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Saturday, May 27, 2023

Memorial Day - Rejoice with those who Rejoice, Mourn with those who Mourn - Purity 1054


Memorial Day - Rejoice with those who Rejoice, Mourn with those who Mourn - Purity 1054 

Purity 1054 05/27/2023 Purity 1054 Podcast

Purity 1054 on YouTube: Coming Soon!

Good morning,

Today’s photo of flowers and a trio of American flags at the base of a tree at Hudson Riverview Park with the “river that flows two ways” – The Mighty Hudson– or as the people who were native to the land called it “Mahicantuk”,  in the background under a rather gray and somber sky comes to us from Tara Becker who shared this picture of the tree dedicated to her father, H. Foster Hetteshimer Jr. on social media a few days ago , “Remembering all who served and sacrificed for our great country this Memorial Day”.  

Tara’s father’s memorial stone at the base of the tree  reveals that one her Dad’s encouragements in life was “One Day at a Time”, advice those of us in recovery know as true wisdom and words that stuck with Tara as she has decide to honor her father faithfully through the years since his passing as the stone also declares that it will be the tenth anniversary of his death this October, proving that love endures beyond  death and although our departed loved ones may be gone, they are not forgotten.     

Well, It is Saturday and before my wife and I take our heavy backpacks and slowly walk off the grid into the woods on our way to the Nenorod Cabin somewhere in the wilderness of the Merck Forest and Farmland Center in Rupert Vermont for two nights, we will have the privilege of playing a small part in honoring and remembering those who died while serving our country in the armed forces by decorating servicemen’s graves at a local cemetery with other volunteers from Operation Adopt a Soldier.  

In honor of Memorial Day, I am sharing link’s to History.com’s article on Memorial Day (https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history) and an article from Jessica Manfre’s called“Memorial Day: It’s not just for service members lost in combat” (https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/memorial-day-its-not-just-for-service-members-lost-in-combat/) that makes the appeal for Memorial Day to be a day that we also acknowledge the loss of those who have died while serving in training exercises, accidents, or suicides. 

There is always some confusion over Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, and July 4th as each one these holidays often come with sentiments to remember the dead who served, either in combat, while on active duty, or afterwards in peace time.  

Technically, from what I could gather researching it this morning – Monday’s holiday – Memorial Day  - is to “commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars”. Based on that quote from the history.com article, it sounds like Memorial Day is specifically for those who died in combat – or while serving at any time as our military is always at “war” in some sense as in “the Cold War” or the “war on Terror” or philosophically as the “war to protect our freedom”. 

According to an article from CNN, Veteran’s Day is the day “to honor all who have served in the military” (https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/30/us/memorial-day-vs-veterans-day-trnd/index.html)  - presumably living or dead, and I would imagine we would include those we honor on Memorial Day to the mix (so they get two days for their one ultimate sacrifice – and rightfully so). 

Independence Day, July 4th, although “commonly associated with the military due to the military guns and cannons often fired to celebrate” it, “is not military affiliated.” Independence Day is the day we celebrate our nation’s independence and freedom – as July 4th 1776 was “the day the thirteen colonies (the United States) declared independence from Great Britain by signing the Declaration of Independence”. (https://www.veteranaid.org/blog/2016/06/30/the-difference-between-memorial-day-independence-day-and-veterans-day/)  

However, when we come to celebrate our nation’s independence it’s not surprising when we pass along our thanks to those serving or who have served our country in the military or when we pause to remember those who have died in combat or later in peace time who served.     

Although I present all the specific differences here, I do so for the sake of clarity and my own curiosity and reeducation, I will definitely NOT be the guy to “correct those” who either want to give thanks or honor to living, active, retired, or dead service men on Memorial Day, these other holidays, or any other day of the year for that matter.   

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT2)  tells us to:
18  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

So if you want to give thanks to service men or anyone else for that matter, don’t let “Proper protocol” stop you from doing that.   We are to be thankful in all circumstances and I think it’s expected to express our thankfulness to give credit to those for the things they do and to give God glory for putting the desire to do good things in the hearts of those who do them.   

And as for whether Memorial Day should be a grave or happy affair, we look to:

Romans 12:15 (NIV2011) that tells us to:
15  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  

As people will be gathering for parades, parties, and memorial services this holiday weekend, let’s follow the word of God and be aware of our surroundings and act accordingly to show our love for others.   If we encounter people who are mourning a loss (any loss) or grieving the death of a loved one (military service person or otherwise), let’s be compassionate and offer our silent presence, our help, our guidance, or our hope as the Lord leads you.  There are no pat answers on how to help people in their grief, every situation is different, but we do well when we show our care and concern for the other person by listening to them and by asking them and the Lord in prayer,  how to best serve them in their grief.  

And as for people rejoicing, join in the frivolity of the moment by being spontaneous but be careful not to get to carried away by entering into sin or overindulging in things that will make cause you to regret it later. Also use the times of happiness with others to give thanks to the Lord and to guide those around you to see just how good God is, all the time. 

