THE FRINGE… REMEMBER… IT DOES WELL TO REMEMBER!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com WHAT IS MEMORIAL DAY?
WE TEND TO DEFINE THINGS BY OUR OWN PERSPECTIVE… WE TEND TO DEFINE AS WE SEE THE TRUTH.
We seem to forget what Memorial Day is. Years ago we called it DECORATION DAY. Memorial Day is much more than the 3 day weekend that kicks off the beginning of summer. Remember? Human beings are so good at forgetting… Is Memorial Day just the day we celebrate on last Monday in May?
Is Memorial Day a day to remember the wars where people made the sacrifice of life and the Gold Star Mothers? Is Memorial Day about the deaths of USA citizens? In The WAR BETWEEN THE STATES there was around 620,000 (+) deaths. Over half of the Union and Confederate soldiers’ bodies were never identified. Most of the deaths in the Civil War were from sicknesses not wounds. We know in 1864 people started honoring the dead with wreaths.
REMEMBER THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWNS? The tomb of the Unknown Soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery stands on the top of a hill overlooking Washington, D.C. There are 3 Greek Statues there that represent 1. PEACE, 2. VICTORY, 3. VALOR. There are 6 wreaths carved in the stone, 3 on each side. The words that are etched in the back of the tomb are: HERE RESTS IN THE HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD.
In addition there rests here the UNKNOWNS from World War I, it was known as “the Great War to end all wars.” World War II, Korea, Vietnam.
THE TOMB GUARDS KNOW THE HIGHEST MILITARY HONOR THAT CAN BE GIVEN IS THE 21 GUN SALUTE. So the tomb guard marches 21 steps down the black mat behind the tomb. He then turns and faces the east for 21 seconds, he then turns and faces the north for 21 seconds, then he takes 21 steps down the mat and he repeats the process. The guard walks the mat from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the time of year.
The tomb has been guarded 24/7 since 1937. The guard’s weapon is a SIG-SAUER M14 BUILT SPECIFICALLY for the UNKNOWNS DUTY.
MEMORIAL DAY IS MUCH MORE THAN THE USA CELEBRATION OF HER FALLEN SOLDIERS. MEMORIAL DAY IS AS ANCIENT AS HUMANITY. GOD DESIRES HIS PEOPLE TO REMEMBER… WARNING! WARNING! PROSPERITY TENDS TO DEVELOP FORGETFULNESS…
Deuteronomy 6:10 And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, 11 And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;
JEWISH PEOPLE WORE A KIPPAH, SKULL CAPS WHEN PRAYING AS A SIGN OF BEING DEVOTED…
THEY ALSO WORE FRINGES/TASSELS UPON THE 4 CORNERS OF THEIR GARMENTS… THESE FRINGES WERE THERE TO REMIND PEOPLE OF A HOLY GOD… THE JEWISH FRINGE WAS TO HAVE A TOTAL OF 613 THREADS… EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF THE JEWISH COMMANDMENTS. THESE WERE WORN TO REMEMBER…
*KIPPAH (ki-PAH) or YARMULKE (yaa-muh-kuh), skull cap.
*TZITZIT: (ZIT-zis) a constant awareness of the responsibility to GOD’S HOLY LAW. These were normally blue. Blue the color of the sea, ¾ of the earth is water. Blue is the color of the sky. THE FRINGES OR TASSELS REMIND US OF GOD’S PRESENCE.
Deuteronomy 22:12 Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.
Numbers 15:39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:
GOD ASK US TO REMEMBER --- THERE COMES A DAY OF FORGETFULNESS. GOD WANTS US TO REMEMBER.
Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
COMMUNION IS A MEMORIAL, A MEMORY TO RECALL…
1 Corinthians 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
WE TEND TO GET TOO BUSY… TOO BUSY TO READ OUR BIBLE? TOO BUSY TO PRAY? IS IT EASY TO FORGET ALL OF GOD’S BLESSINGS?
