I was chatting (Monday, January 15th of 07') with someone about his new found "Pagan" religion tied with Celtic-Worship: Druids. I've heard somewhat about it, but didn't really know much until what he told me.
He told me that he has researched many different religions after growin-up and being raised into Mormonism. When he found about this new found "Pagan" religion, he told me he was fascinated with the "powers" one can have. They can cast spells on people, which he compared to my "Christian" belief and faith in prayer. One time, he and some others cast a spell on a friend of mine who was in pain. They also would cast spells on people who would "cause" trouble (e.g. bullies in school) with them too. I automatically shared with him a Bible verse about "pray for your enemies", which I encouaged him to not "curse" those that wrong you.
Around 3am in the morning, he would get-together with other followers and do "their thing" (worship). They prefer cemeteries because it's a quiet peaceful place.
Related Resources:
The History & Customs of Halloween - Today's Christian Videos
"
Posted Byaakligs442 years ago
http://allin1reviews.com/halloweenparty/ the history & customs of Halloween are fascinating, dark and bizarre. To learn more interesting facts about the true history of Halloween visit the link now!
"
"Halloween history actually began in the Celtic Druid religion and is a story of witchcraft, death worship, and fear. According to historical documents, October 31st was the day that the druids would worship the Lord of the dead. This was the day that spirits and dead souls would be able to enter into the human world. Knowing more about the historical practices revolving around this day will give"
...more from Goodnews UMM: Accuser-Witches
Local Church Connection: Outfitters for Adventure-Encouraging Bethany Eastvold
Ballycastle : Co. Mayo : Ireland
From : Ruth T
Sent : Tuesday, March 6, 2007 6:38 AM
To : Ruth T
Subject : In Spain (really about Ireland)
Dear Family & Friends,
Much has happened since our last message. Friday evening and Saturday Bethany had a training seminar to attend in Athlone (Wikipedia), not far from Gallway in the west central portion of the Republic of Ireland. Bethany led worship Friday night adding Neil on mandolin and me on my tiny flutelike recorder. Graham taught on the Old Testament survey this weekend. Graham is the leader of the churches and ministries throughout Ireland that Bethany has been part of since her arrival two years ago. He is a wonderful teacher and humble servant leader who cares deeply for the ministry people who lead the various works that are part of their network in Ireland. We enjoyed his session that we sat in on Friday evening. We stayed at a B&B, so we had a traditional Irish breakfast on Saturday morning.
Saturday Neil and I did some sight-seeing in Athlone. There is a castle on the ford that the town was named after that one of our friends thought might have been built by the Normans. Across the street from the castle is a beautiful cathedral which was open so we walked in to enjoy the stained glass windows and ornate altar. The buildings along the narrow winding streets are brightly painted. I took many pictures of the little city.
Ireland the Beautiful
" Can't go to Ireland? Here's the next, best thing!
Beautiful and interesting pics to whet your appetite, set to the equally beautiful music of BigBen...Find more of BigBen's albums and music at Apple iTunes, Napster, or the following link: http://cdbaby.com/cd/bigbenmusic2
Saturday afternoon we made our way to Dublin to spend the night with a friend of Bethany�s who lives on a peninsula with many castles where the English Lords stored grain for shipment from Ireland to England. Many wealthy people live in the castles now: rock stars and writers mostly. Bethany�s friend, Christine, was head of human resources in the Xerox corporation for all of Europe. She retired at 50 and is able to pay her rent. That is an understatement. She lives in a stable of an old estate that has been rennovated into expensive upscale housing. We were treated not only to lovely accommodations, but enjoyed watching the full eclipse of the moon as it turned from just a black shadow moving over the face of the moon to the entire moon changing yellow gold with a rim of light around the edge. We had come to Christine`s house to pray for a young man in her home group who needed to be freed from demonic oppression. Neil counseled and gave Bible teaching to the young man in one room while Bethany and I visited with Christine in her kitchen. The prayer for the young man went well, and Neil spoke to him and later to Christine about how he can become even more free and remain free as time goes on.
We attended Christine�s church in Dublin in the morning. The pastor�s message was on greed as a sin. He developed it well, beginning with the thought that greed was listed by the ancient church as one of the seven deadly sins. He said he has wondered in his 17 years of ministry why no one has ever confessed greed as a sin they struggle with. People will confess all manner of sins, some that he would be embarrassed to talk about openly, but they never bring up greed among them. He thinks it may be that no one thinks of themself as greedy. Then he gave us an example so that we could begin to get ourselves �round the concept of greed. We need a car, and we want a car that will serve us well and not break down, will be something we want to drive, and comfortable. We don�t have the money to buy it outright so we take out a loan. Compare that with our church needing money for a project to feed the hungrey or reach the lost, build a building, etc., where the church doesn�t have the money on hand at the moment. So we all go out and take out personal loans to cover the cost on a temporary basis until the funds are available in the church to pay off the loan, right? No? Why don�t we think of financing the needs in God�s kingdom with the same enthusiasm that we think of financing our own needs? That, he said, is greed. He had us.
