Hello, this is pastor gary from first baptist church of laplata. Today is Memorial Day: a day to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Our national anthem states that we are the land of the free and home of the brave; but, we know that we are the home of the free because of the brave. We must be careful not to equate brave and patriotic deaths with salvation. Too many believe that honorable service to our nation—especially in death—results in a heavenly reward. The only people who will be in heaven are those who have personally received Jesus as Savior by grace through faith. We can appreciate the sacrifice an unbelieving soldier has made for our freedom, but we cannot expect that soldier to be in heaven because of his sacrifice. President Calvin Coolidge famously said, “The nation that forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.” The Bible goes further in Psalm 9:17 when it says, “The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God.” Incidentally, today marks the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, in 1922. President Lincoln served during the Civil War, which gave birth to Decoration Day later renamed Memorial Day. As a nation, let us remember our fallen, but, more importantly, let us ensure we have received our Savior.
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