How much time and thought do I or you give to this thought? Probably not as much as we should. But the reality of this day and its meaning was thought-provoking.
Questions came to mind like: Do I live like one who was set-free? How do I deserve this gift? The truth, I deserve this freedom, no! How was this freedom obtained? For my freedom I enjoy in this country those who served this country in all of its armed forces. For my soul, it was the sacrifice of Christ.
Those of us who were blessed to born and raised in the USA we owe a debt of gratitude to our service men and women. Especially to those who were injured, maimed, and lost their lives. To these, I with tears in my eyes, and thanksgiving in my heart am so very grateful for their sacrifice. Now, I am free, a proud America, who loves her country, and what our forefathers intended it to stand for. But there is One I owe much more! God allowed and planned for you, and I to be born in America.
When I was in college, I attended a class that had a profound, and lasting affect upon me. The class was called Religious Movements, the study of all the religions if the world. Why? Because, it brought home the truth, my birth in the USA was no accident, but was purposeful. So, I could hear the Gospel of Christ, become His own through His shed blood, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Now, I am washed clean from all my sin. This allows me to have communion or fellowship with my God and Lord. He has placed a calling on my heart, and gave me His Spirit who empowers me to fulfill that calling. My responsibility is to serving Him, and my fellow brethren, as I grow into maturity, through the study of the Word, applying it to my life. Thus, being able to share Christ with all He brings into life, and come alongside them as a discipler assisting them them towards maturity in Christ.
This morning I had the privilege of hearing three servicemen; one a former POW who was shot down over North Vietnam. While incarcerated he and others had the opportunity to share whatever they could recall of the Bible. They tapped those verses using Morse Code on the walls of the prison. One of the gentlemen who shared this morning, said, "I wish that I had more verses to offer." He also shared about suffering, and that rather than complain lean into the pain regardless of the fear it causes. By the way, he flew home on the same plane Senator McCain was on.
Please note I got ahead of myself so you can read the rest of his story where there us the word "note," (The next veteran, served in Afghanistan. He was a leader of his men, and they had pulled over and surrounded the car. He summoned the driver to lift up his hands, he complied. Then he asked him again to get out of the car, he declined. Then the driver detonated the bomb he was carrying. He was blinded, and became bitter, and rejected his faith and the Lord.)
Another soldier, was also serving in Afghanistan. He was on patrol looking for mines that were hidden. As he moved forward he stepped on one which blew his leg off. He knew that and also knew his other leg was pretty badly shattered. After returning to the states, and waking up seeing his mom and wife, he was told he lost both legs. He attributed his living faith, and love for Christ in bringing him through that ordeal without hate and bitterness. The he shared this story to reiterate that truth.
This story is about teaching his daughter to swim. Before putting his precious child in the water, he placed a flotation devise on her. She learned to rely on the devise for her support. As she got stronger swimming, her dad began to deflate the devise a little at a time. Once she was strong enough swimmer, dad put her in the water without the flotation devise. He remarked that this is how we, too, grow and experience freedom from anything that encumbers us. When we grow in Christ and the Word, we experience freedom and no longer reliance on any other than God for our support. The third serviceman is from my home state, Washington.
Note: He was an outdoors man, athlete, and believer in Christ. While growing up, his mother made sure he read his Bible, and attended church. Though this he learned discernment. How to chose friends, and what was God's will for his life. He ended going to to West Point. During his life he taught Sunday School, and impacted a young boy. While recuperating in the hospital he refused to see many celebrities. His wife prayed earnestly for restoration of his heart and soul.
One day a young man came to visit, this one he could not refuse. It was the boy he had impacted so much, and who was now at West Point, as well as a believer. The blinded soldier wept for twenty minutes, repented and was restored to his Lord and family.
Since then, he is the only blind soldier serving, and has gone on many outings like climbing Mt. Rainer, and other things he grew up enjoying.
The essence if these men's stories is this: Trusting God is built on suffering. We are not to rely on any support other than God, . Freedom comes through growth that is founded upon suffering.
Joshua 1:8-9, tells us to study, meditate, and do tbe all that is written, then you will prosper. Further, we are told not to fear, because He is with us wherever we go. Also, in Joshua 3: 3-4, we are told to keep our eyes on Christ as represented by the ARK. Follow it, keeping Him in sight, for you have not passed this way before. Each day is a journey as we are not told what to expect, but we know, and trust who holds our times in His hands. Now we can rest in this truth! This is our mission: He sends, we obey and go.
