This Day in History: Lest We Forget

They shall not grow old,

as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, 

nor the years condemn. 

At the going down of the sun 

and in the morning

We Will Remember Them. 

The Ode

Lest We Forget.

Today is ANZAC day. It's a day when we remember the landings in 1915 of Australian and New Zealand troops on the beaches of Gallipoli. We also remember the sacrifices of all the troops who fought to defend our freedom in the many conflicts since that day. It's also a time to remember our troops who are still serving overseas and their families. They're willingly putting their lives daily on the lines for us to be safe and free. Yes, there is no greater love than a friend lay down his life for his friends (see John 15:13). 

Find out more of the history of the ANZACs in WWI from the Australian War Memorial website 

Simpson and his donkey
Read the story behind this sculpture

At this time we can also remember the greatest sacrifice in the world that was done for us - how our Saviour gave His life to purchase our eternal freedom from sin and hell and gave us the gift of eternal life with Him. Thank you Lord Jesus for this sacrifice...Your love teaches us what love and sacrifice really are. 

There is one hymn I'd like to share with you today: 'Abide with me' 

This hymn became a great comfort to many during WWI both to our troops on the battlefields and to those back home. 

sung by Hayley Westenra

God Bless, 

Merry Christmas! This Day in History: Christmas Truce, 1914

Merry Christmas to all! 

Well, this is the end of this lovely day, spent happily and quietly with my family. The Lord gave us a good and blessed time together. We worked, sang, laughed, prayed, ate, and opened presents together. A really special time. It is hard to believe it's come and gone so quickly. This is life. It goes very quickly. But with Jesus, this is never the end...it is always only the beginning! Because of this day 2,000 years ago, we can have life and hope for tomorrow, as well as today. A new year is now before us and we can always rely on Him to be with us to guide us and to satisfy us. Let us rejoice in Him! Let us love and fear Him! He is our life! 

Today I'd like to share a small historical event that took place during WWI. It was the Christmas Truce of 1914, when Christmas brought a glimpse of the final peace that will one day come because of the first and second coming of the Prince of Peace. It also shows how the Christmas carol, 'Silent Night' has brought  many people, far and wide and under difficult circumstances together, through the grace of the Holy Spirit. 

Unfortunately it's late now and I feel pretty tired after such a lovely but long day, so I won't be able to write about it myself! But I'll give you some links and a documentary video clip.   

The Truce of 1914

Christmas Truce (Wikipedia)

In WW2, Christmas brought similar moments of peace and reconciliation...even if it lasted one night. Click here to watch Silent Night - A touching WWII true story (a few graphic war scenes and  perhaps a bit of course language). 

God Bless, 

This Day in History - Remembrance Day 2011

The Armistice Carriage 

Today is Remembrance Day or Armistice Day. On this day in 1918 the Armistice treaty  was signed, thus ending the First World War - one of the bloodiest in history. This day is always commemorated on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour. Added to this, this year we've got another 11 (2011)!! 

This is a very special day to remember the sacrifice our soldiers have paid to guarantee us freedom and peace. I have deep respect and admiration for those who put their lives willingly at risk to defend us. May God bless them and protect them. It is a great blessing to live in a free country. It's more precious to me especially when I look at other countries who do not have this blessing, who have their own armies against their own people (Remember Tiananmen Square in China or more recently, the Copts in Egypt). 

So, today let's thank God for all these blessings and pray for our soldiers who are giving so much for us. 

They shall not grow old, 

as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, 

nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun

and in the morning 

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM!

~ From For The Fallen (1914) by 

Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)

Peace and Freedom are very precious things and are never cheap. It also reminds me of our own spiritual journey to heaven, as portrayed so beautifully in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. It is a journey full of dangers and snares - a narrow way - as we fight our own flesh and Satan's attacks and snares. But if we persevere we shall overcome and gain the crown of life. (see James 1:12, Revelation 2:10) 

Here is a lovely song - 'He That Overcomes' by Jimmy and Carol Owens:

The trailer of the movie the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the  King (2009), said something very true, touching, and profound: 

There can be 

No triumph without loss.

No victory without suffering. 

No freedom without a sacrifice.  

This is what our Saviour has done to purchase our freedom form sin and to defeat Satan. This is our journey, too. We are to follow in His steps. May the Lord grant us the grace to endure and persevere to the end. We must not give up. 

~God bless

Bible Provides Plan for WWI Battle

I came across a very interesting World War I story. One of that war's theatres of conflict was in the Holy Land where the British and other Commonwealth forces, under accomplished General Allenby, were fighting the Turkish forces who were allied with Germany and Austria. 

Sheer cliffs of Michmash

In 1917, General Allenby, along with his Sixtieth British Division,  entered the plain surrounding Megiddo and Mischmash (these lie north of Jerusalem) en-route to attack Jericho and drive the Turkish army back across the Jordan River. Directly in their path was the small town of Michmash which was located on a high, rocky hill overlooking the plain of Megiddo, also occupied  by the Turks. It was an almost impregnable with its sheer cliffs. 

Where is Michmash?

Jonathan and
armour-bearer climbing
cliffs at Michmash

The British forces were faced with a problem. How on earth would they penetrate that town? But General Allenby and his Brigade Major Vivion Gilbert, knowing their Bibles well, remembered that the name of that town was mentioned in I Samuel chapters 13 and 14. Here it describes how Prince Jonathan, along with his armour-bearer, found a secret rocky passage on the hillside that lead to the top of the town that was being used as a fortress by the Philistine army. With God's help, Jonathan and his armour-bearer, were able to surprise the Philistines and in the confusion the Philistines fought each other and were quickly and easily defeated. 

Jonathan and armour-bearer

General Allenby

General Allenby and those with him discovered that the topography of the area was still very similar. They managed to find that secret passage. His troops scaled these same sheer cliffs that Jonathan climbed thousands of years before and took the Turkish garrison by complete surprise. It was a decisive victory for General Allenby and the Commonwealth forces. Being victorious at Megiddo, Jericho, and Jerusalem, he finally broke the power of the Turkish army, a very important development for the future of the Holy Land, the Middle East, and the outcome of the war. 

At the end of the war, General Allenby was decorated as Lord Allenby 'Viscount of Megiddo'. 

This story shows how much God is at work in the affairs of man and the workings of history. The relevency of  His word is shown also in this story for guiding the details of modern day history. 

God Bless







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Reference: 


Katherine Pollard Carter, The Mighty Hand of God, Missouri: Impact Books, INC., 1991, pp. 87-89. 
(other references for that chapter in the book)