Honoring Rev Fred Proctor: A Tribute to His Legacy

Honoring Rev. Fred Proctor's legacy and the sacrifices of military personnel.

The importance of peace and the role of faith in achieving it.

The concept of 'peace through strength' and the need to stand against threats.

The ultimate source of true peace: Jesus Christ.

Saturday Baptist Church dot com. This is Fred Proctor, senior pastor, and we are so glad that you are here. Visiting with us on this is a virtual church, online church. We're on the World Wide Web. It goes that's going out all over the world. and I made the statement before we are I think the only generation so far that has been able to take the gospel and go into all the world that's what Jesus said right before he went back go ye therefore into all the world and preach the gospel unto every creature and we're able to do that with the world wide web And I'm so glad that you are here with us on this Memorial Day weekend. You see behind me the background. That's Arlington, a little part of Arlington National Cemetery up in Washington, D.C. I have been there. and that's just a small part of it but it's a time when we honor those who paid the supreme sacrifice those men and women in the military all branches of the military and let me say to all those that gave their life that we might have peace in the United States. We will never forget. We will never forget. So I'm going to read just a few verses from the book of Romans, chapter 5, verse 1. beginning with verse 1 Romans chapter 5 verse beginning with verse 1 therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Now, peace. All the wars that I remember, that the United States has been involved in, and I don't remember many of them. I have no recollection of World War II because when it started, I think I was about less than eight months old. since we didn't have radios until longer. I don't remember much about the Korean War, very little about it, But certainly remember, we remember the war in Vietnam. I was not in Vietnam. I was in Okinawa, but it was in the Cold War. And Okinawa had been rebuilt. It was pretty much a modern place. and of course I remember Desert Storm and it's been one war after another and it's been fought and these men and women their remains that's buried there in Arlington National Cemetery and in our many military cemeteries throughout the United States, and many of them weren't buried in it. They were buried in a church cemetery or a private cemetery. I don't know how many people died in combat, but many, many of them. And they fought and died that we might have peace in the United States because our enemies wanted to take over the United States of America and take away from us the peace that we have and had fought for going all the way back to the Revolutionary War and war and World War I and so on. But it was all for peace. So, therefore, and I will read that word therefore means the following chapters therefore it's a result of what is in the other chapters but I won't read it therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ And I could say, therefore, we have peace in the United States of America through these men and women that paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives that we might have and maintain and keep this peace. so it's about it's been fought over peace many wars have I don't know many wars have been fought over many different things oil I guess and minerals and just territorial rights I don't know I've never done a study on it but we can take the Bible and certainly it is we can compare what I'm talking about with what happened and this of course I guess is I don't know remains of people from World War I World War II I guess I know it's World War II and all that but we have peace through our Lord Jesus Christ because he paid the ultimate sacrifice. And we will never forget he paid the ultimate sacrifice. But as a way of introduction, I don't need to really do this, but I want to do it. This world is full of heartache and pain. We know that. Every way you turn, it's troubles. And I'm not a pessimist. I'm a realist. But we have a lot of troubles. And it all started in the Garden of Eden when the serpent, the snake, came and deceived Eve. And then she sinned and gave to her husband, Adam. And he did eat and he sinned. And we inherited that sin nature. Every person that's ever been born or will be born except Jesus Christ inherited the sin nature. We inherited it. And as a matter of fact, you see, when God drove them out of the Garden of Eden, here is Cain and Abel, their first offsprings. and of course they weren't kids they were men but Cain got mad and killed his brother murdered his brother Abel it was because God had said you when you bring a sacrifice it's got to be the blood without the shedding of innocent blood there is no forgiveness or remission of sins so Abel brought a sheep a lamb and shed his blood like God had said Cain refused to obey that brought the best vegetables but that was not what God said that's to be the shedding of blood there has to be the giving of life and no one was ever saved through the blood of of a lamb but it was a type of what Jesus would do on Calvary so there had to be a shedding of blood and there's been heartaches and pain and trials and tribulations and troubles on every hand and the devil is the one who started this and I will repeat our slogan never never trust a snake never trust a snake let's just look just look thank God we're not at war but look at Ukraine there they've been attacked if you don't know about the war in Ukraine you've been in outer space or somewhere been totally in the cave or something but there's war and death Russia declared war attacked and it's still going on and people are still dying many many people are still dying you see and the Bible says Jesus said it in the Bible in the last days, or coming up on the last days, there shall be wars and rumors of wars. There's always going to be wars, and then there will be a final war when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back to set up his kingdom, the millennial kingdom and there will be the