civic
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What is the 1st thing we say in response to a person who is a veteran when we meet them or find out they were in our military?
Thank you for serving for our country or thank you for your service to our country. There is much sacrifice, dedication, commitment that goes into one who serves out nation in the military.
We as believers are soldiers for Christ, we serve our Lord with the same sacrifice, service, dedication and commitment. The military owns the soldier and Christ owns believers. There are many parallels between the two and Scripture describes the warfare in great detail about the battle we fight daily. The armor of God is described in great detail by Paul for that very reason. We are to put on that armor just as the Bible tells us to put on Christ- Romans 13:14- put on Christ- clothe yourself with Christ. See also
Colossians 3:9-14
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Joshua 1:8
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Joshua 24:15
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
Acts 26:7- Paul before Agrippa
This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me
Revelation 7:15- latreuó
For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.
Revelation 22:3- latreuó
No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.
Romans 12:1-2- latreia from latreuó
Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice,acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Strongs latreia: service
Original Word: λατρεία, ας, ἡ
Transliteration: latreia
Definition: service
Usage: service rendered to God, perhaps simply: worship.
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 2999 latreía (from 3000 /latreúō, "render sacred service") – sacred (technical) service. 2999 /latreía("technical, priestly-service") occurs five times in the NT (Jn 16:2; Ro 9:4, 12:1; Heb 9:1,6). See 3000 (latreuō).
Matthew 6:19-24
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Strong's Concordance
douleuó: to be a slave, to serve
Original Word: δουλεύω
Transliteration: douleuó
Definition: to be a slave, to serve
Usage: I am a slave, am subject to, obey, am devoted.
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 1398 douleúō (from 1401 /doúlos) – properly, to serve as a slave, having all personal ownership-rights assigned to the owner; (figuratively) to willingly give over the prerogative to be self-governing. See 1401 (doulos). doúlos (a masculine noun of uncertain derivation) – properly, someone who belongs to another; a bond-slave, without any ownership rights of their own. Ironically, 1401 /doúlos ("bond-slave") is used with the highest dignity in the NT – namely, of believers who willingly live under Christ's authority as His devoted followers.
Colossians 3:22-24 cf Ephesians 6:5-9
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving
Ephesians 6:5-9
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
Gifts of service for building up the body of Christ- Administration, Discernment, Evangelism, Exhortation, Faith, Giving, Healing, Helps, Hospitality, Encouraging, Word of Knowledge and word of Wisdom, Leadership, Mercy, Prophecy, Serving, Tongues, Teaching/Shepherding, Miracles, Discerning of spirits, See Rom 12:6-5, 1 Cor 12:4-11, 1 Cor 12:28,
Ephesians 4:11-16- So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Since we will be serving the Lord 24/7 in heaven how are we preparing ourselves for heaven here on a daily basis as Christs servants?
God has equipped every believer with at least one spiritual gift for edifying/building up the body of Christ. How are we using that special gift in our church fellowship?
