9 we are cautioned:

“⁴ Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! ⁵ Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

⁸ And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ⁹ Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

Propaganda from the Enemy

During World War II, military personnel in the Pacific were exposed to propaganda which attempted to undermine morale and discourage the servicemen and women in that area. One notable example was “Tokyo Rose;” a name given by the Allied forces to any female propagandist for the Japanese military.

Today, Christian soldiers are exposed to propaganda in many forms as the world seeks to influence the thinking of all who will listen. We are surrounded by propaganda that seeks to confuse and discourage us.

There has never been a better time to put Philippians 4:8 into action in our lives. Those who are more sensitive to such influence need to be especially careful selecting what enters their minds. Unlike computers, data in our minds cannot be so easily deleted.

Good News from Home

There are many reasons to believe our time of service will soon be over; at a time known only to God, we will be called home for good. Letters from home describes the home that will eventually be ours, it is an amazing place.

“¹⁰ So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. ¹¹ It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal. ¹² The city wall was broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. ¹³ There were three gates on each side—east, north, south, and west. ¹⁴ The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

¹⁵ The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. ¹⁶ When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles. ¹⁷ Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel).

¹⁸ The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass. ¹⁹ The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.

²¹ The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass.

²² I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. ²³ And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. ²⁴ The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. ²⁵ Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. ²⁶ And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. ²⁷ Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Revelation 21:10-27″

Even so, come Lord Jesus!