Memorial Day

Yesterday was the day we take to remember the sacrifice our soldiers have made in order for our nation to be free. And as we thank them and remember them and pray for the soldiers currently fighting on the other side of the world, I would like us to remember some others who have died. I speak of those who have died for their faith in God. Many Christians have died because of what they believed for the sake of the gospel, and through their death we are given an example and an encouragement to live our lives radically for the gospel. The verse that keeps coming to mind is John 21:18-19 "'Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.' (This He said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this He said to him, 'Follow Me.'" The first thing that strikes me in this verse is that Peter's death and our deaths are meant to glorify God. All of us, whether martyr or not, are meant to glorify God in the manner in which we die. That is a tremendous thought. We should ponder more often our end and how we will die. It may sound morbid, but it is for the glory of God and is immensly important. May we all consider more often our end. But the second thing that really strikes me about these verses is what Jesus says after He tells Peter how He will die. He tells him to follow Him. Here Jesus says, you are going to die at the hands of another. It won't be pleasant and I know that you won't like it. In fact, it will be horrible and incredibly painful. "Follow Me." Any one of us might be called to a horrible and torturous death for the sake of Christ. His answer and call to us is the same as it was to Peter. "Follow Me." Let's walk into the Colliseum, face the Islamic radicals, endure the hatred of the world for the sake of following Christ and glorifying Him.