Extracts from My Life by Rev. E. Anderson

January 30, 2008 at 6:11 pm (Extracts From Life)

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 Rev. E. Anderson

EXTRACTS FROM LIFE 

When you have lived a considerable number of years in relationship with God one gathers a tremendous amount in testimony to God’s grace and goodness in life. One discovers that He does some amazing things with ordinary people and through the course of this page I would share some of the wonderful and interesting experiences He has wrought. And all is to His honour and glory.

A NEW ENTERPRISE 

The life of Abraham has always intrigued and challenged me throughout the whole of my Christian career and never more so than at this period of life. To think that a seventy-five year old could get such a revelation and word from God in sacred promise and step out into a great has  presented a real challenge to me at various stages I my own relationship with God. 

Coming up to my seventies I was rather taken back with a prophecy that was to certail provoke and promote fresh thought and dynamic within my life and ministry. 

A man who I respected very much in the assemby I attended, and was of a spiritual quality , came to me with a word from the Lord. One night he could not rest and so he rose up and began to put pen to paper and he sensed it was for me. The subject matter is as follows briefly: 

 ‘God requires dedicated and committed’ spiritual fathers’ to perform the role of equipping others. There are, sad to say, few that take up the call and challenge, but in you God has found such a man. As you share and input into the lives of others that God will bring around you, then the seed that God has placed in you will be passed to others. The seed will germinate in them and grow in their lives and as your life has touched and will touch many so will their lives. As God pours into you and you pour into them it will accomplish more (because there will be more vessels for God to fill and use than just the one). 

You are to channel their youth and enthusiasm into kingdom life and work. May that you dream of and long for the today’s church will be realized as you equip and release others into the ministry. Look on this time as a new role and spend time in prayer and fasting (as I know you already do) before releasing men into the ministry (refer back to acts 3:1-3). God will show you the men to channel, the links to forge and places for ministry both home and abroad. 

In an age of high-tec communications the ministry could be worldwide. In this day and age you do not have to leave the comfort of home to be linked and affect many parts of our nation and abroad. The use of high-tec communications saves many long hours of travel and expense to get around the world. 

As you wait on God during this period of ‘rest’ it will not be a period of in-activity but a time of much activity. The activity will not be physical and tiring but of a quiet nature where God will input into your inner being thoughts and plans for the future. Look on this period as one of reflection, of what God has done over recent years for you (not in a nostalgic sense, but one of wonder and amazement). Reflect on what God has done, where he has taken you and lives and situations you have seen changed’. 

With regard to reaching countless people all over the world from my home was rather a staggering prediction. One just wondered what it meant. Honestly, I left that on the back burner for the Lord to deal with it and work it out. 

During this time my wife and I had formed a good friendship with a young man who had found the Lord in the assembly. He was richly desirous of God and we sought to befriend him. It was a delight to see his hunger and see him grow in the Christian faith. He became greatly qualified in the real of computers and came to the position where he developed in the forming of web sites and now has his own business in this connection. I had learned the use of a computer from my son in my mid-sixties which was quite a wonder! Also throughout the years I had gathered an immense amount of material through personal study. Little did I know it was to be put into wider circulation for use and blessing. He approached me about having my own Christian web site. To be honest I hadn’t got any real idea with regard to it. I was not of a technological mind and in the realm of modern communication like the internet.

However, he came to open one up and show me how to fill it with Christian matter that would help lots of people. In November 2007 it was launched and as a result over 16,000 have registered their blogs. It has been quite amazing and staggering to me! Christian leaders and members from many nations visit it and say how much it has helped the.

I now have something like 20 subjects rolling on it and I am ever seeking new ways to communicate on new subjects. So the prophecy has come to pass. It certainly has been a fresh enterprise and I am just wondering what more the Lord has got in mind! Hopefully, I will be ready!                   

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Leadership Factors presented by Rev. E. Anderson

January 30, 2008 at 8:32 am (Leadership Factors)

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Presented to you is a Christian Leadership Course that is purposed to provoke many to embrace the call of Christ to leadership within His Church. The series will come in the form of a study each week, which will be in two parts thus covering two weeks over the site. My prayer and desire is that such will help many in the summons of Christ to serve Him in these tremendous days. 

