Reflecting on Sunday Service Memorial Day Insights and the Importance of Truth

Sunday was a fine day of worship. Mike taught us a new song, we sang a couple of older songs and we had terrific special music. Suzanne Chambers and Dave King did a flute duet of the song “Just a Closer Walk With Thee” and Tonya Krueger closed our service with the song “Daystar”. Both were excellent. 

Sunday was Memorial Day Sunday. Memorial Day in America is a day set aside to remember those who have given their lives to protect us from any enemy. Unfortunately, it seems that we have lost purpose and it has just become a holiday when we get a day off of work. As I began to write this I thought how every Sunday at New Life is memorial day. When we pause to share the Lord’s Supper we participate in a memorial service. It is a time when we remember Jesus giving His life for us. Jesus told his followers that the bread and the wine was a memorial. When we eat the piece of bread we are to be reminded of His body and

when we drink the cup we are to be reminded of His blood. The Apostle Paul said that every time we participate in this memorial service we are to remember His death, resurrection and anticipated return. “For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.” – I Corinthians 11:26. 

If you have been around here very long, you know I like books. If you have been in my office you know that I have a lot of books. But there are more! Here is a picture of the books in our den and the piece de resistance is the library in my Logos bible study program. The last time I checked there were 3,500 entries in that library.  

One evening while I walking I played a game with myself where if I could only have access to 5 books what would they be. There were two rules. One, you get the Bible free so it doesn’t count against the 5 and two, sets counted as 1 book as long as there were no more than five volumes in the set. It was a tough game but here is what I came up with. 

I would choose the systematic theology book, The Faith Once Delivered. It was written by Jack Cottrell, one of my favorite professors. I would choose the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) (5 volumes) It is a classic. I would choose The History of the Old Testament (5 volumes). The series was written by James Smith, another Bible College professor. They are thorough and loyal to the scriptures. Now I am down to two. I would choose Mark Moore’s, Chronology of the Life of Christ and Gareth Reese’s, New Testament History, Acts. 

​Obviously there were a lot of possibilities, so why these five? I think I can summarize the answer by saying I use them a lot, and know what is in them. With the exception of ISBE, I know the authors. I know what they believe about God, about Christ, and about the Scriptures. In other words, when selecting those who would teach us, these volumes are reliable and trustworthy. 

Too many Christians are too accepting of things told them, without taking the time to find out whether what they are hearing and seeing is true. Sound, reliable and trustworthy resources are in abundance and available if we will put forth an effort into finding who are telling the truth and who are deceiving. The Apostle Paul told the Church in Thessalonica, “…don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil. (I Thessalonians 5:21-The Message. Amen to that.