Friday, I had to drive myself to Tulsa for an appointment.  When I headed back to Okla. City on the Turnpike, I listened to a speaker who spoke from questions the audience called in.  The question he covered was:  "Can a Christian serve in the military."  He covered the subject in a way that was totally new to me.  He said that war is waged in three arenas by Christians.

1. On the personal level:  We are to render good for evil.  Turn the other cheek. Forgive seventy times seven. He quoted dozens and dozens of scriptures instructing individuals not to be violent.  To be peaceful.

2. On the church or congregational level:  We are to repudiate evil.  Stand up for what is right.  Spread the truth.  Defy liars.  Defend the weak and helpless.

3. On the national level:  We are to go to war against evil.  The speaker made the point that the entire Old Testament coverage of wars was about national actions.  Israel was ordered to go to war against nations that worshiped idols, that sacrificed their children on sacrificial altars, etc.  The nation of Israel was given instructions to conduct war--not the individuals.

I was surprised that I had never put all of that together.  But it is right there in the Bible in clear text.  Because the instructions to the individual were peaceful, I was fuzzy on the subject of being verbal in refuting non-truths in the world--but refuting non-truth is what you and I do as a member of a church.  A church is a group of believers who spread the truth of the Gospel.

And of course, I believe that as a nation there are wars--WW II as an example--that must be fought.  Ken said,"As a Marine, I serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States of America--who is elected by the people of our nation."  Ken was a Bible teacher, Deacon, Christian Marine.  God bless our service men and women.  God bless our nation and lead us to righteousness.