Padishel

Update

2005-12-23T11:20:00.000Z

Sorry I haven't been that active over the past few months (thanks to fatbaptist and Pilgrim for nudging me very gently here). Really it's because:

1) I've been too busy to post, what with InkLink getting record months here and having to do all manner of VAT work on our accounting software.

2) I haven't had the inclination to post for a long time. I guess I really should carry on with the Spiritual Aims series, and Mr. Nolan-Neylan has a couple of books he wants to recommend, but if blogging hasn't crossed my mind recently it's because it isn't a burning issue with me. One of the problems with having a blog is that you feel pressured to update regularly in order to keep people interested and reading; surely that's not a good thing?

Anyway, things are going pretty good with me - trying to read a lot more books but not really getting round to it. I'm looking forward to going away on Boxing Day, as I'll be able to have a week of peace (at least in the evenings, at any rate, after the family activities have died down). I'm hoping to get a lot done on the Boys' Camp Video, which is due to be screened to the Friday Meeting group at the end of the spring term, so I'll see how I do on that.

Ok, lots to get on with. This will probably be my last post before Christmas is upon us, so in the meantime I wish you all a very blessed Christmas time, and pray that the Lord will be with us all as we consider what He did in coming to this earth in mortal flesh to take the judgement for His beloved people.

God bless and keep you all.

In Christ.

Ministries: All Manner Of Things

2005-10-18T21:27:00.001+01:00

Wowee, 11 days without a post! How will I cope?

Might as well fill you guys in on what's been happening at the Tab in the intervening period -

Open-Air Evangelism (or OAE?):

I went out again tonight with a brother called Tim who has recently come to London from the bonny north, seeking work in the architectural field. Architectural work he is having to look for; God's work seems to have found him straight away!

We were over in the shopping centre again, and also around the bus-stops on that side of the road, and spoke with a LOT of people, including:

Two security guards, with whom we spoke about the reality of Christ's death (aside from the physical suffering).
A man we are fully convinced is a brother in Christ who recently moved to the Elephant & Castle area and worships at a Pentecostal church nearby; we urged him to join with us for fellowship.
A lady, the owner of a stall inside the centre, who said she attends the Tab but does not stay for long afterwards. We encouraged her to stay for fellowship after the services. From this encounter we began to understand that when people say they are the Lord's we must be more ready to take them at face value initially: only time will tell the reality of their profession before the Lord.
A young Jehovah's Witness, who was very antagonistic towards us and our work. He didn't enter into any discussion on the vitals of saving faith, but continually asked us and pressed us as to what good we thought we were doing, as our minds were already made up about him.

These were just a few. Seems like the main thing I'm finding is how much I DON'T know about the Word or what I believe!

A great encouragement came in talking with an Ecuadorian (?), to whom I was able to witness (briefly) with my little Portuguese - John 3:16. This was such a joy, knowing that the little I had learned of Portuguese had been taught me by the Lord in order to help this man understand the gospel! It has certainly encouraged me to want to learn some vocabulary from other languages in order to help in the Lord's work in evangelism.

The Sunday Schools ...

... at the Tab and the missions, were full to bursting this Sunday gone! What a blessing from God poured out upon us, that so many young souls are drawn in to hear the gospel! That so many seeds have been sown upon the fields of their hearts, to take root and grow as the Lord sees fit to move and inspire them by His Spirit!

Numbers-wise, we had well over 400 in total, with 120-ish at Surrey Gardens - smashing the previous high by a long way. All this was more of an encouragement in the light of recruitment visiting in the neighbourhood that had been carried out the day before - a clear harvest for our labours.

... in Nunhead, the work is almost ready to begin. The Sunday School there will open its doors early in November, led by Mr. and Mrs. Boghurst of our fellowship. The School will be held in a school building, the name of which I can't quite remember now but which I know for a fact is located somewhere near Surrey Road. Hmm ... Surrey Square, Surrey Gardens ... I'm beginning to notice a pattern in names and places in the Sunday School missions work ... We all pray for that work, that the Lord will bless and give strength to the teachers and leaders, numbers to the classes, and souls for the reapers toiling there.

* * *

Having gone on for far too long, I'll leave news of BSL courses (begun at King's College, Guy's Campus, on the 13th) for a later post.

Please pray for all the ministries as you are able, and we all pray that the Lord of the reapers will look kindly upon His children, granting them full sheaves before the day is done.

"He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, will doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Psalm 126:6

In Him.

Ministries: Open-Air Update

2005-10-07T12:57:00.000+01:00

Last night's open air work seemed to go quite well; I know the Lord blessed us in the couple of people we managed to speak to.

I had been worried about how I would be able to approach and talk to people; fortunately the Lord provided me with a good teacher for my first time - a young man named Marlon who has been doing this work with Nathaniel for some time now (about a year with the two of them together), and whose love for gospel ministry and determination to show men the depth of their sin, shone through in every conversation we had.

The main thing I saw from talking to people with Him was the direct approach he took, the bold challenge to the preconceptions and comforts of a sinful, godless life, driving in the gospel knife straight away and using that two-edged sword to prise open the heart and show a need of saving grace.

There was no middle ground to be had - he made it very clear that we are either for or against the Lord, and that the right thing to do is to be for Him and to submit to the will of One who knows all things and sees all hearts.

This, I realised, was the rock of offence in Romans 9:33 and 1 Peter 2:8! This was the stumblingblock and foolishness of 1 Corinthians 1:23! This was what men found so hard to swallow! Not easy-beliveism and world-laden new evangelicalism; but the pure proclamation of the righteousness of God, the judgement of sin, and the need for forgiveness and help of all men, everywhere, that all should repent. We were not there to present a 'good front' for Christ in the role of PR Officer for the Kingdom of Heaven; we were there as soldiers of Christ, ambassadors, labourers, working and striving to represent of God's character and purposes those things which men find most abhorrent, but which we all most need.

An extra blessing and encouragement came with the first conversation we had. I had been concerned that I would not know who to talk to - who, out of the hundreds of people we saw, would be the ones we should approach. My desire was to all of them, but how to pick one of a multitude?

The Lord blessed. We approached a couple of men sitting on a bench in the Shopping Centre, and one of them turned out to be a man who has been coming along to the Tabernacle, on and off, for some months. I was able to talk with him whilst Marlon spoke to his friend, and we had a good conversation about the need for a personal knowledge of God. It was amazing that the Lord should send me with Marlon straight to a person I would be able to talk with so freely, with whom I had some aquaintance already, in order to ease me into the work of public witness with strangers.

Now that I have begun on the open-air work, I feel such a desire to continue! To work, to strive, to battle for souls, to get my hands dirty in some real street-fighting (as it were), to gain wounds for Christ, to bear a cross daily. Why are we content to stay at home, interceding for souls before the Throne from a distance? It is surely far better that we could be interceding for those with whom we have struggled in witness, for whom we have such love and care that we are willing to go forth into the highways and byways to find them and bring them in to the marriage feast of the Lamb. May God bless us all in His service.

In Him.

Ministries: Open-Air Work

2005-10-06T12:37:00.000+01:00

Tonight is the occasion of the first 'test run' of open-air work in the Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre market, where Dan, Nathaniel, Nathaniel's friend and I will be going out to speak to people about the gospel and try to invite them in to the Tabernacle if possible.

In a way it is very exciting to be going out and doing this work, as this is the basis of all personal evangelism. This is the spirit of Acts 17:17-18, and Paul carried out this work daily - as often as he could, persuading people and presenting the gospel to them for their thought and consideration.

One wonders what sort of opposition we will come up against, whether it will be similar to that encountered by Paul in the susperstitious, humanistic circles and marketplaces of Athens. I am tempted to think that it will be similar, as this society has become very 'greek' in its outlook - Christ is foolishness to the people of London, whether they are unbelieving people who see Christ as a myth, or believing people who do not worship Him in spirit and in truth but in foolishness and worldliness. Either way, Christ is 'foolishness' to them - the only difference is that the first group would admit this.

The key to all witness is, of course, Christ. I was talking with Dan yesterday about a sermon he heard by Malcolm Watts on the subject of preaching - basically looking at the authority, substance and power of preaching; or, the roles of the Father, Son, and Spirit in gospel preaching and evangelism. Our authority comes from the Father, our substance is Christ (and Him crucified), and the power is the Spirit's in raising dead hearts and bring men to faith and repentance.

I am very much in mind of Romans 8:31 - If God be for us, who can be against us? And again, Revelation 12:11 - And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Point 1 - God is for us in witness. We are not alone (Ecclesiastes 4:12). He is our help and shield, whose are the pillars of the earth, and who set the world upon them (1 Samuel 2:8). Why be afraid? This is our comfort.

Point 2 - The saints in Revelation 12 overcame the accuser by the blood of the Lamb - Christ is our strength and song, and His salvation ours. We should preach no other gospel than Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And how was this achieved? By the word of their testimony - by showing forth the riches of His grace to all nations, by speaking and not being ashamed; and they loved not their lives unto the death. How many have we read about who are spoken of in this verse? How many missionaries, greats of the faith, pastors, preachers, evangelists old and young, who loved not their lives, but gave them to the service of the living God?

This is our challenge.

Firefox and Thunderbird

2005-09-30T16:48:00.000+01:00

Sorry to all you techno-savvies out there to whom this will seem like nothing more than youthful exuberance from a techno-foolish ignoramus ...

BUT

I just downloaded the Mozilla Thunderbird email client today and set it up within a few minutes; and I've realised that I far prefer it to Microsoft Outlook simply because of the look of the thing. And the fact that RSS feeds for news and blogs are so easy to set up. I mean, it's called Thunderbird, for goodness' sake!! And when you set it up it informs you that you are launching Mozilla Thunderbird, providing you with the best excuse you could ever want for making rocket-explosion-type-sounds and flying your laptop around the room. And it's got a fantastic blue phoenix (or thunderbird, I guess) clutching your mail for it's logo. And it's cool. And.

