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Remembering
December 31, 2022

As the year comes to an end, it’s normal to take a look back and remember what happened. Sometimes a year comes with so many challenges, instead of remembering the past year, we really want to forget about it. We also look forward to the new year and its opportunities. The Bible reminds us of what is worthy of remembrance, and today we will be reminded of what we are to remember.

First, we are here on the weekly Sabbath, which most of the world looks at as Saturday. We are specifically told to remember a few important facets about the Sabbath. We are to keep it holy and not have it as a day of work to remember that it was God Who created all we see and then rested on the seventh day, blessing it, and making it holy.

Exodus 20:8-11
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Another passage from Deuteronomy gives us another facet of the Sabbath to remember, to remember where we were before we had God in our lives directing our lives. In addition to what we are to remember from Exodus, Deuteronomy reminds us to remember that the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt and through the hand of God were freed from slavery. It was through this act of freedom that the Sabbath was introduced to those living at that time. Before God was part of our lives how we lived our lives was much different and today it is important for us to remember how God has intervened in our lives.

Deuteronomy 5:13-15
Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

Today, we would not look back at our life as a slave in Egypt, but if we came to the faith in our life there was a time we didn’t keep the Sabbath. Today, most people who do not keep the Sabbath find themselves busy with chores and shopping on the Sabbath, and as we keep the Sabbath we can remember we once lived that life. Having lived that life and knowing the blessing of being called by God, we are not in a place to judge those who do not keep the Sabbath. Without the calling from God, we would be doing what most people today do on Saturday. With Christmas having just concluded and the revelry of the New Year, we can’t miss the holidays and celebrations of this world, and we are called to remember the Holy Days. Each of the Holy Day seasons, spring and fall start with a memorial.

Exodus 12:14-15
And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

In the fall, the Feast of Trumpets starts the Holy Day season and it also serves as a memorial. Memorials are formal remembrances.

Leviticus 23:23-25
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

The prophet Malachi writes about a book of remembrance to record the names of people who fear and think about God, and God shows that all whose names are written in this book of remembrance will be spared and treated as precious jewels.

Malachi 3:16-18
Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

The rainbow serves as reminder to God of the promise made to Noah and his family regarding the future of mankind, that there would never be a flood again to destroy the earth where all living animals are killed. Every time we see a rainbow in the sky, we are also reminded of God’s promise.

Genesis 9:1-17
And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein. And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there anymore be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

The Holy Spirit brings all things into remembrance, helping us to remember the teachings of Jesus. The Holy Spirit reminds us that even though we live in a world where we see much trouble and fear, we can live without trouble and fear having been given peace of mind through the Holy Spirit. We benefit from peace at all times in our life and when life is challenging or full of heart break, we still have peace. We have forgiveness of sin, resurrection of the dead, and hope of eternal life, and these are very real for us though for now we have faith for these in our life. Too many who are alive today don’t have the faith to have these in their life or deny these in some manner, but the Holy Spirit reminds us of all of these and everything that Jesus taught.

John 14:25-29
These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

The Gospels were written in such a manner to memorialize certain everyday people who interacted with Jesus. One of these people was a woman who used an expensive ointment by pouring it on Jesus. Those around Jesus knew this ointment was expensive and when they began to question why something expensive was used on Jesus, Jesus told them that this woman would be memorialized for her actions, and to this day, her actions are recorded for us.

Matthew 26:6-13
Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

We know the importance of being diligent in our relationship with God and Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were told to keep and observe all of the commandments that they might live, multiply, and possess the promised land. They were also told to remember the time of wandering in the wilderness, that served as a test of obedience, and an implement of humility.

Deuteronomy 8:1-10
All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.

As we consider where we are in our life, we are wise to remember where we have been and how that experience impacted where we are today. In writing to the Corinthians, Paul explained that what was written about the time in the wilderness serves as an example for us to this day, with the stern warning to consider if we think we are in good standing with God to protect that mightily, lest we fall out of favor with God through an act of disobedience.

1 Corinthians 10:1-12
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Through the writings of Isaiah, God tells us to remember the former things of old, reminding us that from ancient times there remains things that are not yet done, what we think of as prophecy. As much as we accept there was a Garden of Eden, an Exodus, and Jesus Christ, we must accept there remains fulfillment of prophecy. If we fail to remember what was once ancient, we may fail to comprehend when prophecy is not something not yet done but in front of us during our life.

