Steve Higginbotham relates an experience that will likely be familiar to parents of small children:
I can remember a frequent routine that used to take place in our house when my youngest son was about six-years-old and my youngest daughter was about two-years-old. It would be evening, the family would be upstairs, and I might ask my youngest son to retrieve something from the first floor.
He would quickly say, "But Dad, no one's down there." To which I would say, "I know." Then he would reply, "But it's dark and the lights are out." I'd say, "Then turn on the lights and it won't be dark anymore." Then he'd say, "But I'm afraid." And I'd say, "There's nothing to be afraid of, now go on down there and get what I asked you to get." Finally, he would turn to his two-year-old sister and say, "Hey Anne Marie, do you want to go downstairs with me?"
Through the years, I've laughed about that. I mean, what's a two-year-old girl going to do to help you when you're scared?
Presence - She'll give you her presence. We value presence more than we may realize. Our fears aren't as great when we're with someone else. The darkness doesn't seem quite as dark. And our imaginations are kept in check by the presence of others *
For those who have or who are experiencing storms (physical or emotional). For those who are grieving the loss of loved ones. For those who are battling chronic illness and pain. For those who are lonely. It's wonderful to know that IF we are children of God..... then we are NEVER ALONE!
There's only one thing that can separate us from God: our SIN! "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear" (Isaiah 59:1-2).
But when we were separated from Him due to our sin, God came to us in the person of His Son, Jesus. "And the Word became FLESH and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).
Even while we were yet sinners, God first demonstrated His love by His PRESENCE. Then, He demonstrated His love completely when Jesus died on the cross for our sins - so that we would NEVER have to be separated from God anymore! "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
We can be reconciled to God through Jesus when we: place our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed; born of the water and the Spirit) for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38; John 3:3,5). Then, as His children, we continue to "stay connected" to Him as we continue to walk in the light of His Word while the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from all sin (1 John 1:7).
Steve Higginbotham closed his article saying, "Thank God for two-year-old little girls who will go downstairs with their older brothers, and thank God for Jesus who promised to never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5)."
Won't YOU accept His offer of salvation and life? You'll never be alone again.
David Sargent
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Friday, May 31, 2013
What the Bible says about temptation
This past weekend I was remembering my Dad. He was too young to get in at the first of World War II, but got a waver signed by his folks and got into the Navy for the last year. He wouldn't talk much about his experiences, but I do remember one story that I would like to share.
He told us that while he was stationed on Guam one day one of the guys came running up excited that the PX (the military store) had candy bars on sale for 1 cent (Remember that back then the normal cost was only 4 to 5 cents). All of the guys ran down to the PX and bought candy bars. Later as they began to eat them they found out the reason they were on sale. They all had small worms in them!
As I reminisced about that story I thought about the lesson for us today! Satan is crafty; he always tries to make wormy candy look like something to be desired. He knows our desires and weaknesses and won't hesitate to dangle in front of us that which might catch us in his trap.
There is an interesting piece of insight about sin found in James 1:13-15. Notice what it says, "And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death."
Notice especially the word "entice" in the text. In the Greek, this has the meaning of "to be caught by bait". How do you catch a fish? You dangle bait which looks attractive to them, hoping they won't notice the hook. They see the bait, want it, go after it and before they know it they are caught because of what they desired.
Our world offers so many things that look so appealing. Whether it is wealth, sex, drugs, material possessions, illicit relationships, worshipping the wrong things, they are all bait. Bait dangled in front of us for one purpose, to "catch us and drag us away". The plan is to drag us away from God, away from righteous living, away from our hope of salvation.
That's why Peter writes, "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour," (1 Peter 5:8)
So, be on your guard, watch out, because Satan never sleeps, he is always fishing for your soul. You wouldn't eat a wormy candy bar would you? Why would you invite things that are just as disgusting into your life?
Russ Lawson
He told us that while he was stationed on Guam one day one of the guys came running up excited that the PX (the military store) had candy bars on sale for 1 cent (Remember that back then the normal cost was only 4 to 5 cents). All of the guys ran down to the PX and bought candy bars. Later as they began to eat them they found out the reason they were on sale. They all had small worms in them!
