REMEMBRANCE (Personal Reflection)

I take the bread of life
Broken for all my sin
Your body crucified
To make me whole again

I will recall the cup
Poured out in sacrifice
To trade this sinner's end
For Your new covenant

Hallelujah
I'll live my life in remembrance
Hallelujah
Your promise I won't forget

I'll walk salvation's road
With fear and trembling
Your way borne as my own
As Christ is formed in me

If ever I should lose my way
If ever I deny Your grace
Remind me of the price You paid
Hallelujah
I'll live in remembrance

You've been so, so good to me
You've been so, so good to me
Oh to think where I would be
If not for You
If not for You

As far as heights reach from the depths
As far as east is from the west
So far Your grace has carried me
Until I see You face to face
Until at last I've won my race
Remind me You're not finished yet
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
I'll live in remembrance

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As we begin Easter week, I pray this reflection will help prepare our hearts to consider each step of Jesus' journey, from His ceremonial entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) through the Last Supper (Holy Thursday), to His death at Calvary (Good Friday) and triumphal resurrection (Easter Sunday). Easter is the cornerstone of our Christian faith, yet in many cases, this season of remembrance has been consumed by fear and trepidation amid coronavirus (Covid-19). Unfortunately, the majority of church buildings are closed indefinitely due to the pandemic, so how will Easter be affected? First, let us remind ourselves who (not what) the church is. "For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another" (Romans 12:4–5). While buildings allow followers of Jesus to gather together in community and worship together, the church (one body in Christ) is not a man-made structure but the fellowship itself. Therefore, no matter the proximity challenges Covid-19 presents, Easter will be celebrated in the homes of every man, woman and child who professes faith in Jesus Christ, just as the original church demonstrated for us. "And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved" (Acts 2:46–47). No matter the challenges life throws our way, we must remember God's sovereignty reigns over all, including pandemics and natural disasters, because His omniscience is unparalleled compared to our limited understanding. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD" (Isaiah 55:8). God is certainly not immune to our concerns during this Covid-19 pandemic nor is the timing of this crisis by accident. Therefore, we are at a spiritual crossroads as the body of Christ. In many ways the enemies of God will rejoice, assuming Easter has been reduced to a shell of itself and rendered insignificant for fiscal 2020 because of Covid-19. However, they would be remiss to assume Easter is minimized in any way. For this season of remembrance is a call to action for revival, that we would quiet our hearts in the quarantined isolation of our homes and focus our attention on the gravity of what we are celebrating, without cultural distraction or busyness.

"I take the bread of life broken for all my sin. Your body crucified to make me whole again. I will recall the cup poured out in sacrifice, to trade this sinner's end for Your new covenant." Communion is paramount for all followers of Jesus to remember and practice, not just Catholics. The metaphorical significance of bread as His body (broken) and wine as His blood (poured out) cannot be understated, for it immediately connects the Last Supper to the cross of Calvary for eternity. "And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood'" (Luke 22:19–20). I cannot begin to imagine how Jesus must have felt that night in the upper room, knowing what was about to happen less than 24 hours later. Keep in mind, He spoke to His disciples somewhat vaguely rather than bluntly stating what was about to happen. Like many of the parables He taught, He painted a picture but left out certain details which the disciples would piece together after all was said and done. In other words, Jesus left room for the Holy Spirit to add color (understanding) to the masterpiece God had created by tracing out a rough sketch of what was to come and allowing the Spirit to fill in the blanks. Like an abstract work of art, it took time for the disciples to comprehend the significance of what happened, therefore we are wise to learn from their example and consider the gravity of the moment before us now. Unfortunately, the disciples were so caught up in themselves that immediately after Jesus spoke these things, "A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest" (Luke 22:24). They simply could not see the forest through the trees and demonstrated for us all how feeble our minds can become when consumed by the cares of this world rather than the righteousness of God. Inevitably, their minds were too weak to comprehend what was about to happen because their self-interests clouded their understanding of God's will in that moment. "Then Jesus said to them, 'You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered’'" (Matthew 26:31).

"Hallelujah! I'll live my life in remembrance. Hallelujah! Your promise I won't forget." What we must reconcile in our hearts this Easter is simply, "What will we remember?" Are we near-sighted in our faith to assume God could not use Covid-19 as a platform for spiritual revival in our hearts? For just as Joseph learned the sovereign purpose of his brothers' betrayal was for their inevitable salvation, we are wise to comprehend how God creates beauty from ashes when we trust in His sovereignty. "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Genesis 50:20). The beauty of remembering God's faithfulness in the valley of despair is knowing the sun will rise again and cast away the clouds of darkness which seek to entrap our minds. That is why we must cling to Scripture which reminds us, "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him'" (Lamentations 3:22–24). Speaking that truth over our hearts is the essence of proclaiming, "Hallelujah!" Unfortunately, many followers of Christ miss out on the blessings God is waiting to pour out because they fail to cling to His Word above all else. Jesus warns, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit" (Matthew 12:33). Therefore, we are without excuse and accountable to live out our faith by remembering and then applying God's absolute truth. For example, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word" (Psalm 119:9–16).

