Friday, May 22, 2009

This Soldier Really Did Lay Down His Life For His Friends

Gerald's Story - A Tribute to Valor
John 15:13
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

June 6, 1944... So long ago, on a beach so far from the heartland of America, the course of history was changed. The liberation of Europe began, and the life of T/Sgt Gerald Henderson ended.

This is the report of his death given when the Distinguished Service Cross was awarded to his family after the war ended.

“For extraordinary heroism against the enemy on June 6, 1944, in Normandy France, on D-day, Technical Sergeant Henderson, while exposed to intense enemy artillery, mortar, machine-gun, and small arms fire, heroically supervised the unloading of men and vehicles from his landing craft. Observing that a vehicle from an adjoining landing craft had stalled, he voluntarily drove a truck along the fire swept beech, plunged into the water, and fastened a cable to the vehicle. After towing it safely to shore, he personally carried two wounded occupants to safety and rendered first aid. He returned to the beach and amid bursting shells and devastating small arms fire, courageously continuing his rescue work. While carrying a wounded soldier across the beach to a position of safety a shell landed near this valiant soldier fatally wounding him. His heroic achievements in the initial landing resulted in the saving of many lives and much vital equipment. The self sacrificing devotion to duty, personal bravery and valorous leadership displayed by Technical Sergeant Henderson exemplified the highest tradition of the armed forces. (Auth GO 92, HQ, 21st US Army, 18th infantry, antitank company)”

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I wonder about the men he carried to the safety of the cliffs. I wonder if they knew Gerald in the first place or if they were just strangers in need of help. I wonder if they survived the war. Did they have children already who would have lost their father that day. Were they married? Did their mothers learn that their sons were saved, but Gerald's mother lost her son that day?

And mostly I wonder what these men did with the rest of their lives? Since Gerald's life was cut short so their lives could run a natural course, did they feel any obligation to live their lives in a way that would make Gerald think his sacrifice was worth it that day?

Today, other soldiers are fighting all over the globe. It isn't called a world war this time, but it surely appears to be one. And I know bravery and self sacrifice are not limited to any one generation. There are soldiers today who may wish things were different, but never the less, they will do their duty to the highest measure necessary.

But bravery and self sacrifice are not limited to the battlefield. That is just the obvious place people look for such heroism. In truth, bravery worthy of the highest honor is present all around us, in all levels of society, economics, and cultural variances. The character that allows such bravery to defy extreme adversity is built daily in the lives of men and women and children who just get up and do what is required of them every day. Most days it isn't that hard. Some days it is very hard. And on that occasional day when doing one's duty seems impossible, the individual who has already set the habit of "just getting the job done" will just get the job done that day as well.

I have heard the question, "Have you thanked a vet today?" asked many times over the years. I suppose the question is supposed to make us think of the price paid for our freedom and the American way of life. But how would you thank the veterans who did not return? A proper tribute is in the way each of us lives our lives. There are three things everyone who lives with the blessing of freedom should do.

First, fully acknowledge that complete freedom is only possible through Jesus Christ. But he uses all sorts of people to allow us the freedom we enjoy in every day life

Second, only accept the boundaries in our lives that are imposed by God and national law that doesn't contradict God's law. This means DO love God, keep the commandments, treat others the way you want to be treated, be moderate, and be modest. It also means DO NOT allow your self to be ruled by political correctness, social acceptability, or peer pressure. These things will only add unnecessary complications to your life and hinder you from doing whatever God actually has for you to do.

Third, lay down your life. Surrender to God. True surrender means agreeing to do what God asks of you before you actually know what it is. Then it means doing what you know to do every day. The husband and father who provides for his family often has to set aside many personal wants and ambitions to do what is best for his family. The mother who cares for her children 24 hours a day has to lay down things she wants to do in order to do what needs to be done. The child who obeys his or her parents will set aside their own desire in order to be obedient. Just do your duty - in full measure. What ever your race is for the day - just do it as well and cheerfully as possible.

In full surrender to God, and consistent completion of duty - you will come to realize that your fulfillment could not be greater, and your joy will only grow greater. You will be taking full advantage of the freedom provided by God, and all those He used to provide your freedom. You will effectively have "thanked a vet" by the way you live your life.

Gerald's Song

Our freedom was bought by soldiers of honor, who sleep in the valley of the shadow of death.

Now weeping endures for the night but God promised, joy comes in the morning with a trump and a shout.

I'll see you tomorrow when the trumpet shall sound, the death song from sorrow to victory resounds.

Grave clothes all changed for white robes and crowns, I'll see you and know you when the trumpet shall sound.

Your face in the picture, your laugh in my mind, all fade and grow dimmer one day at a time.

The words on the tombstone may weather away, but your name is on the Father's hand awaiting that day.

I'll see you tomorrow when the trumpet shall sound, the death song from sorrow to victory resounds. Grave clothes all changed for white robes and crowns, I'll see you and know you when the trumpet shall sound.

Our redemption was bought by God's son the Savior, crucified, buried, but rose up the third day.

