Veterans Needed

Volume 14 Issue 9

Greeting in His Name,

Good help is hard to find, some say. However, when I imagine when this statement was made, the help then can't even compare with the lack of help now. Even when we think of our need for a strong voice of Christianity there seems to be a dullness. But God is still looking for an Isaish, a Samuel, a Peter and Paul, even a Mother Teresa. Someone who will go. Someone who will speak BIG, LOUD, and STRONG! As I think on one of John Wesley's most famous quotes, "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can," this blog comes to life. So, with that being said, today's blog is entitled Veterans Needed. Hope you find some inspiration, conviction, and queries.

shalom and love,

heidi

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WANTED! VETERANS! Veterans Needed.

Acts 6:3 (KJV) – Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

Acts 6:3 (NIV) – Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them.

A veteran is a person who has served for a long time in a particular occupation or field. The word veteran itself is not necessarily or exclusively tied to a military person. Still, since we celebrated those who served or are serving our country in different branches of the military last month, I thought it a blessing to see the Apostles call forth some Spiritual Veterans in the faith to help in a time of need. As we gave special attention to the service men and women who have given of themselves to keep our nation, our country, and even others safe. This sacrifice was not merely their time, energy, and effort; for some, it was the sacrifice of their very lives. Today, we meet the early church amid a dilemma. In Acts 6:1-7, the Apostles had to put out a call for the Veterans! Let's turn our attention to Acts 6:1-3.

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them.

Holy Ghost-filled Veterans Know How to Work Things Out (Acts 6:1-7).

Amazingly, we see these significant spikes of work and good moving through the body of Christ, and then we encounter moments that all churches, all people of faith encounter… moments when a little bit of discord or disagreement comes in the mix. The Hebraic Widows and the Grecian Widows had a problem with favoritism. I am firmly of the opinion that this discord comes from the premeditated dishonesty and greed we saw in the last chapter with Ananias and Sapphira. As a body, you can't expect growth without some dirt, without some antics from the devil. But we have this encouragement from Jesus in John 16, In the world you will have trouble, but take heart – I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD! Raise your hand and say Thank God for the veterans. Thank you, God, for the Holy Ghost-filled veterans who Know How to Work Things Out. The twelve, you know the twelve – Peter, James the less and great, John, Andrew, Thomas, Matthew, Bartholomew, Simon, Philip, Judas, and Matthias – I believe they thought back on Acts 4:32 and had to remind the followers of Christ that all the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. (KJV – they had all things in common) Church, remember, when we walk through those doors, when we claim our place in the body of Christ, when we take up membership in the church, we do it knowing we all have something to do, something to contribute to the growth of the body, something to bring glory to God. As Phil, with Extreme Hip Hop aerobics, says, YOU BETTA SHOW OUT! Today – VETERANS of the faith, ask God what your true purpose is, ask Him where you are supposed to be working to further the kingdom. Seven men were chosen to assist with the work. God is not calling you to do it all, but He is calling you, a veteran, to do something. Holy Ghost-filled veterans Know How To Work Things Out.

Acts 6:10 says, Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

Holy Ghost-filled Veterans Know How to Uphold (defend) The Truth (Acts 6:8-14).

1 Peter 3:15 says, But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. As soon as I read Acts 6:8–14, I thought about this verse of scripture. Because Stephen comes right out of the box, not only being appointed a deacon in the church but having to defend the truth of Jesus Christ to some haters, but it's not strange because Stephen IS A VETERAN. He is a veteran of faith, filled with the Holy Spirit. It's incredible that just as Christ stood before the Sanhedrin to defend himself against the opposers of the day, here Stephen stands to oppose those who spoke against him. I tell you, when you really stand for Christ, adversaries will come. BUT! Holy Ghost-filled veterans Know How to Uphold (defend) The Truth. When we observe the presidential election process dragged out by one individual's refusal to confront the truth, it highlights how our country is being treated like a reality show, akin to "The Apprentice." This reflects the unrealistic state of our nation and demonstrates how far we have strayed from the principles outlined in our Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident."

Consider past events, such as the Governor of Mississippi lifting the mask mandate, during the pandemic, only to reverse his decision—likely influenced by the impact on his own household. He, too, seemed to shy away from confronting the truth. Furthermore, when we witness the senseless violence within the Black community, it somewhat undermines the past message of "Black Lives Matter." For those who genuinely believe in equality—such as a Holy Ghost-filled Veteran dedicated to upholding the truth—it becomes evident that All Lives Matter.

After all this, division in the church – persecution from without, we find Stephen before the Sanhedrin.

Acts 6:15, All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Holy Ghost-filled Veterans Know How to Get People's Attention (Acts 6:15).

I had to reflect on my own testimony for this situation and recall my early days at Deposit Guaranty, particularly an incident where I was falsely accused of taking money. To summarize, I was questioned by the FBI for hours and was told that I appeared deceptive. As a result, I was placed on paid leave for over two weeks—thankfully, I was still receiving a paycheck during that time! Instead of turning to my mother, friends, or family, my first stop was the altar, where I sought guidance from God. Meanwhile, the FBI was conducting background checks and questioning others about my character.

What stands out to me, and relates to the verse, is someone saying, "She (meaning me) is like an angel." A Holy Ghost-filled Veteran Knows How to Get People's Attention.    I captured their attention by spending my lunch breaks in prayer and fasting. I also made it a point to continually share the Word of God and conduct myself in a manner that would please Him. Thirty years later, I am still here. I feel the same way about Stephen; despite the lies told against him, the Sanhedrin could see and hear God’s wisdom in him and could only declare that he appeared to be like an angel. A Holy Ghost-filled Veteran Knows How to Get People's Attention.   

Always uphold the truth and things will work out.

I want to conclude with this story. It was 1944 - WW2. Sub-Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda of the Imperial Japanese army was ordered to stay on Lubang Island in the Philippines and hold it for the glory of the Emperor. The following year, the Allies bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Japanese surrendered. The war ended, but unfortunately, he did not know. He kept fighting the following year and the next, and was still fighting 29 years after the end of WW2. This is a true story and can be found in the book No Surrender. This man was totally unaware that the war had finished long ago. Even when the police searched through the jungle using megaphones to ask him to surrender and stop shooting the locals, he refused to give up. It wasn't until 1974, 30 years later, when they brought in his wartime commanding officer, to order him to surrender, that he finally stopped fighting. Sub-Lieutenant Onoda was fighting a fight that had ended. Can't you see it, Veterans of Faith? No longer do we have to fight and struggle with the ways of this world. Christ has conquered the world. Christ has conquered Satan. Satan has been defeated. As Veterans, it is our responsibility to apply the victory of the Cross in our daily lives, move past all the drama, and help those who are in need. If we want to fight, our only fight should be the fight for souls, to win the world for Christ.  

LIFE QUOTE

"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."

– Mother Teresa

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