Crosstalk: August 28, 2018

This edition of Crosstalk is based upon Hebrews 9:27: 'And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:'. It's from that perspective that Jim reviewed the lives and legacies of 2 individuals: Arizona Senator John McCain and a 16 year old teenager named Jeremiah Thomas.

As many listeners may know, Senator McCain was a prisoner of North Vietnam for 5 years. He served 3 decades in Congress and went on to become the Republican nominee for president in 2008. He passed away this past Saturday. He was 81.

Although he'd surpassed expectations for his survival, in his last hours the senator turned down additional treatment for the brain cancer which he had been battling since being diagnosed in July of last year. Doctors discovered his tumor during a medical procedure to remove a blood clot from above his left eye. He remained upbeat about the diagnosis. In fact, he flew back to Washington days after the surgery to partake in the Senate's health care debate.

Senator McCain had not been in Washington since December but was still willing to battle politically, having blasted President Trump in a series of tweets and statements. As Jim read, '...he saw Trump and his 'American First' ideology as a departure from the values and traditions of global leadership that he saw epitomized in the United States.'

Jim reviewed comments of praise for the late senator from individuals such as his daughter, Senator Dick Durbin, Hillary Clinton, as well as the Human Rights Campaign.

During the next segment of the program, Jim reviewed portions of a Crosstalk broadcast where the guest was Rusty Thomas, director of Operation Save America. They unashamedly take up the cause of pre-born children in the name of Jesus Christ. Rusty spent multiple years as a traveling evangelist, has written two published books and many articles.

In excerpts from the broadcast that aired this past June 21st, Rusty talked about a battle for life involving his 16 year old son Jeremiah, who went on to be with the Lord last evening. He was an active teen who was also engaged in his own battle for life while simultaneously ministering to others and standing up for the life of the pre-born. His personal battle involved a very aggressive form of cancer known as Osteoblastic Osteosarcoma.

You'll hear about Jeremiah's growth through ministry, how his life within the context of illness touched many lives (including a state governor!), along with comments from Crosstalk listeners.