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP COURSE

 Study 4                         THE OVERVIEW OF CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP  – Part 1

The most paramount need in Christendom is the manifestation of genuine Christian leadership if the Church is to become something to be reckoned with of a spiritual and supernatural order. This is previewed in Christ and so the need to take an overview of His life and work in order to imbibe factors that will aid in the task of Christian leadership now in its outworking. 

Christ is set up to be the Role Model as Leader for Christendom in every respect and to appoint leadership and to shape and develop it to its maximum character, gifting, usefulness and effectiveness so that there is no weakness or deficiency – Ephesians 4:7-11. In His leadership He is seen to be the originator, developer, perfecter, blesser, inspirer, sustainer, etc., of all leadership and ministry. He that begins a good work perfects it and this applies to leadership. It is an ongoing exercise and production. 

If we are to be a shepherd/leader in the influential sense then we need to learn from the Good Shepherd. In Him we see the full potential that can be released through His chosen leaders. He is                  \

                    Teacher             Master Teacher                  Minister            Supreme  Minister                      

                    Healer                  Great Healer                     Preacher         Prince of preachers                               

                Counsellor                                                                      Mighty Counsellor       

                       Evangelist                                         the Evangelist and Evangelism  etc.

             

                   

Christian leadership should be in absolute conformity to the mind of Christ and not conform to worldly principles, philosophy and ideology, good as they may appear to be. There may be things we may learn from the world but the world is not our inspiration to life and living and leadership. Christ is the One from whom we receive our coaching and cue. The role model not only sets the schedule/standard but encourages as the Lead and Head Coach.  Some observations regarding Him: *   As the Role Model He executed it without undue publicity. *   As the Role Model He knew the distinguished features and traits of His team and followers, perceived personality, encouraged potentiality and saw the possibility of the weakest.. *   As the Role Model He inspired to harmony and spiritual unity. *  As the Role Model He had times for failures and did not show  contempt or disregard for such – Peter. *  As the Role Model He saw the difficulty in achieving the standard requirements but was hopeful. *   As the Role Model He must not fail His understudies and apprentices. 

What truly needs to be birthed and known and fully understood is the truth about the creation, growth, standard, effectiveness, purpose and success of Christian leadership as reflected in Him.  

1/.  DISCOVER AND KNOW THE BEST LEADER WHO WILL BE THE REAL ROLE MODEL 

There is no greater/better person or example than Jesus Christ, the Head of the Christian Church. He possesses the greatest, purest interest in the whole of Christendom and is able to inspire/impart those things that will make all effectual/influential and so successful, believers and leaders alike.  Proved re-His disciples – able to make them apostles and foundational personnel in and to the Church with spiritual and dynamic influence. 

     ·       He has been set as the supreme and perfect example – Hebrews 12 1,  2. As far as Paul was concerned, Christ was His prime Master and Mentor – see the Philippian epistle: Christ is his Mind, Motive etc. All is focussed on Him and is outworked in and through Him. There is no doubt about it, when Christ is in His place within life and allowed to create, educate and motivate, He is able to produce extraordinary individuals that can serve in key roles within His kingdom enterprise. When a person receives input from Him it is the best and so there will be evidenced His leadership that will open up the life and work of the person concerned to its fullest and greatest. He makes men and ministries.

 ·       He calls and commands to follow Him and learn of Him – ‘Follow Me’ and ‘Learn of Me’ – Matt.11: 29. The first initiative and generative factor to original man in the garden was to ‘follow Him’ and by this means and measure He would be duly tutored and mentored by God to achieve a leadership destiny. . This was the same with Christ in the setting up of His eternal kingdom. He wanted people to follow in order to learn, of His Person, nature and ways so that they would rise to not only be someone but to be able to do something valuable and virtuous and give inspiration and direction to others. Christ had the power to draw and direct. 