Sunday afternoon we picked up Lydia, who we met while she was attending the Fargo church. She has come to visit Bethany to see if God is calling her to work in Ireland. She was really tired. The snow in Fargo and Minneapolis had delayed her travel a day. She had family to stay with in Minneapolis, but she was really being hit with jet lag as we made our way back to the Belfast area. Bethany and Lydia stayed with a couple in Noel & Jenny�s fellowship, and we stayed with Noel and Jenny Sunday night. We said our goodby�s to Bethany as Noel picked us up. Noel and Jenny offered their sleep on the altar as they rose early with us to get us to the airport in Belfast on Monday morning. Jenny and Noel packed a tasty lunch and Noel drove us to the airport after making sure we had coffe and breakfast in us.
We made our flights nicely Monday (yesterday). It is good to be with Jeff & Wendy Steen-Spain again. They made room for us in their flat this year. After a short nap they took us to a new church in Alcoy just over an hour from Valencia. One of the pastors in Jeff�s church is working with a group of gypsies who started a church almost overnight after a young boy was miraculously healed who had been seriously ill in the hospital. They had prayed for him, and suddenly there was a clan of people who wanted to know Jesus better. The worship leader who came along from the church in Valencia is well known in Spain as a folk singer of traditional Spanish music. He travels with his musicians, is heard often on radio, and has a beautiful powerful voice. Neil preached on freedom from oppression in our lives. There was a large group up for prayer after the service.
The valley where the city is located is in the mountains, so the scenery was breathtaking. I am storing up images to replay in my thoughts after I get home.
I�ll sign off for now. We are taking it easy today washing clothes and resting. It is Jeff�s day off, so he doesn�t need to go to the office, but we do want to visit, so I�ll stop writing until next time.
Published Saturday, November 18, 2006
"
Patsy and Molly Shannon were dressed to the nines and heading for an expansive Tudor-style home in Nashville.
The home belongs to two-time Grammy Award-winning producer Dennis Scott, and guests awaited the Shannon�s arrival for a �listening party� of Molly Shannon�s newly released collection of traditional Irish music titled �come ye back.�
And arrive they did. In a 1989 Toyota Tercel with 265,000 miles on it.
Patsy Shannon of Morris wrote two songs for her sister Molly Shannon�s new album, �come ye back,� a compilation of traditional Irish music. A family visit to their family�s roots in Ireland inspired the music, which has gained four spots on Grammy Awards nomination lists.
Patsy Shannon at home
RELATED CONTENT
Morris Sun Tribune Web Icon 'come ye back' CD cover
Morris Sun Tribune Web Icon James Shannon as a boy
�I have to get in the passenger side and open the driver�s door from the inside,� said Patsy Shannon, laughing through sips of coffee at a table in her Morris home. �When she parks it, she tries to line it up in the same oil spot.�
The contradictions delighted the Shannons.
�Molly and I are pinching ourselves,� Patsy said. �It was like a gated community and we weren�t even sure they would let us in in this car. We�re thinking �Ain�t this fun?� If dad could be here, he�d laugh.� �
Still giggling, Patsy imitates their father with a spot-on Irish accent: �Don�t get too high and mighty.�
Fat chance of that.
Clear memories of their hard-scrabble upbringing and eccentric Irish roots keep the Shannons grounded.
In fact, �come ye back� is Molly Shannon�s debut album and represents her bringing her music back from country and folk to the traditional Irish wit and wisdom that inspired her personality as well as her music.
Patsy Shannon, an aspiring song writer and lyricist, wrote two songs for �come ye back.� She wrote music and lyrics for one song, �Her Dungloe,� and also wrote lyrics to a second song, �My Da,� which is sung to the traditional tune, �Star of the County Down.�
Scott has entered Molly Shannon and �come ye back� for Grammy nomination consider in four categories, including Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Traditional Folk Album, and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist.
Although the artist and album are among hundreds listed, the honor is appreciated, Patsy said.
�We�re enjoying the ride,� Patsy said. �Any success (Molly) has had, she�s earned.�
The Shannons and their four other siblings were raised to earn their keep growing up in Enumclaw, Wash.
Their grandmother, Anna O�Donnell Shannon, immigrated to the U.S. at age 25 in 1910. A single woman coming alone to the U.S. was required to have a sponsor living in America, so she joined the family of an uncle living in Billings, Mont.
Anna Shannon worked as a housekeeper, maid and cook before meeting her husband, a traveling tobacco salesman. The couple had five boys, including Patsy�s father, James.
While Anna eventually came to have a great deal in terms of family and friends in her adopted new land, Patsy wrote �Her Dungloe� from the perspective of all that Anna lost when she immigrated. Lost family, lost land and lost culture.
