WORD From The Woods
1 John 3:11-18
“For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
Love….that’s a word that we don’t use a lot in the logging industry, at least not in respect to other people, especially other men we work with. We, love our work, most days… We love our trucks and our machines, of course we love our wife and kids but in this passage John tells us to love our brothers, I think this applies to the guys we work with every day. Now, this is obviously a different kind of love than the way we love our wife, but what is love really? Love, in it’s most basic sense is simply to put another person’s needs and rights ahead of our own. It’s to think of others before ourselves. As Christ-followers we are called to a higher standard in the way we deal with other people. We’re called to love one another because Christ first loved us, because He laid down His life for our own. Even as Christians it’s really easy to fall into selfishness and treat the guys we work with poorly, even hatefully at times. We get up way too early and work long hours and patience gets pushed to the limits, we take it out on those around us and sometimes there’s someone we just don’t like. We can come up with all kinds of reasons in our mind why it’s ok to treat people the way we do, they started it, what about my rights, it’s not fair, so on and so forth…. Let me tell you what isn’t fair, in fact it’s the most unfair thing that’s ever happened! It was not fair that the creator of the universe created mankind just because he wanted to have a loving relationship with humanity for all eternity and we respond in sinful rebellion and hatred of His ways. Then, God responds to us by offering His son Jesus Christ as a sacrifice in our place so that we can have a restored relationship Him. It would be completely just and fair for God to wipe us out from existence right now, but that’s not the kind of loving God He is! So, when your pride wells up and you want to respond in a selfish way to guys you work with, think about Christ’s sacrifice for you on the cross and let His love pour out to the world around you. This is such a fitting passage on this Memorial Day, when we pause to honor the brave military heroes who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, by laying down their lives in battle to give us the freedoms that we enjoy today. I’ve attached a short article that was published by the Christian Broadcasting Network years ago that I think is a great reminder for us today!
God bless and have a great week! -Terry
Memorial Day – to some it’s merely the beginning of summer and to others it’s a solemn day to remember those who have passed from this life. However, to the war veteran and to the families of fallen soldiers, Memorial Day carries significance so deep that words cannot express their hearts.
When we look into the eyes of those who still mourn these once vibrant men and women, we often sense their loneliness and pain. We hear them choke back tears as they simply say the ranks and names of their military brothers and sisters at a Memorial Day service. White gloves, dress uniforms, rigid posture, and perfectly precisioned salutes represent the reverence and respect flowing from within. Those who have been personally affected by war understand and appreciate this day of remembrance.
What should we say to those who sincerely honor this day? "Happy Memorial Day" doesn't seem fitting. "I'm sorry for your loss" may be closer to appropriate. What would the fallen soldier want from their comrades and the rest of the country on this day?
In an often quoted Memorial Day speech given in 1884 by Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., the speaker ended his address with these words, “Our dead brothers still live for us, and bid us think of life, not death -- of life to which in their youth they lent the passion and joy of the spring. As I listen, the great chorus of life and joy begins again, and amid the awful orchestra of seen and unseen powers and destinies of good and evil our trumpets sound once more a note of daring, hope, and will.”
The American soldier who gave his or her life for U.S. citizens to enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness won’t be telling us how to observe the holiday. But I believe that Holmes’ proposition to “think of life, not death” would honor the fallen soldier. Their sacrifice follows the example of Jesus Christ laying down His life for our freedom. It's selfless love for others – not so they can mourn forever, but live!
"By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers." 1 John 3:16
Notice that in scripture and in military service, the willingness to give up one’s life is not dependent on the worthiness of the people who benefit from the honorable act. In a perfect world, all who receive freedom and grace would be worthy of such a sacrifice and full of gratitude. But that’s not the way it is anywhere on Earth or in Heaven.
