Faith On the Battlefront: SCCN PAYS TRIBUTE TO OUR MEN
AND WOMEN IN THE MILITARY
DURING THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON
In Part One of Our Series , Shane Nelson Takes You Into the Life
of a Christian Navy Medic on Assignment...
...In His Own Words
"I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you;" says the Lord.
How very true that is, especially in the midst of battle. After being in Iraq and experiencing war to its truest sense, you know only God can deliver you from whatever calamity comes your way. God shows up quick in situations like this, and lets you know immediately that He is right there with you.
God gives you a supernatural endurance that will take you through the toughest of situations and allows you not only to stand, but stand in victory. You find your faith rising to levels you have never dreamed of, as God is blessed by your trust and faith in Him.
As tensions rise, and you know that you are on the brink of an all out firefigh. You really don't know what to expect at first. Then that first bullet goes past your head, followed by a couple of rockets. Fear doesn't grip you. God is protecting you. The warrior whom God has trained kicks in, and He guides you through every step.
You don't even worry about taking cover so much, but stand fearless as you look for the enemy. A sense of peace comes over you, knowing that God is watching over you. Your mind focuses on the task at hand, and the enemy is defeated. Miracle number one has happened. God brings the whole team you are with out untouched, as He drives fear into the enemy.
This is the day the Lord hath made; he calls the hours his own.
Let heaven rejoice, let earth be glad, and praise surround the throne.
Serving
San Diego County
News Service BY Christians FOR Christians * Promoting Good News Events and Building Communication in the Body of Christ"
I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope. Romans 15:13
Shane Nelson was in the unique position of caring for wounds and wounded souls while in Iraq.
He is photographed here with fellow Christians and the ambulance they worked in
The small group of Christians you find are such an encouragement to each other. When you are back at base camp, you attend Bible studies and get together for fellowship with other believers. You strengthen each other in the Lord and share all that He has done for you while you've been outside of camp in the field the last few days.
The stories start coming out of all the miracles God has performed before your eyes: the multiple times you were saved from death and know it could only have been the Lord. Everyone's heart pounds with thanksgiving and praise as the stories are heard. But then the story comes out about one of the guys with you that was either killed or wounded. You all break immediately into prayer, and call upon the Lord.
But you all know God is at work in this and has allowed it for His purposes. This usually calls for fervent prayer for that person's family members. A few of us corpsman will share stories of friends that we had to treat who were wounded, and also the ones we couldn't help who were already dead.
You have now all gotten a day or two of rest, and now it is time to go back out. The small group of Christians who have all gotten to know each other are now saddened to be separated as you all head back out with your different companies, but look forward to getting back together again when you return from the field. Even though most of the guys with you in your company are not Christians, they ask you to say a prayer of protection for them as you head out because they know that you are a follower of Jesus Christ. They are all very aware of God and know that He is protecting them, but still won't surrender their lives to Him.
Makeshift memorials mark the landscape, and the killing certainly doesn't stop for Christmas.
Shane found peace in fellow Christian soldiers with whom he had regular fellowship and Bible studies
Shane's church in San Diego prayed over him the night before he was deployed for Iraq. They asked the Lord to give him wisdom and opportunity to witness to people in harm's way.
He certainly saw many of those opportunities.
The announcement came from the Pentagon this week that thousands of U.S. troops will be shifting into advisory roles.
Iraqi forces are still an estimated 5,000 troops short.
As you ride in the back of the vehicle going down the highway that you know is full of roadside bombs, you find yourself sitting a little bit taller instead of scrunched down. You have a confidence in you that God will continue to protect you, as you show no fear, and are diligently on the lookout. He is your strength. You find yourself almost taunting Satan, as your faith in God now rises to its peak. Then you hear a small pop next to your vehicle as your going down the road. You stop to investigate only to find out that the pop you heard was the detonator of a bomb that triggered right along side your vehicle as you went by, but the bomb didn't go off.
Another miracle. You know if it had gone off, your vehicle would have been disintegrated, along with everyone in it. You cry out and praise the Lord, knowing Satan can't touch you. God is protecting you.
Then there are other times when a bomb hits the vehicle in front of you or behind you. You don't know how many are alive, but rush to their aid. You find yourself working on a friend or possibly even your roommate. God slows everything down for you though as you render treatment with a very calm and collective spirit. After the wounded are attended to and receive care, the rest of you have to carry on and finish the mission you set out on. Then later that night some of the guys will come and talk to you about their friend that was either killed or wounded, wondering why.
They inquire about God and wonder where He fits in to all this. You share with them about the Gospel message and the salvation of the Lord, and how God works everything according to His purposes. They are touched and take to heart what you have to share, but still will not submit their lives to the Lord.
You must always be on the alert though as to what God may be trying to do. The doors can be opened at any time and a fellow teammate may pour out his heart to you. You must be ready to give a response at any time. You are to shine your light to all those around you. You never know who may be watching. There may not even be anyone you get to lead to the Lord and say the sinners prayer with, but the seeds are planted and you will be blessed to see that in the years to follow that there were lives touched by your faithful witness.
One of those guys will call you out of the blue some day, and ask you about your faith in the Lord. One may even give his life to the Lord a whole year later on your second deployment back to the same place. So keep on. For God is in the midst of all this. I have seen this happen.
Your plans and Your ways are perfect, Father. For You O Lord are truly faithful. Continue to pour out Your Spirit and save the lives of those who seek You. All honor and praise to Your blessed name forever Lord Jesus. You be glorified!!!
A faithful servant of the Lord Jesus Christ,
Shane Nelson
"Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude,
for the battle is not yours but God's." (2 Chronicles 20:15)