Remember the seasons of testing over a 40 year period? Never forget!
Deuteronomy 6:12 Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
Deuteronomy 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
REMEMBER… GOD LOADS US WITH BENEFITS… advantage, profit, gift, payment, good, helpful, promotion…
David had observed history and humanity and he was concerned and very cautious that in daily life we have the tendency to forget the good things God does for us. David had learned life is best lived when we wholeheartedly praise and worship God. Remember Goliath? Saul? Good comes of of bad.
Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
GOD IS LOADING HIS PEOPLE WITH HIS BENEFITS, HIS MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY MORNING… We need to delight in God, spirit, soul and body. Are we really to find JOY,?
Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
LET US REMEMBER GODS CALL.
Remember the lesson where there was a man that worked in New York City. He worked in an office in a sky scrapper. He had a terrible disease develop. The doctor gave him 6 months to live. He was so sick. He was so weak, he could barely walk. He weighed 100 pounds. The man felt God speak to him. Quit your job and move to the country far away from any one. So he sold all and took his retirement and bought a small cabin way back in the woods. He would cough and blood and pieces of his lungs would come out. He could not stop coughing. One day he was so weak he ate a few bites and went out and lay in the swing on the porch. The man felt God speak to him again. God said: SEE THAT HUGE BOULDER AT THE END OF THE PORCH. God said I want you to get up every morning and PUSH THE ROCK as hard as you can. The man was faithful. Every morning the man would push the rock until lunch time. Then after lunch he would push it several more hours. After several months the man thought, I wonder how far I have pushed the rock? So the man measured from several angles where the rock was. Each day the man would push the rock and then measure the progress. After two more weeks of pushing the rock the man observed after the months of pushing the rock, there was absolutely no movement. The man started talking to God and said, GOD AFTER MONTHS OF PUSHING THIS ROCK I HAVE NOT MOVED THE ROCK ONE INCH. God said: YOUNG MAN, I NEVER TOLD YOU TO MOVE THE ROCK. I ASKED YOU TO PUSH THE ROCK. Then God said, LOOK IN THE MIRROR. The weak boney man looked and saw a strong muscle bound body. God said have you noticed you have not coughed in weeks? Have you coughed up blood? How is your appetite? Look what happened in your obedience. You are healed and your health and strength are renewed. God said listen I never called you to move the rock, I called you to push the rock. As you pushed the rock the resistance of pushing has made you a new man.
MAY I REMIND YOU: REMEMBER, GOD NEVER CALLS US TO GREAT FEATS OF VICTORY! I CALLED YOU TO SIMPLY PUSH THE ROCK. You have no need to analyze and measure, JUST KEEP PUSHING… BE FAITHFUL TO YOUR POST OF DUTY MY FRIEND. KEEP PUSHING.
CONCLUSION: REMEMBER GOD IS IN CONTROL. REMEMBER, stop looking at where you are at today. TODAY MAY SEEM SO BAD… Be humble. Be grateful. Bless the Lord. Everyone saw David as a shepherd boy--- GOD SAW A KING. JOSEPH WAS IN THE PIT… TODAY. TODAY DANIEL WAS IN THE LION'S DEN. TODAY THEY WERE HEATING THE FURNACE 7 TIMES HOTTER. TODAY WAS A GREAT FISH RIDE.
DAVE ROEVER HAD MASSIVE SURGERY AND HE WAS AN UGLY MESS. HE SAID HE LOOKED IN THE MIRROR TODAY AND COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE DOCTOR HAD SCARRED AND MESSED HIM OVER. DAVE COULD NOT SEE HIS NEW NOSE AND FACE. DAVE SAID: STOP LOOKING WHERE YOU ARE TODAY ---- LOOK FORWARD TO WHERE YOU WILL BE.
The thief on the cross looked over to Jesus and said: LORD, REMEMBER ME? Jesus said: TODAY, I WILL REMEMBER YOU. Today we will be in paradise.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
