Joshua 4:4-7 – “So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel. ⁵ He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁶ We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ⁷ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”

Each year on Memorial Day, I think of those memorialized and remembered.  In the life of a believer, we also have Memorial Days or Days of Remembrance in which we reflect on what God has done in our lives.

I suggest that you read Joshua 4:4-7 (memorial stones), 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (The Lord’s Supper), and Revelation 2:5 (God).   If you let those resonate in your heart, you will have a deeper understanding of Memorialization, the what, and the why.

Traditionally, Memorial Day is focused on honoring those who gave their lives fighting for Freedom.  Remembering and honoring them is a worthy endeavor, one I wholly endorse.   I am a Vietnam Veteran, having served in Vietnam in 1967, and I have a deep appreciation and respect for my fellow veterans of all ages, past and present.   We owe them a debt of gratitude we could never repay.

We cannot restore their lives. We cannot relieve the pain their families endured and are enduring.  We cannot roll back time and find a way to avoid the conflict that necessitated their service and ultimate sacrifice.  We cannot, but we can REMEMBER THEM!

We can express and demonstrate Gratitude for what they did and what we have as a result of their selfless sacrifice.  As an American and a Veteran, I become incensed when I see or hear anyone disrespecting the American flag or our service personnel.  As a Christian, I try to have restraint; otherwise, I would physically confront those acting so ignorantly and disrespectfully.  War is Horrific and, as some have said, Hell.  It leaves scars that can never be healed outside the Love of God.  Were it not for the Grace of God, I shudder to think of where I would be today, BUT GOD transformed me, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

Hold these thoughts in your mind:

The Price of Freedom is Very High.

Forgetting To Remember is Incredibly Dangerous.

Forgetting Results in Thanklessness.

Remembering Keeps Judgment At Bay.

As we remember the fallen and what they fought for, we should allow the Holy Spirit to draw us into God’s Presence.  The world needs us to be fully surrendered to Jesus. God desires for us to stand in the Gap and Intercede for the Lost.

Our Spiritual Responsibility is to be fully committed to God and to sound the alarm.  Our moral responsibility is to submit fully to God and be an example for the world.  Our Responsibility Socially is to come out from among them and provide an example of an alternative to the evil of this world.

What Would Jesus Do?  Let’s strive to do that!  As we reflect on our personal Memorial Stones, let’s make today a day of remembrance, gratitude, and prayer, and celebrate our spiritual victory in Jesus!

Pile up memorial stones and never forget what has been purchased for us at the Cross!

Matthew 28:26-30 – “As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”  ²⁷ And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, ²⁸ for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. ²⁹ Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”  ³⁰ Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was drawn to the Lord’s Supper –(The Communion Ceremony).   Sadly, it is nothing more than a ritual in most churches, quickly administered and nothing more than a segment of the program.  That is Tragic!  That is not what Jesus or the apostle Paul had in mind as they addressed it.  That is what the devil loves.

I believe that the Communion Ceremony is a connection to the Divine.  It involves a release of God’s Power and Presence.  It should never be done with haste! I have been thinking about The Reasons We Celebrate Communion:

• It is a Memorial of the Love of God – “Do This in Remembrance of Me.”
• It declares our Faith and Confidence in the Finished Work of Jesus, “We show the Lord’s Death…”
• It Acknowledges Our New Covenant Promise – “The Body and the Blood of Jesus.”
• It expresses the Unity of the Body of Christ – (1 Cor. 10:17 – “For we, though many, are one bread and one body…”
• It Demonstrates Our Confidence That Jesus is Our Spiritual Nourishment and Strength.
• It Testifies of Our Anticipation of the Return of Jesus – “’til He Come.”
• It Is An Opportunity for Self-Examination Without Condemnation (1 Cor. 11:28)
• It is a Divine Encounter with Healing, Deliverance, Salvation, Guidance, and Provision.

In Matthew 26:30, we discover that after the Supper and the Communion Ceremony, Jesus and the Disciples sang a Hymn or the Hallel.” [Psalms 113-118] Not all, but extracts from those Psalms.

Psalm 113 – “From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the Lord’s name is to be praised.”

Psalm 114 – Focuses on their Deliverance from Egypt.

Psalm 115 – Contrasts Idols to God, He lives, they do not.

Psalm 116 – Reminds Us that God is.

Psalm 117 – Focuses on Praise.

Psalm 118 – Focuses on God’s Eternality.

At the Last Supper, Jesus infused a new meaning or expansion into the Passover Seder Meal.  The Salvation that was Promised by the Covenant was not simply deliverance from physical bondage but freedom of the Spirit.

The next time we participate in the Communion Ceremony, let’s reflect on the Big Picture, Embrace the Promises, and Expect His Presence!   If we do, it will take more than a few minutes to REMEMBER!  Don’t shortchange yourself and miss the Supernatural Provision He intended!

Have a great day, and remember God loves you and has provided all things for you!

