Smiles…

Smiles…

I looked for a smile

But got a frown

I searched everywhere

To no avail…

So I left town

I smiled over once

Yea twice

But the man

On the opposite seat…

Wasn’t very nice

I bought a note book

To record the smiles

It’s still empty…

after many miles

Looking at the policeman

And asking the way

He grimaced

his instructions back…

He was having a bad day

“Do you want your receipt?”

Said the lady on the till

“I do – thank you”

I smiled back

I could see she was thinking…

“What’s the craic?”

“There’s not much

to smile about”

I hear you say…

Never mind we live

to smile another day

Preaching – you like?

PREACHING You like?

Everybody is different in their choice of preachers – that please.

Everybody is different when it comes to likes and dislikes on the subject of preaching.

Some like to be entertained. Some like to get answers, because they have many questions regarding their spiritual life.

Others look for a particular type of delivery of the message. For some it must be loud and demonstrative. Others can’t be bothered with all ‘that shouting’. Some look to be greatly moved emotionally. Again others – greatly informed intellectually.

For some unless the preacher’s saliva is hitting the front row of the gathering – he isn’t really preaching properly.

And again some would walk out – as the noise level is deafening.

What about you?

And what does it matter about the delivery  anyway – if what is being delivered is neither relevant to our spiritual life, nor biblical?

Some love many illustrations interwoven into the preacher’s message. A good story, they say, goes a long way. Testimony of people’s real life experiences in which they have proven God to be ‘a very present help in time of trouble’, are hard to improve on. So some prefer this kind of ‘speaking’.

The Lord Jesus Christ – was not only The Master – but the master of the use of illustrations. We call them parables. Without which He rarely preached, unless perhaps conversing on a one to one basis with a person, or when addressing His twelve disciples.

So He did speak to His disciples in a more direct fashion, without parables. It might be interesting to reflect upon the fact that perhaps Illustrations/parables should be less present when the saints (His disciples) are being addressed (?).

Matthew 13:9-11 (NKJV)

⁹ He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” ¹⁰ And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” ¹¹ He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven…

Anyway, it is true to say that He passed on to others His teaching, illustrating His truth with examples from everyday life. We are told in the Bible that the ‘common people’ heard Him gladly. Mark 12/37.

He spoke their language, when it came to the use of illustrations.

In other words the parables He used were based on the everyday life of society at the time He was on the planet.

So it’s safe to say that illustrations were acceptable with Him, when it came to preaching or teaching, without being dogmatic about their use or absence in sermon making.

But it is also true to say that the words of Jesus were more than simply good illustrations, given to interest, amuse or in some way show Him to be a good ‘public speaker’. 

The words He spoke (and no man ever spoke like this man) – were ‘Spirit and Life’.

The same words He spoke when He called everything into being, spoken from eternity, when He was still in heaven. Spoken in co-operative unity with the Godhead, and before He took upon Himself the form of a man. 

All things were made by Him, and without Him there was nothing made that was made.

He is the creator of the universe. Bearing in mind that He created all things before He took upon Himself the body of a man, we also therefore need to realise that when He speaks, His goal is not to impress, – it is to reveal, enlighten, create, change, comfort, exhort, correct, heal, instruct, save, deliver and so we could go on.

He doesn’t need a pat on the back for giving a good illustration, or preaching a good sermon, nor does He need the response: ‘Good speaker that chap’.

He wants us instead to believe what He says, but also to ‘eat’ His words, let them sink deep down through our ears into our spirits, where the dynamic power that indwells His every word will work in us to once again create something new!

So next time you critique the preacher’s sermon, and reflect on the good illustrations, the humorous anecdotes, or that he was full of blood and thunder, ask yourself the question: ‘What did The Lord Jesus just say to me through this preacher’s words’?

Fruitcake

FRUITCAKE

An obnoxious little chap is he

Shuffling about with grim face and sore knee

Glum – with lower lip straddling the upper

He slouches over the table at supper

                           ***

But you will not find him change

That’s why people find him so strange

A kind word – a pleasant glance

And he remains oblivious to your stance

                           ***

All the compliments you can make

Make little difference to this fruitcake

Now before you think that I’m unkind

Let me tell you he is self-defined

                           ***

“I’m just a little fruitcake”

Is his own personal take

On a life of eating and walking

Silent as a lamb or always talking

                           ***

In the bakery he insists on marshmallows

Though his friendship seems to remain shallow

Kindness filters through from time to time

As he listens and laughs at a funny rhyme

                           ***

He is schizophrenic – you might have guessed

His friendship never goes away – you are blessed

He’s glad to see you day after day

And he gives you a hug – if you care to say:

                           ***

“That he is your friend no matter what”

He will expect your friendship to stand up

Stand up to his ups and downs

Stand up to his dismissive frowns

                           ***

Can you see your way to accepting him?