battle of Armageddon but we won't go into that but it took all of these men and women in the military and I did not know this till recently I heard it I'm pretty sure that's correct that during World War II we had a total the strength of our total military Army Navy Air Force Marines Coast Guard I lost 12 million men and women and it took strength it wasn't just you just go out and say now you stop that or I'll go smack you on the hand or something. No, it took strength. It took determination. It took something very sacrificial. They gave it. We honor our men and women in the military who paid the supreme sacrifice. And we honor our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Christ who paid the supreme sacrifice on Calvary's cross someone said one of our more modern-day presidents that might have been President Reagan I'm not sure but but there's a great this is foot this little three letter word is full of truth. Peace through strength. You know, you have to fight. Nobody wants, as far as I know, unless it's some kind of a pervert or something like that, nobody wants to go to war. Nobody wants to die. I mean, nobody wants the country tore up and all of this, but if we are weak, we will be taken over. If we don't stand like these memorials here, then there are people that would come and take us over and take from us our peace and joy that we enjoy. And let me say, you cannot have true peace except through and from Jesus Christ the Lord. I'm going to just read this verse 1 from our text. Romans chapter 5, verse 1. Therefore, being justified by faith, and we put our faith, that word faith means our hope, our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And when our men and women in the military went to war, they had faith. I guess their faith wavered sometimes, you know. It looked like that we wouldn't, because we were fighting, we were fighting a war in Asia and also a war in Europe, fighting a war with Japan and fighting, of course, a war with Germany, Adolf Hitler. And here is two major countries that's at war with us. And it was very costly. But I thank God that people cared enough about peace to say, if it takes my life, I will lay it down. if it's if this if it takes my life i will pay the supreme sacrifice by shedding my blood and giving my life and i thank you and i salute you uh everyone everyone that paid this price that we might have peace and it was peace through strength, not, you know, somebody had to pay the price. It's only by the power of God that his children can have peace. It's only through by the power of God. Christ made peace. Now, in Colossians chapter 1, verse 20, and having made peace through the blood of his cross. He died, not because somebody grabbed him up and drug him over and pulled his arms down, you know. No, no. He said, no man takes my life. I lay it down. I'm giving my life that you might have life, but you have to accept it. You have to believe it. Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus that he died on the cross, was buried, and that God the Father raised God the Son up on the third day. And he paid that price and having made peace through his blood. I know a lot of people say, well, we don't like to hear about blood. Well, I'm going to tell you something. without blood there's no life the bible says the life is in the blood if you have no blood you're dead if your blood gets if you're cut or wounded or shot or something and your blood runs out you're dead it takes the blood life is to the blood and having made peace through the blood of his cross. He suffered more than any man ever suffered or ever will suffer for that period of time. You know, my, my, how the love of God, how that he laid down his life for you, for you and for me. But we have to accept it. We have to accept it. And ask him, say, Lord, I know I'm a sinner. I know that I'm not, I can't save myself. I can't be good enough. Because the Bible said there's none good. No, not one. Because we're born with sin in our nature. Now, I always put this in here because it's true. the blood of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of Jesus Christ covers children until they reach the age of accountability. What is, I don't know. I do not know. But they're covered. And it is, someone had to pay the price. Those, and I'm pointing at right behind me, and that's just a small portion. You know, a lot of people, a lot of men and women in the military are not buried anywhere here in the United States. They're, who knows where they're at? All different countries. Many of them died at sea and I'm here to just mention, well, if someone died at sea and they were buried, you know, or maybe they didn't even get a funeral. They were on some kind of a submarine or a battleship or carrier or whatever. And they were, it was blown up. And they died. And people say, well, you know, that's all gone. I mean, a shark may have eaten their body. And I'm not trying to be gross or gruesome. I'm telling the fact. But don't you ever worry about that. God knows everything about us. God knows everything. And you don't need to worry about that. He knows. He knows all about us. But I'll hurry along and say, I think that almost everyone wants peace. Like most world leaders, you have people in Iran. they're always wanting to kill somebody and they're I think listed as a terrorist nation and North Korea and even communist China they hate the leaders hate Christianity they're they're communists they don't believe in God and but most Most, as a general rule, world leaders, church leaders, parents, children, most people want to live in peace. I don't want to be bothered with all of this. I don't want someone coming and saying, I'm going to take over and you're going to do what I tell you. That's the reason America came into existence. We left the motherland of England because we were being stifled and we couldn't worship the way that we wanted to. And so we came over here and we had to fight the Revolutionary War. And through the mighty hand of God God has helped us and given us victory in every war And we did win the war in Vietnam regardless of what a lot of