75th V-E Day Celebration: Thanks Be To God Who Gives Victory
May 8, 1945, the Allied Victory in Europe Day, marks the end of World War II in Europe. The celebration of V-E Day, observed in both Great Britain and the United States, commemorates the defeat of the Nazi war machine and surrender of Germany.
Today, May 8, 2020, marks the 75th anniversary of this great and victorious day in American history, European history, and world history. Moreover, it signifies the triumph of good in the age-old battle of good and evil. Thanks Be To God Who Gives Victory!
Prayer
Almighty God, Scripture tells us time and again that victory comes from You. With hearts full of joyful thanksgiving, we praise You on this 75th anniversary of V-E Day. Divine Providence and Heavenly Grace overruled the realm of evil to bring about the utter defeat of the Nazi war machine and its leaders’ diabolical plans for world domination.
We thank You for the willingness and courageousness of the great men, only boys by life’s standards, who fought for the freedom we enjoy today. We thank You for the loving parents who raised these men and trained them in Your righteousness. We pray for Your blessings on those who are still living. We lift up the longing and pain of families who never watched their sons grow up. May the noble efforts in the cause of freedom provide comfort in the knowledge their deaths were not in vain.
Heavenly Father, we pray that the world never forgets the tragedy of the Holocaust. For survivors, for families of those treated so inhumanely by other humans(!), please give them comfort and strength that only You are capable of giving. Instill peace in their hearts and minds as only You can. Oh God, stand beside them and let them feel Your healing presence.
In light of these young service men and victims of the Holocaust, how can we adequately show our gratitude for the defeat of the Nazi reign of terror? A regime who put into practice a version of Marxism, a warped and twisted theory conceived in the lowest pit of hell. This ideology, and all the horrific -isms that cascaded from it, make a mockery of those created in Your image and those Who put their trust in You. At its roots, Lord God, it denies You.
With much gratitude, we thank You for the defeat of this pure evil. You always give the victory through Jesus Christ! Who knows where we would be today? Thank You for the opportunity to remember and honor the sacrifice that ushered in V-E Day. Thank You for the opportunity to celebrate this victory over evil again. A victory first, and finally, declared on Calvary.
As we look to the past and celebrate victory over evil, Lord God, we also look to the present. We remain in another type of world war today, a war with multiple enemies. We lift up those affected directly by this disease, and indirectly through adversities caused as a result.
As the media hype, fear mongering, Democrat governors overreaching their authority, and Democrat Party anti-Americanism continue to rage, we pray for a huge V-A Day—Victory in America. Give us victory over evil!
May the evil in America, cut of the same cloth as that of the Nazi Party, be expunged from our midst. The same evil, conceived in the lowest pit of hell, who cares nothing for people who are made in Your image, who are trying to destroy America from within, who make a mockery of those who have faith in You, who deny Your existence and Your love in the cross of Jesus Christ—“Purge the evil persons from among us” (1 Corinthians 5:13).
Lord God, it is Yours to avenge, You judge those outside. We pray that You divinely intervene in this overwhelming rush of mighty waters. And like the Nazi Party, may this evil be obliterated from society and buried in the rubble of their godlessness.
Holy Spirit of Jesus, intercede and help us “to do what is honorable in the sight of all” (Romans 12:17), “so far as it depends on us, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18), and “not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good” (1 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus, how can we adequately thank You for paying the ultimate price for our freedom? In Your death, You taught us that the greatest victory may appear as anything but victory. Therefore, we should never give up hope, because “wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). May Your grace and peace be with us all.
In the Name of Jesus, the Name above all Names, Amen.
World War II Memorial in Washington D.C.
President Trump Honors Vets On 75th Anniversary Of V-E Day
Today President Trump participated in a ceremony to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Allied Victory in Europe. The observance was held at the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C.
In attendance were eight World War II veterans, with ages ranging from 96-100. Trump made no public remarks, but spoke privately to each of the veterans.
World War II Memorial: “Here We Mark The Price Of Freedom”
A massive wall filled with thousands of gold stars commemorates the American service personnel who lost their lives in WWII. A phrase engraved in large letters succinctly tells the story of those who gave their lives for our country: “Here we mark the price of freedom”.
The monument’s marker titled “The Price of Freedom” says the following:
Freedom Wall contains 4,048 gold starts. Each gold star represents one hundred American service personnel who died or remain missing in the war. The 405,399 American dead and missing from World War II are second only to the loss of more than 620,000 Americans during our Civil War.
Rush Limbaugh Thoughts On The World War II Memorial
On his radio show today, Rush Limbaugh commented on the President and First Lady’s visit to the WWII Memorial in recognition and celebration of V-E Day:
…and the text, the words on the memorial really got me.
“Here we mark the price of freedom.”
It was the people who died, 18 to 23 years old for the most part. Some, of course, older than that. I sat there remembering. I’ve been to the D-Day beaches and Pointe du Hoc, and I’ve been to the American cemetery there. It’s hallowed ground. It just got me to thinking of all of the people who’ve made so many sacrifices.