Isaiah 46:9-13
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

When Jesus taught His disciples about the New Testament Passover, he told them the bread and wine were symbols to remind followers of Him, His broken body, and His spilled blood for our sins.

Luke 22:14-20
And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

With the death and resurrection of Jesus comes something that the Israelites could not have understood prior to this time, that with the death and resurrection of Jesus, sins and iniquities would not be remembered by God through the forgiveness of sins. This forgiveness of sins is the reason why Christians have no need of offerings for sin as was the case during Old Testament times.

Hebrews 10:11-18
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Ecclesiastes tells us to remember God well before God is needed. Ecclesiastes tells the reader to remember God in their youth before they are elderly. From this we can discern the importance of having a relationship with God at all times, not just when we need something from God.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-5
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low; Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

Remembering is a theme found in Psalms and Proverbs. We are told that some of the benefits we have from God is forgiveness of sins, being healed of diseases, saving us from ourselves, and being showered with loving kindness and mercy. We are told to remember these benefits of being aligned with God.

Psalm 103:1-6
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

In another Psalm we are told to remember God’s wonderful works because God is gracious and full of compassion.

Psalm 111:1-4
Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth forever. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

Proverbs tells us the memory of the just is blessed, showing that those who live as God would expect us will typically be remembered favorably while those who are remembered as evil will be remembered unfavorably.

Proverbs 10:6-7
Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.

In writing to the Ephesians, Paul reminds us to remember the time in our life before God was part of our life. For those born in the faith, that time happened about the time you went from being a child doing what your parents expected to making the personal commitment to do what God expects. Paul tells us to remember the time when we were without Christ to compare that to where we are now. Paul tells us to remember when we lived our life without hope and without knowledge of God, and compare that to where we are now. He then reminds us of the peace we have now, how that now we are reconciled to God the Father through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:11-18
Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

To Timothy, Paul wrote to remember that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, and that even though at times he, Paul, was imprisoned, through Jesus Christ, Paul was always free because the word of God is unlimited and not subject to any limitations imposed by mankind. Paul tells us that as we have difficult times in our life, we are to be reminded of the suffering that was Jesus’ and the salvation we have that is through Jesus, knowing that we die because of the faith, we will be resurrected because of the faith. If we are oppressed because of the faith, we will rule because of the faith.

2 Timothy 2:8-13
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Paul reminded the Thessalonians that before the return of Jesus Christ, there will be a falling away spurred on by a man of sin, a son of perdition who opposes God and thinks of himself to be more than God. Through Paul’s writings we are also reminded of this future reality, how this person will be inspired by Satan with unlimited power and wonders. When this man of sin comes, God will send a strong delusion to many that they should believe the lie. We are reminded of this now, before this happens.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

We want nothing to do with this man of sin. If we are alive when this man of sin is alive, we might need to share the same planet, but that is much as we need to do with this man of sin. The Book of Revelation shows that at the end time God will remember the iniquities of this world, and if we do not come out of this world and continue to live as other people live in this world, we will suffer the same consequences as this world.

When the evil that is this world collapses, the implosion will be horrific and along with a destroyed society will be every type of demon, who exist in the realm of confusion as God is not the author of confusion, but Satan is. When the evil that is this world collapses all nations will be impacted as we live in a very interdependent and interconnected world.

When the evil that is this world collapses there will be no righteous nation that is spared, because all nations have been part of the evil that is this world. When the evil that is this world collapses there will be no worldly leader that is righteous because the kings of the earth have committed fornication with what is evil. We are told to come out of this evil. We are to remember to do all that God expects of us.

Revelation 18:1-8
And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

We can take confidence that by remembering we are of God and that we are to come out of the evil that is this world that there is no condemnation for us as we live in Jesus Christ because we walk after the spirit having the Holy Spirit, unlike those who walk after the flesh because they do not have the Holy Spirit. We can take confidence that through Jesus Christ we have life through the Holy Spirit that brings righteousness.

Romans 8:1-10
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

The end of a year is a great time to remember what happened during the year. It is a time to pause and reflect. For those of us who are called, each day is a day to remember that at one time we did not know God as we now know. For those who were not born into the faith there was a time where we are of the evil of this world. For those born in the faith there was a time when we made a personal commitment to have God in our lives instead of having God in our lives solely through our parent’s relationship with God. We need to remember our life before God knowing that now we have peace through Jesus Christ that transcends all situations of life. We also need to remember in bad times and good times that through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit we have been given, we have life and righteousness knowing that there is no condemnation for us because we have the Holy Spirit and live our life according to the spirit.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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