My last deployment was very unique. The mission was conducted by a combined joint task force. That title may seem complicated on the surface, but it’s easy to explain. Everyone worked together. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone. Every Army Soldier. Every Navy Sailor. Every Air Force Airman. And every Marine. Everyone also included multiple armies from across the globe. Allies like the British, the French, the Germans, the Japanese, the South Koreans, and several others comprised the task force.
There were several ways to tell that the task force was different. You could walk into the mess hall for lunch and see a rainbow of different uniforms. You could separate the green Army uniforms from the blue Navy uniforms pretty easily. You could also separate the white dress uniforms of the Japanese Navy from the green French Navy uniforms. Conversations were another way to show our differences. The Navy chief from Alabama or the Army Sergeant from Missouri, they each spoke in a different way. So did our allies.
The book of Revelation shares an interesting phrase when it refers to heaven. The phrase is repeated in several areas like 5:9, 7:9-10, 11:9, 13:7, and 14:6. We hear that the assembly is comprised of “every tribe, tongue, people, and nation.” A message like this is repeated several times to get our attention, but also for the simple fact that it is true.
Anyone and everyone can be saved. That was the radical message of Old Testament prophets like Isaiah. It was also the loving message of Jesus Christ. The promise is found in Romans 10:9, “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” That is an incredible promise. It says that no one is beyond redemption in Christ. It says that God cares for me and the African orphan. It says that everyone is welcome through Jesus.
A mess hall full of people who wear different uniforms and speak different languages can be a great reminder of heaven. But the real take away is that God loves everyone and they are all invited to make heaven their home.
God Squad 