Ascended to heaven to be with the Father, but coming back to receive us with a trump and a shout.

I'll see you tomorrow when the trumpet shall sound, the death song from sorrow to victory resounds.

Grave clothes all changed for white robes and crowns, I'll see you and know you when the trumpet shall sound.

I wrote these lyrics - but I need someone to write music to go with the lyrics.

Thanks,

Barbara Henderson

Thursday, May 21, 2009

The New Democrat/Socialist Party

The Republican Party has recently labeled their rivals as the Democrat/Socialist Party.

The simple truth is the Democrat Party IS beyond any reasonable doubt, quite socialist in its ideology, practice, and vision. Republicans are backing off on making it official. However, we the people can call them anything we want to call them, as long as it is truthful AND G rated – meaning acceptable to be spoken anywhere.

Some are calling this ‘name calling’, irrelevant to the problems we are facing, juvenile, childish, and a host of other insults.
This is typical democratic strategy. They are attempting to change people’s perception of the problem to something much less definable.
The truth is that socialism is BAD.
Socialistic theology is rampant in government.
The Democratic Party is the leader in implementing socialist policies.

For the most part, people in the United States have been taught that ‘socialist’ or ‘socialism’ are bad words defining repressive government policies. Anything related to socialism is bad. It certainly IS true that Socialism is bad. Unfortunately, while teaching that socialism is bad, no one has been taught exactly ‘what’ socialism is,

Basically, socialism
Believes the government should own all businesses, banks, and land.
Works toward implanting their beliefs in how a nation is run by micromanaging details of everything.
Will advance socialism to full blown communism (see dictionary definition at end of article)

Now, in what direction would you say the current Democrat/Socialist party is headed?

Step one of socialism is to believe in socialism. Step two is to put beliefs into practice.

Current action of the Democrat/Socialist party IS placing the ownership and control of many industries in the hands of the government. THEN they are spouting psycho-babble claiming it is an investment in the future for the people of America. In truth, it is government grab of power and industry; and, what the working class gets out of it is higher taxes and less freedom.

THIS IS SOCIALISM! DUH!
Why are Democrats so upset about people telling the truth? Actions speak louder than words. If Democrats don’t want to be labeled as socialists, then stop acting like socialists.

It appears that we are in the stage of transitioning between capitalism and communism. Communism is a one party system. Unfortunately, the Republican Party has so many RINO’s (republican in name only) that we are much farther down the road to a one party system than it appears by looking at a list of red states and blue states.

Are the Democrat/Socialists standing for ANY individual freedoms and personal accountability?
OR – are they playing on the fear or laziness of many citizens?

What kind of country is created through socialism?
Well, here is a list of countries that are currently labeled ‘socialist’. Most have no stock exchange, which means no private ownership of business and industry. Here in America, no stock exchange would certainly NOT be good for those planning to retire using the funds from their 401K retirement account. If the government owned it, citizens would soon find themselves just living on social security. Socialist government could not possibly allow some people to retire more ‘comfortably’ than others. Of course, such restrictions would not be placed on elected officials. Anyway, back to a small list of socialist countries.

Cuba:
North Korea:
Venezuela
China
Vietnam
Syria
Belarus
Sweden
Is anyone lining up to immigrate to these countries?

In socialism, the government or the collective, is always more important than individual. Socialist ideology leads to questions like these.
Is it good for society to have to care for the sick and elderly?
Is it good for society to have to care for unwanted children?
Is it good for society to allow disagreement with government policies?
Is it good for society to allow one person to have more than another person? (this one really gets me. It never occurs to the government that it is better to allow people to create wealth than to take something from one person and give it to another.)

When these questions are answered from a socialistic/communist view point, the answers are all ‘no’. The solutions are pretty simple. Euthanize the sick, elderly, and unwanted. Jail and murder the dissenters. Take from those who have, from those who work, and give to those who don’t have and don’t work.

Look at the mess we are in with health care, and Obama’s plans to solve the problems.
Charles Krauthammer, a syndicated columnist with the Washington Post, has charged that while the whole point of Medicare and Medicaid is to decrease costs, the only way Obama can do it is through rationing of health care. http://www.jbs.org/index.php/news-feed-archive/4831

I believe he is correct. It will be the sick, elderly, and unborn, who suffer the brunt of this ‘rationing’. Those who will also suffer are those who have chronic illness like IBS, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, RA, and a host of other illnesses that have a costly treatment over time, and prevent many who suffer such illness from holding down a steady job. Individually, these people are important to God Almighty, family, and friends. Unfortunately, according to socialist ideology, their value to society is outweighed by the cost to society of caring for them.
Frankly, the government should be getting out of funding health care in the first place. It is none of their business. It should not be their choice as to who has insurance or not. In providing health care for some they are taking it from others. Before Jerry got the job he has now, we went YEARS without insurance for the simple fact that it would have cost us around $10,000 a year. We were to old for any good rates inspite of good health, and too young for Medicare. That kind of money was not possible if we wanted to eat food and live in a home. The government was certainly NOT interested in helping us, yet it was/is interested in funding insurance for bazillions of non working people. They were not interested in helping us when our children were small either, so MY kids basically grew up without health insurance. By sticking their big nose into the issue, the government effectively decided that MY family absolutely could not afford health care. Now the democrat/socialist party is expanding their version of 'helping' the poor.

