Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001441A
01:31 [dramatic music]
02:12 This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 02:14 Thanks for joining me. We live in a world that 02:17 is plagued by war. And when you read the Bible, 02:20 you make the remarkable discovery, that war actually 02:23 began in heaven, where Lucifer and his 02:27 angels fought against Michael, the Archangel, 02:30 and his angels. Today, around planet Earth, 02:33 there is not a day that goes by that there's not warfare 02:36 somewhere. Now, the vast majority of people 02:39 who participate in war are people who are simply 02:42 following orders, and many of them 02:44 pay the ultimate price. Others get to return home, 02:48 but some, scarred physically and emotionally. 02:53 And we remember them, and we honor them, 02:56 in places like this. 03:01 [Music] I'm at Veterans Park in 03:05 Collegedale, Tennessee, just miles from the 03:08 It Is Written office in Chattanooga, 03:10 Tennessee. The park was developed to honor 03:13 those who served to preserve our freedom. 03:16 Like other, similar veterans parks, this one honors all the 03:19 branches of military service: army, navy, air force, coast 03:23 guard, and marines. Along the walkway, 03:27 there's a timeline of wars. The plaque reminds us that 03:30 freedom is not free. Around this circle there are 03:34 individual bronze plaques commemorating all of the wars 03:37 that have been fought by Americans: 03:39 the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, both world wars, 03:43 and more recent wars. On each plaque is listed the 03:47 number of those who served, those wounded, and those who 03:51 made the ultimate sacrifice. Hundreds of thousands of 03:54 individuals have given their lives for the freedom enjoyed 03:57 in this country today. As the slogan aptly states, 04:02 "All gave some, and some gave all." 04:08 On July the 16th, 2015, a man opened fire at two 04:13 nearby military facilities, claiming five lives: 04:17 four marines and a naval petty officer. 04:21 This latest addition at Veterans Park honors 04:23 those who lost their lives that day. 04:25 Their names are listed right here. 04:29 That unprovoked terrorist attack reminds us that what Peter wrote 04:33 is applicable to us today. 1st Peter 5 and verse 8 says, 04:38 "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks 04:42 around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 04:47 At this monument, we read the words of 04:50 General Douglas MacArthur, "The soldier, above all others, 04:54 prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest 04:58 wounds and scars of war." There are plaques commemorating 05:03 those who were missing in action, became prisoners 05:05 of war, and killed in action. 05:08 This one reads, "You paid the ultimate price: you gave your 05:12 life that we might be free. You cannot know the benefits 05:16 your sacrifice made possible. We shall always be 05:20 grateful to you." This plaque commemorates those 05:23 who served as conscientious objectors. 05:26 It reads, "To those who served in the 05:29 military while refusing to bear arms: thank you for defending 05:32 your country in harmony with your conscience. 05:35 Your willingness to go into harm's way unarmed demonstrates 05:39 a faith that inspires all Americans. 05:43 Thank you for not refusing to serve." 05:48 [drum roll] Many of those who chose to be 05:51 conscientious objectors served as combat medics. 05:54 Now, this bronze memorial illustrates the scene of a 05:57 combat medic treating a wounded soldier. 06:00 Now, above all, this park is dedicated to the memory of 06:04 a local hero. He was a conscientious objector, 06:09 a combat medic, and a man of great faith. 06:14 We'll find out more in just a moment. 06:18 >: "Every Word" is a one-minute, Bible-based, daily devotional 06:21 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw, 06:23 and designed especially for busy people 06:26 like you. Look for "Every Word" on 06:28 selected networks or watch it online every day on our website, 06:31 ItIsWritten.com. [Music] 06:40 In 2009 the F-22 fighter plane cost the U.S. Air Force 06:44 somewhere between 137 million and 469 million 06:49 dollars each, depending on how you calculate. 06:52 A government pays what it does in order to have the best 06:56 weapons possible. Each of Gideon's 300 men went 06:59 into battle with a shofar -- that's a trumpet-- 07:03 and a torch inside a clay jar... 07:05 unconventional weapons. Judges 7, verse 20 says, 07:08 "Then the three companies blew the trumpets and 07:11 broke the pitchers-- they held the torches 07:13 in their left hands and the trumpets in their 07:15 right hands for blowing --and they cried, 07:17 'The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!'" 07:19 They blew the trumpets, broke the jars, and let 07:22 their light shine. When they let their light shine, 07:24 victory came. If you let your light shine, 07:27 if you'll let Jesus shine in you, you'll have victory, 07:30 too. I'm John Bradshaw for 07:32 It Is Written. Let's live today by every word. 07:36 [drum and fife music] This is It Is Written. 