SABBATH & SUNDAY WORSHIP MESSAGE
MAY 24/25, 2025
{LX 594-22}
DECLARATION
For
[we are not] ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of
God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and
also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
{ Rom 1:16-17 KJV}
Sabbath Meditations
"Behar-Bechukotai" (On the Mount-by My Decrees )
Then Adonai said to Moses on Mount Sinai,.." Speak to Bnei-Yisrael and tell them: When you come into the land which I give you, then the land is to keep a Shabbat to Adonai. {Lev 25:1-2} TLV
Sunday Message
"MEMORIAL DAY"
PSALM 91
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. {Psa 91:1} NASB
OPENING PRAYER
Thank-You, Almighty Creator for gathering us together in Fellowship and Love to Worship You. Today we recall the precious lives lost by injury unto death for the righteous battles fought by Soldiers in the Army of the Lord. Let us never forget the price they paid that we might be free, in the footsteps of JESUS who gave His life and shed His blood for all of us. In HIS Name, AMEN.
Having opened this congregation with the Blessing of God through prayer, let us now focus our attention to the Banner of Freedom, Our Flag:
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIENCE TO THE FLAG OF OUR NATION,
UNDER GOD
CALL TO WORSHIP
Onward Christian Soldiers
MESSAGE
God made man, and man rests on God for his survival and rescue in times of great trial. This is the testimony of just three soldiers on life's battlefield who placed all of their faith and trust in He who created them.
Three men, US ARMY INFANTRY SERGEANT JOHN HENRY DANIELS, US NAVY SEABEE BRADLEY DILLON, AND US ARMY AIR CORPS, AND AIR FORCE LTC JOHN ELLIS
My ears are especially attuned to Wartime remembrances. During my 23 years in the Uniform of the U.S. Army, The Lord allowed meeting many selfless warriors who were so very humble, so meek in their outward behavior, one could hardly grasp the monumental feats they accomplished.
In 2004 at an RV Park in Panama City, Florida I met Mister Daniels, then 80 years young, began to tell me his powerful story. A young Army Cpl. John H. Daniels (nicknamed Doc ) served with the Army's 141st Infantry, 36th Division. His unit fought FIVE major campaigns in FIVE COUNTRIES in FIVE YEARS!!
He was captured in Italy on Jan. 14, 1944 and was held in POW camps in Germany until he was liberated on May 15, 1945. Daniels was also wounded both in Italy, then again during the Korean Conflict, with X Corps during the battle for Chosin Reservoir.
“We fought through Casablanca, and into North Africa before joining the fight in Italy.”, quipped John. “I was an infantryman, and I knew my job pretty good.” “We had some good boys in our unit, and many….many, never made it back home.” “The fighting was pretty rough.”.
John rose his right hand (missing the third finger) and adjusted his dark glasses. “I don’t recall exactly what day it was, but I remember getting hit in the back side of my head. I went out.”. “When I woke up, I was face down on a mattress, and there was someone straddling my back.” “ I turned my head and the person that was on my back was a nurse, massaging my neck”. “ I thought maybe I was dead, and I asked her, Are you an angel?”.
Daniels had been unconscious for 12 days, and was now on the mend in a field hospital. In the days ahead, he would be pronounced “fit for duty” and returned to his unit.
On the day of his capture, by the Germans --in Italy, John described the horrible battle that raged. His unit was hit very hard, and during the course of the day, they ran out of ammunition and were forced to engage the Germans with nothing more than bayonets. “When you fight with bayonets”, said Daniels, “ you are right up close with them, and the sounds, the screams, those hurt and those dying, its right there in front of you.”. Overwhelmed by the Germans, the remaining members of John’s unit was forced to surrender.