After all you are only once-removed

From where he is at

We are all fragile beings – are we not?

Young love

YOUNG LOVE

And I – lying in hospital

Young – so very young

There was a girl nurse

So attentive and kind

This little boy fell in love

With the girl who looked-in

Even when her shift did not begin

                ***

Appendix removed

And tubes down the throat

Burst – residue up the pipes – did soak

                ***

Later discovered she was a Christian

Who loved the little boy so pale

He is now an old boy

Still living to tell the tale

footnote post

FOOTNOTE POST

NB:

After quite a number of years I recently decided to search for my own blog via a search engine. But rather than add the ‘truthnart’ part, I simply searched ‘seeds in motion’ and having thought my inventiveness with the title ‘seeds in motion’ was unique, I found rather…

To my surprise I am not alone in the world. I searched a long time ago and found nothing. This time I must conclude: ‘Whose copying who?’

In truth more like coincidence – I should imagine.

However the logo is unique (surely?) The motif is a sower going out to sow and he has so many seeds they are also trailing from his bag:- 

Talking/communing

TALKING AND COMMUNING

Jesus often resorted to the mountains or another place apart. He spent much time there, communing with His Father. Luke 6/12.

Some have made a rather poor point – namely ‘if He was God why did He need to ‘pray’ to God?’

This exposes a rather limited idea or held view of what prayer is.

Prayer is firstly and foremostly, simply speaking and fellowshipping with God. No relationship = no prayer. No prayer = no relationship.

The truth of the existence of The Trinity, is also shown by Christ’s actions.

He was a man. He was also God in the temple of a human body that The Holy Spirit formed in the womb of a virgin. (Luke 2/7) (John 1/14)

He (Jesus) of course didn’t need to go up a mountain to be in touch with The Father and The Holy Spirit.

But to gain in spiritual strength – He as a man, needed to draw aside to receive from the Godhead’s fullness, in order that the limitations of a human body that He chose to abide in for the eventual purposes of redemption for the human race, – did not hinder the manifestation of His healing power to whosever would come to Him.

So up the mountain He went, to spend strength-increasing-hours with the other members of the godhead.

He called his disciples up that mountain when He had finished His specific communion with The Father.

Receiving from The Father the direction/agreement He sought – He called the disciples to Himself, again up that mountain.

From the whole group of disciples present, He chose twelve, naming them apostles.

Two James’s, two Judas’s, two Simon’s. Then six individuals by different names. (Luke 6/12-16)

These men were chosen I believe, because of their hearts. In other words Jesus knew them exactly, as He knew what was in men. (John 2/25)

He knew also what He was doing when He chose Iscariot. (Luke 6/16)

And although all forsook Him in the garden, including the twelve. Of those whom The Father had given Him – He lost none, except for the betrayer Iscariot. (Matthew 26/56) (John 17/12)

So they all continued on, after His death and resurrection.

Now we too, who have accepted Christ as Saviour and Lord – can commune with Him 24/7. But also we can draw aside and spend the time with God, that He spent, in that separated place away from the distractions of this world. (Galatians 5/16) (Matthew 6/6)

Voices

VOICES

10 There are, I suppose, a great many kinds of languages in the world [unknown to us], and none is lacking in meaning

This scripture in 1 Corinthians 14 is in a certain definite context. So I am freely admitting that I am taking it slightly out of context and utilising the phraseology to direct us to my subject.

In the King James version of this verse we read –

10There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.

And so I want us to stop and think this over – VOICES.

Voices. – There has never been a time in history when so many voices can be accessed. It is still true that most of us do not know any other LANGUAGES, other than what we refer to as our native tongue.

But it is the ‘voices’ I’m thinking of, not the languages.

Everywhere in a glut-overload of images and videos and news items and conversations and messages and WhatsApp’s and texts and facebooks and blogs and vlogs and stories and on and on and on…

Many voices are sounding out. No longer just the written word as in the invention of printing. No longer just switching a television on. No longer just lifting the phone Alexander Graham Bell style – but it seems that there is constant communication non-stop, expressed in twenty-four hour verbalisation or visual communication.

