Saturday, 30 April 2011

A blank Page

Give me the boy until he is seven and I will give you the man. (paraphrased)

This quote has been attributed in one instance to St. Ignatius of Loyola - founder of the Jesuits
and in another St. Francis Xavier and regardless of the rather dubious "doings" of the Jesuits,  the ethos of this written word remains the same.   A child is a blank page upon which we write with all our beliefs and prejudices.

A moral sense of right, wrong and judgement may remain or re.surface in later years and quite
rightly in free churches dedication as opposed to infant baptism is considered the choice of parents for their offspring alongside their commitment to raise the child unto the Lord.
    
The aforementioned an explanation for a very Catholic journey into phrose by a thirteen year old pupil of an English Convent School.    


Through the cool blown summer grasses,
through the swaying flowering masses,
an angel came on a snow white steed,
to rest by the ever whispering reed.

Listening to the laughing stream,
the angel sank down in the sun's warm beam,
for soon she must on her mission go,
as soon as the heavenly bodies did glow.

Some said they saw this angel
as she rode through the purpled sky
and her cherubic voice like the chimes of crystal
begged for speed lest the little one die.

And her mare she obeyed the order
as her hoofs thrashed the still night air,
as a beautiful Lady in cloak of blue,
from the Isles of the Blessed smiled down on the two.

A mellow light glowed from a room to the street
and the angel climbed down from her lofty seat.
She silently crept to the big heavy door
her feet padded over the cold stone floor.

A guardian angel was kneeling there,
feathered wings folded she knelt in prayer.
"Oh mother" please help me the dying child cried.
"Oh God save my child" the distraught mother sighed.

And music, unearthly, it filled the air
and the sleeping physician awoke in his chair.
A blaze of glory shone o'er the child's face
all pain swiftly fled from this holier place.

The deathly face coloured, the eyes flickered wide
"why look she is better" the stunned mother cried.
And the angel she turned and opened the door,
I have finished my work, I'm needed no more.

But as she and her mare back to heaven sped
the little girl looked to her mother and said,
"There was a shining angel who stood by my bed"
And a Queen smiled down from a golden seat,
for an angel and steed at the Gates she must meet.


Raised in the Catholic faith you are instructed to pray to Mary and the Saints requesting they intercede for you - this mysterious God is behind the priests - behind the veil.  They venerate a block of wood, piece of stone and a bag of bones.   Absurdly it can be an odd shaped potato or crying statue and when one realises the history of this particular denomination - small wonder the virgin weeps.   Every respect to the simple Jewish girl chosen by Adonai for her purity and spotless womb, who carried the Son of God, raised Him only to watch Him suffer and die for the sins of mankind.   Surely Blessed amongst women.

4TH COMMANDMENT
You shall not make for yourself a carved image-any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
You shall not bow down to them nor serve them.  FOR I THE LORD YOUR GOD, AM A JEALOUS
GOD, VISITING THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN TO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION OF THOSE WHO HATE ME,  but showing mercy to thousands,
to those who love Me and keep MY COMMANDMENTS.  

KADOSH - ADONAI - ELOHIM TZEVA-OT




Talitha Hills
1953






   

Sunday, 24 April 2011

LOOK PAST THE MAN

How many times do we look at someone unable to see what God sees in them.   Was the unkempt guy I  passed on a quiet country lane angel, demon or neither.  Just someone who decided to "drop out" of the system or perhaps a secret billionaire looking for a project to salve his conscience at having acquired so much and managed to keep it.   Was the shadow I glimpsed flashing past from another dimension or have I an undiagnosed problem with my vision.   Who knows.

At one stage in my life I was a member of a very progressive church.   According to the minister's wife
angels sat on the roof throughout the services!!   The congregation comprised of conservative right and
a left wing progressive youth.  The trainers and tee shirt brigade, feet parked on a spare seat, cuddling couples and a music group that inspired even the dourest spirit.    Our brightly dressed vicar who strongly objected to the "frock" appeased pressure by the right wing traditional element and offered to  wear the garment once a month.

Sad to say the split came, the courageous man stood his ground and said he didn't care if he got
down to twelve members, (much like the Lord then) as long as they were spirit filled children of God.   After all we needed to be singing, praising and rowing in the right direction.

Of course the zealots were not to be thwarted, he had to go and the dirty tricks brigade were plotting.
Ah yes, the devil goes to church.   Pharisees were still doing a good job here.      Any sign of weakness, any chink in the armour and out he must go.   Thankfully they can't crucify their victims today, but they could crush, break, destroy and discard the man who was filling the pews.  After four hours worship and teaching he left his flock encouraged and inspired commenting "they don't want to go home"  

At one point during his leadership he had picked up a Pastoral Search Report on the Internet and this was circulated amongst the faithful but the message fell on stoney ground.   They were either totally devoid of a sense of humour or just didn't realise God laughs at our antics.

