The Message Of The Memorial

THE MESSAGE OF THE MEMORIAL

Joshua 4:5-7, 21-24

Memorial Day Weekend is here....

For many people, this day indicates the beginning of summer, only to be ended a couple months down the road with Labor Day Weekend.

It seems that nowadays Memorial Day is being reduced in it’s meaning and significance, with cookouts and reunions taking precedence over the real reason the day was created in the first place.

This is a time that we pause and appreciate those who have paid the highest of prices in the defense of the freedoms that you and I now enjoy.

It is so ironic, that the very flag that activist wackos trample on and burn, is the very same flag that loyal troops gave their lives for in so many battles.

Just this past week, we heard of a final vote on a monument that will be erected on the Washington Mall to honor those who fought in World War II - The vote was 400-15 however, it took longer to decide on the location than it did to fight the war

The turf war is over one of the most visible and hallowed pieces of territory in America: 7.4 acres of the Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

They want to save the Mall," Mr. Dole said, referring to opponents of the memorial. "Well, we wanted to save the world. The Mall was part of the world. And we did our job."

"The memorial would louse up what is a lovely view of the Mall," said Representative Pete Stark, a California Democrat

You see, a lot of people want a monument, they just don’t want it to be in the way of a lovely view!

I say that one of the most lovely views we can have is the remembrance that there were some who were willing to die for the lovely views we have and enjoy in this great land of America.

We as Christians need to pause and remember as well what our Savior Jesus Christ did on a cross called Calvary!

While some may try to dress up the cross, and make it look good and appealing to the world, I’m here to tell you today, that it is still an Old Rugged Cross where criminals in that day died the most shameful of deaths.

I am getting pretty sick and tired of the Christian community trying to look and act like the world in an attempt to reach the world!

On that cross the battle of the ages commenced, and was won as our savior breathed his final breath and uttered the words, It is Finished!

This world still needs to see the cross! They still need to know that to serve Jesus Christ, it is going to require a life of self-sacrifice, and not self-service.

Those words just echo in my spirit today...."The view of the monument will louse up a lovely view of the mall"!

I am here today to say that when we really view the cross, it will mess up a lovely view of self, but if there is anything we need to do today, it is remember the cross, and the high price that was paid for us to live in freedom!

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The memorial we are talking about today is not tallking about an event that produced grief and sadness through the death of a loved one, but we see in our reading of the scripture here that this memorial is about the celebration of a mighty work of God!

Moses had passed on, and now after wandering in the desert for 40 years, they were getting ready to cross over into the land that God had promised to them.

Joshua was now their leader, and one of the remaining members of the original generation that had rebelled against God, and doubted Him.

Joshua and Caleb were of a different spirit as we know, and that’s why God was allowing them to go in and possess the land they wanted to possess 40 years prior.

The only trouble was, there was a river in the way that could not be passed over without a mighty miracle from God.

Wouldn’t you know it? God chose the spring of the year to have them go into the Promised Land! God in His great wisdom knew that they would get to the edge of Jordan, and realize that somebody had moved the edge.

This was spring time, and in this time of the year, the Jordan river was always higher up than at any other time. (Vs. 15) (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of the harvest)

Snow on the mountains of Lebanon are melting at this time of the year, and God chose this time to prove Himself in a great way.