Memorial Day, a day set aside here in America to remember those that have fallen in the defense of our country – hundreds of thousands – reaching well into the millions - of men and women who have given their all that we may be free.

Revolution: 25,000

War of 1812:  20,000

Mexican-American War: 13,289

Civil War:  625,000

Spanish-American War:  2,446

Philippine-American War:  4,196

World War 1:  116,516

World War 2:  405,399

Korean War:  36,516

Vietnam War:  58,209

Persian Golf War:  258

Iraq and Afghanistan:  7000 and counting

And countless thousands more who are missing, who died in “lesser conflicts,” training accidents, attacks on individual soldiers in the United States and other areas of the globe.

These warriors went forward, put their lives on the line for our freedom and it was taken from them.

AND those are just the Americans, British, Australians, Canadians, Frenchmen, Philippians, Dutch, Polish and smaller countries sent their young men to fight alongside ours and have many warriors that did not make it home.

We look at the Veterans of WW 2, Korea and Vietnam.  We see men that are old and are in their last years.  But they were young once.  Those that died defending our country died at an early age, for the most part, if they could vote – they had just reached the age to vote.  18, 19, 20, years old and many died before they could legally drink or cast a ballot.

But we lost many who were older, who had left home, family and a career to serve.  Veterans who had somehow cheated death in previous years were taken in the next war.

Two new wars have been and are being fought that still takes the young of our nation, placing them in danger as they defend the ideals for which this country was created – and many are also giving that ultimate sacrifice.

In the memories of their loved ones, they are still young.  Still fresh and vibrant as they were when they entered the service.  And the pain of losing them doesn’t go away.  It is a burden they carry every day.

Many of those returning from the Middle East are injured in body and soul; in need of special treatment to continue to survive.  While they did not lose their life over there, they have had their ability to live a life without pain taken from them.

The families of these men and women are also giving of themselves; they are sacrificing their futures in caring for those that are returning with little hope of a natural life.

May these people not have given their sacrifice in vain.  May we remember their sacrifice and how it has kept our homeland free from invasion of those that would destroy us and helped us maintain our freedom.

While we remember them today, let us not forget them tomorrow.

John 8:51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

Quite a bold statement, in light of the fact that not only did everyone He spoke to died, but He Himself died on the cross.

Why would He make such a statement?  It would appear that it undermines Him and His Word.

And some of those that heard this challenged Him:

52-53 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.

⁵³ Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?

We have the benefit of what would happen; those in the crowd at this time did not.  They were looking at a man, and men die.

56-58  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

⁵⁷ Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?

⁵⁸ Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

This did not satisfy those that did not accept Him, that thought He was simply a man who said He was equal to God.

“I am,” is a name they were well aware; it is what God called Himself:  Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.

And they decided to kill Him.  59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

When we think of death we know that our body dies.  Our organs cease to work, we no longer breath, we no longer talk to our family.  But, Jesus tells us that we do not die – IF we believe in Him and obey Him.

Our soul lives on, just as Abraham and all those that lived under the Jewish Laws were alive – albeit still separated from God and resting in Abraham’s bosom until Christ should free them.

Luke 20:36-40 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

³⁷ Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

³⁸ For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

³⁹ Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said.

⁴⁰ And after that they durst not ask him any question at all.

For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

When we accepted Christ, we were dead to the world and our spirit was reborn into righteousness.  We began our eternal life with Him when that happened.  While our body passes away our soul shall never pass away.

We are alive in Christ; worshipping Him, God our Father and His Holy Spirit.  We are one with the angels living forever in the Glory of God.

While there were those that didn’t believe Him, thousands did and through the ages millions of others have carried His Words far and wide so that now, we too can believe and have eternal life.  We too can pass the Words of Christ on to others so they too can hear and believe.

However, even those that have denied Him will live, but forever in a world of darkness, seeing what they have rejected and forever feeling the pain inflicted upon them for their unbelief.

Luke 13:27-28 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

²⁸ There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

That is the unfortunate promise given to those that deny Christ.

But we have a different promise when our physical body dies.

1 Corinthians 15:52-58 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

⁵⁴ So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

⁵⁵ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

AMEN, thank you, Lord.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again