people say We won it. I believe that totally. So, and talking about people that want peace, People strive for peace through every conceivable means. World leaders that care will talk and negotiate and try to, you know, to calm things down. And people, individuals, they will do everything in the world to make their life peaceable. And, you know, I don't want to be bothered with it. Well, I don't either. I don't. But Christ made peace by his death on the cross. I've said that. I'm going to repeat it. And I may repeat it more in this sermon. Christ made peace. And these, the remains, the bodily remains. because the Bible definitely teaches many, many times. When a person dies, the body goes back to the ground from whence it came, but the soul goes wherever it's going. If you're a born-again Christian, you go to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. If you're not a born-again Christian, when you die, you go to hell. That's very plain. I don't have the time, but I could, and I'm not here to try to prove anything. It doesn't have to be proven. It's the word of God. And when he says it, we should accept it. So, and all, everyone who accepts Jesus and says, Lord, I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner. And they accept that. They can have peace. Christ preached peace. Let me read you this. It says, and came and preached peace to you which were afar off and to them that were nigh. That's in our close. That's in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 17. Christ's message was given to the Jew first, but then to the Gentile. that anyone who is not a Jew is a Gentile. That's the way God set things up. And who am I? I accept it. I thank God for what he's done. But he preached it. And I want to say to you, this peace is available to all. Now, let me kind of give you a little side-by-side illustration. You live in the United States of America. We are at peace. At least we are at peace with other nations. So many people are not at peace with themselves, and I don't want to go into all the troubles. We've always had trouble. There's always been trouble. If you don't believe it, read the Bible. It's always been trouble. But this peace is available to everyone, to black and white and red and yellow, to young and old, to the rich and to the poor. Those who hear the word of God, accept and believe it. They can and will receive the peace of God. As I said, all of this started in the Garden of Eden because they, Adam and Eve, refused to be obedient unto God and to accept what he said. And it's all started and this is the way it's been. Going, going, going. All right. Christ gives peace. Now listen. This is in the book of John, chapter 14, verse 27. Jesus is speaking. Peace. I leave with you because he was going back. He did go back, but he's coming back again. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. John 14, 27. The peace that he gives is everlasting. we will go through trials and tribulations yep we're tested by by the hand of God but the wrath of God is not poured out upon us as Christians so I will relate a personal story that I heard my granddad Proctor lived just Just left the road from us. You could be up there in two minutes, three minutes. And he told this. I remember him telling this story. Right after World War I, he was out in front of his house. And he said, a man come walking down the road. People back then walked. A lot of them walked because they didn't have cars. And he said, this man, he might have said his name, but I didn't know him, of course. And he met my granddad, and he was laughing and jovial, you know, and asked Grandpa, have you heard the good news? And my granddad said, what good news? and whoever was the president at the end of World War I had made a speech and said, this is the end of all wars. There will never be another war on this earth, not in the United States, never again. Well, this man was so ignorant from the word of God that he believed it. And he was just upbeat, you know, and of course we know that that was not the case. It was wars and rumors of wars. It's always because the peace that's in the world, it satisfies for just a short time and then somebody will rise up. Saddam Hussein, Ayatollah Khomeini, Hitler, you know, all these different ones. And they want to, I want to rule over you. I'm going to take over you. I'm going to take over your country. But thank God for these men and women. And I'm trying to make sure that you see that I'm pointing to this behind me. All these men and women. Every man and woman who fought and served in the military and gave their life, it's keeping peace. It's only, we have to fight. We have to fight for it. There'll be no lasting peace until the Lord Jesus Christ, the rapture takes place. Then the great tribulation and seven years later, Jesus comes back, sets up his kingdom and rules and reigns for a thousand years. And that's when it says the lion shall lay down with the lamb and the lion shall eat straw. And there will be peace on earth because Jesus will rule with a rod of iron and you're going to do it. The peace that Christ gives is what the world needs. It can solve world problems. And it can solve family problems. And it can solve home problems, marriage problems, all kinds of problems. The only answer to this is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a real and lasting peace. And I'm going to say it again. this piece is not earned. We can't earn it. Someone else paid the price for it. The piece that I am enjoying right here in this studio to be able to send out this message to all the world, going out all over the world. Somebody else paid the price that I could do this. Somebody else. Those men and women that gave their life fighting for the freedom and the peace of this nation. I owe all of this to them, and all of us owe it to those who paid the price. So this peace is not earned through Jesus Christ. The peace we have now is earned through their blood, their sacrifice, those people. that we see that's just a sample, small sample. It cannot be purchased. You cannot buy it. And we see, especially in the Old Testament, kings