07:40 I'm John Bradshaw. The focus of Veterans Park here 07:44 in Collegedale, Tennessee, is a man who was a 07:47 conscientious objector. During World War II, he refused 07:51 to touch a weapon of any kind or to carry a gun. 07:55 He's a well-known local war hero, and known as 07:59 the Hero of Okinawa. This statue commemorates 08:03 Corporal Desmond Thomas Doss, a longtime resident of 08:08 this area. He's also a national hero, as 08:11 the recipient of this nation's highest award, the Congressional 08:16 Medal of Honor. [Music] 08:20 October 12, 1945, on the lawn of the White House, 15 Medal 08:25 of Honor recipients were given their award by the 08:27 President of the United States. When it was his turn, Desmond 08:31 walked up to the President. Harry S. Truman warmly shook 08:35 the hand of Corporal Doss and held it the entire time his 08:39 citation was read aloud. Then, as he placed the Medal of 08:43 Honor around his neck, the President said, 08:46 "I'm proud of you. You really deserve this. 08:48 I consider this a greater honor than being President." 08:53 He was a company aid man when the first battalion assaulted a 08:56 jagged escarpment 400 feet high. As our troops gained the summit, 09:01 a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar, and machine 09:05 gun fire crashed into them, inflicting approximately 75 09:08 casualties and driving the others back. 09:11 PFC Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept 09:16 area with the many stricken, carrying them one by one to 09:19 the edge of the escarpment, and there lowering them, 09:22 on a rope-supported litter, down the face of the cliff 09:25 to friendly hands. On the 2nd of May, 09:29 he exposed himself to heavy rifle and mortar fire 09:32 in rescuing a wounded man 200 yards forward of the 09:35 lines on the same escarpment. 09:37 And two days later, he treated four men who had been cut down 09:41 while assaulting a strongly defended cave, advancing through 09:44 a shower of grenades to within eight yards of enemy forces in 09:48 a cave's mouth, where he dressed his comrades' wounds 09:51 before making four separate trips, under fire, 09:54 to evacuate them to safety. On the 5th of May, he 09:58 unhesitatingly braved enemy shelling and small-arms fire to 10:02 assist an artillery officer. He applied bandages, moved his 10:06 patient to a spot that offered protection from small-arms fire, 10:09 and while artillery and mortar shells fell close by, 10:13 painstakingly administered plasma. 10:16 Later that day, when an American was severely wounded 10:19 by fire from a cave, Private Doss crawled to him 10:22 where he had fallen, 25 feet from the enemy position, 10:25 rendered aid, and carried him 100 yards 10:28 to safety while continually exposed to enemy fire. 10:32 On the 21st of May, in a night attack on high ground near 10:36 Shuri, he remained in exposed territory while the rest of 10:40 his company took cover, fearlessly risking the 10:43 chance that he would be mistaken for an infiltrating 10:45 Japanese, and giving aid to the injured until he was, 10:49 himself, seriously wounded in the legs by the explosion 10:52 of a grenade. Rather than call another aid man 10:55 from cover, he cared for his own injuries and waited five hours 11:00 before litter bearers reached him and started carrying him 11:03 to cover. The trio was caught in an enemy 11:06 tank attack, and Private Doss, seeing a more critically 11:11 wounded man nearby, crawled off the litter and 11:15 directed the bearers to give their first attention 11:18 to the other man. Awaiting the litter bearers' 11:21 return, he was again struck, this time suffering a compound 11:25 fracture of one arm. With magnificent fortitude, 11:29 he bound a rifle stock to his shattered arm as a splint, 11:33 and then crawled 300 yards over rough terrain to the 11:37 aid station. Through his outstanding bravery 11:41 and unflinching determination in the face of desperately 11:44 dangerous conditions, Private Doss saved the 11:48 lives of many soldiers. His name became a symbol 11:51 throughout the 77th Infantry Division for outstanding 11:55 gallantry far above and beyond the call of duty. 11:59 Three and a half years before those words were read on the 12:02 lawn of the White House, Desmond Doss pulled on 12:05 his army uniform for the first time. 12:07 It was April the 1st, 1942. But things did not start well 12:12 for the soft-spoken Virginian. He wanted to be a combat medic, 12:17 but as providence would have it, he was assigned to an infantry 12:21 rifle company. [explosions] 12:31 When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Desmond was working at the 12:35 Newport News naval shipyard and could have requested a 12:38 deferment, but he was willing to risk his life on the front lines 12:42 in order to preserve freedom. He assumed his standing as a 12:47 conscientious objector would not require him to carry a weapon, 12:51 but his refusal to even touch a gun caused his fellow soldiers 12:55 to view him with disdain. Nobody believed a soldier 12:59 without a weapon was worth anything, so they ostracized 13:03 him, bullied him, cursed at him, and threatened him. 13:08 One man warned, "Doss, when we get into combat, 13:12 I'll make sure you don't come back alive." 