AND TO JESUS I COMMIT MY COUNTRY
Pain filled my every thought but as I lay on the field of battle the sounds slowly faded away to a light bright with promise
And I found myself standing before Jesus Christ.
I was in full uniform and in my hands was an American Flag.
I did not know what to say or what to do so I knelt down on one knee before Him.
I slowly presented my Savior the only thing I had to give Him.
My love. And my Flag.
He smiled as He accepted the Flag and I finally got the nerve to speak:
I said, "Lord------I fought for my land. I fought for God Duty Honor and Country. I don’t know how long I have been gone. . . . Does my country yet survive?"
He helped me to my feet and then Jesus moved to my side and put His arm around me.
He spoke:
"My son, though the bombs were bursting in air and the red lights did glare
Come the dawn the Flag of your country was still there."
I looked at Him and said, "Jesus, you blessed us from the beginning?"
He said, "Yes my son. America was created to be my right arm in the world. To right wrongs and to protect the innocent; to feed the hungry and spread my gift of freedom around the world. Many times you failed. But most of the time I watched as your country men gave up their lives for liberty and freedom—for themselves and for mankind. There is no greater love."
As we walked He continued. "The world would be a much different place without America. MY America. Evil would rule and run rampant over my children. Many times the only thing that stood before the evil of the world was America. I have placed America under the protection of my strong right arm. But . . .
"As time has passed many Americans have forsaken Me. They forgot the lessons I had taught them from your countries birth.
"They took My name out of your schools and killed My unborn children. They embrace all kinds of immorality and many worship at the alter of commerce. They build up their treasures on earth no knowing or caring that they should be building up their treasures in My Fathers kingdom."
Tears started to form in my eyes. I said, "Lord, do we no longer have Your protection? Have we gone too far to deserve You? Will America perish?"
Several minutes passed.
"Son, all things will pass from the earth, and all things will be made new. But what will survive forever is the good that was done by Americans."
"So my son, do not worry about your land. As long as they hold onto My hand I will be faithful to hold onto theirs."
He reached over and wiped the tears from my face. He gently gave me back the Flag of my land.
"Behold," He said.
Before me was a gold flag pole. It seemed to shimmer in the light and rose so high I could not see the top.
I looked at Jesus and He nodded His head.
He helped me unfold our flag and hook it to the pole, and as we raised the American Flag together, I heard the Angels start to sing: "OH SAY CAN YOU SEE BY THE DAWNS EARLY LIGHT--------------------------."
As the Flag reached its pentacle I stepped back and saluted and then fell at the feet of my Savior and said:
"FOR GOD AND COUNTRY MY LORD."
by
Pappy
Worthless
The doctors and staff where hovering around the bed of the old woman trying one more time to prolong her life.
The elderly lady had been in the hospital for months and was unresponsive and unable to breath on her own. Her skin was so thin it was almost translucent. She looked like she had already passed on.
“She has no next of kin at all nurse?” the doctor asked.
“None that we can find doctor.” We had to get legal authority to treat her from the court.”
The doctor just sighed. “I really hate to say this nurse but this is a waste of time and money. This lady is worthless to society and in my opinion we should cease all further efforts to save her.”
In her mind the woman was standing before a large group of demons and she carried a large sword in her hand. Behind her were warrior Angels. “BACK TO THE PITS OF HELL WITH ALL OF YOU IN JESUS NAME!” she yelled and then charged the demons sword flashing in the light.
With the battle in full swing the Angels swarmed over the demons and in minutes the fight was over. Good had again triumphed over evil.
The woman knelt in fervent prayer while the Angels gathered around her protectively.
For years she had been a prayer warrior and as time past she became closer and closer to the Lord. Daily, on her knees, she prayed for those in need, those afflicted, those that were lost and those that were under attack by evil. She fought battles everyday of her life.
In this world she was greatly feared by evil because of her devotion to the Lamb.
She was aware that her physical body was failing but she also knew that it was her job to continue until the Lord took her home.
“I don’t know doctor,” the nurse said. “She must have someone somewhere that cares about her.”
