OUR VETERANS

At 11 AM on November 11, 1918, the Armistice was signed ending World War One, "the war to end all wars." It did not, of course, and it is certain that as long as this world exists, wars will continue to be fought. A major historian has estimated that in the 3,500 years of recorded human history, only 250 of those years held no armed conflict somewhere in the world.

Some may hang their heads in shame at this, but we must face reality: Humanity lives in a fallen state; the sinful condition of rebellion that began with Adam and Eve will ever be upon us. Only when we stand before the Lord on Judgment Day will there be an end to the effects of sin in the world.

Thus, there will always be a need for Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the cross.  There is never a time in our lives that we do not need Jesus, whether infant or aged, waking or sleeping. He is our lifeline in turbulant waters, our defense from the forces of evil. He is our Savior who gives us eternal life.

It was not my privilege to serve in the Armed Forces, but many among my family and friends have done so. I give thanks for them each day, as well as pray for their courage, duty and safety. The war we are in today is called by some World War Four, World War Three being the Cold War. Some deny it is a war at all, and yet we know the truth of that. One and a half million service U.S. men and women are in uniform today, one third of them in combat zones. They are the best trained and equipped, the finest soldiers our nation has ever had. And this is true: there will never be a time when our nation will not need its Armed Forces.

Psalm 46 tells us that God is our mighty fortress and our strength, our present help in every trouble. Therefore we do not fear as those who have no hope. Rather, we trust Him and rejoice that He is with us always, in every circumstance, unto the end of the age. We all need to trust Jesus, and we all need His forgiveness. And we can always reach out to Him through prayer.

If you'd like to send an E-card to encourage one of our troops, Xerox Corp makes it very easy at: http://www.letssaythanks.com/ . I urge you all to give thanks to God for all those who serve, protect and defend us, whether past or present. 

And give thanks most of all for Jesus,