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If the Lord is our light, our strength, and our salvation, whom shall we fear? Of whom shall we be afraid? No matter where we live, we have a promise that can make all the difference, a promise from Jesus to soothe our sorrows, heal our hearts, and drive away our fears. He promised there will never be a dark night that does not end. Our weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. He promised if our hearts are true, His love will be as sure as sunlight. And, by dying for us, Jesus showed how far our love should be ready to go: all the way.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.'' I'm a little self-conscious because I know very well you all could recite that verse to me. [Laughter]

Helping each other, believing in Him, we need never be afraid. We will be part of something far more powerful, enduring, and good than all the forces here on Earth. We will be a part of paradise.

Now that Reagan has quite literally become a part of Paradise (though the usual caveat goes here about only God knowing for sure), tributes are pouring in from Christian leaders around the country. Notably, a few of them worked in Reagan's administration:

Focus on the Family President Don Hodel, (served as Reagan's Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of Energy):

Along with millions of others, my sympathies are with Mrs. Reagan and his family, tonight. A great man has passed from the scene, but his memory and accomplishments will live on.

Few experiences in my life have been as rewarding and enjoyable as serving in President Ronald Reagan's Cabinet. He was a man of great vision, traditional American values and very strong convictions, and he ran the country by those principles.

He exemplified that ideas matter, values have consequences and leadership matters. Nothing represents this better than an instance from a Cabinet meeting. Someone was making a presentation, trying to convince the President on a matter, and -- right in mid-sentence -- President Reagan stopped him and said, 'Wait! You're talking politics. I want to know what you think is right!'

This determination to seek right and his vision of freedom for all mankind drove him in his successful efforts to bring down the Soviet Union (and the Berlin Wall), to restore the rights of citizens by, among other things, bringing down confiscatory tax rates, and to restore America's self-confidence.

It was apparent to those around him that the President had an abiding faith in God which gave him calm and confidence through all the demands of his presidency and the attacks of his critics. America and the world were tremendously well-served by President Reagan, and even though his illness took him from the public arena some time ago, there will be less sparkle now that we know he is gone.

May he rest in peace and may we always remember his remarkable character and his accomplishments.

Former presidential candidate Gary Bauer, who served eight years in the Reagan administration:

My heart goes out to Mrs. Reagan and the Reagan family on the passing of Ronald Reagan, a modern day American Hero. Our country lost an extraordinary man and extraordinary President."

History will record that Ronald Reagan's clear vision of what was at stake in the cold war lead to the unraveling of the Soviet Union and the triumph of liberty. He transformed the Republican Party, making it a voice for the values of hearth and home. His insistence that the American people were over taxed led to the biggest decline in marginal tax rates in the history of the country and the revival of economic growth, the effects of which echo even today. I will forever by honored by the opportunity to serve him.

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June (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48