Europe is FULL of castles! Almost everywhere you turn you see one. Some are rather large, while others are somewhat small. Some were the primary residence of the royal family, while others were like vacation homes! Yet, in each case one thing held true for each one, they were a fortress to protect the king and queen.
This picture is of the castle in Segovia Spain. Its structued like a ship. If you look at it from the side you can actually see this. Room after room was desined for some purpose. But, each room was walled off in order to be sure no one could hurt the king and queen. A very LARGE moat surrounds the front entrance to this castle. Then, on the other sides a steep cliff protects any entrance. It was a place where the royal family could feel quite secure.
Some of the rooms contain merorabilia such as suits of armor. In one room even the horse is covered in armor! In another room memorabila are kept of weapons of war. One thing that strikes you as you see them is that most of them were for hand to hand combat. These soldiers would have been up close and personal with the enemy. And, for these soldiers, they were fighting to protect their king, for in him they felt safe.
The Psalmist was thinking of such a fortress when he wrote in Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." In Psalm 18:2 the psalmist said, "The LORD is my rock and my fortress, my delilever, My God, my Rock, in Whom I take refuge." He understood the importance of safety in the King.
The castle in Segovia is said to have been the inspiration for the Princess' Castle in Disneyland. When we go to Disneyland we see this beautiful castle and think "happy thoughts." But, a castle, though it did invite people for joyous occaisions, was primarily designed as a place of protection. So, the next time you are under attack from your enemy, run to your place of refuge and safety in the arms of the LORD.
Planes, planes, planes. How thankful we can be for planes. Being a "world traveler" is much easier these days than it was 100 years ago, or even 50 years ago. Boarding a plane and flying at over 500 mph eill get you to places very quickly! Boats could take people to the same places, but much more slowly. You can change continents and cultures in less than 24 hours.
Today Beth, Nicole and I are flying to Spain. We've completed our first leg from San Francisco to Atlanta and will soon board our plane from Atlanta to Madrid. Although they are normally full flights and the food is nothing to write home about and they can be cramped spaces they do get you where you want to go.
Once onboard our ticket takes us to our final destination. We know, once onboard, where we are going, or do we? I once boarded a flight, took my seat, only to have a flight attendant come to find me to tell me I was on the WRONG plane! I was in a country where I didn't understand the language. I thought I was doing good. I was permitted on the plane. But, I was actually not headed where I thought I was. What a surprise it would have had if I had gotten out in the wrong place!
Some people think they are headed to heaven. They think they have a ticket that will grant them access to the home of the saints. But, how surprised they will be when they realize they didn't make it. Some will find that the enemy of our souls will decieve many into believing that they are on the corect "plane." Where are YOU going? Maybe you'd better check your ticket!
Today is Veterans Day. A day set aside to remember all those who served our country in the military. President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill in 1954 declaring November 11 as a day of rememberance. This day is set aside to remember all who served, not just those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Many men and women surround us that we don't even know gave of themselves to serve. Recently I was talking to an active duty soldier who has served for over 30 years. He said that he was most inpressed with the current military because they are all vounteers. High praise coming from this military leader.
I beleive it is right and proper to recognize these brave men and women. Today, if we see a veteran we should express our appreciattion for all they have given.
But, I want to direct your attention to another group of people who have served their country. This group of brave men and women are mostly overlooked and underappreciated. Outside their families some of these people are totlally unknown. They left familiar surrounding to enter the realm of the enemy. Thay have gone face to face with opposition and faced down their fears. This group belongs to an elite body of soldiers known as the "army of God."
Over the years brave folks have gone on to serve the Lord Jesus Chirst in the "far flung" regions of the world to bring the Gospel to people who had never heard. In many of these coutries the enemy forces wewre strong and headstrong. At every turn they faced head on the oppositions to the preaching of Gd's Word. Satan, and all his hosts, stood against all the progress of the Gospel. But, the gospel went on.
Today, as you reflect upon all those who served our country, please, also, remember those who have served and are serving the King of Kings. Consider their example of facing opposition and yet sticking with it. Some have died in that service at the hands of the evil ones. They gave of their ultimate service. May we thank them, to, for their undying service.
BFF, can you remember this abbreviation. Remember, it stands for "best friends forever." Maybe you wrote it in your high school yearbook? Remember when you walked the halls of your school thinking that these fiends would be friends to the death? But, if I were to ask you what their names were, how many could you name? When was the last time you got together? And, your class reunions don't count! If you're like most people your high school fiends are just a blur from your past.
Moving on to college you made a whole new set of friends. And, in your college yearbook you probably inscribed BFF yet again. However, I could ask you the same questions I just asked about high school. How many names could you rattle off? When was the last time you saw them or hung out with them? You normally have more conact with college friends than your high school friends, but not much.
Moving on in life you got a job and made even more friends. You didn't have any book to inscribe BFF, but you thought of them that way. You thought you might be friends for a long time. But, then, you changed jobs, made new friends and the cycle went on again.
Friendships, how are they formed and how can we make them last? On Sunday we will look at the subject of frienships through the relationship of Jonathan and David. This godly friendship has been turned into something that it never was. It was a lasting friendship that was formed from two unlikely men.
If you are in town we would love to have you worship with us and study this aspect of David's life. What can we learn about friendship? Come to see.
