Thousands of young men flocked to the recruiting stations
in the early days of August 1914 They were keen to do
their bit, and were in a hurry about it. The war might be
over by Christmas! Few then imagined that it would be a
long hard struggle for four years and more. Who among
those young men could have foreseen the horrors of war on
the Western Front? The awful hardship and suffering that
would be inflicted upon men thrust into battles, the like
of which had never been known before.
As the months and years passed, and fatalities mounted
without respite, thousands of parents and families were
engulfed by a tide of sorrow and loss. In some cases this
was on a scale that stuns our minds one hundred years
later. A recent documentary tells of a family in County
Durham in which five out of six sons were killed. And this
was not uniqne! Amy Beechey from Lincoln lost five of her
eight sons. Wheii she was presented to King George V and
Queen Mary in April 1918, the Queen thanked her for her
sacrifice. She replied “lt was no sacrifice Ma'am. l did not
give them willingly”.
We really cannot begin to understand Mrs Beechey’s awful
burden of sorrow and grief. She had lost five sons and she
would not have willingly given any one of them. Neither
would we have done! What Father or mother will voluntarily
give a son?
Yet the amazing truth of the Christian Gospel is that God
gave His Son. “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”. This may
be the best known verse in the Bible but a Christian never
loses a sense of wonder that God so loved the world, all
of mankind, Without exception. And that such love was
expressed in the face of mankind's sin and rebellion against
God.
Have you ever given thought to the wonderful love ot God
for the world... for you? Have you ever appreciated what
was involved in the giving of His Son? God gave the greatest
of all gifts. He could not have given more than His beloved
Son. His death was the ultimate sacrifice, the only means
by which sinners, and all are sinners, can he delivered from
perishing, that is, enduring in eternity‘ after life on earth is
over, the penalty sins deserve.
The ultimate sacrifice was made upon a cross at Calvary
nearly two thousand years ago. In the crucifixion men
inflicted terrible injuries upon Jesus Christ the only begotten
Son of God which He hore silently and patiently. But more
than that, Hc endured the forsaking of God in three hours
of darkness When suffering for sins. The cost of this to God
and to His Son will never be fully known, but you may
he sure that His sacrifice can save you from perishing, for
God has raised ]esus Christ from the dead and He lives
at the right hand of God in heaven, He is ready to save
you the very moment you truly repent oi: your sins, and
believe on Him.
Remember, that wonderful. verse tells us “that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish”. It isimply.means that
an opportunity is available to all of us to ensure we do not
perish, but to gain it we MUST believe in Him. If you have
never yet believed, will you do so now? You may ask “Is it
really" as simple as tha.t?” Yes it is — a rough tough jailor in
Philippi, trembling, in imminent danger of losing his life,
cried out to the prisoners Paul and Silas, “Sirs What must I
do to be saved?” The immediate reply! “Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”.“
John 3:16
Acts 16:30,31
John Ritch Ltd, 40 Beansburn, Kilmornock KA3 1RH
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