WHAT IS THE REAL RELEVANCE?

IT IS THE DATE THAT IS RELEVANT!     11th May 1940    It was also in fact a Saturday....
SEVENTY-FOUR years since this spec of humanity first appeared and began drawing attention to himself.
THIS MORNING in the Daily Mail there was an Article concerning the son of a well known columnist born in 1949.    He wondered what his father would have thought of today's world .......  IS it still worthy dying for, going through hell for?      I firmly believe that the majority of those who did fight and die in the last Great War, might indeed feel they died in vain.     What they had in mind then does not exist today.    'King and Country' just a laughable quote from the past.     All has virtually GONE, and what is left bereft of FAITH, virtue and honour.      A Nation (I am talking about England of course, though it DOES apply to other 21st Century Nations) drained of real freedom, emptied of innocence, and progressively disabled in trusting its traditions, history and hero's.     Even our national identity can be questioned.  Our aims and aspirations definitely different.
What real pride or confidence in owning a British Passport?      There is no doubt that this is a very different world.   The Columnist has written a Book - 'Littlejohn's Lost World' by Richard Littlejohn. It's worth a read I think.     For some in America, the United Kingdom it will be considered that the WAR was won.........yet in many other ways I think it was LOST.      The ideals and even the realities that were fought for, though seemingly won, were and in fact soon to be lost to even greater defeat from within.

WINSTON CHURCHILL at the onset of the 2nd World War in 1940, and on the 13th May, just two days after my birth, gave a Speech in Parliament.    He had just been appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.     Here are a few excerpts from that speech -   He said:-

'We are in the preliminary stage of one of the greatest battles in history.....

That we are in action at many points - in Norway and in Holland - 

that we have to be prepared in the Mediterranean.   That the air battle is continuous, and that many preparations have to be made here at home.

I WOULD SAY TO THE HOUSE

as I have said to those who have joined this government:

I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.

We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind.

We have before us many, many long months of struggle and suffering.

You ask, what is our aim?

I can answer in one word: Victory.  Victory at all costs!

Victory in spite of terror!  Victory, however long and hard the road may be,

for without victory there is no survival.

The WAR WAS WON,    Victory WAS obtained.    It did cost blood, toil, tears, and sweat.  FIVE long years of it.

BUT my question today, SEVENTY years later is, did the United Kingdom Survive?    Did we really achieve the Aim and Goal that was then in mind?     Did we manage to rend out of our Enemy's hand our national identity and heritage intact?       I think not - at least not for very long.     THAT Enemy was defeated but not destroyed altogether, and like SATAN himself came in different guises to pursue his own purpose which was to overwhelm us and DEFEAT US, step by step removing every valuable thing held ever dear until naked and defenceless we find ourselves in chains of a different kind.     Yes some will say that seventy years ago we were backward, unhelped, unenlightened, and that today with advent of the electronic and digital revolution providing amazing advance to help our personal comfort, communications and entertainment we are MUCH better off.       I think not.     It is not a fridge, a mobile phone, a computer or television that really secures my comfort and inner security and joy.  All things are toys to keep us blind to greater happiness.      Was it not Carl Marx who said that 'Religion is the opiate (the drug) of the people' - to keep them quiet?      Well THAT toy may be on the way out - there are other even more deluding attractions to keep us from the truth.   

LIFE is a constant struggle in countless theatres of war.      The AIM must always be VICTORY, if we are not to give in to pressures, and force that will destroy or depreciate us.    BUT even in what we may feel is a Victory ,in some area of life, may later become DEFEAT through our own in-attention to the never ending determination to even yet pull us down.     It is very easy to rest on our laurels, and the keen cutting edge of our 'victory' to become dulled - even forgotten.    We must not slip back, give up ground previously won, but instead plant our Flag high, and from this hard found foothold to GO ON.

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SOME FIVE OR SO YEARS AGO,  we began to be concerned for the state of our 2nd Children's Home, Jacaranda Cottage, just across the 50ft tarmac road from Testimony House and School.   It was built in the 1930s, of sun baked mud brick.     The tin roof leaked consistently and determinedly from the onset, and slowly walls and floors have given in to further wear and tear endured over the 39 years we have used it.     It has served well, but was never a convenient house, not easy to run or manage as a Children's Home.      

We began to pray for funds to come in to seriously renovate or even build a NEW Home. Plans had even been drawn up and approved by the local Council five years ago.    But nothing happened to give us any firm expectation of actually seeing it happen.     We have, on and off, continued to pray and put this matter before the Lord, as the leaks increased the house became more and more depreciated, even with fairly constant maintenance and repair.       

Suddenly a few weeks ago we received a letter from the U.K., from recent visitors we had not previously known, and who only spent a day with us at the time, to say that an offer had been made to build us a NEW Jacaranda Cottage - funds to begin to arrive in December this year...............
I leave a GAP there because when we reached this point in the Letter WE stopped and stared at it unblushingly.  We had ceased to really expect this would ever happen.     The last eighteen months have been very diminished in income, and our life more straightened as a result.    The last thing on our mind was God actually deciding to answer our prayer for a new Children's Home - a New Jacaranda Cottage.      We just stared at each other - then we YELLED with excitement and joy.     Just a month ago we had been considering the possibility of having to close down this ministry - and NOW here was God emphasising the need for us to trust Him still for the future.      Building will start in December/January.   WE ARE PRESSING ON!!

Here we have a glimpse into the present Jacaranda cottage, sitting room, and below a view of the current Family that live there with Beatrice (L) and Joseph (R) who are Mum and Dad there with them all.

A NEW building will very much improve the way of life in the home, and very much assist in providing better space and living conditions.
We plan for it to follow the same pattern and design as Tyndale and Drakeley Cottages.  One storey, 4-6 bed roomed family home.



I suppose we have all SURVIVED living here over the years.    We have survived through times of severe material drought and need, through times of
local antagonism and political covetousness, and through times of toil and sweat.    We came through it all because we BELIEVED that for all the obstacles we COULD win, as we walked and trusted in Christ being with us.     We have often felt VERY challenged, finding ourselves people of 'little' rather than great Faith.     Tested and tried and found a little short of what George Muller had.      BUT, in His Mercy and Grace, God has never tired of repeatedly showing us that when WE think we might NOT win, HE knows we WILL.     At this point in my life I am still learning.       I am still trying to make up my 'grades' so that I will obtain the 'crown' and hear the words 'Well done' from my Teacher and Lord.    Many times I have been laid low, and have even FELT low and almost in the grave of life - but with Churchill I have been always inspired to struggle up, determined never, never, NEVER to give up.

TODAY my dear wife has taken me out for lunch to celebrate a little early my Birthday of tomorrow.   This afternoon my daughter in U.K. phoned me up for a chat that cheered my heart, and tonight there will be a cake with less candles than my age to share with family here.     Tomorrow, God Willing, I shall wake and proclaim His Mercy and Praise Him for 74 years of His Love and Care.     In the evening we shall repair to the Missionary Fellowship Meeting to meet with the lord - more than 35 of us.    It should be a good and wonderful Day.  
God Bless you all, and keep you sharp, and burning in your zeal for the King.

John and Esther