We can imagine that image of a person pressing-in on both sides of their cranium, covering their ears and screaming because of all the voices in their head.

[As an aside I’m reminded of Francis Bacon’s painting ‘The Screaming Pope’]

Today it is also true that – perchance they lose our attention – many speak in a constant uninterrupted flow of words as they communicate something on vlogs.

And then of course there is ‘rapping’. All of this firms-up the idea that there are:

‘so many kinds of voices in the world…’

Then there is the fact that something everybody considers newsworthy comes to our attention by (it seems like) a multitude of means and everybody starts ‘talking about it’.

Celebrities misbehaving with slaps across the face in public comes to mind. Suddenly there is an overwhelming buzzing-hive of voiced opinions.

Then there is the phenomena of fake news. Everything must be scrutinised and must (by necessity) be treated with suspicion.

This is such an awful state of affairs, but because it is unstoppable everyone just gets on with it. Just carries on whirling around in the tumble drier unable to get off the not-so-merry-go-round of constant opinion after opinion bombardment.

Every person in the public eye, may for a season enjoy the positive voices in their direction perhaps because of something they have espoused, some achievement or accomplishment. But wait long enough and they will be eventually trolled, and their good work forgotten.

They may ‘slip-up’ committing some minor infringement, and there is no mercy shown, they will be hounded and ridiculed and the sinful nature in mankind enters into automatic pilot and they are condemned and criticised, with no quarter given.

The Press love to make mountains out of molehills just to get your attention with headlines designed to get you to read and visit that page – and become bombarded with advertising etc. on the same page.

There is hardly time to take-in one angle expressed in one opinion, before we are confronted with another.

It almost seems that the opinion being correct is secondary to the ‘important thing’ which is to get as many of them as we can. Quantity first. Quality? Well…?

Proverbs 29/20:

Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them.

Proverbs 29:11 

A fool vents all his feelings,
But a wise man holds them back.

By this token a spilling of ongoing ill-thought-through ideas and feelings are the deluge content of the many voices that we are confronted with today.

To sort the wheat from the chaff is an increasingly difficult exercise.

There is a constant muttering. Clash of opinions. Disrespect, disregard for what is truly right and the greater task being heard above the din.

Politicians who may have moral backbone, and are genuinely concerned less with hype and more with content and goodwill – are drowned out by the brash, loud and clamorous opposition, striving to put on the best ‘show’. Preferably loud. One with amplifiers.

Loudness seems to be some kind of substitute for quiet reflection and is thought of as more important. Why?

Noise rather than content is often the order of the day.

Conversely noise with content, can be acceptable, depending on the content. Jesus said:

“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. (Matt. 10/27)

Yes sounding out what is right, loud and clear, is not a bad thing. But ‘sounding out’ nonsense and ‘non-thinkment’ (no such a term I know but you get my gist) – has become the accepted ‘norm’.

Notice too – outward appearance has become more important than the heart (of the matters).

With this constant clamouring for your attention afoot – comes the increase of confusion.

With confusion comes wrong conclusions. With confusion comes acceptance of wrong principles and lop-sided views, unbalanced approaches to issues that are important.

One aspect of something with e.g. ten aspects/considerations to it, is the only one expressed and therefore premature conclusions are reached, ignoring many important factors that should be considered.

People take the limited one-sided view on board and run with it, into further confusion. Until wrong one-sided principles are established as bona-fide and used as the guiding-principle-answer with regard to what is right.

The result is that foolishness is established as wisdom, fools wisdom.

And yet stepping back for a moment – we must conversely come to some conclusions, namely we can enjoy rapping, we can enjoy a good talk show discussion, we can visit vlogs and blogs and open ourselves (with due carefulness) to other people’s points of view.

But – everybody shouting at the same time and we don’t hear a thing. Everybody shouting at the same time and we have confusion and every evil work.

Due consideration has been replaced with the singular lop-sided jump-on-the-bandwagon view often held by an undiscerning majority.

Ecclesiastes 12:14

For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

2 Timothy 4:18

And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!

Those longing for normality amidst the aberrant rising of unnatural and weird points of view bombarding us through many voices, need to Selah – (stop and think things over) – returning to the eternal and pure biblical principles of God’s Word.

