Freedom Is Not Free | Veterans Day

Part 2

Tim Moore: You know, Nathan, I think back to many who have either laid down their lives, but in the way of Veterans Day, we’re thinking about not just those who died in battle, that’s Memorial Day, but those who were willing to lay down their lives and served so sacrificially.

You know, even as I was in the legislature in Kentucky, I had the opportunity to meet two Medal of Honor winners. One was our own Dakota Meyer, a Kentuckian who earned the Medal of Honor in his service or during his time of service in Afghanistan. And I also met Woody, that was his nickname, Woody Williams, Hershel W. Williams, who was the last Medal of Honor winner from World War II, who actually also served in the Korean War.

And he was so selfless, he became a strong advocate for Christ and went all over the country encouraging others, honoring others who served, that when he died as the last surviving Medal of Honor winner from World War II, his body lied in state there at the Capitol in Washington, DC. something usually reserved only for presidents or extremely high-ranking service members within the government itself.

And yet there’s one that stands out in my mind who I didn’t get to meet personally, but we heard the story of a man who served at the Air Force Academy, my own alma mater, as a janitor, and most of the cadets didn’t have much time to, you know, interact with the janitor, didn’t really engage with him, probably looked down upon him.

And one day, a cadet was doing research on Medal of Honor winners throughout Colorado, and he came across a Medal of Honor winner called William Crawford. And he said, “William Crawford? Wow, that’s funny. Our janitor’s name is Bill Crawford.” And he asked the janitor one time, “Do you know a guy named William Crawford who earned the Medal of Honor?” and the janitor said, “Yes, actually that’s me.”

And you can imagine the shock to that cadet and to the entire cadet wing that they realize here’s a Medal of Honor winner who is so selfless in his service that he was now serving as their janitor. And it changed the attitude, and they realized, “We need to give this guy honor because he is due that honor,” and so they lauded him and revered him from that time forward.

We need to have that attitude toward all the veterans, some of whom earned the Medal of Honor and some of whom served selflessly and sacrificially and may have unassuming roles today, but they also were willing to lay down their lives for us.

Nathan Jones: There’s a story floating around the internet right now that’s really just got me, and it’s about a homeless vet, right? It’s a terrible situation that we have veterans who are homeless. That shouldn’t even exist. But he went into a restaurant just to use the restroom, and the manager’s like, “No, you can’t come in here, you know, you homeless bum.” And there was a table of Navy SEALs, and they recognized something, either a patch or something he was wearing, and they realized that he was a former SEAL.

They stood up. They went around him. They brought him to the table. They treated him like, you know, he was the admiral. I still get a little teared up when I think of that story, but, you know, they went to the manager, “Do you realize who this guy is?” you know. And then they set up a fund and helped him to not be homeless again. I mean, the true honor is, and I don’t think always a medal, per se…

Tim Moore: No.

Nathan Jones: But the honor that we receive in serving our country and serving our God.

Tim Moore: You know, and that is true for so many different roles. We obviously are honoring those who served in the military on Veterans Day, but you heard me say it already, I want to pay honor to all who are due honor. And there are so many who serve selflessly, sacrificially.

I think of pastors. I think of moms and dads. I think of policemen, firemen, anyone who is serving the community, serving their fellow man, and sometimes doesn’t get the honor or respect they’re due. And as Christians, we should give others that honor and that respect.

You know, in his first and only inaugural address, President John F. Kennedy said this: “Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty. The graves of young Americans who answered the call to service around the globe. Now the trumpet summons us again, not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need, not as a call to battle, though embattled we are, but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, ‘rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation,” there’s a biblical reference, “a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.”

And Nathan, this is a long struggle that does rejoice in hope and is patient in tribulation that all of us share who are serving Christ on this Earth. We are to serve selflessly, sacrificially, and indeed lovingly toward those around us.

Nathan Jones: Absolutely. I think one of the best stories in the Bible, you go to Matthew 8 and start with verse 5 about Jesus dealing with the centurion. Now you’ve got to, folks, remember that during the 1st century, the Jewish people were being basically overrun by a foreign nation, the Romans, and so they hated the soldiers who abused them and mistreated them and stole from them. But this is what happened when a soldier had his centurion. In other words, he was like a master sergeant. He was in charge of 100 people.