Er.

Well, that's my bit done with. The techno-savvies out there are welcome to comment on improved browsing features, security, bit-connection rates and advanced XML support.

If you wish to download either Firefox or Thunderbird please click here. I recommend them.

More Sermon Notes to follow; sorry I've been a bit quiet lately, but I hope to speak about progress at the new Nunhead Sunday School when it starts, amongst other things. But for now ... think Mozilla ...

Sermon Notes: The Christian's Spiritual Aims: #4

2005-09-20T17:32:00.000+01:00

5) Witness

1 Thess. 1:3 - 'Labour' is a word which means hard toil. We are called as Christians to work for the Lord, and to have patience as we work and wait for the results to come: they may not come immediately, but we must wait for them nonetheless.

1:7 - The church at Thessalonica were a tremendous example of sounding out the gospel, a witness in itself to the other churches around, let alone to the unsaved! Some people are very effective in witness; does this mean that we leave it all to them and do nothing in this area ourselves? No! It is work for all of us, the chief way of reaching the lost. God's methods are personal methods, Christ is a personal Saviour. We work personally with people. The whole church was involved in this example: God forbid that some should witness and the rest leave them to it.

2:1-2 - Here is an example of standing firm in the face of opposition. When opposed, do we cave in and fall silent? No - this is God's work that we do; what man can hinder it? Let us be bold, for we speak in the name of the King of kings.

2:4 - A challenge here rises to meet us. We must witness as those who are seen by God, as those who are almost on trial before Him, having our hearts and motives examined by He who knows all things. Do we wish to serve before Him with empty hearts, with no love, no toil, no compassion, no prayer, no effort? He sees all the thoughts of our hearts - He knows our motives. We have been entrusted with this tool and service: let us use it well.

2:14 - It is a costly thing to speak out boldly and proclaim the message of the gospel. There will always be a cost, now as then. Will this put us off?

No! We should not turn aside, for to witness and to speak of our Lord is our prime duty here on this earth. We should with all our hearts become students of the art of witness. Why not compare notes, share experiences, devise methods of witness, edify and encourage one another with accounts of victories for Christ in this area? We all know different people, and they will all require different methods of approach. Let us feel for each one, and seek out the best way to present the gospel to them with prayer.

Is this not our life's work? We should have such enthusiasm for it, then! We should always be fishing for men, we should live to witness, let the fire of the gospel seize hold of us and loose our stiff and stammering tongues. And while we have patience and wait for fruits from God, this does not mean that we delay and fall slack. We are agents of the living God, His children, His people: what better task do we have than to speak His name to deaf ears in order to open them to life in Jesus Christ?

Book Review: The Screwtape Letters

2005-09-12T09:02:00.000+01:00

Words of Wisdom from the Letters of Screwtape

In 1942 The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis, were published in book form for the first time, having first appeared serialised in a newspaper. In a remarkable twist on the subtleties of temptation, each chapter in the book is comprised of an individual letter from one, higher ranking devil to another, lower ranking one, regarding the methods and practices of temptation. Whilst the theology in some places seems questionable, the principle of resisting temptation is strongly spelled out by the reverse example of the roles present in the scenario; and thus the reader can still hope to gain a great deal by carefully reading each letter. Due to its short average chapter length and witty, humorous writing, the book is very readable and, whilst edifying, is also enjoyable.

Wormwood, a junior devil, is the recipient of the letters (authored by Screwtape, his “affectionate uncle” further down in the Lowerarchy of Satan) and is responsible for tempting his “patient” into the evils of the world. The first letter is written when the patient is not a Christian, and the other thirty are written post-conversion. Two extracts from this introductory letter are as follows:

“Your man has been accustomed, ever since he was a boy, to have a dozen incompatible philosophies dancing about together inside his head. He doesn’t think of doctrines as primarily ‘true’ or ‘false’, but as ‘academic’ or ‘practical’, ‘outworn’ or ‘contemporary’, ‘conventional’ or ‘ruthless’. Jargon, not argument is your best ally in keeping him from the Church.”

“Your business is to fix his attention on the stream [of immediate sense experiences]. Teach him to call it ‘real life’ and don’t let him ask what he means by ‘real’.”

How perceptive! In this day of post-modernism, absolute truth does not even exist, and it is most unreasonable to believe that there are definite rules for how we should all live our lives. After all, something that you believe is fine for you, but ‘I prefer to believe my own theories’. How often do we hear that? For those who care little for philosophies, they are so overwhelmed by sense and experience that real truths are pushed out from their minds.

Screwtape starts the second letter with: “I note with grave displeasure that your patient has become a Christian”, setting the tone for the rest of the letters in the book. He draws from all the experience he has, and yet, ultimately Wormwood fails in his tasks to prevent the patient from submitting to the “Enemy’s” service and sanctification, reminding us that our Lord has undeniable and unbeatable power over all temptation.

“Whenever they are attending to the Enemy Himself we are defeated, but there are ways of preventing them from doing so. The simplest is to turn their gaze away from Him towards themselves. Keep them watching their own minds and trying to produce feelings there by the action of their own wills. When they meant to ask Him for charity, let them, instead, start trying to manufacture charitable feelings for themselves and not notice that this is what they are doing.” Also: “Let the reflection ‘My feelings are now growing more devout, or more charitable’ so fix his attention inward that he no longer looks beyond himself to see our Enemy”. And: “ ‘By jove! I’m being humble’, and almost immediately pride– pride at his own humility– will appear”.

Some of the other interesting things mentioned in the letters are: the peaks and troughs (or, the law of undulation) of human behaviour and feelings; the love of the Enemy towards the patients; limits of temptations; lack of wisdom in modern Christian writings; and the corruption of pleasures given by our Lord, in order to produce sin.

This short book contains so many warnings and positive advice that I recommend it heartily to all those who love the Lord. To those who are not yet Christians, this work is a stark reminder that at the end of life, we will all be judged and those who do not have the robe of righteousness from our Saviour will perish for eternity.

(Once again thanks to Dan Nolan-Neylan for preparing this article, and may I add my recommendations to his. -Matt)

The A-Team: One Month On

2005-09-02T16:28:00.000+01:00

Where are they now ...? Ah, the changing face of modern youth culture today!

Sermon Notes: The Christian's Spiritual Aims: #3

2005-08-18T09:45:00.000+01:00

4) Prayer

1 Thess. 5:17 - What a blessing is the proving of God in prayer! What a blessing that we are not given enough grace at conversion to get by in this life without prayer! What a blessing that we must come to God regularly, remembering that we can do nothing in His service but what is done by His power and with His blessing! Do we 'pray without ceasing', coming to Him with everything we do, thanking Him for it or asking Him to use it?

Do we have a ministry of intercession? Do we pray for named individuals, brought unfailingly before God as we would bring ourselves, and with the same care and concern for their affairs as for our own? We must come with pleading and thanksgiving, bringing arguments and reasonings before the throne of grace; and if we do, rest assured that souls will be saved, however long it takes.

Why do we pray? In order to worship, to minister unto others (in intercession), and for sanctification in continual dependence upon God. We pray for great needs, praying particularly - then when we see particular answers to prayer our faith will be built up, our sense of His presence with us, and our assurance.

With prayer come opportunities to witness. If there is a person who is particularly difficult to speak with, if we feel we have no ministry of witness and cannot see how we could ever have one in our present circumstance, we pray! God loves, as it were, to solve the problems of His people in answer to prayer. So we pray, and in praying we learn to lean upon God for everything.

The A Team

2005-08-10T11:01:00.000+01:00

The rock climbing team on Houseparty 2005. Go us! You can't see Matt, our instructor for the day, as he's taking the photo, but kudos to him for giving us such a great time. Matt is a Christian, known to Ali (centre of the group, with dark top) from various other climbing escapades on Skye, and also mutual friends.

Matt owns (or rather, is) his own company, called Merlin Adventures, organising days out like this for people to go rock climbing and (I think) to engage in other outdoor activities. The best part of the day came right at the beginning when he explained the formation of the rocks we would be climbing (a disused limestone quarry), telling us that these rocks were sedimentary, meaning they were laid down very rapidly at the time of the Flood.

What struck me was his businesslike, unfussed attitude to explaining Biblically-based geology, which I am positive he holds true to for all his groups. So thanks to Matt, and prayers that he'll be kept safe (as we were) so that he can continue with that witnessing opportunity for many years to come.

The Christian's Spiritual Aims: #2

2005-08-10T09:12:00.000+01:00

(8 spiritual aims and objectives, taken from devotions held by Dr. Masters on the 2005 Tabernacle Houseparty holiday to Wales.)

2) Worship

Hebrews 10:25 - A challenge to us on this point: do we forsake the gathering of ourselves together in public worship? It is a spiritual duty, as seen here. We give glory and honour to God in all seasons (1 Thess. 5:16, 18; Philippians 4:4); when bereaved, when in grief, do we still thank and praise Him Who is our maker and sustainer, worshipping Him in the beauty of holiness?

1 Thess. 5:19 - To worship properly we need the Spirit to be at work. Sometimes we may be especially close to our God, experiencing special closeness and blessing; but we leave off our devotions, our study of the word, prayer and praise of Him, simply because we are tired, or we cannot be bothered, or something else is occupying our minds. Thus the Spirit is quenched; He is insulted, even.

What about our hymn-singing? If we are not to quench the Spirit this, too, must be thoughtful, meaningful, genuine. We must always mean our worship.

