THESE CHEERFUL LILLIES spring up with their bright blossoms within minutes of receiving just a drop of rain. Dormant during drought they cannot resist responding, in the midst of even dark and cloudy days, to the mere 'smell' of rain. WE have a little patch of them just in front of our porch - and they are a continual Delight and cause of Joy and Thanksgiving whenever they appear. We do not know how they came to be planted - they just appeared. And they have taught us how we need to lift up our hearts to God when days are dark and gloomy.
I was born on the eleventh day of May 1940, probably conceived about the time War with Germany and the World broke out in 1939. The War was to trundle onward for many hard and painful years, but Edie Green, who with her husband Bill, adopted me, never seemed to be bowed down by it all. She did not just endure hardship, she seemed to 'shine' through it. Always optimistic, always able to see the blue sky behind the lowering clouds of life. She was not my birth mother. I usually see trouble coming before it arrives! I am not a natural optimist at all. But to Edie Green, every cloud DID have a 'silver lining'. She believed in 'God' but was not a church goer, and not aware how the Gospel affected her personally. Yet 'she was a woman who could make happiness and laughter out of nothing at all, and most of the time there was nothing at all! She made all things come alive around her.'
This week I was greatly saddened to read of the jocular repartee of the President of The European Union, Donald Tusk, and his side kick, Jean Claude Junker, considering where Brexit might be leading US, they quoted 'their' pope as believing Hell was currently empty, leaving plenty of room for Us to end up in.
It was all said with a 'laugh', of course, but I found it sad. We, who historically had stood against Napoleon when he over-ran Europe, and against Germany in two world wars, in the defence and aid of a beleaguered Europe, might as well go to hell??? I shall be 79 this May. To me England has become a laughing stock. Its national character dissipated and weakened by a disregard for its history. Our Parliament a 'bedlam' of self seeking, carnal minded, sheep. There is no proper Guidance in the LAND. No awareness of Evil, or premonition of where we are being led. To me England is again in the midst of WAR. Perhaps 'war' never actually comes to an end. But this time, in the no longer united Kingdom of Great Britain, it is both within and without. Where once the the prayers and voice of countless saints, who brought and established the Faith of the Gospel to this Green and Pleasant land, brought Light, and Strength to it, Today we are found bound and helpless.
We are like a big, ripe, ready to eat, CHEESE, over run by mindless, chattering, carnally minded mice. Am I too pessimistic, too stuck in the '40s era, too spiritually minded to be any earthly good? It is possible. But I do not feel it is so!. NO! The whole world looks as if it is teetering on the edge of a cliff - unilaterally! In every way. MORE than at any previous time in our universal existence as a species on this planet, we seem to be irrevocably sliding downwards......
ONLY A VERY FEW will even agree with this, comparatively. ONLY HALF of the 10 Virgins mentioned by our Lord in Matthew 25v1 managed to meet the Bridegroom, and enter into the Marriage. All ten went - but five were ready, only five were equipped, only five got to SEE Him and to finally be ONE with Him. This speaks only of the Christian community worldwide, and any other sincere seeker after GOD. And the REST of the people? What of them! Where are they headed. Do we care about each other on this planet in Truth? Or do we 'jokingly' say there is always a place in Hell. BUT a huge faction among Christians deny that there is in fact a HELL, or as the Pope of Europe has declared, Jesus has emptied Hell; NO ONE is there - it is shut up. It has been abandoned, done away with. BUT.......We are told the last Book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation chapter 20v13 speaking of the Last Judgement before God, at the END of all things as we know them.....
.'death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works. AND death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.'
It is so easy for any one of us, in a moment of human rage or impatience, to say 'Go to Hell. but this is not the Way. We should not wish this even upon an enemy! BUT we all should be aware that there IS an Enemy who implacably and single mindedly seeks the destruction of ALL humanity in one way or another - and there ARE many ways it can and is being done. We may not pray for THAT Enemy.
IS the world scene darkening? Yes I think it is. BUT this is also what we are being led to SEE and believe in......AGAINST the truth that THE DAWN IS COMING, A DAWN that will push ever vestige of darkness away for ever. The Trumpet WILL sound, The Angel WILL shout.....Shake yourselves, WAKE UP, look into the mirror of His Word - are you READY to meet HIM?
AND LOOK UP! Don't look down, and give up, and despair. LOOK UP! Don't be SAD and despondent. BE GLAD in the LORD. Be GLAD! Believe for the HOPE that is before you.
THINK of all that you KNOW that is good, and right, and honest, and clean, and worthy of praise.
Don't think darkness but LIGHT. Don't think defeat, but of VICTORY. Believe in each other. Pray for one another. Do good to one another and lift up each others heart. I look now outside my window. The light of a brilliant sun floods all that I gaze upon in golden brightness. the Sky clear azure blue with not a cloud in sight, and all around the whisper of God's breath that cools the air, and caresses each leaf of every bough of every tree and plant. Tomorrow it may be darkened by thick clouds, the brightness gone, the colour of life dimmed, that cool breeze withheld, perhaps replaced by sudden storm and rushing wind. BUT I will remember the blue sky above. I will remember God, that He is with me, and that he loves me, and that even the dark day will in some way or measure turn to my blessing and my good, if I hold on to His hand in the storm as in the calm.
REJOICE!
Again I say, Rejoice!! - Philippians 4v4
For we know and are assured
that all things work together, and are fitting into a plan for good
to all those WHO love God and a called according to
His Design and Purpose
Romans 8v28 - the Amplified Bible;
TO THE LEFT copies of the Jubilee Brochure fresh from the Printer. A4 size gloss paper of 22 pages. covering in full colour, the Vision, History and growth from 1969-2019 as laid out and presented by me. Printing achieved by Wilson Lokitali ELSOFT MEDIA.#Contents -
Page 1. John and Esther Green - 2 became 1
2. Preface
3. A Personal Testimony - J.A.Green
4. Aims & Objectives / Financial Basis
5. Filling up the Years6. Memories & People down the Years
7. Views of our Homes
8. House Parents now and then!
11. Support Projects
15. The Australian Connection
16. Weddings
17. General Information
18. Into the Future
19. TFH Site Plan - Homes & School
20. R.I.P In Memory of those departed
21. Photo Gallery.
If YOU WOULD LIKE A COPY PLEASE LET US KNOW, AND WE WILL FIND A WAY FOR YOU TO RECEIVE ONE They WILL be selling at Ksh.100/within Kenya. or One |Pound Sterling or one Dollar elsewhere. This will not cover the cost but will assist toward it. It is still value for money
AND FINALLY JUST A WAFT OF HEAVY SWEET SCENT FROM ONE OF OUR TEMPLE LOWERS - Frangipani - FULL OF DELICATE FRAGRANCE AND BEAUTY
lovingly
John Esther, and Daryl Green
No comments:
Post a Comment