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, 

Libera - Inspirational Music

Hello again, my dear reader friends! It's been a while since my last post and Christmas is almost upon us! I believe it is an amazing season...not because of all the silliness that goes on around in the world during that time, but because of the amazing thing that we remember at this special time every year. How the Great God of Heaven and Earth and all that is in them, the Great God of the Universe, our Great Creator, should love us so much that He would give us His most precious Son to redeem us from sin and death and give us eternal life to all who believe and receive His salvation. I never ever cease to wonder at this. This greatness that choose to be a small helpless baby, born in a very poor home, and in a poor, dirty manger. To grow and become a Man and die on a horrible cross...all for us! It is beyond our understanding! But we can accept it with humility and thanksgiving and give our lives to Him as an offering. Thank you, Lord! 

This is the GOSPEL:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His 

        Only begotten 

        Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not 

        Perish, but have 

        Everlasting 

        Life" 

John 3: 16

Amen!

We do not want to celebrate this season in the way the world celebrates...just gifts and material things...but it is a time to worship our Redeemer.

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Recently, I discovered an amazing boys choir based in London, called Libera. They mainly sing classical sacred music and they are just amazing and so heavenly. You've probably already noticed the music video I put on the top of the blog for the Carol of the Bells...I think this is the best version I've found for it so far. Here is some more for you to be blessed by this Christmas time:

Be Blessed. 

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

IDOP 2011 - International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Well, dear friends, it's true. I've been away from blogging for a while. I've been pretty busy with university assignments and exam preparations....whew! quite hectic! But the Lord is always good and very faithful. His mercies endure forever. Praise the Lord! Well, I hope to get back to it as soon as possible. I'm still thinking about what to share next:)

However, tonight I'd just like to encourage you all to join in this year's IDOP (from 6th - 13th of November). Whether in Church, or with family and friends, or just alone in our time with the Lord. Let's remember our brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering persecution and hardship. Pray that the Lord would be with them and strengthen them in their tribulations and deliver them from evil. Pray that those who are in prisons would be released. Pray that the Lord would provide all their needs. Pray that they would be given courage to witness to the Lord in these very hostile places. Pray that the Lord would provide them with His precious Word. 

Prayer Changes Things! 

'Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.'  Hebrews 13:3

Urgent Prayer for Christians in Egypt

Dear Friends, 

Many of you have probably already heard what happened on Sunday to many of Egypt's Christians. Yesterday the Coptic Christians went out to peacefully protest against the burning of a church in Etfu, Aswan Governorate. During their march, they were molested with stones and gunfire. Upon reaching the TV Building in Maspero, Cairo (around 10,000 or more Copts), the army and 'thugs' attacked. There were similar protests in other cities around the country. The army, government, and national media, as usual, have falsely accused the Christians of using weapons and violence. All the inner sources and video footage show completely otherwise. Thankfully CNN and other outside media are beginning to give some accurate info as well. It is well known that thugs (from the authorities, particularly the army) infiltrated the demonstrations and did all the violence.  It was shocking how the army vehicles rammed into the protesters, crushing and mutilating them. Not even the worst atrocities committed during the January/February revolution could be compared with this. The scenes from the hospitals is horrific. Church and other sources say that there were many more than 24 dead (the official count), some say as many as 40 or 50. Some reports even indicate that some bodies were thrown by the attackers over the bridge into the Nile. Hundreds are injured, many seriously. These attacks on Christians, the Churches, their businesses, and their homes have increased dramatically since the Revolution, beginning with the New Year bombing of the Church in Alexandria. We can see that the Military General and the ruling military council is set on their persecution of Christians, using the Islamists.The Coptic Church has declared three days of fasting and prayer, starting today (October 11). We gratefully know that you and many others are with us in lifting our brothers and sisters before our Father's throne of Grace. Please share this with as many as possible so they also can join in prayer. Prayer changes things because we serve a living God. Amen! Pray that the Lord would give them strength and comfort to endure this trial and courage not to lose hope but trust in God. The peaceful protests will undoubtedly continue, so, please pray that the Lord would give His people wisdom and protect them. Pray for comfort for the families of those killed.

