LIFE, GOOD NEWS, AND TEACHING
John 3:14-15 "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man - Jesus - must be lifted up, that everyone who looks to, believes in, him may have eternal life."
A FEW WORDS ABOUT MYSELF
When my father was on military service, during the Second World War, he ostensibly disappeared for almost a year - as he had warned us. Aged ten, I was praying The Lord's Prayer, and a childhood prayer for my family, when I became aware of a person in the room, and saw a bright column of light - in spite of the thick Blackout curtains. Although I was working on a copy of a Burne-Jones type of drawing of an angel, this was simply a column of light – not what I might have imagined. I heard a voice saying that on the following day we would receive a letter from my Dad. At half-past nine, I went outside to see my mother’s joy as she showed the letter to a neighbour. Later, my limited knowledge of probability reckoned that there was only one chance in about three hundred of the message coming true that day. It prevented me ever becoming “an honest atheist”.
One day, I read The Acts of the Apostles chapter 10. How the Holy Spirit fell on the household of a senior non-commissioned officer, and they spoke in tongues (unlearnt foreign languages). I thought: "I would like that;" and it happened to me, just briefly.
To put this message simply: we are easily proved to
be sinful people, deserving the anger and judgment of a God who loves us; and
justice. Jesus the Messiah died for us
on the cross, taking the punishment for all our sins; He rose from the dead and
was seen by many people, who were honest, and prepared to die for preaching
this Good News. We receive forgiveness,
eternal life, and access to God the Father by trusting Jesus to save us: best
expressed in a prayer asking Jesus to save us.....
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Ephesians 1:7
I would like to hear from visitors to my Blog site - what use you make of the Blogs, and something about yourself. Can you please help me to reach more people in more countries!
SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY/HOUSE GROUPS
1. Each member to have printed copy of the notes - suitable for the first meeting or so
2. Members to be asked for their own thoughts on the subject to be studied, and to read Bible references, and the next part of the notes
3. Ask for any interesting experiences, which are related to the subject
4. Encourage any quiet participants to take part, if appropriate
5. The Leader should try to retire into the background
6 Announce the title in advance of the meeting, if possible
DETAILED NOTES ON THE GOOD NEWS, EVANGELISM AND EVANGELISTS
[2099 Strong, euaggelistes, yoo-ang-ghel-is-tace, a preacher of the gospel - an evangelist; euangelizomai, to proclaim the good news; euangelion, the good news; proeuanglizomai, to proclaim the good news beforehand.] Double gamma in Greek is sounded as ng.You will note that they spoke within the context of their particular hearers,
were well briefed, and informed (researched).
See also Romans 10:8-13; 2 Timothy 2:8; and Hebrews 6:1-2.
18. An experience of the Holy Spirit - sealing, down payment, baptism in the Spirit, accompanied by some outward and obvious sign. This is not an optional extra!
19. Water baptism by immersion
THIS IS THE DEFINITION OF TRUE CHRISTIANITY.
Christians are not saved because they are good: they are good because they are first saved.
Here is a simple diagram which can be enlarged and printed. It forms an exercise for you to complete!
How do we witness? Even Canon David White was often
perplexed, even though he saw many miraculous events. This quotation holds the
answer:
As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those
who bring good news!”
Canon David White (cf St Andrew's Chorleywood, Archive) stresses the main meaning of Sanctification: the continuing work of the Holy Spirit after Conversion; but there is, I think, this special setting apart as the Spirit vitally leads us to faith in the Saviour.
Ladies are particularly mentioned apropos this gift: Psalm 68:11 The Lord gives the word [of power]; the women who be but there is, I think, this special setting apart as the Spirit vitally leads us to faith in the Saviour.
POST CONVERSION CARE
1. Talk to God our Heavenly Father about
everything – “casting all your care
on him, for he cares for you”. Prayer
2. Have regular times of reading the Bible –
keep a chart to make certain you read the whole book. Start in several places,
to have a ‘balanced diet’. Learn key passages by heart, as the first Christians
did. Psalm 117 is a good place to start – the shortest Psalm.
3. Remember Jesus death in taking ‘bread
and wine’ – food and drink; prayerfully.
4. Find a good church: Bible believing, and
where you can serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here is the Lord Jesus Christ's summary, just prior to the Ascension:
Luke 24:44-49
“This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Gerhard Friedrich writes of Jesus: "His whole life was proclamation of the gospel." Paul is the main user of the term "good news". It is "absolute": the only good news, and an observation with which his readers would be so familiar, as to require no further definition.
"The imperial cult [Emperor worship in the Roman Empire] and the Bible share the view that accession to the throne, which introduces a new era and brings peace to the world, is a gospel for men." (p 725, Vol 2, Kittel) In the New Testament the Lord Jesus is the content of the message, elsewhere this would only be found in the imperial cult.
2 Corinthians 5:19-21 (19) For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. (20) We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, "Be reconciled to God!" (21) For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
A good exercise is to list the points of departure, or common ground, in Scripture (mainly in Acts), and in our own and contemporary experience.
Matthew: 4:23-25, 11:5, 9:35-38, 11:5, 28:18-20
[1] MY REPORT ON A LATEST MISSION VENTURE
- Are you over 21? [I skip this one, if the answer is obvious!]
- Did you have Religious Education lessons at school? [Surprisingly, most East Europeans and Albanians did.]
- Do you have a Bible, which you can read easily? [If not, I have bought £200’s worth of Good News Bibles from the Bible Society - on condition that I give them away. An Albanian New Testament for an ice cream man was rather expensive – you can guess his token of thanks.]
- Do you have any questions about religion? [The idea here is to leave the door open for further discussions.
Some people like to claim that they are neither Atheists nor Evangelical
Christians – they are sitting on the fence; I told one man, “There is no fence!”
It is like: “Have you claimed the £1 million you have won on the Lottery?” “No, I’m sitting on the fence.”
Two good questions
1.
Are you
certain you are saved, and going to Heaven?
2.
If
someone asked you, “How do I become a Christian, now?” what would your answer
be?
CAUGHT OUT
My friend John Isherwood knew that I valued the book:”The Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul”, so he kindly presented me with his copy. The author, James Smith FRS, was an accomplish yachtsman, who lived at the end of the time when merchant ships were powered by sail – he held conversations with sea captains before writing his book.
And so I found myself on a flight to Malta. The leader of our foursome believed in arriving at checkout at the last moment – hence, we were spread out down the aircraft. I was by the aisle of the Boeing 737, next to a tall young chap, whose wife had the window seat. In our conversation I explained to him the research of James Smith into Paul the apostle’s shipwreck on Malta, fully supporting Luke’s description in the Book of Acts. There is a large bay named after the apostle, a huge statue, a church on the site of the famous bonfire, and an impressive annual celebration of the event – which we attended.
“You must have a high regard for the Bible,” came at the end of my “lecture”.
“Yes, it’s like the Instrument Panel of an aircraft, in a way.”
“What sort of work do you do?”
“I’m a Junior Officer on the Irish Ferries;” so much for my chat about a sea voyage!
[On the return flight, similarly, the gentleman in the next seat told me: The last time I flew over Trieste (as we were doing) I was in the rear gun turret of an air force Halifax heavy bomber.]
WITNESS FOR THE DEFENCE
Rebecca Pippert had taken her seat on the flight. A quick prayer apropos talking about Jesus to the lady in the next seat: Sue loved travel and meeting new cultures too. But a conversation stopper was that Sue was fluid about gender - "If I want to be a man on Monday, and a woman on Wednesday, who cares?" She believed in Karma, but thought the World was falling apart, it's a mess. People either need recovery programmes for addictions, or psychological therapy for being wounded. "Who in the World has the power to heal the heart?"
Rebecca told how she had come from Agnosticism to becoming a Christian.
At luggage retrieval: "Becky, I am embarrassed to say this, but if I emailed you, would you write back?" Then the real witness for the Lord Jesus Christ began.
[pages 24 and 25, "Idea" magazine, and Rebecca Pippert's book, "Stay Salt"]
If there is truly a Divinity, then He is greater than the Cosmos and the complexity of Genetics. We are wise to respect such a Person, and find out what He has communicated to us in the Scriptures of Jews and Christians. To believe that the Big Bang and Evolution created all from nothing - all the energy, matter and information, is to believe in convenient fairy tales.
[4] USEFUL PARABLES
The Story of a Toy Yacht
In a fishing town, a small boy built a fine model yacht, with a little help from his Dad. He sailed it on the sea: from the sands, or from the steps of the harbour: using a ball of strong cord, to prevent its loss. One sad day, however, it somehow came loose,, and he lost his prized possession. Three months later he saw it being offered for sale, in a second hand shop in the high street. The shopkeeper told him it would cost him £25 GBP, but he would reserve it until the boy had found enough money.
