Thought of the Week- on Remembrance.

“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me”. Isaiah 46:2

November is a month of remembrance. Remembrance or

memory (derived from the Greek word “mnimi”) is important because, it is necessary we do not forget the things of old as by and through the experiences of old, we can better build ourselves up into new and better creatures to the glory of God.

Most Christians start November, by celebrating or remembering all the great Christians of old; whose lives are an example to us on “all Saints” or all Hallows day on 1^st. of November. Then on the 2^nd of November, we remember “all soul’s day” that is all Christians who had trodden this earth before, who tried to live in and by the example of our Lord Jesus Christ and are now at peace with our Lord. We then celebrate or remember on the 11^th of November, victims of the two world wars as well as victims of all the various conflicts besetting our world because of mankind’s inhumanity to mankind. Some of these victims may not have been Christians at all but the fact that they gave their lives so that, we may live in peace gives us something to remember as “greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friend” (John 15:13). Lastly, on the 30^th of November, we remember St. Andrew- one of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, the first apostle who came to Jesus because he heard John the Baptist refer to Jesus “as the lamb of God”. Having seen Jesus, he then brought his brother Peter also to come and  follow Jesus, eventually leading to Jesus naming Peter, the rock on which the church of which you and I as well as all many Christians of today are a part of, is built (Matthew 16;18).

Friends, as we go through the month of November, let us remember the word sainthood. A saint is not word we find in the Old Testament, the closest we come across in the Old Testament is the “the Holy ones of Israel” (Daniel 4;13). A saint is therefore not a perfect human being but anyone set apart for holy use, that is anyone set to do God’s work. Can you and I set ourselves up for holy use? Can we say here I am Lord, send me out to do your work in this world so that your name is glorified all over our world? Dear Friends, although we are sinners even after we have been saved (as we in 2 Cor 5:21), God sees us as having Jesus own righteousness because Christ became sin for us so that, when the Father now sees us, He sees us as having the righteousness of Christ, so we become saints by following in Christ’s righteousness. True saints are those who are ready to do as Jesus did and follow in his footsteps maybe sometimes at great cost to ourselves. As Paul once wrote, “I live; yet not I but Christ lives in me”. A saint is one who is like Christ in his ways because he has Christ in his heart. So, friends let us have Christ in our heart always, for when we do have him we become Christ like and become the holy ones God created us to be. So in this month of Remembrance, may the peace or God’s Shalombe with us and may the blessings of Yeshua be upon us now and always.  Amen.

Prayer:

We thank you Lord for the saints of all ages who discovered what your will for them was and were prepared to cast aside everything and follow this will. Help us follow their example, as we also follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep. Amen.

Collect:

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord; grant us grace so as follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living; that we may come to those inexpressible joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ your son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen