Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Matthew 16:24 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
Psalm 121:1-2 “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”
It is right to commemorate a day like Memorial Day for its own sake. Countless men and women have paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our great nation throughout its long and storied history. They deserve our respect, our consideration, our appreciation, and our praise. So do their families. Yet, there is an even more spiritual reason for our churches to specifically emphasize every Memorial Day as a part of our ministry calendar.
There is an interesting connection between days of memorial and salvation. As we consider the sacrifice of those you have paid the ultimate price for us and our way of life, it prompts us to lift up our eyes to higher callings, greater purposes, and elevated meaning. Solemn consideration for those who have passed on into eternity in dedication to service towards something greater than themselves is powerful, poignant, and thought-provoking. Ultimately, it gives people a chance to consider their mortality, their value, and their purpose in life. All are ideal considerations to direct the gaze of a needful humanity to our Lord and our Saviour.
Consider the spiritual testimony of President Abraham Lincoln: “When I left Springfield I asked people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life in 1862, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ.”
Through these words, President Lincoln is telling us that he accepted Christ because he was overwhelmed by a consideration of the fallen. A day of memorial had caused Lincoln to lift up his eyes to the hills to consider whence cometh his help. He came to the natural conclusion that his help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
Properly structuring our church services around Memorial Day can enable others to follow the lead of Lincoln!
PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO PROPERLY COMMEMORATE MEMORIAL DAY WHILE PROVIDING A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR A FALLEN WORLD TO CONSIDER THE ULTIMATE SOURCE OF THEIR DESPERATELY NEEDED HELP. What a blessing it would be to experience a revival triggered by a Memorial Day consecration!
