What are you celebrating this Memorial Day weekend? I am sure that you will be celebrating a three day weekend. You will probably be celebrating the coming of summer (at least those of us in the Northwest.) What I am wondering, is when I mention Memorial Day do you think of the purpose for this holiday?

Memorial Day, formerly called Decoration Day, dates back to May 30, 1868 when it was enacted to honor Union soldiers that died in the Civil War. The 30th of May was set aside as a time to visit and decorate the grave to honor those that had fallen. “Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Another tradition is to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at National Cemeteries. Many Americans also use Memorial Day to honor other family members who have died.” (www.wikipedia.com, Memorial Day)

It was after World War I that the commemoration was expanded to include all fallen soldiers from any war or military action. The alternative name, Memorial Day, was first used in 1882 and would be more commonly used after World War II. It became the official name by Federal Law in 1967. The Uniform Holiday Bill passed on June 28, 1968 moved Memorial Day (President’s Day and Veterans Day) to a fixed Monday to allow for a three day weekend. Memorial Day has been celebrated on the last Monday of May since the law took effect in 1971.

As we consider the significance of Memorial Day (and several other National Holidays) for the follower of Jesus, it is hard to find a Biblical parallel; however, the Scripture do have much to say about “remembering” the past. In each of the passages that come to mind, we are called to remember God’s provision and deliverance (Deuteronomy 8 and Psalm 106), and even the leaders who have modeled a Godly life (Hebrews 13:7). We also know that all of the Old Testament Feasts served as a reminder of Jehovah’s provision in the past while pointing to a future fulfillment in the coming Messiah. Even the New Testament celebration of the Lord ’s Table (based on the Passover feast) remembers the work of Christ on the Cross while looking forward to His return (1 Corinthians 11:26). And in the seventh verse of Romans 13 the Bible also speaks of the importance for you as a follower of Christ to participate in holidays like Memorial and Veteran days. “”Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” Romans 13:7 ESV

The purpose for this three day weekend is not to celebrate the beginning of summer, or even a time to get away, but to remember those whom have given their lives for our great country. You can honor those whom have given their lives by offering a prayer of thanks at one of your family meal times. It would be appropriate to send an email to a military widow(er), or parent, thanking them for the sacrifice of their spouse/ child. It would be even better to take a family field trip Monday to visit a local veterans’ cemetery. Memorial Day is a time to remember those that have given their lives for our country. Pastor Joe

Anne Marie Ezzo writes: “As believers we should reflect on the event of Easter everyday, not just once a year. It is because He is the risen Christ and is alive that we have life. Once again Denise shares with us thoughts to ponder and As God pleases, dispose the day….”

“Psychics are busy trying to give people hope with a glimpse of the future,

while Christians who have hope live as this world was all there is.”

In Jude 1:3 believers are called to “contend earnestly for the faith’. The word “contend” in this statement is an athletic term, which comes from the root word “agonize”. It is a picture of a devoted athlete stretching every nerve and muscle to win. It reminds me of Paul’s letter to the Philippians where he says “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). The apostle Paul uses athletic metaphors often when talking about the believers walk. As believers we aren’t to meander haphazardly to the finish line but we are to “press”, to buffet our bodies, not looking to the left or right, but striving for the goal. Paul always emphasizes the goal.

As believers, when we look around at our church locally and nationally, we don’t see a lot of “athletic Christians”. More often you see an exhausted saint spinning in circles on the middle of life’s race track. In fact from their perspective the race track is more of a convoluted maze with no means to find the end. They are so focused on where they are at that moment that they have lost sight of the goal. The goal scriptures mention is the glory of Christ’s return. “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4). Our citizenship is in heaven and we should eagerly wait for Christ’s return (Philippians 3:20). There are actually more references to Christ’s second return than there were to his first coming in scripture. Why? Because, the ability to run the race successfully is determined by our focus. In the end we want to say as Paul did, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (II Timothy 4:7-8).

How would the lives of today’s saints look like if they “loved His appearing”? If believers focused on the glory of eternity, instead of their few years on this sin marred earth, then they would live with eternal purpose. Each generation of believers carries the responsibility of Christianity. St. Augustine stated this centuries ago, when he argued against the monastic movement, saying if believers locked themselves away, that there would be no light to the lost and thus Christianity would die out in one generation.

If eternity was the focus of Christians, then as parents, they would not just struggle like crisis managers, merely trying to survive each new phase (troublesome twos, rebellious teens…), but would see that they were training and equipping those who would replace them in the furtherance of the gospel. They would understand that they were passing the baton for the survival of Christianity. They would see the necessity of teaching their children how to do quiet times, and study the Bible and how to handle life situations Biblically and live righteously. Parents today seem more concerned with their children’s safety, comfort and happiness than their character and holiness.

If believers lived in the expectation of Christ’s return, they would be less likely to hang on to sin, thinking they had plenty of time to repent later. The urgencies of today would lose importance in the realities of eternity. People would become more important than self and things. The wealth and acquisition of goods they spend so much time stockpiling would take their correct importance as the transitory things that they are, which will only become the possession of another person, or line the walls of some Salvation Army store after they are gone. They would be more concerned with the preciousness of others, knowing their opportunity to show them Christ is short. There isn’t any aspect of our life that would not be altered if we saw our daily life through the eyes of a bride on her wedding day in Glory looking back to today and seeing the things that needed to be done before her Bridegroom calls her to His home.

