Happy Memorial Day - Don't Forget Them

Beginning a Military Ministry - Integrating Military Families into Your Church

When military people are saved and discipled they make great church members. They are different than the average church member due to the nature of their work:

• They may not be in your church as long as your average civilian members.
• They must be integrated on purpose.
• There is the possibility that they have been trained in a good military church.
• Don’t treat them as outsiders. Realize their great need and their great potential for the cause of Christ. Below are some pointers on integrating military families into your church.

1. Realize That Their Families Have Unique Needs

• The children—they have moved many times and need to be embraced quickly by members, teachers, and other children.
• The teenagers—the teenagers have made friends and left them on more than one occasion. The best teenagers in the church must reach out to the military teens.
• The wife—she has many special needs. She needs a good Christian friend. One who will be there when troubling news comes (his unit came under attack—or worse). She needs a weekly opportunity for a mother’s day out. Forming a support group for wives of deployed soldiers would be a great blessing. She needs an accessible, loving pastor’s wife. She needs to be offered the opportunity to serve in the church. Many times in a well established church every job is filled by an ‘old timer,’ and the military wife is looked upon as temporary. Make a place for her to serve. Be there for her. Keep in touch with her regularly. Someone should know about the car or any repair that needs to be done at the house. The teens could be led to take care of the yard while her husband is deployed.

2. Remember Deployed Soldiers

• Pray for soldiers privately.
• Pray for soldiers publicly. Call their names in church meetings, Sunday school classes, prayer meetings, and the pulpit.
• Correspond with deployed soldiers.
• Send deployed soldiers gift boxes periodically.
• Lead your people or a class to adopt a deployed soldier and his family.

5/31 "Eternal Father"/The Navy Hymn

Today, in honor of my father who served in the U.S. Navy, and all the veterans who served and gave of their lives for all of us, I wanted to repost this devotion from the KJV Devos Blog. Thank you, soldiers!
Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who biddest the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!

O Christ! the Lord of hill and plain,
O’er which our traffic runs amain,
By mountain pass or valley low;
Wherever, Lord, Thy brethren go,
Protect them by Thy guarding hand,
From every peril on the land!

O Spirit, whom the Father sent,
To spread abroad the firmament;
O wind of heaven, by Thy might,
Save all who dare the eagle’s flight.
And keep them by Thy watchful care,
From every peril in the air.

O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger’s hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoever they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad praise from air and land and sea.

BIBLE REFERENCE:
Matthew 8:23-27
Psalm 91:1-9
Romans 1:20-21
Colossians 2:9-10
Mathew 11:28

Lyrics: William Whiting
Born: November 1, 1825, Kensington, London, England.
Died: May 3, 1878, Winchester, Hampshire, England.

Composer: John Bacchus Dykes
Born: March 10, 1823, Hull, England.
Died: January 22, 1876, Ticehurst, Sussex, England.

HYMN HISTORY:

“Eternal Father, Strong to Save,” or known to many as the “Navy Hymn,” has often been cited as the most popular hymn for travelers in the English language. It was written, in 1860, by William Whitting and has gone through numerous revisions to the present time. The hymn text was so well thought of, when it was written, that it was included in the 1861 edition of the highly regarded, Anglican Church hymnal, Hymns Ancient and Modern. It was set to the fine “Melita” tune, especially composed for it by one of England’s highly esteemed church musicians of the nineteen century, John B. Dykes. The present version is taken from the 1937 edition of the Missionary Service Book, where one of the editors, Robert Nelson Spencer, added the second and third stanzas to include a plea for God’s protection for those who travel by land and air as well as those on the high seas.

...It is generally believed that Whiting’s text was inspired by the vivid description of the sea’s dangers and God’s promised deliverances as recorded in Psalm 107:23-32. ...It should be noted that the the first three stanzas of this hymn are each addressed to a different member of the Godhead:

Stanza 1 – To the Father who created and controls the sea (Job 38:10-11),
Stanza 2 – To the Son who has power to control the elements of nature (Matthew 8:23-27),
Stanza 3 – To the Spirit, who at the creation of the world “Brooded over the face of the waters” Genesis 1).

The fourth stanza petitions the love and power of the entire Trinity and urges men everywhere to “Praise the Lord for His loving-kindness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men” (Psalm 107:31). More... Also, more @ website HERE.

You Might Be a Redneck....a different take

You Might Be a Redneck....a different take

We have enjoyed the redneck jokes for years. It's time to take a reflective look at the core beliefs of a culture that values home, family, country and God. If I had to stand before a dozen terrorists who threaten my life, I'd choose a half dozen or so rednecks to back me up. Tire irons, squirrel guns and grit -- that's what rednecks are made of. I hope I am one of those.. If you feel the same, pass this on to your redneck friends. Ya'll know who YOU ALL ARE!

You might be a redneck if: It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God.'

You might be a redneck if: You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.

You might be a redneck if: You still say ' Christmas' instead of 'Winter Festival.'

You might be a redneck if: You bow your head when someone prays.

You might be a redneck if: You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.

You might be a redneck if: You treat our armed forces veterans with great respect, and always have.

You might be a redneck if: You've never burned an American flag, nor intend to.

You might be a redneck if: You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.

You might be a redneck if: You respect your elders and raised your kids to do the same.

You might be a redneck if: You'd give your last dollar to a friend.

God Bless the USA !

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Keep the fire burning, redneck friend.

IN GOD WE TRUST