SABBATH & SUNDAY WORSHIP MESSAGE
MAY 23/24, 2026
{LX 648-21}
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
"Chag ha-Shavuot" (Festival of weeks- PENTECOST)
Then you will keep the Feast of Shavuot to Adonai your God with a measure of a freewill offering from your hand, which you are to give according to how Adonai your God blesses you. (13) “You are to keep the Feast of Sukkot for seven days, after gathering in the produce from your threshing floor and winepress.” --Deu 16:10,13 TLV
SUNDAY MESSAGE
"DECK OF CARDS Memorial Day"
Deu 20:1-4
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
CALL TO WORSHIP: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
OPENING PRAYER
Mighty creator, Commander of the universe, Majesty on high, we gather before you on this lord's day, with the presence of the holy spirit and our Lord Jesus. It is our passion to receive Your spirit into us so that you might be reflected to others. As the sun provides light to the earth, the moon reflects that same light to those we meet. Let us likewise this day be mindful of our gallant soldiers, sailors, airmen, coast guardsmen and marines who finished their tours of duty in foreign lands fighting the fight for freedom, who failed to return from battle. Grant us your presence as we open the pages of Holy scripture finding peace and harmony and love therein, Amen.
MESSAGE
The
Bible tells us in Deu
20: 2-4
that "When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see
horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be
afraid of them; for the LORD your God is with you..
So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the
[Chaplain]
shall approach and speak to the [Soldiers]--
And he shall say to them, 'Hear, O Army:
Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let
your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be
terrified because of them; for the LORD your God is He who goes with
you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.'
WORLD WAR II:
In 1942, during the battle of Bataan, a Chaplain named William Cummings reportedly uttered the words "There are no Atheists in foxholes", He said this during a field sermon. An aphorism pointing to those horrible moments in a battle to the death, every man pleads for a higher power to come to his aid. Bataan is a was a tiny village in the Northern section of the Philippines.
The Battle of Bataan is known in history as one of the last stands of American and Filipino soldiers before they were overwhelmed by the Japanese Forces in WWII. The Bataan Death March was named after the province, where the infamous march started.] Little did they know that in less than 30 days, the Death march would begin, costing the lives of 18,000 Filipino and nearly 650 American prisoners of war who would die a horrid death.
Over in North Africa and the Middle East -- Germany's Rommel would chase and be chased all across this desert wasteland. U.S. Soldiers caught by the wrong folks who had or carried a Bible would immediately suffer a bullet to the head. Soldiers are clever as our true story will attest.
Our story begins here:
This particular infantry unit had been to hell and back again. Heavy losses, and only brief respites. Finally they secured space in a boarder area that was neutral territory. It was not much, just a series of cement slabs all lined up like a big checker board. Here is where the fellows pitched their GP Medium tents and set up housekeeping for 2 weeks. A chance to heal and refresh without threat of attack.
1SGT Beverly Smithson had just informed the company commander, Captain Felters that all the soldiers were on station and accounted for, including a few new arrivals that they had gained along the way. With a first name like Beverly, this Senior NCO probably had to grow up TOUGH and it would appear he did. Simply by his presence, everyone knew who was In Charge!
The 1SGT, or TOP as his men would refer to him, walked through the tents on a beautiful Sunday morning. Some soldiers slept in, others were in the Chapel Tent attending worship services. Entering one such tent it seemed vacant except for one lone soldier who was sitting on his cot, shuffling a deck of cards onto his duffel bag.
Smithson called to him, Corporal, whats your name? GELFUSO was the reply, Corporal Anthony Gelfuso. The 1SGT watched him manipulate the cards with blinding speed and then said, I'll bet you are really good with those cards soldier." "Not to brag, TOP, but I can hold my own." "Yeah, said Smithson, I'll bet you can---GET ON YOUR FEET SOLDIER!" GELFUSO snapped to attention. "Let me tell you something boy, I've seen your kind before, a conman, worse than a barracks thief, stealing money from young soldiers, using trickery and deceit. Be warned Corporal, If I catch you dealing dirty with any soldier in this company, I will take you out! Permanently. DO YOU UNDERSTAND!
