This is the Truth Network. Memorial Day. It's more than a cookout. It's more than a day off. Yeah.
It can be all that, but it's a time. that we reflect. And we look back and we thank God for those who have fought for us and given their all. One of those men who's still living. Who I know loves this day.
As much or more than anyone I know is Evangelist Tim Lee, who's been a great friend and mentor. I love hearing this man preached. Brother Lee, thank you for visiting with us, sir, and happy Memorial Day weekend to you, sir, coming up. Thank you, Stu, and I appreciate you. all that you do for the God's kingdom and for his work and Honor to be with you on this special day.
Well, you have quite a story. It's been put in writing. I've heard you preach. You're one of my favorite guests to have on, and people love to hear from you all across all of our wonderful affiliates that are brave enough to carry this show. Can you speak a little bit?
About how Jesus changed your life and maybe. Uh, parlay that into, you know, you love your country, you serve your country, you gave so much for your country, but at the same time. You recognize that You are a citizen of another country, not of this world. Absolutely, and I don't have any trouble with either one of those. I I was um Brought up in a pastor's home.
My dad was a Southern Baptist pastor for almost 60 years and Eddie was my mentor, godly, godly man, my mom, a godly woman. I became a Christian at a very young age, age of 10. And the short version of it is that I after some period of time, started my teenage years, I began to rebel. At home and against authority, against God, and I wrecked my life. I made so many wrong decisions and so many wrong turns.
I got out of the will of God and God would speak to me and try to deal with my life, but I wouldn't listen. And so the short version is I ended up getting kicked out of college. I ended up getting fired from my job. And then I saw a sign that said the Marines are looking for a few good men. I was so arrogant and so full of myself, so egotistical, I went in and told the recruiters that I had found what they were looking for.
And I tell young people I was tired of living at home, tired of being told what time to get out of bed and what time to go to bed and how to get my hair cut, what I could do and could not do.
So I joined the United States Marine Corps.
Well, that wasn't the smartest thing that I ever did. I ended up in South Vietnam. March the 8th, 1971, the left at 1:30 in the afternoon, I stepped on a 60-pound. A land mine. It blew me several feet there, ripped both of my legs off of my body, and the stew I should have been killed instantly is a big enough mine.
a destroyer jeep. We'd have entered a major minefield at the exact moment that I stepped on a mine. A South Korean Marine that was serving with us stepped on a mine, lost one of his legs. Our bulldozer driver set his blade down on a mine. And now there's noise and smoke, chaos, and confusion, and I'm in extreme pain.
was only unconscious for a couple of moments. I knew I'd been hit. I didn't know how serious it was, but. After a period of time, With a lot of things going on around me. I looked up, my head was laying in the lap of my best friend.
A corporal eagle or lead. I flew to Vietnam on the same plane. He was a Christian living for God. I was saved, but I was running from God. And they're uh On that battlefield that day, big old tears streaming down his black face, and he's praying, asking God to help me.
And that day I prayed. I didn't want to die. I wanted to live, and I begged God to let me live. And I made a promise that if He would let me live, I'd do with my life what He wanted me to do. God heard that prayer, heard the prayer of Lee Gore, heard the prayer of my mom and dad, and so many others.
And I spent eight long months in a hospital in Philadelphia, surgery after surgery. When the doctors were finished, I had three inches remaining on my right leg and 11 inches on my left, but no other part. My body was hurt. I went home to southern Illinois to my dad's church. I was the prodigal son, come home.
And asked the church to forgive me. Of course, they did. Fell in love with Connie. We got married. God's given us three wonderful children, seven great, awesome grandchildren.
And then, about a year after we were married, Stu, God called me to preach. Imagine that, a Marine in a wheelchair with no legs. And God called me to preach. I've preached in all 50 states, many, many foreign countries, pastored for five years, and now the past 48 years as an evangelist. And I love my life.
