U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Andrew Tahmooressi freed from a Mexican Prison!“He boarded a private jet provided by a foundation run by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson for the flight to Florida. Richardson, who met with Tahmooressi in prison last week, was also on the plane, as were the former Marine's mother, Jill Tahmooressi; media personality Montel Williams; and his former commanding officer in Afghanistan, Sgt. Robert Buchanan.” © 1995-2014 The San Diego Union-Tribune, LLC |Andrew Tahmooressi received the distinction of Meritorious Combat promotion to Sergeant while serving in the Helmand province Afghanistan with the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.

Kassig is the latest of five US and UK hostages to have been murdered² in cold blood in Syria as part of a propaganda initiative by Isis. 

He was deployed to Iraq in 2007 while serving the military as an Army Ranger. He would later return to the region on a humanitarian mission to help refugees from the Syrian Civil War.¹

The British prime minister, David Cameron, said: “These beheading show once again what a depraved organization this is,” and described Kassig as a “selfless humanitarian worker”.

Kassig, a 26-year-old charity worker from Indiana, was taken hostage on 1 October 2013 while on his way to Deir Ezzour in eastern Syria as part of his humanitarian work.

[© 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. non-commercial use only]

A former US Army Ranger, Mr Kassig was honorably discharged after 15-months service – including a stint in Iraq – and had retrained as a medical emergency technician before founding an aid group to help Syrians caught up in their nation’s brutal civil conflict. [© independent.co.uk]

Survivors include his parents, Ed and Paula Kassig, Indianapolis, who said Sunday they were "heartbroken" by the news and pledged to "work every day to keep his legacy alive as best we can.""We are heartbroken to learn that our son, Abdul-Rahman Peter Kassig, has lost his life as a result of his love for the Syrian people and his desire to ease their suffering," they said in a prepared statement. "Our heart also goes out to the families of the Syrians who lost their lives, along with our son." They urged well-wishers to donate in their son's honor to the Syrian American Medical Society Foundation, 3360 Stutz Drive, Suite 100, Canfield, Ohio, 44406.   [© 2014 www.indystar.com. All rights reserved.]

I am almost without words!   Never in my wildest dream have I imagined grieving for the lose of an American Honorable Veteran having been “beheaded”!

What more could Peter Kassig have done in a humanitarian effort for anyone living human and more over for the peoples of the middle east.

In what kind of a world or country or religious belief can any civilization have a belief that their supreme potentate be honored through beheading.

2 Samuel 1:12And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.  (KJV)

What else may we do beside following King David of the Bible to Mourn the loss of U.S. Army Ranger Veteran; Peter Kassig. 

David and all the “people of the Lord” mourned, and wept, and fasted because they had “fallen by the sword.”

R. C. B. Lewis; 2012-14   © All rights reserved.

Luke 2:14 KJV

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

What a greeting the Angel brought to the shepherds that evening “Fear not: for, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” What great words; “good tidings” “great joy” “to all people” It is still Good News for all people.

The message of Christmas and Salvation all summed up in those few words. This is all we need to say about Jesus. He came “to all people” “with good tidings of great joy” God with us in the flesh of Jesus full of mercy and love. Through the sacrifice of Jesus and our  we have “peace” with God and peace of eternity.

This has been a year of change for us and the veterans chaplaincy. We have left the Rocky Mountain area. We traveled, met and ministered the whole summer. We are now going to be headquartered in S.E. Oklahoma. I am still feeling the call of ministry into our year of ministering in the calling of Jesus Christ to the sad, lonely, hurting, the lost and undone including the needs of all military veterans.

We are forever indebted to you supporting Prayer  and Family. We are here to fulfill the call and needs of those we have been lead to minister a gift of helps. Sometimes in the darkest moments of their lives, the veterans or family and friends allowed us to share in their lives, in their doubts and fears, their heartaches and loneliness. And also their joys and triumphs we are blessed every time they complete a course, a class, a week, month or year of sobriety! No small thing a pin or challenge coin for completion.

So many times their accomplishments came after accepting Christ, overcoming doubt in God or renewing the Faith of one’s youth.

We are entering into a new phase of ministry and life. There may be fewer vets in this area and it will bring some reaching further, even travel longer to make a hospital visit. So the need is the same and expense to travel some greater. If a veteran is in need of ministry, a prayer or just an open ear, the call we will fulfill.  

    We send of joy in the Lord to you.

As the Paul put it in the conclusion of his letter to Timothy; “Grace with you.”

                   the Padre

the Veterans Chaplaincy

Brother Bob and Jan Lewis

 "The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his " 

—GEORGE WASHINGTON

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their " - Psalm 147:3

On this day 14 years ago, nearly 3,000 innocent people died at the hands of terrorists. The years go   we will never forget the victims and the families touched by this massive tragedy.

God’s Blessings to you and yours on Patriot Day

And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; Luke 4:17,18

Lord God we pray for your healing for the brokenhearted of 9/11 and all that have losses from terrorism since. For when Jesus speaks healing there is no time to long, nor distance to vast that His healing can’t reach. Amen

Almighty God, you are our Mighty Fortress, our refuge and the God in whom we place our trust.  As our nation faces great distress and uncertainty, we ask your Holy Spirit to fall afresh upon your people — convict us of sin and inflame within us a passion for our land and its people.

Grant the leaders of our country an awareness of their desperate need of wisdom and salvation in You until sin becomes a reproach to all and righteousness exalts this nation.

Protect and defend us against our enemies and may the cause of Christ always prevail in our schools, courts, homes, and churches.  Lord God, send a spirit of revival and may it begin in our own hearts.

Remember America, we pray.  Remember the foundations on which this country was built.  Remember the prayers of our nation’s fathers and mothers, and do not forget us in our time of need.

In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

- Joni Eareckson Tada

FEB 2015