The Day The Guns Fell Silent

New Remembrance Day tract for 2024.

Wording reads:

The date November 11th marks the Armistice which was signed by the Allies and Germany at the conclusion of World War I in 1918. Mixed emotions of happiness and confusion but most of all relief were felt throughout the country. School children were asked to write down memorable numbers. They were to select numbers that would be etched in people’s memories forever. The numbers they chose were, ‘eleven, eleven, eleven’, marking the eleventh hour
of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
This war had changed everything. Now the killing had ended, and the bloodshed had ceased, but the effect of the war was ongoing, and every town, village and family felt the pain. Most people had lost someone. The sad fact of WW1 was that the United Kingdom had lost 888,246 soldiers. Many thought that this was to be the war to end all wars, and that peace would now be enjoyed.
One soldier who survived the Great War and came home to his family was William Coltman VC from Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire. William was a Christian and as a result of his faith chose to go to war as a stretcher bearer. He refused to kill but instead went out into the fiercest of battles to save lives. As a result of his bravery and devotion to duty, he is now described as the highest decorated non-commissioned officer of the British army.
William was a very quiet and humble individual, who never sought attention. On his return to Burton, a reception was organised for this brave soldier at the local train station. William, on hearing of this, left the train a station early and walked home to avoid it all.
He has been described as a man with the heart of a lion and possibly was one of the bravest and most decorated men that people have ‘never’ heard of. It is reported that William himself said that he longed that future generations would only experience war from what they read in books and that people would never again have the opportunity to be awarded the Victoria Cross.
Perhaps you also long for peace in the world or indeed in your own life; just as there was peace as the Great War came to an end. The Bible states that when the Lord Jesus came into the world the angels declared, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men’, Luke 2 v 14.

How does this relate to you?

The Bible says the reason the Lord Jesus came into the world was to save sinners. Every one of us is a sinner so in effect the Lord Jesus came to save each of us. Here are some quotations from the Bible. The Scriptures can make you wise unto salvation, so it is wise to pay
careful attention to what the Bible says:
‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’, 1 Timothy 1 v 15. ‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God’, Romans 3 v 23.

The Lord Jesus died an excruciatingly painful death upon a cross because of His great love for us; this was the means by which He took the punishment for our sin.
‘Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures’, 1 Corinthians 15 v 3.
By putting our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can have peace in life and know that our future is secure in heaven.
‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved’, Acts 16 v 31.
Tim Coltman