AMAZING ESCAPE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3275, 14 June 1943, Page 3

AMAZING ESCAPE

BULLET STOPPED BY BIBLE INCIDENT IN THE PACIFIC AMERICAN SOLDIER’S LETTER A the following letter which recounts the experiences of a U.S.A, soldier in an action in the Pacific area has been received 'by Mr D. Prime of Paeroa. The copy of the letter was received by two American soldiers —mates of the writer of it—who sang from the Auckland Baptist Tabernacld pulpit JJ-bne Sunday evening recently. . The letter reads as under; — Dear Sis, In writing this letter to you, I don’t know where to start first. So many things have happened since last I wrote. Well, to begin with, I have escaped death at the hand of an enemy in a way so amazing I am still In a daze. You remember I told you when I knew I was going over, I was* going over armed, with the Bible? That Bible is the reason I am still here and able to write this letter to all America. Here is the story: My Buddy and I were sent out on duty with our equipment in the work I told you, before was our job. We had just received information, the most important for weeks. When we were discovered by the enemy, I gave my Buddy the information we had collected, told him to beat it with it, prepared myself to face them. It was the first time I ■was ’ faced with the necessity of pointing my gun at a man and blasting the life from his miserable body. I thought fast, then said “Lord it’s your responsibility now.” My Buddy had not obeyed my order. He had no such scruples. As I reached for my carbine, a shot from one of them struck me in the breast and blasted me down. Thinking I was dead my pal Jumped for me, grabbed my carbine as well as his own, stood astride any body, blasting away with both guns. He was blasted too, his knees with three bullet wounds, 'but when he finished there was not one of them left. He was amazed when I rolled over and tried to get up. The force ■of that bullet had only stunned me. Dazedly I wondered why. I pulled , that little Bible out of my pocket and in utter muteness looked at the ugly hole in the cover. It had ripped through Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, on through the Pentateuch, through the other books, Samuel, 'Kings, Chronicles, and kept going. .Where do you think it stopped? In the middle of Psalm 91, pointing like a finger at this verse: “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at ,thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and t , see the reward of the wicked.” Sis, when I read that verse it raised me three feet off the ground. I did not know there was such a verse in the Bible. I’d been reading mostly in the New Testament. I read the rest of the chapter—the first part was ripped apart. In utter humility I said* “Thank you, precious God,” and felt like a little boy that had escaped the mouth of an enemy of prey. When I got my Buddy back to the post, he said “Lute, (he calls me Lute) I’ve had enough. This convinces me. Come on, I want to get right with God— Starting right now.” We wouldn’t let them tend his wounds. He said “Nothing matters now but this.” He stayed on his knees 16 hours with three wounds. His body became so numb he couldn’t move it. But he wouldn’t give up. When the Lord finally came in, he moved. That soldier went crazy for God. He jumped over chairs (I mean boxes). He jumped over bunks. He even ran outside and shouted to the camp. Since I’ve given my heart to God, and talked with the boys holding meetings, and praying with them, God has given me 25 souls. Twenty-five of my buddies have prayed through and come out for God. God even gave me my General. It took a long time. He was so dignified. But God told me to go after him. I stuck on his tail until he was grounded and came through. The Spirit of God hovered over that tent with a sort of haze. I tell you, Sis, prayer is going s to win this war. Not guns ' alone. Fervent, agonising prayer I know is. God is bringing them in one by one. The whole company will be a company of praying men. God has promised them to me, .given me assurance. Think of it, 120* praying men and one general in one regiment. When that happens this unit will be unconquerable. Pray Sis, pray as you have never prayed before. Tell everyone to pray. Tell all America to go to its knees. Before each decisive victory anywhere

over here, sometimes for hours, sometimes for days, there has been a feeling of people praying far away. The feeling is so strong you can hear it. One of the men, the most stubborn of them said in the stillness of the night, “God! Did you hear anything? Sounded like people praying from some distant place. Must be hearing things in. this dead place.” So pray, everyone. It will have to come from afar. No one prays in this land of utter desolation. God Himself has turned His face away from the,horror and destruction man has brought on himself. Again I plead, tell America co pray! This war will not end until the - people have paid in blood and tears for thrusting God out of their hearts, out of their nations and out of their lands. And tell them forGod’s sake to send Bibles and more Bibles and more Bibles. A Bible will give him the confidence that, God is with him. I’d like to have this letter broadcast from every radio’ station in America. Try to get it on the air, in the papers, anywhere, in anything that is printed. .Send it from coast to coast. Tell them the Army wants prayers and Bibles. And you complacent, bridge-play-ing, fox-trotting, cocktail drinking mothers, why didn’t you teach your sons about God instead of handing him a cigarette, a cocktail glass and a dance programme. Get on your knees and ask God to forgive you your sins. Then pray for the Army —pray, pray. And you dignified preachers. Why didn’t you teach your people to pray. To follow God, instead of standing before them and reading them ritual. Atonement for sin can only stop the shelling, the killing, the murdering. EVen the shells that come wrizzing through the air scream only one word —“Atonement.”

I could go on and on, but I am so tired, so weary. But in all so happy to see them coming to God one by rne. So tell them to pray, atone for sin, and keep praying. And when you send things to your boys send Bibles. They want Bibles.