INTERESTING INFORMATION 5/27/2026
Est. 1997
The following material is provided for information purposes only. Any conclusions or opinions formed should be based on the principles as outlined in Acts 17:11. The material is intended for use as a witnessing tool and to keep you informed so you will not be unaware (Luke 21:34) of what is happening according to Scripture’s
“However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find any faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8b)
Ezekiel 34:2 “Shepherd, feed the Flock
"With the Holy Spirit and With Fire"
http://www.heritagechurchmckinney.com/messages/With%20the%20Holy%20Spirit%20and%20With%20Fire.mp3
Pastor Len McLaughlin, Heritage Church, McKinney, Tx
This is a wonderful Message. Don’t miss it, you will be blessed! Pass it on to your Homebound Family and friends
CHRISTIAN MUSIC VIDEO
Unshaken Joy – A Christian Song About Choosing Joy no matter what John Drolet
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK To multiply your joy, count your Blessings – Our Daily Bread
SUMMARY OF ARTICLES
· A Memorial Day lesson in real Patriotism from a Black Union Soldier · Better than anyone, Christians should understand the depth of Love behind the ultimate Sacrifice · JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Christian Post – May 26, 2026 -- Americans complain a great deal these days. We grumble about inflation, gasoline prices, political dysfunction, cultural turmoil, and the inconveniences that come with uncertain times. Some of those complaints are understandable. Life has grown harder for many. Yet Memorial Day calls us to pause and recall a desperately needed perspective.
There was a time in this nation when men endured not mere inconvenience but agony; not mere frustration but death, so that others might live free.
Among the most remarkable of these were Black soldiers who fought for the Union during the Civil War. Many had once been enslaved. Many had known the sting of the lash, the cruelty, and the humiliation of being treated as less than human. Yet these same men willingly marched into gun and cannon fire for a country that had not yet fully recognized their dignity. They believed that America could become better than it was.
They fought not only for their own freedom but also for what Abraham Lincoln would later call “a new birth of freedom.
One of those men was William H. Carney.
Born into slavery in Virginia, Carney escaped to the North and enlisted in the famed 54th.
Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the first official Black regiments organized by the Union Army. In July 1863, the regiment was ordered to assault Fort Wagner, a heavily fortified Confederate stronghold near Charleston, South Carolina. The battle was nothing short of a slaughter. Union soldiers were cut down by cannon and rifle fire as they advanced across the sand. Amid the chaos, the regiment’s flag bearer fell. The American flag began to fall toward the ground. Carney saw it happen. Without hesitation, Carney rushed forward through a hail of bullets, seized the flag, and continued the charge. He was shot multiple times. Witnesses said he pressed onward despite his wounds, planting the colors near the enemy fortifications before retreating with the surviving soldiers. Bleeding and near collapse, Carney finally reached Union lines, clutching the flag. Then he spoke words that history would make immortal: “Boys, the old flag never touched the ground.” Think carefully about that for a moment. A man once treated as property under that same flag heroically refused to let it fall. There is something profoundly convicting about that kind of patriotism. It exposes the shallowness of modern cynicism. Today, many Americans speak of the nation with casual contempt. We have become experts at pointing out America’s failures, sins, hypocrisies, and contradictions. Certainly, America has had them all. Slavery itself remains one of the great stains on our national story. But these Black Union soldiers believed the answer to America’s sins was not the destruction of America, not tearing it down, but its redemption. And redemption always costs blood. Nowhere was that clearer than at Fort Pillow in Tennessee in 1864. Black Union soldiers stationed there were overwhelmed by Confederate forces. Numerous eyewitness accounts testified that even after surrendering, many Black soldiers were mercilessly executed. Some were reportedly burned alive, and others were shot while kneeling. Yet these men had fought anyway. They knew the risks were higher for them than for white Union soldiers. Capture would likely mean torture and death. Nevertheless, they stood their ground, believing freedom was worth the price.