Please pray, also, for the future of Egypt and that God would deliver Egypt from those who want to destroy her. 

God bless, 

P.S: Here are some links to reliable sources and news: 

*At Coptic Hospital, Christians hysterical over lost relatives 

*Live Updates: As death toll rises in clashes, mobs attack Christian businesses 

*Confusion looming over dead bodies' autopsies after Maspero violence

*A firsthand account: Marching from Shubra to deaths at Maspero

*Live Updates: Protesters march from Coptic Hospital to cathedral

*Human rights group had warned military of violence, say legal sources

*CNN - Q&A: Egypt's tensions explained


Voice of the Martyrs Article

CBN News 

Open Doors 

Here is a video link of the funeral. It is, understandably, emotionally distressing. Emotions of pain, grief and anger are high and raw. In the clips you can here the mourners weeping, praying, their cries of distress, and their chants which say that they are willing to suffer and die for the cross and that they will lift their heads high. They are also using this opportunity to protest as well.

http://www.christian-dogma.com/vb/showthread.php?p=1591142

http://www.christian-dogma.com/vb/showthread.php?p=1591502 
(here singing the traditional hymn 'Lord Have Mercy') 

This is probably the best Christian source - full of video clips and live and raw footage (It is in Arabic, though - google translation could help, though poor). I thought I'd include it here anyway. 

http://www.christian-dogma.com/site/p0 

P.S. 2: Here is an Update to the case of the Iranian Pastor sentenced to death

Australia's Christian Heritage

Advance Australia Fair!

This is the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit! 

I don't have time at present to write a post on this topic, but I'd like to share a link to a good document that gives plenty of relevant information and interesting links. Click Here! (Disclaimer Note: I'm not sure, though, about the accuracy or relevancy of all the information and links given...)

Sometime I hope to share more with you. 

This Great South Land!

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







*************************
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)

Urgent Prayer for Persecuted Christians in Egypt and Iran

Before I share anything new this week, I would first like to share an urgent prayer request. 

First, at present Iranian Pastor, Youcef Nadarkhani, is facing execution at any time for converting to Christianity and refusing to recant. There is an international campaign now to pressure the Iranian authorities to withdraw their sentence. However, prayer is the real key now. He's got a young family, too. Please pray for him and his family. Pray that the Lord would intervene and deliver him from this sentence and restore him to his family and congregation. Pray that the Lord would give them peace and strength in this trial. Click Here for more information. 

Here are some video clips of media coverage on the case in the last few days - please pray: 

Many of our brothers and sisters in Iran are facing similar hardship and persecution. Let's remember them also. 

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Another urgent matter for prayer is for Christians in Egypt. Since the January Revolution, the Church in Egypt has been facing more and more severe danger and persecution. Last night, about 3,000 Muslim fanatics attacked a Church in one village in Upper Egypt  near the tourist city of Aswan and completely burned it down, also destroying the homes and businesses of many Christians. Many are now trying to flee the village with boats across the Nile, but they are quite surrounded. There is deep fear of a massacre through the night. As usual the authorities are just spectators and are not doing anything.  Please pray for the Lord's protection and deliverance. Pray that the Lord will give His people peace and strength through this trial. 

(here is a link in English that tells a little bit, though there were many developments since its writing)

Several other Churches around the country have been attacked and destroyed and many more are threatened. There are also thousands still in prisons. Already the situation in Egypt in general is getting worse and more grave. The greatest fear is an total Islamic takeover with the help of the ruling Army. Sadly, the international media is not mentioning anything about this at all. So, please remember them in your prayers. Prayer Changes things. 

'Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them that suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.' (Hebrews 13: 3). 

Thank you and God Bless.