When eventually he regained his boat, he reflected: "Its mine, because I made it, and also because I paid the price for it."
The two factors governing the sailing of yachts are: the keel (stopping the vessel from keeling over), and the action of the wind in the sails: giving momentum. In the Believer's life, we have the power of the Holy Spirit, and the stabilizing effect of the Word of God.
Before leaving to start Post Graduate Studies, I attended a church and
heard Arnold Pickering, a Pharmacist, tell these two stories.
The Captain of a midget submarine led his two vessels out under
darkness. At a given point, he opened
the sealed orders. They were to anchor
precisely off the coast of Normandy, pointing on a bearing, and hoist two red
signal lights; he was so disappointing at such an innocuous mission! But, they
were the mooring lights for the huge Mulberry Harbour, which was ready to be
floated across the English Channel in the invasion, which would bring an end to
the Second World War.
Just think of all the letterboxes in your area awaiting a gospel leaflet.
Have you put money into evangelizing your family/street, village, town, state/county, yet?
Many Christians in sport give witness by pointing to Heaven in gratitude for success, or by crossing themselves.
“Cyrille was an outstanding footballer but much more importantly an outstanding man. His courage as one of the first famous high profile black footballers meant that he became a role model which has changed the canvass of professional football. His faith in Jesus Christ, which he arrived at after the death of his close friend Laurie Cunningham, became a fantastic encouragement to many elite sportspeople to consider their relationship with the God who gave them their talents. The man was a giant in his generation.”
Reggie White, of the Green Bay Packers in the NFL, had a similar dramatic effect - BOTH CHRISTIANS.
Neville Knox, one time Town Clerk/CEO of Harrogate (UK), a gifted
evangelist, recommended being familiar with the Sports Pages, if you wanted to
reach out to men.
Kirk Cameron is an American actor best known for his role as teen Mike Seaver in the US television sitcom Growing Pains (1985–1992), a role for which he won two People’s Choice awards and was nominated for two Golden Globe awards. Kirk’s acting career has included many subsequent TV roles and movies, including faith-based films such as the Left Behind series (2000–2005) and Fireproof (2008). To many, he is better known for his overt public stance on his Christian faith. See www.creation.com
[10] Santa Claus: an unusual way of telling the Christmas History and its meaning
"Chaplaincy brings a personal touch- people feel they can be listened to as individuals. If chaplaincy was established in every club, I believe it would be of huge benefit to the game as a whole"
It is always good to have a few stories ready, when starting a conversation.
THE STRANGE DEATH OF SOMERSET MAUGHAM
THE TYPING POOL
I was in the Typing Pool handing in some work. My job encouraged a discussion about all the evil in the World. Yes, I said, God would punish the wicked: Hell is for bad people and good people. Heaven is for perfect folk, like me! There were roars of laughter all round - perfectly forgiven through Jesus’s death on the Cross.
I worked with a man who was a famous rugby player and became a Head Teacher in a boys school in Batley, Yorkshire. He insisted on using the cane - in fact the boys called him: Instant Whipp. My friend Roger taught there. On one occasion he was faced with a case of caning a naughty fellow. "I will do a deal with you, if you will agree to it. I will take your place, and you can cane me." The boy relished the idea, and made the most of it! "Now, that is what Jesus did for all of us, when he died on the Cross of Calvary!"
The teacher had a chatterbox named Rodney Sugden - and a second caning was obviously going to be too much for him. His friend Arthur Milner said, "I spoke, Sir."
"No, you didn't. But will you take the cane for Rodney?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Will you let him, Rodney?"
"Oh, yes, Sir!"
The teacher then explained how Jesus took the "cane" for us all, so that we could be forgiven by God.
The story is told of a retreating SS Nazis Army Officer escaping from the Russian Red Army, towards the end of the Second World War: whilst hiding, he realised that the tattoo of his blood group under his armpit would give away his identity, and make him a target for torture and a cruel death. He took a pocketknife and carved away the tissue and the dangerous tattoo.
When the Rev Pat Ash was Vicar of Otley (featured in the soap "Emmerdale" as Hotten), he had a metre high banner along the railings of the church, in the main street: "This Church is for sinners only".
THE MAN WHO WAS “Q”
[15] Acts 1:8 encourages us to start where we are. Before supporting missionary work abroad, we should put money and effort, into reaching our own family.
By Julia Pascoe,
UK Director
“Hendon!” I exclaimed. “You’ve probably seen the shop where I work.”
“Which shop?” he asked.
“The Jews for Jesus shop.”
“Oh, that shop!” he exclaimed. “Hang on, I have to message my friend back home and tell him I’m talking with a Jew for Jesus!”
Resuming our chat, I asked him what he thought about Jesus.
“We know that Jesus was Jewish,” he said, “but what you believe is not true.”
I asked if he’d ever read what the Hebrew prophets wrote about the Messiah’s birth, life, death and resurrection. Our phones still charging, I asked him to read Isaiah 53 with me. He looked it up in Hebrew on his app, while I opened it in English.
Jacob read aloud, but I soon realised he was reading Rashi’s** comments from the Talmud, not the Hebrew Scriptures. (Rashi insists that the “he” in Isaiah 53 is Israel, while the prophet Isaiah clearly says in verse 5 that the servant is a person, not a nation.) I asked Jacob to put Rashi aside and read the text directly from his Tanakh (Hebrew Old Testament). Jacob paused at verse 5 where Isaiah says, “He would be pierced for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities…”
Jacob agreed that our sins have consequences. But he believes that we must deal with our own sin, that it is not God’s responsibility. I explained that only God can forgive us. Only He can rescue us from the punishment we deserve. Jacob strongly disagreed.
By 1 A.M. – and still no sign of boarding the plane – I decided to stay in Kiev and fly the next day. Jacob decided to stay at the airport and wait. He asked for my contact info so we could carry on our conversation. I gladly gave him my Jews for Jesus card!
I’m thankful that the Lord truly redeemed my time at the airport. Please pray that Jacob would consider the One of whom Isaiah spoke as we approach Passover, and that the Lord would redeem Jacob!
** Rashi is an acronym for Shlomo Yitzchaki, medieval French rabbi and author of commentaries on the Talmud and Tanakh.
HOT-CROSS BUNS When paying for a packet: The Cross means everything to me (explain). "The Cross" was shorthand in the New Testament for Atonement and Salvation.
6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Or this account of a meeting with Mormons: On the bus, I spotted two Mormon missionaries; one was witnessing to a lady sitting in front of us. (Shame on real Christians for not sharing their faith.) When the lady left the bus, the young fellow turned and started on me. Before he had said very much, I observed,
How do Muslims differ from Christians, they both have caused harm in the World, and both have a holy book? Currently it is the Islamists who are creating widespread murder and havoc in the name of their religion. The Qur’an is not an orderly book. The Medina and the Mecca halves are quite different in their ethos. It is quite a short book, and claims to have originated in Heaven; and yet there are about two hundred abrogations or internal corrections. Whereas the Bible contains hundreds of precise literary cross-references between writers: the Qur’an has only vague uses of recollections of stories and characters – hearsay: as Arab peoples would not have access to the text of the Jewish Bible, not being able to visit synagogues where copies were kept. There is the cheap trick of claiming that Christians and Jews degrading the text cause any differences – quite the opposite will become apparent on careful study. Much of Islamic practice does not come from the writings of the Prophet, but from the Hadith – parts of which were written 200 years after the Qur’an.
A JW gentleman called at our house, we had a sympathetic chat, and he left me their current "Watchtower" magazine. It was well produced, with promising arguments on finding "Truth". They still use the obsolete translation of the Divine Name YHWH, instead of the better "Yahweh". The article on God and Christ is blasphemous. Their age-old promise of a glorious Kingdom is misleading, damming, incomplete in Doctrine: with no discussion of Judgment, the Millennium, Salvation, Grace, Forgiveness and Atonement.
Those with weak or bad arguments will resort to attacking the character of their opponent, and perhaps using physical force. The accusation that Religions have caused wars may be dealt with by pointing out that Stalin and Hitler, etc have also caused wars and atrocities. Claiming to be against all religions, even counting Communism as a religion, needs to be addressing: philosophies, World Views, and Ideologies.
A neighbour, who is not yet a Christian, makes the point that God is Love; but overlooks the fact that He loves the World, and He loves Justice.
"Bridge Builders" encourage us to carry copies of the Gospels to hand out in our witness. Their help can be found via: www.bridge-builders.net
This very impressive DVD programme can be investigated at www.Vision of World Translation and The Story Behind God’s Story. This Web Site give exciting details, including the 300 languages it has been adapted to – my contact is Info@word.org.uk
[29] A powerful argument against the Gospel is the false idea that Science has disproved the Bible; I feel this in witnessing. Much of serious science is based on the assumption of an ordered Universe; many of the West's great scientists were Christians.