“A leader is a person with a magnet in his heart and a compass in his head” –  Havner 

2/. DISCERN AND COMPREHEND THE PROCEDURE BY WHICH HE BECAME A GREAT LEADER IN AND THROUGHOUT LIFE AND WORK·        

He possessed the basic spiritual attitude of being –  humility . “I am meek and lowly.’ – Matthew 11: 29. In other words, He was prepared to be a pupil and student and to be divinely taught. It was a confession of divine truth – “I AM”. He did not present Himself in pride as a ‘know-it-all’ but revealed a submissive spirit. Role models and great leaders are the product of being humble learners.

     ·         He possessed a daily, continuous commitment to being divinely taught – Isaiah 50: 4, 5. Each morning He was open to heavenly instruction of a prophetic nature. It was not an occasional session but a regular and habitual program that He was committed to; never losing sight of the fact that He was to be led in order to become the Leader in a significant capacity. This was no ordinary engagement and exercise; it was to become an outstanding feature that would cause Him to stand out amongst all humanity. Christian leadership should become outstanding through the same process and procedure that Christ adopted. Daily divine devotions.

     ·       He possessed adherence to God’s Word – it was His manual for life. He knew what was written and what was meant in what He read.. It is obvious through a study of the Gospels that Christ was utterly conversant with what the Old Testament had to reveal and state. If ever a person could handle the Scriptures efficiently it was Him, and He could square others up in relation to them by way of interpretation – e.g. Matthew 21: 42; 22:29; Mark 12: 10: 24.

     ·       He possessed a deep-seated rule of life, faith and action – John 8:29. These factors fashioned and structured Him as a worthy, notable leader in His day and generation and for all that were to succeed Him. The principle of procedure was that He was here to ‘please the Father’ and that meant fulfilling the Father’s desire and design for life and work. It is apparent He was a success here – Matthew 3: 17; 17:5.

     ·       He was deliberate through boyhood, teenage years to make the grade as far as His Father was concerned in His absolute commitment to the business – Luke 2 41-52. The tone and trend is set right at the beginning and maintained throughout.  

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Wisdom’s Ways from the writings of Rev. A. Linford

January 29, 2008 at 9:15 am (Wisdom's Ways)

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Rev. A Linford, before his decease, was recognized as a good, great and interesting Bible teacher in the Assemblies of God Fellowship for many years. He was a well-loved Bible College lecturer and writer that bequeathed a tremendous amount of Biblical material in his generation. What a legacy he has left to be researched and brought forth to refresh our day! We shall be using such on this site: His writings from the book of Proverbs and also his Editorials that he wrote for the Redemption Tidings when he was its editor. I trust you will enjoy and appreciate his inspired teaching. 

EVER LEARNING: NEVER WISE

by the late Rev. A. Linford 

When Paul came to Athens he entered the most important university city of the ancient world. It was the seat of Greek art, science and philosophy. One would have thought that an intellectual like Paul would have been happy in this atmosphere of learning, but he wasn’t. He found Athens filled with irrational superstition – evidenced by the multitude of idols; pityfully superficial – instanced by their constant pursuit of novelty; and possessed of deadly disdain for spiritual and moral issues – shown by their scornful rejection of the message of Paul. Mere logic reigned: pitiless, precise, paralytic. 

The Athenians were pseudo-intellectuals; lowest clan of this brainy breed. From a smattering of second-hand philosophy they make bold pronouncements; a little learning veneers their lack of true knowledge. Feverishly avid for literature that will titillate their jaded thought-processes, they despise as “old hat” the things ‘most surely believed among us’. Rather than rejoice in the wholesome doctrines of the Gospel, they spend all their time discussing the latest ideas. Novelty, with them, takes precedence of spiritual nurture, and logic looms larger than life. 

Professing themselves to be open-minded, they prove impervious to the practical and moral truth of the Bible; aspiring to be wise, they succeed only in being foolish. 

They chase bubbles, like children, dabbling in philosophies and doctrines, which, even if they could ‘be established, would only prove ephemeral and empty. Perpetually curious, they exchange one novelty for another. No idea goes deep. Of settled convictions they know little. They are superficial; but beneath their cultured surface lies a hard stratum of disbelief, of dissatisfaction. of disappointment. Their perpetual inquisition masks an underlying moral cowardice, a fear to face the searching questions of life and death. 