“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
We are blessed to be living in a free society. May we honor our American soldiers for the liberty we have in this country. May we also give thanks to Almighty God for the freedom we have to spend eternity with Him because of His gift of forgiveness through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1 John 3:11-18
“For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
Love….that’s a word that we don’t use a lot in the logging industry, at least not in respect to other people, especially other men we work with. We, love our work, most days… We love our trucks and our machines, of course we love our wife and kids but in this passage John tells us to love our brothers, I think this applies to the guys we work with every day. Now, this is obviously a different kind of love than the way we love our wife, but what is love really? Love, in it’s most basic sense is simply to put another person’s needs and rights ahead of our own. It’s to think of others before ourselves. As Christ-followers we are called to a higher standard in the way we deal with other people. We’re called to love one another because Christ first loved us, because He laid down His life for our own. Even as Christians it’s really easy to fall into selfishness and treat the guys we work with poorly, even hatefully at times. We get up way too early and work long hours and patience gets pushed to the limits, we take it out on those around us and sometimes there’s someone we just don’t like. We can come up with all kinds of reasons in our mind why it’s ok to treat people the way we do, they started it, what about my rights, it’s not fair, so on and so forth…. Let me tell you what isn’t fair, in fact it’s the most unfair thing that’s ever happened! It was not fair that the creator of the universe created mankind just because he wanted to have a loving relationship with humanity for all eternity and we respond in sinful rebellion and hatred of His ways. Then, God responds to us by offering His son Jesus Christ as a sacrifice in our place so that we can have a restored relationship Him. It would be completely just and fair for God to wipe us out from existence right now, but that’s not the kind of loving God He is! So, when your pride wells up and you want to respond in a selfish way to guys you work with, think about Christ’s sacrifice for you on the cross and let His love pour out to the world around you. This is such a fitting passage on this Memorial Day, when we pause to honor the brave military heroes who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, by laying down their lives in battle to give us the freedoms that we enjoy today. I’ve attached a short article that was published by the Christian Broadcasting Network years ago that I think is a great reminder for us today!
God bless and have a great week! -Terry
Memorial Day – to some it’s merely the beginning of summer and to others it’s a solemn day to remember those who have passed from this life. However, to the war veteran and to the families of fallen soldiers, Memorial Day carries significance so deep that words cannot express their hearts.
When we look into the eyes of those who still mourn these once vibrant men and women, we often sense their loneliness and pain. We hear them choke back tears as they simply say the ranks and names of their military brothers and sisters at a Memorial Day service. White gloves, dress uniforms, rigid posture, and perfectly precisioned salutes represent the reverence and respect flowing from within. Those who have been personally affected by war understand and appreciate this day of remembrance.
What should we say to those who sincerely honor this day? "Happy Memorial Day" doesn't seem fitting. "I'm sorry for your loss" may be closer to appropriate. What would the fallen soldier want from their comrades and the rest of the country on this day?
In an often quoted Memorial Day speech given in 1884 by Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., the speaker ended his address with these words, “Our dead brothers still live for us, and bid us think of life, not death -- of life to which in their youth they lent the passion and joy of the spring. As I listen, the great chorus of life and joy begins again, and amid the awful orchestra of seen and unseen powers and destinies of good and evil our trumpets sound once more a note of daring, hope, and will.”
The American soldier who gave his or her life for U.S. citizens to enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness won’t be telling us how to observe the holiday. But I believe that Holmes’ proposition to “think of life, not death” would honor the fallen soldier. Their sacrifice follows the example of Jesus Christ laying down His life for our freedom. It's selfless love for others – not so they can mourn forever, but live!
"By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers." 1 John 3:16
Notice that in scripture and in military service, the willingness to give up one’s life is not dependent on the worthiness of the people who benefit from the honorable act. In a perfect world, all who receive freedom and grace would be worthy of such a sacrifice and full of gratitude. But that’s not the way it is anywhere on Earth or in Heaven.
“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
We are blessed to be living in a free society. May we honor our American soldiers for the liberty we have in this country. May we also give thanks to Almighty God for the freedom we have to spend eternity with Him because of His gift of forgiveness through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.