What the Democrat/Socialist policies actually do is ENSLAVE the people. They are aided and abetted by the greedy, lazy, and fearful.

Ultimately, socialism CLAIMS to care more about people than a capitalist society. However, let’s look at the facts. Socialism/Communism is looking at society as a whole.
Anything that is a monetary drain on society as a whole is bad, and must be eliminated.
Anything that produces money for society must be controlled by government’s socialist policies in order to fund the continuance of their socialist/communist policies.
If you are healthy and able to work, then you are probably safe if you just keep working, give government everything it demands, and keep your mouth shut. Dissenters are not welcome.

I recently read a quote by Dr. Adrian Rogers. It said,
‘Friend, you cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. And what one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government can’t give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody. And when half of the people get the idea that they don’t have to work because the other half’s going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody’s going to get what they I work for, that dear friend, is about the end of any nation.

Under the current administration, the United States has spiraled downward faster than any lover of freedom thought possible. It is not evil to call this administration what it is. It is a socialist regime rocketing forward in its attempts to destroy the foundations of America and replace them with the shifting sands of socialism.

The roots of socialism are based on the false premise that mankind needs government control in order to make society work. It is never right to do something wrong to bring about something you suppose to be good. If one man has worked for something, it is wrong to take it from him to give to someone else who has not worked for it. Rather, give the one who has nothing a chance to work and earn for himself. Much of what government takes (steals) from one individual to give to another individual never reaches the one in need. Instead it is eaten up by government spending on things that please the government instead of actually doing any good to anyone except the government. Everyone, rich or poor alike, is hurt by such policies.

I want to say one more time that socialism is just an ideology.
Socialism is not a bad word in itself.
Socialism is not a 'four' letter word.
The word 'Socialism' can be used in front of grandmothers and small children,
Socialism is just a name given to an evil ideology.
Political parties and individuals either practice socialism or they don’t.
What can be the harm in just telling the truth about the matter?
Democrats are currently implementing socialist policies at a rapid pace.
That is the truth.
That makes them the Democrat/Socialist Party.

Barbara Henderson
tobarbara.blogspot.com



Dictionary.com defines socialism as:
1. A theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
2. Procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.
3. In Marxist theory – socialism is the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Take the Test and See If YOU Are a Christian Fundamentalist

Today, the Christian Fundamentalist is spoken of as a narrow minded bigot. Everybody knows its true. Actually, while everyone may 'know' its true that Christians Fundamentalists are bigots and narrow minded, most people have no idea exactly 'what' a Christian Fundamentalist actually believes.

So, I thought I would give you five fundamentals of the faith on which all Christians should be able to agree

1. The Bible is absolute truth without error.
2. Jesus is God, and certainly existed before His confinement on earth.
3. Jesus was born of a virgin.
4. Atonement or reconciliation with God requires a blood sacrifice – which was freely given by Jesus Christ at Calvary
5. The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ

I see these fundamentals as just very basic Bible truths.
If you personally believe these things to be true, then you ARE a fundamentalist.

Can you find any bigotry or hatred in these fundamentals of the Christian faith?
Is there a rational reason in these fundamentals that causes people to hate and despise fundamentalists?

Those who reject these fundamentals are heretics who have departed from the faith and who were never actually of the household of faith. They will become apostates who replace the truths of God with lies.

When you are trying to evaluate a bible teacher of preacher as speaking as one with authority coming from Bible knowledge, knowing the fundamentals of the faith will be a big help. If the preacher or teacher does not adhere strictly to these fundamentals of the faith – then go find someone who does.

Currently, there are many so called 'Christian Leaders' who have do not accept these fundamental. Once such preacher is Rick Warren. Warren has said that fundamentalists will be the enemy of the 21st century. He says all fundamentalisms are based on fear. Warren also says he is not a fundamentalist.

The time has come spoken of in 2 Timothy when men will not endure sound doctrine, but instead turn from the truth to fables. There are many wolves in sheep's clothing, even many as bold as Warren to call themselves Christians, but deny the most basic of Christian doctrines.

2 Timothy 3:1-7 says:
1. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4. Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

There is a very real reason the people spoken of in these verses never come to a real knowledge of the truth. It is because they are starting their quest by rejecting the fundamentals of the faith. That is like starting an algebra class while rejecting simple addition answers. If you insist that 2 + 2 is really 11 instead of 4, then you have rejected one of the most basic fundamentals of arithmetic! You have a faulty foundation, and will never do well in math.

Those who reject the fundmentals of faith will never come to a knowledge of the truth because they are looking for an answer that they like better instead of actually looking for the truth.