John and his fellow soldiers were now in the hands of the Germans. They were marched many miles to a German encampment, still in Italy. Here they joined a bunch of “other fellows” who had also been captured. Crammed into rail cattle cars, they began the four day journey into Germany. “They had so many of us stuffed in those cars, you could not lay down, even if you died.”. “The only way to get a few moments of rest was to lean over another soldier, and then you would shift and he’d lay across you”. The prisoners received no food and no water. It was bitter cold as they winded their way through the Alps.
In Germany, Daniels and his fellow prisoners were off loaded from the train, the Germans rationed out water, and John filled his helmet to the brim!. “Oh that water tasted so good, I think I drank it all up and I don’t think I even took a breath till it was all down.”. “We also got some cabbage soup, but it turned out that the cabbage was seaweed”. When you have not eaten for four days or more, you’ll eat just about anything.”.
The prisoners were told to strip, and go through the showers for delousing. “We had heard about German showers that had gas in them instead of water, so when we walked in, we all knew that we might not walk out but ---But, we did!”. “The Germans gave us back the same clothes on the other end of the showers. In fact, I wore the same clothes for my entire time I was in captivity.”.
Many soldiers were badly wounded, and John would use what ever was available, trying to save them. Many were lost, many others were saved by John’s intervention. “I had no medical training, except what I picked up here and there, but I knew if I didn’t do something, they would just die.” “We’d use T-shirts, pant legs, what ever we could get. And we had no anesthetic, the boys would bite down on a piece of wood, and they would feel me cutting, off a hand, an arm or a leg. To save them, I just had to do it.”.
Many had dysentery, and in their final days or hours, would pass blood through their rectums. “We had an out house with four or five holes. Some of these boys would go out there, passing blood, and would sit too long and worms and maggots would get up inside them. I saw many like this, and there was nothing you could do except hold their hands and be with them when they died.”
The food was given only once a day. a boiled potato with cabbage (seaweed). “Since they cooked those potatoes by dumping what ever was in the sack into boiling water, what ever was in that sack got cooked too. You know, rats would get in those sacks, and sometimes you’d get a whole rat, sometimes a just leg or a claw.” “We’d eat those roaches too, didn’t want to, but you eat what you need to stay alive”. When John and his fellow soldiers were liberated by the Russians. John remembered that when he was captured in Italy, he weighed 178 pounds. On the day of his liberation, 16 months later, he barley tipped the scale at 90 pounds.
He returned to his birth place home in Georgia, then on to his new post;
John and his bride had just arrived at Fort Bragg, applied for quarters and was informed that he was on orders to Korea, leaving Monday, four days away! . John went to his commander and reminded him that as a former P.O.W., he was not supposed to be ordered back into combat again. The commander told him that this decision was from higher headquarters and that he needed to talk to them. John did that and the big commander had a “heart to heart” conversation with John saying that they needed soldiers in a big way, and that he had to be on that plane Monday. End of story. John kissed his wife goodbye, off he was to yet another battle. This time it would be X Corps mission to support the Marines in taking the Chosin Reservoir.
“Early on after arriving in Korea, we had to cross this river using little rubber boats.” Lord, “We were taking fire from all over the place, and just when we got almost to the beach, on the other side of the river, the boat next to me, on my right, got hit real bad.” “Well, I got to the beach and I don’t mind telling you that I was really scared, almost in a panic, there were pieces of soldiers all over the water, and the mortars and gunfire was just terrible.” “All of a sudden I heard this voice, clear as could be, it said, I am with you, fear not.” “You know, that was my lord Jesus, and he was talking to me.” “Well, the panic left me and I ran back and forth in and out of that water and helped bring in as many soldiers as I could.”
“The fighting was rough, but the cold, that was a real killer”. At 32 below zero, a bullet was often a blessing than to freeze to death.
“This is where I got shot”, John motioned to me as he raised his right pant leg. He pointed to a deep indention surrounded by so many scars, pointing to it with his right hand. [Missing the third finger.] “I got my finger blown off too, but you know, the hand still works pretty good.” "I lost my left eye too"
“When its 32 below, blood freezes before it hits the ground. It balls up, its like pretty little red BBs or marbles, rolling on the frozen ground”. (or on the floor of an airplane taking you to healing and a ticket back to the states.) “Those little blood balls would roll all over the place”. John Henry Daniels would be saved by two other HEROES, John Ellis and Bradly Dillon. God is GOOD!
