Courage meant overcoming fear and doing one’s duty in the presence of danger, not being unafraid.”
              –E.B. Sledge  (With the Old Breed)

    “Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His sight.”
              –2 Samuel 10:12 (NKJV)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
With our nation in turmoil and confusion is all the more reason for us to take time and reflect and consider those who gave the supreme sacrifice.  Memorial Day is not just a day for family to get together, yet because of the sacrifice of those who have gone before, families can do that.
    “Duty—Honor–Country–those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be…” came the words from General Douglas MacArthur.  My fear is that few of the youth of today, speaking of 30 and younger, have a real concept of what those words mean.  They have little regard for history as it is, but prefer to live in a fantasy world where they can play to their heart’s content.  A person can dream of a “brave new world” but they cannot undo the past, right or wrong, by pulling down statues, changing history books, or even making up new history.
    Many of the woke crowd and the cancel culture crowd are scoffers and scorners.  It was bad during Vietnam, but those in America against the war were not as subtle or hideous as the new “enemy” in America.  The Vietnam Vet was scorned, but it was because of a controversial war.  Now the scorners want to destroy all that America built and has stood for.  “Everything is racist” it seems.  Tell that to the family whose 18-year-old son died on the beaches of Normandy.

       “The unbelievers will say they are but words [Duty–Honor–Country], but a slogan, but a flamboyant phrase.  Every pedant, every demagogue, every cynic, every hypocrite, every trouble-maker, and, I am sorry to say, some others of an entirely different character, will try to down-grade them even to the extent of mockery and ridicule.”  

MacArthur continued in his speech.  To me, this day is a day of retrospect.  One of contemplating those who gave up their dreams, hopes, youth, and lives for this country.  Now, the deconstructionists of the postmodern view wish to destroy everything those honorable men and women sacrificed.   Duty to one’s country has become a joke to many.  Shame!  Shame on them!
    When I see their faces and their actions I have a vile reaction in the pit of my stomach.  How dare they laugh at those who fell at Belleau Wood or the Argonne.  Or take it back further, those of Gettysburg or Antietam—Americans all.  Those who sacrificed should not be forgotten!  “His name and fame are the birthright of every American citizen.  In his youth and strength, his love and loyalty, he gave all that mortality can give.” (Douglas MacArthur)
    They did their duty by giving all.  They didn’t have a tomorrow; they didn’t have a tomorrow, but you do because of those who went before.  Death was not what they wanted, but they died so that we may live in the freedoms that are so dear.  The First Amendment is “Bonkers”?  Hardly!  Life is precious, just look at the crosses on this Memorial Day.  Blood is not cheap.

         “When you go home,
         Tell them of us, and say–
         For your tomorrows,
         We gave our today.”
                   –J. Maxwell Edmonds

If he be a man indeed, he must always go on, he must always endure.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (Galloway)

    “And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure.”
              –1 Corinthians 4:12 (NKJV)
———————————————————
My patience is being tested this morning.  I had a nice Echo on endurance ready to send and when I opened the file it had disappeared.  Computers–ugh!   Then when I look at my writing, it seems to be in bold print.  Computers–yuck.  I complain about them, but they are the only way I can communicate with you on a daily basis, so hooraw for computers.  (???)  So, I’ll send just a few borrowed thoughts this morning.

         “The Christian believes that in Christ he has died, yet he is more alive than before, and he fully expects to live forever.  He walks on earth while seated in heaven, and though born on earth he finds that after his conversion, he is not at home here.  Like the nighthawk, which in the air is the essence of grace and beauty but on the ground is awkward and ugly, so the Christian appears at his best in the heavenly places but does not fit well into the ways of the very society into which he was born.  The Christian soon learns that if he were to be victorious as a son of heaven among men on earth, he must not follow the common pattern of mankind, but rather the contrary.  That he may be safe he puts himself in jeopardy; he loses his life to save it and is in danger of losing it if he attempts to preserve it.”
                   –A.W. Tozer

Through all the trials, storms, fears, terrors, pandemics the believer can walk knowing that God is there with him.  To die is to live but through all the trials on earth, he must endure.
——————————————————-
Look at those around you.  Besides being confused and dazed some of them are fools.  Fools despise God and His wisdom.  The scorn its obligation.  God gives them their rightful name–FOOL!   People have no or little fear of the Lord.  I like how Charles Bridges paraphrases Ecclesiastes 12:13 (actually he puts more light on the verse and its meaning).

         “The fear of God in its practical exercise is the whole of man in all his duty, all his happiness, his first lesson and his last.”

Fools despise the knowledge of the Lord.  They believe they are autonomous with no one to answer to.  The woke crowd believes that they are the answer, not that they have the answer.  More and more we see the words of Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning [principal part] of knowledge:  but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Watch out for fools.  They are dangerous; their way is dangerous; their thoughts are not guided by reason or by the knowledge of God.  