If we engage our mind, soul and heart in worship we will be blessed by it, for it helps us to commit ourselves to God, to dedicate anew our thoughts and deeds. We know we love Him when we praise Him truly, with the genuine heart of a true believer. Sincerity is absolutely necessary before the God who searches our hearts. We should be able to say with our worship - "Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love Thee."

3) Learning

1 Thess. 1:6 - The Greek word here for 'disciples' is one that means 'close followers', or even 'mimics'. We are to be imitators of the apostles; our whole Christian life should be focussed on taking up the apostolic standards as set out in Scripture, and following them closely. This is Biblical.

3:10 - This speaks of the apostolic duty to teach others, to encourage them to learn. This, then, is also our duty.

5:11 - The word 'edify' means 'to build up', in relation to instructing our minds. So we build up one another in the faith, in learning, in doctrine. It is a strong word.

5:12 - Here we are told of those that 'admonish', which means 'to call to their side' for personal instruction and care: another call to the duty of teaching and learning.

5:20 - Of course, prophesyings were given (from God, with all the relevant tests for a true prophet) in those days whilst the Scripture was being completed, so that the early church could be built up and instructed in the faith; the word 'prophesyings' also referred to those who expounded the words of the New Testament prophets. So what is it to despise prophesyings? Does the Word, and the teaching from it, fail to challenge us? Do we fail to learn? Do we take God's Word lightly, without any real desire to keep it in our hearts and think upon it?

So then we must learn! We must read, taking in the doctrines, learning from church history, edifying ourselves and each other in the faith. We know that poor teaching leads to disaster, when the minds of men are made shallow with their own teachings, when we seek to teach and not to learn. Profound and deep things will easily be lost, and we fall foul to heresy and wrong ideas.

Poor teaching also leads to sentimentality, when we have nothing solid to rest upon and must depend upon feelings to establish our hearts.

Poor teaching insults God and His attributes: He is made small and ineffectual in our minds because we cannot appreciate what He is and Who He is. How do we move away from God, and cease to be amazed by Him and His works? By being under-educated, by being ignorant of Him. We must learn if we are to educate others, and so that we can be a help to them in times of trouble, so that we can point them to God and show each other the wonders of His grace.

Houseparty Devotions Summary

2005-08-09T12:14:00.000+01:00

Well, back from Wales at last, and what a benficial and spiritually nourishing time it was! I won't bore you with details of what we did from day to day, but I would like to summarise a couple of the evening messages that Dr. Masters gave, under the rough heading of:

The Christian's Spiritual Aims
in 1 Thessalonians

In every walk of life there are always aims and objectives. In warfare, these aims and objectives become a necessity for survival and the success of the mission, with the possibility of many lives depending upon the correct understanding and fulfilment of those objectives. This is much more so in the Christian warfare.

What aims and objectives do we have, then? Briefly, they could be classified under the following eight headings (though all are, of course, equal, as the first point demonstrates), and all can be drawn from the chapters of the First Epistle to the Thessalonians:

Holiness & Sanctification
Worship
Learning
Prayer
Service & Witness
Fellowship
Exercising Faith
Considering Future Things

1) Holiness & Sanctification.

1 Thess. 3:13, 4:2-4 - At this point in the epistle, the apostle is dealing with the sin of fornication, that is physical impurity. In this age sexual immorality is not seen as sinful, and is in fact encouraged by society. Let us beware straight away, then, that we possess our redeemed vessels in sanctification and honour in this way, and that we have no part in the base things of this world. This includes our speech, our dress, and our whole manner of living generally: for physical purity is a picture of spiritual purity in the Christian, and only by spiritual spurity before God (through Christ first) can physical purity be effected. Holiness, then, is a spiritual duty.

4:7 presses the point home, in using a term for unholiness ('uncleanness') which refers to something which is an abomination to the Lord, a horror in the sight of God and His people, a gross transgression of God's statutes.

5:6-8 - We are exhorted to watch ourselves in sanctification constantly and vigilantly, with Godly fear and a clear mind, keeping before us our heavenly aim and goal.

5:21 - We need to be careful, then, that all we do is right before God, and that we cling to Christian duties and commandments of the Scriptures, not straying from this right way and thus falling into spiritual uselesness through worldly habits.

5:22 - We do not take risks, or put ourselves in the way of temptation. This is by way of tempting God, and God may allow us to stray and fall in our pride in order to rebuke us and show us how much we need to stay close to Him, and away from this fallen world.

5:23 - It is the will of God that every department of our lives be sanctified - this includes our speech, actions, thoughts, loves etc. We must advance on all levels at once, and not let one department of our lives advance at the expense of another. 'Soul' here refers to our soul, our mind, our being; 'spirit' refers to our soul in action, in prayer before God. Therefore our thoughts on earth, our prayers before the throne of God, and our bodies that we possess here, must all be in cleanliness and purity, chaste and holy before God.

As I don't have much time for blogging here at work at the moment (busy with paperwork), I'll post up the other 7 points as time goes by. I hope you find them helpful to think upon - it's just a pity my notes don't do the points full justice ...

In Him

The Last Post (Before Houseparty)

2005-07-29T15:47:00.000+01:00

Well, to-morrow is the beginning of the annual Tabernacle holiday, known as the Pastor's Houseparty (which conjures up nostalgic images of cake and ice-cream - it's been known to happen, but unfortunately not as part of the listed itinery for the week).

This is the time of year that 100 or so of the younger people from the Tab (mostly under the age of 30) debunk en masse from London and descend upon some (previously) idyllic and peaceful country locale in order to spend a week in Christian fellowship and personal witness. It is a fantastic time, as 3 years' experience has convinced me personally, and I know of many brothers and sisters in Christ who have been drawn by Him through conversations and things said on the Houseparty. We all at the Tab pray that this week will be a time of blessing and true Christian fellowship, with our God present with us to bless and enrich us.

I'm particularly looking forward to my annual Sunday holiday, where I get to spend the Lord's Day in fellowship and worship, learning and growth, rather than the bulk of my time being given over to hard graft and service. It's nice to have one Sunday like this in the year. (But more than a couple I would not personally recommend; after all - My rest is in heaven, my rest is not here!)

Of course all of this means that I shan't be circulating within the blogosphere for a week, as my laptop stays firmly at work for the benefit of Mike and to free me from technology for a brief period (ok, so my phone is coming with me - but that counts as useful aparratus, not useless gumph). All I can say is, we appreciate your prayers for a thoroughly useful and profitable time - we all know how easy it can be to enjoy ourselves whilst ignoring (enjoyable) duties that are still to be done.

Cast up the stumblingblocks! Point men to the Saviour!

I'll see you in a week.

In Him.

Repentance in Jonah

2005-07-28T09:25:00.000+01:00

Just a quick note, as we were reading Jonah chapter 3 in morning devotions at the Shavery* today, on the subject of repentance in this book. Things to think about:

Jonah's repentant spirit towards God in chapter 2: "Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord ... and said, 'I cried by reason of my affliction unto the Lord' etc." Please note that Jonah spent 3 days and nights in the fish's belly, then prayed a prayer stating a) that he cried (note the past tense) unto the Lord, and b) his dependence upon God's mercy and forgiveness as a result of this prayer. Did he spend 3 days and nights complaining that the Lord was a hard taskmaster and an unfair judge? No, he cried unto the Lord, "and thou heardest my voice." Jonah truly came to God in his adversity, dealt with him in prayer, and found forgiveness and reconciliation. (Also note that we can pray in any situation. Can you think of anywhere more uncomfortable than a fish's belly?)
The spirit of the men of Nineveh in chapter 3. Despite their great evil, did they say, "We're too bad, God won't forgive us"? No: they repented fully (see verse 5). Please also note that it was an effectual repentance, because God heard them and turned away his wrath (verse 10).

Something to think about today.

In Him

*(note: 'The Shavery' is the unofficial name, fast becoming official, of the house where I reside with Mr. Nolan and others from the Tabernacle. So called because the rooms there are rented out by a gentleman going by the name of Richard Shave. It seems to have stuck.)

Jim Elliot - Seeking God's Way

2005-07-27T09:01:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Dan Nolan-Neylan for preparing this short but amazing biography of a young man who served the Lord diligently and faithfully in all aspects of his life. It presents an encouragement and challenge to each of us.

(A warning to Tabernacle Bible Class Boys who have not heard the last talk in the series: the following post may contain spoilers.)

* * *

Jim Elliot (1927-1956)

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

The biography of Jim Elliot is a harrowing and yet Spiritually inspiring tale of a missionary who took it upon himself to spread the Gospel to Indians in the deep jungle of Ecuador.

Philip James Elliot (born October 8, 1927) grew up in Portland, Oregon, in the United States of America, and became a Christian at an early age. He chose to attend Wheaton College with the goal of total commitment to God and graduated with a degree in Greek. For a year following graduation, Elliot returned to his family home with the principle purpose of concentrating on Bible study. To support himself in this, he worked at odd jobs and learnt to preach on street corners, in jails, and at Plymouth Brethren assemblies.

He was a gifted writer, speaker and teacher, and this convinced many of his friends that his spiritual giftedness should be concentrated on building up the church in America. Elliot, however, wanted to follow God's will, not his own nor that of any other man. After much prayer, Elliot sensed a call specifically to South America. He writes: "Why should some hear twice, when others have not heard [the gospel] once?".

Elliot first heard of the remote and much-feared Huaorani tribe in Ecuador from a former missionary in that land who was working with him at the Summer Insititute of Linguistics. This tribe was known for killing all strangers to their land for centuries, most recently several Shell Oil company employees, forcing the oil company to pull out of the region. Nevertheless, spreading the gospel to this tribe in particular was Elliot's ultimate aim.

