+Focused for conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
+Trained for combat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
+Hardened for battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
+Ready for sacrifice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
+Covered by your buddies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
+Covering your buddies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
+Obedient to your captain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
+Dedicated to the cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
+Complete commitment, not for glory or reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
+Give all, spend all, leave all on the field of battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
– – –<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A soldier is not trained to negotiate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A soldier is trained to kill the enemy and break his stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
– – –<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What can Christians learn from a soldier ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What can Christians learn from the Bible to make a soldier ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
– – –<\/p>\n\n\n\n
America’s mindset about the military and war has changed, and along with it the mindset of the American church and American Christians has changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Americans are focused on avoiding conflict\/war, believing we actually can avoid war, resulting in reducing our readiness for war, increasing our vulnerability to our enemies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is becoming obvious in America’s national security crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is not so obvious in America’s national spiritual crisis—with the church in a seriously weakened state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For decades now the church has focused on feeling good and sounding positive and fitting in and following.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
– – –<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One way or another American Christians must learn how to be soldiers of the cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Biblical bootcamp may have felt foreign for some time now, but it will be familiar again soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following Jesus is not easy – – –<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Fight the good fight of faith, and in the end receive the salvation of your souls.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of heaven.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Finish out your salvation with fear and trembling.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood, striving against sin.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Remember those in prison for their faith, as though you are there with them.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
+Focused for conflict. +Trained for combat. +Hardened for battle. +Ready for sacrifice. +Covered by your buddies. +Covering your buddies. +Obedient to your captain. +Dedicated to the cause. +Complete commitment, not for glory or reward. +Give all, spend all, leave all on the field of battle. – – – A soldier is not trained to negotiate. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,2,7,9,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-educational","category-faith_based","category-inspire_lifter","category-political-cultural","category-time"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.awordforthought.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5266"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.awordforthought.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.awordforthought.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.awordforthought.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.awordforthought.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5266"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.awordforthought.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5266\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5267,"href":"http:\/\/www.awordforthought.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5266\/revisions\/5267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.awordforthought.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.awordforthought.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.awordforthought.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}