Memorial Day, Past and Present

 

“That this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ … And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” Joshua 4:6-7 (NKJV)

The men garbed for war clambered over the rocky ground, their eyes constantly moving left and right, searching for the first sign of trouble. They weren’t under orders to move quickly, but under the circumstances, few of them cared to linger. They overtook the priests who stood nervously in the center of the path. Before the priests could leave their position, Joshua must construct a monument to honor God. The people of Israel passed over to the other side, and God released the waters of the Jordan.

“Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then ye shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; for the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up from before us, until we had crossed over, that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you might fear the Lord your God forever.”

In today’s ever-broadening worldview, it’s difficult to remember why we have memorials. Political correctness says forget about our heritage. Instead, they urge us to think globally, tolerate everyone and everything, and forget about God’s part in America. Our heritage becomes shrouded in fog, and we lose sight of the meaning of things or events, such as Memorial Day.

When a Christian worldview still affected our government, Memorial Day served to remember how others fulfilled God’s plan. The biblical principles of duty, honor, and patriotism built character in Christians and even directed the unchurched. It created Americans’ knowledge of right and wrong and a passionate response when evil manifested itself.

Some of the people responding to the call to arms did so reluctantly, some, however, with a focused purpose. No matter what their personal position was, go they did. And in so doing, many of them laid down their lives for family and friends back home—Americans who hoped for the nation’s future.

America’s past lies in the deaths of those who laid down their lives in defense of freedom and liberty. Our present honors our past by our act of remembering those heroes. Our future lies in the hope Christ demonstrated when he laid down his life so you and I could once again be called a friend of God.

Let us now, as a unified body of Christ, stand silently. Let us build a spiritual memorial in our hearts to show our children this Memorial Day exists to honor those who died in service to our country. They died so we have the freedom to accept God’s love—died so we always remember to glorify God.

Good Friday Dogwoods

 

An interesting legend involving the dogwood tree involves Christ crucified on the wood from one. It’s not true because there were no dogwoods in Israel during His time. Still, the legend persists because of the flower characteristics. Four white petals, each with a reddish spot, signify the cross and the nails.

Our dogwood, likely planted in 1958 when our house was constructed, blossoms this time of year in South Carolina. Its maturity ensures a large crown of majesty and this year was to be no different. We looked forward to enjoying the show.

This year it’s different. Last night the temperature dropped to below freezing and all of those little buds about to declare God’s gift to us, perished. Here’s a photo from this morning where the temperature is still not above forty degrees F.

I look at this photo and wonder if God is giving us one last warning. America, the land of the free and home of the brave, seems to have forgotten the greatest gift of a free choice. It wasn’t about being independent. It wasn’t about exhibiting aberrant behavior. It wasn’t about discarding the law. It was about being dependent upon God, Jesus our savior.

Plants show wonderful recovery from atmospheric and natural causes of injury. Trees can survive up to two years of leaf loss, either through drought or infestation. Fire, on the other hand, destroys any possibility of recovery.

I pray on this day of remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice we take the time to acknowledge God’s sovereignty in our lives and recall how our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. Some of those principles found in the Bible include God’s correction for a people wandering far from His love, many times with fire and brimstone. May God grant the United States one more time of reprieve. One more chance to turn the tide. One more opportunity to turn to Jesus and accept the legendary love of God by observing the flowers of the dogwood.

God, repeatedly...

 30 March 1863

"...rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the nation will be heard on high and answered with blessing no less than the pardon of our national sins and the restoration of our new divided and suffering country to its former happy condition of unity and peace."

There are those who realize history repeats itself. There are those who realize the trials of history stem from a rebellious lot falling away from the Spirit of love, peace, and a sound mind guaranteed by God if only we'd go back to Him.

This passage from Abraham Lincoln should sound like it came from your preacher last Sunday, or yesterday. Read it today and consider how far we've fallen. Then pick yourself back up and get back on the trail of God's love. Never been there? See John 3:16.

Is God done with you?

 Is God done with you?

The man standing on the stage related his near mortal gunshot wound to his head. After telling of the rescue, redemption and restoration of his body, he ended with these words. “If you’re not dead, God’s not done with you yet.”

We experienced the death of our grandson in a one-car accident. The nineteen year old and his fiancé looked forward to a life together. Now she mourns for the man who loved her.

During the funeral service, many stood to speak of the influence Caleb demonstrated in their lives. One young classmate of his said, “He was that guy.” She explained how the boy always exhibited excellence and often called others to the same level.

As I sit contemplating his life, I can’t help but wonder if God accomplished through Caleb’s short time all He planned for the young man. The girl may have given a hint.

