MEDITATION MONDAY
FREEDOM isn't free!
FREEDOM isn't free!
You've got to pay the price...
You've got to sacrifice...
for your liberty!
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It was because of FAITHFUL LOVE that Jesus chose to pay that price for us:
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I don't know where I've heard that song before, but it has rung in my heart and head since our church worship service yesterday morning. Our teen men were in charge of the service. They led our minds to think of FREEDOM! A lot of the same young men that were on my front yard on Friday evening shared scripture, shared their thoughts, or served in some manner. I looked around and saw a lot of blessed souls, including their mommies and daddies. These young men were talking about THE GIFT that they have chosen to embrace in Jesus Christ. They made comparisons to the battles of this world as they led us through the concepts of the spiritual battle between good and evil... light and dark.... God and the devil... Yet, THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD!
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Here are a few of the scriptures that were read:
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Romans 8:20-21
...in hope that the creation itself will be
liberated from its bondage to decay
and brought into the glorious freedom
of the children of God.
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Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
Stand firm, then,
and do not let yourselves
be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
.Galatians 5:13-15
You, my brothers, were called to be free.
You, my brothers, were called to be free.
But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature;
rather, serve one another in love.
The entire law is summed up in a single command:
"Love your neighbor as yourself."
The whole lesson fit right with our theme for the week - which the chorus of our theme song articulates:
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Cause the greatest gift a father can give
is a life lived for Jesus
And the greatest gift a mother can give
is the knowledge of the LORD
Pass it on to your children
He’s the gift that keeps on giving
The greatest gift is a life lived for Jesus.
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Before I welcome my husband home and we head out to our church family's Memorial Day picnic, let me share a few other things for your consideration. The statistics are a little different depending on the websites. I got the following from http://www.historyguy.com/
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The framers of our US constitution understood a lot of the basic concepts of FREEDOM. Throughout our nation's history, we have understood the Biblical teaching of sacrifice.
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AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR: 1775-1783
- DEATHS: 4,435
- WOUNDED: 6,188
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INDIAN WARS: 1783-1890
- DEATHS: 1,000 (approx.)
- WOUNDED: unknown
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THE WAR OF 1812: 1812-1815
- DEATHS: 2,260
- WOUNDED: 4,505
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MEXICAN WAR: 1846-1848
- DEATHS: 13,283
- WOUNDED: 4,152
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U.S. CIVIL WAR: 1861-1865
- DEATHS: 558,052
- WOUNDED: 412,175+
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SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR: 1898
- DEATHS: 2,446
- WOUNDED: 1,662
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PHILIPPINE-AMERICAN WAR: 1899-1901
- DEATHS: 3,216
- WOUNDED: 2,779
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WORLD WAR I: 1917-1918
- DEATHS: 116,708
- WOUNDED: 204,002
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WORLD WAR II: 1941-1945
- DEATHS: 407,316
- WOUNDED: 670,846
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KOREAN WAR: 1950-1953
- DEATHS: 54,246
- WOUNDED: 103,284
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VIETNAM WAR: 1964-1975
- DEATHS: 58,168
- WOUNDED: 153,303
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GULF WAR: 1991
- DEATHS: 293
- WOUNDED: 467
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OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM-Afghanistan/Pakistan: October 7, 2001-- Continuing As of May 29, 2010
- DEATHS: 1,000 (this number includes four CIA Officers killed in action against al-Qaeda/Taliban forces)
- WOUNDED: 5,725 (based on DoD website which includes all wounded from Operation EF, including those injured in areas other than Afghanistan/Pakistan)
- NOTE: Related deaths in Philippines during this time: 15
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THIRD PERSIAN GULF WAR "Operation Iraqi Freedom": March 19, 2003-Continuing As of May 1, 2009
- DEATHS: 4,281
- WOUNDED: 30,774
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Today, I remember...
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...FAITHFUL LOVE!
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