Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
In America, today it is a holiday… Memorial Day. I shared with you some history of this yesterday. It’s really a full weekend celebration in America and it should be! What’s the value of a life laid down willingly to try and rescue others? I salute you who are my “Walking with Jesus” friends and have worn the American military uniform, especially if you’ve been among those who went to help other nations defend or gain freedom. In years past, all around the world in “veteran cemeteries” where American military are buried, special ceremonies have been held on this day, to honor these courageous Americans, almost all of whom died in foreign countries, fighting on behalf of other people who longed for freedom and peace.
Never yet has American military been called up to defend America against a land or sea invasion of America by any foreign military. Twice America has been attacked by air: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii December 7, 1941 (although Hawaii did not become a State of the USA until 1959) and the attack of September 11, 2001 on New York city and Washington DC, both attacks resulted in the American congress declaring war on those who attacked America. In 1941 that was Japan. In 2001 it was radical, terrorist, Islamic groups, specifically Al Qaeda.
Now think about that a moment. American military have left home and family and familiar, to go & put their lives at risk, and in thousands of cases die, in response to the cries for help from people around the world as they try to defend themselves from aggression. Did you know, that follows a pattern which God has established. In Exodus 2:23 – 3:22 God describes that He heard the cries of the Hebrew slaves in Egypt, and He saw their misery and He was concerned to the point of taking action.
That action was an encounter with Moses at the burning bush. In that encounter God called Moses to return to Egypt, confront the Pharaoh with God’s truth and power. God promised that in response to God’s plagues on Egypt, Pharaoh would release the Hebrew slaves and then Moses was to lead the people out, following the cloud of God’s presence, and bring them to meet with the God who rescued them at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19,20). For the Jewish people their “Passover” week each year celebrates this remarkable event of God’s rescue of more than 1 million Hebrew slaves, without one Hebrew being wounded or killed in that rescue!
Several other times in the Old Testament we find the accounts of God hearing the desperate cries of individuals like Hagar, remember her story in Genesis 16, and how God sent the “angel of the Lord” to her rescue? Remember in Exodus 17 God empowered Joshua and the Hebrew warriors, as they defended God’s people against the attacking Amalekites, while Moses prayed on the hillside with his hands lifted up? Perhaps you remember when God sent his angel of death to nearly annihilate a huge attacking army which had surrounded Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat and the people were simply gathered together in prayer asking God to deliver them? (2 Chronicles 20) And of course I’m sure you remember God sending a special person many believe to be Jesus, into King Nebuchadnezzar’s flaming furnace, to be with the 3 courageous Hebrew friends of Daniel, who refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. (Daniel 3)
Do you see the common theme in all these, and many other Biblical accounts of God’s rescue? God sees the misery, hears the desperate cries of people, and God responds with compassion and deliverance! Sometimes God sent an angel to rescue His people; sometimes God sent a prophet to speak God’s truth to the people and advise them how to turn back to God and follow Him to rescue. Sometimes God spoke directly to the person or the group of people with specific instructions on what they should do to find deliverance. May I ask, what has been your story, or the stories told to you by your ancestors of the past? How has God responded to your need and delivered you? Who have you told your God deliverance stories to?
In the New Testament, of course God responded to the chaos and misery of our world by sending Jesus, the Son of God, to be the Savior of the world… any person, any place, any time, who would trust in God’s deliverance plan and the accomplished work of Jesus on the cross! Have you experienced the deliverance of Jesus the Rescuer, and the life transforming work of the Holy Spirit of God? If not…why not?
Of course this Memorial Day we remember that Jesus is only able to be the Deliverer, Rescuer, Redeemer of a person like you or me, living as a prisoner of the dark kingdom of Satan and sin, because Jesus paid the full deliverance price with His death and then rose from the dead so He now is an alive, victorious, supreme Savior for any and all who turn to Him, and trust Him to rescue them from their bondage!! (John 3:16; 1 Peter 1; Hebrews 7:25)
In recent days we’ve been working our way through the Bible book of Acts following the story of what happened after Jesus returned to heaven. We’re in Acts 14 and the Jewish Pharisee turned evangelist and apostle Paul is on a missionary journey with Barnabas. They were sent off on this deliverance mission by the Holy Spirit and the multi-ethnic church of Jesus followers in Syrian Antioch. Paul & Barnabas went, as the American military has gone, for the purpose of engaging the enemy and bringing freedom, deliverance, hope to people living in bondage! Paul & Barnabas were armed with two things… their own stories of Jesus’ work in their lives, and the Gospel truth of Jesus, His power and His readiness to deliver any person who would trust in Him.
In Acts 14 they came to Iconium, where the initial response of the people was very positive. But then Luke, the author of Acts, describes something that is right off the front page of today’s newspapers, all over our world, including where you live! Listen to Acts 14:4 “The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with Paul & Barnabas.” Evidently then, as now, the people were unwilling to simply express their opinions in verbal disagreement… there was trouble brewing, serious trouble, in Iconium. Diverse opinion expression grew to angry confrontation and a near riot, just like you’ve seen on the internet news or perhaps even in your city! So Paul and Barnabas were forced to leave Iconium. Now think about that. They had come with the life saving rescue plan of God, available in Jesus to any person… but such opposition arose they had to leave town! Here is a harsh reality… not all people living in bondage want deliverance! Is that true where you live?
Sadly, American soldiers have left battlefields, in some cases where they’ve buried their comrades killed in battle, only to watch the people they had come to defend or liberate, turn away from freedom and go into Communism or Socialism or Dictatorship or some other form of bondage. Those are the particularly painful realities, especially for the American families who have paid the ultimate price, on this Memorial Day.
Sadly, Paul & Barnabas were forced out of town, leaving the opposition of Iconium behind them. As they walked down the road, I wonder if Paul & Barnabas shook their heads. Why would anyone reject deliverance? Have you seen this in your town, your country? Verbal disagreement isn’t enough… not even the ‘cancel culture’ of social media. More and more our world is becoming a dangerous place of people demanding that their opinion, their opposition, their rejection of truth, even their rejection of help be accepted by everyone, even if it is dangerous to others! Are you able to stand confident and content in God’s truth and your identity as someone with an authentic relationship with Jesus on this Memorial Day?
Today, I’m calling us to thank God for sending Jesus to be the deliverer of the world. John 3:16, the most famous verse of all says it so clearly in one brief statement: “For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have eternal life.” Pray today for those whose hearts are hard, defiant and refusing to consider being rescued and are demanding their right to remain in bondage! Pray for those courageously taking the message of Jesus into the most difficult places in the world. And if you’ve been rescued… thank your Rescuer, Jesus!
Here’s a song to help you reflect on this: “Christ our HOPE in life and death”
I hope you have a powerful and reflective Memorial Day wherever you are in the world…
Today’s Scripture is Acts 14:1-4.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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