The Faith of a Soldier
Text: Matthew 8:5-13
It is at this time of the year our nation honors men and women who have served our country. As in the past, even today veterans are coming home from war with scars, injuries, hurts that time will never heal, and some are having a very hard time adjusting to life after the trauma of war.
We also should take time to honor families who have stood by husbands, wives, sons, daughters, and others who make a great sacrifice when their loved ones serve our country.
Here is a true story of: KEEPING PROMISES
It’s the story of a friendship forged during one of the worst battles of World War II, and a promise made almost 60 years ago - a promise that was finally kept Thursday, August 2, 2001. HAROLD HUGGINS, a veteran of 10 major campaigns in World War II, and the last survivor of his battalion, traveled halfway across the country by train on one last mission in memory of his best war time comrade.
Harold said:"I had this mission on my mind for 57 years, trying to locate his sister and loved ones out in California. Part of him lives in me."
Huggins, from Albany, IL, and Mack McClain from Marysville, CA, were best friends in the army. They wound up together at Anzio Beach, Italy, the scene of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II.
Mack had a premonition that he wouldn’t make it out of there alive, so he gave Harold some mementos (a belt, some photos) and said: "Give this to my sister and tell her that I love her,” Huggins recalls. “You can even give her a kiss for me."
Harold promised if anything happened to Mack he would do what was asked. One day later, Mack was killed in an artillery barrage. After the war, Harold looked for Mack’s sister but he never found her until Harold’s daughter sent out e-mails to various veterans groups. Some California vets found Mack’s sister, Grace, whose last name changed when she married.
"We have always hoped and prayed that we would meet somebody that would tell us about Mack," says Grace.
On Thursday, August 2, at the place where his buddy’s name is engraved in marble at the veteran's memorial in Marysville, CA, Harold Huggins kept the promise he made 57 years ago. He met Mack’s sister for the very first time and gave her the kiss that Mack asked Harold to deliver, turning over those mementos from his fallen friend.
Story by: Steve Shepherd.
What is it like to sign your name to a paper that could possibly mean the end of your life? What is it like to walk down the cold hallways of a processing station? What is it like to sleep in a squeaky bunk bed where men have laid down their lives to never come home again? It takes the faith of a soldier.
What is it like to step on a plane not knowing if you will come back? What is it like to hug your little girl not knowing if you will ever hug her again? It takes great faith – the faith of a soldier.
THE FAITH OF THE CENTURION: Matthew 8:5-13
5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”
8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.
What enabled this military officer to have such faith in Jesus?
1. Humility – he did not allow his position of power to keep him from asking for help. Many times, people believe they are above needing help.
Most people have more faith in themselves than they do in God. They try to control and fix everything in life, but fail and then blame God.
But here in this story, no matter what your status or rank is, we all need help. Faith asks for help when in times of trouble. The faith and humility of the centurion was not going to let anything keep him from his mission of finding and asking Jesus! In times of trials, who do you turn to?
2. Care – He had compassion and concern for his servant. In his position, he could have easily found another servant. But he cared about people. That is a lesson for us! Something incredible happens to our faith when we begin to care about other people, our faith grows. If you want great faith, you have to have compassion, concern and care about other people.
For years, the church has had its hands over their ears. Their eyes have been closed while Satan and his cohort marched in our communities, work environment, homes, schools and our churches. He singled out families, preachers, Elders and church members, then slaughtered them because we of God’s army are more focused on what we want, and what we can get out of others and God, instead of being servants to others for God.
Do we weep for ourselves, or do you weep for others?
3. Belief – He believed in Jesus and the words of Jesus. He had heard Jesus speak, or had heard what others said about Jesus. He did not doubt the power of Jesus to speak and heal. If you want great faith, you need to believe His Word. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (another good reason to be in church and church functions). If you want great faith, read and study His Word!
Matthew records through the Spirit of God, even Jesus was impressed! Because of the centurion’s belief, his servant was healed that hour!
Notice: The Centurion came to Jesus:
Jesus is the Source of Faith – Faith is not an illusion. Faith comes from knowing Jesus through The Word and relying on Him. If you want great faith, that relationship is going to cost you something – time, energy, passion, money, your life.
The cost will be GREAT
John 15:13 (KJV) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Sometimes when we think of our struggles and begin to feel sorry for ourselves, we need to remember the soldier driving down a littered road in Baghdad not knowing when the next bomb will go off.
The greatest opportunity we have in life is not to serve ourselves, but to serve others. If you want God’s blessing in your life, start by showing care and compassion for others.
Jesus said to count the cost. People are often misled by others that say “follow Jesus”, but don’t inform them what following Christ really means. It involves belief, Faith and obedience, but it also means a life of sacrifice.