�And the hills of Erin green
Still haunt her in her dreams
And at night she young and free on her Dungloe
And she�s running �long the shore
Her bare feet flying o�er
A land that�s evermore her Dungloe.�
�My Da� is written about the Shannon�s father, James, a sharp man who was witty, dryly sarcastic and sometimes brawled in barrooms when, as Patsy said, his sharp tongue might rile another patron.
A recent family trip to Ireland and their County of Donegal roots inspired both Patsy and Molly. Anna�s family homestead in Ireland is the cover photograph for �come ye home.�
In �My Da,� Patsy writes:
�I walk the sand and the green lush land
Where my forefathers lived and died
Through the rain I see all the folks �round me
Have the look of my father�s eyes.�
Patsy Shannon and her family remember well nights at their grandmother�s home in Washington, sitting around a table with a linoleum top, young Patsy sitting on phone books so she could take part in spirited and sometimes feisty card games with male relatives.
�Grandma would be bringing fried eggs, the men would all be sitting around smoking cigarettes, and the only rule was you couldn�t cry,� Patsy said. �Those times and stories added a lot to understanding my whole culture and my family.�
From their mother, Betty Shannon, the sisters gained a love of music.
Betty Shannon knew how to play six instruments and her Kiwanis band, the K Strings, sometimes played at Patsy�s school dances. The entire CD is dedicated to her.
�We grew up with music in the home,� Patsy said. �She was very strict, but she was a cool lady.�
Patsy Shannon ran track and was first pursued a journalism career at the University of Washington. That is until she started getting better grades in psychology and became a therapist instead.
She married a West Central Minnesota man and moved east 21 years ago.
�I consider myself a Minnesotan,� she said, smiling. �I�ve got the accent and everything.�
She worked as a family therapist in Otter Tail County for 20 years, but finally succumbed to the pull of writing. While practicing full time, Patsy still found time to write cowboy poetry, essays, newspaper stories and a book, �Husky Song,� about another avocation, sled dog racing. After a divorce, she married Scott Christians and moved to a log home just north of Morris.
Although Shannon can play a variety of instruments, she claims to be �a jack of all trades, master of none.� So she began focusing on lyric writing about eight years ago, and is slowly making her way into musical composition, as well.
�I�ve always been drawn to the storytelling nature of it,� Patsy said. �Unlike what people think, you can�t just turn a poem into a song.�
Her exposure to Nashville musicians while working with Molly has heightened not only her appreciation for the work they do but to nuances of the craft and the industry.
�There�s a lot more to it than even I knew,� Patsy said. �But we worked with a lot of good people in Nashville. Not only good musically, but they�re truly good people.�
Molly Shannon has for 20 years lived the humbling existence of a musician in Nashville. As she�s gained some measure of notoriety, she�s still had to contend with people who confuse her with the Molly Shannon of �Saturday Night Live� fame.
�She says, �I was Molly Shannon before she was because I�m older,� � Patsy said, smiling.
But it�s probably just another in the many ways life has kept the Shannons from getting too high and mighty.
While Grammy lists and CD �listening parties� can be heady events in the life of an artist, coming back around home is a perfect counter to the lure of ego.
Patsy Shannon still recalls the first time a copy of �Husky Song� sold to someone not in her family.
�When somebody spends their hard-earned money on something you�ve created, that�s a thrill.�
"Robin Mark concert in Halifax NS. "
*see registration form =>
RobinMarkOrderForm.pdf
-Parade Annual St. Patricks Day Parade, sponsored by the St. Patricks Association
*the longest and largest parade I've ever attended in my life so far
Irish Fair, in Harriet Island 2nd weekend of August
"Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600-150 B.C. Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern (Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. In 1948 Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland is being implemented with some difficulties. In 2006, the Irish and British governments developed and began working to implement the St. Andrews Agreement, building on the Good Friday Agreement approved in 1998."
Shamrocks, green beer, and leprechauns. All these are a part of St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The patron saint of Ireland, Patrick was born more than 1600 years ago in England to Roman parents. Historians believe his birth name was Maewyn Succat. Patrick is derived from Patricius, the Roman word for well-born. Patrick first arrived in Ireland as a teen-aged slave taken from England by Irish raiders. He escaped from slavery when he was about 21 & made his way back to England. Ireland, however, had won his heart, and he was determined to Christianize it. He left England for France, where he studied Catholicism. Ten years later, he returned to Ireland as Bishop Patrick. He devoted the remainder of his life to building churches & baptizing the Irish. March 17, the date of Patrick's death, is a religious holiday in Ireland & a day set aside to commemorate St. Patrick in other areas of the world. St. Patrick legends abound. According to a popular one, he used the three-lobed shamrock to teach the trinity to the Irish. It & the colour green are now universally recognized symbols for both Patrick & his adopted country. Although he never set foot in the New World, Patrick is a favourite saint in North America. shamrocks & green beer are easy to find. Leprechauns, well, it takes a very special person to find a leprechaun.
