12. This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you.

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

       14. You are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

       These words with so an important meaning, spoken by Jesus Christ himself who knew that if he wasn't willing to go to the cross for you and for me, that we wouldn't ever be free from the burden of sin and the death that it calls for as payment. Now as you consider the great sacrifice that the only begotten son of the creation of this world, God, Jehovah, The I am that I am. The fact that Jesus Christ was with his father in heaven in all his glory and splendor. That is even to great for our human minds to comprehend because of our inability to understand the things of the spirit realm. But the point remaining that Jesus was sent to this earth in the form of something less than what he had in heaven with his father in order to take on total obedience and humbleness just so he could fight a battle to bring us freedom.

        Know let me ask all of you out there a question. If that would have been left up to you or I to do, would we have reacted to the great need at hand and gave up all that we have and all that we love to go somewhere that we would be rejected by most of those that we would encounter???????

        Next question. Aren't you glad that his conviction was great enough that even in the Garden when Jesus prayed and asked God that if it was possible that this cup of the cross would possibly pass, but then he said never the less Father, your will be done. Also in the book of Hebrews 5:7, Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplication with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared. Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. Which was in fact HE KNOWINGLY WENT INTO BATTLE AND GAVE HIS LIFE THAT WE MIGHT BE FREE. And if you will notice I said may be free, because even thou the way was made, we still must chose the way of a life, of our own free will and not one of bondage .

          I don't know if anyone reading this is getting were I am going with this or not? Being that this is July 4th the day we celebrate our independence of being made free to worship and serve God as we please without persecution from those governing us.

       What am I saying and what am I driving at, but this.

       LORD JESUS, IT IS IN YOUR BLESSED NAME THAT WE PRAY FOR OUR MEN AND WOMEN THAT LIKE YOUR SON HAVE WILLING AND FREELY GIVEN UP THEIR LIFE AND FAMILIES HERE IN THE GOOD OLE U.S.A. TO GO AND LAY DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR OTHERS TO HAVE THE OPPURTUNITY TO LIVE FREE AS WE DO. AMEN

        I  think that it is high time that we the blessed of the Lords gift of salvation start standing up for our men,women and even girls and boys, after all some aren't even 18 years of age. In prayer and supplication with strong crying and tears as did our Lord in the garden and we know that they all face fear and the thoughts of maybe not ever seeing their own families again. But even with all that they are still willing to lay down their lives for friends that they haven't even met yet.

         Yet every day that we turn on a radio or TV we here another politician for his or her own gain or the gain of their political party stand up and ridicule or men and women who are making the ultimate sacrifice to bring freedom to another.

       The Bible states by Jesus himself in Mt.12:25 Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. I believe if we would begin to stand and pray with conviction, against the enemy(spiritually) that is trying to divide our country, in any and every way that we would begin to see a change.

        I call you to remember what Jeff said last week, of how we must focus on the sin and not just the sinner because the enemy is behind this attack. The people who haven't made a decision for Jesus Christ are those who become his willing vessels out of their own ignorance. Remember that ignorance is lack of knowledge of the truth. So then we must as Jeff had said focus our prayers at the enemy and at the same time offer forgiveness to those who have done wrong, and offer to them an explanation of the Gospel to help them too receive Jesus as Lord.

        One more thing I would like to relay to you since most media coverage only reflects the negative aspects of the war, but this one is positive. In Mark 10:14, Jesus said, Suffer the little children come unto me, and forbid them not: for such is the kingdom of God. 15. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, they shall no enter therein.  The story is that a person witnessed the American soldiers taking their packages received from their own family and loved ones, which contained sweets(cookies,candy, gum and other homemade goodies) and were seen with hundreds of children swarming the soldiers as they gave their own goods to the children of this war ravaged country to see them laugh and bring a little joy. And in return the children come running waving their American flags and cheering at the sight of those same Americans that here in the U.S.A. find ridicule. My brothers and sisters in Christ this ought not be, so PRAY PRAY PRAY.