Thousands will not. But take heart there are thousands of us out there – who will!

Toma(ay)to

Toma(ay)to

I have always marvelled at the inability of humans to really understand each other in their communications. This spills over into the Church (as in the company of God’s people).

It’s a bit like – you say tomato and I say tomayto – and if it goes on-through to fuller mis-understanding into vehement anger and division – we end up calling the whole thing off. ‘The whole thing’ being our friendship and fellowship.

When we examine examples of this, they are of course, innumerable.

But boiling it all down, I see it, as part of the fall of mankind.

There was a time in God’s perfect creation that mankind did not have the knowledge of good and evil. He only knew life without sin.

However one ‘shall not’ and he ‘did just that’. In Genesis we read:

2/19

And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

2/17

but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Now as a result of listening and obeying another (Genesis 3/1) – the woman’s and the man’s human spirit fell and mankind became dominated by his fallen nature. His mind began it’s journey of corruption.

And today there are many varying degrees of this fallen nature, this sinful mind, this earthly, sensual, devilish, make-up, manifesting itself in innumerable ways in mankind’s individual or corporate mindset. (James 3/15)

The fallen nature manifests itself in the little ‘white’ lie all the way to murder and rape by ruthless regimes.

Out of the heart of mankind comes:

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

There are other lists of sins in the bible that describe the result of this nature that has inherited the knowledge of good and evil, from our forefather Adam. This is referred to as the ‘Adamic nature’.

But what I want to draw attention to, is this inability to properly communicate.

To properly understand each other.

I have noticed it over the years, and realised that unless Christians having fellowship, take the time to ensure that mutual humility is present, before they communicate, then when misunderstanding arises, it will end-up in some kind of division or parting of the ways.

If we fail to believe God’s truth as it is found (unadulterated), in the Scripture (The Holy Bible) – then as a result, we fail to encounter the One who is ‘The Truth’.

Christ gives us a new nature, as He gives Himself to us and enters us by The Holy Spirit, if we respond to the Word of the Gospel. This new nature is a renewed or born again human spirit.

Ephesians4/

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

But it is the old nature that has the knowledge of good and evil, that corrupts the true truth of God’s pure word. Man on innumerable occasions has corrupted the letter of God’s word.

Christians meeting to hear the public reading of God’s Word are hearing pure truth.

Proverbs 30/5

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

The preacher may present this pure truth well or corrupt it with his old nature.

Both things are possible.

The safest possible ground that believers have for communicating with each other is to simply repeat the Word of God from mouth to ear in the assembly of God’s people.

If I speak a scripture to you, and you in turn speak a scripture to me – we have communicated perfectly.

That’s why we read in Matthew 5/

37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

It is easy for communications to become confused, divisive, and eventually outright evil as we…

Galatians 5/15

…bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

So apart from necessary everyday communication in the workplace, school, or where tasks are being carried out corporately, being slow to speak isn’t a bad idea.

James 1/19

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

But even yea or nay can be misunderstood.

What are we to do?

We can only talk until things become clear. But sometimes it makes the situation worse if ego and oneupmanship take over, and talking becomes bickering.

The fact that divisions come, the fact that the world is in the mess it is in. And governments are at loggerheads internally and with other governments of other nations – shows clearly that the world is held captive by an inherited nature that can’t find agreement easily.

I’m reminded again of the humorous misunderstanding that took place between my friend’s wife and the weather forecaster on the car radio.

She heard the forecaster say: ‘Mister Fog’ will be about’.

So she made the comment to her husband (also in the car): ‘Who does he think he is addressing – children!?’

What he actually said was: ‘mist or fog will be about.’

If only the results of misunderstanding were as innocuous as this.

Grandmother I

GRANDMOTHER I

My grandmother was a Christian lady. When I was a little boy (pre-teens) I used to visit with her, along with my mum and her son (my dad).

Her husband, my grandfather, died before I was born, so I never knew him.

How easy it is, when we start to write about relatives, to lose ourselves and those listening, with the necessary jargon needed, when explaining.

[e.g. My uncle’s grandmother’s son, and my cousin’s grandchild on their daughter’s side, or my mum’s mum’s brother – crazy!

Not amazing – just a maze].

So – my grandmother was my father’s mum. That’s simple enough. If you still don’t follow please ask a practicing historian.

She was probably in her eighties at the time of my visits, and was cared for by her daughter, who later became a missionary in Japan, and remained a spinster, until she went to be with Jesus in 2008.