A truly happy person is one who can smile from year to year:
Lullabies, dreams & love ever after. Poems & songs with pipes & drums A thousand welcomes when anyone comes... That's the Irish for you. IRISH BLESSING
Related Resources:
-Children
St. Patrick - Today's Christian Videos
"The makers of Veggie Tales bring us this animated short about the origin of St. Patrick's Day."
"..You see, people say all kinds of strange things about me. They draw these pictures of me with a green hat and a red beard, short and putting out my fists or holding a mug of beer. As if I were a leprechaun. They think I carry around three or four leaf clovers. And then there's that legend that I got rid of all the snakes in Ireland. Well, how would you like your memory to forever be associated with slithering reptiles? .. History of St. Patricks Day, from History Channel "St. Patrick is believed to have driven the snakes from Ireland. Once a pagan himself, St. Patrick is one of Christianity's most widely known figures.
The modern secular holiday is based on the original Christian saint's feast day also thought to be the date of the saint's death. In 1737, Irish immigrants to the United States began observing the holiday publicly in Boston and held the first St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City in 1766.
Today, the tradition continues with people from all walks and heritages by wearing green, eating Irish food, and attending parades. St. Patrick's Day is bursting with folklore; from the shamrock to the leprechaun and to pinching those that are not wearing green" Wikipedia "Patrick was quite successful at winning converts which upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity.
His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. After that time, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since.
"
The Real St. Patrick
"Few know the true story of Patrick, missionary to Ireland: he was neither Irish nor Roman Catholic. In this video you will be able to hear the real story versus the watered-down fables which conspire only to obscure the truth about this radical missionary evangelist."
*with Spanish translator
-Celebrations St. Patricks Day.comlist of parades by state
"
March 17, 2013, is Saint Patrick's Day. Saint Patrick's Day is an Irish holiday, but it is celebrated by people from many different countries. Here in the United States we celebrate it by wearing green, watching parades, and eating corned beef. Everyone can be Irish on Saint Patrick's Day! (3 pages)"
$Financially Support Info:
contact Jennifer George by phone at (701) 235-1661 or by post at:
Outfitters for Adventure
, c/o Jennifer George
, 1123 6th St. S., Fargo, ND 58102
*Paul and Priscilla Reid, "gifted-ministers" from Ireland, will be guest speakers at this year's Life Links Family Reunion at Hungry Horse, Montana Camp, August 10-14th 2004!
"On January 30, 1972, British troops opened fire on unarmed and peaceful civilians in Derry, Ireland during a civil rights march. This music video is a tribute to the 14 killed and others wounded - combining video/music of U2, video from "Bloody Sunday" (2002 movie), and photographs from that terrible day."
"Celtic Woman live from the Helix Center in Dublin, Ireland performing A Christmas Celebration. "
-St. Patrick's Day
Learn2Discern - The Real Saint Patrick - Ministry Videos
"Today is St. Patricks Day! What are the Saint Patrick facts? Is it about wearing green and honoring the birth of an Irish Catholic saint who drove the snakes out of Ireland? Find out the facts on Learn2Discern! Send this video to a friend. Go to http://www.coralridge.org/l2d "
The True Story of St Patrick
" Uploaded on Nov 3, 2010
Here's a movie we made about St. Patrick- no, not leprechauns and four leaf clover, the REAL St. Patrick.
"
Humanitarian
Christian Aid: where does the money go?
"Christian Aid is the international development agency of the churches of the UK and Ireland. Support Christian Aid at http://caweek.org/"
"In the Stone and Bronze Ages, Ireland was inhabited by Picts in the north and a people called the Erainn in the south, the same stock, apparently, as in all the isles before the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain. About the 4th century B.C., tall, red-haired Celts arrived from Gaul or Galicia. They subdued and assimilated the inhabitants and established a Gaelic civilization. By the beginning of the Christian Era, Ireland was divided into five kingdoms�Ulster, Connacht, Leinster, Meath, and Munster. Saint Patrick introduced Christianity in 432, and the country developed into a center of Gaelic and Latin learning. Irish monasteries, the equivalent of universities, attracted intellectuals as well as the pious and sent out missionaries to many parts of Europe and, some believe, to North America."
"The population of the island is slightly under six million (2006/7), with almost 4.25 million in the Republic of Ireland[4] (1.7 million in Greater Dublin[5]) and an estimated 1.75 million in Northern Ireland[6] (0.6 million in Greater Belfast [7]). This is a significant increase from a modern historical low in the 1960s."
"
Missionary, To reach the young and the lost.
Her Heart :) Outreach & Discipleship, Worship & The arts. She is seeing Ireland change one restored life at a time. Beth call Republic of Ireland her home."
"A little spotlight on a good friend -Bethany (former college peer-University of Minnesota-Morris). The music-"All Heaven Declares"-is by one of my favorites-Robin Mark (famously known for his album, "Revival in Belfast", which was ironically given to me as a gift by Ruth & Neil Thielke (featured in the video) of Outfitters for Adventure",
Verse: "The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none."-Deuteronomy 28:12
Beth is asking support from any one. That could be you! Support Address: Bethany Eastvold ; C/O Jennifer George ; 1123 6th St. S. ; Fargo, ND 58103 USA (please attach a note saying the Gift is for Her.)