Tim Moore: Good analogy.

Nathan Jones: And he says, “Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ And the centurion answered and said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof, but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed.'”

And then he uses a military analogy. He says, “For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me.” And, you know, one, he says, “Go,” and one he says, “Come.” And he skips here to verse 10. He says, “When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and He said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.'” And He went ahead and healed his servant.

And so it didn’t matter that this was an oppressing regime from another country over them. The man had faith in God, and, Tim, I long to meet that centurion one day up in Heaven. And, you know, how could he have been a Roman centurion and still met Jesus face-to-face? He still did his job. He still served the empire, but he also had faith in Jesus Christ.

Tim Moore: He had faith in Jesus Christ. I think it’s telling that Jesus has such criticism, almost to the point of condemnation, of the religious leaders in His day and age, the Jewish leaders. And yet here’s a Gentile, one serving in the military, and Jesus says has criticism of him. Indeed, He lauds the man’s faith and the man’s trust. He says, “You don’t even have to come to my house. You just say the word, and you have authority.” And the man got it in a way that most of the Jewish people did not.

I also point to another centurion who got it. I think perhaps the first Gentile who professed who Jesus really was was at the foot of the cross right after Jesus had died. And in Matthew 27:54, another centurion, it says, “and those who were keeping guard over Jesus when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening became very frightened and said, ‘Truly, this was the Son of God.'”

Perhaps that is a statement of faith, and we’ll see that centurion as well. But both of these Gentiles who were serving in a foreign, somewhat oppressive military were still recognized in Scripture as being men who uttered true words of faith.

Nathan Jones: Yeah, I think of the time with Peter, for instance, where Cornelius was sent down to have to go to Peter. Now, a Jew and a Gentile didn’t want anything to do with each other.

Tim Moore: No.

Nathan Jones: And so here you’ve got another centurion having to almost debase himself to go to this dirty Jew’s house, so to speak. And then Peter thought the same thing, “I don’t want to be around this dirty Gentile.” And God had to show him that “what I call clean is clean, and you can eat of the food.” So He had kind of two thing here. So in other words, the Gospel can go to the Gentiles, and so we see yet another centurion show faith. So we have all these military officials who are always on the outs.

You’ve got to remember that as Jesus is teaching, there’s military contingents there watching to make sure that He’s not a rabble-rouser. They were hearing the message just like the Jews. And what’s really troubling is how many more centurions and Roman soldiers came to know Jesus as the Messiah before many of the Jewish people did.

Tim Moore: Before many of the Jewish people. The one thing I appreciate about The Chosen, I’ve seen some of those episodes, is they include a Roman soldier as one who is kind of hovering around Jesus and His disciples, and obviously relate–they relate the story from right here in Matthew, where he is the one who testifies, “I believe you have the authority and the power, and you can heal my servant.” And Jesus lauds his testimony of faith in that moment.

Nathan Jones: And think about the tomb, right? So after Jesus died, He’s laid in the garden tomb, and a contingent of soldiers, a cohort, is put in charge of making sure that the apostles can’t steal Jesus’s body out of that tomb there, right? The Lord puts them to sleep. The angel moves the rock. Jesus comes out. And the soldiers have to go and explain, you know, to their boss, Pilate, that, “Hey, he escaped,” right? I can’t believe that a single one of them rejected the fact that Jesus was the Messiah after that time.

Tim Moore: No, I can’t believe that they would either.

Nathan Jones: They probably died too.

Tim Moore: Yeah, they probably did.

Nathan Jones: Dereliction of duty.

Tim Moore: Although the Jewish leaders tried to give an excuse, “Hey, just say that His disciples stole the body.” You know, multiple times in Scripture, Paul uses analogies from military lingo. So if you go to Philippians 2, Philemon 1, he talks about “fellow soldiers,” those of us who are serving Christ. We have a song “Onward, Christian Soldiers.” We borrow that same kind of terminology. In 2 Timothy, he lauds the soldier’s dedication as something that Timothy should emulate.

