My sword I give to him that shall succeed me in my pilgrimage, and my courage and skill to him that can get it. My marks and scars I carry with me, to be witness for men, that I have fought his battles who now will be my rewarder.”
–John Bunyan (Pilgrim’s Progress)
“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.”
–Psalm 116:15 (NKJV)
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“The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
And humble and contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget–lest we forget!”
–Rudyard Kipling
MEMORIAL DAY! What does that mean to you?
It is a day that we remember the sacrifice of those who paid with their lives the ultimate sacrifice for their country. And no, it is not wrong to remember those who gave their health, bodies: physical and mental, and time to serve their country. Often we get Memorial Day mixed up with Armed Forces Day and Veterans Day. That’s also all right. Our servicemen and women have given for their country from those conscripted to those who made it a career.
In reading this past weekend there were two phrases that kept coming up. Perhaps it was just for me, but I’ll share them with you. First, “lest we forget,” the emphasis of the above poem by Kipling. The other “have not died in vain.” Oh my, does that ring within my soul today and in the current world in which we live. Our military is in a mess. Let us go back to the words of that first great commander of American armies, George Washington. “Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.” Those words are as true today as when Washington spoke them in his Farewell Address.
Listen, there must be a higher truth of morals and sacrifices are demanded. If a person is to “give his all” then there must be a higher truth than what we have thrown at us today. Trying to drive into those who are to hold a sacred trust the concept of multi-gender, trans-gender, and any other ridiculous genderism is a farce and does nothing more than demine the concept of faith that those who sacrifice must have. Preferred pronouns have no place in the service, in fact, there is far too much time dealing with this pseudo issues than in preparedness.
“Beneath this wooden cross there lies
A Christian killed in battle. You who read,
Remember that this stranger died in pain;
And passing here, if you can lift your eyes
Upon a peace kept by a human creed,
Know that one soldier has not died in vain.”
–Karl Shapiro
There is that same danger in regard to our faith. Complacency and compromise in the name of toleration is undermining the faith and truth of God’s Word. Do you take the time to remember? “This is my body, which is for you: do this in remembrance of me… This cup is the new covenant in my blood: do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25, NIV) In remembrance…! We are in the midst of forgetting, not only our moral roots but also our spiritual ones. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why we read, “For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (vs 29, NIV) In remembrance so that these honored dead will not have died in vain; in remembrance so that the Lord will not have died in vain in our soul.
This day should be a sobering reminder that there have been multiplied thousands who have died for our freedom. But also, remember that the King of glory came to die for us as well. Lest we forget….Lest we forget!
“Soldier, rest! Thy warfare o’er,
Dream of fighting fields no more:
Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking
Morn of toil, nor night of waking.”
–Sir Walter Scott
———————————
“The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
And humble and contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget–lest we forget!”
–Rudyard Kipling
MEMORIAL DAY! What does that mean to you?
It is a day that we remember the sacrifice of those who paid with their lives the ultimate sacrifice for their country. And no, it is not wrong to remember those who gave their health, bodies: physical and mental, and time to serve their country. Often we get Memorial Day mixed up with Armed Forces Day and Veterans Day. That’s also all right. Our servicemen and women have given for their country from those conscripted to those who made it a career.
In reading this past weekend there were two phrases that kept coming up. Perhaps it was just for me, but I’ll share them with you. First, “lest we forget,” the emphasis of the above poem by Kipling. The other “have not died in vain.” Oh my, does that ring within my soul today and in the current world in which we live. Our military is in a mess. Let us go back to the words of that first great commander of American armies, George Washington. “Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.” Those words are as true today as when Washington spoke them in his Farewell Address.
Listen, there must be a higher truth of morals and sacrifices are demanded. If a person is to “give his all” then there must be a higher truth than what we have thrown at us today. Trying to drive into those who are to hold a sacred trust the concept of multi-gender, trans-gender, and any other ridiculous genderism is a farce and does nothing more than demine the concept of faith that those who sacrifice must have. Preferred pronouns have no place in the service, in fact, there is far too much time dealing with this pseudo issues than in preparedness.
“Beneath this wooden cross there lies
A Christian killed in battle. You who read,
Remember that this stranger died in pain;
And passing here, if you can lift your eyes
Upon a peace kept by a human creed,
Know that one soldier has not died in vain.”
–Karl Shapiro
There is that same danger in regard to our faith. Complacency and compromise in the name of toleration is undermining the faith and truth of God’s Word. Do you take the time to remember? “This is my body, which is for you: do this in remembrance of me… This cup is the new covenant in my blood: do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25, NIV) In remembrance…! We are in the midst of forgetting, not only our moral roots but also our spiritual ones. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why we read, “For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (vs 29, NIV) In remembrance so that these honored dead will not have died in vain; in remembrance so that the Lord will not have died in vain in our soul.
This day should be a sobering reminder that there have been multiplied thousands who have died for our freedom. But also, remember that the King of glory came to die for us as well. Lest we forget….Lest we forget!
“Soldier, rest! Thy warfare o’er,
Dream of fighting fields no more:
Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking
Morn of toil, nor night of waking.”
–Sir Walter Scott