This is the old war, the war of civilization against the barbarian; of peacefulness, order, and hard work against the heedless, the cruel, the destructive.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (The Empty Land)

    “The merciful man does good for his own soul, But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.”
              –Proverbs 11:17 (NKJV)
———————-
There’s a lot I don’t understand in this world.  There is even more with all of the confusion caused by the woke crowd, and the cancel culture group.  Confusion…comes from its creator–Satan.  Now, first of all, I am not confused, not even the confusion has confused me–“for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” (2 Timothy 1:12, NKJV)  But I don’t follow the logic of the world.  In fact, their logic is illogical.  Let me show you from the writings of Joseph Parker.

         Strive to enter in at the strait gate.  “I will not!”
         Look unto Me and be ye saved.  “I will not!”
         Come unto Me, and I will give you rest.  “I will not!”
         Seek ye first the kingdom of God.  “I will not!”
         Repent.  “I will not!”
         Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?  “I will not!”
         Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  “I will not!”
         Give Me thine heart.  “I will not!”
         Go work in My vineyard.  “I will not!”
         Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.  “I will not!”
         Lay up for yourself treasures in heaven.  “I will not!”

    Why would a person not choose eternal life?  That is not logical to me.  That person is confused about life, time, and eternity.  Why would a person not want to rest?  Leisure time is clamored for and for what reason so that they can go out and get tired over the weekend.  Some people go to work on Monday, to rest from their partying over the weekend.
    People are confused about life simply because they want things their way.  “God made man for His glory, but man joined the devil and became a rebel.” (D.L. Moody)  Man wants things his own way so in a sense he wants the confusion that life gives.  Oh, he may think he has things under control until…  Until he loses his job, his family, his account, his health, his marriage.  Let me do things my way is one of the most rebellious statements that can be made.  Man makes a mess of things when he does things his way–anarchy of the soul so to speak.
    In short, man does not want to obey.  He does not want to turn his will over to the Lord and obey what the Lord wills for his life.  That is up to you.  No one can obey for you, that is something that you must do on your own.  Think of the logic again.  Obey or disobey.  What happens with obedience versus what happens with disobedience–in this life and in eternity?
    D. L. Moody demonstrates with a little anecdote that a Sunday school teacher once asked in class.

         “How is the will of God done in heaven?” he asked.
         One child answered with a broad smile, “Cheerfully.”
         Another answered, “By everybody.”
         A third child answered, “All the time.”
         But the best answer was, “It is done without asking any questions.”

Hmmm, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, NKJV).  Do the will of the Lord and I guarantee you that confusion will stop in your life.  Oh, there will still be a confused world in anguish, heartache, and fear, but the matter for you will be settled.

His destinies were guided by his loyalties.”
              –Louis L’Amour (Crossfire Trail)

    “Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.”
              –1 Kings 8:61 (NKJV)
————————–
How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World

Key Verse:  “We know [for a fact] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] lies in the power of the evil one [opposing God and His precepts].”    –1 John 5:19 (Amplified)


In 1 John 2:18-28, we see that John is giving advice to us regarding the truth and the lie.  Last week I wrote of some of the dangers of those who tend to believe a “lie.”  I also discussed that the first part of John’s advice to us is that we should not be alarmed or surprised at what is happening in the world.  If we know and live by the pure doctrine of God’s Word we would recognize what is happening in the world and that it should not affect our faith.  “As in the days of Noah,” men rebelled against God’s Word in all its forms.
    John instructs us to remain pure.  We are not to be tainted nor sullied by the world.  Our light should be brighter than ever.  Our robes should be white, glistening.  However, there is little mentioned from pulpits today about the doctrine of purity or if it is the complaint becomes one of legalism.  Jesus will accept His Bride–the Church–that is pure, without spot or wrinkle.  That is one reason that I believe He will soon return.  He will not stand to see His Bride dirtied by the world.
    There is a key phrase that we often recite or is read by the Pastor during Communion.  That little phrase is, “examine yourself.”  It is vital that we continue to examine ourselves against the light of God’s Word.  Let the Holy Spirit shine upon you that you can rid yourself of the impurities in your lives.  The fact that people claim to be Christians, and that they belong to a church, does not prove that they are Christian.  How does the life match up with the Bible?
    John tells us that we must have proper relation to God’s purpose.  We know God’s purpose by reading the Bible, and then obeying its instructions.  We must develop true worship.  Not just a jumping, hand-waving type of worship, but one that comes from the heart and then is involved in every area of our lives.  To have proper relation to God’s purpose means to follow God’s will by keeping His commandments.  Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15, NKJV)  Simple, not hard, not legalistic.  Then we must be of the faith.  Faith is the life of a Christian.   We walk daily by faith; faith is part of our worship.  I’m not speaking of “hyper-faith” nor of the gift of faith in 1 Corinthians, but each step we take should be one of faith.  In fact, one of the things the Lord will greet us with is, “Well done, good and FAITHFUL.” (emphasis is mine).  
    I am reminded of the song written by W. Elmo Mercer.  It describes the life of faith.  Just look for a moment at the chorus for it is full of faith.

         “Each step I take I know that He will guide me;
          To higher ground He ever leads me on.
          Until some day the last step will be taken,
          Each step I take just leads me closer home.”

And if you are living by faith knowing that each step is guided by the Lord, you are truly worshiping in the reality of your life.