Here are two items offered to our Church Magazine:
RELEVANT
[30] ABBA
A common sensation was the rough stubble on his cheek, when as a child, my father and held me close - I had his ear.
“Why Trust the
Bible?”, Answers to 10 tough questions, Amy Orr-Ewing, IVF, UK, 2005 – 2014
Not liking the
title being seen on the table in my home, I blotted out the word “why”, and the
question mark: “Trust the Bible”; on the back of scrap paper used for jottings
were the words, “Commence today”, part of a commercial advert!
Amy mentions
this book in some of her brilliant lectures about defending the Faith. She is
an Oxford Graduate in Theology, works with the Oxford Centre for Christian
Apologetics, and her husband is an Anglican Vicar.
There was an
abundance of copies on the eBay shopping site: probably because of her sometimes
academic, theologian’s language, but it is really a ‘page turner’, and
well-worth possessing for its listing of New Testament ancient manuscripts, and
comparisons with other well-accepted pieces of ancient classical literature, in
addition to contemporary writers’ mentions of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ
– such as Tacitus, Suetonius, and Josephus.
There are also
useful succinct passages looking at Islam, Hinduism, brutal wars in the Old
Testament, and attitudes to current sexual matters and secular opinions.
The book closes
in chapter 10 with fascinating details from her family’s experiences, and an
encouragement to enter into a personal relationship with a loving Heavenly
Father.
Please pray regularly for this brave and valuable work!
[32] POSTERS Many church buildings are by main roads or thoroughfares, and so have a first class opportunity to hold forth the Word of God in poster form – often to thousands of people a day. Posters come in many forms; the simplest are illustrated – from the Trinitarian Bible Society.
An extension of this, is to carry a banner, or poster on a board mounted on a pole, through the community, from time to time. This was done by someone through the university; the Theology Professor reckoned they changed the Gospel poster to "Be sure your sins will find you out!" when they approached his department. A man carried a poster at a race meeting, and for many years it appeared on the news introduction on television. For a cost, posters can be displayed on railway platforms, or bus sides. If the banner is large, Police permission may be required.
Quoted in the reverse order by Rev Rob Frost. "Sharing Jesus in a New Millennium". SU. UK. 2000.
[36] Old Age and Incapacity
It is said that Smith Wigglesworth, in his aged years, used to occupy a seat at a local bowling green to engage folk in spiritual conversation.
A dear local lady witnessed to fellow residents in the Residential Home, and led several to salvation in Christ. An elderly business man, Donald Daisley, in Leeds, always travelled First Class, because he saw a need to have a witness there.
Psalm 92:14 They will still bear fruit in old age…
[37] Bible read by David Suchet - GB£39.99 from church bookshops, or Amazon
New Living Translation - from Moody Bible Institute
Internet Daily Bible Readings by Nicky Gumble of Holy Trinity Brompton (the home of "Alpha").
Counties UK, and their Neighbourhood Chaplains
Kensington Temple (Elim)
HOPE publishing
Derek Prince Ministries, also on YouTube. Derek was wonderfully blessed in Teaching, and in most of the miraculous Gifts – so had a wide experience.
Bridge Builders - PTL.org.uk - handing out the Scriptures
Ffald-y-brenin This remarkable visitation of God and spiritual work in west Wales,UK, is worth looking into. www.ffald-y-brenin.org
Most have web sites and helpful office staff.
A BOOK REVIEW
Taking questions from the listeners draws people into the group.
ANOTHER STRANGE WAY TO TELL OTHERS
An important article by David Garrison – taken from the highly respected Evangelical Alliance by-monthly magazine IDEA, July/August 2015, page 30.
[41] Evangelists advise
(From Jews for Jesus)
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[44] The Ascension
The Ascension was a most significant and awesome event.
John 12:16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
John 14: 2-4 "In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
John 14: 12, 28; 16:12; 17:5
John 16:28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
John 17:11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.
John 17:13 I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.
John 20:17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”
Acts 1:1-2 I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
Acts 1:9-11 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:22 "Beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
[The sending of the Holy Spirit was proof that the Saviour had Ascended to the Throne of Heaven.]
Titus 3:3-8 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone
Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
Also Hebrews 8:1 ff,
Hebrews 9:24 For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.
Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The whole Book of Revelation portrays Christ in Glory: ready to return to Earth at His Second Coming – which Muslims , incidentally, believe in.
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
A common graphic illustrating the Theology of
Trinity
After a Trinity Sunday morning service, at which I
had taught on this topic, an eminent lady shared the relief she felt, that I
said that most of us find it a difficult concept.
One is advised not to try analogies to explain the
triune Divinity who is one. They invariably
result in heresy. Private insights are
best kept private.
The main Scriptures are: Genesis 1:1, and 26;
Genesis 18:1-15; Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14
Humans are made in the “image of God” and we are
tripartite: “Let us make man in our image.” (Genesis 1:26);
1Thessalonians 5:23 “May
God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole
spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The word for God in Genesis 1:1 is Elohim – a plural noun signifying
thee or more (there is a form for dual).
Newberry computes that the Hebrew word occurs about 2,500 times, and “frequently
occurs with adjectives, pronouns, and verbs in the plural.”
God appears
to Abraham represented as three beings in Genesis 18:1 ff. 1 The LORD appeared
to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance
to his tent in the heat of the day. 2
Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he
hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
In the Great Commission, one Name includes the thee Persons: Matthew
28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
The
Apostolic Blessing: May the grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be
with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
In the spirit realm, one being
can have a plural manifestation also: the unclean spirits in the demoniac: Mark
5:9, 'Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My
name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”'
Even the pagan King of Nineveh knew of the Triune
God, through the preaching of Jonah bringing a message from Elohim. (Jonah 3:8-10)
Every use of the noun Elohim indicates
the tripartite Godhead.
The Eternal Divinity of the Lord Jesus the Messiah
and the Holy Spirit are firmly linked to this subject. Our Lord’s full title in the NT is THE LORD
JESUS CHRIST; Christ is actually a title: The Christ - Messiah, the Anointed,
King, Emperor, and Caesar. “Lord” is
therefore Divinity – God, Deity.
A List of Scriptures
partly taken from T. C. Hammond’s, “In Understanding be Men”, looking at
various aspects: plurality, persons, and relationships.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God (plural – three or more) created (as one single
act) the heavens(the two) and the earth (single).
Genesis 1:26 Then God said,
“Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds
of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures
that move along the ground.”
Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, “The man has now become
like one of us, knowing good and
evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree
of life and eat, and live forever.”
Genesis 18:1 and 2, The LORD appeared
to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance
to his tent in the heat of the day.
Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them,
he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the
ground.
Exodus 31:3, ... and I (YHWH) have filled him with the Spirit of God,
with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts ….
Exodus 35:31 … and he (YHWH) has filled him with the Spirit of God
(Elohim), with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel:
The LORD (YHWH) our God (Elohim),
the LORD (YHWH) is one.
Judges 13:25 ff … and the Spirit of the LORD
(YHWH) began to stir him (Samson) while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between
Zorah and Eshtaol.
1 Samuel 10:10 When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him (King
Saul); the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their
prophesying.
Psalm 104:30 When you send your (addressed to YHWH my
Elohim) Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of
the earth.
Psalm 110:1, (the whole Psalm, in fact)
The LORD says to my Lord (in the NT this is shown to be the
Father speaking to the Son):
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”
Proverbs 30:4 c (Talking of God) What
is his name, and the name of his son?
Tell me if you know.
Isaiah 6:3 and 8, And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of
his glory.”
Then I heard the voice of the Lord (Elohim) saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
7:14, Therefore the Lord (Elohim) himself will give you a sign: The
virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him
Immanuel (God with us).
9:6, For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be
on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,
Peace. Mighty
God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
11:1-4, A shoot will
come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the LORD
will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of
understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and
of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what
he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give
decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth
with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
35:4 c-6 a “Be strong, do not fear;
your God (Elohim) will
come,
he will come with
vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout
for joy.
42:1, “Here is my servant, whom I
uphold,
my chosen one in whom I
delight;
I will put my Spirit on him
and he will bring justice to the nations.”
48:16, “Come near me and listen
to this:
“From the first
announcement I have not spoken in secret;
at the time it happens, I
am there.”
And now the Sovereign LORD has sent me,
with his Spirit.
61:1, The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is
on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the
poor.
He has sent me to bind up
the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the
captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners.
63:10 ff 10 Yet
they rebelled
and grieved his (YHWH) Holy
Spirit.
So he turned and became
their enemy
and he himself fought
against them. ….
