Always Raymembered!

The Apostle John says that there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friend. Memorial Day commemorates and celebrates those who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms and blessings by the laying down of their lives for us on the various and numerous fields of battle. As we pause to think about the men and women who paid the supreme price, let us also remember the one who brought true freedom to all of mankind by his death and resurrection from the grave over 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ! Without his total victory over the grave and death, we would still be slaves to our fallen nature.

Freedom is a concept that has been perverted in our sophisticated era into a license for immorality and debauchery. To the founders of our country, however, it meant to be free under God's law to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. These principles still inspire men and women all over the world to throw off the shackles of tyranny and oppression and to pursue lives where true freedom can be enjoyed and passed on to future generations no matter the cost. All of these things are only possible when a nation submits itself to the rule of the King of Kings! Please see Psalm 2 for further elaboration. Submission to any other "king" brings only bondage, judgment, and death!

Take a couple of minutes and watch the following video of Ray Charles singing "America, The Beautiful." This video and song go out to all men and women who love freedom and have paid, or are willing to pay, the price - not only for themselves, but for those who will follow after them. May this song reignite a passion in all of us to see this country restored to the greatness of former days under the authority and Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Ray Charles: "America, The Beautiful"

Oh beautiful for heroes proved,

In liberating strife,

Who more than self, our country loved,

And mercy more than life.

America, America may God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness

And every gain divine.

And you know when I was in school,

We used to sing it something like this, listen here:

Oh beautiful, for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties,

Above the fruited plain,

But now wait a minute, I'm talking about

America, sweet America

You know, God done shed his grace on thee,

He crowned thy good, yes he did, in brotherhood,

From sea to shining sea.

You know, I wish I had somebody to help me sing this

(America, America, God shed his grace on thee)

America, I love you America, you see,

My God he done shed his grace on thee,

And you oughta love him for it,

Cause he, he, he, he crowned thy good,

He told me he would, with brotherhood,

(From sea to shining Sea).

Oh Lord, oh Lord, I thank you Lord.

(Shining sea).

Always Raymembered!

Pastor Don