This is why Paul’s mention of resurrection and judgment So disturbed their minds. Their slumbering consciences were stirred. They mocked, they put Paul off, they misrepresented him. They did not want anything that challenged them morally: they sought mental dope. But the Gospel is different medicine from that. It may be purgative or paregoric, aseptic or emolument, tonic or sedative, but it is certainly not narcotic. 

Some new thing. Novelty wears off with time; eternal truth persists. ‘Tis old, yet ever new’, we sing of the Gospel story. The changeful philosophies of men last but for a time, the word of the Lord endureth for ever. Follow men and we tread a devious course, ending in darkness and despair: follow God’s word and we go on to eternal light and bliss.  

FEAR THE LORD, MY SON 

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”            Proverbs 1:7,8,10,15 

The term “fear” in this context does not imply dread, but reverential awe. It is that respect afforded to a father by his son, and is the offspring of love. The repeated expression, “My Son” – verse 8, 10, 15 etal – shows this “fear” as a response to the solicitude and concern of a caring parent. On the spiritual plane it is reverence of God expressed in submission to His will, not from threat of punishment or from pressure of duty, but out of delight (Ps 40:8). 

Godly fear begins fullness of life.  It adds moral quality to living and gives deeper significance to learning. Knowledge without ethical values may be destructive but the accumulation of facts coupled with the fear of the Lord is constructive. True knowledge, that is, appreciation of the things that matter, begins with an acceptance of the reality and reverence of God. Godly fear banishes folly. Not only is this sacred fear productive, it is also protective from the folly of those who despise the doctrine and discipline of God. Such fools may be intellectually brilliant, but they are moral paupers, defective of true worth. They despise wisdom and thus fail of the very element that gives savour to life. Just as salt brings out the flavour of many comestibles, so wisdom (as exhibited in the fear of God) adds piquancy and true pleasure to existence. Life is enhanced by such wisdom. 

Godly fear begets favour. To pay attention to Godly parents and put into practice their instruction develops beauty in one’s temperament and disposition.  What joy of relationship is expressed in these terms – My Son … father … mother!” A father’s loving discipline and a mother’s exhortation are of priceless worth. The Book of Proverbs has more to say about the love and respect due to the mother than any other book in the Bible – c.f. 6:20, 15:20, 19:26, 20:20, 23:22 ,25, 30:17. “in all these passages the mother’s claim to consideration is equal with the father’s”, – Oesterley. May we not spiritualize this? The “father” is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:14) and the “mother” is the church, “Jerusalem which is above … the mother of us all” (Gal 4:26). To accept the authority of God and the admonition of His ministers is to adorn our lives with good doctrine. No more precious and lovely moral character is to be found than in those in whom wisdom presides. Grace and favour, gifts and honour await those who walk in the paths of righteousness. 

PRAYER: My Father, help me today to be a true and faithful son of Thine.

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Meet the Ministers introduced by Rev. E. Andrson

January 29, 2008 at 9:01 am (Meet The Ministers)

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Rev. & Mrs Colin Cooper

I was born into a family where there was little love between my parents and virtually none given to me. My father died when I was 7, my sister disappeared soon after but I was too young to have anything explained to me. My brother who was 11 years old drowned soon after. 

Now my mother was involved in witchcraft and could put real curses on people. Also I remember furniture moving by itself. My mother would talk to dead people who she said were walking in the room. At one point my mother tried to kill me with a carving knife after saying she did not love me or want me. It was whilst she was in a trance (and I remember it was very scary) that she said she had talked to my dead brother and this meant she was going to die; of course Satan has real power over those outside of Christian protection. Within a month she was dead. 

So at the age of 14 years and 10 months I was alone. With no family or father to guide me, I got involved with wrong people and soon ended up in jail for grievous bodily harm. Thinking that this was no life, I decided that when I got out I would change, but of course a leopard cannot change his spots and a human cannot change his programmed nature on his own. So on release I had nowhere to live except a coal storage shed. Although I had never been to church in my life, I called out “If there is a God get me somewhere to live then I will believe in you”.  

