So blessed by this Memorial Day message from Brother Chuck Akeley! Chuck is one of my heroes! God Bless you my friend, the love of Jesus to you and your precious family! Thank you for your service! 
MEMORIAL DAY 2019 – A CALL TO PRAYER
Today (May 27, 2019) we celebrate Memorial Day (formerly Decoration Day), a sacred national holiday to remember and honor those men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in military service to our country.
Most of us celebrate this day with family and friends, signaling the unofficial start of summer. While absolutely appropriate, the true meaning of Memorial Day transcends mere words and family gatherings, as it represents life and death – our life and freedom at the cost of others’ lives in battle and military service.
Let’s spend some time today on our knees, in prayer before Father God, thanking Him for the courage and sacrifice of those who came before, and not only fought and served for the very freedom and unity we enjoy as a nation, but gave their earthly lives in the process. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” [John 15:13 (RSV)].
Pray for the fellow service members hurting to this day for those who were lost in their presence or charge. Pray for the husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, children and others, who to this day, experience deep and often unspeakable emotions about the loss of their most precious loved ones. And perhaps most of all, pray for the true peace, forgiveness, healing and restoration offered to us all through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
In Jesus we take comfort and draw strength, as our Lord willingly humbled Himself, came to this earth in flesh, lived a sinless life, and ultimately experienced excruciating pain beyond our ability to comprehend for His beloved. My brothers and sisters…WE ARE THE BELOVED! In spiritual battle, Jesus secured our freedom – eternal life in the presence of God – by making the ultimate sacrifice. As Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” [John 14:6 (NKJV)]. There is no better day, no better time, to find a quiet place, ask for forgiveness and believe upon the name of Jesus!
Chuck Akeley