13:17 Desmond had been raised with a fervent belief in the Bible, 13:20 and when it came to the Ten Commandments, he applied them 13:23 personally. During childhood, his father had 13:26 purchased a large, framed picture at an auction. 13:30 It portrayed the Ten Commandments with colorful 13:33 illustrations. Next to the words 13:36 "Thou shalt not kill" was a drawing of Cain holding 13:40 a club and standing over the body of his dead brother, 13:43 Abel. With that picture firmly 13:46 embedded in his mind, this young boy determined 13:49 that he would never take life. 13:53 And there was another commandment that Desmond took 13:55 just as seriously as the sixth, and that was the fourth 13:59 commandment. He was raised to go to church 14:02 every week, on the seventh day of the week. 14:06 The army was exasperated when this Bible-reading misfit asked 14:09 for a pass to attend church every Saturday. 14:13 They believed he was totally out of sync with the military. 14:16 In fact, they saw him as a liability. 14:19 So they tried to intimidate him. They gave him extra duties, 14:22 they declared him mentally unfit, and they tried to 14:25 court-martial him. But Desmond Doss wouldn't quit. 14:31 He saw it as his duty to serve God and country, but in that 14:36 order. 14:40 But things began to turn around when the men discovered that 14:42 this quiet, unassuming medic had an effective way to 14:46 treat the blisters on their feet. 14:48 And when someone fainted from heat stroke, Desmond was at 14:51 their side, offering his own canteen. 14:54 And he never held a grudge. With kindness and gentle 14:57 courtesy, he treated those who mistreated him. 15:00 He lived the Golden Rule: Do to others as you would have 15:04 them do to you. Desmond served in combat on the 15:07 islands of Guam and Leyte. In each military operation, 15:11 he exhibited extraordinary dedication to his men. 15:15 While others were taking life, he was busy saving life. 15:20 As enemy bullets whizzed past and mortar shells exploded 15:24 around him, he repeatedly ran to treat a fallen comrade 15:27 and carry him back to safety. By the time they reached 15:31 Okinawa, he'd been awarded two Bronze Stars for valor. 15:36 In May 1945, Japanese troops were fiercely defending Okinawa, 15:41 the only remaining barrier to an Allied invasion of their 15:44 homeland. The Americans were set on 15:47 capturing an imposing cliff that ran across the island. 15:50 The soldiers called it Hacksaw Ridge. 15:54 But upon reaching the top, Japanese forces suddenly 15:58 attacked. Officers ordered an immediate 16:00 retreat. As a hundred or more Americans 16:04 lay wounded and dying on enemy soil, one lone soldier disobeyed 16:09 those orders and charged back into the firefight. 16:14 With a constant prayer on his lips, he vowed to rescue as many 16:17 as he could before he either collapsed or died trying. 16:22 His iron determination and unflagging courage resulted 16:26 in saving 75 lives. Desmond Doss was a hero. 16:32 He was a hero to the men whose lives he saved. 16:35 He was a hero in American history. 16:38 But he was also a hero of faith. Without his faith in God, 16:42 he would not have been able to be the hero that 16:45 he was, when he endured those battles in the 16:47 Pacific Islands. How did he have the faith that 16:51 enabled him to face the enemy with quiet confidence? 16:56 I'll have the answer to that question in just a moment. 17:00 [Music] I'd like to offer you a special, 17:08 free book called "The Faith of Desmond Doss." 17:12 This book not only describes who Desmond was, but also how to 17:17 develop the kind of faith Desmond had. 17:20 To receive your copy of this book, just call: 17:23 1 (800) 253-3000, and ask for: 17:26 "The Faith of Desmond Doss." Lines are open 24 hours daily. 17:31 They may be busy when you call, so keep trying. 17:33 You can also write to request this book from It Is Written at 17:37 P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37401, 17:41 and we'll mail a copy to your address in North America. 17:44 This is a powerful little book, and it's yours absolutely free. 17:48 All you need to do is to call right now, 1 (800) 253-3000. 17:53 There's no cost and no catch. Simply call now, and ask for 17:57 "The Faith of Desmond Doss," or visit us online at 18:01 ItIsWritten.com and download a free 18:04 electronic version of this book. 18:08 Desmond Doss believed that the Bible was the Word of God. 18:12 He read the Bible every day. He had a Bible with him the 18:16 entire time he was in the war. In fact, his Bible was his most 18:20 prized possession. Shortly before he shipped out 18:24 to the Pacific, he married his sweetheart, Dorothy. 