As I reminisced about that story I thought about the lesson for us today! Satan is crafty; he always tries to make wormy candy look like something to be desired. He knows our desires and weaknesses and won't hesitate to dangle in front of us that which might catch us in his trap.
There is an interesting piece of insight about sin found in James 1:13-15. Notice what it says, "And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death."
Notice especially the word "entice" in the text. In the Greek, this has the meaning of "to be caught by bait". How do you catch a fish? You dangle bait which looks attractive to them, hoping they won't notice the hook. They see the bait, want it, go after it and before they know it they are caught because of what they desired.
Our world offers so many things that look so appealing. Whether it is wealth, sex, drugs, material possessions, illicit relationships, worshipping the wrong things, they are all bait. Bait dangled in front of us for one purpose, to "catch us and drag us away". The plan is to drag us away from God, away from righteous living, away from our hope of salvation.
That's why Peter writes, "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour," (1 Peter 5:8)
So, be on your guard, watch out, because Satan never sleeps, he is always fishing for your soul. You wouldn't eat a wormy candy bar would you? Why would you invite things that are just as disgusting into your life?
Russ Lawson
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new
2 Cor. 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he
is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become
new.”
Over the years we have driven home the absolute
necessity of being baptized into Christ for the remission of sins (Mk. 16:16,
Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21, Gal. 3:27). God alone can wash away our
sins granting forgiveness that cleanses completely. There is no doubting that
baptism is the act through which God exercises his saving power. However, I
sometimes find myself wondering if over the years we have as diligently driven
home that when someone repents and is baptized, they die to the old life they
have been living and are raised from that watery grave a new creature who walks
in newness of life (Rom 6:7). Just what is meant when we talk about “being a new
creature in Christ” or “walking in newness of life”?
Being “In Christ” denotes a very close union with
him. In fact, it is a union so close that we simply live, move and have our
being at his will (Acts 17:28). Christ becomes our source of strength (Isa.
12:2; Psalms 23, Phil. 4:6-7)). Because we love and trust him with all our
being, we are willing to change our life, our views, feelings and attachments in
whatever way or ways that may be necessary in order to comply with his will. As
a “new creature in Christ” we have given full possession of our life to him with
every member of our body being given over to him. It is no longer I that live
but Christ liveth in me (Gal. 2:20, Phil. 1:21). It is at this point that we
allow God to fill our heart, mold our thoughts and guide our life every step of
the way. He is in charge and whatever he says, we will do (John 2:5, John
14:15). This is what it means to be “in Christ” and to walk in newness of
life.
Now, walking in newness of life, we long for, seek
for, and work for a deep, abiding love for God and his word (Mark 12:30,1 Pet.
2:1-2, 2 Tim. 2:15, 2 Per. 3:18). As a “new creature” we walk each day carefully
lest we fall into sin. In Eph. 5:15, Paul calls this “walking circumspectly”
which means that we make a special effort to fortify ourselves against the
snares of the devil who lies in wait around every corner (1 Pet. 5:8, 2
Pet.4-11). We cannot walk as do foolish people of the world indulging ourselves
in sinful pleasures and desires (1 John 2:15-17, Gal. 5:19-21). With all my
heart, I believe the rule for walking in newness of life is found I the words of
Col. 3:1-2, “Seek those things above”, “Set your affections on things above not
on things on earth” (Matt. 6:19-21).
Charles
Hicks
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
A General Impostor
How many times have we read or heard about Impostors who, for
one reason or another, pawn themselves off as something other than what they
really are? A quick search on the internet uncovered more than 100 famous
"Impostors" who dawned the identity of someone else, real or fictitious. Among
the most recent was Jerry Alan Whittredge, who, in 1998, gained access into NASA
during a shuttle operation. He was dubbed the "Great Astronaut Impersonator." In
the 1970's a man by the name of Frank Abagnale passed himself off as a pilot,
doctor and lawyer. He scammed banks, credit card companies, and even his own
father. Other well known Impostors include Gerald Barnbaum, Ravi Desai, Anna
Anderson, and a host of others who masqueraded as various personalities. Perhaps
one of the most famous impostors was Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr., best known as
"The Great Impostor." He impersonated a wide variety of people from monks to
surgeons to prison wardens. He was the subject of a m ovie, "The Great Imposter"
in which he was played by Tony Curtis. This past Sunday the Fort Worth Star
Telegram reported yet another Impostor whose "military tale even fooled his
relatives." A little over 18 months ago Brig. General G.B. McDowell passed away
on Veterans Day 2011 near Seattle. Condolences were sent to his son, Michael
Douglas McDowell, a self proclaimed Colonel in the United States Army from some
well known military figures, including Maj. Gen. J.T. Furlow and Retired Gen.
