With a year to go before it even touches the water, the Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS New York has already made history. It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center.
USS New York is about 45 percent complete and should be ready for launch in mid-2007. Katrina disrupted construction when it pounded the Gulf Coast last summer, but the 684-foot vessel escaped serious damage, and workers were back at the yard near New Orleans two weeks after the storm.
It is the fifth in a new class of warship designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.
It would be fitting if the first mission this ship would go on is to make sure that bin Laden is taken out, his terrorist organization is taken out, said Glenn Clement, a paint foreman. He came in through the back door and knocked our towers down and (the New York) is coming right through the front door, and we want them to know that.
Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, La., to cast the ships bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept. 9, 2003, those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence, recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. It was a spiritual moment for everybody there.
Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the hair on my neck stood up.
It had a big meaning to it for all of us, he said. They knocked us down. They cant keep us down. Were going to be back.
The ships motto? - Never Forget
Some may take the motto Never Forget almost as holding a grudge, but I want to focus on the thought, If we forget our past of what has happened, then it is very likely that history will repeat itself. I for one never want to forget the blood that has been shed so I can enjoy the freedoms which I enjoy now. I never want to forget those who have lost sons, daughters, husbands, mothers, and fathers for the freedom in which we enjoy this morning. You may say, what freedom, well lets take a look, we have freedom of religion, freedom to worship how we want, and to worship what ever God we feel we need to worship. Our flag stands for the freedom that we each enjoy today. Our flag stands for those who have given their lives to sacrifice so you can stand to say, you disagree. Not only does the American flag stand for the freedom as a country, but the Christian flag stands for the freedom we enjoy as Christians.
As Auburn edu explains,
The Christian flag is the only free flag in the world. It is different from every other flag, religious or secular, ancient or modern. It is uncontrolled, independent, and universal. Unlike all national flags and all denominational flags of various churches, it has no earthly bonds or allegiances. Christ and Christ alone is its Master. Without limitation, it exists for all the world’s people regardless of sex, race, national boundary, economic condition, affluence, or poverty, politics, slavery or freedom. It cannot be restricted by any nation or denomination. This unique, universal quality makes it like the air we breathe, belonging to all and yet owned by none. For those who want it, wherever and whenever, it is freely theirs.
The Christian flag is one of the oldest unchanged flags in the world. It was conceived at Brighton Chapel, Coney Island, New York, Sunday, September 26, 1897, and was presented in its present form the following Sunday by its originator. On that day, the Christian flag was born.
The white on the flag represents purity and peace. The blue stands for faithfulness, truth, and sincerity. Red, of course, is the color of sacrifice, in this case calling to mind the blood shed by Christ on Calvary, represented by the cross.
The first pledge to the Christian flag was written by Methodist pastor Lynn Harold Hough in 1908.
"I pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag and to the Savior for whose kingdom it stands. One brotherhood, uniting all mankind, in service and love."
Ex 12:1 - 14 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
Ex 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
Ex 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house
Ex 12:4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
Ex 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
Ex 12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
Ex 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
Ex 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
Ex 12:9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
Ex 12:10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
Ex 12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover.
Ex 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
Ex 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
Ex 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
Here we see that God instructs the Jews to have a feast every year to remember His great works He did in Egypt.
Richard Tow - The story is told in Exodus 12. There God is freeing Israel from slavery in Egypt. The tenth plague is about to fall on the land. In that plague the firstborn of each household will die. But God provides a way of protection for His people. He tells them to sacrifice a lamb and put the blood of the lamb on the top and side posts of the door. Then He promises in Exodus 12:13 “...when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.”
There was one essential distinction that fateful night between the Israelites and the Egyptians. The blood applied by faith in obedience to God’s instruction made all the difference. God didn’t say I’ll review your works and decide whether you deserve protection or not. If He had done that, all of Israel would have been in big trouble. This is an awesome demonstration of God’s grace. God Himself provided the way of salvation. All they had to do was take Him at His word and do exactly what He told them to do. The blood applied to the door posts was the essential difference.
Of course, we know that the blood of those lambs was only a foreshadowing of the blood that would provide the eternal protection we all need.
Brian Atwood - A lamb was sacrificed for each household of Israelites and its blood applied to the doorposts so the death angel would "pass over" their dwelling when the firstborn of the Egyptians died. God instructed Moses to make the anniversary of this miracle a Memorial Day. God wanted them to remember some things.
Memorial day started many years ago and there are two main versions of how it got started.
In April 1863, in Columbus, Mississippi after decorating the graves of her two sons who served during the Civil War as Confederate soldiers, an elderly woman also decorated two mounds at the corner of the cemetery. An observer asked, “What are you doing? Those are the graves of two Union soldiers.” Her reply was, “I know. I also know that somewhere in the North, a mother or a young wife mourns for them as we do for ours.” [This lady and a few others] set in motion what became known as Memorial Day.
The custom of placing flowers on the graves of the war began on May 5, 1866 in Waterloo, New York, and Waterloo has been recognized by Congress as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. In 1868, General John A. Logan, then president of the Grand Army of the Republic, declared that May 30 would be a day to “decorate with flowers the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion.” After World War I the day was set aside to honor all of the American wars, and the custom was extended to pay homage to deceased relatives and friends, both military and civilian.
