Today's Devotion: Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame. (The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. 1 Co 15:34). Paul, here, is speaking to those who deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is exhorting them to true belief.

Today's Comments: Today, especially, are we confounded with false beliefs and heresies, even within our own Church. God created us with the freedom to make choices. Let us use the freedoms that God gave to us wisely. Let us use that which God gave us for His glory, not ours.

Since today is Memorial Day, let us also remember those who died to protect the freedom that God has given to us. Below, I have posted the Invocation and Blessing that I will be giving this morning at the Forest Lawn Memorial Day Service at Covina Hills. Please pray for me that I will touch and inspire so that closed hearts might be opened.

I. Invocation

O God of all nations, who created the peoples of the earth to serve you in freedom and in peace; we remember today, with grateful hearts, the men and women of our country who have ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy. All have given their time; many have given much more, including their lives, for the freedom that we hold dear. We remember all today who have served in the military; but especially we remember those who served and lost their lives in both wartime and peacetime conflict, knowing full-well, that their sacrifices have made our nation stronger and have protected the liberty and freedom we all enjoy.

Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, so that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will. Grant to the President of the United States, who serves as Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces, as well as the Generals and Admirals under his authority, the wisdom and strength to know and do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve the people of this nation, under your guidance.

We thank you for the natural majesty and beauty of this land and for the great resources of this nation. We thank you for the torch of liberty which has been lit in this land and has drawn people from every nation. But, especially, today, we give thanks for the men and women who have made this country strong and keep it strong so that being guided by thy Providence, we may dwell secure in thy peace. Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its responsibilities. And, grant that we may never forget those who have given their time, their treasures, their talents, their limbs, and their lives in the service of their country.

Let us remember the wars that were fought and the battles that were won against the tyrannical powers of slavery, nationalism, Fascism, Communism, and religious oppression. Let us remember those who, even today, heed the call to battle so that freedom will be returned to the oppressed.

Let us remember, especially, the citizen soldier, sailor, airman, and marine whose commitment to service in national emergency has become a commitment to international deployment so that the people of the Middle East, including Afghanistan and Iraq may enjoy the freedom and peace from oppression by religious fanaticism. Let us especially remember Army Staff Sgt. Esau Ivan De La Peña-Hernandez of La Puente who was killed on May 15^th, while on patrol during a battle at Chak, Afghanistan. I was personally privileged to offer my salute to him last Friday, as we lined the main street of the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base to render honors as his flag draped casket was transported from the air field to its final resting place. Staff Sergeant De La Peña-Hernandez would have been twenty-six years old today.

Let us also remember those soldiers, marines, sailors, and airman from the Korean and Vietnam War eras, as well as those of World War I and World War II. And, finally, let us remember those soldiers, sailors, marines, and (yes) even the airmen, who floated above the earth in balloons, during this nation’s great Civil War: those soldiers on both sides, for whom this day was originally created.

God, you know that we are not perfect. Nor have we done everything right. But give us the wisdom, the compassion, and the constitution so that we may strive to establish and preserve the justice, equality, and liberty that you created for us.

We ask this in the name of the great God of all Creation.

Amen

II. Benediction

Almighty God, creator and preserver of this world, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day; strengthen them in their trials and tribulations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be. Bless also those who have previously served in both peacetime and war, remembering that they have willingly risked their lives for our freedom. Finally, we ask your blessings upon this nation of men and women who enjoy the benefits of the freedom won and preserved under the vigilance of those who we honor today. Bless us and return us safely to our homes and families, and keep us ever mindful of our responsibilities in the protection and preservation of your creation and the freedom that you have bestowed upon us. Help us to always remember those who we honor today, and let us never forget their acts of patriotism, their unselfish service, and their acts of sacrifice.

Amen