A NINETY FIVE YEAR OLD STREET EVANGELIST-WOW

This afternoon I met Mr Rowland Todd, an elderly, ninety five year old gentleman, from the Shankill Road, giving out Christian booklets in High Street, Holywood. The booklet he gave me was: 'Heaven- Home of many Mansions' , written by another Belfast man, the late Ernest Allen- an evangelist I had met over thirty years ago. Today I was privileged to hear a little of Mr Todd's story. He described to me how, at the tender age of fourteen, he had been arrested and sent to Borstal for three years, then on his release in 1940, he immediately joined up to fight for king and country in the Second World War. When the war ended he got married and in 1952 he gave his life to the Lord shortly after seeing the text on a Brethren church notice board, which read: 'Prepare to meet your God'. He told me that when he saw it, he said to himself: I survived the war and now God is going to take me. With the help of his wife he asked God to save his soul and make him a follower of Christ. Later he went on to become a Pentecostal pastor on the Shankill Road in Belfast. Though retired from being a Pastor many years ago,at ninety five years old, he still tramps the streets giving out tracts and proclaiming the love of Christ to lost sinners. I salute such a man who, to use his own words, would consider himself a deserter if he were to stop going out into the highways and byways. In our short conversation he often referred to the Lord as the Captain of his salvation.The testimony of this old Christian soldier reminded me of the hymn of Charles Wesley which very obviously typifies his life.

1.A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.

2.To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill:
Oh, may it all my powers engage
To do my Master’s will!

3.Arm me with jealous care,
As in Thy sight to live;
And O Thy servant, Lord, prepare
A strict account to give!

4.Help me to watch and pray,

And on Thyself rely,

Assured, if I my trust betray,

I shall forever die.

ST PATRICK'S BREASTPLATE

I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this day to me for ever.
By power of faith, Christ's incarnation;
His baptism in the Jordan river;
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb;
His riding up the heavenly way;
His coming at the day of doom;*
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power

Of the great love of the cherubim;
The sweet 'well done' in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors' faith, Apostles' word,
The Patriarchs' prayers, the Prophets' scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord,
And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today

The virtues of the starlit heaven,
The glorious sun's life-giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea,
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today

The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward,
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,

The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility,
I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan's spells and wiles,

Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart's idolatry,
Against the wizard's evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave and the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,

The strong Name of the Trinity;
By invocation of the same.
The Three in One, and One in Three,
Of Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.