And of course in Ephesians 6, he talks about the armor of God, using various elements of a soldier’s armor that people would’ve been very familiar with in that day and age. And, of course, in 2 Corinthians, Paul talks about spiritual warfare. You know, there is nothing wrong with serving in the military, serving in a way that is designed to defend others, even with a clash of arms. And we could talk about just war theory. That’s not really our point today.

But the reality is, in Scripture, there is no condemnation for those who’ve taken an oath to serve in a military capacity on behalf of others. Paul just says, “Don’t Lord over them, and don’t seek, you know, wrongful gain, but make sure you’re serving honorably.” And that’s something that is emphasized to this day in the American military.

Nathan Jones: And you bring up an excellent point because we think of military service, but as Christians, you’re right, every single one of us is called to be a soldier for the Lord. Now we’re not talking about a jihadist terrorist.

Tim Moore: No.

Nathan Jones: Like an Islamic soldier. We’re talking about a spiritual soldier here. And like you said, Ephesians 6:11-13 about the Lord equips us as, when he says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the Devil.” And he reveals, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over the present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” Every one of us Christians are in a spiritual battle against the forces of evil, and we are all part of the Lord’s army. So you’re right, man, onward, Christian Soldiers.

Tim Moore: Onward, Christian soldiers. You know, I think of two exemplars from the Old Testament, neither one of them perfect, although regarded as righteous in the eyes of God and given a great position of prominence, that being King David. Well, we know King David was a mighty king. He was a shepherd boy elevated to great prominence, but he was also a tremendous warrior. And so he fought battles against the Philistines. He fought on behalf of Israel. He had mighty men that were surrounding him, also great soldiers and warriors in their own right.

But I think of another person that many people don’t really consider a great warrior, but that’s not exactly what the Scriptures would say, and that is none other than Abraham. If you go to Genesis 14, there is a war amongst various kings, and they end up taking Abraham’s nephew Lot captive. And Abraham takes up arms and goes to defend and rescue his nephew Lot.

And so if you read down through chapter 14, it demonstrates that Abraham, who is this mighty patriarch, who is revered as the man who was considered righteous or granted righteousness, in other words, he was accredited, is the word I’m looking for, with righteousness because he believed God, he still was one who took action to defend Lot and to rescue him from harm.

And so it is on his return from winning this victory in the war of the kings that Abraham encounters this mysterious figure, Melchizedek. And so Abraham and Joshua and David, mighty warriors. I didn’t even talk about Joshua yet, we could talk about him, but mighty warriors revered throughout the pages of Scripture.

Nathan Jones: Yeah, and a lot of them were just… I mean, Abraham was a clan chieftain, he wasn’t a soldier. The fact that that story has got me that he raised 300 people to help him, not trained soldiers, and it was considered a big army at the time, shows how few people there were in the world back during the patriarchs’ time period.

Well, likewise, he waged a spiritual battle as well, and he had weapons. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against,” what, “the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” So we’re not just fighting external enemies, but we’re fighting the sin nature within us as well.

Tim Moore: You know, Jesus made the ultimate statement of sacrificial love in John 15:13. He said, “Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.” And every soldier who has ever been in battle or in a foxhole or under attack will tell you that they’re not fighting at that moment for principle or even for king and country, as the British would say. They’re fighting for their buddy next to them. But in the end, they are willing to lay down their life for friends.

But Jesus models that “while we were yet sinners, He laid down His life for us.” And literally the best among us who serve selflessly and have been in military service were willing, as we said already, to lay down their life, even for people they didn’t know, for friends they had never met.

Nathan Jones: I have to keep looking at those over there. Those are gorgeous! Could you tell us what those… They look like coins. Are they?

Tim Moore: Yeah, so these are coins or what the military will sometimes call a round metallic object. And these are given to veterans oftentimes, and others, firefighters and police officers use them, to signify service. It’s kind of a distinction of having served in the same unit or having earned a particular award. I got this one while serving over in Southeast Asia, in other words, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

I even created a couple of these. One I created while I was serving in the Air Force Academy in Kentucky as the director of admissions liaison officers. Another I created so that we could present to veterans who had distinguished themselves while I was the chairman of the Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protections Committee in the Kentucky legislature.