18:27 As a wedding gift, she gave him a pocket Bible. 18:31 Inside that Bible she wrote a note especially to encourage 18:35 Desmond while he was away. "Dearest Desmond, As you read 18:40 and study the precious promises found in the Word of God 18:43 contained in this little Bible, may you be strengthened in 18:46 whatever trials may come to you. May your faith in God bring 18:49 comfort and peace of heart to you, that you may never be sad 18:51 or lonely, no matter how dark the way seems. 18:55 If we do not meet another time on this earth, we have the 18:57 assurance of a happy meeting place in heaven. 19:00 May God in His mercy grant us both a place there. 19:03 Your loving wife, Dorothy." 19:07 As he faced the enemy day after day, he read this letter again 19:10 and again, along with the promises he found in 19:14 his Bible. "He who dwells in the secret 19:17 place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of 19:20 the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, 19:22 'He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, 19:25 in Him I will trust.'" Psalm 91, 1 and 2. 19:30 "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the 19:35 arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in 19:38 darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noon-day. 19:43 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your 19:46 right hand; but it shall not come near you." 19:50 Psalm 91: 5 through 7. As Desmond read the Bible, 19:55 he read it as one who believed that God would protect him, 19:59 because he believed God's Word could be trusted. 20:02 Thoughts of fear were changed to feelings of confidence and 20:06 courage. As he read God's Word, he read 20:10 words like these: "It is better to trust in the 20:13 Lord than to put confidence in man." 20:17 Psalm 118, verse 8. "Trust in the Lord with all your 20:21 heart, and lean not on your own understanding. 20:25 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct 20:28 your paths." Proverbs 3:5 and 6. 20:33 As Desmond read his Bible, it molded his thinking. 20:37 He read this in the Proverbs: "For as he thinks in his heart, 20:41 so is he." Proverbs 23:7. 20:45 Thoughts become actions; actions become habits; 20:49 habits influence our character; and our character determines 20:53 our destiny. It's when times become really 20:57 challenging that our true character is revealed. 21:00 For Desmond Doss, he was the same person in the heat of 21:03 battle as he was outside of the theater of battle, 21:07 and that's because he had spent time with God. 21:10 Just because he didn't carry a weapon did not mean he was 21:12 defenseless. At all times, he had prayer and 21:16 the Word of God: two things far more powerful than any weapon. 21:23 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to 21:26 man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be 21:30 tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation 21:35 also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 21:40 First Corinthians 10:13. God promises you a way of 21:45 escape, just as He provided one for Desmond Doss. 21:49 The same promises that Desmond found in his Bible are the 21:52 promises that you can discover, and believe, and claim. 21:55 I'd like for you to get today's free book. 21:57 It's called: "The Faith of Desmond Doss." 22:00 I'll tell you how you can get it in just a moment. 22:03 [Music] Planning for your financial 22:05 future is a vital aspect of Christian stewardship. 22:08 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer free planned 22:12 giving and estate services. For information on how we can 22:15 help you, please call (800) 992-2219. 22:20 Call today, or visit our special website, www.HisLegacy.com. 22:29 [Music] This is the Chattanooga 22:40 National Cemetery, in the state of Tennessee. 22:44 National cemeteries were first established under the 22:46 administration of President Abraham Lincoln. 22:49 They were specifically created for those who had served in the 22:52 military, beginning with the Civil War. 22:55 There are some graves here that date all the way back to that 22:58 time, every grave commemorating the life of one who would 23:01 sacrifice to preserve freedom, from every war since the 23:05 Civil War. This national cemetery covers 23:09 120 acres. More than 50,000 war veterans 23:13 are buried here. Undoubtedly there's a unique 23:16 story behind each grave marker. After serving his country in 23:20 World War II, Desmond Doss returned home, but not 23:24 everything turned out the way he might have hoped. 23:27 He was discharged from the military in 1946, but before 23:30 that time, he had developed tuberculosis. 23:33 All those cold, wet nights in a muddy foxhole in the Pacific 23:37 Islands eventually took their toll. 23:41 As the illness progressed, his left lung had to be surgically 23:44 removed, along with five ribs. For the rest of his life, 23:48 he survived on a single lung, until it, too, failed. 