David Petraeus. The problem? Colonel McDowell's father never served in the
military. The letters from Furlow and Petraeus were fake, as was the on-line
obituary about McDowell's father. In addition Colonel McDowell himself was a
fraud, having never served in the Army or any other branch of the military. The
younger McDowell passed himself off as a CIA agent and often carried official
looking folders in his brief case labeled "Top Secret," "President's Eyes Only,"
and "Classif! ied Documents." Seized items included what appeared to be military
records and a Purple Heart recipient license plate. McDowell fooled his ex-wife,
his fiance, and public officials in the Fort Worth Police Department for well
over a decade.
While such stories are interesting, sometimes bordering on the bizarre, it leaves us wondering how in the world some of these Impostors can get by with their scams, impersonations and out and out lying. Just as intriguing is the "Why?" Some have suggested that the impersonators often seek recognition that they otherwise do not receive in true life. So they live in a dream world; a world of fantasy and make believe. The recognition and notoriety that was not achievable in the real world is easily obtained in their own little world of make believe. Most eventually get caught; some manage to keep the proverbial wool pulled over the eyes of their victims (and even acquaintances) without any detection at all.
Jesus warned of such con-artists and spiritual impostors. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves" (Matt. 7:15). Careful note should be given to the word "beware." Teaching error is not child's play, nor is the false teacher a harmless and innocent person simply espousing his own opinion. Jesus likens him to a "wolf." Like his physical counterpart, the false teacher will take on the appearance of something he is not, and do it in such a way that he will appear legitimate, and even honorable. "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works" (2 Cor. 11:13-15). Michael McDowell is now in the custody of the authorities. His make believe world has come crashing down around him. His wife and children feel betrayed; his reputation is ruined.
While Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr. may have obtained the dubious distinction of being "The Great Impostor," or Jerry Alan Whittredge the title of "The Great Astronaut Impostor," it can be said without fear of contradiction that neither of these men, nor the dozens of other men and women who have ever impersonated someone else, come anywhere close to the greatest Impostor of all time - Satan! There is a day coming when the devil and all of his angels, as well as his human agents who helped perpetrate a lie and present it to unsuspecting souls, will be discovered for what they really are. Tragically, those who have believed and followed the lies of these spiritual Impostors will suffer eternal separation from the Father. --by Tom Wacaster
While such stories are interesting, sometimes bordering on the bizarre, it leaves us wondering how in the world some of these Impostors can get by with their scams, impersonations and out and out lying. Just as intriguing is the "Why?" Some have suggested that the impersonators often seek recognition that they otherwise do not receive in true life. So they live in a dream world; a world of fantasy and make believe. The recognition and notoriety that was not achievable in the real world is easily obtained in their own little world of make believe. Most eventually get caught; some manage to keep the proverbial wool pulled over the eyes of their victims (and even acquaintances) without any detection at all.
Jesus warned of such con-artists and spiritual impostors. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves" (Matt. 7:15). Careful note should be given to the word "beware." Teaching error is not child's play, nor is the false teacher a harmless and innocent person simply espousing his own opinion. Jesus likens him to a "wolf." Like his physical counterpart, the false teacher will take on the appearance of something he is not, and do it in such a way that he will appear legitimate, and even honorable. "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works" (2 Cor. 11:13-15). Michael McDowell is now in the custody of the authorities. His make believe world has come crashing down around him. His wife and children feel betrayed; his reputation is ruined.
While Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr. may have obtained the dubious distinction of being "The Great Impostor," or Jerry Alan Whittredge the title of "The Great Astronaut Impostor," it can be said without fear of contradiction that neither of these men, nor the dozens of other men and women who have ever impersonated someone else, come anywhere close to the greatest Impostor of all time - Satan! There is a day coming when the devil and all of his angels, as well as his human agents who helped perpetrate a lie and present it to unsuspecting souls, will be discovered for what they really are. Tragically, those who have believed and followed the lies of these spiritual Impostors will suffer eternal separation from the Father. --by Tom Wacaster
Monday, May 27, 2013
Plaza Towers Elementary School
Some students recall hearing the principal of Plaza Towers Elementary School telling them over the intercom to go to the cafeteria and wait for their parents. But then the tornado alarm sounded and selfless teachers of this school in Moore, Oklahoma, frantically tried to secure their students' safety. The tornado struck the school. Seven students were killed. But many were saved due to the heroic efforts of their teachers.
Rhonda Crosswhite, a sixth grade teacher at Plaza Towers, and several students, sought refuge from the twister in a school bathroom. As the tornado tore through the building, she shielded three of her students with her own body.
"It just started coming down so I just laid on top of some of them," she said on NBC's Today show.
One of the students Crosswhite shielded, fourth-grader Damian Britton, said the tornado "sounded like a train coming by."
"A teacher covered us - Ms. Crosswhite," Damian said on the show. "I told her we were fine because we were holding onto something. Then she went over to my friend Antonio and covered him. So she saved our lives."
"The whole time I just kept screaming to them, 'Quit worrying, we're fine, we're fine," she told the Today show hosts, adding that she was unsure if her attempts at reassurance could be heard over the twister. Yet she kept reassuring them. "We're going to be fine, I'm protecting you," Crosswhite recalled telling the students. "Then I said a few prayers: 'God, please take care of my kids' - and we're fine."
The students shielded by Crosswhite were relatively unscathed. One student had a cut on his head. Crosswhite had cuts all over her back and feet - she was wearing sandals.
Damian's mom, Brandi Kline, said her home was destroyed - but she was grateful her family was okay. "Everyone around us lost everything," the 29-year-old mom said, referring to her devastated neighborhood. "But we have our kids," she added, tearfully thanking Crosswhite.
Thankfully, we also have Someone to shield us from the deadly destruction of sin...
As sin wrought havoc in the lives of all mankind, God, because of His great love for us, sent Jesus to our rescue. He "shielded" us from the deadly blows of sin with His own body as He died on the cross for our sins. "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24). He died for us so that we might have forgiveness of our sins and receive the GIFT of eternal life (Eph 1:7; 1 Thess. 5:10).
Jesus will save those who seek refuge in Him by: placing their faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will continue to shield THOSE who continue to trust Him enough to follow Him (1 John 1:7).
Many children are thankful for the heroic efforts of teachers like Rhonda Crosswhite who risked their lives to shield them from the storm.
And ALL of us can be thankful that Jesus gave Himself for us to shield us from the eternal destruction of sin!
By His wounds, YOU can be healed IF you will trust and obey Him.
Won't YOU?
David Sargent
Rhonda Crosswhite, a sixth grade teacher at Plaza Towers, and several students, sought refuge from the twister in a school bathroom. As the tornado tore through the building, she shielded three of her students with her own body.
"It just started coming down so I just laid on top of some of them," she said on NBC's Today show.
One of the students Crosswhite shielded, fourth-grader Damian Britton, said the tornado "sounded like a train coming by."
"A teacher covered us - Ms. Crosswhite," Damian said on the show. "I told her we were fine because we were holding onto something. Then she went over to my friend Antonio and covered him. So she saved our lives."
"The whole time I just kept screaming to them, 'Quit worrying, we're fine, we're fine," she told the Today show hosts, adding that she was unsure if her attempts at reassurance could be heard over the twister. Yet she kept reassuring them. "We're going to be fine, I'm protecting you," Crosswhite recalled telling the students. "Then I said a few prayers: 'God, please take care of my kids' - and we're fine."
The students shielded by Crosswhite were relatively unscathed. One student had a cut on his head. Crosswhite had cuts all over her back and feet - she was wearing sandals.