Many soldiers who owe their very lives to these GODLY and selfless men who put themselves ON-THE-LINE to do God's will and to TRUST and OBEY!
Fast forward to 2022. {72 years later} By the grace and hand of God, John Ellis and Bradly Dillon find themselves as residents of the same Assisted Living Facility in Navarre Florida!! Months go by. They eat at the same table, engage in the same daily activities, yet, neither of them recalls their joint mission to save lives at the risk of theirs. Guess who God chose to be WITNESS to HIS handy work with these fellows?
In casual conversation one day in the Garden, they both realized where they were and what they were doing in the winter of 1950, 72 years before. It was the visual beauty and memory of the tiny frozen balls of blood, glistening in the light as they rolled across the ground that brought this recollection to mind all these years later. Only God can arrange such a remarkable reunion. All three have now graduated from this earth and are serving in God's Mighty army as we speak.
SUMMARY
Between 1775 and the end of 2024,
1,284,447 precious lives were lost in War.
During those 249 years we lost 5,158 souls per year.
T A P S
Day is done .. Gone the sun ... From the lakes...From the hills From the sky All is well ... Safely rest ... God is nigh
Fading light ... Dims the sight ... And a star ... Gems the sky ...Gleaming bright From afar .. Drawing nigh ..Falls the night
Thanks and praise ... For our days ... Neath the sun ... Neath the stars...Neath the sky ... As we go ... This we know .... God is nigh
CLOSING PRAYER O' Mighty Lord, our God, not one of us knows how we might respond to the horrors met by fellows like John Henry, John Ellis and Bradly Dillon. Certainly we can do none of those HEROIC things on our own. As we mature as servants of the God of the Universe, we begin to realize how helpless we truly are. It was Jesus who brought these men through and returned them to their families. It was God Almighty who calmed the waters just long enough to save lives of others, and comfort those at death's door. You... Lord... hand made the HEROES and HEROINS, and by the might of Your power, the battle against EVIL continues to be won. Praise You Father, Praise You Lord Jesus, Praise You Holy Spirit, AMEN.
DOXOLOGY
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, Ye heaven-ly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Amen
THE CALL
If you have never invited Jesus to be your Lord and savior, or, if you have in the past yet remain unsure of salvation and forgiveness of sin, Please pray with me now: Lord Jesus I need to fill a hole in my life that follows me where ever I go. I am a long-time Sinner and I CONFESS and REPENT of all my sins. I believe that You JESUS are the Lord, that you were hung on a cross and died. I believe that you were raised back to life by God, Your Father, ascended into heaven and presently sit at the right hand of The Almighty. Please come into me, clean me, take me and make me Yours and let me serve from this day forward and forever, Thank-You Jesus, AMEN
If you sincerely prayed with me, your salvation has been assured. {Rom 10:9 KJV} -That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Waste no time in finding like minded folks, to fellowship with, who also know the lord Jesus. Be introduced to a church that preaches the BIBLE. Email me. Begin the journey that you will never tire of; the discovery of the Majesty, Beauty and loving Power of Jesus the Christ. Welcome to the family!
Chaplain Gary
BENEDICTION: Num 6:24-26 The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.'AMEN
Christ go with you now...until we meet again
Christ go with you now...keep praying on till then
It really doesn't matter what the weather...
Just as long as we all are TOGETHER...
Christ go with you now...Till we meet again!
SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE Rom 1:16-10:9; Psalm 91; Deu 20:1-4; Num 6:24-26
SABBATH & SUNDAY WORSHIP MESSAGE
(Published every Friday evening)
CHRIST ETERNAL SENIOR MINISTRIES
HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?
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