My paternal grandmother would sit very still in her chair. And would ask: ‘if we were never going to make a cup of tea’? She asked this every ten minutes or so.

She would sit with me by her side, looking straight ahead. She couldn’t see very well.

As though unbeknown to everyone else, she would move her arm slowly across to me, and slip a sum of money into my little hand.

The large sum of one penny.

I would sense by the way she did so, that it was top secret, and I fought the smile that would try to break forth on my face, afraid of betraying her act of kindness, and exposing  this great secret.

She would sing a song from her younger days and I always remember the chorus: I did a painting based on the song, it is long gone. I forget who has it.

(As with many paintings a great curiosity comes to me at times regarding where a painting is. Lost in the world somewhere, like a long lost child.)

Here is the chorus, I searched it of course, and found it on the internet. ‘Riding on a load of hay’ (author unknown).

Oh someone stole my heart away

Riding on a load of hay

I looked up and he looked down

Handsome sunburnt Johnny Brown

She told me of her extremely naughty youthful antics. Extreme things like banging on people’s front doors and running away.

Hiding, while she and her co-conspirators, observed the reaction of the house owner, as he or she looked up and down the street, baffled as to the invisible visitor.

And that was about the sum total of her reported naughtiness. (Naughtiness? – My! – how times have changed).

I remember nothing of her passing. I was twelve years old at the time.

As she sang the song, her voice was still as sweet, as when she graced the platforms of Christian Meetings, being the invited soloist.

In Northern Ireland we designate some church buildings as Gospel Halls. And they still exist.

Her daughter went to be a missionary in Japan, as previously stated, and I often reflect on my aunt’s faithfulness in prayer for me.

Indeed I often query with The Lord, just how much a part my grandmother’s prayers, played in my mighty encounter with The Living God, seven years after her passing!

When my dad, was nearing his journey into eternity, though that is for another blog post, I remember him telling me, that his mother taught him how to pray.

How important that young lives are taught the Word of God, at an early age. It will impact them fully or partially – it all depends on how they respond to it as they journey through life.

The bible describes it this way:

Cast your bread upon the waters,

For you will find it after many days.

I’m sure everyone has the experience of failing to ask enough questions regarding their family history, and suddenly it is too late. Those able to furnish us with details are gone, we didn’t ask them.

Nevertheless we can cherish what we do know. And I can still see plainly my grandmother’s facial expression as she sat – ever so still – in her armchair.

I think I must have spent the pennies.

My name’s Ken from…

by Ken Riddles

My name’s Ken from…

I have been blogging since 2015. I’m not exactly a technophobe – but can think of better things to do with my time 😎.

By so stating I’m indirectly communicating that I take minimal interest in my ’stats’ regarding followers, viewers, etc. I commented recently to a fellow-blogger that I look at my stats about once a year! ☺️

A bit of a tongue-in-cheek remark but more or less true.🙂

[Notice: that is three emoji’s in a row. A record!]

Initially I posted my paintings more or less – all of the time.

Then I removed all paintings and settled for posting my Christian teachings, and poems, with the odd painting still displayed.

This is more or less how things are at the moment.

My idea back when I starting blogging was to let the work speak for itself. No need to proclaim ‘boring’ details about myself (?).

So that the art, the art appreciation, the poems, the Christian teaching would stand (or fall) on their own merit.

Up until this point little to no, personal references as to who I am, where I live, what I do (daily life), has been revealed.

I’ve decided to share along the above lines. I feel another emoji coming – 💡

My name is…

Well that’s already been revealed

What hasn’t been revealed is that I hail from Northern Ireland, that six county province on the island of Ireland.

[Maybe this ‘whereabouts reveal’ – comes as no surprise – maybe ‘I thought so’ might have crossed your mind – or you remain non-plussed either way?]

What has been revealed before, is that I married my sweetheart from The Netherlands. We celebrated our fortieth wedding anniversary back in March.

Other snippets of ‘identity’ can be found somewhere in the fog of old blog posts.

I came to a revelation of The Lord Jesus Christ on the 20th November, 1970, when I was overwhelmed by the Presence of God. And fell to my knees in repentance in my bedroom, in a little terrace house in Belfast. The house and therefore the room no longer exist.

The house was demolished many years ago, as part of the redevelopment of the area.