Damian's mom, Brandi Kline, said her home was destroyed - but she was grateful her family was okay. "Everyone around us lost everything," the 29-year-old mom said, referring to her devastated neighborhood. "But we have our kids," she added, tearfully thanking Crosswhite.
Thankfully, we also have Someone to shield us from the deadly destruction of sin...
As sin wrought havoc in the lives of all mankind, God, because of His great love for us, sent Jesus to our rescue. He "shielded" us from the deadly blows of sin with His own body as He died on the cross for our sins. "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24). He died for us so that we might have forgiveness of our sins and receive the GIFT of eternal life (Eph 1:7; 1 Thess. 5:10).
Jesus will save those who seek refuge in Him by: placing their faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will continue to shield THOSE who continue to trust Him enough to follow Him (1 John 1:7).
Many children are thankful for the heroic efforts of teachers like Rhonda Crosswhite who risked their lives to shield them from the storm.
And ALL of us can be thankful that Jesus gave Himself for us to shield us from the eternal destruction of sin!
By His wounds, YOU can be healed IF you will trust and obey Him.
Won't YOU?
David Sargent
Friday, May 24, 2013
Memorial Day is on May 27th
"No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has
been reserved for what he gave." Pres. Calvin Coolidge
Monday, May the 27th is this year’s Memorial Day. As you read this editorial I will doing my part to honor our nations veterans in Washington DC just as I have done for the past four years. Being a military vet myself, this and Veteran’s Day are special holidays to me. I was fortunate in that I never had to serve in actual combat, but many of my friends and comrades did and I salute them for that service.
Someone once described a veteran this way: "A veteran - whether on active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including their life." I find no fault with that statement and can only add this thought: that "check" has been cashed far too many times.
A US Marine Corps Chaplain penned these words: "It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag. Who serves the flag. Who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag."
In light of those words regarding our nations’ military veterans, it just seems a bit puzzling to me that so many of our citizens don’t spend the time to reflect upon the sacrifices made by our vets. In the past four years that I’ve made the trip to our nation’s capital in honor of all of our veterans I’ve noticed something that sort of bothers me. It just seems like the people there in honor of Memorial Day and its significance are the ones who came there from across the country to do that. The city is empty of about all our government officials who left to go play somewhere.
I’m of the opinion that they and a large portion of Americans only see this holiday as representing another long weekend of fun and play activities. Oh, they probably know that it’s called Memorial Day, but they don’t truly recognize it for the purpose it was originally designated. To REMEMBER the nation’s veterans and their sacrifice for their country. I guess that it’s their collective lack of consideration for the debt we owe our veterans that bothers me.
See, a memorial is something that is set up to cause us to remember - to think about what occurred that is important enough that we should center our minds on it. On this occasion, that "centered" thought is the sacrifice made by all the veterans of all of our wars, regardless of whether they were "officially declared" or not.
I’ve used the word "sacrifice" several times already in this missive so I’d like to take a moment and define the word for you. It basically means: to give up something of value in order to receive something of a greater value. To me, that definition is easily seen in the sacrifice of our veterans for the greater good of our country. But, I think that it can also be seen in a spiritual sense and we’ll look at that a little further on in our thoughts here today.
One of the most emotional and moving ceremonies that I’ll be attending will be the evening observance at the Vietnam Memorial Wall. It is a memorial that attracts several million visitors a year and at the Memorial Day evening ceremony there will be several thousand in attendance. One of the more moving aspects of it is the somber parade of the "Gold Star" mothers and fathers whose sons and daughters names are inscribed on "The Wall."
A veteran by the name of Pat Camunes wrote an interesting article entitled: "From The Other Side" which presents the Wall from the prospective of ones "on the wall" looking out and seeing those visiting the wall. Of course, it’s highly imaginative and figurative, but it provides me with another lead in to the spiritual side of today’s lesson. It’s quite lengthy so I’ll just mention a few excerpts from it here.