Perhaps one day they will have to explain by whose authority they sat in judgement.  
The church returned to its traditional services.   Nothing moved (in the spirit) other than the church cleaner or the communion queue.    Thirteen years later this denomination continues its downward spiral of apostasy towards a subdivision of its former adversary, the Catholic church.  Whoops!!!

I remain eternally grateful to the author whose sense of humour is surely a blessing and encouragement to the rejected shepherds.

Pastoral Search Report
(author unknown - but posted on internet)

We do not have a happy report to give.   We've not been able to find a suitable candidate for this church, though we have one promising prospect still.    We do appreciate all the suggestions from the church
members, and we've followed up each one with interviews or calling at least three references.
The following is our confidential report on the present candidates.

Adam          Good man but problems with his wife.  Also one reference told of how his wife and he
                    enjoyed walking nude in the woods.

Noah           Former pastorate of 120 years with no converts.  Prone to unrealistic building projects.

Abraham     Though the references reported wife-swopping, the facts seem to show he never slept
                    with another man's wife, but did offer to share his own wife with another man.

Joseph         A big thinker, but a braggart, believes in dream-interpreting and has a prison record.

Moses          A modest meek man, but poor communicator, even stuttering at times.   Sometimes
                    blows his stack and acts rashly.   Some say he left an earlier church over a murder charge.

David          A promising leader of all until we discovered the affair he had with his neighbour's wife.

Solomon     Great preacher but our parsonage would never hold all those wives.

Elijah          Prone to depression - collapses under pressure.

Elisha         Reported to have lived with a single widow while at his former church.

Hosea        A tender and loving pastor but our people could never handle his wife's occupation.

Deborah    Female

Jeremiah    Emotionally unstable, alarmist, negative, always lamenting things, reported to have taken
                  a long trip to bury his underwear on the bank of a foreign river.
                  * I THINK SOMEONE CALLED ME A JEREMIAH RECENTLY - always crying
                  repent - the day of the Lord draws near!!!   I'm NOT a head in the sand type then?

Isaiah         On the fringe?  Claims to have seen angels in church (*REALLY - A SOUL MATE!!)
                  Has trouble with his language.

Jonah         Refused God's call into ministry until he was forced to obey by getting swallowed by a 
                  great fish.   He told us the fish later spit him out on the shore near here.   We hung up.

Amos        Too backward and unpolished.   With some seminary training he might have promise,
                  but has a hang-up against wealthy people.   Might fit in better in a poor congregation.
                  * Couldn't be selected as reserve for a prosperity preacher then!!

John          Says he is a Baptist, but definitely doesn't dress like one.   Has slept in the outdoors for
                 months on end, has a weird diet and provokes denominational leaders.

Peter         Too blue collar.   Has a bad temper - even has been known to curse.   Had a big run-in
                 with Paul in Antioch.   Aggressive, but a loose cannon.    *Sounds familiar

Paul          Powerful CEO type leader and fascinating preacher.  However, short on tact,
                 unforgiving with younger ministers, harsh and has been known to preach all night.

Timothy   Too young.

Jesus        Has had popular times, but once when his church grew to 5,000 he managed to offend
                 them all and this church dwindled down to twelve people.   Seldom stays in one place
                 very long.   And of course, he's single.

Judas        His references are solid.   A steady plodder.  Conservative.  Good connections.  Knows
                 how to handle money.   We are inviting him to preach this Sunday.  Possibilities here.
                 * Much needed spirit of discernment here then!!!!!!

IT IS USEFUL TO REMEMBER THIS, WHEN WE JUDGE WHOM GOD MAY JUST BE
USING TO HIS GLORY.

*   My comments only - and I say  AMEN TO THAT - and many thanks to the author - whoever you may be.

T. Hills  2011
                 
                  
              

  

     


  

Friday, 22 April 2011

GOOD FRIDAY


Adonai, forgive those who suffer from religious pride,
Yours the weak, doubters, sick, abandoned, lost, lonely and beaten sheep.

Reveal your Truth, Your Hesed, Your Shalom.

Adonai, forgive those who judge,
Yours the Authority,
Yours the Judgement.

Adonai, forgive those who 'slay' 
bring swift justice for your martyrs and saints.

Adonai, forgive our every human weakness and sin,
Heal our land,
Shield the innocents,
COME, this time in Glory.

We your children long for your return,
strengthen and renew us,
while we wait for that Blessed Day.


T. Hills  2011


Twice this week I have heard the comment the world will not change until man changes.
How true.

Many will not believe until God turns up - meanwhile they wonder and complain - what's going on!!!

