CHRISTIAN VETERANS --- Why do you Love both GOD and Country?
I find it easy to explain why I do, but it will be interesting to see what all you can Add to this discussion.
Loving the LORD is obvious:
Deuteronomy 6:4-6 (ESV)
[SUP]4 [/SUP] “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
[SUP]5 [/SUP] You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
[SUP]6 [/SUP] And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
Romans 5:5 (NKJV)
[SUP]5 [/SUP] Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
1 John 4:19 (HCSB)
[SUP]19 [/SUP] We love because He first loved us.
And there are many other verses.
BUT our Biblical Patriotic LOVE FOR COUNTRY, is a little harder to explain.
Matthew 23:37 (NIV)
[SUP]37 [/SUP] "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
That is Patriotic LOVE.
1 Kings 10:9 (ASV)
[SUP]9 [/SUP] Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because Jehovah loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do justice and righteousness.
That is Patriotic LOVE.
1 Kings 11:21-22 (NKJV)
[SUP]21 [/SUP] So when Hadad heard in Egypt that David rested with his fathers, and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Let me depart, that I may go to my own country."
[SUP]22 [/SUP] Then Pharaoh said to him, "But what have you lacked with me, that suddenly you seek to go to your own country?" So he answered, "Nothing, but do let me go anyway."
That is Patriotic LOVE.
Jeremiah 2:7 (KJV)
[SUP]7 [/SUP] And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.
That is Patriotic LOVE.
Ezekiel 20:42 (NKJV)
[SUP]42 [/SUP] Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give to your fathers.
That is Patriotic LOVE.
Romans 13:1-7 (NKJV)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
[SUP]2 [/SUP] Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
[SUP]3 [/SUP] For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.
[SUP]4 [/SUP] For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.
[SUP]5 [/SUP] Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake.
[SUP]6 [/SUP] For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing.
[SUP]7 [/SUP] Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
1 Peter 2:17 (ASV)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
Psalm 33:12 (NKJV)
[SUP]12 [/SUP] Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, . . .
Even when the person in the Position is not honorable, the POSITION is still to be HONORED.
I find it easy to explain why I do, but it will be interesting to see what all you can Add to this discussion.
Loving the LORD is obvious:
Deuteronomy 6:4-6 (ESV)
[SUP]4 [/SUP] “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
[SUP]5 [/SUP] You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
[SUP]6 [/SUP] And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
Romans 5:5 (NKJV)
[SUP]5 [/SUP] Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
1 John 4:19 (HCSB)
[SUP]19 [/SUP] We love because He first loved us.
And there are many other verses.
BUT our Biblical Patriotic LOVE FOR COUNTRY, is a little harder to explain.
Matthew 23:37 (NIV)
[SUP]37 [/SUP] "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
That is Patriotic LOVE.
1 Kings 10:9 (ASV)
[SUP]9 [/SUP] Blessed be Jehovah thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because Jehovah loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do justice and righteousness.
That is Patriotic LOVE.
1 Kings 11:21-22 (NKJV)
[SUP]21 [/SUP] So when Hadad heard in Egypt that David rested with his fathers, and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Let me depart, that I may go to my own country."
[SUP]22 [/SUP] Then Pharaoh said to him, "But what have you lacked with me, that suddenly you seek to go to your own country?" So he answered, "Nothing, but do let me go anyway."
That is Patriotic LOVE.
Jeremiah 2:7 (KJV)
[SUP]7 [/SUP] And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.
That is Patriotic LOVE.
Ezekiel 20:42 (NKJV)
[SUP]42 [/SUP] Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I raised My hand in an oath to give to your fathers.
That is Patriotic LOVE.
Romans 13:1-7 (NKJV)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
[SUP]2 [/SUP] Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
[SUP]3 [/SUP] For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.
[SUP]4 [/SUP] For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.
[SUP]5 [/SUP] Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake.
[SUP]6 [/SUP] For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing.
[SUP]7 [/SUP] Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
1 Peter 2:17 (ASV)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
Psalm 33:12 (NKJV)
[SUP]12 [/SUP] Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, . . .
Even when the person in the Position is not honorable, the POSITION is still to be HONORED.