Lord, as Easter approaches we look back to nearly 2000 years ago, when you betrothed yourself to us with the bride price of your blood. Now, as the decades pass, take our wandering hearts and give us a new anticipation of your return. We do not know the hour or the day, but help us to live as if it were coming shortly. “And the Spirit and the Bride say “Come”. (Revelation 22:17)

As God pleases, dispose the day © 2009 is an electronic devotional by D. A. Brewer. All Bible quotations are from the New American Standard Version, © 1993 Lockman Foundation and used by permission. The title “As God pleases, dispose the day” is a quote from Henry V by William Shakespeare.

The following newsletter came today and after reading it, thought about all the dedicated parents who are part of our GFI family and the ‘difference’ you and your children are making. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like much and you may even think, ‘is it all worth it? Yes, our family is ‘different’ but are we making a difference?’ The fact that as parents and children you are committed to ‘putting on Christ’ each day, being that ‘living epistle’ that Paul speaks of, light in a dark world. Remember, none of the people we read about in the Bible [except Jesus] were aware of the difference they would make for millennia to come. They were ‘ordinary people, used by God to do extraordinary things for His Kingdom sake’ Be encouraged and continue being a ‘difference maker’ in your home and community, God will take care of the rest. Blessings, Anne Marie

We all appreciate “difference makers”. The hope held by the American people is that our newly elected president and his team will make a difference! Those of you that are into football are watching the activities of free agency and wait for the big April event, the NFL Draft, with the hopes that their team will select a “difference maker”. So the question is, are you a “difference maker”?

We should not be surprised that many of the “difference makers” both in the real world and the Bible are/were common people. Several years ago, I heard a statement about the world being run by “C” students. As I teach through the Bible in our Real Bible Institute, I’ve been impressed with all the common people that made a difference for God! Luke has impressed me this past week, as we are studying his gospel. While some may have a more difficult time relating to him due to his professional manner (as a doctor), he was still a difference maker.

In many ways, Luke was an outsider and didn’t really “fit the mold”. The fact that his parents were Greek made him the only Greek writer of a New Testament book (In Colossians 4:10-14 he is not identified as one of “the circumcision”, or as a Jew). His heritage would also have made him an outsider during much of the first century Judeo-centric church. In addition, he did not possess a Jewish/Christian pedigree, and while we believe that he was similar in age to Jesus and Paul, it is doubtful that he was born into a believing home. Thus, it is very possible that Luke was an adult convert of Paul’s ministry.

Here are two lessons from Luke on being a difference maker:

He ministered. Luke did not allow himself to focus on his limitations; he just did it. He did not get hung up on who he was. He did not allow other gospel accounts to keep him from writing to an influential gentile friend, Theophilus. Neither did He allow his lack of pedigree keep him from writing a two-volume work on the life of Christ and the expansion of the church. The Gospel of Luke and Acts came to comprise 28% of the New Testament, his gospel being the longest work in the New Testament. He was also responsible for more New Testament content than any other author.

We also know that Luke was faithful. He rolled up his sleeves and got involved. He was a man who kept ministering through the ups and downs of life and Christian ministry. His use of “we” and “us” in Acts (16:10-ff) indicate that he joined Paul on his second missionary journey in the early A.D. 50’s, and continued to minister with Paul for the rest of his life, (almost 15 years; 2 Timothy 4:11).

What a testimony! Think of the people that have made a difference in your life… Chances are, they were just like Luke. What a challenge! How often do we fail to make a difference because we do not even try? How often do we give up or move on before God has a chance to work! You and I are no different than Luke or even Mark. Some of us have been raised in Christian homes and others of us came to know Christ later, but we can each make a difference. How will you make a difference this year?

- Pastor Joe

The concept of Community is not new to our GFI family – Gary has been teaching the importance and value of being a part of a ‘like-minded’ community for years. In reading the following article in Pastor Joe’s newsletter, I was once again reminded of the value and power of Community.

We in the U.S. are not the only ones facing economic challenges, this is a worldwide issue and for most of the world, this is not something new, they have been living with it a long time. Yet, as I watch and listen to the news, it seems the mainstream media is not addressing the ‘root cause’ – what are our Beliefs? Everyone agrees,  we have a broken ‘how’ and those attempting to ‘fix’ the problem, while they may inadvertently go back to their Beliefs and goals, those Beliefs + goals do not reflect the core Beliefs we all hold to, which starts with a Creator God – it’s difficult to come to a consensus when the starting point differs.

But we, as part of the Body of Jesus Christ know where our strength comes from. Let us not grow weary in well doing, living our lives according to the character and virtues found in Christ and then instilling those virtues into the heart of our children. We are the salt & light, our purpose is to glorify, [make bigger] our Father in Heaven. What an exciting time for us to live and fulfill the purpose for which we were created. Blessings, Anne Marie

Right now I'm replaying a video in my mind of how a pack of wolves takes on a herd of Elk. Of course, the wolves do not stand a chance going head to head with the herd, so what do they do: they isolate an individual from the herd. Then, an elk becomes easy prey for the wolves.

