J & N Ministry

The first black soldier to earn the Medal of Honor

I thought I would share a piece of great AMERICAN history that many may not have heard about. God has blessed this country for a very long time even when you don’t think He is doing anything an He will continue for awhile longer. Anyway, I wanted to share an amazing story. I hope you all enjoy and be encouraged that WE are all truly ONE.

Of all the men who wore blue uniforms in the Civil War, none felt more keenly the purpose of his mission than the African American soldier. Every marching step, every swing of a pick and every round fired at Confederate enemies gave him a chance to strike a blow against slavery and prove himself equal to his white comrades.

U.S. Colored Troops were consistently good fighters, performing well in every engagement in which they fought. Even their enemies had to grudgingly admit that fact. One USCT member, William H. Carney, transcended good to become great, and was the first black U.S. soldier to earn the Medal of Honor.

On February 17, 1863, at age 23, Carney heeded the call for African Americans to join a local militia unit, the Morgan Guards, with 45 other volunteers from his hometown of New Bedford, Mass. That unit would later become Company C of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment.

There was something unique about the new regiment, commanded by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw; it was an all-black unit with the exception of senior officers and a few senior non-commissioned sergeants. The 54th Massachusetts was created to prove that black men could be good soldiers.

Carney was born a slave on February 29, 1840, at Norfolk, Va. His father, also named William, escaped slavery, reaching freedom through the underground railroad. William Sr. then worked hard to buy the freedom of the rest of his family. The free and reunited family settled in New Bedford in the second half of the 1850s. Young William learned to read and write, and by age 15 he was interested in becoming a minister.  

He gave up his pursuit of the ministry, however, to join the Army. In an 1863 edition of the Abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, Carney stated: “Previous to the formation of colored troops, I had a strong inclination to prepare myself for the ministry; but when the country called for all persons, I could best serve my God serving my country and my oppressed brothers. The sequel in short — I enlisted for the war.”

That career change had momentous impact on Carney’s life, as the 54th Massachusetts had a chance to prove its mettle in the July 18, 1863, Battle of Fort Wagner outside of Charleston, S.C. During the fight, the 54th made heroic attacks on the garrison, and Carney’s bravery earned him a promotion to sergeant and the U.S. military’s most prestigious award.

Fort Wagner on Morris Island guarded the entrance to the harbor of Charleston. Shaw and the 600 men of the 54th Massachusetts would spearhead the federal assault from a slim strip of sand on the east side of the fort, which faced the Atlantic Ocean.

William H. Carney’s valor at Fort Wagner was honored on May 23, 1900, when he was awarded the Medal of Honor. That was almost 40 years after he so proudly served with the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. He was the first black soldier to receive the award. When asked about his heroic actions, he simply said, “I only did my duty.” (Army)

The 54th burrowed into a sand dune about 1,000 yards from Fort Wagner. Behind it was the 6th Connecticut. Federal land and sea artillery bombarded the fort all day long. By nightfall, orders were passed down and the 54th stood up, dressed ranks and attacked in two wings of five companies each.

As the men advanced they were immediately hit by a barrage of canister, musketry and shelling from the fort. A bullet struck the 54th’s color sergeant, and as the wounded man faltered, Carney threw down his gun, seized the flag and moved to the front of the 54th’s assaulting ranks. He soon found himself alone, on the fort’s wall, with bodies of dead and wounded comrades all around him. He knelt down to gather himself for action, still firmly holding the flag while bullets and shell fragments peppered the sand around him.

Carney surveyed the battlefield and noticed that other Union regiments had attacked to his right, drawing away the focal point of the Rebel resistance. To his left he saw a large force of soldiers advancing down the ramparts of the fort. At first he thought they might be were Union forces. Flashes of musketry soon doomed his hopes. The oncoming troops were Confederates.

He wound the colors around the flagpole, made his way to a low protective wall and moved along it to a ditch. When Carney had passed over the ditch on his way to the fort, it was dry. But now it was waist deep with water.

He seemed to be alone, surrounded by the wreckage of his regiment. Carney wanted to help the wounded, but enemy fire pinned him down. Crouching in the water, he figured his best chance was to plot a course back to Federal lines and make a break for it.

Carney rose to get a better look. It was a fateful move. As he later wrote: “The bullet I now carry in my body came whizzing like a mosquito, and I was shot. Not being prostrated by the shot, I continued my course, yet had not gone far before I was struck by a second shot.”

