ROMANS 13:7: “Render (give) therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear (respect) to whom fear; honour to whom honour.”

I can think of no group that deserves our honor more than that of our military, past, present, and future.

And while this is focusing mainly on military, those who serve us as policemen, fireman, emergency medical, caregivers, nurses and those who dedicate their lives to others through operating food banks, homeless shelters, safe houses for battered women and children, animal rescue and shelters, and those who single handedly care for others from their own pocket and on their own time.

Many others who all deserve our honor and have been endowed with a warrior soul.

The dedication, courage, and integrity to do whatever must be done for the defense, protection and freedom of another are attributes that God has instilled in them before the foundations of earth.

Lets read a description of the Creator and his deliverance, protection, and defense of his people as he brought them forth from their enslavement in Egypt

We will see that those same attributes found in the hearts of certain others are but a reflection of his heart as we are created in his image.

EXODUS 15: 1-13: “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.

Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.

The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.

Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed the enemy to pieces.

And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.

And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gather together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

The enemy said I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

Thou didst (you did) blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the might waters.

Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is glorious in holiness, fearful in praise, doing wonders?

Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.

Thou in thy mercy hast led the people forth which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.“

It is the heart of God that desires truth, courage, honesty, and selfless love for others.

The shepherd boy David who was chosen to replace king Saul because he had the heart that Saul was sorely lacking.

David became King David, the epitome of the Biblical warrior.

ACTS 13:22: ” And when he had removed him (Saul), he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom he gave this testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.”

Jesus himself being the perfect example as he is perfect and he is our example in reflecting the Father’s heart.

His mercy and grace shown to the multitudes as he healed, delivered and welcomed those who had been religiously rejected and shunned.

His compassion supremely expressed as he resurrected a widow woman’s only son and he wept with those he loved.

While watching those who gave at the temple he gave brought attention to the poor widow woman who gave all that she had in this world as he said that she had given more than they all because being poor she had given all that she had while many had given out of their abundance and she had given out of her poverty.

Such beauty and grace, and humility he came to those who no one else wanted near, especially women, those who were accused, and harlots, those who were miserably treated by society and those whom men arrogantly sought to kill.

He who holds all power in the universe and could destroy anyone and anything with one word but yet he chose to reveal himself gentle, and kind, protecting and loving us to the point that he willingly sacrificed himself for us.

He said this as they came to arrest him and Peter wanted to defend him with the sword.

MATTHEW 26:53: “ Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?“

He could have destroyed it all, the entire world right then and right there but he loved us and chose to save us rather than destroy us.

LUKE 12:5: ” But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath the power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

Again the same who cried with his daughters, laughed with his friends, and told John as he was dying on the cross ensured his mother would be cared for no matter anyone has been erroneously taught that is who Jesus is.

And he gave his all and he gave his life.

JOHN 15:13: ” Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

The creator of all that is good and the giver of those special souls who give everything in service to others.

1 JOHN 4:19: ” We love because he first loved us.”

All those who do and all those who love and all those who serve in sincerity and truth of heart do so because the love of God purposed it.

Those who leave families, leave dreams sleep in tents, sleep on the ground and often do not sleep at all and those who have lost limbs, sight, and hearing, scarred and battered. minds in torment memories and many suffering with post traumatic stress syndrome, tortured by numbness and nightmares, trapped in time unable to move forward.

Many homeless and left discarded as society offers them a reprimand met with this new crew cowards that will not even stand for the pledge of allegiance and had the audacity to protest during the September eleventh memorial service.

These voices are the voices of ventriloquists the puppet masters who pay them to spew out the venom of the day, and one day al that has been sown will be reaped by them.

These voices are not the voice of truth, the voice of the millions who love and respect and honor all those who have kept us free and we are grateful and we are thankful and we will forever be

Proverbs 11:3: ” The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.”

God’s servants themselves were warriors battling against forces seen and unseen as Paul exhorts with this passage.

2 Timothy 2:3,4: “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Christ. No man that warreth (goes to battle) entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

Thank you all to all who have served, and in advance to all that will and to the blessed memories of those who have lost their lives in wars, the line of duty, and rescues and defending others, as Jesus said, No greater love.

And love needs no words, love just is.

Φλογιζω NBJ 2026 / Rev N Brown Johnson