Bible Reading:
Joshua Chapter 4 Verses 1-9

Remembrance

In the early morning on 11th November 1918, the Germans accepted the terms demanded by the Allies if the war was to end. Germany agreed to evacuate the terrorities it had taken during the war; to surrender large numbers of arms, ships, and other war materials; and to allow the Allied powers to occupy German territory along the Rhine River. General Foch ordered the fighting to stop on the Western Front at 11 a.m.

Millions of people were left dead or injured - some only lived relatively short lives because of what they suffered in the war. People have always suffered when there has been a war so why make such a big thing of it?

War might seem exciting when you see the news on the TV or the films about WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, The Falklands,The Gulf and all the other conflicts in between. The things they show on TV and the Cinema are not the things you would see in real life. I hope none of you ever see war up close as our Grandparents and our parents have.

Remembrance day is about remembering all those who gave their lives to fight a terrible political system. But we must not leave it at that. We should think of how things really are. We should think about being thankful to God for His deliverance.
The two world wars were a long time ago but we must always remember Gods goodness. If God had not been good to this nation in the last war I would not be here talking to you like this. My Grand parents and my mother would have been wiped out in a death camp somewhere by the Nazis because they were christians. I would not have been born.

Perhaps some of you have parents or grandparents who are christian people or have Jewish or Romany ancestors. They'd have been killed once the Nazis took power in this country

But why give thanks to God for things that happened in the wars of years ago? How many of you have sailed across the Channel to France? Seen the waves out in the middle? On May 26, thousands of British and French troops, and some Belgian troops, began retreating from Belgium to Dunkerque. Germany attacked the city and it was badly damaged. But from late May until June 4, more than 800 vessels evacuated about 338,000 Allied troops from Dunkerque to England. The Channel, they say, was calm as a mill pond and allowed even tiny boats to sail out to rescue the soldiers.

In the Battle of Britain in 1940 Fighter Command was almost down and out. The Germans attacked the south coast airfields the fighters flew from. The RAF was running out of planes and pilots - until the Germans suddenly turned to night bombing of London and, flying further north they came within range of more northerly fighter squadrons. They mistakenly thought the RAF was beaten. It was a terrible time for London but Fighter Command was able to refresh and regain its strength.

In 1941 Hitler controlled most of Europe. The Nazis could have invaded this country and it would have been very difficult to deal with them from the free world in America. Instead of invading our little islands Hitler attacked the vast country of Russia and the German army was progressively written off by the Russians in the east and then, when the allies invaded the west the nazis were fighting in the east and the west.

Why did these things happen? Why did Hitler make these mistakes?
It is because God is merciful, even in the middle of great catastrophes in the world that come upon mankind and despite the plain fact that we are sinful and there is much evil in the world.

We must not proudly think it is our strength that delivered this nation. We must thank God for His goodness in these things.
Being ungrateful is an awful thing. To take things for granted that people do for us is a very unpleasant way to treat people who are good to us.

The best anyone like us can do for anyone else is nothing when compared to what God has done and continues to do for every one of us. If it is right for us to be thankful to people around us for what they do, how much more should we be thankful to God for what He does?

How long can you get by without sleep? I read an account of someone helping prisoners of war by living just outside the prison camp under the noses of the Japanese guards. He could not let himself sleep properly for fear of the Japanese catching him. The theory was he didn't sleep for days at a time. Me - I fold up if I have a few bad nights.

How long could you last without food? Not very long before you get serious health problems.

How long could you last without water? A few days at the outside.

How long can you get by without air? There are people who can get by for several minutes - after that it gets tricky.

God provides all these things for all of us - surely we should remember His goodness in this.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Everything good is given by God and God commands us to be thankful. Psalms 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

When The Children of Israel were finally delivered from the wilderness and brought in to the Promised Land God told them to remember what He had done that day. They were to set up a pillar of twelve stones as a memorial of their deliverance for future generations.

There is One Thing that God has done that far outshines everything else He has done. It is something that is far greater than deliverances in time of war. It is far more important than providing food and water and air and all the other things He gives us to sustain our life and health. Those people who have experienced this thing that God has done will be grateful to Him for the whole of eternity.

God has sent The Lord Jesus to die on the cross to save sinners. This is a thing to be thankful for. The Lord Jesus provides deliverance from our greatest enemy and makes peace between sinners like you and I and our God in Heaven.