Elliot arrived at Quito, Ecuador, on February 27th 1952. Later that year, the first aerial search of the territory where the Huaorani tribe was located was made from the Mission Aviation Fellowship station at Shell Mera. Shell Oil had abandoned this particular site when pulling out, but due to its airstrip and facilities it proved to be very useful to Elliot and his colleagues. Elliot and Pete Fleming (from Seattle) moved to this territory, specifically to a site called Shandia, and there started witnessing amongst the local Quichua Indians. He started preparations here to eventually reach the Huaorani tribe.

Elliot's desire to follow God's will was exemplified in his courtship and marriage to Elisabeth Howard. Although they longed to be husband and wife, Elliot would not agree to the marriage until he was absolutely certain of God's plan. This meant that although Elliot and his wife-to-be knew each other from college days, they went as separate missionaries to Ecuador, writing to each other constantly until the eventual marriage on the day of Elliot's 26th year of life.

With the assistance of a fellow missionary pilot, Nathanael "Nate" Saint, Elliot and Ed McCully located the first Huaorani huts in the jungle near Arajuno in September 1953. The men knew that it would be far too dangerous to visit this tribe directly, based on the knowledge that they had recently killed a mother and two children in this area. However, by means of dropping gifts and using a loudspeaker projecting words of friendship in the Huaorani language, they hoped to establish some kind of useful contact. The Huaroani responded by sending back a parrot and feathered head-dresses in the drop bucket.

After several months, the men decided to build a base a short distance from the tribe, along the Curaray River. Landing at "Palm Beach" on 2nd January 1956, they waited a few days, whilst building a tree shelter and preparing other equipment. Shortly after, two Huaorani women and a young man came out of the jungle. They appeared friendly and the missionaries spent some time with them that day to establish contacts and try to communicate using various gestures and giving gifts.

On Sunday, January 8, after songs, prayers and a service, the men (Elliot, McCully, Nate Saint, Fleming and Roger Youderian) radioed their wives at 12:30pm to say that contacts were expected by mid-afternoon (having been sighted by the plane that day) and that they would radio again at 4:30pm.

After no radio message was heard at that hour, a search and rescue operation began.

Initial flights over the region revealed the missionaries' plane on the ground, stripped bare of any content and fabric. This prompted a search from the Ecuadorian Air Force and US Army, Air Force and Navy. Elliot's body was found downstream along with three others. They had been killed with wooden lances and machetes. Due to the danger of another Huaorani attack, the burial service for these men lasted only three minutes before the military withdrew. At the time of his death Jim Elliot was just 28 years old.

Through the means of a young Huaorani woman who had previously deserted the vicious and violent tribe, Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint went to live with the Huaorani and were able to spread the Gospel to them in 1959. Many of the tribe eventually came to accept Christ as their Saviour. One of the tribe members later explained to the missionaries that the young man who originally met Elliot and the other men had told the tribe that the white men planned to eat them, and that they would not have otherwise killed the men.

* * *

A tragic story? Surely not. "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, saith the Lord." (Isaiah 55:8) The Lord's will was done towards the Huaorani tribe, but not through ways Elliot, his wife, his companions or any of us may have expected. Far from being a tragedy, this account is a wonderful lesson to us that God will accomplish his plans and purposes in His own way, in His own time.

Elliot himself was a man who trusted God and who desired God's will for everything he did. He was willing to sacrifice himself to spread the gospel to those who did not know it. As Christians, we may or may not be called to the mission field, but we are all called to seek the guidance and will of God in all that we do.

Frequently, Christians have to wait and be patient before they are shown the path through which they must lead. The Elliots waited five years before sensing God's time was ripe for a marital union. How long are we prepared to wait for His guidance in the things we do?

May the Lord teach us all to seek out His way, not our own way, and in doing so may we all be led by Him, into greater service for Him, greater dependence upon Him, and greater devotion to Him.

(Thanks once again to Dan for preparing the manuscript, and for letting me stick my oar in alongside his at the end. If anyone else knows of something they would like to see up here, please email me with the details. May God encourage us all to build up each other in the faith.)

'Sunday School' vs. 'The Sunday School'

2005-07-26T16:55:00.000+01:00

Well, seeing as I have had pressure applied from an unnamed source to contribute something today, I have decided to recommend Sunday Schools to anyone who may be reading, and also to commend those who teach in Sunday Schools to apply more diligence to their task in all areas of their life, every day.

Why this sudden zeal for Sunday Schools? The reason could be that I have just finished reading Jill Masters' latest book 'Building An Outreach Sunday School', the operative word in the title and the book as a whole being 'Outreach'. Maybe sometimes we at the Tabernacle can take so much for granted, in that we have Biblical teaching week by week (and not church-growth fads flung at us like mud on a wall), Evangelistic preaching week by week (emphasizing the work of Christ in all that He has done for us), and an Evangelistic Sunday School in which we can all be actively involved in some way.

'Outreach' has opened by eyes a little bit more to the sort of care and attention that always needs to be taken in Sunday Schools, showing genuine concern for the children and for their souls in particular. Imagining the scenario of a start-up Sunday School in a place where formerly there has not been one has helped me to think about my attitude to an established Sunday School. Should the two be any different? Of course not. The same zeal, the same tireless dedication, the same attention to detail, the same earnest desire to see the School grow and be fruitful in the Lord's mercy towards lost souls ...

The list goes on. Can there be a tendency for large Sunday Schools to become institutionalised (if that's the right word, spelt in the right way)? Maybe. Has this happened at the Tab? In some areas of my service I know it has. It is all too easy to see Sunday School (notice the lack of a definite article: that's an important thing in referring to the Sunday School as an entity representing the work of the church - as opposed to simply 'church') as a duty to be carried out and nothing more, a time in the afternoon when things happen and finish for another week thank goodness now let's go downstairs and have tea.

No, the Sunday School is an entity of witness that should stand out in bold, an opportunity for the whole church to participate in the ministry to the neighbourhood, to show love and care on a weekly basis. It is a chance for Christians to be distinct from the world in that their spiritual work in this one hour is a culmination of hours of tender prayer, love, devotion and preparation, rather than something that is entered into on a Sunday afternoon then left at 4:00.

So, thought for the day is this: put the 'the' back into Sunday School, make it the Sunday School, and treat it with care and affection, watching it grow, watching it mature, watching the Lord bless it and nurture it; make 'children' the children, and treat them with care and affection, watching them grow, watching them mature, watching the Lord bless and nurture them.

We can all be parents to these young ones. Let us do so as much for them as we would for our own children, and may the Lord strengthen minds, hearts and hands to enable us in this.

In Him.

Stockwell Shooting

2005-07-25T11:25:00.000+01:00

"Stockwell Shooting Family 'May Sue'"

Hmm. I know what I want to say, but I don't quite know how to say it. On the one hand I certainly agree with the family's grief at what has happened; on the other, I don't agree with their reaction against the police.

Certainly one to provoke thought about our respect for those in authority, how to deal with accidental death, and the strain being put upon the police forces at this time, in a country which has for so long (by God's grace) been free from such threats as could lead to extreme action of this kind. One word: paranoia - a deadly enemy. I think the terrorists may be succeeding. Is their aim to kill as many people as possible, or to promote disharmony and strife?

I think promoting disharmony and strife in this sin-sick world is about as hard as lighting a fire with a pile of wood, hay and stubble, three gallons of kerosene and a flamethrower.

Thought of the day: How do we as Christains view the police and government? What level of cynicism do we have towards them?

Water, water everywhere ...

2005-07-25T10:45:00.000+01:00

... nor any drop to drink. We, with the Ancient Mariner, seem to have been inundated with unpotable H2O here at work at the rain comes down (too late to save the England squad), and the leaking pipe in our stockroom finally causes extensive damage to the office downstairs.

The wedding on Saturday was a very blessed occasion, with Dr. Masters on very good form expounding Ephesians Chapter 5, reminding us all (married and unmarried) of the necessity of maintaining that union with Christ, looking to Him, serving Him, loving Him and obeying Him in all that we do. We all at the Tab pray that our God will bless and uphold every such union of man and woman that we see, using them to strengthen and advance us all in every way.

As a quickie, I want to recommend another blog: pop along to the Fat Baptist and have a read of what he has to say. Funny and thoughtful by turns, I think (if he manages to keep up a head of steam) that this will turn out to be a very interesting forum indeed.

More later today (if I get time). But for now, cheerio!

Bombers & Stuff

2005-07-23T10:22:00.000+01:00

Well events have moved on apace here in London, and as far as we can see now it was most definitely (probably) an attempted repeat of what happened two weeks ago. Seems like the explosives may have failed to detonate because they were prepared at the same time as the previous batch, and had subsequently spoiled with time. This is the theory I'm hearing the most of, at any rate.

In other news, Jonathan Mitchell is being wed to Verity Hunt today at the Tab: a wedding which has been looked forward to by many for some time, and which we all pray will be an occasion blessed by the Lord as He sends them on their way together.

And just to show how little things let up at the Tab, even on civic occasions such as this, I've been asked by Andy (one of the deacons, and our Deaf interpreter) to help out with the Deaf Fellowship (which I believe today will consist entirely of one: a guy called Kabiru) by pointing out the words to the hymns as we sing. Which is nice, being able to serve even in such a small way :)

OK, Johnny G's back from Beach Missions for the wedding, so I'd better leave off doing this and actually listen to what he's saying.

Laters.

