Come Alive!

But we must remember that those memorial stones were not grave markers. Where progress died. Joshua 4:5-7 says,

And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.”

The point of the memorial was to cause future generations to remember that the previous generation had to face a crossing point where they headed into territory that they hadn’t gone into before and God led the way and went with them! The elder generation was to point out to the next generation that there was a time when they came to a place where “they had not passed that way before…” (Joshua 3:4). And when they faced life and the prospect of possessing the promises of God they went for it and God helped them. It wasn’t just about reminiscing about the “good ole days.” It was about telling another generation that God can do it for you just like he did it for us! I read history and talk to my elders to help me in the here and now, not to lament that the former days were better than the present! What God did for them He will do for us!

The life of a Christian is one that Paul calls in Romans 6:4 “a newness of life.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 He says in 2 Corinthians 4:16 that though our outward man is perishing, yet our inward man is “renewed day by day.” Every day is a new adventure. Every day is new! We need a fresh encounter with Jesus every day! God doesn’t have any grandchildren! Every generation has to get it for themselves! We are pulled by the future! We are going places we have never gone before!

While we honor the past and we will never forget our heritage there is a danger when we make the past our idol and are unable to let go. Do you remember the name

Do you know the name, Harry Truman? Let me be clearer. Do you know the name, Harry Randall Truman? No, he was not a former president. He was a homeowner at the foot of Mount St. Helens in Washington state. In 1980, the volcanic mountain was showing signs of a major eruption. Indeed, one expert declared that the chance of a major eruption was virtually 100 percent. Truman’s home was located at the south end of Spirit Lake at the foot of the mountain. He was living in the most likely path of the volcanic flow. He was facing an almost certain death. Governmental officials implored him to leave. Friends told him that his failure to move was tantamount to suicide. Family members begged him to leave lest he die. On May 18, 1980, the massive eruption took place. The lava flowed right in the projected path of Truman’s home. On May 18, 1980, Harry Randall Truman died. He just could not let go of his home, even if it meant certain death. So what did the deceased churches cling to? What did they refuse to let go of facing certain death? Worship styles were certainly on the list. As were fixed orders of worship services. And times of worship services. Some stubbornly held on to buildings and rooms… (pp. 21-22).