Gtcotr/ws111120
US Military Code of Conduct
Article I. I am an American fighting in the forces that guard my country and
our way of life, I am prepared to give my life in their defense.
Article II. I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I
will never surrender the members of my command while they still have the means
to resist.
Article III. If I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means
available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will
accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.
Article IV. If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my
fellow prisoners. I will give no information nor take part in any action which
might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I
will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in
every way.
Article V. Should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give
name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further
questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written
statements disloyal to my country and its allies.
Article VI. I will never forget that I am an American fighting for
freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made
my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.
God bless America and God bless our veterans. Happy Veteran’s Day!
Matthew 8
5 ¶ Now when Jesus had
entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,
6 saying, “Lord, my servant
is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”
7 And Jesus said to him, “I
will come and heal him.”
8 The centurion answered and
said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak
a word, and my servant will be healed.
9 “For I also am a man under
authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he
goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and
he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard it,
He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have
not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
11 “And I say to you that
many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
in the kingdom of heaven.
12 “But the sons of the
kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.”
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.
There
are two elements in this account that are essential to success.
1.
Faith in the system
a.
What
system? Not the world’s system … but …
b.
God’s
system …
c. God is supreme and He governs in the affairs of men.
This military man was familiar with authority. Authority is the right and the power to govern and control. The proper military command structure is based on God’s system of authority. Whoever or whatever is under a person’s authority is subject to their command.
The Roman Centurion was a man who understood authority and he accepted the fact that Jesus had authority over sickness and disease. Therefore, it was no stretch for this military man to have faith that Jesus could give a command and it would be carried out. Hence verse 8: “Speak the word only, and my servant will be healed.”
Verse 10 says that when Jesus heard the centurion’s words and marveled – (Gk: Thaumazo = an expressed admiration that includes approval) … Jesus was amazed that this Gentile understood the truth and had confidence in how God’s system works. Then Jesus gave us a glimpse of the ever-increasing spread of the Gospel to the Gentile world and how sometimes it is more difficult for those close to Him to exercise such a great amount of faith. We do not want to get so comfortable that we lose the miraculous.
Jesus is not the only child of God who has been given this authority.
Genesis 1
27 So God created man in His own
image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
2.
Prayer
a.
The
centurion petitioned Jesus with his request
b.
He
gave Jesus the information and what he wanted Him to do
c.
The
centurion acted on his faith
i. Even in the midst of
what seemed impossible
ii. Because he believed
the system would work …
iii. He knew that one Word from Jesus would fix it.
James 1
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of
God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to
him.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting,
for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will
receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Faith
and Prayer … still our only hope! Trust the system God is overseeing.