This brief illustration is a reminder of the power of community. The Bible challenges followers of Christ to be ‘plugged in' and a part of His community; the local church. It is unfortunate that many who claim the name of Jesus are not involved in a local community. Please understand that I am talking about more than just attending a weekend service!

During times such as our nation is currently facing, the concept of community becomes important, especially taking into consideration the fact that many families are scattered across the country. Here are a few reasons to consider: as I already mentioned, the power of community is seen in the protection it provides. The saying "there is strength in numbers" is very true. The Bible teaches that “though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV). It is even amazing how participants in ‘Survivor’-type reality shows work together, despite efforts of the producers to cause tension and discord. What helped our country survive the Great Depression was a commitment to one another. Should the economic situation continue to deteriorate, your community of faith will become even more important.

Another power of a Community is its ability to share and help meet needs. One of the hallmarks of the Church established by Jesus Christ (at least until the modern welfare system was established), was that Christians took care their own and others. The first century church knew the power of sharing. “There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need” Acts 4:34-35 (NIV).

The power of community also adds meaning to your life. For the Christian, community is the soil for cultivating your God-given purpose. Paul writes, “so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us” Romans 12:5-6 (NIV). Often, the greatest blessing of belonging to a community of faith is not what you get, but how you are able to touch others by giving: “remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” Acts 20:35b (NIV).

We also see that the power of Community is a source of encouragement. The author of Hebrews, writing to a group of persecuted people said this: “and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching” Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV). Your greatest need during difficult times is encouragement. Often, it is an encouraging word or knowing that someone is praying on your behalf that gives you the strength to press on.

So, if things continue to unravel morally and  economically, will you and your family be ‘running with the herd’/Community or isolated and alone? Joe Parkinson

 

I’m currently studying the book of Hosea.  At the time Hosea prophesizes the people of Israel are deep in spiritual idolatry.   Many of the chapters list the grievances of God against His people.  They are worshiping false gods; even giving them credit for what God had done for them.  Their idol worship includes temple prostitutes (male and female) and putting their children through sacrificial fires.  The priests have perverted the covenant of God and are becoming wealthy on the sins of the people which they encourage.  The kings all do evil in the sight of the Lord and lead Israel into sin, provoking the anger of God against them.

The Lord God is holy and does not wink at sin and He does judge the people of Israel by allowing an Assyrian king to lead them into captivity.   Yet, chapter 11 of Hosea contains a list of statements from the Lord; statements that show the heart of God towards His people.  “How can I give you up”, He asks?  “How can I surrender you?”  “My heart is turned over within Me”.

When you are reading the list of wrongs He holds against Israel, you might conjecture that He is through with them; that He has given up on them.  You might even conclude that He no longer loves them, but these thoughts are not only wrong, they imply that the Israelites performance gauges whether God loves them or not.

Eugene Peterson says the same thoughts plague Christians today.  As believers, we often feel that when illness comes, or hardships, or conflicts and anxieties, or repeated sinful patterns creep into our lives, “that God has gotten bored in looking after us and has shifted his attention to a more exciting Christian, or that God has become disgusted with our meandering obedience and decided to let us fend for ourselves for awhile, or that God has gotten too busy fulfilling prophecy in the Middle East to take time now to sort out the complicated mess we have gotten ourselves into”. This is a mistake for it assumes that God’s love fluctuates depending on how we perform.  It supposes that “God’s interest in us waxes and wanes in response to our spiritual temperature.”

God doesn’t just show love, He is love!  God does not act contrary to His character and thus love is who He is and does not alter or diminish.  It is unchanging!  We, however, feel loved or not loved according to our circumstances or behavior.  So if you are in a pattern of sin and disobedience, or so busy running your own life that you feel distant from the Lord, the remedy is given.  In Hosea the Lord tells His people through the prophet to acknowledge their guilt and return to the Lord with their whole heart.  If you are going through an illness, trial or hardship and are doubting the Lord’s love for you, then confess that doubt and cling to the promises in Psalm 121.  “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.  He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.” If He will not let your foot slip, it implies the road you are treading is treacherous and the possibility of falling is there.  Yet, those who lift up their eyes to the mountains, from whence their help comes will not slip.  It does not mean that there will not be hardship, but that God will keep you through it and He is never off duty (He does not slumber).

So, this Valentines I pray that the Holy Spirit gives you true appreciation of the love of God and that if you are straying or doubting His love, that you would turn and run into His embrace and be smothered in the unending, all consuming, and ever sheltering love of God.

As God pleases, dispose the day © 2009 is an electronic devotional by D. A.  Brewer.   All Bible quotations are from the New American Standard Version, © 1993 Lockman Foundation and used by permission.  The title “As God pleases, dispose the day” is a quote from Henry V by William Shakespeare.   Quotes are taken from A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson.