by David Brenneman
In Numbers and in other books such as Exodus, in many places, the children of Israel were told, taught and shown examples of "do this in remembrance of Me". Have you caught that in your readings of these Old Testament accounts?
Today, at least in the United States, is to be a day of remembrance. The thousands who died when terrorists attacked the country and the twin towers fell.
Today in my little corner of the world, as part of a company gathering, we will be joined by some of the family of one of our Engineers who recently had been called home to Heaven. Recounting our memories of him in our lives.
I don't remember a whole lot of my life unless something or someone triggers a memory.
A book that I am writing is referencing memorial stones much as the children of Israel way back several thousand years ago were told to set up.
We need memories of the good, the bad, and the ugly to help us along our way until it's our time to be called home to Heaven to be with Jesus forever.
I wake up to aches and pains. Remembering that the last several hours or so were indeed but a dream.
I often have certain temperatures causing my body to remember times when I ran into something or some sort of injury occurred.
I look at pictures of loved ones or friends who have left this world...and certain memories stand out.
Jesus wipes away their tears Himself. Here we seek consolations from others or spend time deep in thought with ourselves.
Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread and broke it. Handing pieces to His Disciples. Telling them to eat it. Remembering that moment. Eating it in remembrance of Him in what He was about to do.
Then He took a cup of ordinary wine and took a sip. Passing that around to them as well. Telling them to take it and drink. Remembering that moment. Drinking it in remembrance of His shed blood that would be covering sins past, present and future.
In the course of our day we need to remember we are children of God in Christ Jesus. Our adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Seeking ways to get and keep Jesus off our minds and hearts.
He seeks to cause Believers to forget and to cause the unbelieving to think that the God of Heaven cares not for them.
Jesus, as the Scriptures say, often got away from everyone to be with His Father.
Jesus didn't physically leave this world to be with His Father in those moments. He stepped aside to both talk to Him and to remember.
Nobody who ever lived or will live has the resolve of Jesus Christ.
To think that the lives of every single person who has ever lived or would live was on His mind while He was on the cross is incredibly mind-blowing.
He remembered you and you weren't even born yet. He knew you by name and you weren't even a glint in your parents eyes.
Do this in remembrance of Me.
We often offend the God of Heaven throughout our day. Perhaps in those moments or later on we remember and ask Him to forgive us.
All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Look in the mirror. This includes you.
Yet in our remembrance we know that our lives are hidden in Christ.
We remember that our forgiveness is absolute.
We remember that our temporary sorrow at losing someone in our lives is just that, temporary.
That either by way of the Rapture of the Church or the time of our departure from this world, we will see those who are saved again.
The saddest of funerals are those for people who steadfastly rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. There's no true joy. Nothing to hope for in the next life. Their memories are gone because all they will know in their leaving this world is that pain and suffering will be theirs for eternity.
Hope is only found in the land of the living. Those in Heaven have no need for it because they are with Jesus.
Those in Hell have none. Their eternity is sealed in their choice in the time they were alive. Only briefly will they have a respite at the Judgment of the Lord at the end of the book of Revelation. Then the Lake of Fire awaits. Their sin ever before them.
In Christ our sins are forever vanquished. Gone. Erased. Remembered no more.
Today I hope to make it through what little I have to say in remembrance of my friend Steve.
I will speak of his caring heart as well as his life in Christ that was very evident.
Today I remember the efforts of the company that I worked for who got to help the world in building sensors for test stands, to make replacement respirators lost during the attack.
Each day I remember to meet Jesus here at this early morning hour to be in His book. To listen to Him in what to write in these posts.
Each day I have yet to live I want to always remember all that my Savior and Lord has done for me.
Each evening I remember to meet with Jesus again to remember in reading my Bible again.
What are you doing to remind yourself of your life in Christ if indeed you are saved? As the Bible says we do not grieve for those who have passed on like the world does. We hope in Christ. We have His promises.
Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me. Bless His holy Name.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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