“Here we mark the price of freedom.”
Six, seven words if you count the preposition. Really powerful.
“Here we mark the price of freedom.”
It’s exactly right. To so many people, World War II, Germany and Japan? It’s ancient history to a lot of people. You start thinking about what would happen if we had not prevailed, if we had not won. But of course, we did, and it’s a testament to the American resolve, American commitment, American perseverance and American courage.
I just wanted to acknowledge it for those of you who had families, lost people in World War II — or maybe you’re still a World War II survivor, still alive. People still think about you and still have great gratitude for what you did. And I got to thinking about 20.5 million jobs lost in April. I think about this virus and the shutdowns that are being advocated and encouraged by people.
Amen.
Gratitude For WWII Heroes
Pray America Great Again would also like to express our gratitude to all the heroes of WWII for their sacrifice and patriotism.
What will the price of freedom look like in our own day and time?
Today, the enemy within, i.e. the Democrats, are advocating for continuing virus shutdowns, government takeover of multiple institutions, government mandated limitations on rights of citizens (!), a total annihilation of both our First Amendment rights, and our Constitutional freedoms fought for and defended in every war since the American Revolution.
Being attacked by foreign tyrants is bad enough. But when the tyrants are within our own country, when the tyranny comes from political and government “leaders”, the fragility of the Constitution’s paper becomes evident. Our Constitution is only as strong as the people who are willing to defend and uphold it.
The age-old battle between good and evil rages on.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57).
The LORD Your God Gives The Victory
The Bible points out time and again that victory comes from One place. Here are a few:
And shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory. Deuteronomy 20:3-4
[Eleazer, son of Dodo, son of Ahohi] rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the LORD brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain. 2 Samuel 23:10
[Shammah, son of Agee the Hararite] took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the LORD worked a great victory. 2 Samuel 23:12
The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD. Proverbs 21:31
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthian 15:57
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. 1 John 5:4
Consequential Victory
The victory marked by V-E Day is a victory so consequential that its celebration continues today—75 years later. Victory in Europe marks a defeat over the pure evil of Hitler and the Nazi war machine.
Nazi ideology characterizes the worst form of political cancer. Nazism metastasized from the scourge of Marxist philosophy. Marxism is a corrupted view of people and government. Its demonic view of social classes has spawned other types of totalitarian ideologies such as communism, socialism, Stalinism, Maoism, all oppressive ideologies having an elitist class that rules over the “masses.” That is, extremely poor people/slaves/serfs living in poverty amid harsh conditions of the state.
That’s why we cry out for Victory in America today. Something much more deadly than any virus has infected our country. A malignant cancer has been festering since the early 1900’s.
Make no mistake, the same ideology that perpetuated Nazism, et al., lives in the U.S. today. It must be defeated as totally as the Nazi war machine. Only Divine Intervention can save us from this evil.
We’ve got a lot of praying to do.
Victory Through Our Lord Jesus Christ
Like the V-E Day Celebration, many victories marking the defeat of enemies are still observed today. Perhaps no victory has been celebrated more, or is as consequential, as Jesus’ complete victory over sin, satan, and death.
Jesus’ death on the cross marks victory over sin for all those who place their faith in the shed blood of Christ; foreshadowed in the OT Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, observed by Jews and Good Friday observed by Christians.
Jesus’ resurrection marks victory over death, foreshadowed in the Hebrews’ Exodus from Egypt, faith in the blood of the Passover lamb for complete protection from the Destroying Angel; the Jewish Passover is commemorated annually by Jews; the resurrection of Christ is celebrated by Christians on Easter Sunday.
These two great victories have already been accomplished, though not yet fully realized. With hope, our hearts look to the fulfillment of these promises, the great “It is finished” of Revelation:
And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega — the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. Revelation 21:6-7, NLT
May our prayerful thanks for the victories God has already given, serve as encouragement to praise God in advance, for future victories He will give us.
After all, every victory is first fought, and won, in heaven.
Prayer is not only a calling upon God, but also a conflict with Satan (The Practice Of Prayer quoted in Streams In The Desert Devotional, entry dated May 7).
For more info on V-E Day, visit History.com here.
Winston Churchill served as the UK’s Prime Minister from May 1940 to July 1945, when he led the country to victory in the Second World War. Churchill’s famous quote “We will never surrender” marks a significant change in policy toward Germany. The preceding PM, Neville Chamberlain, maintained a “policy of appeasement” toward Germany, that is, Hitler and the Nazi Party. It is doubtful that Hitler would have conquered as much territory, murdered as many Jews, and amassed as many battle casualties without Chamberlain’s lackadaisical and unsophisticated handling of the enemy. It is certain Brits would be speaking German today if not for the resolve and acumen of Sir Winston Churchill. (If “policy of appeasement” sounds familiar, it is the same policy that obama adopted toward Iran, a tyrannical enemy whose leaders are on a maniacal plane with the Nazis.)