"Wait, 1SGT, please, give me a chance to explain", pleaded Gelfuso.
"I don't give chances to worthless pukes who abuse others for gain" shouted the 1SGT.
"Please, please, just listen for a minute, please...."
Smithson rocked back and forth a few times, his fists all balled up, he was very angry, but he then said " Normally, Gelfuso, I would not hear you, but something is not right, but don't waste my time, you will regret it!.
"I joined your unit after being reassigned back to duty over in Italy. I had been discharged back to duty after being all shot up when our squad got pinned down near Pisa. Only four of us made through. When I was recovering, fearing that I was about to die, and I almost did, I heard a voice saying COME. Come to me! I thought it was the drugs, but I heard it again and again. 1SGT, it was Jesus. He was calling to me to come to him. Now I was certain I was dying, I said Here I am Lord, take me please!
I was saved, I was quickly healed, and given a new chance. That is when I changed. From that day to today I have not once used these cards to cheat anyone. Since we don't carry Bibles in this theater, I teach the Gospel using these here cards."
THAT'S BULL-CRAP, yelled Smithson, don't you dare use the name of almighty GOD to hide the devil in you! I should take you out right now!
1SGT, you've listened this far, let me show you what I mean, give me this opportunity, I beg you.....
Smithson exhaled loudly, UN-balled his fists, and sat down on the cot across from Gellfuso's.
Corporal Gelfuso picked up his deck of cards, and in a calm, peaceful and matter of fact manner, he began........
DECK OF CARDS
A One God Eternal in the heavens. 2 OT & NT plus Alpha & Omega. 3 Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 4 Four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. 5 The FIVE SOLAS; We are saved by GRACE alone, thru FAITH alone, in CHRIST alone, according to SCRIPTURE alone, For the GLORY of GOD alone. 6 Six days of Creation. 7 The Lord's Sabbath, Day of Rest / Reflection. 8 Eight people survived the destruction of the world during the flood, Noah, his wife, three sons and three daughters in law. Plus animals with the breath of life. 9 The Nine Jewish Lepers that Jesus healed. Only the alien returned. Giving Thanksgiving. 10 The TEN COMMANDMENTS -JACK/JOKER Satan, the devil. Q The young virgin named Mary whom God selected to be the vessel to carry the incarnate Lord our Savior, Jesus the Christ.
|
K Our King, Jesus of Nazareth. No one comes to the father and to paradise except through the Christ Jesus. It is through His blood, death, and resurrection that the great sin committed by Adam is atoned for. He died so that you and I could be released from the sentence of eternal death resulting from Adam's sin. We are SAVED by Grace alone, through FAITH alone, in Christ Alone, according to scripture alone, for the glory of God alone, AMEN. ->There are 365 symbols printed on these cards, this matches the 365 days of a year.->The 52 cards in this deck is the same number of weeks in the year.->The 4 suits reflects the four seasons, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.->12 Face Cards reflecting the 12-months.->Each suit has 13 cards. In a year, there are exactly 13 weeks per quarter. Four quarters per year. Father God, Almighty creator, thank-You for enlightening this deck of standard playing cards, causing even this carnal symbol of money and greed to be reformed and displayed in a manner reflective of the majesty of Your Kingdom. Praise You in the highest, Amen. |
When Gelfuso finished, both men sat in silence on those army cots, in a tent, in a foreign land full of violence and death. Suddenly, they were no longer strangers wearing a common uniform. There was no attempt by either of them to hide as they began to wipe their tears away. They recognized that they were brothers. Not just brothers in ARMS, but Brothers in CHRIST. Smithson soon introduced Gelfuso to others, and to his Deck of cards and the Gospel message.
Now, this is not the end of our story. Both First Sergeant Smithson and Corporal Gelfuso survived their combat tour in North Africa. Tony rotated back to the States, continuing to serve in the Army. Smithson retired, loving on a bunch of grand kids, some great grand kids; loving life and his Lord. He later died peacefully with a full life and his family at his bedside.
