Air Force backs down, lets Creech airman go without God
I saw this article this morning regarding removing the term “So help me God” from enlistment and officer appointment oaths and I immediately thought here we go again another move to take God out of our military. Which is something that everyone who is a Christian should be aware of and personally working to ensure that God is not taken out of anything with respect to our well being as individuals, and more importantly, in this case, the security of our nation? I am sure that throughout all of our military’s history regardless of branch of service there have been individuals who entered into service having no intent on doing their duty as if it were under some Godly assistance. But there are those out there that will testify that in the midst of battle any assistance from anywhere is greatly appreciated when it makes a difference between coming out alive or dying in that place.
Why is something that is so socially motivated by those on the liberal side of such issues a no good scenario for them even though they live in the United States? Well let me attempt to answer that question by illustrating an episode out of the bible: (1 Samuel 4:1-11 (MSG) Whatever Samuel said was broadcast all through Israel. Israel went to war against the Philistines. Israel set up camp at Ebenezer, the Philistines at Aphek. The Philistines marched out to meet Israel, the fighting spread, and Israel was badly beaten—about 4,000 soldiers left dead on the field. When the troops returned to camp, Israel’s elders said, “Why has GOD given us such a beating today by the Philistines? Let’s go to Shiloh and get the Chest of GOD‘s Covenant. It will accompany us and save us from the grip of our enemies.”) In this segment of text, it appears that Israel after getting their behinds beaten by the Philistines figured it would be better to go back to Shiloh and bring the one item that represented God and go back to battle and that would turn the tide in their favor. (So the army sent orders to Shiloh.
They brought the Chest of the Covenant of GOD, the GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the Cherubim-Enthroned-GOD. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, accompanied the Chest of the Covenant of God. When the Chest of the Covenant of GOD was brought into camp, everyone gave a huge cheer. The shouts were like thunderclaps shaking the very ground. The Philistines heard the shouting and wondered what on earth was going on: “What’s all this shouting among the Hebrews?” Then they learned that the Chest had entered the Hebrew camp. The Philistines panicked: “Their gods have come to their camp! Nothing like this has ever happened before. We’re done for! Who can save us from the clutches of these super-gods? These are the same gods who hit the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues out in the wilderness. On your feet, Philistines! Courage! We’re about to become slaves to the Hebrews, just as they have been slaves to us. Show what you’re made of! Fight for your lives!”)
Man that last segment looks like Israel is right, just have something that represents God with you and you will be victorious, well not so fast this isn’t about just having some relic or item of holy reverence associated to your efforts , it is about having God referenced in the hearts of the corps of the army or military retains His glory and protection. (And did they ever fight! It turned into a rout. They thrashed Israel so mercilessly that the Israelite soldiers ran for their lives, leaving behind an incredible 30,000 dead. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the Chest of God was taken and the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas—were killed).
Apparently, that didn’t work in the manner Israel intended, as not only did they get slaughtered they lost the Ark of the Covenant, God’s glorious presence, to their enemy the Philistines. Why did they lose? (1 Samuel 7:3 (MSG) Then Samuel addressed the house of Israel: “If you are truly serious about coming back to God, clean house. Get rid of the foreign gods and fertility goddesses, ground yourselves firmly in GOD, worship him and him alone, and he’ll save you from Philistine oppression.”) They had clearly gone into the battle without God in their hearts and minds due to their ungodly mannerisms and immoral ways.
Now God is not in the words written on the piece of paper that contains an oath or pledge that states one’s commitment to duty while serving in the military or in any manner, but He is in the heart of any that give Him praise as to who He is and His power to affect issues pertaining to their life and well being. In this situation where anyone who chooses not to accept such an oath or pledge and can remove or change it to read whatever they want, will not change the fact that God is in the corps of the US Military. He is there for two reasons one the individuals who praise Him and two the way in which this nation was established in its beginning as one that is under the God of all creation.
So those who thought they had removed any reference of God that He historically and supernaturally abides in, will only find themselves doing exactly as the Philistines. Who after seven months of hiding the Ark at various locations and suffering from plagues and infestations of rodents decided to give it back to Israel, and not just take it there and toss it over the border, but send it back with an offering of gold. And since God exist in the whole of the universe as God, any reference that tries to obliterate Him or those who praise Him will not succeed. I have no doubt when the enemy is on their doorstep they will greatly seek any assistance from the God they so diligently hide from.
The point I want to make in this blog piece is that you can take the word God or under God out of every piece of literature that exist thinking that somehow you have removed God from it or this country, NOT SO, as no one can take Him out of this nation. What is greatly important is for those who know God, they need to make every effort to keep everything that represents His presence in this nation visible at all times. The military might be able to change the rules to accommodate the unbelievers among us, but they cannot remove God from the hearts of any that know Him especially those within their ranks.