Despite carrying two slugs in his body, Carney kept moving. Shortly after being hit the second time he saw another Union soldier coming in his direction. When they were within earshot, Carney hailed him, asking who he was. The Yank replied he was with the 100th New York, and asked if Carney was wounded. Carney said he had indeed been shot, and then flinched as a third shot grazed his arm.

The 100th soldier came to his aid and helped him move farther to the rear. “Now then,” said the New York soldier, “let me take the colors and carry them for you.” Carney, though, would not consent to that, no matter how battered he was. He explained that he would not be willing to give the colors to anyone who was not a member of the 54th Massachusetts.

The pair struggled on. They did not get far before yet another bullet hit Carney, grazing him in the head. The two men finally managed to stumble to their own lines. Carney was taken to the rear and turned over to medical personnel. Throughout his ordeal, he held on to the colors.

Cheers greeted him when Carney finally staggered into the ranks of the 54th. Before collapsing, he said, “Boys, the old flag never touched the ground!”

During the battle, Company C of the 54th Massachusetts was able to, for a short time, capture a small section of Fort Wagner. The 54th suffered 272 killed, wounded or missing out of the 600 in the battle. Colonel Shaw was among the dead. Total Union casualties were 1,515 out of about 5,000 in the assault force, while the Confederates had 174 casualties out of about 1,800 defenders.

Although the Union forces were repulsed and had to lay siege to Fort Wagner, which the Confederates abandoned two months later, the 54th was widely hailed for its bravery. Like a pebble dropped into a puddle, the regiment’s heroism had a ripple effect, spurring thousands of other black men to join the Union Army. Even Abraham Lincoln noted that the 54th’s bravery at Wagner was a key development that helped secure final victory for the North.

“The bullet I now carry in my body came whizzing like a mosquito, and I was shot. Not being prostrated by the shot, I continued my course, yet had not gone far before I was struck by a second shot.”

William Carney recovered from the four wounds he received at Fort Wagner, and word soon spread of his unselfish actions. When Carney’s commanders heard about his conduct, he was promoted to sergeant. Later in the war, the 54th fought a rear-guard action covering a retreat at the Battle of Olustee, but Sergeant Carney could not participate in that engagement due to the lingering effects of his wounds. Because of his injuries he was discharged from the Army a little more than a year after the battle, on June 30, 1864.

Carney subsequently married Susannah Williams, also of New Bedford, on October 11, 1865. They had one child who later became an accomplished music teacher of the New Bedford area.

In 1866 William Carney was appointed superintendent of streetlights for the city of New Bedford. He then went to California to seek his fortune but returned to New Bedford in 1869 and took a job as a letter carrier for the Postal Service. He worked at that job for 32 years before retiring. After retirement he was employed as a messenger at the Massachusetts State House, where in 1908 he would be fatally injured in an accident that trapped his leg in an elevator.

William H. Carney’s valor at Fort Wagner was honored on May 23, 1900, when he was awarded the Medal of Honor. That was almost 40 years after he so proudly served with the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. He was the first black soldier to receive the award. When asked about his heroic actions, he simply said, “I only did my duty.”

            Welcome and thank you for visiting. Among all the news and media about what’s been going on around the Globe, I thought it would be time for a break from it and re-focus on what we should be doing as believers and ambassadors to the Kingdom. The world is going through some changes and a reality check is at hand. However, no matter what you may be thinking or unsure about; know this God is still control and Jesus is coming back. If you are an unbeliever and reading this, this is for YOU just as it is for those who say they believe and are riding on the fence of their belief. The Bible, Gods’s Word; still holds true and is very clear about how we should react in times like what we are dealing with. Men, Women and children are in state of confusion due to the media, social media, the news, the government and even Dr’s. They all have been giving so much wrong information or incomplete information that many don’t know what to believe and just end of following what everyone else does, become sheep on the way to the slaughterhouse. Those in the know, know exactly what I am referring to. Those of you who don’t, I have something to help ease your mind. The bible has the cure for Anxiety. It’s in the book of 1st Peter.

1st Peter 5:6-11

         This is a great time to look to HIM whether you currently believe or you don’t. If you are seeking where to turn, look no further than the one who created all things. You don’t have to know the bible to begin reading it and seeking answers you have during a time like this. For the believer, it’s a time to dedicate more time to seeking Him and building that one on one relationship that you may be lacking in your life with Jesus. For those who don’t know Him but have heard about Him, now is the time. Time to seek answers that only He can and will provide. Start with the Psalms. In fact, Psalms 91 is a good one to start with. There are many more as all of scripture has a place in our lives. Trust in Him. I leave you with Psalm 91.
—- God Bless

Psalm 91

As each day passes, we hear more and more people speaking out about the issue that has collapsed the planet, err most of the planet. There are many conspiracies running abroad and I hear many saying they don’t believe in them. Well, if there wasn’t a hint of truth to them we wouldn’t be talking about them. The other day I was given a link to a video that shows an ex employee of Anthony Fauci claiming to spills the beans about what is really going on. On one hand it makes a lot of sense if you have an open mind and let the facts speak for themselves. I am not a conspiracy theorist, I am however a seeker of truth and behind every conspiracy is some truth. I seek answers from the Holy Spirit. Some can be told others can not.

As a believer we have to be awake and aware according to scripture just like when the disciples asked Jesus when these things shall take place and Jesus answered and gave them the things to look for in the last days. Those days are coming upon us sooner than people realize. OK, I went off on a tangent because I love talking about scripture so let me focus on the purpose of this post, bringing new information as it is brought to me to share with everyone. I watched the video until the end and it was interesting and not surprising either. One thing I did notice is that the voices and the lips are out of sync.

As time goes on and we begin to open the country back up, the truth will come out and the public will be outraged even more than it is already. At least those who have an idea. We will get through this but remember one thing, this is a precursor for what is to come in the future. I don’t know when but certain changes are coming that many are unaware of and or don’t want to be aware of. For those of you who may be seeking answers and not sure where to turn, I have only one answer, The one who created all things, God. I am open to praying for anyone who asks. Hit the Prayer button on the right and send your request. In the meantime enjoy the video and let me know what your thoughts are as we are all in this together. Remember to leave your thoughts and subscribe.
— God Bless You All.

NOTE: Video was removed by YouTube so I remove it from here.

            Due to the misinformation being thrown around by the media etc., I wanted to share some important news that is not being told as it relates to the “corona virus” aka. “COVID-19” which is also rumored to mean “Certificate Of Vaccination-2019”. There is a lot of speculation about the real meaning and cause behind this virus. To be clear, if this a true virus and not related to 5G over radiation,  people are not dying from the virus itself. People are dying to a pr-existing medical condition and their bodies can not handle the added stress. Also, there is a strong possibility that this virus is being caused by the installation of 5G Networks that have been implemented around the globe and it is in those areas are where the most deaths have / are occurring. Coincidence, maybe. It is believed by many that the virus is caused from the bodies reaction to being over radiated by this new technology that is supposed to revolutionize the world. . Possible? Most definitely. 

             That being said, guess where 5G was first accepted and used 100%? You guessed it, China. I am not a conspiracy theorist, There are biblical ties to how the world is changing and I believe there is more to it than just a virus. I’ll go into that another day.

             I do try to keep up with what’s going on as best I can to stay well informed and share content.  I do not watch CNN, MSNBC or any of the other networks out there because they just spew out garbage and most of the public believes everything they say. I’m not saying everyone that works at these networks is bad but the information that is let out, is.  My opinion of course. I do however want you all out there who may read this to understand that everything you watch on the television, read on the internet or watch on YouTube etc is not accurate either. Like anything else, do your due diligence and get all the facts. That being said, continue to the next paragraph. 

             The video below from two doctors who did a news interview in California and I want to share it because hopefully, it will make you think about whats going on beyond the virus, if that’s what this really is. I do want to reiterate that I am truly sorry and saddened by all those who have lost loved ones to whatever this is. God is the ultimate judge and see’s ALL that is going on and will not this last much longer. We all have our opinions, speculations, conspiracies etc. I ask that you all take a step back, look, listen and then open your eyes.  Jesus is on His way back to get the church. Are you going to be ready?   Down the road i will go into that subject more but today I want to share what these doctors have to say on the virus issue. Thank you for visiting and please leave your thoughts when done watching and any thoughts about this topic. I know we will not all agree, but isn’t that what true FREEDOM is all about? 
   —      God Bless everyone.

Doctors interview with News media: 

Racism according to the Bible
       Does the Bible talk about RACISM? This is a Yes and No answer.  According to the book of Genesis, we were crested in the image o f God. Adam and Eve were the beginning of our modern humanity. There is only one RACE, the HUMAN RACE. Whatever language was spoken at that time and many generations thereafter, was the same until King Nimrod in Genesis chapter 11.

      In Genesis chapter 11 it talks about a great hinter named Nimrod who became a king and thought he was powerful enough to build a tower to God. For those who don’t know the story, go ahead and check it out. To quote Genesis Chapter 11, see below:

11:1 Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. 2 It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” 5 The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.

     This is the origins of not just the different languages but also the different colors  / cultures we have come to know today. You see, there is only ONE race according to God, the HUMAN RACE ad we are all from one man and woman.  How did the term Racism / Race begin you might ask? In the next section the history will be revealed and it quite surprising. 

     The word racism is actually relatively recent. French appears to be the first language to use the terms racisme and raciste. Surprisingly, this was in the 1890s among members of the French far right, who used the terms to describe their own racial attitudes. The author Gaston Méry coined the term “racisme” in his novel called Jean Révolte, about a man who establishes an organization to preserve the integrity of the French “Celtic” race against the supposedly dangerous influence of Jews and the “Latin” race of southern France. This idea, rather than merely “patriotisme,” he calls “racisme.”[1] Likewise, in a 1897 article, Méry called for “truly French – truly racist – voices” to defend their racial interests.[2] 

       Likewise, Italian fascists applied the term razzismo to their own racial policy in a document from 1938. This document argued that Italians were Aryans and called for restrictive laws against non-Aryans, particularly the Jews. Point 7 of the document even proclaimed that, “IT IS TIME THAT ITALIANS DECLARE THEMSELVES RACIST. All the work that the Regime has done until now in Italy is essentially a form of racism.”[3] These instances are surprising, since today “racism” is always used in a negative way; even the most outspoken white supremacists are reluctant to apply the term to themselves.

      The first English use of the term “racism” came in 1902 by a white general named Richard Henry Pratt, who spoke at a meeting of a group formed to protect Native Americans. There he said, “Segregating any class or race of people apart from the rest of the people kills the progress of the segregated people or makes their growth very slow. Association of races and classes is necessary in order to destroy racism and classism.”[4] The sentiment seems admirable at first glance, but a different story emerges when we look more closely.

      Pratt feared that Native Americans would soon disappear due to disease and starvation brought on by white settler encroachment. Their only chance of survival, he believed, was through their total assimilation into western culture. With this in mind, he set up a boarding school for Native American children, which provided food and shelter for otherwise impoverished children. But the school also punished children for speaking their native languages and forced them to adopt Christianity. This practice of forced assimilation exemplified Pratt’s infamous saying: “kill the Indian” and “save the man.”[5] In this sense, then, Pratt’s call for an end to segregation and “racism” takes on a whole new meaning. For Pratt, to argue against “racism” meant arguing in favour of forced assimilation.

      Use of the term was, however, still rare before the 1930’s and 40’s in English and other European languages. We can chart the changing frequency of the word “racism” by using the Google Books Ngrams Viewer, a tool which scans through a database of several million books.[6] Looking at the graphs for “racism” and its counterparts in other languages, we see a similar pattern showing the usage of the term first becoming widely used in the 1930s and 40s and continuing to increase throughout the century (see the table below).

     “Racism” in the 30s and 40s was used especially to denounce Nazi racial doctrines. Probably the first use of the term in the title of an English book was the translation by Eden and Cedar Paul of the German Jewish sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld’s unpublished manuscript Rassismus as Racism in 1938, which criticized doctrines of biological racial superiority.[7] Other works in this period also used the term to condemn theories of racial superiority. Indeed, the first chapter of Ruth Benedict’s 1940 book, Race: Science and Politics, was entitled, “Racism: The ‘Ism’ of the Modern World.”[8]

Usage of the term rises dramatically in the 1960s and 70s. This was a time when people of colour asserted their rights more than ever before with decolonization in Africa and Asia and mass movements in the United States and elsewhere which demanded equal civil and political rights regardless of race.

     New understandings of “racism” also emerged in these years. In particular, the idea surfaced that “racism” did not just pertain to individual attitudes or doctrines, but also to society. In the 1967 book, Black Power, by Stokely Carmichael (later Kwame Ture) and Charles V. Hamilton, the authors differentiated “institutional racism” from “individual racism.” This passage perhaps best demonstrates the difference between the two concepts:

     When white terrorists bomb a black church and kill five black children, that is an act of individual racism, widely deplored by most segments of the society. But when in that same city – Birmingham, Alabama – five hundred black babies die each year because of the lack of proper food, shelter and medical facilities, and thousands more are destroyed and maimed physically, emotionally and intellectually because of conditions of poverty and discrimination in the black community, that is a function of institutional racism.[9]

     This conception of “racism” as being rooted in social structures or institutions has gained much traction today, even as it exists somewhat uneasily alongside the understanding of “racism” as an individual phenomenon.

     In reviewing some of the history of the term “racism,” we can see that there is no single, “correct” meaning of the word to which we can refer. Indeed, some of the earliest uses of the word differ from our understandings of what “racism” means today.

    The meaning of words isn’t handed down to us from the gods; we make the meanings ourselves and this is why multiple and even conflicting meanings can exist simultaneously. It might make sense, therefore, to think of words as tools, or even weapons, that we use for certain purposes at certain times. If this is so, it’s up to us to wield them with care.

As each day passes, I often find myself thinking about how Jesus has changed my life.  One thing, and there are many; that comes to mind is Faith. This is something I wholeheartedly believe that i often repeat it to myself, that i have the Faith of a Mustard Seed. Faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit. It is one of nine mentioned in Scripture. It is the most common gift the Holy Spirit gives. But, what does it mean to have Faith, true Faith? Let’s take a look and see using a couple of Scriptures and the Worlds meaning. Below are the meanings from Websters Dictionary.

       This is Faith we should all aspire to have. When Jesus said to ask anything in His name and He will do it, we need to have that Mustard Seed Faith and put it into action like the woman did in the scripture above. Verse 34 says it all. She believed in the power of our Lord Jesus so much,  that if she could touch His cloak, she would be healed, and she was. When we exercise our Faith, and trust that God will move, He will. 

GENESIS 9:8-18
Covenant of the Rainbow

8 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9 “Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. 11 I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; 13 I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, 15 and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.” 

     I woke up thanking God for another beautiful day and all that is in it. We often take for granted the things we see around us and not truly appreciating what He has done for us.

     Throughout history there have been many religions that have sprouted up and many are still here today. I can tell you from researching the scriptures and what Christ has done in my life and those whom I associate with who have accepted him into our lives, there is none like Him. If there wasn’t something to who Christ is (God in the form of a man); why is He still talked about to this day?

     Many of you out there know and have heard this verse many times, it’s John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life.”  To many, this is just another scripture among many that have been thrown around to the point where there is no reaction to it anymore except maybe “I’ve heard that before, every pastor or preacher says it.” I bring this up because someone very close and dear to me posed a question to me today while in conversation about a scripture that I had read and shared with them.  As I read scripture I think about Christ and how my life has changed over the years because of Him. This leads me to the question posed: “Why did you choose that verse and what does it mean to you?” 

     So that question got me thinking about starting this conversation with one of the most stated verses of scripture and how we can look at it and understand what it truly means and add a verse that is rarely followed by it to hopefully encourage someone to really take a deep look into your situation where you may be seeking answers in your own walk or if you are an unbeliever, get an understanding of the depth of what these two verses really mean for you. 

    Let’s go back to John 3:16 and add verse 17.
                 John 3:  16.”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life.”    17. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” 
    What this means to me when I read it, even now, I get goose bumps knowing that Almighty God died for me. Me, little old me. He loves us so much that not only did He die for me, but the whole world from the time God lived as a man on this Earth until the end of time. There is not a single person, religion, or any other god the world can conjure up that has or ever will be able to say or do that. There is only one.  That is how much God loved / loves us. Think about all those throughout history as we know it and even the parts we don’t, who accepted our Lord Jesus the Christ into their hearts and one day we will all be together in Heaven. Let that resonate for a moment….

     God is bigger than anything you may be going through. He is bigger than that job you dislike, He is bigger than the bad relationship you are in. He is bigger than that health issue you may be battling. He is God, the one and only. I can testify to whom He is. He has changed my life dramatically. Was it easy? No. But did my life change for the better because He lives in me? I can say definitely, with an emphatic YES. So I leave you with this, Know that there is One who cares for you so much that He died for you and rose from the dead and defeated death, so that you may live. If anyone needs prayer for anything, even to accept Christ into your life, please feel free to email us and we will pray for you and with you. There is a prayer request button on the top right that will send us an email to keep your requests private. 

May God Bless You,
J & N