Called to Serve, a review

One of my brothers served in the military, but I have no personal experience in it nor have I ever been married. Yet, in "Called to Serve" Tony and Penny Monetti write in such a way that one can empathize with the feelings they have experienced and long for the solution. This book gives those outside the military and military family life greater understanding of how to pray. For those in such a life, it gives practical comfort and advice for warriors, their spouses, and even their parents.

If I am permitted to make a plug for one of our books, I highly recommend buying one for yourself and for a military family you know. If you order two or more copies at Discovery House Publishers, you'll receive a 30% discount.

To find out more about how you can help those in the military or receive help if your family is serving, visit the Monetti's site—Called to Serve Ministry.

Have you or someone in your immediate family served in the military? If so, what is one of the hardest things you’ve faced? If not, what are ways that you’ve helped a military family?

Red, Yellow, Black, and White

One thing I love about our pastor is his love of internationals. Almost nothing excites him more than to worship with Christians from other countries. So, as one church closed its doors, he gladly welcomed to our church the African members, from Burundi, and the couple that ministered to them. This morning, Africans from various countries, now living in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and other parts of Michigan, visited our church to participate in singing, preaching, and interpreting what was said into other languages.

Oswald Chambers said: "The missionary of the Cross is not first a British or an American subject, but a Christian."

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could see ourselves this way? If we felt a greater alliance to our brothers and sisters in Christ than we do to our national politics? If we viewed our cultural differences with loving humour as we would a sibling's quirks; we may laugh at our differences, but will stand together for our family honour, to respect our Father's name?

In reality, we have eternal commonality with Christians of every skin tone and language, but only fleeting acquaintance with our countrymen and women who are unbelievers.

As the strange congregation gathered around Yeshua in Revelation 5 sang:

"Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation." (v 9)

That's us! What a beautiful rainbow of colours worshiping around the throne of God.

Let's focus on the big picture. Yes, it's important to take our obligations seriously as citizens of the nations God has placed us. But let's not forget, this is temporal. The souls of those saved and those who will be saved as we share the Good News are eternal.

And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13b-16)

The best investment is the one that will last forever.