My Job

2005-07-21T15:06:00.000+01:00

In case you were wondering what I do all say (sometimes), here's a taster of how to do one section of my job:

Purchase Orders

Open up QuickBooks accounting software. (In actual fact, this should already be open.)
In the top right-hand corner, click on the 'Suppliers' tab.
When the Suppliers screen (finally) opens, click on the button on the purchase flowchart that says 'Purchase Orders' with a little P.O. graphic.
The purchase order form will pop up; type in your supplier's name (confidential, I'm afraid).
Tab through to the tax date - if you're up-to-date and using my system, this will be yesterday. I'm not, so in this case it's 23rd of June 2005. Enter the tax date for the purchase order you're inputting.
Tab through to the first item field; input your first item code (in this case, HP C6625A oem).
Tab through to the 'quantities' field; input how many you ordered (in this case, 20).
Tab through to the 'rate' field (ie. how much they cost); input your buying price (in this case, that would be telling). Gasp, tut, and mutter at how much everything costs.
Tab through to the line below and input your next item; continue doing this until all items you ordered on that occasion are accounted for.
Check the total (because I already have the invoice, it's that late in being processed).
Click 'save and close'.
Boo-doop! says Mr. Computer. Bless his heart.
On the purchase flowchart (which you will have been returned to), click 'Recieve Items With Bill'.
The item receipt/bill entry form will pop up. Input the supplier's name (ideally of the supplier you've just done a purchase order for).
A dialogue box will pop up telling you that open purchase orders exist for this supplier (if this doesn't happen, panic). Do you want to recieve items against one or more of these purchase orders?
Yes, you do.
Having registered your affirmative desire to carry on with your job, select the purchase order you want to enter a receipt against, and click 'ok'.
Your items will magically appear in a list, with a total cost (inc. VAT).
Tab through to the 'Bill Due' field, and enter the date your bill will be due for paying on (in this case, 31st of July 2005).
Check the amount due against your invoice. If incorrect, phone your supplier and spend a diverting 20 minutes haranguing them (kidding!).
Enter the invoice number in the 'reference' box.
Check everything's ok.
Click 'Save and Close'.
Boo-doop! (Ah! the bells!)
Scrawl something vaguely resembling the word 'entered' (or 'etd', or 'ent') on the hard-copy invoice, and put it aside ready to be filed. (If you're REALLY efficient, you can file it right away.)
Move onto the next one.
Repeat until all invoices are inputted (or input; spelling, anyone?).

Congratulations, now you're fully trained and I can have a holiday!!!

Next week, how to raise invoices for customers ...

Latest News

2005-07-21T14:28:00.000+01:00

Here's the latest on the London bomb alert today:

Seems like the incident on the number 26 bus has resulted in the windows being blown out, although one source reported this as being unconnected with the other incidents on the tube.
At Shepherd's Bush tube station, a lady passenger reported that immediately following the (small) explosion and smoke etc. a man left his bag on the train and ran off, despite members of the public being urged to 'stop him'.
Elsewhere it is reported that this same man threatened to blow himself up

What it looks like may have happened is that there was an attempted repeat of 2 weeks ago, which fell victim to a 'deferred success' (as the school authorities would have us say). That's a good point - pupils are referred to as 'deferred successes', but the same term can't really be applied in any optimistic way to terrorist bomb attacks without carrying sinister overtones for the future.

Which calls into question exactly how much our use of langauge is biased by circumstance.

Breaking News

2005-07-21T13:58:00.000+01:00

Breaking news here in London:

Dummy explosions using detonators only have sparked the evacuation of three Tube stations and the closure of three lines, a BBC correspondent has said.

Police cordoned off large areas around Warren Street, Oval and Shepherd's Bush Tube stations.

Emergency services also attended an incident on a route 26 bus in Hackney Road in Bethnal Green.

There were reports of smoke coming from two of the stations. There are no reports of any injuries.

The whole of the Northern Line has been suspended, along with the Victoria Line and the Hammersmith and City.

A spokesman for London Underground said the nature of the incidents was unknown.

One hospital, near Warren Street station, has started its emergency plan.

Sosiane Mohellavi, 35, was travelling from Oxford Circus to Walthamstow when she was evacuated from a train at Warren Street.

"I was in the carriage and we smelt smoke - it was like something was burning. "Everyone was panicked and people were screaming. We had to pull the alarm. I am still shaking."

But a BBC reporter outside Warren Street station said there was no sign of smoke outside.

(Source: BBC News Website)

I'll keep you posted ...

Oh Boy

2005-07-21T09:38:00.000+01:00

Oh boy, oh boy ... Who would have thought that things would come to such a pass as this?

Reading through the extract from 'Adventures In Missing The Point', one wonders where exactly all of this comes from, and, when the 'where' is established, how they manage to wrest the scriptures in such a way as to destroy the sovereignty of God and His message!

"It is not true that with a gifted preacher, a church will inevitably grow."
Fair enough, but I'm sure that God honours those that honour Him instead of honouring man. Gifted preachers do not church growth make. Gifted marketing strategies do not church growth make. Gifted singers, dancers, actors etc. do not church growth make. These things may well increase your congregation (imperical evidence points to this fact), but if we are taking the church (in the Biblical sense) to be the body of Christ, then surely the only thing that can facilitate church growth (ie. more souls being found in the body of Christ) is to ensure that people are found 'in Him', truly and deeply. What can ensure such a deep and profound thing, this union with Christ our God (and that's a big thing, please make no mistake on the subject)? Surely it is the vital and awesome work of the Holy Spirit in applying the blood of Christ and His atonement for sin to individual souls? It is God's work and movement that will make a church grow.

Not, may we say, a decision on our part to 'join the club' because we like a lot of chocolate on our biscuit (see also Pentecostalism, Charasmaticism, Catholocism, Mormonism, and other 'benefits-based' methods of salvation, ie. what's in it for me?).

"... getting folks to come in the first place may take some marketing expertise."
May we suggest substituting the words 'the work of the Holy Spirit in moving dead souls to seek Christ' for the purile suggestion of 'some marketing experience'? Which of these two methods would you rather depend upon for certainty of visitors and thus blessing from God in the form of conversions in your midst?

Ah, maybe I'll leave it there. It's all been said plenty of times by people far better qualified than I, and with far more experience in these things. It's just that when people dismiss God's power and greatness in favour of their own solutions and efforts (all stained by sin), my blood starts to boil, especially when I see how God has blessed the Tab here in London; not with numbers so much - after all, our members' roll doesn't pass the 500 mark by a long way, let alone the 25,000 mark, although we are blessed with being full near to capacity in terms of the congregation on Sunday Mornings what with visitors and regular non-members - but then when did numbers ever matter except to show us how much work is still to be done? God will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy (Romans 9:15-18 and context): only He knows the numbers of His elect. We do not revel in numbers as God's blessing to us, but in true change of heart and life demonstrating the saving work of God through Christ.

Which is better? Think about it :)

Crazy Day

2005-07-20T11:29:00.000+01:00

Crazy day of death today ... bare money owed to people, and where will it all come from? No-one knows. Chasing cheques and invoices, entering backlog of invoices, enveloping invoices, stamping envelopes, doing credit notes ... YAWN. Well, it all goes towards making the company work.

On the plus side, went out visiting with Amos last night, and feel like we have really gotten back into it after 2 weeks' absence (due to School of Theology and illness). Had about 4 interested doors in the whole hour-and-a-bit of knocking round the streets in our 'patch', including one man who went to a church nearby the pastor of whom is known to Amos, which was good. We had a good discussion on the way back about the different types of Charismatics you can get - ie. the genuine ones who really are Christians and are trying to do what they think is right, vs. those for whom religion is a soicial institute (much along the lines of many Anglicans and Catholics, except that the balm for the soul for the Charismatic is not that of 'contributing to the community' but of 'fellowship of love and praise to God').

Well, it makes us look at our own motives for serving the Lord, and goes to show that truly saved does not mean glorified and sanctified all at once. We are still human beings, after all, locked in sin!

Question: when we say with Paul "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief," do we really mean it? What do we really, honestly, truly think of ourselves? Do we see ourselves as worms rescued by grace, but still worms and dust? Or do we see ourselves as better than non-Christians. Honestly and truly, let us examine our hearts, see our sin for what it is - evil, stinking, rotten, putrid, offensive to our beloved Father, a direct insult to Him and His death for us - and fall before Him in wonder and amazement at what He has done in making it possible for us to be forgiven, of all things (incredible enough); but also in allowing us to serve Him and live for Him. Why should we not want to? Why should sin have any power over us at all?

Well, big thoughts to occupy our minds. And if anyone here reading this has never thought about these things, I would strongly urge you to. I'm not peddling 'religion' - I'm asking you to think about your life, what you do, why you do it, and the fact that we know there is a God. What then is your stance toward Him? What is His toward you? Who is He? What is He like? The Bible claims that we can know Him and be reconciled to Him: how? Think about it.

Latest Post - SORRY!!!

2005-07-19T15:27:00.000+01:00

Hi guys. Sorry I haven't posted for a while (especially Martin, who requested I start again), but you know what life's like, and I guess there wasn't enough that was pressing enough on my mind to keep going for a while - and if it was pressing it was probably private stuff which wouldn't go up here :)

One of the reasons I haven't been going much is because I moved out of my parents' house at the end of May and thus have been getting into a steady routine at my new address, finding the best ways to fit in work, church meetings and work for the Lord, travelling, finding the time for personal spiritual development and striving for sanctification, housework (!) and all the rest, sorting out finances and things. Well, you get the idea.

If anything, I recommend going to Phil Johnson's Blog (otherwise known as PyroManiac) as he has a lot more interesting stuff than me to say, and is always worth a look-in at some point.

Speaking of which, Phil was down for the Tabernacle's annual School of Theology a couple of weeks back, and on the Sunday before the School he preached an excellent sermon on the limits of Temptations, which I only just 'heard' (via Andy in the Deaf Fellowship) last Sunday. It was in all points enlightening, challenging, encouraging and nourishing, and I would recommend it to all those for whom personal growth in Christ is a priority.

