Crusade and WWII Invitation

I. What does the Third Crusade and the Pacific Theater of WWII have in common?

A. In the year 1189, King Richard, the Lion Heart, of England led an army in the Third Crusade to free Jerusalem and other cities of Palestine from the grip of the Moslem leader Saladin.

B. During WWII, the American Navy fought many ferocious battles with the Japanese in the Philippines, Aleutian Islands, and the open waters of the Pacific.

C. I have always enjoyed history and studied these events in school

D. However, these two very different events have a link with me.

II. I have been doing genealogical research and found a connection to these events.

A. One branch of my family tree leads to a man who fought under King Richard on this crusade, was knighted for bravery, and given an estate.

B. My father was on a cruiser in World War II and my Uncle Wayne was a Seabee on the Pacific Islands.

C. These stories have become important events to me because of a personal connection with them.

III. For this same reason, the Bible stories have always been precious to me.

A. We can consider the stories of the Bible from a historical perspective; the Bible records events that happened.

B. Yet they should have an importance for our connection to them.

IV. The gospel accounts are special because I know Jesus.

A. I grew up in a house with a mother who loved God and taught us His will.

B. There has never been a time in my life that I did not know Jesus.

C. He has been my strength and comfort every day. In my most lonely times, He has been there to listen to me. In times of fear, He has given me strength and courage. In times of joy, I have been able to rejoice with Him. In the song, “Be With Me, Lord,” the writer says that no gift could compare to “a constant sense of Thy abiding presence. Where’re I am, to feel that Thou art near.” Hebrews 13:5-6: “For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Romans 8:37-39

D. I have not always understood why God commanded certain things and forbade other things but, because of my relationship with Jesus, I trusted that God wanted what is best for me.