Jeremiah 7:11 (NT
Cleansing of the Temple) Has this house, which bears
my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! Declares the
LORD.
23:5-6, “The days are
coming,” declares the LORD,
“when I will raise up to
David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign
wisely
and do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah will be
saved
and Israel will live in
safety.
This is the name by which
he will be called:
The LORD (YHWH) Our Righteousness.
Ezekiel 3:14, The Spirit then
lifted me up and took me (Ezekiel) away, and I went in bitterness and in the
anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD
upon me.
11:24 and 25, The Spirit
lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by
the Spirit of God.
Then the vision I had seen
went up from me, 25 and I told the exiles everything the LORD had shown me.
37:1, The hand of the LORD
was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a
valley; it was full of bones.
Hosea 11:1, “When Israel was a child, I
loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.” Found as a NT
quotation as the Father speaking to the Son.
Joel 2:27-28, Then you will know that I am in Israel,
that I am the LORD your God,
and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.
“And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit
on all people.
Your sons and daughters
will prophesy …”
Micah 5:2, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among
the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over
Israel,
whose origins are from of
old,
from ancient times (margin,
from days of eternity).”
Zechariah 4:6, So he
said to me, “This is the word of the LORD
to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.
14:3-4 a, Then the
LORD will go out and fight against
those nations, as he fights in the day of battle.
On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of
Olives, east of Jerusalem …. (This links with Luke’s details of the Ascension)
Malachi 3:1-2, “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the
way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple;
the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.
Mal 3:2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he
appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.
Matthew 1:20, and 23, 20 But after he had
considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because
what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
23 “The virgin will be with
child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which
means, “God with us.” (Quotation from Isaiah 9:6)
2:11, On coming to the house, they saw the child with his
mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their
treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
2:15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what
the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (quote
from Hosea 11:1)
3:3, 11, 16-17, 29
3:3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in
the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the
Lord,
make straight paths for him.’ ” (Isaiah 40:3 has both YHWH, and Elohim)
11, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one
who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
16 – 17 As soon as Jesus was
baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he
saw the Spirit of God descending
like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son,
whom I love; with him I am well
pleased.” (The three persons of the
Godhead are clearly identified.)
4:1, Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be
tempted ….
8:26, He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so
afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was
completely calm. (This supernatural act
is attributed to YHWH in the following Psalms, and to Elohim also in the first
two: Psalm 65:7, 89:9, 107:29)
10:20 (notice the
particle ‘of’) Jesus said, “For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
12:18-21, 18 “Here is my
servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I
delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he
will not snuff out,
till he leads justice to victory.
21 In his name the nations
will put their hope.” (This passage from
Isaiah is spoken by YHWH)
12:28, But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then
the kingdom of God has come upon you.
14:33, Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
16:16, Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ (Messiah), the Son of
the living God.” – at Caesarea Philippi.
17:2, 5, 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face
shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.
5 While he was still
speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This
is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
18:20, For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with
them.”
22:43-45 (Jesus quoting Psalm 110 to the Pharisees), 43 He
said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him
‘Lord’? For he says,
44 “ ‘The Lord said to my
Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet.” ’
45 If then David calls him
‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”
24:36, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the
angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Jesus’s words)
28:18-20 (referred to
at the start) 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching
them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always,
to the very end of the age.”
Mark 1:10-12, As Jesus was coming up out
of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him
like a dove. And a voice came from
heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” At once the Spirit sent him out into the
desert.
3:11, 29, 11 Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell
down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”
:29 But whoever blasphemes
against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal
sin.”
Luke 1:32-33, 35, 43,
He will be great and will be called the Son of
the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and
he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
35 The angel answered, “The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow
you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
43 But why am I so favored,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
2:49, (Jesus, aged
12, in the Temple, speaking to Mary and Joseph) “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be
in my Father’s house?”
3:22 ...and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like
a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I
am well pleased.”
4:14, Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
4:17-19 (The reading
of Isaiah 61:1 in the Synagogue at Nazareth – see above)
17 The scroll of the prophet
Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the
poor.
He has sent me to proclaim
freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for
the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
9:35, A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son,
whom I have chosen; listen to him” (the Transfiguration).
24:49, I am going to send you what my Father has promised;
but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
(Jesus promising the Holy Spirit)
John 1:1-3, In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2
He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were
made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
1:14, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father,
full of grace and truth.
1:18, No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,
who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.
1:32-34, 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit
come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not
have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize
with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the
Son of God.”
3:34-35, For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God
gives the Spirit without limit.
The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.
The “I Am” sayings This is a reflection of the meaning of YHWH:
THE I AM; the Divine name of the OT.
6:35, Then Jesus declared, “I am
the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who
believes in me will never be thirsty. (Also: 6:32-33, 48, 51)
8:12, When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever
follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
(Also: 9:5)
10:7 and 9, Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in
and go out, and find pasture
10:11, and 14, “I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—
11:25, Jesus said to her, “I am
the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though
he dies;
14:6, Jesus answered, “I am the
way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me.
15:1, “I am the true vine, and my
Father is the gardener.
8:58, “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before
Abraham was born, I am!”
10:30, 36, I and the Father are one.”
What about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent
into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am
God’s Son’?
11:27, “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the
Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
13:3, Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under
his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
14:23-24, 26, 28, 23 Jesus
replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love
him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
24 He who does not love me
will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to
the Father who sent me.
26 But the Counselor, the
Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things
and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
28 “You heard me say, ‘I am
going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad
that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
15:26, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you
from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will
testify about me.”
16:13-15, But when he,
the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak
on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet
to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it
known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the
Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.
16:28, I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am
leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
17:1, 3-5, After Jesus
said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the time has come.
Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. Now this is eternal life: that
they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I
have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And
now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before
the world began.”
17:8, For I gave them the words you gave me and they
accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed
that you sent me.
17:11 and 12, I will remain in the world
no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy
Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and
kept them safe by that name you gave
me. (Cf Deuteronomy 28:58)
17:18, As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into
the world.
17:21-26, ... that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are
in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe
that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that
they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they
be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have
loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to
be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because
you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the
world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I
have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that
the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
John 20:28, Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Acts 2:33, Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the
Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
5:32, We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom
God has given to those who obey him.”
9:5, (Saul/Paul’s Heavenly call and vision)“Who are you, Lord?” Saul
asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.
10:38, … how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went
around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil,
because God was with him.
20:28, Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy
Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he
bought with his own blood.
26:15, “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.” (Cf, on the Road to Damascus)
Romans 1:4, Who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with
power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our
Lord.
8:9 (notice the
particle ‘of’), You, however, are
controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does
not have the Spirit of Christ, he
does not belong to Christ.
8:11, 16, and 34,
11 And if the Spirit of him
who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the
dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in
you.
16 The Spirit himself
testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
34 Who is he that condemns?
Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right
hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Romans 15:15-19, I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of
them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus
to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so
that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the
Holy Spirit.
17 Therefore I glory in Christ
Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what
Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what
I have said and done — by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of
the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully
proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
15:30, I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by
the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.
1 Corinthians 1:30, It is because of him [God] that you are in Christ
Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,
holiness and redemption.
1 Corinthians 2:10 - 16, but God
has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all
things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a
man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the
thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from
God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
This is what we speak, not
in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit,
expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them,
because they are spiritually discerned.
The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is
not subject to any man’s judgment: “For
who has known the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct him?”
3:23, you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
6:11, And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were
sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the
Spirit of our God.
8:6, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom
all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom all things came and through whom we live.
11:3, Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is
Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
12:3, And I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God
says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the
Holy Spirit.
12:4-6, There are
different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them
in all men.
15:24, Then the end
will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has
destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
15:27 and 28,
For he (Jesus) “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says
that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not
include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this,
then the Son himself will be made
subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
2 Corinthians 1:2, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ.
13:14, May the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you
all.
Ephesians 1:1, 4, 7,
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ
Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus,
the faithful in Christ Jesus:
4 For he [God] chose us in him [Christ] before the
creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
7 In him
we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance
with the riches of God’s grace
Ephesians 1:9 - 11,
And he made known to us the mystery of his [God’s] will according to his
good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the
times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on
earth together under one head, even Christ.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the
plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his
will,
Ephesians 2:18 and
22, For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
And in
him Jesus) you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 4:4-6, As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a
life worthy of the calling you have received.
Be completely humble and
gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Make every effort to keep
the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
There is one body and one
Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one
faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all
and in all.
4:30, And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom
you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Philippians 1:6 and
10,
6 being confident of this,
that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the
day of Christ Jesus.
10 so that you may be able to
discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,
2:5-11 with Isaiah
45:22-23,
Phil 2:5 Your attitude should be
the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Phil 2:6 Who, being in
very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
Phil 2:7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a
servant,
being made in human likeness.