And so once a month, we would recognize a distinguished veteran, and this is just another way of honoring those who have served. And so it is a token. That’s the same way, Nathan, that you and I can honor those who have served and, again, not just in the military. We should honor and show appreciation for our pastors, for our moms and dads on Mother’s and Father’s Day, and all the people around us who are serving.

But on this day, for those who, again, were willing to give life’s full measure of devotion and lay their lives, as Abraham Lincoln said, “on the altar of freedom,” we should be especially thankful.

Nathan Jones: And what’s great is that we don’t just have the medals or the honors that come with being a soldier, but we have the actual protection of God Himself as Christian soldiers. Psalm 84:11 says, “For the Lord God is a sun and a shield. The Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk up righteously.”

So we’ve got the tokens. We’ve got the medals. We’ve got the honors. We’ve got the parades. But to be honored before the Father for standing firm as a Christian soldier, that He’s not going to withhold any of that, nor will he withhold the victory from us. Deuteronomy 28:7, “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”

You know, we always hear in the news, “Oh,” you know, “this issue is on the right side of history,” or “that issue is on the right side of history.” Unless you’re on God’s side as the Bible teaches, you’re on the wrong side of history. The right side of history means that the Lord is protecting and guiding you to victory.

Tim Moore: You know, one of the things that military veterans are given oftentimes while they’re in the military, or even shortly after retirement, is a medal or a ribbon. Sometimes you get a full medal. Sometimes it’s just a ribbon acknowledging certain achievements or certain demonstrations of valor or heroism. And so you get these guys that have full chest of ribbons that signify the various medals.

But the soldiers will tell you they don’t do what they do, the airmen, the marines, anybody who’s serving, the sailors, for a ribbon. It is merely a mark or a token, again, of the nation’s appreciation for that service. Even rank itself is a recognition of being in a position of responsibility and service for a period of time and earning greater and greater rank.

Nathan, you and I work here in this world, and there are rewards that are going to come to us in the Eternal Kingdom as we are given crowns and other rewards for our work here on Earth. And yet perhaps the greatest recognition that we can ever get, the greatest recognition any of us can ever get, is standing before the Lord and hearing…

Nathan Jones: Oh, yes.

Tim Moore: “Well done, thy good and faithful servant.” And so we go back to this idea of serving and of being selfless and sacrificial and working as unto the Lord. We talked during Labor Day about working unto the Lord. Everything we do should be selfless, sacrificial, working unto the Lord, so that we will get that kind of recognition from Him.

Nathan Jones: And the Bible calls them “overcomers” in 1 John 5:4-5, “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” True victory in this life, whether you’re a physical soldier, a spiritual soldier, if you’re a Christian in any of these realms, faith in Jesus Christ is victory. We will overcome this fallen world, and we will get the reward of entering in the Kingdom of Christ.

Tim Moore: You know, the Kingdom of Christ, Nathan, you’ve written a great book about the Millennial Kingdom, let alone the Eternal Kingdom that comes. So what are some of the things that we can look forward to as soldiers of the cross, again, not a clash of arms, but really being dedicated selflessly to serving the Lord in this life when we get to that Millennial Kingdom?

Nathan Jones: Well, we’ll be in our glorified, resurrected bodies. We’ll serve the Lord as administrators, teachers. We’ll be serving the Lord because the Lord promised that we will rule and reign with Him, but there won’t be any military during the Millennial Kingdom…

Tim Moore: We won’t need that.

Nathan Jones: Because the Bible prophesies, “They will beat their swords into the plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, and there will be war.” You know, 92% of human history in the last 3,500 years, mankind has been at a war. A war is 1,000 or more people dead. So, clearly, conflict’s 100% of the time. Little over 200 years has humanity not experienced a war.

But in the Millennial Kingdom, all our soldiers will be at rest because there will be no… Matter of fact, it says that they won’t even train for war anymore. Think of the billions that we put into warfare that will then be used for infrastructure and growth.

