Calvin Synod Herald, 2013 (114. évfolyam, 3-12. szám)
2013-05-01 / 5-6. szám
10 CALVIN SYNOD HERALD “When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” There are special days and times in the Bible designed to help us remember specific events. I want to call your attention to 3 of them. You know the stories behind each one, but listen again and see how God uses them to jog our memories and help us remember important things. I. THE FEAST OF PASSOVER You know the history behind it - that the people of Israel had been sojourners and then slaves in Egypt for over 400 years. Then God called Moses and said, “Moses, I want you to go back to Egypt and say to Pharaoh, ‘Let my people go!’” Moses did as God commanded, but Pharaoh refused to listen. So, to reinforce His demand, God sent plague after plague upon Egypt. And every time, when the plague was at its worst, Pharaoh would say, “Stop the plague and I’ll let the people go.” But after every plague Pharaoh would renege on his promise and continue their slavery. Finally, Moses tells the Egyptian officials, “This is what the Lord says, ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die... There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt - worse than there has ever been or ever will be again.’” (Exodus 11:4-6) “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn - both men and animals - and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. II. THE DAY OF WORSHIP The second memorial I want to mention is the day of worship. It all started in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth. God worked 6 days in creation, and on the 7th day He rested. The Bible tells us that God consecrated that day and called it the Sabbath, a day for rest. In the Ten Commandments God told the Jews that they were to remember the Sabbath day and to keep it holy. So the Sabbath became a day of worship and rest. We know from the Bible that the early Christians were meeting regularly upon the first day of the week to worship God and encourage one another. And in the Book of Revelation the Apostle John spoke of this day of worship as “The Lord’s Day.” And so it is to those of us who gather to worship Him on this day. III. A MEAL OF REMEMBRANCE Finally, there is a meal of memory. It was the night before His crucifixion that Jesus met with His disciples in the upper room to celebrate the Passover together. It was to be an evening of remembering, as God had long ago commanded. But as they ate, Jesus gave them something new, something greater, to remember. For Jesus “...took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ Have you ever wondered what Jesus was talking about when He said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood...”? Do you know why He said it? It was because Jesus was the fulfillment of a prophecy God had made centuries before through the Prophet Jeremiah. “’The time is coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant... I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. And when Paul wrote about this, he added, “Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). So when you and I partake, we’re proclaiming to the world, “I believe in the death and burial and resurrection of Jesus. I may not be able to speak eloquently. But I can proclaim my faith through these emblems. So I partake in remembrance of Him.” We have much to remember. Whatever you do, don’t forget how we got here. Don’t forgot the price that has been, and is being paid, so that we can live in freedom and enjoy the blessings that God has given us. Please don’t ever forget! M.N To ‘Mother You -paintedno Madonnas On chape [watts in (Rome, (But with a touch diviner You [ivedone in your Home. You wrote no lofty poems That critics counted art, (But with a nohier vision You hived them in your heart. You carved no shapeless mar6[e To some high-soukddesign, (But with a finer scuhpture You shaped this sou[ of mine. You 6uttt no great cathedrals That centuries applaud, (But with a grace exquisite Your [ife cathedrahed Qod. (Had I the gift of Raphael Or Michelangelo, Oh, what a rare Madonna My mother's [ife would show! Thomas fU. Messenden