Pastor's gospel sermon on Sunday evening is recommended both for Christians and non-Christians (by which I mean those who have experienced personal salvation and change of state before God inwardly, trusting only in the death of Christ as the means by which the guilt of sin is removed; and those who have not) as a simple yet powerful exposition of the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation of souls. Listen to it, see for yourself!

Anyway, work calls (as always) and I have already written far too much. Tonight is door-to-door visitation night, so you may hear some more on that to-morrow. Thanks to Dan and Douglas for encouraging and helpful remarks on Monday evening on the way home - very much taken to heart :)

Here goes ... again ...

Wow Factor

2005-05-13T15:12:00.000+01:00

Wowee ... mighty spectacular; the amazing power and wonder of creation.

Pernicotine

2005-05-13T11:35:00.000+01:00

Forgive me of being pernickity, but do they? Yet one more example of how on jot or tittle can change the entire meaning of a sentence.

Odd Stories

2005-05-09T13:04:00.000+01:00

So here we are at the beginning of another week at InkLink, and another week in my life. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend and all that ...

To kick off, I thought I'd share some of the odd things I've come across on the BBC News website, all of which go to prove that those reporters (and me, being honest about it) really have nothing better to do:

Hostages Released
Anyone For A Game Of ... ?
Compensation Nation

Ah well, it all makes life worth the living, as they say.

The Vote

2005-05-06T09:15:00.000+01:00

I'm sorry for all those who will be disappointed in me, but I didn't vote last night. Not out of apathy, mind you, nor (purely) out of despair over the political climate, which has always been less than desirable for a Christian.

No, the guilty fact is that I realised that I wasn't prepared to cast my vote, morally or otherwise; I had not, in fact, taken any time to understand what was going on, and so when the time came I had no opinion on who I would vote for. In my estimation, voting in total ignorance is worse than not voting at all - after all, the ability to vote for one's government is a privilege, not a legal duty. A moral duty, maybe; but one which must be undertaken through proper judgement, showing one's responsibility and ability to act as a conscious, rational being created by God with powers of reason.

So I didn't vote; but I'm not proud of it, and what happened yesterday has made me realise that when the next General Election comes around I have a duty - not to vote, because that is a privilege, remember - but to duly consider and weigh up the various policies and promises of the various candidates in order to make the right choice in whatever I do.

And that proper exercise on one's reason is, I deem, far more important an issue than the mechanical fact of whether one votes or not.

Would you credit it?

2005-05-05T15:27:00.000+01:00

Not much to say, really ...

Mr. Lucas' Physionomy

2005-05-05T15:09:00.000+01:00

You know what the scariest thing about him is?

He has no jawline - look, his neck merges straight into his head ... maybe that's why he has a beard in the first place, to define where the split is. I imagine if the beard were not there he would resemble nothing less than a giant walking earthworm with limbs and hair ...

No offence, George! (Just in case you're reading this.)

Physionomy might not be the right word, but it sure sounds good :)

A Matter of Definition

2005-05-05T14:37:00.000+01:00

By the way, I thought I might mention this: with all the confusion being caused by the millions (well, maybe not, but certainly lots) of denominations within the Christian religion as defined by any loose standards, I have become increasingly shy of labelling myself, even as an Evangelical Baptist, which is certainly a noble label to have, being descended from a long line of true Christian servants and defenders of the faith.

In fact, even 'Evangelical Baptist' has become muddied in the past 50 years, if not in the past century, by the forces of Liberalism and various other wolves clothed in the skins of sheep (a brutal and vile practice by anyone's standards). So it is with some thought that I have decided to introduce myself as a Biblical Christian from hereon in, from which point I will (if speaking with fellow believers) elaborate on that and admit that well, yes, I am in fact of the Evangelical persuasion and oh my, a Baptist to boot. Well, these labels I see as representing the Biblical truth anyway, and they can be clarified in discussion if the need arises.

It's easy to label yourself as Evangelical, or Baptist, because these 'official' denominations have become so unclear over the years that pretty much anyone it seems can be one or the other today, despite what the actual definition is - and besides, the matter of what these names mean can be disputed until the cows come home. But if you're going to put yourself forward as a Biblical Christian, or a Bible-Believing Christian, then if you're in conversation with me, at least, you'd better be prepared to face up to what that means in terms of your life, walk, conversation and doctrine. It's a mighty big claim, is that of being Bible-Believing, because 'faith without works is dead', and our lives need to back up our profession, wouldn't you agree?

The Difference Between

2005-05-05T14:24:00.000+01:00

Reading up on Islam last night - a very interesting book entitled 'The Truth About Islam' - and I noticed something, which set me thinking: where is grace?

In all major world religions, is there one (apart from Biblical Christianity) which sets forth the idea of grace? Certainly Islam does not; Roman Catholicism does not; Jehovah's Witnessism, Mormonism, all these cults do not ... but I cannot think that any other world religion I know - Bhuddism, Toaism, Seikhism, Hinduism - that rests on this idea of grace.

Grace, for the uninitiated, is defined, very simply, as: undeserved favour, or imputed favour. In the context of Biblical Christianity, it is seen in God's plan of salvation, in that we are fallen, and so we can never earn God's favour by being perfect; and we are under condemnation, and cannot escape judgement for past actions against Him, were we able to live a perfect life from now on. How, then, can God's purpose in creating us (as creatures to worship and relate to Him) be fulfilled, as we have rebelled and are so far from Him?

Grace is the answer - God draws us to Himself, by Himself, without us having to do anything to earn it; and His requirements of perfection and judgement were fulfilled by Himself in Jesus Christ, in His life and death on this earth.

It seems to me a foolish notion that man can earn God's favour, unless God Himself is as fickle and foolish as we are and thus can accept our empty, feeble prayers and worship as things of merit. The truth is, our actions are demonstrations of our debt to Him (or should be), and should not be part of an attempt to reconcile ourselves with Him. Grace, that undeserved favour given to us for Christ's sake, is the only way to God. It makes sense, surely? God is not weak, but we are - He must then provide the way back to Himself, and He must work alone, for 'there is none like unto thee'; 'I am God, and there is no other'.

Afternoon ramblings

2005-04-29T16:22:00.000+01:00

Those of you who know me will be used to this sort of thing - for some reason, I haven't been able to simply sit down, shut up, and listen to other people :) Listening skills are something which can be tricky to learn - not just to hear what someone is saying, but to listen to it and pay attention.

There are some of us who want other people to know that we know what they're talking about, and that we understand; unfortunately this trait manifests itself in interruptions and ramblings (like this), as we go out of our way to show that we do indeed understand. Somehow we can't take it from granted that other people take our silent agreement and listening as a sign that we understand - usually someone who doesn't understand will do more talking in their effort to understand. Understand? Hmm ... I'm not sure I do anymore ...

But the other point is this: if offence is given, don't take it; don't go looking for offence to take; certainly don't give it; and understand that the one you think you have given offence to (if they are a true friend) probably hasn't taken it anyway. You know who you are ... ;)

Sanctification

2005-04-28T20:34:00.000+01:00

I'm reading R.C.Ryle's "Holiness" at the moment. Boy, does it challenge ... Here are a few things he has to say on the subject of sanctification:

Sanctification ...

1) ... is the invariable result of vital union with Christ.
2) ... is the outcome and inseperable consequence of regeneration
3) ... is the only certain evidence of that indwelling of the Holy Spirit
4) ... is the only sure mark of God's election
5) ... is a thing that will always be seen
6) ... is a thing for which every beliver is responsible
7) ... is a thing which admits of growth and degrees; that is, it is not an instantaneous process, but one of growth and progress
8) ... is a thing which depends greatly on diligent use of Scriptural means
9) ... is a thing which does not prevent a man from having a great deal of inward spiritual conflict; rather, this struggle is a healthy symptom of the workings of sanctification in the heart
10) ... is a thing which cannot justify a man (it cannot save him from judgement for sin), and yet it pleases God
11) ... is a thing which will be absolutely necessary as a witness to our character in the day of judgement; or, how can we claim faith in Christ if there has been no evidence in the form of works of sanctification - what will it say for our hearts if we have shown no desire to please him thus?
12) ... is absolutely necessary to train and prepare us for heaven; in that heaven is a place of holiness: therefore those people who are aiming at heaven for their final habitation should by nature be those who lean toward holiness here on earth.

Who then can say that sanctification is not a lifelong process, for what then is the purpose of the Christian here below? What do we make of struggles and trials within ourselves, the flesh warring against the spirit? I am speaking with a friend on the subject of the eradication of sin in our lives, because sin is evidence of our kinship with this "perilous time" (2 Timothy 3:1) in which we find ourselves.

Men are from ...

2005-04-28T16:19:00.000+01:00

It was pointed out to me recently the differing roles that are assigned to men and women by God in the created order, and it's a subject that is worth bearing in mind for everyone.

What has most struck me is the place that men are assigned as leaders, and the duty we are given to lead, to make decisions, to take the first steps in many things so that we may lead others on the way they should go. In this we have such a responsibility for our own personal walk - after all, how shall the blind be leaders of the blind? Shall not both fall into the ditch?

Of course the first, most obvious step is that of trusting in Christ for salvation and cleansing from all guilt of sin and the bonds of the Fall, and reconciliation to God through his own sacrifice for us. After that follow many other steps (although 'steps' is really the wrong word as it implies I'm laying down a ritual to follow to achieve Heaven, peace, perfection - remember, peace only comes from trusting in Christ and ceasing to trust in ourselves) ... maybe the word should be 'challenges', or 'opportunities', whereby we (as Chrsitians, mind, not as human beings relying on our own strength) can honour and glorify God, and bring glory to his name in what we do.