Caleb talked to anyone who would listen. If you gave him the chance, he’d tell you all about his plans, his experience, his music, and his love. I will forever ask myself if I could live up to Caleb’s character.

Can such a loss be counted on the positive side of the scale? I trust God used him to his fullest potential while he was on earth. The family continues to mourn, but we have the trust and faith God finished His work, and now celebrates a new musician in the heavenlies.

Do you have such a loss in your life? Can you find peace in knowing the Lord celebrates such character, even when there was a bright future here?

Our family knows Caleb’s unique life granted by God had a purpose. It’s our hope your experience with your version of our Caleb will lead you to the power of God in your life.

Pray for America's future

I gave the following prayer 09 Nov 2019 for the opening of the Declaration of Restoration rally of Americans in Washington, DC on the National Mall from 1100 to 1600 hours.

Almighty God, I give you praise and lift up your Holy name to these people. You and You alone stand between us and desolation. Your word tells us to be focused not on those around us, but on dark powers and principalities.

     I ask this day for Your light to shine on Capitol Hill. Expose the darkness and make it flee. Open the ears of our Congressional Representatives to hear and understand our grievances. Stir their hearts and minds this Saturday. Convict them of the need to remember it is You, The God of creation, the God of the universe, who ordained and put in place our government. Remind them our rights, our very liberty, isn’t found in the Constitution. It’s found in scripture and protected from government interference by the Constitution. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom.

     Thank you for sending your angels to fight our battles, to protect us from evil, to propel us into all You planned for us, and to provide us the strength, the longsuffering, the intelligence, and the wherewithal to accomplish our task. Time is a constraint on mankind to help establish order, but You have no such constraints. Go before us, before the submission of the redress of grievances. Effect the changes to make Your government unhindered.

     As a child of God I take the responsibility to overcome evil this day. I speak with the authority of a child of God, and I stand in the gap to protect those unwilling or unable to protect themselves. I release here on earth those angels appointed to the people here, as you have already done in Heaven. Let the evil flee and your righteousness descend upon Washington, DC this day in history as you restore the United States of America to its appointed place of truth, justice, and the American way.

    All of this I speak through the glory and resurrection power of Jesus Christ our Lord, and in His name.

Amen           

©Warren A Johnson 2019

Sheepdogs of the Republic

Throughout the course of history, man suffered under someone else’s dominion. Your worldview presents a perspective on whether or not America benefits from our founding father’s vision, hope, and clarity as concerns our constitution and its applicability today. Yet the problem remains. Others want to force you into subjugation. Who is protecting you?

Take, for example, the First Amendment right to free speech. Up to the date of its establishment, every citizen of other countries rarely spoke up against their government because the quick response left them dead or imprisoned. The First Amendment also guarantees your right to freedom of religion; another instance of protecting the individual’s right to worship God other than the way the government sees fit, without fear of death or imprisonment as both the English and Spanish Inquisitions attested.

In the news across our land, revolutionaries walk the streets decrying the rights of others to speak. Most notably among them are the Antifa, with the Black Lives Matter and the New Black Panthers right behind them. Opposing organizations take the stand no one should be able to say such things, especially in public, and certainly not when carrying sticks and clubs to drive off any who would prevent their free speech right.

What is not often realized, nor reported by main stream media outlets, is there’s an organization working to protect constitutional rights. They do it from the very foundation of the constitution and the Second Amendment. They are known as the constitutional militia. Here in New York State, the New York Light Foot Militia (NYLFM), and other constitution loving groups like them, perform the function of standing between these opposing groups to ensure neither party comes to injury because of the other. This activity by the NYLFM is a neutral stance. It requires the members to lay down their personal opinions and to leave them home. It takes discipline and training to do this.

In the last eight months the NYLFM participated in standing in the gap in Syracuse, NY, Boston, MA, Gettysburg, PA, Harrisburg, PA, and they are headed to Charlottesville, VA. At each of these locations the LFM of various states work hand in hand with local police, sheriffs, state police, national park police, and at times, the FBI and federal marshals. The point here is the Light Foot Militia is doing so at their own expense, at risk to themselves, for the good of the constitutional rights of Americans.

Don’t sit home and decry the violence in our streets. You have been given the voice our founding fathers intended you to have. You have the right to speak about your views of the government. You have the right to speak about how God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit give you life. If you don’t use your God-given rights, you will surely lose them by man’s predisposed actions.

It would be appropriate today to pray for the safety and well being of the NYLFM and their friends as they travel to once again stand in the gap to protect your rights, no matter which side you choose.