75th V-J Day Celebration: Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
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-J Day. Divine Providence and Heavenly Grace overruled the realm of evil to bring about the surrender by Japan’s then Emperor Hirohito.
We thank You for the willingness and courageousness of the great men, only boys by life’s standards, who fought for the freedom that we, and many throughout the world, enjoy today. We thank You for the loving parents who raised these men and trained them in Your righteousness. Thank you for the conviction, commitment, and resolve, the bulwark of their hearts, which still speaks to us today. Not only from the great soldiers who are still with us, but also from the many who died defending the American freedom we still enjoy.
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.
Father, we confess that we have taken our freedom as Americans for granted. Forgive us for the times we have failed to thank You for this great blessing. The blessing of a nation born in the water and blood of Your grace and moral law. The blessing of a nation born in Judeo-Christian values. We confess not praising You and expressing our deepest gratitude to You for our freedom as we should. And by default, not fully appreciating the blood that was shed in World War II, and many other wars, for our great freedom, a gift that is the yearning of people throughout the world. Oh Father, remember them in their communist chains.
Likewise, we confess the same regarding our freedom in Jesus Christ. We confess not praising You and expressing our deepest gratitude to Your for our spiritual freedom. And not fully appreciating the blood that was shed on that “old wooden cross” so many centuries ago. Spiritual freedom is what enabled conviction, commitment, and resolve in all of our greater soldiers. We thank You that the same spiritual freedom enables those spiritual abilities in us today.
Lord God, we ask You, by Your Holy Spirit, to help us use those spiritual abilities today. We have stood by and watched many of our freedoms dwindle away. We confess not protecting our minds and hearts in Christ Jesus and therefore, believing the lies of the enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, to loot, murder, and burn.
So today, we thank You for waking us up! Thank You for helping us to take a stand! Thanks be to Jesus Christ through Whom we have the victory, being undergirded with conviction, commitment, and resolve through the Holy Spirit.
Thank You Holy Trinity! Holy! Holy! Holy! Blessed Trinity, thank You for collaborating with us to stand strong.
On this day, and the days ahead, as we look back on the great victory over Japan, indeed, the massive triumph of good over evil in World War II, we thank God whom we serve, as did these great American heroes, with a clear conscience, as we remember them in our prayers. We are reminded of their sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in their parents and grandparents (2 Timothy 1:3-5).
Today, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Let us consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that we may not grow weary or fainthearted. In our struggle against sin we have not yet resisted to the point of shedding our blood (Hebrews 12:1-4).
We remember Jesus’ death for the salvation of the world. And we remember our own men and women who also died in the struggle against evil.
“For this reason, Holy Spirit, help us to remember, 24/7, to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in us, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).
Therefore Father, we entreat You to defend us from any enemy who would try to destroy our nation and its people. Whether from without or within, defend us Sovereign LORD!
Specifically, I ask that You would protect us from the Democrat Party. Protect all of us, American citizens by grace, from the democrat’s evil, brutal foot soldiers, trained Marxists and violent agitators, people inciting a class war in the name of race, people burning, looting, murdering, and destroying the lives of Americans.
God, You see! They do it without remorse. We know that You see! Their donors’ hunger for power cannot be satisfied. God, give them the best investment return they’ve ever had. Return on them hundred times what their money has worked throughout the United States.
Please do not allow evil men and women to kill and destroy. Reveal their sinister plans before they are put into action. We ask You to completely stop all of their attempts to destroy and paralyze this country with fear. Stop them Father! And give them Your justice which will be America’s peace.
Embolden us Father God, through the gift of Your power, love, and self-control, to see the pain and suffering of others around us. Give us righteous indignation at what the enemy is doing to destroy people’s lives, whether lies, indoctrination, policies designed to cripple, or inciting rage to burn cities.
Help us to stay prepared since we fight against an enemy who never gives up. Fortify us with Your Spirit, with Your Word, and with praise and worship of You.
Help us to think bigger than the enemy who seeks America’s destruction. Help us to stay awake. Help up to defend our freedom valiantly, even as so many did in World War II.
God, all things are possible with You (Matthew 19:26). Therefore, we thank You in advance, for giving us complete victory over tyranny and and rewarding of with the bounty of freedom.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, From Whom All Blessings Flow, Amen.
Raising The Flag On Iwo Jima. A true portrait of American strength, pride, and liberty. By American photographer, Joe Rosenthal, who received the Pulitzer Prize for the iconic World War II photograph taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima. His picture became one of the best-known photographs of the war.
Victory Over Japan Day aka V-J Day
From History.com V-J Day article:
On August 14, 1945, it was announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, effectively ending World War II. Since then, both August 14 and August 15 have been known as “Victory over Japan Day,” or simply “V-J Day.” The term has also been used for September 2, 1945, when Japan’s formal surrender took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay. Coming several months after the surrender of Nazi Germany, Japan’s capitulation in the Pacific brought six years of hostilities to a final and highly anticipated close.