would pay ransom for some other king to not come in and declare war and take over. but we cannot, the true peace is free. It's a free gift. For God, this is John 3.16. I'm going to close here in a minute. John 3.16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life It's a free gift. God gave his son. His son, Jesus, gave his life. And whosoever will, that's you and you and everybody in the world, you will accept and confess your sins and say, Jesus, I'm a sinner. I don't want to die and go to hell. Please forgive me. Now, if we are to have his peace, he must have us. You know, people say, well, I do my good deeds. I do this. I do that. I'm a church member. and well, all that's fine, but you cannot. Jesus Christ said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh, and that man or woman, boy or girl, no one comes to me, to the Father, except through me. I am here. I'm the answer. I paid the price when he hung on the cross and cried out. it is finished paid in full that was it he paid our sin debt we must give it all to him we must give our plans to him so many people make plans and there's nothing wrong with that but you better make sure that he is included in your plans because if you leave him out you will fail and you will not like the consequences. So we must give all to him our plans, our will. Not my will, oh Lord, but your will be done. Our future. I don't know what the future holds for any of us, but I do know this much about the future for every one of us. it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment you don't believe it wherever you live whatever funeral homes let's go on there sometime and read the bit your words and over and over and over and over people are dying because God said sin brings about death and sin brings about the lack of peace. And you know what? These people that are buried, that gave their life, these men and women in the military that gave their life, it was because someone didn't even believe in God and truly left God out of their plans And they said, we will just take over America. We will defeat America. But thank God, God has helped us. And we certainly need to turn back to God as a people and ask him to revive us. Now, again, in the book of Romans, chapter 15, verse 13. now the God of hope got to have some hope I hope a lot of people say I hope everything gets better I hope everybody that's sick gets well well everybody that's sick not going to get well because it's a time to die but listen to this now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit, the same thing. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing in him. Psalm 85 verse 8. we read I will hear what the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints but let them not turn again to folly walk with God make sure God is in your plans everything then and everything that you do put God first make sure make sure that you are a born-again Christian and that when you die you won't go to hell again people saw I wish you wouldn't mention hell well let me just give you this when Jesus was here during his earthly ministry about three and a half years he preached more about hell than he did heaven because he did not want anyone going to hell you can read especially in the book of the revelation about how terrible hell is so then john chapter 16 verse 33 he says these things i have spoken unto you that in me that's Jesus that in me you might have peace in the world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world thank God and I want to again keep reminding you this is Memorial Day weekend and these remains all over the world, at least a big part of the world, men and women who died fighting for this peace and freedom in the United States. It could be said, those that died in Europe, it could be said, I've overcome Hitler. Yep. And those in the Pacific could say, I've overcome Japan because Japan jumped on us, you know, and started at Pearl Harbor. So somebody had to pay the price. Now listen, this last verse, and I'm through. 2 Thessalonians 3, verse 16. Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. I'm going to leave you with that verse. I'll read it again. Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. Now, I'm going to ask you to bow your head for just a minute, because every time we preach, we give people an invitation and say, now you heard the gospel, the death, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You've heard it. And if you're not a Christian, you have to make a choice. are you going to accept Jesus Christ and just tell him Lord I'm lost I'm a sinner I've never asked you to forgive me of my sins and save my soul I saw something just a few days ago somebody had put on one of the social media said I hear all of this talk about Christians saying be saved and this person said saved from what well saved from hell you don't want to go there you don't have to go there but you will if you don't go to the lord jesus christ just talk to him just tell him lord i'm lost i'm i'm in misery i have no peace in my life every day it's something all the time it's trouble then it's just so many people worry about it but jesus said lord you said it casting all your cares upon him so everything every care that you got on jesus and just pray and ask him. I'm not going to pray the prayer for you. You can pray it. If it's out of your heart and you truly mean it, it could be, Lord, help. Lord, save me. And he'll save you. You can't do anything. You can't add anything to it Because Jesus said on the cross, Lord, you said it. It is finished. My, please listen. Do not put off asking Jesus Christ to come into your life and he will give you peace. Behold, today is the day of salvation. I pray that you will. Oh God I pray That you'll just pray that prayer From your heart And mean it And he will save you You will be born again Thank you Heavenly Father In Jesus name I pray Amen and Amen Thank you for Visiting BrighterDayBaptistChurch.com Hope you have a great weekend And don't forget those who paid the total price that you might be able to go where you want to this weekend and

Playlist coming soon.