REMEMBER

Today is Memorial Day, a day of remembrance of those who died in service to our country while fighting for the cause of freedom- A day to appreciate and honor those who put love for country ahead of personal comfort and safety. Flags are flown, cemeteries are visited, speeches are made, songs are sung. This holiday is for one specific purpose – remembering!

Remembering is good and important. We remember with gratitude those who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy in this country. We honor them, memorialize them, thank God for them and for their families. Because of them our country has remained free. Never forget!

There is another who sacrificed for our freedom and we are called to remember Him.

During this pandemic, stay-at-home orders kept us from church services where we remember His sacrifice when we partake of Communion. At the very first Communion Jesus gave thanks, broke bread, and gave it to his disciples, instructing them, “do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)

The Apostle Paul later wrote to the church in Corinth,

“…the Lord Jesus on the night in which He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'"Paul explains, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

“In remembrance of Me” 

Always remember, not just at Communion, that Jesus died for our freedom.

He is here, and where He is, there is freedom! (2 Corinthians 3:17)

The freedom He gives brings:

·         Freedom from the bondage (captivity, enslavement) of sin - Romans 6:7, 22; Galatians 5:1

·         Forgiveness - Acts 13:38-39

·         Eternal life – Romans 6:22

·         Release from the law of sin and death - Romans 8:2

·         Blessing – James 1:25

·         Desire to serve others – Galatians 5:23

·         Ability to stand firm – Galatians 5:1

·         Power to live and walk as free people – Galatians 5:13-25

And “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” - John 8:36

This freedom came at a great price. The Gospel of John chapters 18-19 give a chilling account of the price Jesus paid for our freedom. Read it and remember!

Whenever we see a cross...

Whenever we take communion...

Whenever we appreciate being forgiven, loved, accepted, chosen by God...

We remember what it cost Him.

Never forget!

because Freedom is NOT free.

Gratefully,

Ruth

Bowing the Knee Beyond the Pandemic

Philippians 2:10-11  "At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth. And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Imagine a time when Jesus is acknowledged as Lord by all and everyone!
There is coming a day -
All will bow to Him in worship.

Today we bow to all kinds of things:
wealth
health
beauty
athleticism
entertainment
recreation
selfish ambition
work
pleasure
possessions
self
relationships
service
church
ministry

But He wants us to worship HIM.
Love Him - because He first loved us.
Obey Him ("If you love me you will keep my commandments." John 14:15).

Bowing the knee to Him means so much more than lip service -
so much more than merely saying 'He is Lord.'
Acknowledging Him as Lord is recognizing our position in relation to Him.
No one, nothing holds a higher place than He does.
Nothing stands in the way of doing what He says without hesitation:
Coming to Him when He calls,
Going for Him when He sends,
Resting in Him when weary,
Hiding in Him when frightened,
Drinking from His well of living water,
Washed by the water of His Word,
Standing on His promises,
Forgiving as He forgave,
Loving as He loved,
Filled with His Spirit,
Light and Salt in a dark unpalatable world,
Courageously unashamed,
Unafraid,
Armed with His strength,
Doing nothing without Him,
Doing the impossible with Him.

In the words of hymn writer B.R Hanby (1866),
"At His feet we humbly fall, crown Him, crown Him Lord of all."

Blessings,
Ruth

I Salute You...

I get nostalgic this time of year as Mothers’ Day approaches.  My mind drifts back to other years- other Mothers’ Days – when we celebrated our Moms.  

It’s been 8 years since my own dear Mom went to be with Jesus – 8 years of Mothers’ Days without her – without being able to call her on the phone or fly across the country to be with her.   

This past August my Mother-in-law joined Mom in Heaven. 

And for the first time ever, this Mothers’ Day we have no Moms – 

No Mothers to honor or celebrate on this annual holiday.  

It feels strange – weird to know that now we are the elder generation.

And then I think, first of all how grateful I am to have HAD a Mother who truly loved me – 

Who cared enough to make sure I learned about Jesus – 

Who disciplined me so I learned how to become a responsible adult – 

Who instilled in me principles of integrity, morality, faithfulness, loyalty, love for God, compassion for others, hard work, and dedication to God and His Word. 

Although we lived apart geographically for most of my adult life, 

we remained close. She made sure of that!  

I miss her.

I’m grateful for the Mother of my wonderful husband who I’ve had the joy of living with for these 46 years. I’m thankful for her because without her I would not have him!

Then I think of the other Mothers in my life – Mothers to be honored and celebrated. 

There are the three Mothers of our grandchildren:

Liz, our daughter, and Hailey and Kristen, who married our sons.

They are fine young women who love God, their children, and their spouses. 

They are doing a great work raising their children so they will become responsible adults. 

They are working hard to instill godly principles in their children, 

while showing by example how to love God and love others.

Then there are the Mothers of my children’s spouses:

Cathy Brown, who gave us Kristen, wife of our son, Peter Jr, and mother of two of our grandchildren. 

Nancy Hamilton Brake who gave us Hailey, wife of our son, Tim, and mother of  three of our grandchildren. 

And Aurelia Pall, who raised Markus, our son-in-law, and welcomed our American English-speaking daughter into her Austrian German-speaking family. We gained two more grandchildren as a result of that marriage.

How grateful we are to these three women, our children’s Mothers-in-law – the “other grandmothers” who also love our children and grandchildren.  

We’re thankful that they gave life to their children, 

raised them to be who they are today, 

and lovingly share them with us!

This Mothers’ Day I want to give thanks for the Mothers Pete and I had, 

for the Mother we raised, 

for the Mothers who are raising our grandchildren, 

for their Mothers, and for all those special women who extend their love and influence to others. 

I know that I have been on the receiving end of so much of that! 

This Mothers’ Day I salute you all,

I thank God for you,

I love and honor you today!

Happy Mothers’ Day!

Blessings,

Ruth