From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Japan’s devastating surprise aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, capped a decade of deteriorating relations between Japan and the United States and led to an immediate U.S. declaration of war the following day. Japan’s ally Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, then declared war on the United States, turning the war raging in Europe into a truly global conflict. Over the next three years, superior technology and productivity allowed the Allies to wage an increasingly one-sided war against Japan in the Pacific, inflicting enormous casualties while suffering relatively few. By 1945, in an attempt to break Japanese resistance before a land invasion became necessary, the Allies were consistently bombarding Japan from air and sea, dropping some 100,000 tons of explosives on more than 60 Japanese cities and towns between March and July 1945 alone. Read More…
World War II Days Of Celebration
V-E Day, Victory in Europe, is celebrated on May 8. On that day, Germany surrendered, thus ending war in Europe.
V-J Day, Victory over Japan, is celebrated on September 2. On September 2nd, 1945, General Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan’s unconditional surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. V-J Day marked the end of the deadliest conflict in human history and the ultimate triumph of American freedom.
President Trump In Wilmington, North Carolina On the 75th Anniversary Of V-J Day
On September 2, 2020, President Trump designated Wilmington, North Carolina as the first American World War II Heritage City.
The President began by expressing the significance of September 2, 1945:
And I’m honored to be in North Carolina, in the presence of true American heroes, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the American victory in World War Two. And a victory it was.
On September 2nd, 1945, the great General Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan’s unconditional surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. V-J Day marked the end of the deadliest conflict in human history and the ultimate triumph of American freedom.
Speaking to the people gathered in Wilmington in regard to North Carolina’s role in World War II, Trump said:
Over 360,000 service members from your state fought in the Second World War. They battled on the cliffs of Normandy, over the skies of Africa, and in the deep waters of the Pacific. Over 11,000 North Carolina patriots fought the enemy until their very last breath. You know what that means, right? Think of that: Eleven thousand died in the war. We want to thank you. Boy. And we have family members here, by the way. That’s them saying hello.
In Wilmington, more than 20,000 workers of the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company poured out every ounce of their strength to build an astonishing 243 ships for the U.S. Navy. And it was the citizens of Wilmington who came together to save a priceless artifact of American history: the glorious battleship behind me, the USS North Carolina. And that is some powerful and beautiful ship.
During World War Two, this magnificent ship participated in many major naval offensives and — in the Pacific theater itself, including the Marshall Islands, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, earning more battle stars than any other battleship. ..
After the war, the people of Wilmington organized a massive campaign to save this beautiful ship from the scrapyard. They preserved it as a memorial to the gallant deeds of American sailors, a monument to the American workers that built it, and an enduring symbol of American greatness. Now more than 200,000 people visit this site each year to learn the history and the heroism that defines our nation.
In reference to America’s great monuments and the Democrat Party funded mob violence, the President said:
With this designation, we proudly declare that, in America, we don’t tear down the past, we celebrate our heroes, we cherish our heritage, we preserve our history, and we build a future.
American warriors did not defeat fascism and oppression overseas only to watch our freedoms be trampled by violent mobs here at home…
And as usual, our wonderful, America First President, lauded the greatness of the United States, her military, and law enforcement:
Together, we will remember America’s towering victories, we will recognize America’s outstanding virtues, and we will pay tribute to the heroes who keep us safe, strong, proud, and free. And I also, in addition to our wonderful, brilliant military, I want to thank law enforcement, because the law enforcement — (applause) — without them, we’re not here today very well. They’ve done an incredible job. Really, an incredible job.
And thank you again to the World War Two veterans in attendance today. This is such a great tribute to North Carolina. We will never forget what you did for us. Your legacy is etched forever into the heart and soul of a grateful nation. And this spot is right now one of the most important military spots anywhere in the world. Congratulations to everybody, and thank you for making it come true. (Applause.)
Thank you all very much. God bless you. God bless North Carolina. And God bless America. Thank you all very much. Thank you. (Applause.)
Read all of President Trump’s remarks in Wilmington, NC.
September 2, 1945: General Douglas MacArthur signs the formal documents of Japan’s unconditional surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. V-J Day marked the end of the deadliest conflict in human history and the ultimate triumph of American freedom.
About The 75th V-J Day Celebration Feature Image
The feature image is taken from a repost of the V-J Day issue of the Orlando Morning Sentinel with the caption “A look back at the August 15, 1945 Orlando Morning Star and how it covered V-J Day.” (The entire issue can be viewed at the link.)
- The headline “PEACE: jAPS QUIT” from August 15, 1945 celebrated the initial announcement of Japan’s surrender, which in effect brought WWII to an end.
- The lower case “j” is a sign of derision (much like PAGA often writes “obama” or “satan”).
- The top of the front page says “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow” which PAGA used as the subtitle for this post.
- Above the image it says “Thanks Be To God Who Giveth Us The Victory.”
How times have changed! Two references to God above the fold.
Thousands of newspapers throughout the world had similar headlines. August 15, 1945 marked a day of celebration because a tyrannical evil had been defeated and forced to surrender.
Lest anyone of tender sensibilities thinks this is “so mean-spirited” and “politically incorrect” – Study your history! During this period of time, the Japanese leaders were totalitarian tyrants, like Hitler and the Nazis of the same period. In fact, Germany and Japan were allies. Even Russia joined the U.S. and other European nations to bring the crusade of brutal of evil to an end.
During World War II, from the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, until their surrender, Japan’s military committed innumerable atrocities against humankind across the globe. Historical context matters. All tender sensibilities should be given to the innocent people who were tortured, murdered, raped, etc. by the Japanese during this time.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
