An inconvenient truth (Part 2)
William Booth was an English Minister who lived in the latter half of the 19th century. He began ministerial career in 1852, desiring to win the lost multitudes of England to Christ. He walked the streets of London to preach the gospel of Jesus to the poor, the homeless, the hungry, and the destitute.
Thieves, prostitutes, gamblers, and drunkards were among Booth’s first converts to Christ. Many churches, however, did not accept Booth’s followers because of their past. So Booth continued giving his new converts spiritual direction, challenging them to save other like themselves. Soon, they too were preaching and singing in the streets as a living testimony to the power of God.
In 1867, Booth had organized 10 full-time workers, and by 1874, the number had grown to 1,000 volunteers and 42 evangelists, all serving under the name “The Christian Mission.” (adapted from The Salvation Army Site)
Booth is quoted as saying, “I might have chosen to devote my life to the interests of the criminal world. The hundreds of thousands of poor wretches who are pining in the prison cells while we are sitting here at ease, ought to have our sympathy and help. I heard of a man the other day who had spent fifty years of his life in prison, and the whole of his thefts did not amount to 20 pounds. he pleaded that he had never had a chance in life, but when he comes out of prison–if he does come out–the Army will give him a chance.
William Booth was the man who began the organization that we now know as the Salvation Army. His life’s mission was to reach out to those in need. He did so by providing for both their spiritual and physical needs. It is said that while Booth was on his death bed a national conferance of Salvation Army overseers gathered to discuss the organization’s future. Booth had sent a telegram to be read at the opening address of the conference. The address was one word. “Others.” Read the rest of this entry »
An inconvenient truth (Part 1)
Maybe you’re wondering what the title of my blog is all about. It’s kind of a play on words. Thoughts can be viewed as seeds. By reading others musings one is almost allowing the author of the writing to plant seeds into his mind. I hope that this blog is just that. And I hope the seeds that are planted are beneficial, thoughtful, and bring the reader closer to Christ.
Of course the title means so much more. It comes from my life verse John 12:24. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain (seed) of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” In these verses Jesus equates all people to seeds. He says that every person (seed) falls into two categories. There are people (seeds) which are not planted and remain alone and there are people (seeds) which are planted and bear fruit.
In this verse Jesus teaches about two philosophies on life. If you look closely you will see them. The first one I like to call the LA Z BOY lifestyle. This is a seed that does not want to be planted. This is a person who wants nothing to do with the process of planting. Probably because planting involves death. Instead of death these people desire a life of ease and comfort. This is a life without death, a life of ease. These people say if life is a road give me a 5 lane smoot highway where I can just set it on cruise and coast. This is the motto of Timone and Pumbah “akunah mattatah.” Read the rest of this entry »
Hello world!
I’ve debated actually joining the world of blogdom for a long time. Well I’ve finally given in and created my own. This feels weird.