1. Provision of the Sacrifice
2. Promise of the Sacrifice
3. Properly Remembering the Sacrifice
1. Provision of the Sacrifice
Ex 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
Ex 12:4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
Ex 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
a. The lamb was supposed to be without blemish and within the first year of birth.
b. Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? {spot: or, fault}
c. 1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
d. The provision has been made for us all. The blood of Jesus Christ was shed for us all; the sacrifice is without blemish, without spot and how much better it is than the Old Testament Sacrifice. The blood of Jesus is one that is for all time, and was the perfect sacrafice. It is provided where we each can have a hope of true life in Christ.
e. Ex 12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
f. ACC - The lamb was to be taken from the flock on the tenth day, and kept up and fed by itself till the fourteenth day, when it was to be sacrificed.
The Sacrifice has been provided for us so we can have spiritual freedom, there have been thousands of men who have paid the ultimate sacrifice so we can have our freedom today. We have the promise of protection of the Sacrifice.
2. Promise of the Sacrifice
g. Ex 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses.
h. FBN - Upper door-post; the beam that goes across over the door.
i. Ex 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
j. ACC - the house on which he sees this blood sprinkled is under the protection of God
k. FBN - A token; evidence that they had complied with the Lord’s directions, and were under his protection.
l. With the blood on the doorposts, they were promised their house was spared. The promise is, when we the blood of Jesus applied to our live, we can rest assured we don’t have to fear death. We can be looking forward to and Eternal Home in heaven
m. Do you have the blood applied to the doorway of your heart, are you covered by the blood today? Can you say if the death angel comes to visit your house that everything is alright? You have everything clear between yourself and the savior.
The sacrifice has been provided, and we have the promise of what the sacrifice did for them. Let us never forget the saving of the sacrifice. Let us build a memorial
3. Properly Remembering the Sacrifice
n. Ex 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
o. ACC - A memorial To keep a remembrance of the justice and mercy, of God.
p. Ex 13:3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
q. As Moses told his people to recall the days of bondage, let us remember our days before we had spiritual freedom. Those days when we were under the bondage of Satan, the time when those who are under the bondage, feel they are living how they want to, doing what they want to, but in reality they are following where Satan tells them to go, and doing what Satan tells them to do.
r. Let us all set up a memorial to remember what we were, and where we were so we will never forget where we have come from and what God has brought us from.
Paul Harvey - It was gratitude that prompted an old man to visit an old broken pier on the eastern seacoast of Florida. Every Friday night, until his death in 1973, he would return, walking slowly and slightly stooped with a large bucket of shrimp. The sea gulls would flock to this old man, and he would feed them from his bucket. Many years before, in October 1942, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was on a mission in a B-17 to deliver an important message to General Douglas MacArthur in New Guinea.
Somewhere over the South Pacific the Flying Fortress became lost beyond the reach of radio. Fuel ran dangerously low, so the men ditched their plane in the ocean. For nearly a month Captain Eddie and his companions would fight the water, weather, and the scorching sun. They spent many sleepless nights recoiling as giant sharks rammed their rafts.
But of all their enemies at sea, one proved most formidable: starvation. Eight days out, their rations were long gone or destroyed by the salt water. It would take a miracle to sustain them. And a miracle occurred. “Something landed on my head. I knew that it was a sea gull. I don’t know how I knew, I just knew. Everyone else knew too. No one said a word, but peering out from under my hat brim without moving my head, I could see the expression on their faces. They were staring at that gull. The gull meant food . . . if I could catch it.” And the rest, as they say, is history. Captain Eddie caught the gull. Its flesh was eaten. Its intestines were used for bait to catch fish. The survivors were sustained and their hopes renewed because a lone sea gull, uncharacteristically hundreds of miles from land, offered itself as a sacrifice.
He never forgot. Because every Friday evening, about sunset, on a lonely stretch along the eastern Florida seacoast, you could see an old man walking . . . white-haired, bushy-eye browed, slightly bent. His bucket was filled with shrimp to feed the gulls, to remember that one, which, on a day long past, gave itself without a struggle.
Just as Eddie Rickenbacker never forgot the gull that gave its life, we should never forget the soldiers of our country who gave up their lives. Eddie got a second chance at life, and because many brave men and women have died in the armed services fighting for our country’s freedom, we too have a chance at life – a life of freedom. Both freedom and life never come without a price. The blood of many fine soldiers paid for the freedom that we have today, just as the blood of the tiny lamb of the Passover paid for the lives of hundreds of thousands of Israelites. A price has to be paid for freedom and life, and that price is the death of another. Someone, or something, has to die in order that we might live.
Our country’s soldiers died that we might have a life of freedom, and Jesus died that we might have life eternal. In the story of the Passover, the blood of a lamb was marked on the doorposts and this caused the destroyer to pass over the households that were marked, thus granting them life. This represented the cross of Jesus Christ upon which the very Lamb of God would give his own life that we might live forever in God’s kingdom. Our soldiers died for our country’s freedom, and Jesus died for our spiritual freedom for he said in John 8:36, “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed,” and then in John 10:10 Jesus told us, “I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Jesus paid for our spiritual freedom and gave us a crown in heaven when he died on the cross. There is no freedom without the shedding of blood. We should never forget our many soldiers who died for our freedom here in America, and most importantly we must never forget our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave his own life on a cross that we might have eternal life.