Psalm 9:9 – “The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”

As I prayed, read, and mused on the Word of God today, the Word ‘Refuge’ followed me from passage to passage.  Psalm 9:9 refers to a’refuge’ in difficulty.   What is a refuge?

The Hebrew is ‘misgab’ from ‘sagab.’   Misgab = refuge, shelter, high tower.   Sagab = a high, lofty, inaccessible place.   God, as our refuge, describes a place or condition inaccessible to the enemy or difficulty.   A place of ultimate protection and peace.

That’s good, but how do we get there?    Psalm 15 gives the answer.   We walk (live uprightly), be totally truthful (have truth filling our hearts – out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks).   We do not use deception, which would mean we don’t get deceived.  The deceived deceive others unintentionally because they are deceived.  Be honest, kind, and thoughtful.  Be horrified by sin and worship God.  Be generous.

Psalm 5:3 provides guidance on how to begin each day (First order of business: prayer).  Praise, gratitude, honor, and surrender are all elements involved in attaining God’s REFUGE.  The presence of God opens portals to heaven.

Revelation 4 appears almost simultaneous: John saw the portal, was in the spirit, and entered.  John saw what heaven’s reality is, although not yet on the earth.  God is not limited by dimensions or time.  He is past, present, and future all the time.   This timeless, limitless Creator is our REFUGE.   He sees what was, is, and will be, and He is there.  Things surprise us, but He has already been there; He is there!   This God is our place of inaccessible protection.  He is our Pavilion tent in the midst of battle.  He IS whatever we need whenever we need it.

We have a REFUGE who is alive, and no enemy can reach us there!   Therefore, do not fear, worry, or fret.  He Does Not Fail.

1 Corinthians 15:52-55 – “For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will happen, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”  ⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?”

This morning, as I awoke, read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God, I found my thoughts turning to human mortality: no, not morbidity, but the brevity of humans on earth.  In the past few months, several people (younger than me) with whom I attended high school have finished their earthly journey.

The thought that filled my heart was, what is our legacy? What are we leaving behind?  (Not the material but eternal things). How have we impacted others, especially those near us?  Are we fulfilling our assignment, pursuing our life purpose, and manifesting Jesus?

Some hear that and conclude negatively, believing they have not fulfilled their purpose, and give up.  That’s wrong!  Who knows if one word, one act, one moment in time might eternally impact a life.

How much time do any of us have?  Although we cannot answer that, we are not God.  We can seize the day and make the most of every moment. Pursuing God’s purposes can be costly.  It could cost us everything (naturally or materially), but we gain everything (eternally).

Three errors are costly:

• Pursuing the way of Cain = works.  Trying to earn our way in. Grace is the key, mercy is the door, and love is the power. 
• Pursuing the error of Baalam = money or material things. That encompasses the whole spectrum of the flesh (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life). 
• Pursuing the rebellion of Korah = power and position. Having preeminence, recognition, and the ability to control.
  Earth.

Revelation 1:6 says that we have been made a spiritual kingdom.  While we have life in our mortal bodies, we have the opportunity to be that kingdom and manifest Him on earth.   What is our legacy?  Is it His legacy or ours?  Can we be empty of self to the point that He is our life?

What if tomorrow never comes for us on Earth? What will we have left behind? Yes, thoughts of human mortality can be morbid, but they do not have to be. The greatest words we could ever hear are – “Well done! Enter in!” No questions, no explanation, no remorse, Enter in!

Life on Earth will not last forever; there will be a final day here, but that is no reason to fear.   Jesus in our hearts gives us peace!

Job 27:18 – “For the wicked has built his house upon a spider’s web, and like a booth he had made his shelter.”   (Lamsa)

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, the infallibility of God and His Word consumed my thoughts. Job said, “God is so awesome, He hangs the world on nothing.” (Job 267).  That is doubly revealing.  It reveals Job’s confidence and awe of God and insight as to space and planets beyond what that era is assumed to have known.  It reveals imparted insight!

In Job 27:18 (Lamsa Translation), we read that the wicked build their houses (lives) on a spider’s web. A spider’s web is fragile and weak, but it is also a trap for unsuspecting prey. (Our house is our life.)

1 John gives us a detailed, systematic treatise on True Christianity. It is characterized by love.   Love for God that flows to others.   Love (genuine) love cannot be faked because the actions will reveal the heart.

1 John 2:6 reveals that our profession and life must match.  1 John 3:6-8 reveals that those who ABIDE in Jesus and Jesus ABIDES in them find the grace (enabling power) to avoid a lifestyle of sin.

Love motivates us to imitate Jesus. Love motivates us to forgive and give. Love motivates us to love!

1 John 5:18 reveals that those who are truly saved take steps to consciously avoid sin. It is the walking out of the directive, “submit to God, resist the devil, and the devil has no choice but to leave.  1 John 5:1-5 is a picture of the simplicity of Christianity.  Read it and apply it. If the heart craves godliness, the Holy Spirit will enable us!

Let the awesome infallibility of God make life a joy!