I don't want to do anything else. It's the greatest calling in the world. that preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. But Voice of evangelist Tim Lee, who's been a huge encouragement to me. And I've been in that, in small churches, big churches, big arenas, and you were on stage and just.
how God has used you, and even just your taking the time to share with our listeners. Brother Lee, what would you say? In terms of Memorial Day weekend specifically, it's different from Veterans Day. And some folks get that kind of mixed up. Explain the difference and then maybe connect that to the reality of the gospel, especially for those that have lost.
They have family in heaven that served in the war and died. Yes.
Well, it is easy to distinguish. And so I say it like this: Veterans Day, November 11th, every year, is to honor those who are alive and served our country either in peacetime or wartime. Does it make any difference if they were willing to put on the uniform, serve our country? We respect them. We honor them.
And I tell people, there's never a time when it's wrong. to say thank you to a veteran. And we have so few World War II veterans left. And if they're ever going to say thank you to a World War II veteran, they need to do it quickly. And same thing with the Korean veterans.
And that's Vietnam veterans. We're getting up in years there now. But never wrong to say thank you to a Vietnam veteran. But Memorial Day is different, it is for those who gave it all. Um, the saying goes that some uh that all gave some, but some gave all.
And um, I tell this story that is personal to my family. My dad.
Well, Grandma and Grandpa Lee was taking my dad to the train station to go to the Great Lake Naval Station in Chicago in my hometown. And they got word that right as they were putting him on the train that their oldest son, my dad's older brother Emerson, had been killed over Italy, had been shot down over Italy and killed. You imagine taking your next oldest son to go to war, World War II, and then you just got word that your oldest son has been killed. Tom Broco called them our greatest generation. And they did.
They sacrificed so much. My dad served in the South Pacific and his life in danger constantly. But he survived, but my uncle Emerson did not survive. Never had the privilege to meet my uncle Emerson. And so we respect.
Of those, and we honor those who were willing to lay their life on the line, men and women alike who put their life. On the line, and many of them died. And I tell also, Stu, that we have a younger generation today. All of our military today are voluntary. No one is drafted in our military today.
And these young men and yes, women alike that fought in Iraq and in the Gulf War, some of these young people saw things they should have never had to see, such atrocities and horrible things of war. And many of them died as a result. But these people sacrificed some two tours, three tours, some six tours. I know one Marine that actually did nine tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. And so we ought to pay respect.
It's the right thing to do to all of our veterans, but especially then on Memorial Day, those who were. laid down their life and gave it all. Then so The main thing is for us to remember that there's somebody else. who gave it all, God's only Son. Jesus Christ gave it all on an old rugged cross a little over 2,000 years ago.
He laid down his life. He said, No man takes my life. He said, I lay it down. And he did. He gave it freely.
And he hung on an old rugged cross, suspended between heaven and earth. And on that cross, he shed his blood. And upon that cross, he died. God's only son died. And then they took him off of that cross and they put him in a bod tomb And here's what separates Christianity from every single religion on the face of the earth.
If you went to the place where they put the body of Jesus, you wouldn't find him. He's not there. On the third day, he got up from the grave, victorious over sin, over death, and over hell. And today, God's Son is alive. That's the good news.
The great news is... He wants to come and live in your life. If you don't know Jesus today, if you've never been saved, you've never been born again, your life has never been changed by the power of God. Today you put your faith and your trust in Jesus. It's not by works, it's not by being a Baptist or Methodist or Lutheran or Church of Christ, a Catholic, a Mormon, anything else.
It's Jesus. Jesus said, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No man. Cometh unto the Father, but by me. And today, if you're willing to repent of your sin, turn from your sin and turn to Jesus.
John 1:12 says, To as many as received him, to them. Gave He the power to become the sons of God. You simply pray. Pray, ask Jesus, come into your life.
Something like this: God, I'm a sinner. I know I've sinned, and I know I deserve to be separated from you, but today I want to be saved. Lord Jesus, please come into my life. Right now, I'm trusting Jesus and him alone as my Lord and my Savior. The Bible says, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall call the name of the Lord.
Shall be saved, and if someone prayed with me right then, they can have the assurance to know according to the word of God. And when they die, that they go to heaven for all of eternity. To the top. Why