The ultimate sacrifice that people have made for our country naturally can lead us to remember the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross to save us all, American or otherwise.  So as you are called to mourn or rejoice this weekend, be sure to be discern the situation but if you get the chance and the Lord leads you, tell people of the One who overcame death and the grave and of the great hope or everlasting life that comes to all who put their faith in Jesus.  

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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple apologetic will provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/ .

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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The NLT Bible Promise Book for Men”.

This morning’s meditation verses are:

Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT2)
9  Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,
10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Today’s verses remind us that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He has been given the highest place of honor and the name that is above all other names.   

As much as I love my country and appreciate the sacrifices of those who live and die to uphold it’s freedom, I know who is supreme. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the king of Kings and Lord of Lords and that He has been given the highest honor and authority above all others.  

Worldly empires rise and fall, and I shudder to think what that might mean for America and its future but whether I live to see a day where the United States of America would pass away or not, I know that being a member of God’s kingdom through faith in Jesus Christ trumps all earthly allegiances as one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  

So no matter where you stand politically, let’s recognize that Jesus is above every other name, kingdom or principality and let’s always seek to serve His kingdom first.

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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.

Today we continue sharing from  The Holy Spirit By A.W. Pink.

As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase A.W. Pink’s books for your own private study and to support his work.  This resource is available online for $0.99 (https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Spirit-Arthur-Pink-Collection-ebook/dp/B008CM5292/ref=sr_1_3?crid=AHKAQOM39CTN&keywords=a.w.+pink+the+holy+spirit&qid=1684376225&sprefix=a.w.+pink+the+holy+spirit+%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-3)  

A.W. Pink’s The Holy Spirit  

5 - The Covenant-Offices of the Holy Spirit

The ground which we are now to tread, will, we fear, be new and strange to most of our readers. In the January and February 1930 issues of Studies in the Scriptures, we wrote two rather lengthy articles upon “The Everlasting Covenant.” There we dwelt principally upon it in connection with the Father and the Son; here we shall contemplate the relation of the Holy Spirit unto the same. His covenant-offices are intimately connected with and indeed flow from His Deity and Personality, for if He had not been a Divine Person in the Godhead, He would not and could not have taken a part in the Covenant of Grace. Before proceeding further, let us define our terms.

Definitions

By the “Covenant of Grace,” we refer to that holy and solemn compact entered into between the august Persons of the Trinity on behalf of the elect, before the foundation of the world. By the word “offices” we understand the whole of that part of this sacred compact which the Holy Spirit undertook to perform. Lest some should suppose that the application of such a term to the Third Person of the Godhead be derogatory to His ineffable majesty, let us point out that it by no means implies subordination or inferiority. It signifies literally a particular charge, trust, duty, or employment, conferred for some public or beneficial end. Hence we read of “the priest’s office” (Ex. 28:1; Luke 1:8), the apostolic “office” (Rom. 11:13), etc.

There is then no impropriety in using the word “office” to express the several parts which the Son and the blessed Spirit undertook in the Covenant of Grace. As Persons in the Trinity they were equal; as covenanting Parties they were equal; and as They in infinite condescension, undertook to communicate to the church unutterable favors and blessings, Their kind offices, so graciously and voluntarily entered into, neither destroy nor diminish that original equality in which They from all eternity subsisted in the perfection and glory of the Divine Essence. As Christ’s assumption of the “office” of “Servant” in no way tarnished or canceled His equality as the Son, so the Spirit’s free undertaking the office of applying the benefits of the Everlasting Covenant (Covenant of Grace) to its beneficiaries in no way detracts from His essential and personal honor and glory.

The word “office,” then, as applied to the covenant-work of the Holy Spirit, denotes that which He graciously undertook to perform by way of stipulated engagement and sets forth, under one comprehensive term, the whole of His blessed pledging and performances on behalf of the election of grace. To an enlightened understanding and a believing heart, there is in the Covenant itself—in the fact of it, and the provisions of it—something singularly marvelous and precious. That there should have been a Covenant at all—that the three Persons in the Godhead should have deigned to enter into a solemn compact on behalf of a section of the fallen, ruined, and guilty race of mankind should fill our minds with holy wonderment and adoration. How firm a foundation was thus laid for the salvation of the church. No room was allowed for contingencies, no place left for uncertainties; her being and well-being was forever secured by unalterable compact and eternal decree.[1]

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Join our “Victory over the Darkness”, “The Bondage Breaker”, "Freedom in Christ" series of Discipleship Classes via the mt4christ247 podcast!

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For those who require the assistance of a Deeper Walk International Prayer Minister to experience healing or your freedom in Christ, I highly recommend Christy Edge’s Life on the Edge Freedom Prayer Ministry. You can schedule a session by going to : https://cedge216.wixsite.com/life-on-the-edge     

“The views, opinions, and commentary of this publication are those of the author, M.T. Clark, only, and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any of the photographers, artists, ministries, or other authors of the other works that may be included in this publication, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the author may represent.”

Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship


[1] Arthur Walkington Pink, The Holy Spirit (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, n.d.).

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