“Well, it makes little difference now,” the doctor said. “She only has hours left anyway.”
As the woman got up from her prayers she immediately found herself fighting for her very life. All around her swords, good and evil were engaged in a furious battle.
She spotted a demon of affliction, huge and hideous, and it had a young woman in its grasp. Without a thought she flung herself on the demon ripping its claws from the back of the young woman and tearing the demon lose: the Word of the Book on her lips.
The woman and the warrior Angels formed around the young woman and fought one of the bloodiest battles in her life. The demons were strong but not as strong as her Savior.
When finally the battle was done she turned and placed her hand on the face of the young woman. She was free now.
In the bed next to the old woman a young mother stirred in her sleep. She had no way of knowing but the cancer was now gone from her body and she would spend a long and happy life with her children.
The machines on the old woman suddenly came to life and as the doctor and nurses arrived they knew nothing more could be done for her. She passed quietly and with dignity. The nurse shed a tear knowing the old woman had died alone.
As the prayer warrior lifted her hand from the young woman’s face she grew very tired.
A light appeared beside her and she knew it was Jesus. The Angels knelt before the Lamb and He spoke: “WELL DONE my good and faithful servant!”
He gently placed His arm around her and she noticed she was no longer tired, no longer old. She had never been alone a second in her life and when she had passed the Lord made sure He was there for her.
As they ascended the woman looked at her Savior with tears in her eyes. “Jesus. I love you.”
“Will I still be able to serve you in Heaven?”
Jesus smiled and said, “I love you too my dear child.” And then he laughed.
“Always the prayer warrior! My child welcome to my army and welcome home!
Pappy
Copyright 2008
WILL THE LORD FORGIVE ME FOR WHAT I DID IN THE WAR?
by
Pappy and Padre
Three times this week I have heard from our kids that they are having problems believing they can ever be forgiven for what they had done fighting in war.
My first thought was, “What’s to forgive?” But upon thinking about it, I think I understand at least a little of what they are going through.
Is your country, your family, your freedom worth fighting for?
I am not a preacher, a priest, a rabbi or any other religious leader. But I am a Christian and have some experience in the military and police work. And I am also a father.
Why would I say I’m a father to fill out my right to speak with you? Because I think that is the key to the question of whether God will forgive you.
First let me say that if you have thoughts that you cannot be forgiven or that you’re ashamed to even approach God, I believe that is evil trying to influence you to NOT go somewhere you really need to be.
Fighting for one’s country, for our freedom and the freedom of others around the world is a just and noble thing. Yes war is hell and awful things happen in hell. But this will not separate you from your Father.
All of us were taught not to kill. That is one of the fundamentals of society. But we all know that war is different on a massive scale. In war you kill or be killed. Is it easy and is it easy to get over? Not for me.
Some of the sights and sounds of war will remain in your mind forever but that doesn’t mean this has to ruin your life or your relationship with the Lord.
Many have given their lives, as well as taken the lives of others, in battle to keep our country liberated so that we can be free to take care of our families, work, and serve our God to the fullest. This has been ordained from the very beginning of time by God.
Let me ask YOU a question. Is there anything you would not forgive your children for? You may not like what they have done but would you disown them?
The Lord says, is there a father among you who if his son asks for bread will he give him a stone, of if he asks for fish would you give him a serpent? Then, if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your son, how much more the Father knows how to give good gifts to him who asks. Matthew 7:9-11
If you are having health problems you go see the doc right? In the same way, if you have been wounded by PTS you get the help you need. And in the same vain, if you are having religious problems seek advice from your Church leader, Chaplain or pray to your Father God and ask Him to help you.
Please remember that there is not a day, or a minute, or a second that goes by in which God does not know your life. In fact He has given you a different heart, as special heart—He has given you the Heart of Soldier.
Our Father, through the blood of Jesus, wants you to come home. All the way home. Let Him help and comfort you.
Believe me, He will forgive you. If there is anything to forgive.
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DOGS OF WAR
Matthew 11: 12
And from the days of John the Baptist till now---the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force.