Tony Gelfuso gained rank quickly and as a Master Sergeant, he received orders to a raging battle in Korea. In the brutal cold of a Korean winter, Gelfuso and his platoon was inching their way towards a place called Chosen. Oh, it was cold. U.S. Marines were pinned down under fire. Some soldiers froze to death. Gelfuso and his men soldiered on.
As they made a slow and cautious climb up to a hilltop, Tony paused to catch his breath, and a sniper's bullet found his chest. Down he went, it felt as though his chest had exploded, he could barely breathe. Tony prayed as he passed out.
Waking up at the 121 Evac Hospital in Seoul, Tony discovered that His Lord had saved him yet again. Oh, he had busted ribs, and some internal injuries from concussion, but he was alive. On the table at his bedside lay a deck of cards. A card deck with what looked like a 30 caliber bullet lodged half in one side and half out of the other side. God works in amazing ways. Tony carried that deck in his left breast pocket. Directly over his heart. God is good!
The story gets even better as we witness the hand of God moving beyond the bitter trials and tribulations of war. We find ourselves in the Gulf Breeze/ Navarre Florida area. The year is 2019. A man and his wife are residents of the BEACON Assisted Living Facility. AF LTC John Ellis and his bride Maryann attended church worship services every Sunday morning. After the service these two world travelers would share their experiences from their travels and sometimes dangerous adventures over a number of years.
John was a pilot for a very secret 3-letter U.S. agency and Johns's efforts and piloting skills contributed to the Moon Landing in 1969. Maryann passed away in 2021 and John moved to Navarre Gardens ALF on U.S. 98.
It would be here at this Assisted Living community John would meet a fellow resident, A Navy SEABEE named Earl who had seen action in numerous places during WWII and Korea.
Months after arriving at the Gardens, John and Earl discovered that they both were in a certain place at the same time and did not know it at the time or meet each other.
John was flying rescue missions from the Korea's bloodiest battle, as U.S. Marines were pinned down. John would fly to a frozen rice paddy, land his plane, pickup wounded and the dead and fly them back to the 121 Evac Hospital in Seoul. Earl then discovered that HE WAS the Sailor on the D3 Caterpillar keeping the rice paddy clear for John's Airplane. Here is the final miracle that GOD chose to share, on John's last flight, a wounded Army Master Sergeant was loaded onto the aircraft and transported to Seoul. That Master Sergeant was ANTONIO GELFUSO, His deck of Cards properly placed to save his life.
HOLD ON! There is more, Another Soldier Sergeant First Class John Henry Daniels was also up loaded on that flight suffering from gunfire. John Henry's story is a whole sermon by itself. He was wounded in Italy, recovered, was captured by the Germans and sent to a POW camp near Berlin, recovered by the Russians, returned to the states and within days was back on orders to South Korea!! You cannot make this stuff up!! I personally met and spent time with John Henry in Panama City Beach on the very same day that President Reagan died 3,000 miles to the West. SFC Daniels returned to the U.S. and retired from the post office a few years ago.
SUMMARY
For what ever reason, My God blessed me to be witness of His mighty hand of healing and protection for those soldiers in His Service! Today we shared their stories, their lives, their salvation with you.
Only our GOD Almighty can bring such an amazing group of Soldier Saints together proving that prayers and miracles happen all the time. It is awesome when HE opens your eyes and ears to see or to hear them. GOD IS GOOD!
PRAY Especially for those who wore and still wear the uniform. Those who served, and those still serving, serving this great people, this great nation, and most of all our Great and Merciful GOD. Truly, "There are no Atheists in foxholes"
CLOSING PRAYER
Father God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, thank-You for enlightening this deck of standard playing cards, causing even this carnal symbol of money and greed to be reformed and displayed in a manner reflective of the majesty of Your Kingdom and we as simple stones used in building that heavenly mansion, that house not made by hands, eternal in paradise. Go with us now as we depart, guide our paths, light our way and know that we love you with all of our heart, our mind, our might and our soul. In the name of Jesus, 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 LORD'S SUPPER
THE LORD'S PRAYER
EXIT HYMN >>>> TAPS <<<<
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!
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. Let us help you begin a 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
SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE Rom 1:16-17; 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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