MEMORIAL DAY -- 2020

OPENING PRAYER

MIGHTY CREATOR, COMMANDER OF THE UNIVERSE, MAJESTY ON HIGH, WE "FALL-IN" TO FORMATION BEFORE YOU ON THIS LORD'S DAY, IN THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND OUR LORD JESUS. IT IS OUR PASSION TO HAVE RECEIVED YOUR SPIRIT INTO US SO THAT YOU MIGHT BE REFLECTED THROUGH US TO OTHERS. AS THE SUN PROVIDES LIGHT TO THE EARTH, THE MOON REFLECTS THAT SAME LIGHT TO THOSE WE MEET. LET US THIS DAY BE MINDFUL OF OUR GALLANT SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AIRMEN, COAST GUARD AND MARINES WHO FINISHED THIER TOURS OF DUTY, OFTEN IN FOREIGN LANDS, FIGHTING THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, WHO FAILED TO RETURN FROM WHENCE THEY CAME. GRANT US YOUR PRESENCE AS WE OPEN THE PAGES OF HOLY SCRIPTURE FINDING PEACE AND HARMONY AND LOVE THEREIN, AMEN.

Jos 5:13-15Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?" He said, "No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, "What has my lord to say to his servant?" The captain of the LORD'S host said to Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.

In 1942, during the battle of Bataan, a Chaplain named William Cummings reportedly uttered the words "There are no Atheists in foxholes", 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. Little did they know that in less than 30 days, the Bataan Death march would begin, costing the lives of 18,000 Filipino and nearly 650 American prisoners of war would die a horrid death.

The Prayers were frequent and plenty from the Lord's elect, His Saints in uniform all through the Revolutionary, Spanish American, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and into Iraq and Afghanistan; Not counting all the wars preceding. War is a terrible thing, as it should be. Violent conflict should always be the manner of last resort. The Bible teaches us the great patience of God. His patience, however, God does have a threshold, and His wrath, when unleashed, is Horrible and all consuming. Sodom and Gomorrah can attest to that!

Gen 19:24-25Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, (25) and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

War finds many opportunities for our LORD to flex His mighty arm, and today we reflect on memories and compelling stories spoken about SALVATION, about FORGIVENESS, about BLESSING and of COURAGE, and of REDEMPTION.

Army Sergeant First Class John T. Anderson, born in Buffalo, NY, was about to complete his combat tour in Vietnam when his team was overrun by the Vietcong. When all the dust settled, John, who was badly wounded, was taken prisoner of war and held and tortured for five and one-half years. John would suffer the horror of his seemingly unending days at the hands of his captors. Eventually he was released, promoted to Master Sergeant then retired to continue serving as a civilian employee of the Army. One of John's many fellow prisoners was former US Senator John McCain, captured after his navy aircraft was shot down. These men well acquainted with the stench of war, that iron like smell of blood, the sound of death rattles as fellow soldiers breathe their last.

On this day, this Memorial Day observance, falling on the Lord's day, permit me to share the names of those I had the great honor of serving alongside or associating with during my 23 years wearing the uniform of the U.S. Army. Each one a precious soul, extraordinary in their own right, each of them having transferred from this life to eternal life, each one MY HERO!

My LORD and SAVIOR Jesus the Christ

First Sergeant Walter Smithson

Sgt David Darnell

LTC Harold Roeder

LTC Arthur Jones

COL Fred Odom

Sgt Dennis Hannon

A1C Michael Sutton

SP4 Bruce Scott

LT Deeann Ray

Sergeant Major Hal Fielding

Sergeant Major Larry Law

Sergeant Major John West

LTC Gus Eric Jowers

Senior Master Sergeant Johnny McDowell

Army Sgt John Henry Daniels {Doc}

Sergeant Major Clay Lacy

Army Sgt David Thompson

Airforce Sgt Michael Webster

Navy CPO Ron Hester

Sergeant Major Pappy Clark

Airforce Senior Master Sergeant Emery Frank Mortensen

LET US PRAY Especially for those who wore and still wear the uniform. Those who served and died. Those still serving, serving this great people, this great nation, and most of all our Great and Merciful GOD.

Father God, Almighty creator, We rejoice in all who have faithfully served and triumphantly died. We give thanks for all blessed memories and all enduring hopes; for the ties that bind us to the unseen world; for all the heroic dead who encompass us like a cloud of witnesses. We pray that we who have entered into the heritage of their heroism and self sacrifice may so honor their memory and so preserve and further their high purposes that the nation which they defended may stand in all coming years for righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ their Lord and ours, AMEN

DOXOLOGY

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, Ye heav'n-ly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen

BENEDICTION

Psa 19:14 Let the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, our rock and our Redeemer.

MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS THEM FOR ALL ETERNITY, AMEN

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

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