Questions came to mind like: Do I live like one who was set-free? How do I deserve this gift? The truth, I deserve this freedom, no! How was this freedom obtained? For my freedom I enjoy in this country those who served this country in all of its armed forces. For my soul, it was the sacrifice of Christ.
Those of us who were blessed to born and raised in the USA we owe a debt of gratitude to our service men and women. Especially to those who were injured, maimed, and lost their lives. To these, I with tears in my eyes, and thanksgiving in my heart am so very grateful for their sacrifice. Now, I am free, a proud America, who loves her country, and what our forefathers intended it to stand for. But there is One I owe much more! God allowed and planned for you, and I to be born in America.
When I was in college, I attended a class that had a profound, and lasting affect upon me. The class was called Religious Movements, the study of all the religions if the world. Why? Because, it brought home the truth, my birth in the USA was no accident, but was purposeful. So, I could hear the Gospel of Christ, become His own through His shed blood, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Now, I am washed clean from all my sin. This allows me to have communion or fellowship with my God and Lord. He has placed a calling on my heart, and gave me His Spirit who empowers me to fulfill that calling. My responsibility is to serving Him, and my fellow brethren, as I grow into maturity, through the study of the Word, applying it to my life. Thus, being able to share Christ with all He brings into life, and come alongside them as a discipler assisting them them towards maturity in Christ.
This morning I had the privilege of hearing three servicemen; one a former POW who was shot down over North Vietnam. While incarcerated he and others had the opportunity to share whatever they could recall of the Bible. They tapped those verses using Morse Code on the walls of the prison. One of the gentlemen who shared this morning, said, "I wish that I had more verses to offer." He also shared about suffering, and that rather than complain lean into the pain regardless of the fear it causes. By the way, he flew home on the same plane Senator McCain was on.
Please note I got ahead of myself so you can read the rest of his story where there us the word "note," (The next veteran, served in Afghanistan. He was a leader of his men, and they had pulled over and surrounded the car. He summoned the driver to lift up his hands, he complied. Then he asked him again to get out of the car, he declined. Then the driver detonated the bomb he was carrying. He was blinded, and became bitter, and rejected his faith and the Lord.)
Another soldier, was also serving in Afghanistan. He was on patrol looking for mines that were hidden. As he moved forward he stepped on one which blew his leg off. He knew that and also knew his other leg was pretty badly shattered. After returning to the states, and waking up seeing his mom and wife, he was told he lost both legs. He attributed his living faith, and love for Christ in bringing him through that ordeal without hate and bitterness. The he shared this story to reiterate that truth.
This story is about teaching his daughter to swim. Before putting his precious child in the water, he placed a flotation devise on her. She learned to rely on the devise for her support. As she got stronger swimming, her dad began to deflate the devise a little at a time. Once she was strong enough swimmer, dad put her in the water without the flotation devise. He remarked that this is how we, too, grow and experience freedom from anything that encumbers us. When we grow in Christ and the Word, we experience freedom and no longer reliance on any other than God for our support. The third serviceman is from my home state, Washington.
Note: He was an outdoors man, athlete, and believer in Christ. While growing up, his mother made sure he read his Bible, and attended church. Though this he learned discernment. How to chose friends, and what was God's will for his life. He ended going to to West Point. During his life he taught Sunday School, and impacted a young boy. While recuperating in the hospital he refused to see many celebrities. His wife prayed earnestly for restoration of his heart and soul.
One day a young man came to visit, this one he could not refuse. It was the boy he had impacted so much, and who was now at West Point, as well as a believer. The blinded soldier wept for twenty minutes, repented and was restored to his Lord and family.
Since then, he is the only blind soldier serving, and has gone on many outings like climbing Mt. Rainer, and other things he grew up enjoying.
The essence if these men's stories is this: Trusting God is built on suffering. We are not to rely on any support other than God, . Freedom comes through growth that is founded upon suffering.
Joshua 1:8-9, tells us to study, meditate, and do tbe all that is written, then you will prosper. Further, we are told not to fear, because He is with us wherever we go. Also, in Joshua 3: 3-4, we are told to keep our eyes on Christ as represented by the ARK. Follow it, keeping Him in sight, for you have not passed this way before. Each day is a journey as we are not told what to expect, but we know, and trust who holds our times in His hands. Now we can rest in this truth! This is our mission: He sends, we obey and go.
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