Phil 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to
death—
even death on a cross!
Phil 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
Phil 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Phil 2:11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Isa 45:22 “Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all
integrity
a word that will not be
revoked:
Before me every knee will
bow;
by me every tongue will swear
3:3, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in
Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—
Colossians 1:15-23,
He (Jesus) is the image of
the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in
heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers
or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things
hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning
and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the
supremacy.
For God was pleased to have
all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things,
whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood,
shed on the cross.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because
of your evil behavior. But now he has
reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in
his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your
faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.
This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every
creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
2:9, For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in
bodily form,
3:3, For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ
in God.
2 Thessalonians 2:13,
But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God
chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
1 Timothy 1:17, Now to the King eternal,
immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 2:5, For there is one God and one mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus,
3:16, Beyond
all question, the mystery of godliness is great:
He appeared in a body,
was vindicated by the
Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the
nations,
was believed on in the
world,
was taken up in glory.
2 Timothy 4:1, In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living
and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this
charge:
Titus 1:1, Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of
God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—
2:13, while we
wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
3:4-6, But when
the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of
righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the
washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us
generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
Hebrews 1:2-6 (the whole chapter is relevant), In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the
prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has
spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom
he made the universe.
The Son is the radiance of
God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by
his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at
the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the
angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. For to which of the
angels did God ever say, “You are my Son;
today I have become your
Father’” ?
Or again,
“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son” ?
And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels
worship him.” (quotations from: Psalm 2:7; 2 Samuel 7:14; Psalm 104:4; Psalm
45:6; etc)
3:7, So, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
9:14, How much
more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to
death, so that we may serve the living God!
Hebrews 10:7-16 (selected; quoting Psalm 40:6-8),
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the
scroll—
I have come to do your will, O God.’ ”
9 Then he said, “Here I am,
I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second.
10 And by that will, we have
been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
12 But when this priest
[Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the
right hand of God.
13 Since that time he waits
for his enemies to be made his footstool, [Psalm 110]
14 because by one sacrifice
he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
15 The Holy Spirit also
testifies to us about this. First he says:
16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the
Lord.
I will put my laws in their
hearts,
and I will write them on
their minds.”
1 Peter 1:2 and 3, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and
sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter
1:10-12, Concerning this salvation,
the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently
and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to
which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings
of Christ and the glories that would follow.
It was revealed to them that they were not
serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been
told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent
from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
2 Peter1:1, 17 (above), and 21,
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through
the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as
precious as ours:
17 (Peter the Apostle,
reflects on his experience at the Transfiguration) For he (Jesus) received
honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the
Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well
pleased.”
21 For prophecy never had its
origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by
the Holy Spirit.
1 John 1:3, We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you
also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and
with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:4-5, John,
To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and
peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the
seven spirits before his throne, and
from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead,
and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
5:13, Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the
earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
“To him who sits on the
throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and
glory and power,
for ever and ever!”
7:17, For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he
will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their
eyes.”
12:10 a, Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power and the
kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ.”
21:22-23, I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God
Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
The city does not need the sun or the moon to
shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
22:1, and 3, 1 Then the angel showed
me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne
of God and of the Lamb.
3 No
longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in
the city, and his servants will serve him.
It is sometimes perplexing as to Whom we should be
praying to! But with careful prayer,
thought and study it will eventually become clear.
On which the Prince of Glory dy'd,
My richest Gain I count but Loss,
And pour Contempt on all my Pride.
2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the Death of Christ my God:
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his Blood.
3. See from his Head, his Hands, his Feet,
Sorrow and Love flow mingled down!
Did ever such Love and Sorrow meet?
Or Thorns compose so rich a Crown?
4. His dying Crimson, like a Robe,
Spreads o'er his Body on the Tree;
Then am I dead to all the Globe,
And all the Globe is dead to me.
5. Were the whole Realm of Nature mine,
That were a Present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my Soul, my Life, my All.
John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 8:42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me.
Galatians 4:4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,
Tit 2:13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
Hebrews 7:1-3 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.
Everything will be subjected to Him, Crowned with Glory and Honour, tasted death for everyone, brings many sons to Glory, perfected through suffering, rendered Satan's power over death powerless, a merciful and faithful High Priest,
48. AN INTERESTING STUDY OF THE WORD OF THE LORD, IN ACTS
Acts 8:25 When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
13:49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.
15:35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.
15:36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.”
16:32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.
19:10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
19:20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
[1 Peter 1:25 but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.]
49. Harry Brearley,
BEM
Harry's story written up by Douglas Wilkinson
In about 1960,
attending Bridge Street Church, in the centre of Leeds, I was concerned to
purchase a vehicle to use in open air preaching around Yorkshire, and to find
someone to teach me to drive; I praise the Lord that both were accomplished. Harry Brearley became a good friend and
driving instructor, and we worked together for many years.
When he was eighty-two,
we met in October 1986, at his home at Prestatyn, North Wales, to record his
autobiography, for the Cassette library I worked for as MD. We had not met for some twenty-two years.
The night before travelling, I noticed Psalm 66:16, “Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you
what he has done for me.” The very
quotation he normally chose to introduce his testimony - he needed little
prompting on this occasion. Although
limited in eyesight and mobility, he still witnessed on the beaches, in market
places and churches of the area. Often,
as he told this story, tears ran down his cheeks.
He was born in 1904, in a
rough quarter of Leeds, called “Little Hell”.
There was no school for him … and at the age of 12, he turned to crime,
caught by the police for petty theft, he was sent to a Reformatory School. It had little effect, and he was apprehended
for gambling in the street and swearing.
Court and a fine, led to bigger things.
He watched neighbours’ houses so that he could burgle them. People and the police were on the look-out
for him, and he hid in various lodging houses.
Finally, in 1922, it was a case of join the Army. The Yorkshire and Lancashire Regiment proved
too strict for Harry – so he robbed the canteen and went AWOL. With others he robbed a shop on Crown Point
Bridge, was arrested, sentenced to Armley Jail, before being transferred to a
military prison, and Discharge with Ignominy.
Even without a prison record, work was hard to find; home life was
miserable, not helped with his parents being Spiritists.
Again he joined the Army,
using his mother’s maiden name – the West Yorkshire Regiment. In trouble again he was placed in the very
hard York Prison. By using his brother’s
name, and a forged Birth Certificate, he yet again enlisted in the Army – the
Eighth King’s Irish Hussars, at Canterbury.
More trouble with the Police and a Discharge with Ignominy. In 1929 after much difficulty, he found work
with Leeds Cleansing Department emptying trash bins. His mother told him to find a girl and settle
down, so he drank in the “White Swan” pub, where all the lads and lasses
went. Here he met Clara Winifred – Clara
one night to his mum, Winifred the next night.
Father was sent to spy on her to assess her: “My, he’s got a girl all
right – she’s a real one; she’s a blond, and can drink him under the table!” When she became pregnant, they had to get
married in 1930. They fought like a cat
and dog – not caring for each other.
They went down to his mother’s house to play cards, gamble, and
drink. One night they caught the last
tramcar home. At 6.15 the next morning
someone knocked them up, to say his mother had collapsed and died of heart
failure. The mother had a brother called
Herbert, who was a Christian, so Harry asked him to arrange a funeral service
at his church. “Have you ever been to
church? Have you ever opened a
Bible? Has your mother ever been to
church? You just can’t treat God like a
convenience. Well I’ll arrange a
Memorial Service.”
At the Methodist Church
they had Communion during the Memorial Service, and when the bread came round,
his wife said, “Don’t touch it, we don’t know what it is!” Uncle Herbert said they were having a
Campaign in a few weeks, would he come; Harry said he’d have nothing to do with
it, but his wife promised to attend and bring Harry. When she told him, he slapped her across the
face, “Don’t you promise to take me anywhere, where I don’t want to go! If it lasts after 8 o’clock, when I want to
go for a drink, there will be trouble.”
They were Cliff College Students on Trek, who made the Gospel plain from
the words of the Bible: that Jesus had died for our sins. Before the end of the meeting, Harry and his
wife went forward to the Communion Rail, and gave their hearts to the
Lord. They could not hold themselves
back. Harry said he could not go for a
drink, because he had given his heart to the Lord. They had been heavy smokers, but on the way
home their cigarettes would not light.
They decided that it was wrong for them to smoke. Living for the Lord became their passion,
with a particular call to preaching in the open air. Debts were paid off, and they were introduced
to Bridge Street Four Square Church in Leeds (where I met Harry and Winifred).