So I was born in one of the three upstairs rooms. And was born again in one of the two remaining.

[Mostly natural births today, in western culture, are in hospital wards as you know – although don’t quote me].

So what difference does this beginning of further information make?

I’ve no idea.

But I must confess I find the personal story of others – interesting. So maybe time to explore that approach in some writing.

That’s about it – carry on eating your lunch. Any questions?

No? Well, have a nice day.

What is ‘being helped’?

WHAT IS – ‘BEING HELPED’?

Sounds like a strange question – one easily answered?

First port of call – the dictionary:

improve (a situation or problem); be of benefit to:

This is only one part of the definition, but perhaps the best part.

‘Be of benefit to:’

When you read one of the posts you follow – I’m sure it is usually ‘helpful’.

Placing money in the charity box – is helpful.

The child reaching out for the toy again, when you are trying to put their shirt on, can illicit the parental response of: ‘John this is not helpful’.

The Beatles gave us ‘Help’:

When I was younger, so much younger than today

I never needed anybody’s help in any way

But now these days are gone I’m not so self-assured

Now I find I’ve changed my mind, I’ve opened up the doors

[Younger – not needing anyone’s help. When really that’s probably the time we need it most].

What do we consider helpful? What remarks/blog post(s) do we find helpful?

Sometimes it can be someone’s post that is mixed with emotion. 

The blogger writes about some experience we have all had, and the person writing the post has an angle on it – that stirs us. Empathy arrives in our hearts and we concur (usually with a like-button-hit).

Help must be appropriate or concurrent with the situation of need.

Sometimes people try to help but their suggestion is not appropriate, lacking in sensitivity to the situation. 

Sometimes people are genuinely moved to help, but feel inadequate and blunder into doing something more unhelpful than helpful.

1 Corinthians 1:22-24

22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

In this passage of scripture we read of different mindset-responses to preaching. In simple terms some perceive it as helpful and others?: ‘‘Paul this is not helpful’.

We read that the preaching for some was a Stumbling block (difficulty) or foolishness. This can be the perception of some who read a Christian-themed post, — and the post will get less like-button hits than a painting of a ‘bird’.

The other response is: ‘This is so helpful – please give me more of the same’.

The gospel message, referred to here in the above passage,  is meant to be 100% helpful. It is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

This present post, I believe to be helpful – it might even fit the category of ‘helps ministry’ (I Corinthians 12/28). 

It is encouraging you to hear and respond to the gospel wherever you hear it.

But I know also it is a stumbling block and foolishness to others.

I hope this clarification is helpful?

talking to AMSTERDAM

Talking to AMSTERDAM

Once again coming across old literature, caused me to look back on my evangelistic visits to Amsterdam.

Flying to the Netherlands, my wife’s home country.

I would ‘tithe’ a week per year, of my holidays from work, to go on the streets and into cafes etc. to engage in conversations with all kinds of people. Wherever I found a willing, listening ear.

And of course it takes all sorts to make a world.

I took an 8-person team there once for the same reason.

Otherwise I usually went with a friend or a few times on my own. I of course acquired friends who lived in Amsterdam and would sometimes work with others in local churches.

‘Gossiping the gospel’ as it is sometimes referred to.

It’s been a while since I was last there, on such a mission.

I wonder how empty Amsterdam is at the moment?

Those were enjoyable times. It appealed to my ‘hippie’ personality, (if there is such a thing).

Any Christians reading this post, might inform me, if hitting the streets (pre-covid 19) to spread the gospel of Christ, is still on the agenda?

If so, let me know of such outreaches that you know of, so my enthusiasm for the younger-generation-servants-of-Christ, can be boosted, knowing the baton is still being carried.

Putting seeds-in-motion, was my foundational  motivation, in going to the streets of Amsterdam.

The bible tells us that one sows, another waters – but God alone can give the increase of the shared message of the gospel. (I Cor. 3/6)

If there was ever a time (though there always has been), when the good news of God’s love is greatly needed in a world staggering around in zombi-like fashion, needing answers – it is now.

Now indeed is the accepted time (II Corinthians 6/2).

I enjoyed my times encountering all kinds of weird and wonderful people, and of course, had the bonus of going to visit the art galleries.😎

As the old cliche goes: ‘I’m not as young as I used to be…’

But watch me as I slap my wrists and tell myself: ‘That’s no excuse – get out there.’

Anybody want to go with me?

See you post-covid 19!