DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME

** Writer’s Note: I have made it out of Bahrain and am safely in Crete. This two and a half week work trip will also take me to Sicily, Italy, Germany and Spain. I will still be writing and posting while on the road. My posting times may be a little skewed because I will be as much as 8 hours ahead of EST. I’ll do my best to be timely and ask for your patience and prayers as I travel. God bless all of you and may the joy of the Lord be your strength…now and forever. In Christ, Mark

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

"The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.’ " Numbers 15:37-41

The people of Israel had shown a propensity for disobeying God’s commands. At the end of Numbers, Chapter 15, the Lord decides to try and help them to remember what He commanded and expected.

We read where God tells Moses to address Israel, directing them to "make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel" with this action taking place "throughout the generations to come". These tassels were to be looked at by the wearer to "remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes". The Lord realized that His people struggled with fighting off their own desires in exchange for His. The tassel would help them remember to obey all His commands so that they might be consecrated or made holy before Him…their God…the God who delivered them from bondage in Israel.

Today, I think we can relate to the struggles of Israel. We’re more than 2,000 years since the days they lived on this earth and yet, we still fail in many of the same ways as they did…disobeying God’s commands and surrendering to the desires and lusts of our own hearts.

Another thing that hasn’t changed is God’s expectations. Just as He wanted Israel to remember and be obedient to His commandments, so too does He want us to do likewise.

One way we can remember is to wear something visible that can serve as a constant reminder of what God wants us to do. The people of Israel were directed to wear tassels at the corner of their garments with a blue cord on each tassel. Today, we see other things worn. Several years ago, we saw many people wearing bracelets with the letters "W.W.J.D." on them. This acronym was to remind the wearer to always think about "What would Jesus do?" as they dealt with life’s circumstances. For if they did this, they could always be assured their choices would be directed by the Holy Spirit and in accordance with God’s will, not their own.

Even more prevalent than "WWJD" bracelets has been the wearing of a cross, the place where Jesus died for us to pay the price for our sins…the place where we were reconciled to God through the sacrifice of His only Son. It’s at the cross that we find the greatest depths of mercy, grace, forgiveness, salvation, and most of all, love…all from a God who asks us to remember Him and His commands as well as the commands of His Son. And it was this Son who asked us to remember Him as He had His last supper with His disciples. We need to remember His words:

"The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, 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." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Do this in remembrance of Me. Friends, however we choose to remember God, His Son, their great love for us and their commands, we simply must remember. For they never forgot you and I for a moment and they have not forgotten us today as they await the day when we join them for all eternity. And what a blessed day that will be so let’s not forget what lies ahead.

Thanks be to God, our Father, and His Son, Our Blessed Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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