In Ireland: AIB #04291076
Location: Newbridge, Ireland
"I had a glorious walk with the cross through Ireland. I carried the cross from Belfast to Dublin in the fall of 1971. Often the weather was cold, windy and rainy.
I had begun carrying the cross in 1969 and had walked across the United States. This was the fourth country where I carried the cross.
My family was with me including my children, Gina, Joel, Joy and Joshua. Also, two friends from America, Dale and Sandy Larsen were with us.
The people were warm and friendly to the cross being carried in their country. Often, people would come out of their homes to greet us. I would share the message of Jesus and many prayed and gave their heart and lives to Jesus. I also preached in some wonderful churches.
The reception to the cross inn Dublin was really wonderful.
I returned in the spring of 1972 and preached at some big meetings in Dublin. I spoke to thousands of students at two universities one being Trinity College. I also spoke in some churches.
The people had a deep respect for the cross and were very open to praying to have a personal relationship with Jesus.
God bless the Irish around the world.
A pilgrim follower of Jesus,
Arthur Blessitt
Luke 18:1 "
-Northern Ireland
"
The thought of Belfast, Northern Ireland conjures up thoughts in our minds of hate, strife and war. The eyes of the world observe this seemingly unending horror where Catholics and Protestants are in bloody conflict. Most people in Northern Ireland have memories going back to hundreds of years of injustices to past generations. The Catholics generally want a united Ireland and the Protestants generally want to remain a part of the United Kingdom (Great Britain). Everyone sees himself as a patriot in defense of his homeland.
I carried the cross in Northern Ireland five different times on five different trips. The first was in May 1971, then in October-November 1971, March 1972, May-June 1972 and October 1979. The following are excerpts from these trips ...
May 1971
My friend from America, Fenton Morehead, was with me as we carried the cross through the Catholic side of the battlefield. We saw two armored cars coming along the street. As the cars stopped, soldiers leaped out, deploying along the sidewalk, ready for action. Several grabbed us. One ordered, "Lay down that cross, you are going with us."
The young men in their camouflaged uniforms, trembling and clutching their rifles halfway pushed us into the armored car. Children from a nearby school began screaming and throwing rocks. Fenton and I were in a British armored car on the way to military headquarters.
One man who radioed ahead said, "We have those two priests."
So they know who we are. It was decision time now.
What was going to happen? The officer who met our armored car escorted us into the military building. There was a discussion for a few minutes, he then turned to us and said, "Reverend Blessitt, there has been a mistake, you are free to go.
"I beg your pardon," I said.
The officer repeated his words. The man who had brought us spoke up. "Sir, but we followed orders."
The officer in charge stopped him and they spoke again for a few moments. A group of soldiers gathered around looking at us. They seemed very surprised. Finally, the first officer who had spoken repeated that we were free to go.
"But, why were we arrested?" I asked.
"We are now all aware of who you are."
"But, I don't know the way back to my cross."
He turned and gave an order and the same two armored cars that had brought us here, drove us back. The troops talked to us and we shared with them about Jesus. Before we got out we had a prayer and passed Jesus stickers around, which they stuck on their gun butts.
As we leaped out of the vehicle children immediately surrounded us. They had gathered around the cross to protect the cross. We had been taken away, but we had now returned. We were heroes to the children and preached Christ to them.
As Fenton and I walked along the street with the cross, a man stepped up and, in a clear, firm voice said, "We have been watching you. Don't cross that intersection or you'll die. You'll never come back alive." He was trembling in anger.
"Jesus loves you," I said, offering him a Bible.
"You've been warned. Just don't cross over."
He turned and walked away quickly. Fenton and I looked at each other. We had agreed to make a large circle around the troubled area, and there was no turning back. We had agreed to take care of each other's family if either one of us died. We knelt and prayed together. We had undertaken a mission and it lay before us. We had to go on.
Another time a man stepped up to Fenton and me and said, "Don't go back into the troubled area or you'll need this." He handed us three nails each. Fenton threw his away almost immediately, but I kept mine as a souvenir.
We set up the cross in the middle of the peace line. Fenton and I were going to fast and pray for 24 hours. On one side of us was the Protestant area, and on the other was the Catholic side. In between were the British troops in pillboxes. There was barbed wire and barricades. At a quarter to midnight we heard sounds of singing, then saw three elderly ladies and an old, tall man zigzagging through the barbed wire and barricades. They were coming toward us. They were from a group called 'Christians in Action' and were singing the wonderful song written by Audrey Meyer, "His Name is Wonderful". The words echoed through the night. Fenton and I, on that war torn night, threw off the blankets we were wrapped in and with no introduction, joined that little group. We formed a circle lifting our hands toward heaven, and joined in singing, "He is the mighty King, Master of everything, His name is wonderful, Jesus my Lord."
