Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Remembering the brave…

I’m sure everyone is aware of Memorial day weekend approaching; a time when families get together and have picnics, reminisce of the good-ole days and relax, relax, relax. I’m not really sure that we do on that day what we are supposed to do: remember those brave souls who gave freely of themselves so that we could have liberty; so that we could serve God Almighty without severe persecution, such as dying for our faith. Yet, we must remember each and every person who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that those of us here in the greatest nation of all could be free to worship as we do.

Remember how just a few years ago the veterans of WWII fought to have a memorial put in place in Washington D.C. to remember the folks who gave their lives for a cause bigger than themselves—to win the victory over evil, to protect the world from prejudice and hatred of their fellow man? They have received their memorial; and it is well deserved. You know, I just recently read that some 60 million people lost their lives in that war—and 6 million of those were Jews. Many Americans fought the good fight of faith to protect this land from the enemy and won one of the greatest battles ever and have shown that this is indeed a country of courage, strength and religious freedom. By the way, let us not forget the prayers of the brave wives and mothers of all those soldiers, who were constantly on their knees praying for safety for their boys and victory for the troops. God answered their prayers; and freedom, at least here in the United States, was preserved. As I said earlier, we need to remember our brave brothers and sisters in Christ for their sacrifice for a cause much bigger than themselves. To each of them I say, “Thank you friends for your commitment to freedom here in the United States and even around the world.”

You know, we need to remember someone else who set us free from evil and the tyranny of darkness in this world. He alone, single handedly, gave His life as an ultimate sacrifice for our sin, so that we would have liberty from sin and death. He is a hero of all times; and He did it selflessly, humbly, and without regard to the pain and death He would have to face. Jesus Christ was considered by many to be meek and gentle; yet He was fearless and strong, courageous and willing to give Himself freely so that His friends, His children—that’s you and me—would be able to be set free from the fear of death and so that we would victorious over the sins of our past. We are free, praise God, and we MUST praise and honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for our freedom. Look at Galatians 5:1 for a moment: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Paul was encouraging the Galatians to stand firm in their freedom in Christ from the former way of life they used to live; and not to return to the old ways of living that did not give them freedom. Again, remember what Christ has done for you, for we also need to stand firm; stand firm against the attacks of the enemy who desperately wants us to fall back into our old lives of unrighteous living without Jesus Christ. REMEMBER that God has provided grace through the blood of Jesus Christ in order that you and I will be free of past sins; free from the bondage of slavery to the same old demons of the past, whatever they may be. Today, you can be set free—just look to Christ for that freedom. Remember His ultimate sacrifice, the only one needed for our sins, the only one that could save our unworthy souls from eternal darkness. Praise God this day, praise Him for Jesus Christ; I mean really praise Him! Get down on your knees wherever you are and thank Him! Remember His death on the cross; remember that our sin put Him there. Now…, remember His life, His resurrection from death to life eternal. Praise God, He is alive and He gives us life, eternal life—all we need to do is surrender our lives to Him this day.

 Let me ask you readers; have you given your life to Jesus Christ this day? I pray that you will. This Memorial day, let us remember the brave men and women who sacrificed everything for our freedom in America; but let us most importantly remember Jesus Christ for His ultimate sacrifice. He loves you so very much…He gave His all for you…Ask Him into your heart this day; recommit your life to Him, and always remember God’s sacrifice of His perfect, sinless Son.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” These words are words to be remembered and shared with all. Share the power of Jesus Christs’ sacrifice with your friends and neighbors this day; and revolutionize the world with Jesus’ love. Make a difference in someone else’s life this day. Remember, life’s not about you, it’s about Him—Jesus Christ. Live life to its fullest—be set free today. Have a blessed Memorial Day! God bless you all!

--Pastor Stacey