Memorial Day exists because freedom has always exacted a sacred and terrible price. It is quite fashionable today to speak endlessly about rights. Much less fashionable is it to speak of sacrifice. Yet every liberty Americans now casually enjoy rests atop the graves of men who surrendered their futures, families, comfort, dreams, and even life itself. Some died on the beaches of Normandy. Some died in the jungles of Vietnam. Some died in deserts halfway across the world. Some died wearing Union blue, believing that America, by the grace of God, might yet become more faithful to its founding creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” When Lincoln stood at Gettysburg and declared that “this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom,” he was speaking of a freedom purchased with blood. Black soldiers, men whose freedom had been denied and whose full realization of liberty would still take more than a hundred years to perfect, were among those paying the high price. Memorial Day should humble us greatly. It should remind us that freedom is not self-sustaining. Nations survive only when enough people love something greater than themselves. The men we honor on Memorial Day knew this. William Carney understood it. Although he was wounded and nearly killed, he carried that flag through the smoke and terror of battle and, with his dying strength, declared: “The old flag never touched the ground.” May it never touch the ground in our generation.
Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the first official Black regiments organized by the Union Army. In July 1863, the regiment was ordered to assault Fort Wagner, a heavily fortified Confederate stronghold near Charleston, South Carolina. The battle was nothing short of a slaughter. Union soldiers were cut down by cannon and rifle fire as they advanced across the sand. Amid the chaos, the regiment’s flag bearer fell. The American flag began to fall toward the ground. Carney saw it happen. Without hesitation, Carney rushed forward through a hail of bullets, seized the flag, and continued the charge. He was shot multiple times. Witnesses said he pressed onward despite his wounds, planting the colors near the enemy fortifications before retreating with the surviving soldiers. Bleeding and near collapse, Carney finally reached Union lines, clutching the flag. Then he spoke words that history would make immortal: “Boys, the old flag never touched the ground.” Think carefully about that for a moment. A man once treated as property under that same flag heroically refused to let it fall. There is something profoundly convicting about that kind of patriotism. It exposes the shallowness of modern cynicism. Today, many Americans speak of the nation with casual contempt. We have become experts at pointing out America’s failures, sins, hypocrisies, and contradictions. Certainly, America has had them all. Slavery itself remains one of the great stains on our national story. But these Black Union soldiers believed the answer to America’s sins was not the destruction of America, not tearing it down, but its redemption. And redemption always costs blood. Nowhere was that clearer than at Fort Pillow in Tennessee in 1864. Black Union soldiers stationed there were overwhelmed by Confederate forces. Numerous eyewitness accounts testified that even after surrendering, many Black soldiers were mercilessly executed. Some were reportedly burned alive, and others were shot while kneeling. Yet these men had fought anyway. They knew the risks were higher for them than for white Union soldiers. Capture would likely mean torture and death. Nevertheless, they stood their ground, believing freedom was worth the price.
Memorial Day exists because freedom has always exacted a sacred and terrible price. It is quite fashionable today to speak endlessly about rights. Much less fashionable is it to speak of sacrifice. Yet every liberty Americans now casually enjoy rests atop the graves of men who surrendered their futures, families, comfort, dreams, and even life itself. Some died on the beaches of Normandy. Some died in the jungles of Vietnam. Some died in deserts halfway across the world. Some died wearing Union blue, believing that America, by the grace of God, might yet become more faithful to its founding creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” When Lincoln stood at Gettysburg and declared that “this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom,” he was speaking of a freedom purchased with blood. Black soldiers, men whose freedom had been denied and whose full realization of liberty would still take more than a hundred years to perfect, were among those paying the high price. Memorial Day should humble us greatly. It should remind us that freedom is not self-sustaining. Nations survive only when enough people love something greater than themselves. The men we honor on Memorial Day knew this. William Carney understood it. Although he was wounded and nearly killed, he carried that flag through the smoke and terror of battle and, with his dying strength, declared: “The old flag never touched the ground.” May it never touch the ground in our generation.