Those that come against the things of God—do so with violence. The “violent take it by force” are people with intense commitment willing to respond with radical abandonment to the enemies of God. And take back and protect that which is God’s.
God made the warrior to have a different heart other wise when violence came, the terrorists attack, bombings, kidnappings, ect—who would be able to protect our nation?
In the scriptures, God tells us to turn the other cheek; however, don’t confuse this with what He expects of us in time of war.
Scripture is full of war. God gave the Hebrew children the Promised Land, Canaan. When they got there they found it to be occupied. Immediately God set them to war. Their promise was occupied—they had to fight to get their promise. God not only had them fight and kill the enemy warriors---but also to kill livestock, women, and children.
The idea was if men married foreign women they would soon corrupt the entire Hebrew nation—in fact that is what happened.
As a member of the United States Armed Forces, do not condemn yourself for the rage that wells up within you at the sound of your brother’s cry, when you hear they have been slaughter by the hand of the enemy, when you see the image of torture—God gave you the heart of a warrior—you must fight to guard, to protect.
A wise man once said: There HAS to be men that will do bad things in protection of the sheep. Does a sheep dog feel bad when he kills a wolf?
"The wolves will learn what we have shown before. We love our sheep--- we dogs of war . . . " Vaughn
IT IS OK
The Sheep dog is taught to rely and act on his natural instincts to protect what is trying to kill his sheep. As a Warrior—so do you. It is your duty to guard and protect your country and family.
It is not probable that a man or woman who has given their life, sacrificed their bodies, viewed the hate a cruelty of war and coming home bearing the mental torture of war be judged in the same manner as a mother caring for her household. I have always believed that God gave different hearts for different purposes---a mother’s heart, a father’s heart, the heart of a friend, a mate, and the heart of a Soldier—a warrior---
You have the God-given heart of a Soldier, a warrior.
The thing God judges is your relationship with Jesus. He has set guidelines that we all must follow the best we can. Those guidelines are to keep us within the His grace.
There are many different callings God has set before us---serving our country as a member of the USA Armed Forces is one of many. God expects something different from you---something tough, something at times unthinkable, and something to save the lives of your family, my family.
Know that God is not mad at you for what you feel from the affects of war. It is not your nature to kill, it is not your heart to hurt another, but it is your heart and your right to protect life when evil tries to take it. It is expected of you.
by
Padre
The above writing by Pappy and Padre was very touching and would like to share my story with them, so please forward it.
When I went to Vietnam in Nov. '68 I was dedicated to God with all my heart, mind and soul however a little over four months and I turned by back upon the Lord, because of the pressure of the situation. I had lost friends and sadly on Feb. 29th, '69 that night I lost two friends in one night. I seemingly, could not pray through to victory over these deaths, the more I prayed the louder the screams got in my ear, reliving this over and over in my mind. After a few weeks I gave up and told the Lord, "I don't understand and through bitterness and hurt, I walked away from a friendship that little did I know would take over 30 plus years to return to."
I believed for the next 30 plus years, because I turned away from the Lord in Vietnam that no matter what I did when I closed my life in death I was bound for hell. If I was to give my heart to the Lord that in death it would not matter, because I would end up being lost.
Yes I was raised in a Pentecostal home and in my heart knew better however, the truth that Jesus loved this prodigal son didn't surface again until I renewed my experience with Him on July 18th, 2004. All those years Satan took me down a road I didn't want to travel and sin kept me longer than I wanted to stay. That morning that I knelt at the altar of prayer I knew that Jesus heard my prayer and by faith I accepted that He forgave me of my sins, totally surrendering my life to Him and I haven't been the same. I received forgiveness and not only forgiveness I knew that if from this day forward if I continued to served the Lord that even in death I would be home with Him.
The past January, death hovered over me and they didn't believe I would live through the night, for I had aspirating pneumonia and was close to death's door when I reached the hospital for I was already turning black from above my knees down. Through prayer I received strength however, in the middle of the night again I was close to death. They used a C-pack and shot bursts of oxygen into my lungs and blood, my next step would have been life support if this hadn't worked. The Lord undertook and He let me know through the Spirit of God that He wasn't ready for me yet, that I still had a work to complete here on earth. I knew that I was ready to meet the Lord however, I am thankful He spared me just a little longer.
