Skip to main content

The Navy's "God Bless America" Moment

Previously, I wrote about the challenges faced by Navy Chaplain Lt. Gordon James Klingenschmitt in his attempt to pray "in Jesus Name" while in his military uniform.

The post which appears below chronicled the pressure that the US Military felt was necessary to keep Jesus from being associated with its institution, while at the same time every President and most politicians end their speeches with "God Bless America". It would be a joke if it wasn't so sad. Well, today the Navy finally got to dismiss Mr. Klingenschmitt from it's service. In heaven, God is smiling (not at the Navy but at the Chaplain): Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved--and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him... ( Phillipians 1:27-29 NIV)

*************************************
***Update***

The Navy finally relented on and now allows Lt. Klingenschmitt to officially pray "in Jesus name". Amen!
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Were they Saved?

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many… (Hebrews 9:27-28 NIV) My wife and I were talking about a celebrity who we learned had died recently. One of my first thoughts (as is customary) was “were they saved”? Did that person accept that Jesus died for their sins so that they could live forever in Heaven? Though neither my wife nor I could know the real answer to that question, if we went by the “evidence” of how that person lived their public life, then it appeared highly unlikely that a salvation conversion would have occurred in their life. If so, then their death was indeed a tragedy. Acceptance of Jesus is indeed the difference between life and death (for eternity). Look at this diagram below (taken from a previous publication by author Bruce Wilkinson). The size of the circle denotes the average life span of our present life on earth. The length of the line denotes the first .000...
Read more

Funerals for the Unsaved or Unbelievers

I am not a leader of a church, but I oftentimes wonder how does one lead a funeral service for someone who dies without knowing Jesus Christ as Lord ? Admittedly I have not been to many funerals in my lifetime, though they are appearing to come more frequently lately, but the fact is that funerals are held daily throughout the world and as such this is a pertinent question to someone just about every day.   I’ve been to the funeral where the person lived a fairly routine life, taking care of their families and other responsibilities as best they could, paying taxes and doing the average things that we as human beings do on a consistent basis. They however had no visible relationship with God through His son Jesus Christ. When this person dies, the surviving family members are oftentimes left scrambling trying to find a person and a place to officiate the funeral services – generally because the deceased did not have a regular church that they attended. Funeral homes sometimes ...
Read more

God's Sunset

I happen to be driving home this evening around 8pm and was enjoying myself listening to a song I really like (“Sunrise” by Simply Red). As I was driving along, I came around a slight bend in the road, and was overcome by the view. There straight before me in the twilight of the evening was this awesome scene of thunderstorm clouds in between clearing in the sky and just behind all this was the most beautiful sunset that cast a Godly glow on the whole scene. What an awesome God we serve! A God that by His words created the incredible beauty of this natural scene…the sun, the clouds, the sky and even the talent of singer Mick Hucknall of Simply Red the words of who’s song was (for me) a perfect background to this awesome scene. Ok it was a sunset, but I didn’t care. God’s scripture is full of so much truth: Now no one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean. Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty. The Almi...
Read more