Hang On Soldier, Hang On

I claim no absolute originality to the sermons I preach. I believe in study and preparation and I pull information and inspiration from pastors, preachers, teachers, friends and family.

I only desire for God to be glorified. What's the old saying? ... 'Milk all the cows you can, then churn your own butter!' I do not always give credit where it is due, nor do I always know where the stories and illustrations originated. These sermons are directly from my sermon notebook and are written in a way that helps me deliver my message not necessarily written as a publication . Therefore often I use shortened versions and keywords that only I understand...sorry.

Please use any of the material here for the Glory Of God!

Acts 1:9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

The Japanese began to attack the South Pacific in the early 1940s. In their attack they touched the Philippine Islands. The Filipinos were our friends and our allies. When they touched the Philippines, they touched America.

It was the bombing at Pearl Harbor that got us into World War 2. They appointed a man by the name of Gen. Douglas Macarthur to go to the South Pacific and there to try to save the islands and secure independence.

On April 6, 1942, the island of Bataan, fell to the Japanese. They said everything possible was done to save the island. They just didn’t have the manpower or the material to hold Bataan. Macarthur had to leave Bataan. That island became known as the crimson rock. There literally thousands of gallons of blood was shed by Americans trying to hold on to the Philippines. Day after day and night after night, the Japanese kept coming. They bombed our water supply. They bombed our camps. They said they were actually walking over the dead bodies of their own comrades. And on and on they came. Finally the day came when Washington sent down orders to Macarthur and said it’s senseless to try to hold on to the islands. To many American lives have already been given. We’re going to have to pull off the Philippines and go to Australia. There we’ll regroup our forces and come back and win American style. (That’s when we fought battles to win battles. When we had men that knew there was something worth fighting for. They said it was a terrible day when Gen. Macarthur and the American forces pulled out. The Filipinos were filled with anxiety. They were filled with fear. They were small in stature, but they were fighters. Now they looked on as Gen. Macarthur was leaving. They day of their departure had finally come. Standing on the deck of a DC-3 Airplane, Gen. Macarthur adjusted his hat and saluted the American flag. He then turned to those Filipinos and said, "I must evacuate the American forces. But I make you this promise, I Shall Return."

Later the Japanese came in. The concentration camps were set up. The prisoners were taken. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Months turned into 2 long years.

No doubt at times they would scan the skies wondering "Will he really come back?" They waited and they waited. Then one day, far out in the distance, they heard a roar of airplane engines. As they looked they saw the horizon become black with airplanes. As they came closer, they saw the red, white, and blue markings on the planes.

Suddenly the skies were filled with parachutes. The invasion of the Philippines had begun. They said when they returned that the Filipinos were running through the streets shouting, "Macarthur has returned, Macarthur has returned!"

Gen. Macarthur stood on a platform with thousands of people gathered around. Again he saluted The American flag and turned to the thousands of cheering people and tried to speak. And they cheered and they cheered. After many attempts to speak, he adjusted his hat, saluted the flag again and as he spoke he said, "I am your commander and chief, Douglas Macarthur and I Have Returned."

My mind races back almost 2000 years ago when our commander and chief looked over a little group of disciples and said, I must go away, but I make you this promise, I shall return.

To you weary soldiers that are here. Hang on, fight on, march on, wait on, pray on, preach on. ....He’s coming! He’s coming!