Paying Respects to Our Nation's Fallen Heroes

Were not going to be able to hold this great nation unless you all be the salt of the earth would not be able to hold that the last best hope for mankind, United States of America. If you all don't stand up for the Judeo-Christian faith paired with her some strong insights from today's guest Lieut. Col. Allen West. This is the Memorial Day edition of Focus on the Family. Thanks for joining us your hostess focus Pres. and Dr. Jim Daly and I'm John Fuller giant. Today we have an opportunity to honor the men and women of our Armed Forces who have died defending the freedoms we hold dear. And that's what Memorial Day is about and today's guest is seen no sacrifices up close during his 22 year career in the U.S. Army Col. West served in several combat zones and received many honors for valor, including a bronze Star has also been involved in politics, most notably serving as a US Congressman and is a conservative media commentator and here now is Col. Allen West speaking at an event hosted by wingmen ministries on Memorial day just last year, I heard there's a lot of aviator shall loss okay real man jump out of airplanes. Okay it is is a blessing to be here and does what a great time stand before you and and share some thoughts perspectives and insights because it is Memorial Day. What I want to challenge you to do is you go out this weekend say happy Memorial Day is on a Memorial Day is honoring the sacrifices of men and women who have gone before, so that we can be here here to just enjoy the blessings of liberty and freedom. So instead of taking your kids or your grandkids out for a barbecue or taken them over to a Rangers game to get a overpriced hotdog or taken somewhere where you know the polls are open furniture sale.

Whatever taken to a national cemetery taken to walk amongst the garden of stone so that they can understand what it means to be in America what it means to live here because if we don't do that if we don't tell the stores will pass these things on subsequent generations, then it does just become a Dale pool's opening. Barbecues, baseball games, what have best imports of Memorial Day so that being said, I want to share a verse with you that, since his days for more.

Talk to you about today comes from John 1513 greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves for the slave does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends all the things that I have heard from my father I have made known to you, honey. Folks here see the movie saving Pvt. Ryan Jared by ceasing prime announcers going to be on this Memorial Day weekend.

There is a great part moving yet at the end of saving Pvt. Ryan that I really think is the most important part of that movie I want to share that with you because I think is has a message that is relevant for us today as Tom Hanks, Capt. Miller, the character there is a shot he's bleeding out member he had given up his entire company for just a few of his Rangers to go find one person, one soul to say that soul so that they could have a life because of all of his other brothers had died in the Pacific in the European theater and so is Matt Damon kneels down closer to Tom Hanks.

He whispers to simple words earned this earned this when you think about it, then it fast for civic grown-up Ryan standing there. Normally before the final resting spot of Capt. Miller and he turns over to his wife. He says tell me that I was a good man tell me that I live the good life. See that's the lesson that I want to think about this Memorial Day, but I also want you to think about it as Christian men that greater lesson but is just the same as Tom Hanks whispered over to young Pvt. Ryan to earn this Lord and Savior Jesus Christ whispering to us as well say earn this earned the sacrifice because he came down to save just one soul, one soul, one soul and one soul to rescue them from harm and danger because he did not want to see you fall. Like maybe some of your other brothers had done. But when you look at where we are in the United States of America today. Are we truly living up to that challenge of earning this we think about what is going on in the country. I mean we have gone from just murdering unborn babies to now murdering unborn babies a week earning this when you look at the incredible freedoms and liberties that we have in this constitutional Republic go back and think about those incredibly brave men on April 19, 1775, who stepped out on Lexington Green. See, there was no army was the Navy. There was no Marine Corps. There was no United States of America.

There was no federal government.

There were just people that believed in freedom and liberty, and they stepped out and they made a sacrifice so that we could be here today.

All we earning that sacrifice goes back to hundred and 44 years that continues onto the day somewhere someplace in the world today young soldier, sailor, airman Marina costar is going on patrol there jump into a cockpit of an aircraft.

There standing on an aircraft carrier getting ready to launch the going out freedoms ramparts for each and every one of us so we can have these freedoms and liberties we truly earning is really nice when you see these young men and women in uniform, you come up to them you say thank you for your service but are you earning the service that they are giving these blessings that they are bestowing upon you and just the same as yourself every single day. When you walk out when you come back near the end of the day. The juror in the blessings of the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To tell you I think that we as Christians we got. Too often, for whatever reason, we are afraid to confront this that we see number beyond his and I know the tape is evil. I'm sorry to recall for what it is you know that that that the Canaanites, Joshua warned the Israelites's farewell species choose for yourselves the day whom you shall serve in the gods of the Amorites of God were Cross River.

As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. When you shift over to judges not too long after the Israelites. They did nerd the next thing you know they start hanging out worship in the bales and all the other gods. One of the gods of the bales in the Canaanites was gone.