I can and do testify that no matter He forgives. The things of the war, I feel we were called on to do a duty of serving Our Country and God honors are commitment to Our Country and even greater honors the commitment we have to Him.
God Bless,
In Christ's Love,
Larry
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HOW DO YOU HEAL A BROKEN HEART
The Old Sergeants platoon was patrolling just north of the Pakistani border and he had to admit it was WAY different than Iraq. They did a lot of urban fighting in Iraq but this was just plain black limousine transportation. In other words they were humping it out along a mountainous trail.
The Sergeant was uneasy about the number of places he could see for an ambush but he saw no other way to beat the Taliban out of their holes other than just walking up on them.
He had point and flankers out to give the rest of the platoon a little warning and he smiled to himself when he looked over and saw the Padre humping right along with them. And he was armed. Everyone in the Sergeants platoon had to be armed and qualified but it was unusual for a Padre to be so. In fact, truth be told the Padre shouldn’t even have been here but he had insisted.
The men respected him for that and he had earned the right to be called, “The Padre.”
They were just approaching the top of a small rise when all hell broke loose. Small arms fire and accurate mortar fire erupted all around them.
“Everyone move off the trail! They have it zeroed!” The sergeant screamed as he returned suppressing fire.
The heavy weapons squad opened up to give the other squads time to find cover and get a bead on where the enemy was. For several minutes it was utter pandemonium.
The old sergeant finally got a position on the enemy and ordered grenades and heavy fire. And as fast as it started it was over.
As soon as the smoke started to clear, the old sergeant yelled for a report.
All the squads reported in and the medic reported three wounded.
The sergeant moved his men to a protected area and called for evac.
Looking around he found no trace of the Padre.
“All squads! Location of Padre!”
No one had seen him since the firefight had broken out.
Running back up the trail he spotted the Padre right off. He was standing right out in the open with his carbine still pointed at a Taliban fighter.
“Padre! What are you doing? Get back with the platoon now!”
The Padre didn’t move. Tears were running down his face.
“Padre? This man is dead. Let’s move.”
In a very weak voice the Padre said, “Pappy? I killed him. He had a bead on the goon squad leader so I shot him.”
“Yeah Padre ya did good. Now let’s go.”
“No Pappy. You don’t understand. I KILLED him!”
He dropped his weapon and fell to his knees. “Lord Father forgive me!”
He had completely lost control and the old sergeant used his radio to have the goon squad to come up and physically take the Padre to the evac area.
Three days later the Padre would still not come out of his quarters. They had gotten back to their base and the wounded had been taken care of, but Pappy had a feeling that the Padre was a casualty.
Finally he couldn’t stand it anymore and he pounded on the Padre’s door. “Padre! Open this door right now or I’m coming in through it!”
Not a sound. But as he tried the door he found it unlocked. The room was dark but huddled in a corner he saw a small form on the floor.
“Padre? You ok brother?”
Slowly getting to his feet he said, “No Pappy. I killed someone. I took a life. I’m supposed to be a man of God and I have broken His commandment. He will never forgive me.”
Breaking out a bottle of Jack and turning on the lights Pappy said, “Padre. If you had let the goon squad leader be killed THAT would have been taking a life. You did what you had to do.”
Fighting for one’s country, for our freedom
“All of us were taught not to kill. That is one of the fundamentals of society. But we all know that war is different on a massive scale. In war you kill or be killed. Is it easy and is it easy to get over? Not for me.”
“Some of the sights and sounds of war will remain in your mind forever but that doesn’t mean this has to ruin your life or your relationship with the Lord.”
“Many have given their lives, as well as taken the lives of others, in battle to keep our country liberated so that we can be free to take care of our families, work, and serve our God to the fullest. This has been ordained from the very beginning of time by God.”
“Let me ask YOU a question. Is there anything you would not forgive your children for? You may not like what they have done but would you disown them?”
