The first is actually a holdover from May that didn’t make it into our 2011 Memorial Day Tribute.
Moving to June, the tolerance police continue to run wild, insisting on tolerance for everything except Christianity.
Our toons this month include the Fast and Furious, the economy, and others. See June 2011 Toon Review for the archive. Enjoy and God Bless.
The Bible is the mind of God, and reveals the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to supply you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s chart.Despite attempts throughout history to ignore, ridicule or even eradicate the Bible, it continues to live on long after its critics go to their graves. It also continues to transform the lives of all who believe and are unashamed of its message (Rom 1:16). Although the heavens and earth will pass away, God’s Word will live forever (Is 40:8, Lk 21:33), continuing to accomplish His purpose (Is 55:11).Here Paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be open at the Judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibly, will reward the greatest labor, and condemns all who trifle with its contents.
We were recently sent a copy of the new Dave Sterrett book, Why Trust Jesus, for our review. Dave is an adjunct philosophy professor at Liberty University, a part time missionary, frequent radio guest, and speaker for I am Second and Probe Ministries. He has ministered to a variety of audiences with Christian apologists Josh McDowell and Kerby Anderson.Dave has written a concise book in order to examine and answer many of the most common questions, doubts and fears expressed by both Christians and non-believers. He maintains a great balance in his sources, using logic to reason from Scripture, history, philosophy, science, and personal experience to provide clear and relevant answers for these questions. It is also evangelical and even devotional at times.
Each question takes the form of “Why should I trust Jesus …?” To name a few, Why should I trust Jesus when there are so many other spiritual paths, when I not sure that God is real, when I’ve been let down so many times, when life is going great or in the midst of suffering and death, when I failed so many times, and several other common questions that most of us have asked at one time or another.
Read the entire Why Trust Jesus review, including a chapter-by-chapter analysis and more.
We received a surprise gift for this Memorial Day. Our son and two other US marines decided to take a last-minute road trip home. One was dropped off with his family in Lubbock while the other two continued to their homes in the Dallas area for the holiday.On this Memorial Day, we remember and honor those who have paid the ultimate price to preserve our freedoms. Yet, as we look around at what our country is becoming in the last few decades, we have to ask, “Is this what they died for?” Several years ago, Dr D James Kennedy preached a sermon entitled The Twilight’s Last Gleaming in which he stated:
Memorial Day is a day when we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, who have given their lives that we might enjoy the life and the freedom we have in America today. How prone we are to forget—to forget the terror that filled the hearts of young eighteen- and nineteen-year-old men when they landed on the beaches of strange islands that until a few weeks before they had never even heard of; to forget the anguish and blood of those who lay wounded in foxholes. All of that is forgotten in the midst of our modern pleasures.There's not much that we'd like to add to Dr Kennedy's words at this time, but we'll briefly comment on a couple of related topics. First, the election season must be beginning. Mr Obama actually laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier earlier today instead of sending a representative as in previous years. Once that was out of the way, he then headed out to the Fort Belvoir golf course for his ninth golfing weekend in a row. We wonder, where are the media members who constantly denigrated President Bush for his occasional golf outings before he gave up the game early in his presidency out of respect for the families of those killed in Iraq?One person wrote a striking Memorial Day letter-to-the-editor of a newspaper. The person asked: “What would the veterans who died in World War I, World War II, Vietnam and Korea—by the hundreds of thousands—say if they could see the lifestyle in the United States today? Would they say, ‘Is this what I gave my life for? Was it worth this?’”
In the decades since these died in battle, much has changed in America. Never in the history of the world, one writer said, has any nation so quickly jettisoned its system of belief. We have forgotten or rejected our nation’s Christian foundation and, as such, we are witnessing the demise of Christianity in America.
In less than fifty years, we have seen our Christian principles sift through our fingers like sand. The United States Supreme Court has banned from public schools prayer and Bible reading. We have removed the Ten Commandments from courthouses and pulled the plug on prayers at graduations and football games—each step has stripped our culture of the Christian roots of this nation.