We were all crying. Our voices were off-key, but the beauty was beyond words. It seemed as though the angels were singing with us.
A small group of people gathered on the Protestant side and on the Catholic side, and a few of the British troops stepped out of their pillboxes, jeopardizing them selves to sniper fire. The war didn't end, but at least for a moment there was peace! I could see the cross and a Catholic church in the distance, a cross on a Protestant church, and our cross in the middle. Three crosses in the midst of war. Something is wrong! In the midst of churches and crosses, we've lost the real Jesus in this land.
Block after block of buildings were blown up, riddled with bullet holes. Often you could hear bursts of gunfire.
"Are you a Protestant or a Catholic?" someone asked me.
"Oh, I'm for Jesus," I replied.
"Which side is He on?" they'd ask.
October 27, 1971 — It's my 31st birthday and the second day of a three-day fast in the middle of Belfast, praying for peace, love and forgiveness. I sat under the cross talking to the people that came by. All night I lay in blankets as the fighting went on around me.
Just before midnight two armored cars stopped and several young soldiers leaped out, their faces blackened, clutching rifles and machine guns. They all faced different in directions. Then, one of them ran up with his arms full of hamburgers and hot tea. I talked to them a few at a time as the others stood guard. They were risking their lives to bring us food. I prayed no sniper's bullets would shatter their kindness. They waited for me to eat. I was on my second day of the fast, having only had water to drink. How could I violate that? "What would you do, Jesus?".
"I'd eat it," I felt Him reply. I ate and then I had prayer with the soldiers at the back door of their armored car. This was my birthday in the battlefield, which was typical of my life. But there was no place I'd rather be than in the will of God and, after all, who ever gets a birthday dinner with people risking their lives tobring it to you. Oh, I pray for peace.
1972
I carried the cross in Northern Ireland for 40 days. Carried the cross and preached in every town with over a thousand people in it. It was a glorious and powerful time.
One morning as I was carrying the cross through Belfast's city center a car stopped me just before I got to a bridge in the downtown area. The young man behind the wheel leaned toward me and asked me to speak to his mother-in-law about Jesus. She sat in the front seat next to him. I shared with them the good news of Jesus Christ and then told her I 'd like to pray for her to receive Jesus.
She shook her head no, "I don't need that. I don't believe in that."
Just then a tremendous car bomb exploded. The shattering concussion threw me headfirst into the car, halfway into the woman's lap. She threw her arms around me. "Pray, pray! I want Jesus. I believe." So, with me in her lap, we prayed and she gave her heart to Jesus. The Lord had saved her and had protected me. If I had continued walking I would have been among those who were blown up.
I crossed the bridge and the scene was horrible. Parts of bodies were lying all over the street. One person was killed and many critically injured. Rescue workers arrived on the scene at the same time I did. The first moment I just stood there, letting all the horror of these crying people sink into my mind. People were running about looking for members of their families. They were bleeding and staggering. There I was, with the cross, face to face with exploding bombs, blood and war. Tears poured down my cheeks. I leaned the cross against a building and went into the tragic scene seeking to minister first aid and the hope of Christ in a troubled country.
I was invited to meet with the IRA in a "no-go area" in Belfast. I was led to the hidÂden meeting place. We walked through dark buildings, then into a big room that was like a bar. Men and women were drinking and listening to live music. Once inside I was taken into another room where I stayed, sharing Christ with several of the top IRA leaders. Finally, the leaders asked me to speak to the entire group. I stood in the smoke-filled room with about 150 IRA gunmen and car bombers. I preached to them about Jesus, pleaded for love, forgiveness and repentance. When I finished, they applauded and wanted me to come over to their individual tables. As I left they said. "Don't fear preacher. You are safe in Ireland. Everyone loves you, even the Protestants."
I first met Billy Graham in the spring of 1971 in Vero Beach, Florida. He invited me to spend a day with him talking and praying. My friend from Miami, Fred Roach, had flown me in his plane to meet Billy and his wife, Ruth. This was the beginning of a relationship based on love and respect.
Billy Graham wanted to come to Northern Ireland in May of 1972. He called for me to take him on the streets of the city in a battle area so he could meet the people. I agreed, on the condition that the news media not be alerted until after we had completed our walk. We had fellowship and prayer on Saturday, May 27.
What a team! Only his private photographer came along with us. What a day with the crusade evangelist, Billy Graham, with the street evangelist, Arthur Blessitt.
He was given a supply of little red Jesus stickers that you could peel off and stick on. He pulled off the one I stuck on him to see what it read. He softly read the words, "God Loves You", and smiled, then stuck it back on himself rather low, just about stomach level.
"Oh, no! No!" I said. "Don't put it there."
"Why not?"
"Because if you get shot at by a sniper, they'll use that red dot as a target. If you get hit, it'll take you all day to die, but if you put it here," I said, pointing to his heart, "you'll go just like that," and snapped my fingers.