"I'll walk salvation's road with fear and trembling. Your way borne as my own as Christ is formed in me." Reverence is a word long forgotten in our world today, yet is desperately needed and warranted in the body of Christ. Noah Webster defines it as "fear mingled with respect and esteem; veneration. The fear acceptable to God, is a filial fear, an awful reverence of the divine nature, proceeding from a just esteem of his perfections, which produces in us an inclination to his service and an unwillingness to offend him." Imagine how revival would ignite worldwide if mankind truly revered the Lord and took His wrath seriously. Countless souls would be won for Christ because the eternal destination of every human being would be magnified. Unfortunately, mankind has become immune to the power and majesty of God, desensitized by virtual reality which turns warfare into video game simulation and incomprehensible destruction into television and movie entertainment. That is why God does not typically reveal Himself by mighty wonders of Creation. Rather, He speaks in ways which force us to remove the noise from our minds and quiet our hearts so we can hear His voice calling out our name. Elijah learned this lesson first-hand when He questioned where God was in the midst of His depression. "And he (God) said, 'Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.' And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper" (1 Kings 19:11–12). Let us not forget our sins separate us from God's sovereign protection and render us vulnerable to attack and spiritual calamity. That is why we need a Savior (Jesus) to rescue us from the snare of the enemy who seeks to eternally separate us from God. Therefore, "He (Jesus) is the propitiation (appeasement of God's wrath) for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked" (1 John 2:2–6).

"If ever I should lose my way, if ever I deny Your grace, remind me of the price You paid. Hallelujah! I'll live in remembrance." How many of us can honestly say we have never fallen away, post-conversion, in some form or fashion? Make no mistake, we are not immune to sin simply because we recite a prayer of salvation and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives. Temptation will assuredly come, but we have new life in Christ which enables us to turn away from our flesh and choose to live for righteousness. "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1). We must understand no human being is exempt from the curse of sin, which is why it is essential we wash our minds with the water of God's Word and cleanse our hearts from self-seeking motives. Like the prodigal son who recognized the error of his ways and humbled himself in repentance, we have the ability through the power of the Holy Spirit to turn from our wicked ways, knowing God will redeem us. "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works" (Titus 2:11–14). Therefore, we must reject the schemes of the enemy which tempt us to doubt our salvation. For no matter the sins we have committed, if we are born again in Christ, we are empowered to pick ourselves up from the place where we have fallen, and continue living for righteousness from that point on in obedience to Christ. Far too many Christians assume if they have fallen into sin they are exempt from His grace, but nothing could be further from the truth. God calls us to recognize the error of our ways, own our sin through repentance, and seek restitution with Him and those we have sinned against. Once that process has completed, we are instructed to continue on in faith, submission and obedience to Christ, with praise and thanksgiving for his unending grace and mercy. 

"You've been so, so good to me. You've been so, so good to me. Oh, to think where I would be if not for You, if not for You." As born-again followers of Jesus, we are called by God to be light and salt in this world, which is easily identified by the level of thankfulness we filter our thoughts and behavior through. Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:13–16). True, Biblical thankfulness in our hearts acknowledges God is supremely in control and that the grace we have been given is unmerited. Thankfulness pours forth from our soul by recognizing how wretched we truly are compared to His holiness, just as Isaiah experienced in his vision of the Lord. "And I said, 'Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!' Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: 'Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for'" (Isaiah 6:5–7). God's holiness demands our hearts be reconciled to enter into His presence, hence why Jesus suffered on our behalf for the forgiveness of our sins. Therefore, praise should ever flow from our mouths if we truly recognize the immeasurable gift we have been given, and why no trial, heartache or suffering can ever deter us from singing the Lord's praises at all times. "I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth" (Psalm 34:1).

"As far as heights reach from the depths, as far as east is from the west, so far Your grace has carried me. Until I see You face to face, until at last I've won my race, remind me You're not finished yet. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! I'll live in remembrance." One of the greatest promises of Scripture is this: "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him" (Psalm 103:8–13). We are wise to recognize that fear of the Lord is grounded in reverence and humility, and therefore revere the Lord by giving Him the reverence He is due and humbling ourselves by serving him unconditionally and wholeheartedly. In turn, He grants us immeasurable grace to endure anything and everything life throws our way, because nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus. Paul wrote, "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38–39). Therefore, we must remember this Easter week the price He paid to ransom us from the power of sin and death, for our eternal benefit and His ultimate glory. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:13–15). May we consider the magnitude of this truth as we prepare our hearts to reflect upon His death and resurrection this Easter week.