First Assembly of God Newsletter                                                                                                         May 2009

The following is taken from “The Love Dare” in hope that it will make this Mother’s Day a little bit more special. 1 Peter 3:7 tells us, “Live with your wives in an understanding way and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life.”

There are certain words in our language that have powerful meanings. Whenever these words are used, an air of respect is associated with them. These words never lose their timeless quality, class and dignity. One of these words is “honor”.

To honor someone means to give them respect and high esteem, to treat them as being special and of great worth. You are courteous and polite, and when they speak to you, you take them seriously, giving their words weight and significance. When they ask you to do something, you accommodate them if at all possible, simply out of respect for them.

The Bible tells us to “honor” our father and mother, as well as those in authority. It is a call to acknowledge the position or value of someone else. Honoring your spouse means giving them your full attention, not talking to them from behind the newspaper or with one eye on the television. When decisions are being made that affect both of you or your whole family, you give equal value to your mate’s opinion, and honor what they have to say. They matter, and because of the way you treat them, they know it without being told, even though you should tell them daily.

But there is another word that calls us to a higher place in our marriage. It’s a word that actually forms the basis for honor – the very reason why we give respect and honor to our mate. That word is “holy”. That doesn’t mean that they are perfect. “Holiness” means they are set apart for a higher purpose, no longer common, but special and unique. A person who has become holy to you has a place in your heart that no one else can rival. They are sacred to you, a person to be honored, praised and defended.

That’s what love dares to do, to say that of all the relationships I have, I will value ours the most. Of all the things I am willing to sacrifice, I will sacrifice the most for you. With all your failures, sins, mistakes, and faults, past and present, I still choose to love and honor you. That’s the beauty of “honor” and “holy” in a marriage.

— Pastor Jeff

On May 25th our nation will once again celebrate Memorial Day. When I was growing up on the farm in Iowa we always called this Decoration Day. It was a time when my mother and grandmother would cut fresh flowers from their gardens and we would go to the cemetery to decorate the graves of departed family members. Even though that was a great thing to do, it did not capture the true intent of Memorial Day which is to honor those who have died in our nation’s service.

The tradition of honoring those who had died in service to their country started near the end of the Civil War when women from various communities began to decorate the fallen soldier’s graves. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. The first official observance occurred on May 30, 1868 when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. In 1971 Congress designated the last Monday in May as Memorial Day. This action made it a three day holiday weekend that traditionally kicks off the summer season.

An equally important part of Memorial Day is to honor the living veterans who have willing served in the armed forces. We have members of our congregation, and their families, who have served in World War II, Korea, Viet Nam, Desert Storm, Iraq, and possibly other conflicts that I am not aware of. In addition, several more have served in a variety of non-combat military assignments. I would encourage you to take the time to thank these veterans for their willingness to serve our country and help preserve the freedoms we so richly cherish.

When I was in the Army it was often said that “There is the right way, the wrong way, and the Army way.” This saying stemmed from the fact that the Army had a rather rigid set of rules, regulations, and procedures you were trained to follow. These things were drilled into you, not that you were to become a robot, but so that your comrades in arms could rely on you to react in a predictable way to whatever circumstances confronted you, thus ensuring the best possible results.

In a spiritual sense we could paraphrase the army saying like this - “There is the world’s way, and there is God’s way.” Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” In reality God’s way is the only way to have true freedom, peace, and happiness. We will never experience true freedom until we fully submit ourselves to Him. That is the best possible result that anyone could ever have.

Our nation’s freedom is neither free nor cheap. It comes at a great price and with much sacrifice. Be sure to thank a veteran this month for his or her contribution to your freedom. Most of all, thank God for your eternal freedom, and all that you are blessed with in this great country we are privileged to live in.

— Steve Parsons