He employed builders and gave them instructions and specifications on how he wanted the castle built. After a while the builders presented him with some miscalculations in the building plans. He ignored them and told them to do as he'd said.
When the building was complete and the day arrived for the rich merchant, his family and entourage to move in with great pomp and ceremony, they found they couldn't live in the castle. What the builders tried to tell the owner was, he had not planned to fix the building to the rock bed at the top of the cliff. As a result the castle had shifted ominously close to the cliff edge, and with the movement of people in the castle the whole building could slide over and drop 150 metres into the sea.
So for 76 years no one lived in the castle except the birds, the swallows. So they named the place "Swallows Nest". In 1986 a company bought the place and fixed it to the rock. A few years ago during ministry in Ukraine, I visited this castle. My thoughts about that Russian merchant were, what a waste of time, energy and money. What a costly mistake building a castle and never living in it. There are multitudes making an even bigger mistake by not building their lives on the right foundation, or not building on any foundation at all.
Jesus finished his famous Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 7 verses 24-27, He said "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock …. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand …. And great was its fall".
Jesus was talking about human lives and the winds of this life that beat upon us all. If our lives are not built on an eternally solid foundation we won't survive the storms of life. Do you recall the words of the old hymn by Edward Mote, "On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand". Those words and that Foundation – still hold good for today. Without Christ as our eternally solid foundation, Saviour and Lord we will surely be swept away in life and eternity.
Crimea Swallows Nest with Rev Dr David Smethurst
Recent Ministry
I enjoyed ministering to The Bethel congregation in Vagnharad south of Stockholm, pastored by my friends, Ã…ke and Lise Wallman. St Luke's Anglican Church, Hawkinge, Kent hosted me for two Sunday morning services. The same Sunday evening the Deal Pentecostal Church, Kent was the venue for a wonderful time of worship and Holy Spirit ministry. I had a wonderful time of fellowship and ministry with the A10 Mission Fellowship in Hertfordshire – a group of people committed to missions and bringing people to Christ.
Latvia Military
The schedule intensely busy but extremely fruitful, with many of the troops at the Military Bases making a decision to receive Jesus and begin to follow Him. This was my thirteenth bout of this ministry to the Baltic Forces. In the last 4 years I've had the privilege to address about 18,000 troops where the Lieutenant-General originally gave me two mandates – "Prepare the troops for eternity, and help them solve the problems with their marriages and families."
The schedule started in Riga at minus 6 degrees and snow, to the Military Police who responded well to God's word through the seminar entitled "De-stressing your Relationships".
Then we drove 1.5 hours to the Cesis Instructor Base for a lecture to the new intake of officers. Then we drove to Valmiera to minister to the Valmiera Basketball Team, where Elmars, the military chaplain, is their personal chaplain. Through the seminars to the military, a ministry to the National Basketball League has opened up. That just has to be God opening up the doors into high places.
Then to Aluksne to be ready for an early start for a rousing seminar to the new military cadets. That Tuesday morning seminar was outstanding in attention and response. Early the next day we drove 2 hours west from Riga to lecture at the National Guard in Saldus.
We then drove west to Liepaja on the Baltic coast, to give a lecture to the Naval Force Unit on board a mine laying boat. The friendship I've developed with this base over the years lends itself to a growing confidence to open their hearts more to God and His will in their lives. The Thursday morning we drove north to Kuldiga to minister to the National Guard. After that we had a nail-biting rush back east to conduct an outreach seminar to the Air Force in Lielvarde.
Friday morning saw us ministering to the University basketball team, who showed great attention and respect. A deep work done in some hearts there .In the afternoon I conducted a seminar to the Transport Regiment at the Army HQ in Riga. On the Saturday morning I was privileged to conduct a seminar of 4 sessions to 120 needy men including a prison chaplain, pastors from various churches including a vibrant Lutheran pastor. The Sunday morning I enjoyed ministering at the Golgotha Baptist Church followed by a late morning service at Word of Truth Church. That afternoon I flew back to England to spend time with my family.
Cesis Miltary School
Ukraine and Latvia Orphanages
Zhitomir Orphans
This is 150 kms west of Kiev where we support 7 Orphanages with some very disadvantaged children and a Homeless Children's Centre. With very kind support we were able to provide for the children - new shoes, tracksuits, baby carriages, children's blankets with pillows and bedspreads.
The cold of winter extended into April and we were able to pay the heating bills. The children and the orphanage staff were thrilled. The need is still for many baby bottles, mattresses, track suits for the teens, shoes, medicines, vitamins, pampers, fruit and food. The team urgently needs a minibus to deliver the provisions to the orphanages, spread over a hundred kilometres distance.
Zhitomir orphans
Odessa Orphans
In this region our ministry supports a Homeless Children's Centre, Youth Sports Club and 10 Orphanages, and we were able to provide blankets, warm jackets, shoes and boots, medicines for the many sickly children, pampers for the physically disadvantaged, feeding programmes for the orphans and the staff of all the orphanages and for our faithful local teams who are all struggling at this time but keep on serving the orphans. The 150 homeless teenagers in the Youth Sports Club are still tense about the situation in nearby Crimea. Oleg, my manager has simply instructed them to stay calm and get on with their lives for Christ.
Latvian Orphans
We were able to provide clothes and shoes, underwear, mattresses, duvets, pillow cases, bed sheets and pillows to many of these orphanages.
Zhitomir orphans trying on shoes
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html