23:53 At the age of 87, Corporal Desmond Thomas Doss died, 23:58 on March 23, 2006, after being hospitalized with difficulty 24:04 breathing. For Desmond Doss, the war is 24:08 over; not just the war in the Pacific during World War II, 24:12 but the battle of life. Now he rests in peace; 24:16 his eternal destiny has been decided. 24:19 His body lies just beneath this grave marker. 24:23 One day, according to the Bible, the trumpet of God will awaken 24:27 the sleeping saints, and the greatest battle ever fought will 24:32 climax in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. 24:36 Desmond was a soldier who served in war, but he was also a 24:41 soldier in the battle of life. We're all soldiers in the battle 24:46 of life, and the outcome has already been determined. 24:51 We know that the enemy is the devil, but that ultimately 24:54 the victor is Jesus Christ. Every person born on this earth 24:58 is born behind enemy lines, but everyone can choose to be on 25:03 the winning side. You know, Jesus is coming back 25:06 soon, and when He returns death, sin, pain, sorrow, 25:12 it will all be done away with. It will all be gone. 25:16 Jesus is coming back, and when He returns, He'll make all 25:21 things new. "Let not your heart be troubled; 25:24 you believe in God, believe also in Me. 25:28 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, 25:32 I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 25:36 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and 25:40 receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be 25:44 also." John 14, 1 through 3. 25:48 That wonderful promise assures you that a bright future 25:52 awaits you. For it to be a reality in your 25:55 life, all you need to do is believe. 26:00 [acoustic guitar music] There are many heroes in this 26:04 book, the Bible, and then there are many other heroes who 26:07 risk everything to preserve the freedoms that we enjoy today. 26:11 One of them was Desmond Doss, the World War II medic who 26:15 refused to carry a gun. But he had a prayer in his heart 26:19 and a Bible in his pocket. He saved dozens and dozens of 26:24 lives, and as a result was awarded the Congressional 26:28 Medal of Honor. If you want to know more about 26:32 his story and about the God who preserved him during a time of 26:36 war, I'd like to offer you a special, free book called 26:40 "The Faith of Desmond Doss." This book not only describes who 26:44 Desmond was, but also how to develop the kind of faith 26:49 Desmond had. To receive your copy of this 26:52 book, just call 1 (800) 253-3000 and ask for "The Faith of 26:57 Desmond Doss." Lines are open 24 hours daily. 27:01 They may be busy when you call, so keep trying. 27:04 You can also write to request this book from It Is Written at 27:07 P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37401, 27:11 and we'll mail a copy to your address in North America. 27:15 This is a powerful little book, and it's yours absolutely free. 27:18 All you need to do is to call right now, 1 (800) 253-3000. 27:23 There's no cost and no catch. Simply call now and ask for 27:27 "The Faith of Desmond Doss." Or visit us online at 27:31 ItIsWritten.com and download a free electronic version of 27:36 this book. And thanks for remembering 27:38 It Is Written is a faith ministry, 27:41 made possible by the generosity of people like you. 27:44 We depend on you, and I greatly appreciate your financial 27:47 support. To enable It Is Written to 27:50 continue to share Jesus with the world, call us now on 27:53 (800) 253-3000. (800) 253-3000. 27:58 Or, write to It Is Written, P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga, 28:02 Tennesee, 37401. Or you can invest in 28:07 It Is Written's global ministry online at ItIsWritten.com. 28:13 Let's pray together. Our Father in Heaven, 28:15 we are thankful today for Jesus, who has won the war. 28:18 We thank you today for the strength of Your Spirit, and for 28:22 the example of people like Desmond Doss, 28:26 who through faith in You demonstrated what God can 28:30 do in a humble life. Lord, I pray that You would 28:34 take our hearts. Friend, is it time now for you 28:38 to give your heart to Jesus? You can do so now, by inviting 28:40 Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, and work in you as 28:43 He worked in Desmond Doss. Father, we thank You today for 28:48 inspiring us and for pointing our eyes and hearts and minds to 28:52 Jesus, who died so that we might live victoriously. 28:57 We thank You today, and we pray in Jesus' name, Amen. 29:04 [Music] 29:19 Thanks so much for joining me. 29:21 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 29:22 Until then, remember: It is written; 29:25 man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word 29:29 that proceeds from the mouth of God. 29:38 [Music] |
Revised 2017-07-06