Harry and Win realized that
they did not have a Bible. So they
prayed, and at work, he was sent to clear a house – number 8, Clarendon Avenue
- of belongings piled in the yard. Among
them was a large Bible with copious notes on the Return of the Lord Jesus,
written by its owner – a subject which interested Brearley greatly. He then drove the horse and cart with one
hand, and carried the precious book in the other, for seven hours. He was pleased to tell his workmates the
reason for the prize: his conversion to Christ.
Prayer for some kind of
vehicle led him to anticipate a fine car: in fact it was a tricycle built for
selling ice cream from two large tubs – which were cleaned and used to carry
leaflets. It was hard work, peddling up
hills with this “Stop Me and Buy One” with a handy megaphone. Next, he purchased a second hand furniture
van, and had texts painted on the sides.
A bout of flue laid him low; the Minister traced his whereabouts via
Harry Toft, a Church member, and an International Rugby Player – this led to
financial help and a box of groceries – they were down to the last crust of
bread. Harry was then taken ill with the
child’s disease of scarlet fever and placed in an isolation hospital. Winifred was unable to draw any money to pay
the bills, but Pastor T.H. Jewitt was able to visit the hospital and arrange
the necessary transaction. Once well,
they were back serving the Lord – and getting into many scrapes.
Preaching in a mission
church on the text from Jeremiah 51:20: “Thou art My battleaxe”, he inadvertently
pointed in his wife’s direction. She
promptly stood up, and humorously shook her fist at him, much to everyone’s
amusement.
At open air meetings they
often played a popular recording of a singer called Jo Stafford, singing: “It
is no secret what God can do, what He’s done for others, He can do for you”; When they returned for a second week, a lady
came out of the Post Office and said, “Get that woman to sing that song
again.” She pointed to Win, who had been
quietly singing along with the record, and was virtually tone deaf. [The interesting story behind this song:
Stuart Hamlin, a well-known radio personality, visited Billy Graham, the
Evangelist, and his team in their hotel.
After a long talk, he trusted the Saviour for salvation and immediately
phoned his friend John Wayne, the film star. When Hamlin used these words,
Wayne said, “You’ve got a song there.”]
A fellow, perhaps drunk,
came up to Harry and threatened to floor him if he did not stop preaching. Starting to take his jacket off, Harry told
him he had been the heavy weight champion of his regiment. The man quietly
left.
A wealthy American
businessman supplied them with an ample supply of extremely tasteful,
well-designed leaflets.
Their pitch in Vicar Lane,
Leeds, was outside Brown’s Wine Merchant’s.
One Christmas the owner came out and demanded that they stopped. “Every time you start preaching my shop
empties. When you stop it fills up
again!” He returned with a Police
Officer, but Harry showed them his police permit. Inside the shop the man drew a gun: “Get him
out of this shop, or I’ll shoot him!” So
Harry took the Police advice and moved further along the street. This placed them by a set of traffic lights,
and every time a tramcar waited for green, there was a fine audience –
sometimes folk gave them requests for hymns on the record player.
An old man would blaspheme
when Winifred offered him a leaflet.
Harry jokingly called him Win’s “Boyfriend”. There came a three month period with no sight
of him. When he showed up it was to
request a leaflet: he had been ill in Hospital.
“All I could see, as I lay in bed, was your husband preaching the Gospel
in rain and snow, all kinds of weather.
I gave my heart to the Lord.”
One vehicle was a 15 cwt
van with Bible quotations on the side, and full sized coffin surmounted with a
wreath, at the back: inscribed, “Is this the end?” When he visited a friend in hospital, it
caused many wry comments – such as, “The van’s come for you Brother.”
In Dewsbury, preaching to a
good crowd, the Police moved him on, following a complaint. “Come on Brother, we’ll go to the cemetery
and preach to the dead – they will listen to us.” They did, but there was no one in sight. Twelve years later, at a Convention at Bridge
Street Church, a man approached Harry: “I know you, and you know me. Do you remember preaching at Batley Cemetery,
when it was pouring down? Well me and
my wife were listening behind the curtains, and we gave our hearts to the Lord,
that day; we both serve as Readers in the Church.”
About this time, the Leeds
City Elders realized that a centuries old law granted every Englishman the
right of one square foot of ground on which to stand and express his
beliefs. The answer was to place a
square sectioned stone block in every park in the city. With some irony, Harry was given the task of
choosing the locations, and seeing it through.
I visited the one in Crossflatts Park, Dewsbury Road.
Eventually the Second World
War came along, and he was conscripted into the Army. There was discussion apropos which regiment
he should “return” to. The 8th
King’s Irish Hussars was chosen. The
posting was to France. In the retreat
towards Dunkirk, they were surrounded and cut off. Thirteen of them took an Army lorry and found
their way south to Marseille. An Arab
cattle boat crew offered to take them home, but whilst helping with the 600
horses in the hold, Harry realized they were sailing eastwards. Six days later they disembarked at Haifa, in
Palestine, and joined General Wavell’s army.
This led to the campaign in Ethiopia, then Palestine, and finally Mount Olympus
in Greece. On the battlefield here, they
were surrounded and overwhelmed by the Germans and taken prisoner. In the Prisoner of War camp, situated at
Korinthos (where the apostle Paul had founded a church), many of his friends
died of dysentery; there was a lack of medical assistance. Another colleague died from consuming a large
amount of hot bread, which he had stolen.
The Germans said, “Leave him there, we can’t burry him, we have no
Padre.” A man called Duff Cooper went to
complain: “I want my friend buried.” “If
you can find a man qualified to bury him, you can.” Duff said he had seen Harry preaching often
in Leeds, he could take a funeral service.
So the Germans made Harry the “Bible Puncher”, the Padre for the camp.
The British prisoners were
marched from Greece to Austria – they were shot if they stopped for food - they
were not formally registered as POW’s.
Stalag 17 A, at Wolfsburg,
was the destination, where Swedish Authorities made the official register as
POW’s (Prisoners of War). In charge was
a man by the name of Stinker Steiner: “I hear you’re the Padre, can you
preach? You’re the Padre until one is
captured.” He gave Harry a copy of
“Hymns Ancient and Modern” often called “Hymns Ancient and More Ancient”– the
official Church of England hymn book at the time; which Harry still had. He didn’t know a lot, but God helped him, and
they had some glorious times. The first
sermon was on Mark 5, The Raising of Jairus’s Daughter, and the Healing of the
Woman with the Issue of Blood. After the
message one man gave his heart to the Lord.
The Germans commanded him to hold a Bible Study every Wednesday. A violent man called Andrew knocked his Bible
from his hand, every time they passed.
One night Harry told him that if he did it again, he would forget he was
a Christian, and take his coat off to him.
To Harry’s amazement, Andrews agreed to attend the Bible Studies, but on
condition that he could choose the passage to study. “One Chronicles, the first five chapters”,
which are lists of Jewish names. Harry
was stumped, but the Lord gave him a word.
One midnight, Harry’s friend Pop Harley (an Australian), woke him – they
were housed in three stable blocks – there was a rumpus and shouting. With the Germans threatening to shoot them, if
it didn’t stop – shots were being fired.
“Harry! Andrews is shouting out to the Lord.” Harry went to the Commander – being the
Padre, he was the only prisoner allowed to speak to him. On being questioned, Andrews said he wanted
to know the Lord. So after a chat they
both knelt down, and he gave his heart to the Lord. Before he was taken away to a punishment camp,
Harry gave him a scribbled note of his home address in England. There was no more news of him until after the
War: Winifred received a letter from Eastbourne, where Andrews lived. It was from his mother – eighteen years a
Pentecostal Believer, her husband a Baptist Lay Preacher – how thankful she was
that after 18 years praying for him, to learn of his conversion.
A man arrived carrying a huge
Bible. When asked where he had found it,
he replied, “On the battlefield at Mount Olympus”. It was there that Harry had been wounded in
the leg – for the rest of his life he suffered a weeping scar. The Bible had Harry’s Leeds address on the
flyleaf. “You can have it for some
cigarettes. I’ve had many blessings from it, but I’m not a Christian.” Harry did not smoke, but was to take a Bible
Study with the Officers, on “Daniel’s Image”, and they often gave him some
cigarettes. They did, and these he gave
to the man, who was called Sanderson.
Harry told him he could keep the Bible, if he came to their Bible
Studies. He did, and many years later it
immerged that Sanderson was the Band Leader in the Salvation Army at Basingstoke,
still carrying Harry’s Bible. Pop Harley
lent him his, until the people at Bridge Street Church sent him a new Schofield
Bible, from which he was able to preach and take Bible Studies, and lead Prayer
Meetings. At one of these, a New
Zealander gave his heart to the Lord.