He writes about those looking through the wall and seeing their loved ones coming to "touch" their name. To place personal objects at the base of the wall that have a particular meaning to either the family or the deceased. (I have personally done this for people who asked me to take a particular object to the wall and leave it for their loved one and I will tell you that it was very emotional to me and I was just an intermediary.)
The author of this article depicts those "on the other side of the wall" as being very thankful for someone remembering them and coming to "visit them." He pictures them as watching them leave and as they walk away from The Wall shouting "THANK YOU FOR REMEMBERING... THANK YOU ALL FOR REMEMBERING!"
A few paragraphs back, I gave you a definition of "sacrifice" and I’d like to return to that thought now. Recall that I said it basically meant to "give up something of value in order to receive something of a greater value?" Let’s open the spiritual aspect of our lesson with that thought.
Each and every Lord’s Day we observe a memorial. A memorial that represents the most important sacrifice ever made on this earth. God "gave up something of value" - the life of His Only Begotten Son - for "something of a greater value" - the salvation of the world. (John 3:16)
In Romans 12:1 we read where we are to present ourselves as a "living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God." The writer, Paul, goes on to say that it’s a "reasonable service" for us to do this. For man to receive the "greater value" of the sacrifice made by Christ, it’s "reasonable" that we live in such a way, being obedient to the Gospel of Christ, that we recognize the "value" of His "sacrifice." If we don’t, in effect, we "count" the "blood of the covenant," which was sanctified by His sacrifice, "an unholy (profane) thing." (Heb. 10:29)
When I open my Bible to the passages found in 1 Cor. 10:16-22 and also chapter 11:23-34 I note there that Christ is aware of how we observe the memorial of His "sacrifice." Knowing this, I have no problem visualizing Him saying "THANK YOU FOR REMEMBERING!"
On D-Day, June 6th, 1944 the Allies made the landings on the beaches of Normandy. The fighting was fierce with the German army pouring terrible fire down from the cliffs into the soldiers on the beach. A unit of Army Rangers was tasked with scaling the cliffs and securing a foothold on top. They were given a radio code phrase to send back when they had successfully made it. That phrase was: "PRAISE THE LORD!"
Do you think that faithful Christians could adopt that code phrase when we successfully "arrive on top?" Wouldn’t it be most appropriate to shout "PRAISE THE LORD." What better signal could be given for having completed our "reasonable service" and been found "acceptable unto God."
Ron Covey
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Memorial Day
"Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday which
occurs every year on the final Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of
remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed
Forces. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil
War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War.
By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who
have died while in the military service." (Wikipedia)
Remembering those who were willing to give their life for you shouldn't take a special day. It shouldn't have to be declared by a government to make it something special. However it seems to be human nature to forget some of the most important events or people. We don't mean to, we have the best intentions, but somehow it just happens that we forget.
Jesus knew human nature and understood our weaknesses. That's why he instituted things in his church such as "Communion" or "The Lord's Supper". He knew that although we have the best intentions, we would eventually forget his sacrifice, unless we were constantly reminded.
In Mathew 26:26-28 we read, "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (KJV)
The apostle Paul explains it in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 in this way, "For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me." In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant between God and his people, an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it."
I encourage you to celebrate Memorial Day. Celebrate the day that remembers those of our military who were willing to die that you might live free. But more than that, I encourage you to meet with your church, partake of Communion and remember the one who died that you might live free eternally.
Russ Lawson
Remembering those who were willing to give their life for you shouldn't take a special day. It shouldn't have to be declared by a government to make it something special. However it seems to be human nature to forget some of the most important events or people. We don't mean to, we have the best intentions, but somehow it just happens that we forget.
Jesus knew human nature and understood our weaknesses. That's why he instituted things in his church such as "Communion" or "The Lord's Supper". He knew that although we have the best intentions, we would eventually forget his sacrifice, unless we were constantly reminded.
In Mathew 26:26-28 we read, "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (KJV)
The apostle Paul explains it in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 in this way, "For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me." In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant between God and his people, an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it."
I encourage you to celebrate Memorial Day. Celebrate the day that remembers those of our military who were willing to die that you might live free. But more than that, I encourage you to meet with your church, partake of Communion and remember the one who died that you might live free eternally.
Russ Lawson
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