Many sink in the cesspool of their choice, following their own lusts and desires.    The church
fiddles and burns with its false prophets and dubious leaders.   

Small wonder children take as normal, theft, fraud following by example.
From the established church they preach the word, change the robe,  blend with the world and take food from the mouths of babes to line their personal vaults and adorn their palaces. 

Mankind now worships a materialistic life style but one day soon - the fuel will run out.   The shelves will be bare and the enemy rising like ants will swarm from a hole in the ground to cover the globe.

GOD TURNS HIS FACE AWAY - biblical history.

And the young are drip fed evil dross from the box they worship,  parents weep, victims of the 
monsters created by the system.

On the positive side - its not too late.    Chuck the tele out the window, ban newspapers, mobile phones, Facebook, Twitter,  trashy
magazines and censor their literature.   Watch over them.    Love them.    Teach them to care for the planet,
and just maybe they will live to see a better world where God's commandments are finally obeyed
and He just might want to live amongst His people.    
  




Wednesday, 23 March 2011

THE GATHERING

JOHN 10 - 27 - 28

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me
And I have given them eternal life, and they shall never perish;
neither shall ANYONE snatch them out of My hand.






TERMINUS

I crawl over the bedrock of my life,
hearing the screams of the wounded,
seeing the tears of the oppressed.

My body cumbersome, unlovely,
dodging the waiting predators,
sensing that time is but brief.

They are blind, deaf, arrogant and presumptuous,
not knowing what little knowledge they have, is God given,
and they feed on the innocents.

With each choking breath I struggle, afraid to leave this space,
then suddenly I hear Your voice, feel your love and peace.
Shrugging off this dead weight, I am 
light, unseen as mortal breathed air.

All dreams and visions, now reality,
brother and sister souls skimming space and time,
returning home.
Into Your hands Father God
I commend my spirit.


Talitha Hills




Question

Dedicated to Alan

THE ANSWER IS OUT THERE

Who made the soup and created the strings,
searching for answers to so many things.
Who listens in on the radio waves,
Laptop and ipod, are we now the slaves?

The designer is working the canvas,
theory and fact out of date,
as we try to define the next brush stroke and line,
future world where machines choose your fate.

And the part you will play is yet unseen,
join in the dance and follow your dream.
G.Z.O.U. am I getting through,
"come back"
I need an answer from you.




Talitha Hills
2003

Friday, 4 March 2011

PAYBACK

Obadiah 1 - Verse 15
For the day of the Lord upon all the nations is near;
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
Your reprisal shall return upon your own head.

This selfish self obsessed materialistic society is about to learn a very hard lesson - God will not be
mocked.  


PAYBACK

She could almost feel the earth breathing in the quiet of that early summer morning,
Thirsty ground wet with overnight rain, grass dusted fresh and green,
yet it seemed as though nature was poised, awaiting catastrophe.

Dead fish floated on the water,
victims of pollution slaughter.
Discarded bottles clog the reeds,
remnants of a drunkards need.
Rat, spider, beetle creep,
through rubbish piles with dirty feet.
The stench of methane fills the air,
and still they landfill - do they care?

Busy trading tools of war,
far away from our back door.
Another battle scars the land,
mass destruction in our hand.
Science, cloning, all the rage,
take this pill and you won't age.
First and foremost into space,
contaminate another place.

She could also hear the earth breathing in the quiet of that late summer evening,
whispering, payback, payback, payback the abusers,
And HE raised HIS MIGHTY HAND.

Talitha Hills
Copyright  2003

 
  

The Daniel Project

Its amazing, every time I put a comment on Facebook that actually said something - instead
of mindless internet chatter - a sinister little box would appear on the right hand side of my screen saying
my remarks were not allowed.    Try to put a comment on u.tube regarding a specific D.V.D. and apparently I needed the text to be approved.   Not that my comments were in any way offensive, or objectionable, in fact I was literally singing the praises of Studio Scotland the producers of The Daniel Project D.V.D.  

This excellent documentary, precise, honest and a refreshing change from the
apocalyptic movies circulating, is a must for anyone attempting to understand historical events in the Middle East past and present.      Whether believer or non believer one cannot fail to be impressed with the excellent interpretation of prophetic scripture by Jacob Prasch, or the direct questioning of Jeremy Hitchen.   The graphics of the Temple Mount are superb and the music complimentary.  

Having experienced what could only be described as a whistle stop tour of the Holy Land and stood on both the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, I still had difficulty getting my bearings as to the surrounding area.   Which way the coast and the Dead Sea? the graphics on the accompanying bonus materials disc provided the answer.      

The majority appear to have their heads stuck in the sand regarding the historical importance of Israel
and the end times, but the D.V.D. will leave even the most cynical of skeptics asking "can I escape"