INTERSTING INFORMATION ARTICLES
A MEMORIAL DAY LESSON IN REAL PATRIOTISM FROM A BLACK UNION SOLDIER
BETTER THAN ANYONE, CHRISTIANS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE DEPTH OF LOVE BEHIND THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
Charisma News – Memorial Day Message - "Freedom isn't free" is a popular adage, especially around Memorial Day. When we look at the price paid by soldiers who come home wounded, or who don't come home at all, we realize the cost of deliverance from tyranny and oppression.
Christians can understand better than anyone that someone pays the price for freedom.
The cornerstone of the Christian faith is that Jesus is a Savior who paid the ultimate sacrifice to bring people into union with God the Father. It is Jesus' sacrifice that enables mankind to be free from sin and death. We are the recipients of the depth of Christ's love and the sacrifice of His life for ours.
And yet even Christians can become complacent and lose perspective. We can become so accustomed to our peaceful way of life that we take it for granted. We can become lulled into feeling like the lifestyle we are blessed with is the way it's always been.
We often do this with our Christian walk overall. At times we forget that we aren't entitled to anything. God's love is unconditional, and His grace is sufficient to cover every error we make. But He didn't owe it to us, and we haven't earned it. God chose to send His Son to make a sacrifice of Himself in order to give us life and give it more abundantly.
Jesus tells us plainly in John 15:13 (NIV), "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." There are those living among us today who are laying down their lives for us on an ongoing basis.
Where I pastor, we are privileged to have many active-duty military members in our congregation. Over many years, my respect has grown for these men and women who willingly put their lives in danger for people who they don't know and will never meet. We proudly celebrate their service and sacrifice.
For many of our heroes who have fallen on the battlefield, we can be comforted that they will one day be reunited with their loved ones. It is written, "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake" (Dan. 12:2a).
On this Memorial Day, pause and be sure you haven't taken these heroes for granted. Think of those in your family or in your circles who have given their lives for us. Remember the brother who was lost at such a young age, or your neighbor's father, or your friend's son or daughter. And as we spend this holiday with family and friends, it's a good opportunity to teach our children about these modern-day heroes. None of their sacrifices were in vain.
Memorial Day is a sacred day to reflect and give thanks for these heroes who have purchased with their lives the lives we enjoy today. For Christians, it's the greatest modern-day illustration of how much Jesus loves us and wants us to be free from sin, pain and death.
Remember the loss that was endured to provide us with peace in the free world. Remember those who have to endure life with loved ones now missing from family photos. Finally, as we stop by a graveside or raise a flag up the pole, take a moment to thank the Lord for how blessed we are to be the recipients of love and sacrifice.
JOY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
Romans 14:13-17In today’s passage, the apostle Paul writes, “[Do not] put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s or sister’s way … For if because of food your brother or sister is hurt, you are no longer walking in accordance with love” (vv. 13, 15). God’s kingdom isn’t about what we eat or drink—or any other “rule” we think we must follow. Rather, it’s about the transformative work of the Holy Spirit within us.
When we align with God’s righteousness, seeking His ways and His will, joy blossoms. The Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Guide, brings it to life within us. He reminds us of God’s love, assures us of our salvation, and empowers us to live in harmony with those around us. This is not some superficial or temporary happiness; it’s the fruit of the Spirit dwelling in us (Galatians 5:22) and transcends our circumstances. Take a moment to reflect on the joy that comes from knowing God and seeking Him. This profound sense of stability and strength cannot be bought or manufactured—it flows from our connection to the Source of all joy and is a taste of the eternal pleasures that await us in God’s presence (Psalm 16:11). In Touch Ministry
When we align with God’s righteousness, seeking His ways and His will, joy blossoms. The Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Guide, brings it to life within us. He reminds us of God’s love, assures us of our salvation, and empowers us to live in harmony with those around us. This is not some superficial or temporary happiness; it’s the fruit of the Spirit dwelling in us (Galatians 5:22) and transcends our circumstances. Take a moment to reflect on the joy that comes from knowing God and seeking Him. This profound sense of stability and strength cannot be bought or manufactured—it flows from our connection to the Source of all joy and is a taste of the eternal pleasures that await us in God’s presence (Psalm 16:11). In Touch Ministry