He grabbed the sticker and stuck it over his heart. It stayed there all day. Soon, Billy Graham was feeling at home, putting Jesus stickers and gospel tracks in the pillboxes of the British troops, speaking to them about Christ and walking along the streets.
Around 10:00 a.m. I heard a shout, "Hey, preacher! Come over here and preach to us. It's Sunday morning and we're all inside."
I looked over and saw an old bombed out building. Inside was an illegal bar with about 45 people drinking and smoking, their tables covered with empty beer bottles. "I want you to meet Billy Graham," I said. Most of them knew who Billy Graham was, and they all stood up and shook his hand. I turned to Billy and said, "I know this is not a regular type crusade for you to preach, but I'd like to give you the opportunity to preach to these men."
He laughed and replied, "Oh, no, no, Arthur. You go ahead. This is more your style. I want to hear you preach ...I'll pray."
Just as I was about to begin, an old drunk yelled out, "Preacher. I want to sing a song before you preach. It's a gospel song." "Okay," I answered.
He began to beat rhythmically on the table, and then in his drunken voice began to sing "Devil Woman," not quite a George Beverly Shea song. It wasn't really a gospel song, but an old country song that was from the man's heart. It started off this offbeat Sunday morning in style.
After the singing, I read from John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
When I finished preaching, everyone in the bar applauded. Afterwards I said a prayer and invited everyone who wanted to receive Jesus to pray along with me. It was an indescribable situation. It was certainly memorable, Billy Graham in an illegal bar on Sunday morning in the heart of war-torn Belfast.
"Billy," I said with a smile as we left, "maybe you could get George Beverly Shea to sing that song, 'Devil
Woman', in one of your crusades." We laughed as we started along the streets again.
Billy and I knelt to pray in the middle of the barbed wire and barricades at the Peace Line. Troops and pillboxes... our hearts were broken with the war, yet here were God's servants in the midst of the conflict, seeking to change hearts and hold forth hope, love and good news.
From the Protestant side we met a man on the street, and as Billy started to share with him about receiving Jesus, the man said to us, "Well, if I ever met Billy Graham I think I'd get saved. He's the only one that gets to me. I'd like to meet him."
I spoke up. "Sir today is your day of salvation. I want you to meet Billy Graham."
Billy took off his hat and sunglasses. The man fell under deep conviction. It was so glorious to see Billy kneel with a man and see the man converted to Christ. It was a wonderful moment.
I was carrying the cross in Belfast during the long war. A teacher and her class saw one of her young boys wearing a Jesus sticker. She thought it would give a good witness to her class, so she asked, "What is that?"
"Oh, it's a wee badge."
"Well, where did you get it?"
"The man stuck it on me."
"What was the man doing?" she pressed.
"Dragging half of a barricade down the road."
* * *
The war did not end because of my five trips through the troubled land, but we were obedient to the call of God. I preached all over Northern Ireland in every major town and city.
It was a wonderful place where one day I do believe love will prevail and peace will be a reality where the sounds of the street will be of children playing and lovers walking hand-in-hand. Not the sound of bombs and hands clutched in strife. The words of the angels at the birth of Christ still produce hope. "Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace and good will toward men."
Again I returned to preach several rallies and carry the cross in 1979.
How wonderful to be with the beautiful people again.
A pilgrim follower of Jesus,
Arthur Blessitt
Luke 18:1
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"...is a 1999 film based on the memoir of the same title by Frank McCourt. It was directed by Alan Parker and starred Emily Watson, Robert Carlyle, Joe Breen, Ciaran Owens and Michael Legge (the latter three playing the Young, Middle and Older Frank McCourt respectively).
This film was co-produced by Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios, co-owners of the film's international theatrical distributor, United International Pictures. Further connections include Universal owning most pre-1950 sound features and five Alfred Hitchcock films originally by Paramount....
Angela's Ashes (trailer)
"Life in impoverished Depression-era Ireland holds little promise for young Frank McCourt, the oldest son in a tightly knit family. Living by his wits, cheered by his irrepressible spirit, and sustained by his mother's fierce love, Frank embarks on an inspiring journey to overcome the poverty of his childhood and reach the land of his dreams: America."
"Robin Mark - Days Of Elijah - slovenske titulky"
Robin Mark - Jesus, All For Jesus - With Lyrics
"This is a song from Robin Mark's Revival in Belfast Concert and the video is of Cochin Architect Association group on a trip to China and lyrics are displayed to learn this amazing song." "These are the days of Elijah, declaring the Word of the Lord; and these are the days of your servant Moses, righteousness being restored; and though these are the days of great trials, of famine and darkness and sword, still we are the voice in the desert crying �Prepare ye the way of the Lord�. Behold He comes riding on the clouds, shining like the sun at the trumpet call; lift your voice, it's the year of jubilee, out of Zion's hill salvation comes.... What Are We Singing: The Days of Elijah
Eva Marie Everson
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer "Days of Elijah
In the mid-90s Robin Mark wrote and recorded a song that would make him as well-known in the churches of the United States as he already was in the U.K. The Belfast, Northern Ireland native believes (as I believe) that the Old Testament stories are as relevant today in what they can teach us as they were when they were experienced and, subsequently, first told.