A recent survey reveals that only 13 percent of Americans believe in all of the Ten Commandment… Morality is in steep decline and traditional values have become passé. The country many servicemen died to defend so that faith, family, and freedom would be upheld is quickly vanishing. “Is this what they gave their life for?” the letter-to-the-editor asked. Is this the America for which soldiers sacrificed?
Much of the blame for where our nation stands morally falls at the feet of Christians. America is in a moral crisis, and yet some Christians are “playing” church. The soul of our nation is at stake, and yet some of us have turned a blind eye to the moral decay gripping our culture.
The day may come when our grandchildren ask, “Whatever happened to Christianity in America?” It is sure to happen, unless we get down on our knees and earnestly pray. As we remember the great sacrifice made by so many hundreds of thousands, may we rededicate our lives to this nation and to those spiritual truths that made it great.
We may not give our lives on some bloody field or trench or rice paddy, but may God make us heroes of the faith who will be faithful to Jesus Christ, who will return our country to Christian values, who will be living heroes as brave as those who died for our country—those whose footsteps we follow in battle, those we remember.
Next, we got some good news this year when federal District Judge Lynn Hughes granted a restraining order inhibiting Veteran Affairs officials’ attempt to prevent the Rev Scott Rainey from mentioning Jesus’ name during Memorial Day prayers at Houston National Cemetery. After a warning from the judge, Assistant US Attorney Fred Hindrichs informed the court that VA would drop their demands
Finally for Christians, as we are honoring the brave soldiers that gave their lives for our country’s freedoms, let us not forget our Lord Jesus Christ who sacrificed His life so that we might enjoy freedom from the bondage of sin the second death (eternal separation from God). Instead, we have the gift of eternal life. Thank you Jesus, and God Bless our Troops.
We are pleased to announce that the 8-hour 2011 Troopathon event is scheduled for June 23. This cutting edge live webcast event will bring together talk radio hosts, film and television stars, musical guests, military families, pro-troop groups and many more. Last year’s participants included Michele Bachmann, Sarah Palin (see Ms Palin’s May 2 tribute to the troops at Colorado Christian Universary), US Navy SEAL Ben Smith, John Bolton, Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski, Laura Ingraham, Dennis Miller, Sean Hannity, Tom Osborne, Kelsey Grammer, Rush Limbaugh, and many more. This year’s lineup will be announced soon.
The goal of this charity fundraiser is to send the largest ever shipment of care packages to our brave men and women of the armed forces serving overseas (last year’s Troopathon raised almost $700,000). Each package includes a personalized message and consists of items that our troops have requested such as sun-screen, Gatorade, deodorant, coffee, snacks and much more. These are basic items that most of us take for granted, but are a real treat that makes a soldier's life a little easier while they are far from home.
We are honored to have participated in the associated blogger competition each year since its inception in 2009. In this friendly contest, military supporting bloggers battle it out to see who can raise the most sponsorships for care packages that will go to our brave troops putting their lives on the line fighting Al Qaeda, the Taliban and others in order to insure the freedoms that we enjoy. This year, we’re on “Team 6” (as in SEAL team SIX).
If you choose to donate, we request that you click on the banner above to purchase your care package. We receive no commission, and all purchases are tax-deductable. Thank you very much for your support. God Bless our Military.
Today is Armed Forces Day. Unfortunately, this day tends to pass without recognition by many in the general public. If you are a veteran, or have a family member that served or has served our country, it is a very special day.From the US Department of Defense website:
President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.As the proud father of an active US Marine, I salute and say a heartfelt “Thank You and God Bless” to all the dedicated members of our Armed Forces. Despite the inept leadership of our politicians, our troops remain far and away, the finest on this earth.On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under one department -- the Department of Defense.
The Real Issue is a blog of ad Dei Gloriam Ministries. We discuss various issues of spiritual, moral, ethical, political, social, philosophical and economic interests. These issues however, are merely symptoms of the central issue, which is how we view God. What we think of God determines our worldview, through which all our thoughts are filtered. So, while we're discussing the merits of various opinions on cultural topics, keep in mind that ultimately, God is the real issue.
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