There was a division of
barbed wire in the camp: to separate French and British POW’s. As Brearley walked by it one day, someone
called his name, “Our Pastor wants to speak to you.” The German Commander was agreeable to them
holding joint Bible Studies, in alternate camps, using an interpreter. They had marvelous times and men were
saved. Eventually a recognized Pastor
was captured, and Harry was no longer required.
This was a Church of England Chaplain, a British Army Officer called
Ledgerwood, but unfortunately a Modernist in his beliefs.
Harry was sent out of the
Camp to do hard manual work. About this
time a Red Cross parcel came for him; it contained two bars of soap – a rare
commodity. When the Commandant found
out, he wanted one, and when Harry refused, the German drew his gun. Another Officer came in and asked what the
rumpus was about. “You’re a Christian,
aren’t you? What are you doing fighting
us – it’s voluntary in your country?
I’ll get you out of this Camp.”
At this second Camp, food was short; but a man was a good shot with a
catapult. He only managed to kill
sparrows – still a lovely meal. When the
dog was missing there were suspicions.
In the end, Harry decided to escape, and contacted the Resistance
Underground Movement. A prisoner called
Lock was dressed as a woman, and they escaped pretending to be a courting
couple; unfortunately they were caught in a curfew, and placed in the slam-bin.
On one occasion, he had
just left the toilet block, when it was blown to pieces by an Allied bomb –
probably dropped by a low flying De Havilland Mosquito aircraft. He had several similar escapes, for which he
thanked God for His protection.
Later, the prisoners were
travelling - standing tightly packed in a cattle truck. When it stopped a guard would stick his
bayonet through a knot hole near the bulkhead.
The first time this happened, it pierced a man’s face, so they took
turns at standing there. Harry’s turn
came, and he stood reading his Bible.
This time an eye looked in, and this guard asked him what he was doing
in the Army, as a Christian. Christians
in Germany had no option. But he kindly attended to their needs with warm soup,
and visits to the toilets – the truck was awash with sewage.
They were sent to Auschwitz
Extermination Camp, and were made to dig the graves for thousands of Jewish
people killed in the Gas Chambers. Next
they were taken to a POW Camp near the Cilician Border. The War was drawing to a close, and the
advancing Russians took no prisoners – they shot the Germans, and gave the
British a very hard time. Better still
though; the Americans were overrunning the German forces.
When he arrived home, Harry,
normally a large man, weighed only 5 stone, 9 pounds – 36 kgs. The medical diagnosis was that there was no
hope of recovery; but Pastor Miles laid hands on him for the prayer for
healing, and he recovered well. The
Seacroft Hospital Doctor could not understand it, but discharged him on special
rations. Harry resumed his work for the
Lord: preaching in the open air, and joined with a young man – Stephen
Fisher. They had little blessing in
missions at North Shields, and Middleborough.
Stephen went home and founded his own car repair centre in Horsforth. Winifred joined him, and the blessing started,
with people being saved.
He found numerous
occupations: Leeds City Highways Department, as a Ganger/Charge Hand; Auty
Brothers, as a labourer on the Seacroft Housing Estate – when asked if he could
lay a drain, he demonstrated that he could, and was quickly promoted to Foreman
(he knew no Mathematics, but a man from Leeds University called at his home,
and offered to bring his Maths up to scratch, for the reading of Plans); and
later he worked on the Intake Estate.
In one of these jobs, as
they were demolishing a house, Harry fell from scaffolding onto a sofa – which
broke his fall to some extent, and may have saved his life, but he badly
injured his back. He wore a steel brace,
and a special collar to protect his neck.
One morning as he woke, he felt that God wanted to heal him, and as he
prayed his back was restored. The
Doctor insisted on a small pension for Harry, who still has the brace as a
souvenir.
The Labour Exchange/Job
Centre found him a possible employment: working for the Government as a
chauffeur, at a complex in Lawnswood.
The Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture told him that people with a
prison record could not be considered.
When he explained his predicament – severe, but long-time-ago, incarcerations,
followed by his conversion to the Lord Jesus, she advised him to write a full
record of events. Firstly, he had to
fulfil a Campaign in Holyhead with Evangelization Society, and another with an
Assemblies of God Church. The job was to
start on the 13th of October.
A generous fiscal gift greatly encouraged, and helped him; a not
uncommon experience, when folk saw his van with Bible quotation painted on the
side. His meeting with the Chief
Constable, a man by the name of Barnet, and a fine Christian, eventually
resulted in a full list of his crimes, convictions, Court appearances, and
imprisonments. He needed three extra
sheets of paper to complete the long list; but with no convictions since 1932
until the present (1953). Harry was
amazed to be offered the job. His Boss
was a Believer, and told him: “Take as much time off as you need, to do your
preaching.” He had missions in Rugby at
the AOG Church, and at the Bible Pattern Church, Bradford. When his equipment failed, a financial gift
bought him a new van. He was given an
established post, on the Staff at Lawnswood, where he remained until 1960.
One morning, Christmas
1968, his wife called to him that he had a letter from the Prime Minister – he
thought it was a joke. But it was to
inform him that Her Majesty the Queen had awarded him a British Empire
Medal. This was often given to ordinary
people, who had done good work in their employment. Unfortunately, the Queen had a previously
arranged engagement, but his Boss arrange for the Earl of Scarborough to make
the presentation at Lawnswood, in 1969.
All food, drink and photographs would be paid for. “You have to wet the medal with a strong
drink.” Winifred replied, “Oh no we
won’t; we’ve brought our own orange juice.”
How did he come to be
recommended for the BEM? The theory was
that he drove an interesting Jewish visitor to the British Government, who was
a member of the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament), round the Jewish sites in Leeds
– mainly Synagogues. They had interesting
discussions on the Book of Ezekiel the Prophet, and the Old Testament/ Jewish
Bible in general. He sent Winifred a
beautiful set of photographs of his country.
In retirement, Harry continued
preaching at markets and Race Meetings.
In 1975, Win became ill; curtailing his preaching activities, as he
looked after her, until her promotion to Glory in 1981.
Harry Brearley, BEM, is a great believer in Christ Jesus’s Return, as
foretold in First Thessalonians chapter four, commencing at verse thirteen:
13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about
those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14
We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring
with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we
who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly
not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come
down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with
the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord
forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.
Harry recommended several
fictional books by Sydney Watson: “In The Twinkling of An Eye”, “Scarlet and
Purple”, “The Mark of the Beast”, and “The Coming King”.
50 Apologetics
May I suggest that Christianity wins hands down over all other Faiths!
52. A Piece of History
Thank you for the safe arrivals of the Gospels of John this morning. I have 100's of stories I could tell as I am 90 years old now. Way back in the 1950's, and 1960's after I was converted whist serving in the Royal Air Force in Egypt I came back and started having an Open Air witness in the centre of Bradford. We had crowds listening in those days, 20, 40, 50 and occasionally 90.
Others
later joined me and we were working, so we clubbed together and
bought a second hand vehicle that was used in the El Alamein Offensive by
the Eighth Army. It had a rear platform that folded down, and we used that to
stand on. We bought loads of Pocket Testament Gospels also in those days, and
after preaching the Good News offered a Gospel to those who stepped forward for
one, on the one condition that they promised to read it. Scores did just that.
One of those was a young Teddy- boy teenager. Shortly after that he repented
and put his trust in the Lord Jesus, and grew spiritually. He subsequently
served the Lord and later with his wife for 40 years in Zambia, reaching
hundreds in the remotest of places. Another was a teenager, and he has been an
elder in a Brethren Fellowship most of his life and done similar open air work
in Shipley,
Often I
manage to walk down to a seat on the coastal path where I meet scores of people
either singly, in couples, occasionally groups, some with dogs, some without,
some with babies, some with questions. Not every day of course, some days
nobody. Some days all refused, but many times the Lord has enabled me to engage
with them and tell them the good news as well, sometimes what the Lord has done
for me. Sometimes it may be 20 or rarely, but it does happen, 30 minutes and I
have come home for a New Testament as well, along with other helpful
literature. Some outright refuse, some are rude, some ridicule, some are
hostile, some say they are OK when I know they are not! But so what, they have
been witnessed to, and will one day have to answer to God. We are told to
GO!
See
Matthew 28:16-20, some of the Lord's last words to his disciples. We see how
important it is to God, as he got them out of prison and said this to them,
Acts 5:18-20. God used his Word by His Holy Spirit to fire me up. Acts 20:21;
Acts 26:18-20; John 16:7-11. Also in the Old Testament .Ezekiel 2:1-8;
Ezekiel 3:3: 1-4, 11; 16-19. Yes out of context I know, but God used these
verses to inspire me as a young believer.