Tim Moore: It will be tremendous. And let’s face it, those who have served in combat look for and long for that day even more than those who have never been in combat. You know, we think that there’s some glory attached to serving in the military. Again, it is due honor, but those who have been in combat will tell you it is not a glorious thing. It is a horrific thing to think about, the carnage, the waste, the devastation that war inflicts.

And that’s exactly what Revelation talks about when the four horsemen of the Revelation are unleashed, and one of the first ones that comes with the breaking of a seal unleashes war upon the Earth. And that creates devastation, destruction, famine, and death. And so war always brings about death.

Those who serve in the American military, at least, try to be prepared for any possibility so that they can actually prevent or deter war altogether. But those who have been in it will tell you they long for the day when there is no more war.

Nathan Jones: So in the meantime, you know, we’re supposed to, not only as overcomers, know that as Isaiah 54:17 says, “‘No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you, God, in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me,’ declares the Lord.” Isn’t that wonderful to know that the true rest for the soldier won’t be a sea of graves ahead of them, but to see all their fellow soldiers that know Jesus Christ as Savior living in peace and prosperity during Christ’s Millennial Kingdom?

Tim Moore: And this brings us full circle back to the One who said, “Greater love has no man than this,” no one than this, “than that they lay down their life for their friends,” and that is Jesus Christ. And Romans 5:8 says this: “God demonstrates His own love toward us,” all of us, “in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

So, Nathan, the key for us, whether you’re a veteran, whether you’ve never served in the military, is that you know Jesus Christ. Otherwise, we don’t have this hope of eternal life with Him, and we don’t actually receive the reward that awaits us for being a good and faithful servant. Instead, everything that we do has no purpose or meaning beyond this life.

Nathan Jones: Absolutely, I mean, what is a life of the unbeliever but eternal death? Whereas the Bible promises those who are overcomers, who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, can anticipate eternal life. What a difference. But the only way you could grab hold of that eternal life is to put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as the Savior and Lord of your life. And you can do so by praying from your heart for the Lord, acknowledge Him and surrender to Him in faith and in repentance.

Closing

Tim Moore: So, folks, whether you have ever served in the military or another life-risking profession, or whether you’ve followed in the footsteps of previous generations to stand in the gap yourself, we all have much to be thankful for.

Nathan Jones: It is estimated that only 6% of Americans have served in the military. That means that the other 94% are literally served by a small minority who have taken an oath to defend our Constitution and to lay down their life on our behalf, if necessary.

Tim Moore: This Veterans Day, make a point to find a veteran and thank them. Go one step further than the simple, “Thank you for your service,” expression and ask them to tell you about their service. Express your appreciation specifically for the freedom you cherish the most, whether your freedom to express your opinion or to worship the Lord freely.

Nathan Jones: And as you seek out a veteran to express real and meaningful thanks toward, consider that only one life was laid down so that you could have freedom from sin. Express everlasting appreciation to Jesus Christ for His great sacrifice of love and His ongoing intervention on your behalf before the throne of Heaven.

Tim Moore: Whenever someone thanks me for my service as a veteran, I’m always quick to point out that there are many ways to serve. Moms and dads serve selflessly within a family. Pastors and ministers serve selflessly within a local church and ministries of every type. We would all be better off if we made a point to recognize those serving all around us and expressed our appreciation on a more regular basis.

If you have the wherewithal, treat someone who has blessed you to dinner or just pay it forward the next time you’re at a restaurant and bestow a selfless blessing on someone you don’t know, veteran or otherwise.

Nathan Jones: And Tim and I are personally thankful for the selfless support of our Prophecy Partners and financial supporters. Christ in Prophecy, television and radio, is made possible by their generous contributions as they pay it forward to ensure that people they will not meet this side of Heaven hear about God’s prophetic Word and Jesus’s soon return.

Tim Moore: If you’d like to join us in that effort, just call the number on the screen or visit our website. We are careful to steward every dollar donated to the ministry God has called us to.

If the Lord tarries, ours will be a twilight struggle against the principalities in dark places as the spiritual condition of the world grows darker by the day. But as President Kennedy cited from Romans 12:12, we will always be “Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation,” because we know that Christ has already won our victory.

On behalf of everyone here at Lamb & Lion Ministries, Happy Veterans Day and Godspeed!

End of Program