Mola normal lot was the God of child sacrifice so we have that right here today because we're not going out each and every day and earning it were not sitting down our children and grandchildren and talk to them about the ultimate sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I mean, Abraham Lincoln talked about it when he was there to Gettysburg dedication of the national Cemetery. There at the beginning that is ballot Gettysburg and he talked about the last full measure of devotion. That's what John 15 and 13 is all about that last full measure of devotion. The fact that someone would go to the cross for our sins. But what are we doing to earn that. That's the challenge for us each and every day ill again that the challenges of the American when Benjamin Franklin came out of Constitution Hall. The date our constitutional size 17, September 1787 and a woman came up to Benjamin Franklin's farewell Dr. what is it that we have Republic or monarchy. Franklin replied Republic if you can keep the George Washington came back and said you must study and read his laws in order to keep just the same, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is saying you gotta keep this but you must bear yourself in my word, you must study my work a.m. member know. Do not turn from it from the right to the left. That's what God told Joshua when he took over the be strong and of good courage, that's what I'm challenging you meant to do.

It was so lovely to hear your voices and that stentorian manner come together this morning to see when you leave out of these doors.

You gotta be ready to go out and sing solo no matter what confront you because that's the challenge of earning the sacrifice that our Lord and Savior made for us each and every day we're not going to be able to hold this great nation unless you all be the salt of the earth were not going to be able to hold the that the last great best hope for mankind, United States of America. If you all don't stand up for Judeo-Christian faith heritage. Now hear this is the last meeting for the summer because what happens over summer kids out of school, but that don't mean to stop teaching you start teaching them about what it means to earn this every day. It could've been very easy with my folks drop me off back in 1979, Knoxville, Tennessee the universe of Tennessee has Hall.

I could've gone off in a different direction.

But as I watched her walk out side and make them proud of me because I knew that when I was there. My dad had given me a challenge.

My data given me the child to be the first officer in our family that was just a simple corporal United States Army in World War II. Motor brother just a simple Marine Lance Cpl. Vietnam wanted a case. They challenge me a 15 they basically told me to earn this earn the right to be part of our family earn the right to be a part of the heritage of service, sacrifice and commitment that we have made and they men down battlefields. So 31 July 1982 that was on the right shoulder moms on her left shoulder and a Pinto second Lieut. bars for me find something to challenge your children and your grandchildren to do and I think the greatest challenge is for them to understand the sacrifices that men and women have made throughout history, United States of America, and a certain man. It made Calvary for their eternal life for the sole if we don't do this guys someone else is waiting out there to do it. Your kid is going to come home. You never recognize never tell you you don't know it's talking about.

I want to hear. I had to a fire were told that the mom mommy and daddy every endeavor versus big if we all here today okay that's what you need to be.

You need to be strong and forceful is saying this will not stand in my house.

So start that today. How many of you can take the time on Memorial Day. Go to the national Cemetery with your children or grandchildren, tell him this is what were going to do and want by just pick out a name and talk to them about this person.World War II. This person died in Korean War. This person died. Vietnam is explained to them what that means, you know why that's so important to me here have heard of the Bladensburg cross okay. The Bladensburg cross and Bladensburg, Maryland as a memorial to 41 young man who died from that city. World War I in 2011. We lost our last World War I veteran man by the name Frank buckles he was 110 years of age. A couple people drive about a Bladensburg cross.

They decided that it offended so they went and they made a complaint and went to the court system in the Bladensburg cross was scheduled to be torn down to keep the Bladensburg cross that had to go all the way to the highest court in the land. Think about this.

I don't know if any of you what to see that incredible movie done by Peter Jackson call they should never grow old is about the restoration of film from World War I. Here we are in America want to tear down a cross a memorial monument to 41 who lost their lives in that great war, the war to end all wars.

They had gone over there.

How can we say that we are earning it. We want to do that. How can we say that we are earning the divine problem is that our founding fathers asked for in the Declaration of Independence. We are trying to push everything about our Judeo-Christian faith heritage out of the open marketplace.

See, there's a reason we say God bless America. We dosing government bless America. We dosing Mr. Pres. Ms. Pres. bless America. We dosing Republican or Democrat. Bless America. We recognize from us are incredible blessings come from, but if you're not careful. If you don't earn this each and every day that will be gone because secular humanism is on the rise here in the United States of America and the reason why secular humanism is on the rise in America because there are people that want to believe that they're the ones that bestow upon you your rights, but if you think about it.

Thomas Jefferson wrote that your unalienable rights are not in down to you by man of these being, life, liberty and the pursuit of had to stand out to you by our creator. If you don't go out every day and fight earn that and understand that the soul come along and they will pour honey in the ears and all of a sudden well I can give you healthcare. I can give you free house. I can give you free college education.

I will relieve your debt. The next thing you know you bow down to the bales you don't bow down to the God. Joshua said as for me and my house we choose to serve the Lord. I just have a simple message for you today the ties into this incredible weekend is all about the ultimate sacrifice that you can be here today is the ultimate sacrifice of men and women that have gone before us will allow us to live in the greatest nation of the world is never no – her earthly life was the ultimate sacrifice.

The man from Galilee who cared that cross up the caliber who bled much the same as Capt. Miller bled in that movie.