Having watched a television special that included footage about the Rwandan civil war, Mark wondered if God were truly “in control.” He prayed and waited for God’s reply, which was that yes! He was very much in control. But these were also days when we, as Christians, needed to have the boldness of Elijah… to declare the words of the Lord in a world and to a people who have sought after other gods… other means of worship....
*see GoodnewsEverybody.com Music-Hymns, Praise, Worship, etc...
More songs: Blessed Be Your Name - Robin Mark, from youtube.com
Blessed Be the Name (Karaoke version)
"
a Revival in Belfast song by Robin Mark-one of my favority praise and worship album!"
These are part of the lyrics from one of my favorite songs in this Album...
*I used to have this music tape, which was given to me as a gift from a older fellow brother in Christ. It was such a blessing to bring to my Trip to the Philippines in 2001, which I continued to play this along the 11 hour drive from Manilla to a rural province town. Unfortunately, it got played too much and it broke!
Robin Mark Lyrics
"Robin Mark Revival lyrics" from lyricstime.com 1 The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores rejoice.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes on every side.
4 His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory. -
Psalm 97:1-6
"ULSTER, NORTHERN IRELAND (ANS) -- After leaving school at 15 with no qualifications, Kenny McClinton worked first as a laborer, then a Merchant seaman, before joining the British Army in 1972.
From there, he said he �drifted quite naturally� into the Protestant Ulster Defense Association (UDA).
"Because of my violent nature and my previous British Army training, I was promoted to First Lieutenant of an active service unit within a mere three weeks,� McClinton told Inspire Magazine.
He said, �It wasn�t long before I �graduated� to the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), an even more militant and much feared Protestant terrorist group. �It was at this time, I am ashamed to say, that I shot and killed two men and attempted to murder a number of others.�
McClinton told Inspire Magazine that after a major bombing campaign, he spent two weeks drinking hard.
He said, �I remember waking up one morning feeling disgusted with what I had become - a terrorist murderer. For some reason I prayed, �I am tired of my life. Please help me to have a new start.��
The following Mon. morning, Aug. 29 1977, he was arrested, questioned for five days and charged with two counts of murder and a number of other terrorism charges.
"I obviously did not relish losing my freedom, but in some ways it was a relief because I knew there was no other way but death in which I could get out of the life I was living as a terrorist,� McClinton told Inspire Magazine. �I was trapped by my reputation and what my fellow terrorists expected from me.�
Even in prison his militant tendencies continued. Dubbed �that maniac McClinton� by prison staff, Inspire said that McClinton was one of the original instigators of the �Loyalist Blanket Brigade,� who refused to wear prison clothes and follow prison rules.
To help the time pass more quickly while he was in solitary confinement, McClinton started reading the Bible.
"I found I quite enjoyed all the stories in the early chapters of the Bible. I could closely relate to the whole tribal attitudes and nomadic experiences; the wars; the plots; the political intrigue,� he told Inspire.
McClinton was eventually given two life sentences and sent to the Maze Prison where he studied the New Testament in his Bible readings. �Things were never quite the same after that,� he said.
A new start was ahead for McClinton, when on Aug. 12 1979 he fell down on his knees in his cell, crying out to God in repentance.
He had read that one of the conditions of becoming a true Christian was a public profession of his faith, so he called for a �meeting� with some of his fellow Blanket Protesters.
Inspire said that McClinton told them, �Today I have taken the most important step of my life. I have renounced violence. I have repented of my sins. I have asked Jesus Christ into my life and to save me - and I believe he has saved me.�
He added, �From this day forth I cease to be a Military Commander of the UFF, and wish only to be a mere volunteer in the army of the Lord Jesus Christ. I will seek to serve him to the best of my ability."
Inspire wrote that when McClinton first went into prison he was semi-literate. After becoming a Christian, he took various courses and gained a degree in criminology and the social sciences. Since leaving prison in 1993 he has gained a Master�s Degree in Theology, a Ph.D. in Philosophy and a second Doctorate in Literature.
He was ordained as a pastor in an international missions ministry, Moments of Faith International, based in Texas, USA in 1995, and formed the Ulster/American Christian Fellowship Ministry. He attends, and sometimes ministers at, his local Baptist church in Portadown.
According to Inspire, employment experts have deemed McClinton �unemployable,� as a result of his high political profile and the way in which he has spoken out against both terrorist violence and state oppression.
Over the past decade, Inspire said that McClinton and his family have endured death threats, slander and barely enough money to make ends meet - yet God has always supplied their needs.
Inspire wrote that the former �maniac McClinton� is now a living testimony to God�s transforming power. "
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