The month of May turns our minds to remembering those around us who have contributed significantly to our personal life; moms, and our Freedoms we enjoy; the American Soldier. How’s our memory? Greetings, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Lynda and I camp down by a river. Each morning we wake up and see the changes in that river. I remember the quote from Greek Philosopher Heraclitus, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” We are ever changing along with everything around us. We are never in the same place twice. As we sit by the river we remember the times we shared and the challenges we faced. Those memories can put a smile on our face or a tear in our eye.

We have many times set aside to remember in life. This past weekend, the second Sunday in May, we took the time to reflect and celebrate Mothers. Regardless of the memories, good or bad, we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the sacrifice made so that we could have life. As it is with most things of value, it usually requires the sacrifice of someone else to attain it for us. Thank you to all the moms out there who gave us the opportunity to live, grow, and remember.

Many of the times we designate to remember surround holiday celebrations; Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day to name a few. This week, the third Saturday in May, is designated Armed Services Day, a day we honor all who have served and are serving. It seems to get lost sometimes because it isn’t one of the big holidays. It is no less important. Thank you to all who served and are currently serving.

Rev. Pat, the founder of Racing with Jesus Ministries, was a Navy vet and always instilled in us the responsibility to remember those who have served to secure and maintain the freedoms we enjoy. That is a memory that should not fade away. Thank you for reminding us.

As the river that flows by changes, times have changed. Many times memories fade and the way we always have done it drifts away. While breaking from tradition isn’t always bad, I think there are some that should remain honored.

As the quote says, the river is never the same, that can be applied to our life. Everyday there is a new set of situations, consequences and obstacles that need to be overcome. How we do that indicates how openminded we are. How flexible we are. Can we embrace something new and different or are we stuck with a traditional mindset?

What happens when we fail to adapt to the situation around us? I have heard it said many times; “This was good enough for us, it is good enough for them.” That type of thinking only guarantees you will be left behind. When we look at the future and decide to stay in the past we assure ourselves of failure.

There will always be a group that is comfortable and secure in the way they always have done things, but you can see how that type of vision limits our ability to embrace and understand new opportunities.

We can see that even in God’s Word. Let’s take a look at the Book of Acts of the Apostles. You can notice the friction that was taking place between the traditionalist and the progressives. Let me say this, there are some things that matter to God and those don’t change, but there are other things that change depending on circumstances. Learning that will go a long way toward reaching people with the grace that God offers.

Isaiah 43:19; NLT; For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

God is constantly building on the foundation He set. He is building our lives into lives that reflect His character. If we refuse to allow God to change us, we relegate our life to less than what God wants it to be.

Acts 15:1 Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”

These men didn’t want things to change. They wanted everything to be as it was. Why is it that we struggle to rely on the Holy Spirit? Why is it that we need to create a set of rules that we feel comfortable with to determine the motives of someone’s heart? We struggle with allowing God to do what He wants with who He wants.

Religious behavior is just that, doing the same thing over and over religiously. We can be religious about anything. How does that help us? It doesn’t. To live in a way that honors God we need to have trust and faith. We need to let God guide and direct us and lead us out of our comfort zone.

Looking back at the first disciples it occurred to me that we would have had trouble listening to the Apostles, based on their previous occupations, proclaiming the Good News. We would have looked upon them with some doubt. What would it take for us to believe?

Do we trust God? Do we have faith that He knows what He is doing? You see faith isn’t just about what is happening in our lives, it is also about what God is doing in the lives of others and through the group of believers we call the Church.

It is not that God is changing His moral standard; it is that He is revealing it to others in ways we couldn’t imagine years ago. Our methods of communicating the Good News have changed dramatically; we now have print, electronic, streaming, the list goes on. If we stick to the traditional ways we would not reach as many people with the message. We must reflect the times. As Paul said;

1Corinthians 9:22b; Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.

Remembering is good, but if we rely on tradition to determine the work of God we will miss the work of the Holy Spirit. Just because that is the way we have always done it doesn’t mean that is the only way God works. Let us break from religion and let God lead us through His Spirit. Let’s commit to letting the Holy Spirit lead us!

Acts 15:11; We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”

Blessings,

Pastor Don