Just the same as Capt. Miller said those two words. Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is whispering those two words to us right now, the same earn this. We have a blessing in internal life. We need to continue to fight for right here in the now because there is only few words that you should live to want to as well done that good and faithful servant. Welcome home. What a timely reminder of our responsibilities as citizens of this great nation and as Christian men and women from Lieut. Col. Allen West on this special Memorial Day edition of Focus on the Family that was an excellent presentation. John and our thanks go out to Col. West and the folks at wingman ministries for allowing us to share with you. I really appreciated how Col. West use the phrase earn this from the movie saving Pvt. Ryan. What a vivid reminder of our obligation to honor and respect those brave men and women who died defending the freedoms we enjoy in his Col. West said we should all be at our local cemeteries honoring our veterans today and their families.

They have given their all for our country shall never forget an experience I had late one night near the Vietnam war Memorial in Washington DC. I've been in meetings all day and went for a run at about 11 o'clock at night with my friend Roger Sherard, and as we ran from the capital down toward the Lincoln Memorial. I tried to stop at the wall and that's where over 58,000 service members names are recorded, who died as a result of the Vietnam War.

Roger stop dead in his tracks and tears begin to fall from his eyes and he said I just can't do it.

I can go over there and it turned out that Roger former Army Ranger had been in the infantry as a commander in Vietnam and at the height of the conflict. His company's helicopters had been shot out of the sky into a nameless rice paddy where they were cornered and held down by enemy fire. It was a brutal bloodbath and the man next to Roger was shot and killed 12 soldiers died that night and the survivors weren't rescued until the next morning as a commander of that mission.

Roger felt that responsibility for every man who met his earthly in that night and all those years later he still struggled with those violent memories. There was nothing he could have done differently, but the pain of war doesn't subside quickly and that's the cost of freedom and those are the heroes we salute on Memorial day. Let me just say if you've lost someone who was serving our country. My heart goes out to you and I pray the Lord will be your comfort in the days ahead, and we do is a ministry want to say thank you for your service and the service of your loved one as well indeed and let me make one last point about Col. West presentation. He also use the phrase earn this in regard to our Christian faith and Jesus's sacrificial death on the cross and we know that none of us can earn our salvation. And that wasn't Col. West point he is urging us to never take the death of our Lord for granted. He's encouraging us to honor it to treasure it and remember it and dedicate our lives to serving him out of gratitude for his great sacrifice for us it's a really good point Jim Ryan remember if this broadcast brought up a painful issue for you, please visit us online for some follow-up articles or give us a call our friendly staff members would count it a privilege to hear your concerns.

Pray with you and if your situation warrants it, arrange for a call back from one of our caring Christian counselors and let me give a big shout out to our donors who make it possible for us to offer counseling services free of charge. We couldn't do it without you. And if you can make a donation of any amount today to do that great work we'd like to send you a CD copy of this presentation from Col. West as our way of saying thank you request your CDs so you can share with a friend or listen to it again when you follow the link in the show notes or call us 800 the letter a in the word family. Next time will hear from Bree McCoy who will remind us of the heart behind fellowship and hospitality.

We are supposed to be responsive to the Holy Spirit and we have space to shell out and live like Jesus did invite people stories entire life like Jesus said, and show compassion on behalf of Jim Daly I'm John Fuller thanking you for joining us for this special Memorial Day edition of Focus on the Family and as we close will share some memories from family members of our fallen heroes 1941, and while Lanning was stationed on elite Naval Air Station near Pearl Harbor and started he jumped into a sandbag up bunker and gravel about 50 caliber machine gun began fighting back and as fate would have it, it was nearly got into machine gun fire from enemy aircraft and then he died as a result of those wounds. I really want to honor my uncle Milbourne. You gotta hand it to these guys. They just gave it all and so many of them 910 went down in 19 fighter pilot. He flew in Korea and live for our country mentioning he Rauschenberg 25 years and killed April 15 thousand 13. Dream the renewing uncle Mikey went MIA.

Bruno came back in a body bag and uncle Mikey was never found. They gave their life country honor my daddy that will act out in France there 1944 remember him and think about anything Randall.

I'm calling on behalf of my friends and I will guys go with that were killed in the Vietnam War… US Marine killed in 1965 Capt. Tom Reser airport through B-52s heal all Cambodia 19 71 I was last in 1961 I played on the football team that was ranked in some holes number one in the country. Number two in the country and global Allstate All-Americans better people so that the pain of a heart goes out to them.

I would like to pay tribute to my uncle Bernard guiding Cambodia in about 1970. One of my earliest childhood memory is no Green Beret. They carried his casket to the cemetery. It was the first time I saw my father cry and what I always remember when I hear Played. I remember that sound and it is for ever putting my memory at school can be embarrassing but average boys used in each icefield and tries again thanks to help from his friends, Billy, Kenny and Sarah join averagely in his very first fun filled novel called having above average year deals with belief, homework, and more following God and showing God's love to others.

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