Comments by Joan Boney:
Several years ago, I was very shocked when I saw my aunt and her Baptist friend going to the cemetery to decorate graves on the secular USA holiday, Memorial Day.
I said to them, "Why are you doing these pagan acts as if you do not believe in the resurrection of the dead?"
We, as Christians, must consider that which we are doing on this earth.
The apostle Paul explains:
I Thessalonians 4
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with HIM.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead).
16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
***
My cousin's husband died.
She was going to the cemetery to decorate Thurman's grave.
I said to her: "Who are you trying to impress? Thurman is dead. He is asleep. He does not know you are at his grave placing flowers. And he cannot see those flowers. He is sleeping. So who are you trying to impress?"
She thought about what I said, and after a few moments she replied, "Then it really doesn't matter where we are buried."
"That is correct," I replied.
(I think my cousin was born again with this truth.)
***
Most nights, I watch a little of the TV world news, often with the sound off.
I see the people putting flowers at the places where various people have been shot and killed. These are pagan acts. They are meaningless, for the dead person is asleep.
Who are these people who carry flowers trying to impress?
Paul told us not to live like those pagans who have no hope.
Think about that which you are about to do as a Christian!
*****