“The Lord says, is there a father among you who if his son asks for bread will he give him a stone, of if he asks for fish would you give him a serpent? Then, if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your son, how much more the Father knows how to give good gifts to him who asks. Matthew 7:9-11”
The Padre looked up at the old sergeant.
Pappy smiled. “Well I DO listen to some of your sermons Padre.”
The Padre gave a weak smile.
“All true Pappy and I thank you. But I’m done. I am resigning my commission and going home.”
“You sure about this Padre? Sigh I see that you are. Fine I will handle the paperwork.”
As he was leaving Pappy looked back: God bless Padre.”
The Padre arrived at the airport and forlornly walked out to hail a cab when someone grabbed him from behind. As he turned around he couldn’t believe his eyes. It was the goon squad leader he had saved.
“Padre! Good to see you Sir. Heard you was coming so the wife and kids decided to meet you. And you’re staying with us and no argument.”
Dazed, the Padre didn’t know what to say; and he had no other plans for sure.
Three days later the Padre had started to settle down and relax. It was a very homey setting. The kids were playing and sounds of cooking came from the kitchen.
“Padre, you know I never thanked you for saving my life. You not only saved me, but you saved my kids from being fatherless and my wife from being a widow. I and the men have always looked up to you.” He laughed. “Yes especially Pappy. The men have come to rely on you.”
Tears started to form in the Padre’s eyes. “They need me? They DO need me! And I know God will forgive me.” He sighed. “I’ve made a horrible mistake! I got to get back!”
The squad leader looked at the Padre a little funny. “Mercy Padre. Don’t push it. We still got a week of leave yet before we have to go back. Nice of Pappy to get us both leave at the same time wasn’t it?”
“Leave?” The Padre looked up to the Heavens; “Thank you Lord.”
by
Steve Newton
Copyright 2009
It doesn't take a theologian to see and feel that darkness and oppression that surrounds us. In fact, as first responders whether it be police or military, you see it more than anyone. You know one thing I like about the darkness, though? The darker it is, the brighter a light shines! Have you ever been on a mountain top and watched a big city as the sun goes down? As the sun slowly disappears, so does the light of day. At the same time, you can see street and house lights slowly turn on. While there is still a glimmer of day left, those lights don't make that much of a difference. However, the darker it gets, then the city really begins to glow.
An evangelist friend of mine shared an event that happened to him. He caught a morning flight on September 11, 2001. At first, it was just an ordinary day and another ordinary flight. However, about 45 minutes into his flight something out of the ordinary happened. He looked out of his window to see an F-16 fighter jet come out of nowhere and steady itself beside the big jumbo jet. He looked out the window on the other side and saw a second fighter jet. Then came the announcement! On the overhead speaker system the pilot made the statement, "Ladies and gentleman, this morning our nation has been attacked by terrorists. Two planes have flown into the twin towers in New York, another plane flew into the Pentagon, and another did not reach its destination having crashed in Pennsylvania. We have been ordered by the President of the United States to land our place IMMEDIATELY or be shot down!" Can you imagine how you would have felt, and responded, in that moment? He said nervous chatter was heard throughout the plane. There were people who were panicked and most began crying. Reggie, though, knew the Lord. He simply laid his head back knowing his life ultimately was in the Lords hands. God says, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27). You know what is great about the peace of the Lord, not only is it great to have in our lives, but it is a light in the darkness and other people see this light as well. While Reggie laid back in his seat with his eyes closed, someone suddenly began shaking him. It was the stewardess and the first thing she asked was, "How can you sleep at a time like this?" She then followed that question up with another question, "Are you a pastor?" She then asked if he would be willing to take the overhead phone and lead the entire plane in a word of prayer! I believe God places us in dark situations so that His light will shine through you. He places us in challenging situations because when we are calm during the storm, others will see the difference in us. So whether it is on a military base, or you are out on the street, or doing a death call, the peace of the Lord will surround you and it will be a light in the darkness. You may not always feel like it, but I guarantee as you live for the Lord, people take notice.
Chaplain Gardner
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