There are defining moments in our lives and those moments help us to become who we are as individuals and as a nation. On Monday May 25, 2015, the last Monday of May we will celebrate “Memorial Day.” This holiday in some respects is a solemn one because we are celebrating the fallen heroes of our great nation. It is a celebration however because were it not for these fallen heroes it is possible I would not be able to write this post to you today.
They made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. The concept of the holiday was introduced shortly after the end of the Civil War. During that time and into the 20th century, the holiday was called “Decoration Day.” It was a holiday to remember the fallen and to go to their grave sites to decorate them with flowers. Because the holiday was being celebrated twice a year, once by those who mourned the Confederate soldiers and once for those who mourned the Union soldiers, it was decided to combine this into one holiday because we are one nation. With the advent of that decision the “Memorial Day” celebration was born.
We must all realize that freedom comes at a great cost. The freedom of this country and others around the world did not happen over night. We must fight hard to maintain that freedom every day. I am proud to say that I live in a country that believes in that freedom.
I would also like to point out to you that freedom of another kind has come to us at a great cost as well. The freedom that I am talking about is the freedom that we have received through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yes, He came so that we may have everlasting freedom. He paid the ultimate price by going to the cross for you and me. He lived, died and rose on the third day to show us that we would serve the only living God.
That freedom allows us to pass from a life spent in bondage, bondage in sin, to a life of freedom and eternity spent with the one who has a prepared a place for each of us. We must admit that we are sinners and we must turn from those sins. We must admit that Christ died for us and that He lives today sitting at the right hand of the Father. We must call on Him to be our Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9-11 says this, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED.'”
Dr. Martin Luther King, in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech said, “free at last thank God almighty we are free at last.”
If you want to step out of darkness and into the light of freedom call on the name of Jesus and be saved!! This world has given us many heroes but there is only one that can give us eternal freedom. He is the Christ. The Lord bless you and love each of you.
Pastor Lenny…