I don't think any of us will ever forget the images of the day that the Federal Office Building in Oklahoma City was destroyed by a terrorist bomb. They are images of that devastated building, the frantic rescue efforts there, and of a baby in a fireman's arms. It was a day of heart-wrenching tragedy and it was a day of incredible heroism, too. Literally, an entire city dropped everything to respond in whatever way they could to this life-or-death situation. The job was clear that day: rescue the dying whatever it takes.
Arlington National Cemetery represents many different things for the almost four million people who visit annually. From funerals, to honoring war heroes, this cemetery is a very important piece of America's unforgettable history. But of all the things we can learn from the site of the 300,000 graves in the nation's second largest cemetery, we are reminded that graves are a physical sign of an eternal destination - and none of us are exempt. For "Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment..." (Hebrews 9:27 , NIV).
A friend told me he's been coming to Ocean City, Maryland since the 1970s, when most of what you see now wasn't there. Not that many folks used to come to Ocean City. I asked my friend what changed that. "Oh, the bridge," he said. The building of what is called the Bay Bridge opened up this beautiful spot to many people who had never experienced it before.
1 Corinthians 15:17-18 (New Living Translation), "And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost!"
Have you ever stopped to think about where your life would be as a Christ follower if Jesus had not been raised from the dead?
