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 Memorial and Remembrance.
The lesson on May 27, 2007 takes time to recognize Memorial Day in America honoring those that have died in service of the United States of America. If you
look up the word “Memorial” in scripture, you find many passages speaking of remembering something, whether it is a person or an event. Basically memorial is tied to remembrance and is
important in the growth of our Christianity. There a many examples in scripture where you find stories that tell of the Lord’s desire to keep reminding the generations of Israel of how God had
saved their nation. One story that is discussed is when Israel crosses over the river Jordan and into the promised land. They did so over dry ground because God performed a miracle and
stopped the river and dried the soil so they could cross the river. He instructed them to stack stones to commemorate the
event and remind the subsequent generations of God’s history of caring for the nation of Israel. Joshua 4:5-7 “And Joshua
said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you
a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: That this may be a sign
among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye
shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed
over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.” The problem with Israel is that a generation would pass and would fall away from following what God wanted them
to do. It is a common problem with mankind and why history repeats itself. We tend to be quick to forget what has been
done before and become relaxed to the point of allowing past errors to repeat. This is true with the price of freedom and
why a Memorial Day has been set aside to remind those who are living today that it is because patriots have died to secure that freedom. In Romans 5:6-8 it says “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But
God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The lesson continues to cover
truth in scripture that we should keep in remembrance of what we have in Christ and how He has accomplished everything for us because God loves us.  The lesson has a handout.   Click here to listen now.
 The lesson on May 28, 2006 covered the concept of Memorial Day in America. The holiday was set
aside to honor those that have died for our country to protect the freedoms we have every day. The holiday marks the time when pools open up for the summer and school is out for the summer break.
It’s celebrated on the last Monday in May which gives Americans a three day weekend to kick off the summer vacation... but is that what Memorial Day is all about? This lesson shared a handout of statistics for all of the American Wars. It was a sobering thought of the lives of
solders that died in each war. We are reminded in scripture at Romans 5:7-8 (KJV) “For scarcely for
a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The lesson
celebrated those good men and women that have died for a good cause which is an earthly memorial day, but the challenge to Christians is to recognize those that have died for our spiritual
freedoms. In a since, you could think of these as a spiritual memorial day celebration. The problem
of sin given to us by Adam has been solved in Christ Jesus with his death and resurrection. There is a handout for this lesson as well. Click here to listen now. You may also want to listen to other lessons on Memorial Day.
 This lesson is part of a series that studies what Paul calls “My Gospel” as  mentioned in Romans 16:25-27. What was Paul trying to convey? There appear to be 15 unique “gospels” in
scripture and it’s very important to apply the principles of right division and to understand what “My Gospel” entails from the others. Further, this lesson celebrates
the holiday of Memorial Day in America, which honors those who gave their lives
during wartime for the freedoms we enjoy today.  
Click here to listen now.
Memorial Day usually conjurs up thoughts of swimming and a nice three day weekend to kick off the
summer. Most pools open on Memorial Day for the summer so everyone is excited to break out their new swimsuits and dive in. Polls indicate most Americans treat this day as just another day off. Another poll found that only 28% of the people who were asked knew the real meaning of Memorial Day. Everyone should take time to remember those who have died for our country and the freedoms we  share... even the pool opening for the summer. Just as we remember those
who lost their lives in battle over our country, let’s not forget as Christians the blood spilled for us by Jesus Christ as he was nailed to the cross for our sins. God often establishes memorials in
scripture to help us remember what He has done for us. Passover was established (Exodus 12:11) as a memorial for the nation of Israel to remember how the death angel passed over them in Egypt
right before they were set free from slavery. Rocks were placed in the dry riverbed (Joshua 4:1-9) when Israel was passing over the river Jordan into the promised land to remind them that the river
was parted to allow Isreal to enter the land. Yet, in Judges 2:7-11 we see in just one generation after Joshua passed
away, did Israel do evil and worship Baalim. How soon people forget and turn to evil. Today, christians have a special
calling in The Mystery as revealed by Paul unto the gentiles and most of christianity has forgotten... and gone back to some
form of the law. We need to be thoughtful and remember what God has done for us not only with salvation but our
inheritance as well. Further, remember those who died for our freedoms in this country and pray we will not take for granted those who died for us.  Click here to listen to a lesson on Memorial Day.
 The lesson on May 25, 2003 continues the lesson series on the Pleroma but first remembers Memorial Day in America which is the holiday that honors America’s war casualties. A handout was given showing  how many Americans have died in each war but emphasis
was put on what they died for... preserving the freedoms that were endowed by our creator and embraced in the founding of America. The freedoms we possess of life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness (or property) truly come from God and are celebrated in the founding
documents of America. Spiritually, the bible declares you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. True
freedom is in Christ, who has destroyed the bondage of sin and paved the way for true happiness yet there are those
who are still focused on themselves instead of Christ and what He has accomplished with His eternal purpose. The focus
that God has in scripture is for the ages. Consequently, studying the Pleroma is an exercise in understanding the big
picture and the plan of God for the ages. This study takes the focus off of ourselves and places it on God and his plan for
eternity. This lesson refers to a chart by Charles Welch on “The Pleroma” which you can download here. Be
sure and review the chart while you listen to compliment your studies.  Click here to listen now.
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Memorial Day