Especially with regard gender-specific roles and responaibilities, I've realised recently that not enough is done in my own life to live up to the role placed upon me as a man. Some people would pour scorn upon gender-specifics, saying that all are created equal etc. etc. This is true with regard our moral and spiritual standing before God, but not true with regard the tasks he has assigned to us. A salesman is just as important to a company as the managing director, or the packer, or the courier (ink sales illustrations, I know, sorry); but that does not mean they cannot occupy different roles for which they are suited.

The same with men and women. Having had this pointed out to me, I think that now I am eager to pursue that pathway with all diligence, taking a proper satisfaction in duties fulfilled and roles honoured.

Well, what random and bizarre thoughts one can come up with during the day. Not very clear, maybe, but it's a start and there may be more clarification at a later date.

Thanks for listening, folks!

Weigh the baby

2005-04-28T15:25:00.000+01:00

So now I have been informed that Luke Berry was born weighing 8lb 13oz, which I understand is an important thing to know if you are a lady. Hope this makes you happy, ladies!

As for the men; we're all wondering when we can take him out for kebabs ...

Sales

2005-04-28T15:15:00.000+01:00

Has to be said (close your eyes if you're not that crazy about ink):

Sales figure this time last month: £12,451.01
Sales figure so far this month: £17,859.30
Best month previous to this (March): £13,294.74

Wowee ... Which means that with one day to go for the month, we have notched up £4,500 more than we have EVER done previously in one month. Ouch. Of course this means we'll have to follow this up with an even better month next month, but that's life I guess :)

Luke Michael Berry

2005-04-28T11:29:00.000+01:00

Congratulations Mr. Mike Berry and Mrs. Naomi Berry on the delivery of their son Master Luke Michael Berry at some point about half an hour ago or so (maybe an hour), weighing. Not weighing anything in particular, mark you. Just weighing something.

I know that the prayer of all here, and of Luke's mum and dad, is primarily that he will find the Lord when young and come to know the God who formed him as Lord and Saviour.

Taking a leaf ...

2005-04-28T09:17:00.000+01:00

Werlll ... having looked at Jo's blog I feel quite ashamed at the dry boringness of this one; so here's hoping to liven it up folks; starting from ... now ...

Story of my life today, then: Mike (my boss here at InkLink) is going to be off work for the next couple of weeks as his wife (Naomi) went into labour at something like 2am today. Which is good for him, but bad for us here as it's just going to be Dan and myself in the office and we're going to have to flip a coin to see who gets to be in charge :)

Yesterday? :( Don't ask about yesterday. Spent the entire morning downloading and installing the latest version of Norton Internet Security, which is NOT fun so don't try it at home, kids! Then we had Chinese for lunch, which meant an afternoon of feeling slightly (read: 'really') full and lethargic, and just generally forgetting stuff left, right and centre. I have this horrible feeling that I've forgotten to order the most URGENT thing I've ever had to do here at InkLink ... so if Paul Lynch of BBC Broadcasting House (c/o Axima Site Office) is reading this ... sorry for this stupidly odd and forgetful head that some dangerous clown seems to have screwed onto my shoulders here (probably Dan ... I'll get him for that ...).

So what to do today? Who knows? Enter the huge pile of bills and invoices sitting on the desk, I guess. We've already done something like £15,000 sales this month (aiming for £18,000, which beats the best month EVER by £5,000, which is a lot for those of you who aren't toner-heads like us), so maybe won't be pushing for loads of sales calls and stuff today, but getting the office sorted out along with payments etc. Which reminds one ... one needs to pay out £9,000 to suppliers at the end of the month ... which is ... to ... morrow ...

Hmm.

Ah.

Bleaugh.

BUT a good Bible Study at the Tab yesterday, on the subject of 'Perilous Times' and in particular the character of those times applied to the (surely) perilous time we are in today ('perilous' being a translation of the Greek 'strength-sapping', which is interesting to think about).

Well enough of that. Dan's in now, which means we have to get on with this perilous day. Hope that was more interesting than usual. I'll get the hang of this one day :)

What's in a name?

2005-04-27T12:30:00.000+01:00

A brief discourse for those who might be confused by the name of this site.

Padishel:
If you look carefully on my map, you might be able to see this name jotted down to the west of a leaf-shaped lake in the western part of Erun. What is Padishel, then? It is a city-fortress, built by the nation of Oscenwn (oh-shay-noon), of whom the people were called the Oscefa (oh-shay-vah). When the Oscefa came to the western lands (call those lands Endanorath), they set up regional governors; these governors built for themselves fortresses of stone in which to dwell. Of these Padishel was one.

When the Oscefan empire failed and the Oscefa left Endanorath, the native officials employed at that time set themselves up as kings and princes, ruling from the fortresses previously inhabited by the governors. Padishel thus became a capital of a small kingdom-state, and continued as such for many hundreds of years, until the Great War. In all this time Padishel became the greatest of the kingdom-states, due to a variety of factors.

The Name:
According to correct English lettering of the tongue spoken in Endanorath and the city of Padishel, the name should actually be spelt 'Padiscel', though I shall stick with the Anglicized spelling. It comes from the root name 'Fadhahel' (pr. 'vah-dha-hel' with 'dh' = hard th as in 'the' and 'h' = soft gutteral like German 'ach'), meaning literally 'father-keep'. This was probably because Padishel was the first (and thus the oldest) of all the keeps built by the Oscefan governors, and its name refers to its function.

The tongue of Endanorath comes directly from the Aldenad tongue, and thus the parts of the name can be traced back to the following roots:

VADHA = eldest, father, also concepts of ruling and administration, a masculine denominator.
HEL (again 'h' = as in 'ach') = to cover, envelop, shroud, osbcure, hide from view.

It may be noted that the HEL root also occurs in the Aldenad words 'Helun', or 'Land of Darkness/Obscurity' which can be seen on the map at the eastern edge; and in 'helal' = 'shadow'.

The definition of HEL is different to that of NO, from which we have 'noe' = 'home'. NO is more to to with keeping, preserving, safety, security, an active root; whereas HEL is more indifferent and inactive. HEL to NO is what a wall is to a bodyguard.

So there you go: Padishel has a lot to do with the concept of passive protection, an established and assumed protection, given by a father-figure of great authority. Can this not be applied also to the Gospel, and to Christ? The covenants given to us by God are our 'padishel', our 'father-keep' by which we know that we are safe and established in Christ, and can never be lost.

Hope that was interesting; probably not, but it may have answered one or two questions :)

What about the maps?

2005-04-06T15:25:00.000+01:00

So, one must ask oneself - what is it with the maps, anyway? You should know that I am hesitant to class my writing as 'fantasy' - in fact, I hate the idea of these bits and pieces being called 'fantasy', even though (technically speaking) they do comprise a literary fantasy (more later on what exactly a fantasy is) - but I must admit that much of the process of writing has been conducted in the vein of the fantasy genre.

For example, manuals on fantasy writing these days dictate a few basic rules (mostly taken from Tolkien's writing), and rule number one is usually: start with a map. Tolkien 'wisely started with a map' (in fact he wisely started on The Lord Of The Rings with a few chapters, and the map evolved much as the story did, of necessity, of course; however maps played a large part in the story writing process); David Eddings started with what in his Rivan Codex he calls a 'doodle', which in time became a map.

Why the maps, then? I would guess that the maps (in the 'high fantasy' sub-genre, at least) are dictated by that other prerequisite, your various kingdoms and peoples, and the vast wars that threaten at any moment to engulf them - if you have a war and a quest spanning vast distances, you need to keep a track of where your characters are. This in turn assumes a quest-based and movement-based plot, rather than a character-based plot; and THIS is where modern fantasy falls flat on its face. Where is character in modern fantasy? Plenty of characterization, it must be said - in fact, modern fantasy authors go out of their way to ensure that everyone has the right name, the right clothes, the right mannerisms, the right customs, the right friends and enemies, speaks the correct language etc ... but for some reason actual character seems to have been lost over the years. Details have obscured the original reason for literature - to examine human beings and comment on their state, their actions, their reactions to situations, to each other. The purpose of literature, and what good literature acheives, is to juxtapose (and do it well) the right characters in order to comment upon their strengths and weaknesses, and to examine how those strengths and weaknesses change.

The mission for the modern writer of literature, of course, is to show how human beings can better themselves and triumph over their defects (a truly evolutionary, darwinistic idea, which surely fails to address where these defects came from in the first place); thus we as a race are given hope (against the evidence of our own eyes), and made to think that things can only get better (as opposed to the observable evidence that, on the whole, things are only getting worse).

This is where modern fantasy appals; for never have stories and the art of storytelling been used for such a simplistic purpose as that for which the modern fantasist uses them - simply as an escape, a way to retreat from life and shut oneself off from its associated trials and troubles. Stories originated in truth; they were told and repeated in order to demonstrate a lesson, to inform of local history, to teach morals, to inform the next generation. Stories had a practical, living purpose once upon a time; but no longer.

This is where the maps come in - we have a visual escape, a representation of the lands to which we dearly long to go for refuge from this world. There is the idea that we may escape, that we may live in a land of our liking, a disconnected utopia away from our troubles. A moral-based, character-based, lesson-based story would have no use for a map, for a map would simply distract from the people.

So why do I have one?

No idea. :)

The Map

2005-04-04T17:30:00.000+01:00

So, after so long away from the keyboard, what can I say? Sorry to anyone who was actually interested; let's get back to talking about this stuff properly.

And what better way to get started on a new phase in the Padishel blog than to show you the map of the lands where all of this (supposedly) takes place? :)

In fact this map is no longer accurate, but it is accurate enough. One of these days I'll get round to posting up what the actual currrent map is, as it doesn't seem to be going through any major changes now; but for now this one will do to let you all get your bearings.

