Veteran's Day

This is a picture of my cousin, Ben on the far left. This was at a fellow Marine's funeral over in Tennessee. Ben is Corporal Ben Wiley. I am so proud of him. I love this picture.

Happy Veterans Day. I'm honored to say that I am related to Veteran's and am very proud of each one of them. To every Veteran out there, Thank you! For your service, dedication, and sacrifice.
Today I did something different. I stopped by a grave yard and visited each grave with a flag. Just to read the names and branch of service and be respectful in not forgetting that they lived once and sacrificed a lot on my behalf. I took some pictures, I am fascinated with older tombstones too. It's always interesting to read inscriptions on the stones. Many are theologically and doctrinally off base, especially when it comes to calling them angels now, and sleeping in Jesus. But I try not to get worked up about it. I'll explain more later, because it does matter. Here are a few of the pictures:








I don't know how these people died, I don't know if they knew Jesus or not. I do know the Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us by dying in our place. He battled every sin on the cross, and won victoriously. We are redeemed through His blood. We are saved by His blood. That is why we cannot identify with angels. We are higher than the angels, the Bible says, and we are crowned with glory and honor. The angels cannot sing the song of redemption that we can sing as Christians. They don't need Christ's shed blood, they have not been bought with a price. When we die, we are very much alive, whether we go to Hell or Heaven...it's your choice. We do not sleep when we die. I love what that tombstone said about preparing for death eternity. We will all face it one day, why not choose Jesus now? Why not start living for Him now?
Thank God for His sacrifice. The sacrifice of His son. Thank Jesus for His sacrifice. The sacrifice of His life, for you! If that isn't love, I don't know what is. He makes a covenant with us. Though we betray Him, He still pursues us in a heart of love. Just like with the soldier, and those Americans who spit hate about America and war, these soldiers fight for your right to do that. It almost doesn't make any sense.
Lord protect our military.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elliot

Image
Who believes what we’ve heard and seen? Who would have thought God’s saving power would look like this? The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. -Isaiah 53:1-6 The verses above have stuck out in my mind surrounding this Easter Season and in the midst of this plague. Jesus wasn't afraid of disease or death or anything deemed to b
Read more

Hupomone -- A Patient Endurance

Image
I can remember the first time I heard this Greek word, Hupomone (noun). (pronounced hoop-om-on-ay') It literally means remaining under the Divine Presence while being tested. I was sitting in the church my dad was pastoring at the time, a rural church in North Carolina. It's been well over 10 years ago. I was sitting on a pew with my friend Sarah, kinda toward the front. I don't remember anything about the sermon that day, just the word Hupomone. Sarah and I looked at each other and giggled like girls do, and Sarah blurted out, "What's humopone?!" My dad, the gracious man he is, answered her interruption. For the next few months Sarah and I would run around randomly saying, "Hupomone!" several times in a row. It really is a fun word to say. Looking back on it, what a great thing to do. What if there were people running around yelling Greek words at you to remind you, Endure! Endure! Endure! Endure! Endure! People probably thought we
Read more

That You May Believe

Image
  We see the word, "believe" a lot in our culture.  We are encouraged by wooden frames, and art to "believe in ourselves."  In all actuality that is idolatry telling you to place your faith in yourself.  I don't know about you, but I have no idea how to direct my life other than to trouble.  Do we really want to lift ourselves higher than God?  That we are worthy within ourselves to reject God and trust ourselves instead?  I guess we have all walked that path at one time or another.  My existence outside of Jesus Christ and His Spirit in me amounts to nothing.  It begins and ends.  I live for myself, doing whatever I please, going wherever.  It may be attractive for a season, but in the end my life it isn't hinged on any meaning. In throwing the word, "believe" around so much it looses it's meaning almost like when we tell people we love them without thinking or feeling.  Believe is a key word to the Bible, especially the book of John.  Belief
Read more