Stay In The Light

Speaking of never forgetting, I know that you are aware that tomorrow is Memorial Day. It was originally known as “Decoration Day”. It was time set aside to remember and honor the nation’s Civil War dead by decorating their graves.

But after World War I the day was set aside to honor all Americans who died in wars. Eventually the custom was extended to pay tribute to deceased relatives and friends, both military and civilian. And in 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday.

Every American ought to recognize this day, remembering those who gave their lives to make America what it is, a nation worth fighting for. Some may not think so but because there are those who have died for this country, we still have the right to pursue peace, prosperity and happiness. And we still have the right to preach God’s word freely.

So this week as we celebrate Memorial Day, let us stop and thank God for those who died to make and keep us free. Many paid the price for our freedom with their lives.

And as we remember those who died for our country, let us also remember to thank God for Jesus, who shed His blood to set us free from the penalty of our sins, because He also was one who was willing to pay the price. Jesus fought the armies of hell so that we might have liberty in His name. Each Sunday, as we partake in communion, the Lord's Supper, we are remembering what it took to cleanse us and make us free from the penalty of our sins. Every week as we come together it is a celebration of the memorial of Christ. Every Sunday is a Memorial Day for a Christian.

The apostle Paul reminds us why our communion time is so important. He writes in I Corinthians 11:23-26, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'

“In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

So do not make light of this Memorial Feast. We do this “in remembrance of Him” In the Old Testament believers would symbolically transfer their sins to an animal and then the animal would be sacrificed for their sins.

It was a symbol upon which they could invest their faith in God who would one day send His own Son upon which our sins would be placed, and Who would then be sacrificed for our sins. That was God's plan, and if we think there is any other way, we are walking in the dark.

Since the blood of Jesus cleanses us from sin, and only the blood of Jesus, then how can we be cleansed from our sin without the blood? This is why Jesus can say He is the only way to God, the only way to get to heaven.

Think about what God has done for us. It says the blood of Jesus cleanses us from (How much??) ALL sin! Boy, don't we need that! Anyone who is honest with themselves knows that there are things that should never have been done, and never should have happened. There are things that have made our lives dirty and we need a cleansing.