But in the end, the sacrifice will be worth it all. There is no greater sensation than to realize that your sacrifice made a difference in a life or the lives of others. When we follow Christ and His will, our lives are fulfilled. It is not hard to tell which people are fulfilled in Christ – they have a look and attitude of joy even in the hardest times. You will find you significance in life in serving The Living God.
CHRISTIANS ARE SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS
Philip. 2:25 Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, a faithful worker, and a courageous soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need.
2 Tim. 2:3-4 Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. And as Christ’s soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army.
Faith leaves scars:
You cannot lay your life down for the savior without some scars. You may never receive a purple heart for your service on this earth, but every soldier of the cross endures pain and struggle until the battle is won.
We will not get through this life without hurt and pain. We will be attacked, if we are truly faithful, and we will be persecuted in some form. We might not be set on fire like the Roman Christians as torches, or tortured by the hands of the enemy, but we can light up our world with the faith of a soldier.
Reports often tell us that injured soldiers want nothing more than to get back to their war time buddies. If you want the faith of a soldier, you will have to let those wounds and scars heal, then get back into the battle. You may be facing some great battles ahead. But take heart, many have gone before you and made it through by faith.
The Army has a system called “Battle Buddies.” No one is ever to be alone in battle. You can’t go anywhere alone. Ladies and Gentlemen, The Church needs to adapt that motto: we need each other.
Jim was a Vietnam Veteran. He grew up in a Christian home and married a Christian girl. When he returned from Vietnam, he was changed, he was a different man – he had wounds and scars. After he returned home, in a short period of time his life and marriage fell apart. Later, he was injured at work and spent weeks in the hospital in traction. His estranged wife was a regular faithful worker always attending church, and very faithful to God. She drove over one hour every day to see him.
After healing, a business acquaintance of Jim’s invited him to attend a small local church called the “Christ’s Church on the Way.” Soon God was working on his heart through The Word. While his wife was living with her parents, they worked until their marriage was restored. Later he turned his life over to Jesus and studied to become a missionary. Sometime later, he was asked to minister to a small Hispanic church of less than fifty people. As time passed by, the church grew to over 5,000. After the sudden death of the senior minister, Jim was asked to become the Senior Minister of Christ’s Church on the Way which now has over 10,000 in weekly attendance in three services. Faith in God leads us in to serve others.
You see, the faith of a soldier is great faith. And great faith will do great things.
• Great faith will heal marriages
• Great faith can save families
• Great faith can change communities
• Great faith can start revival
The military has a trauma system for mass casualties.
The lightly injured are called “minimal” because they don’t need immediate treatment.
The next level is “Delayed” – they need treatment but they can wait.
Then there is “Immediate” - they have serious injuries but will survive if they get immediate treatment.
The final category is “Expectant” because the injuries are so severe that there is little hope.
There are many causalities - “Immediates” and “Expectants” - in our world today. People who need Jesus, and right now! There is no other remedy. There is no other solution.
All the programs in the world cannot take away the wounds of sin in our lives.
Romans 3:28: So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
He was wounded for our wounds. He took our scars in His Hands.
Great faith says: “Here I am Lord, use me. You have all of me because I trust You more than I trust myself.”
Today is not about saying our country is perfect or even that our veterans are perfect people. But we do have a heritage of faith that is still seen in soldiers today. But the most important faith is not in America or even in our military, but in our Father in heaven.
Mark 15:39 When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, "Truly, this was the Son of God!"
The point here is that FAITH MATTERS!
Just like a true soldier, give your whole life, have faith in Jesus! Sign your life away – you won’t regret it!
Flag Folding-The Meaning of Each Fold:
Unknown
I guess this settles the "One Nation Under God" debate once and for all.
Do you know that at military funerals, the 21 gun salute stands for the sum of the numbers in the year 1776?
Have you ever noticed the honor guard pays meticulous attention correctly folding the American flag 13 times?
You probably thought it was to symbolize the original 13 colonies, but we learn something new every day!
The 1st fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
The 2nd fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.
The 3rd fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing our ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world.
The 4th fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine guidance.
The 5th fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decaur, "Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong”.
The 6th fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.
The 7th fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day.
The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood, and Mothers. For it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.
The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since they were first born.
The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies, in the Hebrews’ eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christians’ eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.
The 13th fold is when the flag is completely folded and the stars are uppermost reminding us of our nation’s motto, "In God We Trust."
After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under
General George Washington, and the Sailors and Marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for us the rights, privileges and freedoms we enjoy today.
There are some traditions and ways of doing things that have deep meaning. In the future, you’ll see flags folded and now you will know why.
