posted by Writer on Dec 8
“War forces us to examine the very foundations of life itself.” Dr. Peter Marshall
A friend of mine who enjoys a distinguished career in the military told me a while back that the U.S. military is at war, while the rest of America is at the mall. How sad.
Unlike their counterparts of the past, the men who occupy the pulpits today have been reluctant, for whatever reason, to preach on war, the duty to fight for one’s country, patriotism and the eternal destiny of those in the fight.
Perhaps they feel threatened the IRS will come knocking because they’ve encroached into an area the federalis deem verbotten. Maybe the lawyer for the church insurance company, or church board itself, advises against such topics. Maybe the sheep will object and stay home, or worse yet, quit dropping coin in the plate. Who knows?
For many years, congregations were educated by pastors through Election and Artillery sermons that gave God’s perspective on how to choose their leaders or why He permits war.
Maybe its because we’ve gotten too self-sufficient to listen to God, thinking we can handle things ourselves. If so, how’s that working out for you?
During World War II Dr. Peter Marshall preached many sermons while the nation was engaged in that struggle. At stake, to quote Churchill, was ‘the survival of Christian civilization.’ (1)
Seventy-two years ago on December 7, Dr. Peter Marshall was scheduled to preach to the graduating class
at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. His son, Reverend Peter J. Marshall writes; “All during the week proceeding this Sunday, and increasingly as he drove over to Annapolis from D.C., he had the peculiar feeling that he was not supposed to preach the sermon he had planned. When he voiced this to Chaplain Thomas at the academy, the chaplain encouraged him to change his message, if he felt so led. Dad ended up preaching this sermon, “Rendezvous in Samarra,” a sermon on death and how those who have a personal relationship with Christ need not fear it but can look forward to eternal life.” (2)
That afternoon word came of the Pearl Harbor attack where 2,402 were killed, 1,282 were wounded. Eight battles ships were damaged, 4 sunk, and six of them later returned to service and fought in war. 3 cruisiers and 3 destoryers were sunk, along with 188 aircraft being destroyed.(3)
After this devastating attack America, by God’s grace, recovered and destroyed the Axis powers.
Lets go back to what Rev. Peter J. Marshall concluded about the effect his dad’s sermon had on those young officers in the audience that day. “That afternoon…news came over the radio that the Japanese had attacked our Pacific fleet…Years ago, while I was preaching in Oregon, I mentioned the movie A Man called Peter and the scene in the movie where Richard Todd, who played my father extremely well, 
preaches to the midshipmen on the morning of December 7. After the service that night, and elderly gentlemen told me had had been a member of the class of 1941 and was present in the chapel. With tears in his eyes he told me: “You have no idea how much that sermon meant to the US Navy during World War II. No matter where we were stationed-whether we were on carriers, or destroyers, or cruisers, or battleships, or submarines-or wherever we were, facing death all the time we had a chance to get right with God because we heard that sermon.” (4)
The world is an unstable place tonight because the Chinesse military is flexing it’s muscle, Putin has resurrected the Soviet Union, and Islamic terrorism backed by Iran is spreading at a rapid pace across the globe, including into our own country.(5)
Remember Pearl Harbor, because all we’re going to be subjected to over this next week is a constant bombardment of Nelson Mandela and how Obama, our citizen of the world, will resort to self-seeking flattery by comparing himself to this man.
The stakes are still the same just as they were back in the 40’s when Churchill gave his magnificient speech.
(1) Winston Churchill, Battle of Britian Speech, August 1940; (2) The Wartime Sermons of Dr. Peter Marshall, Rev. Peter J. Marshall, editor p. 39; (3) Mark Levin Show 12/6/2013; (4) The Wartime Sermons of Dr. Peter
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