Well, why
am I telling you all this? Well, because you have asked me a few times in the
past, and I have never got round to it, this time I have! First of all IT IS
FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. It is NOT about me at all, and I don't want it to be. I
just want to tell you this is what the Lord can do, and has done. For your
encouragement, and those who help you in your work. To enable you to share it
with others, that in spite of all the opposition, they may continue to
demonstrate how worthwhile it all is.
Thank you
once again for helping me to carry on, until the Lord wants me with himself. It
is in His diary, and I am content to leave it with Him
In Christ
Jesus our Lord,
Peter
Whitehead.
[53] TO RECAP
For several good reasons I have had to spend time
in Criminal Courts: Jury Service, Public Gallery – on the advice of the Duty
Officer: research for book illustrations, and taking older scholars, who were
studying Law and Law Enforcement. One always laughs, when the Judge cracks a
joke. Eating in cafes near the Courts can be rewarding – listening to
conversations. After the Judge, there are the professional Barristers wearing
their strange wigs. Then there is a cross section of people, who have been
called as witnesses. In the Church, the Barristers remind me of those gifted
and skilled as Evangelists. Every Believer may be called to witness, with meekness
and respect, to the Gospel Hope. Two different aspects are: 1) biographically
how they became a Christian, and 2) what is so satisfying about being a
follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
*********************************************************************
TEACHER, TEACHING 1 Corinthians 12:28; Romans 12:7;
Ephesians 4:11.
Karl Heinrich Rengstorf, in his contribution to Kittel, noted that the verb appears one hundred times in the Greek Old Testament, where it is concerned with training the whole person.
He also points out that “Teacher” occurs fifty-eight times in the New Testament, 48 are in the Four Gospels: 41 of which refer to the Lord Jesus - 29 are in direct address; once to the Baptist; once of Nicodemus (“you are Israel’s teacher”, John 3:10); and once to the teachers in the temple when Jesus was there as a boy.
In the New Testament the verb appears 95 times: two thirds in the Gospels and Acts, and ten times in the letters of Paul.
The first most striking characteristic of the Lord’s teaching was His authority; the second was His use of parables. This was not something new; indeed the prophets employed them as in such famous examples as Nathan’s parable to King David, and Hosea’s life experience. (2 Samuel 12:1-25; Hosea 1:1-4:1; further examples: Judges 9:7-15; 2 Samuel 14:1-21; 1 Kings 11:29-32 ff, 20:37-43; 2 Kings 14:9 ff; Isaiah 5:1-7, 8:6-8,14, 27:2-3; Jeremiah 13:12-14; Ezekiel 15, 16:1 ff, 17:1-24, 19:1 ff, 23:1 ff, 24:3-5).
5 Crosses
1. When a military airfield is shut down,
the runways are marked with a cross at each end. They are no-longer working; just as keeping
God’s law no-longer is a way of being saved. We are saved by trusting the Lord
Jesus Christ to save us, and forgive all our sins.
2. In adventure stories, X marks the spot
where the Treasure is buried – Jesus’s Cross is the place of the Greatest
Treasure.
3. When children and adults want to end a
letter with the assurance of their love, they finish with a row of Crosses.
Here is the sign of the wonder of God’s love for each one of us.
4. Marking sums wrong. Grandma asked how
the little boy liked going to school.
“My teacher really thinks a lot of me – she has put crosses right down
the page of me arithmetic answers.” The
Cross of Jesus shows the sinfulness of sin in God’s sight.
5. On a map it is the demarcation of Cross
roads: we have three possibilities: turn right or left, go straight on; so it
is with the message of Salvation by the Lord Jesus: accept, reject, or do
nothing to make a change (which amounts to a rejection).
The first sending of the apostles concluded with the report of all they had “done and taught” - implying: demonstrating the power of the Gospel before teaching it, as in the life of their Lord. (Mark 6:30; Acts 1:1)
Teaching is set in a second cluster: Fellowship, Breaking of Bread, and Prayer. (Acts 2:42) A London church, which was said to have the finest preaching in the country, but sadly, seemed to have little of the other three.
To be ignorant is to be worldly: like children who are unweaned and still requiring milk rather than solid food - such was the Corinthian Church! (1 Corinthians 3:1-4)
Paul is led to give a severe warning to any who harm the Church - one would think, by introducing immorality, or false teaching: “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” Just previously he had spoken of building (meaning teaching) carefully on the foundation, which is Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:10-17)
God dealt with Paul so that his life could be an example to Believers - a means of teaching. (1 Timothy 1:16)
Ladies are commissioned to give themselves to teaching children and other women: what one would think of as being about two-thirds of the church family! Church Society has a special field dealing with this issue, called "Priscilla". What about the many skilled women theologians? Much of theological communication is eclectic (bringing together and evaluating ideas of others), research data, provocation to doctrinal thinking, didactic of information, which is not doctrinal, and apologetic reasoning (which ultimately relates to proclaiming the evangel). I would suggest that, in practice, men do find it difficult to accept doctrinal teaching from women: the Holy Spirit will not bless what amounts to disobedience and discord. Men may go away and think it out for themselves afterwards, but the situation should not have arisen in the first place. This is clearly not to say that ladies cannot teach men New Testament Greek, the finer points of guitar playing or any non-doctrinal subject - or hold secular executive positions. Christian Doctrine and Church Government are the points in dispute. (1 Timothy 2:11-15 in context with 3:14-15, ignoring the chapter division)
A fine OT example is Ezra: note his book: 7:6, 10, 11, 12; and Nehemiah 8:13
Ezra 7:6 this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him.
Nehemiah 8:13 On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law.
References to the finer points of the Greek and Hebrew texts are often necessary - to clarify a translation in the English Versions; but we need to be aware of our limitations and avoid unsound deductions based on limited skill and research. We should use and quote respected textbooks, including commentaries - helping our congregations to use them also.
Another sadness is when teachers bend doctrine because of vested interest: ambition, concern over loss of income or status, their own circumstances, possible difficulties, or dogmatically held beliefs, which are truly in conflict with the whole tapestry of Scripture. A close missionary friend of mine changed his doctrinal concepts - for the better. This meant losing his total denominational support, at a critical time; but he had the courage to be open and honest. God wonderfully provided for him – his new Fellowship gave him a house!
Virtually the same is compromise of biblical doctrine: in the university or school Common Room, in the work-place, or to popular thought, consensus of national feeling, or even within the local church.
Sometimes it becomes almost impossible to stand against a new and popular false teaching. It is like the fairy tale: in which only the innocent little boy will tell the truth which reveals the cunningly fabricated myth about the Emperor’s new clothes! Bringing every thought into subjection to Christ is the answer to all destructive forces - both satanic and earthly. (2 Corinthians 10:1-6)
Courage is required of every teacher. With a touch of humour, one might think of David Pawson speaking to the Women’s Aglow in Belfast, on the subject of the subjection of women in the Church. Or, more seriously, those who at times in history, have been called to present Jesus’s words to rulers, governments, leaders and monarchs. Martyrdom is the price some have paid.
Evidence for the existence of God
I have drawn on T. C. Hammond’s book: “In Understanding Be Men”, IVF/IVP, first published in 1936. There are many similar publications, which give an idea of the scope of what is called Christian Doctrine. The word “theology” infers different ideas to different people: sometimes it is a synonym for objective biblical doctrine - sometimes a very secular creative entertainment for academics. This should be borne in mind when obtaining books for study - the reputation of the publishing house is usually a good guide.
Prospectuses of theological colleges, and like-minded organisations can give guidance.
If your church leader thinks he or she can cover all the subjects, they are probably the wrong person for the task. Other fellowships may be asked to supply experts in particular fields, theological colleges perhaps will have courses - on-site, or distance learning, or be able to suggest a lecturer who will visit and run a course.
“TEE started in Latin America as a means of training pastors while in the ministry. It has rapidly spread round the World and diversified into distant learning courses at all levels from basic to degree-earning, often supplemented by travelling lecturers, cassettes, videos, web sites, and a wide range of relevant biblical, pastoral and social concern courses. By 1980 there were 250 known evangelical TEE centres with over 27,000 students around the World” (p 607, “Operation World”, OM, 1993). One of its advantages is that it operates for groups of people, not just for individual students.
The American, ICI University, linked with Regents (Elim) Theological College in Cheshire, is designed for individual use only, but does range from the basic level to degree qualification. ICI has offices in 127 countries and has 14,000 students on roll, and is often used by young American Christians living abroad.
Not every Christian leader is a teacher; full use must be made of those within a Congregation, and the wider church, who have this gift - with every encouragement given for their development
THE WRATH OF GOD
Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
Colossians 3:6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
1 Thessalonians 2:16 in their
effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In
this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come
upon them at last.
Revelation 15:7 Then one of the four
living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the
wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.
Revelation 19:15 Out of his mouth
comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them
with an iron sceptre.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God
Almighty.
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