Have a look at it; I'll be back at some point to carry on, but not just now ...

Lament for Andelien

2004-12-11T13:29:00.000Z

So here is the first offering, and appropriately it is one of the first I ever wrote. Comments will follow at the end

The gates are fast, the walls are dark,
And in the streets no more the sound
Of voice, nor song, nor music fair,
Flows like a river all around;
Since darkness fell upon the doors
Of proud Andelien.
White stars above the darkened towers
Shine brightly: glimmering faëry-light
Flows down like water o’er the stones
That lie amid the blackened blight:
The curse upon the lofty halls
Of high Andelien.

A song of sorrow silently
Rings out above the shattered stones;
The waning Moon, her nimbus pale,
Shines down upon the scattered bones
That lie beneath the leaf and mould
Of dark Andelien.
The heart is stopped! The flesh is torn!
A thousand ages hang upon
The battlements and soaring spires
That ring no more with voice of song -
The lays and ballads sung of old
In fair Andelien.

Her noble princes all are fled
Before a dark and awesome Foe;
Their wealth is lost, their riches dead,
Their thrones deserted long ago:
When Death came nigh unto the walls
Of strong Andelien.
The nights are long, the skies are dark,
The fading stars are hard to see;
The clouds hang low: the gathering storm
Blots out the light eternally;
And darkness dwells within the halls
Of lost Andelien.

Andelien! Andelien!
Thou’lt ring no more with songs again:
The silence twines in fingers cold
About the grey and ghostly fen
That lies before thy shattered walls;
Where murk and mist, and shadows deep
Abide; where creatures of the night,
And shades of old, in darkness, sleep.

This piece was written very much in response to other poems which deal with this sort of subject matter (that of 'lost cities and civilisations'), for example, 'Kubla Khan' or 'Ozymandias', or even the legend of Atlantis. There is a part of the human being which is excited by such things, and it responds in the same way to all forms of fantasy, notions of alien life-forms, exploration of any kind, or indeed any form of escapism. This part of the human makeup yearns for Something Else, and is directly connected to all forms of religion.

Now it is not my part to argue religion here, though if anyone wishes to do so I would gladly discuss it: for my part I see the Bible and Christ as being the only viable Truth, but that is all to do with faith. What I would say is that human beings are religious creatures by nature - we all have a part of us which longs for there to be that Something Else to life, something more than that which meets the eye in the humdrum existance we go through each day. It is this part of us that makes us write stories, exaggerate things, make them more interesting; it is this part of us that is attracted by such stories as that of Atlantis, Troy, the Fall of Rome. We yearn to find out, to discover, to uncover secret things which are hidden from view.

Such a fascination gripped me when I came to write this particular piece. Andelien (speaking within the world of Erun) was a great city along the lines of Troy, Constantinople, Rome, Byzantium, Alexandria or any other centre of learning, civilisation or legend you care the mention. It was an 'elven' city, founded in the southern part of the west of Erun, and ruled for a very long while by a king named Maedror, who looms large in the history of those times as a Beowulfian figure. It fell quite tragically when it was beseiged by a terrible army led by the one known as Auglir, seen amongst the 'elven' peoples as the embodiment of evil. Whether Auglir was a conglomeration of all the enemies of the 'elves' over time, or whether he was an actual figure, I am not yet sure. The fact of the matter is that Andelien's light and beauty came quite suddenly to an end with the seige, as did the 'elven' nation of Ostarun in which it was. From that point onwards the west was never again the scene of the high and ancient things it had once seen, and the 'elven' nations declined and fell into ruin even in the east.

This poem was not actually written at that time, for obvious reasons. There are a few opinions as to when exactly it was written, some of which run as follows:

1) That it was written in the period directly following the downfall of Andelien, by a bard or poet of Aredhun, the eastern kingdom of the eldar ruled by the brothers Anormeth and Cirimbel (which kingdom was eventually divided and brought into ruin by Cirimbel when he embarked upon a disastrous campaign of war against the coastal nations to the south-east). The main argument for this conclusion is the depth of feeling expressed in the verses, and the underlying tone of bitterness and resentment; the main arguments against it are in the lines: "lays and ballads sung of old" and "their thrones deserted long ago".

2) I tend to favour the opinion which states that the song was penned much later, and by a 'non-elven' author, probably one of the men of Oscenwn, a vast kingdom much along the lines of the Roman Empire of our own history, which stretched across all of the north-western part of Erun and down into the southerly latitudes, encompassing all the lands south of the Great River and most of the lands west of the Luin Erad. Oscenwn was a vastly sophisticated nation, the greatest ever among all the kingdoms of Men, and it had very strong ties (of blood, tradition and language) to the Elven nations which came before it.

(N.B: I have decided that to avoid confusion in the matter I shall refer to the various races of men as Elves (or Eldar), Men and Dwarrows. Although they do not equate to these fictional groupings as popularly denominated by the works of Tolkien, they were very much inspired by those racial groupings and thus I shall use them to classify the various races of men within Erun for ease of reference.)

Introduction

2004-12-09T20:32:00.000Z

So what's this all about?

Well, for some time now I've been jotting down bits of verse here and there as they occur to me. All of these bits and bobs are based in a fictional world called Erun, and taken together they begin to give a glimpse of the history and tales of this world, and the characters that have inhabited it over the years.

It's a very Middle-Earth-ish sort of place, I am ashamed to admit, and has the usual array of Elves, Dwarves (called 'Dwarrows' by me, in deference to the apparrent correct plural of 'dwarf'), Men and Goblins, Hobgoblins, Orcs and other wicked things (collectively known as the Alocar, or 'wicked folk'). But I trust that Erun, and all of its kingdoms and peoples, is a more or less independent entity and can exist in its own right to a large extent. I am the first to admit that the writing of 'fantasy' and fiction in general is to be seen as a fruitless exploit (this is looking at these things as a Christian, which I am), but as these things have been written, and as the world exists, I would like to share it with anyone who cares to listen; and who knows, someone may actually find it interesting.

Like any good fantasy writer I have my store of languages, and one in particular which I have developed over time. These are NOT elvish languages!! In fact, I would argue at points that the 'elves' of my world are only so called and so represented because my 'sources' are secondary, and mainly in the form of poetry and legends written down by Men living hundreds (if not thousands) of years after the people of whom they write. This, in fact, is something central to all of my stories: that they are a deformed record, showing how that time and countless artificing hands and mouths can so change an event or series of facts that it does, indeed, become 'fantasy' to later readers or hearers. Like an immense game of Chinese Whispers, history has become story, fact has become fiction, and so we get elves and dwarves, witches and wizards. What was the truth that gave birth to these stories? No-one knows, which is the joy of storytelling.

So what we have as 'elves' in my writing, I would like to stress, are not in fact 'elves' in any other sense but that they are called 'elves' by the fictional bards who supposedly wrote these verses in the first place.

The main language I have, I have constructed to my own personal preferences and satisfaction of sounds and speech rythms - it is vaguely Spanish, maybe a little Italian, unfortunately very much like the languages of Tolkien; but it is undoubtedly a 'romantic' language, and would fall into that category of southern European tongues. It is flowing and graceful, and has a script to match. It is not 'living' - one could not speak it, mainly because there is not nearly enough vocabulary, and no system for creating it. There would be no point in this, as all I am concerned with is the sound of the thing, the exploration of grammar and the expression of thought thereby, and the creation of names for my world.

For example, 'erun', the name of the world itself, simply means 'great realm'; it comes from the stem ERA, meaning 'great, large, expansive', and RUN, meaning 'realm, land', or 'earth, soil'. Thus:

ERA + RUN = erarun = errun = erun

To show some of the complexity of the tongue, RUN is related to RON ('stone, rock') from which we have 'rodh' as an advanced form ('dh' being phoenetically related to 'n'), and thus 'Rodhun', meaning 'realm of stone' - the name given to one of the great settlements of the Dwarrows. We also have 'Noeroth', which comes from NOEN ('home, dwelling') + RON (mutated to its softer form 'rodh' and thus un-voiced to 'roth'):

NOEN + ROTH = noenroth = noeroth

And thus 'Noeroth' = 'home/dwelling of stone'.

This my own personal hobby, which I take up occasionally when time and duty permits, and I may bore you with more of it in the future. However, the main thing is the stories, and the people, and how various different ideas and narratives I have written over the years contribute to the overall whole and (who knows?) may, in the end, like a sketch of many lines, reveal what is 'true'.

More on all of this to come, but for now I will leave you with some verses to have a look at, along with some explanation of their background.

Padishel

Update

Ministries: All Manner Of Things

Ministries: Open-Air Update

Ministries: Open-Air Work

Firefox and Thunderbird

Sermon Notes: The Christian's Spiritual Aims: #4

Book Review: The Screwtape Letters

The A-Team: One Month On

Sermon Notes: The Christian's Spiritual Aims: #3

The A Team

The Christian's Spiritual Aims: #2

Houseparty Devotions Summary

The Last Post (Before Houseparty)

Repentance in Jonah

Jim Elliot - Seeking God's Way

'Sunday School' vs. 'The Sunday School'

Stockwell Shooting

Water, water everywhere ...

Bombers & Stuff

My Job

Latest News

Breaking News

Oh Boy

Crazy Day

Latest Post - SORRY!!!

Wow Factor

Pernicotine

More Odd Stories

Odd Stories

The Vote

Would you credit it?

Mr. Lucas' Physionomy

A Matter of Definition

The Difference Between

Afternoon ramblings

Sanctification

Men are from ...

Weigh the baby

Sales

Luke Michael Berry

Taking a leaf ...

What's in a name?

What about the maps?

The Map

Lament for Andelien

Introduction