Our duty will chase us to the grave. So it is with the debts we owe to the brave, the obligation to repay courage with courage.”
–John McCain, Jr.
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”
–John 15:13-14(NKJV)
——————————–
Memorial Day! But what’s the purpose? A day to celebrate? Perhaps, if you understand the meaning behind why you can celebrate. For some it is a time to cry, to remember the wounds in the soul because a loved one died doing their duty. Duty–a sublime word that few understand or care to understand anymore. Duty–is laughed at, mocked, ridiculed, but without those who do or did their duty, terror and lawlessness would much more abound.
If you see a bully on the street terrifying an elderly lady on her way home, what is your obligation? Do you turn away, or are you bound by something inside you that causes righteous indignation to arise? Anger comes forth, hopefully anger that is controlled, and you step forward to help. Anger, do you ever get angry? Do you ever become appalled at the lack of moral restraint in this country? Does anger arise because of what took place in Uvalde last week? Or do you seek to put a bandaid on the situation, blame the environment, the educational system, the homelife, maybe the lack of a father, and for goodness gracious, don’t forget to blame the gun for it had to have acted on its own?
People are blind, they don’t want to face the facts that this nation is in need of God. Man does not have the solution; science does not have the solution; sociologists with their enlightenment don’t have the solution. Only God can heal, but there must be repentance and then acceptance and obedience to His Word.
God can’t get angry, He is too gracious, kind, and merciful, so many people say. However, take a look at a few verses from the Psalms that show the anger of God. (These are from the New Living Translation.)
“No wonder you are greatly feared! Who can stand before you when your anger explodes?” (76:7)
“Now turn to us again, O God of our salvation. Put aside your anger against us.” (85:4)
“O LORD, how long will this go on? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your anger burn like fire?” (89:46)
“For there your ancestors tried my patience; they courted my wrath though they had seen my many miracles.” (95:9)
What is it that provokes God’s anger? Sometimes He is patient and though provoked holds back His wrath. When we read the psalms of Asaph we often see the anger of God mentioned. Man prays for deliverance and God rejects the prayers. The scales have been tipped and His anger is moving forth. Oh my, we don’t like to think of God’s anger; we only want to dwell on his love and mercy. But justice cries out, His holiness demands it.
One of the greatest sermons ever preached in America, or anywhere else for that matter was Jonathan Edward’s mighty “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” A sermon that helped bring about the First Great Awakening. That’s all that can save this country from the terror we see every day. The turning back to God, yet there are those pseudo-historians, the woke crowd that say the Great Awakening never happened; it was made up by Christians. It was this tremendous revival that happened just prior to the War for Independence. It was this revival that took place when the Founding Fathers were growing up and turning into young men.
Memorial Day! A day when we remember the loss of those who gave their lives to protect this country from those who had an “Anti-Christ” spirit. Men who fought for freedom and for moral righteousness. Men who sacrificed on the foundation laid by previous generations that was stained by blood. It’s all right to celebrate, to have a picnic, to enjoy the day with family for without those who sacrificed this couldn’t happen. But don’t neglect to work out your own salvation. Pray that His favor returns to this nation. Pray the “His anger will last for a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime!” (Psalm 30:5, NLT)
“The world is in a constant conspiracy against the brave. It’s the age-old struggle: the roar of the crowd on the one side, and the voice of your conscience on the other.”
–General Douglas MacArthur
——————————–
Memorial Day! But what’s the purpose? A day to celebrate? Perhaps, if you understand the meaning behind why you can celebrate. For some it is a time to cry, to remember the wounds in the soul because a loved one died doing their duty. Duty–a sublime word that few understand or care to understand anymore. Duty–is laughed at, mocked, ridiculed, but without those who do or did their duty, terror and lawlessness would much more abound.
If you see a bully on the street terrifying an elderly lady on her way home, what is your obligation? Do you turn away, or are you bound by something inside you that causes righteous indignation to arise? Anger comes forth, hopefully anger that is controlled, and you step forward to help. Anger, do you ever get angry? Do you ever become appalled at the lack of moral restraint in this country? Does anger arise because of what took place in Uvalde last week? Or do you seek to put a bandaid on the situation, blame the environment, the educational system, the homelife, maybe the lack of a father, and for goodness gracious, don’t forget to blame the gun for it had to have acted on its own?
People are blind, they don’t want to face the facts that this nation is in need of God. Man does not have the solution; science does not have the solution; sociologists with their enlightenment don’t have the solution. Only God can heal, but there must be repentance and then acceptance and obedience to His Word.
God can’t get angry, He is too gracious, kind, and merciful, so many people say. However, take a look at a few verses from the Psalms that show the anger of God. (These are from the New Living Translation.)
“No wonder you are greatly feared! Who can stand before you when your anger explodes?” (76:7)
“Now turn to us again, O God of our salvation. Put aside your anger against us.” (85:4)
“O LORD, how long will this go on? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your anger burn like fire?” (89:46)
“For there your ancestors tried my patience; they courted my wrath though they had seen my many miracles.” (95:9)
What is it that provokes God’s anger? Sometimes He is patient and though provoked holds back His wrath. When we read the psalms of Asaph we often see the anger of God mentioned. Man prays for deliverance and God rejects the prayers. The scales have been tipped and His anger is moving forth. Oh my, we don’t like to think of God’s anger; we only want to dwell on his love and mercy. But justice cries out, His holiness demands it.
One of the greatest sermons ever preached in America, or anywhere else for that matter was Jonathan Edward’s mighty “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” A sermon that helped bring about the First Great Awakening. That’s all that can save this country from the terror we see every day. The turning back to God, yet there are those pseudo-historians, the woke crowd that say the Great Awakening never happened; it was made up by Christians. It was this tremendous revival that happened just prior to the War for Independence. It was this revival that took place when the Founding Fathers were growing up and turning into young men.
Memorial Day! A day when we remember the loss of those who gave their lives to protect this country from those who had an “Anti-Christ” spirit. Men who fought for freedom and for moral righteousness. Men who sacrificed on the foundation laid by previous generations that was stained by blood. It’s all right to celebrate, to have a picnic, to enjoy the day with family for without those who sacrificed this couldn’t happen. But don’t neglect to work out your own salvation. Pray that His favor returns to this nation. Pray the “His anger will last for a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime!” (Psalm 30:5, NLT)
“The world is in a constant conspiracy against the brave. It’s the age-old struggle: the roar of the crowd on the one side, and the voice of your conscience on the other.”
–General Douglas MacArthur
“Some gave all;
All gave some.”