The next day I was in an apartment after two years of searching. I had not been able to get a place to live because of my appearance and also the way I dressed frightened the life out of people. The apartment was opposite the biggest church in the city. I shared it with a student who became my friend. There were all kinds of weird people in the same block, pimps, necromancers, druggies – Raymond my friend used to sniff chloroform and get high. One day he asked to talk to me, but I did not have time as I was going to a party. He just said he felt the world was a big rock in a black void and he wanted to get off, so off I went to the party – on returning, police were all over our apartment. It was then that a policeman informed me that my friend Raymond had drunk a bottle of chloroform and committed suicide. 

I went to my room, fell on my knees and wept, I wept because I had not told him about Jesus, but only invited him to church. So I vowed that I would never again miss an opportunity to tell anyone about Jesus. That’s one of the reasons I am in the ministry today: To tell as many as possible the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

About a year later I was invited to a party that the young people of two churches organized. In it I heard glass breaking and saw that a young woman had accidentally broken a glass cabinet by putting the back of the chair into it. As I looked I thought now she is very nice. After leaving the party I thought I would never see her again, but she came into the place where I worked the next day (a department store) asking people if they knew where I was. So like a gentlemen I asked her if she would come to my apartment on Sunday afternoon for tea and then go to church together on the evening. I gave her peaches and condensed milk for tea, neither of which she liked but graciously kept quiet about it. Since then, which was February 1968, we saw each other every day and married in March 1971.Then in 1978 I felt the Lord was calling me into His service.  

Sue was born in Lincoln, England in 1950. I was born in Gateshead, England in 1948. Sue was brought up in a Christian home, her father was a pastor with Assemblies of God, but she saw something different in my life along with the lives of the young people at my church so fully gave her life to Jesus in 1969. 

So I left my job as a Pharmaceutical Representative to pioneer a church after being a youth leader in the city of Derby, England for two years.I started pastoring in the Assemblies of God – pioneering for Home Missions. Our first church plant was started with my wife Sue and our two very small children. We lived in a dirty cellar with excrement from a sewer running down the walls, snails would crawl over our bedclothes at night, mice would nibble our food and we had no money. 

I remember thinking ‘what have I done’? ’Is this ministry’? ‘It must have been a mistake’, but I quickly learned to preach the gospel effectively and soon the church grew with new souls and we were able to move into a brand new home. With many tough times of being alone, we eventually met Bob Isabell who pastors in Washington State and he told us about M.F.I. We stayed in his home for a week and visited the Portland Conference for the first time in 1990. 

As a long time member now of Ministers Fellowship International (which I dearly love) it is one of the best things that has happened to me. Also the family that I never had as a young man, I now have with my wife Sue of 36 years and Paul my son who is 35 with 2 children and my daughter Wendy of 32 with 3 children; so I am a contented grandfather with 5 grandchildren (all girls) and I enjoy my calling like never before; it’s great having fun in the ministry. 

We came to Huddersfield 20 years ago to a group of 15 people. Huddersfield is a North of England town. The church is now 700 plus and has planted people out in churches in Birmingham, Leicester, Doncaster and Holmfirth, England. Sue is involved in the administration of the church along with our secretaries Denise Cox and Sarah-Jane Hoggar. 

I have been chairman of the European expression of M.F.I. – called M.F.E. since 2001. The conferences have grown from a handful of leaders to approx 250, and we have quite a number of pending members, so the countries linking in are increasing. I also travel to many African nations, South America, Canada, the USA and India, Sue goes to most of the places with me, and all because of the cry from a coal storage shed.We are at the moment building a massive new church in Huddersfield which when completed will seat 2600 people. You can watch the progress on our website                          

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Word for the Week presented by Rev. E. Anderson

January 29, 2008 at 8:43 am (Word for the Week)

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Rev. E. Anderson

RECONCILE 

This is a choice word that is found in our dictionary and is one that certainly needs to be seen in action and deed in the context of relationship with God and men. 

One of the deft definitions afforded is ‘to be friendly with someone after estrangement or to re-establish friendly relations between (two or more people)’.  It is always a sad thing to note people who should be friends and enjoying the company of one another in a state of opposition and no longer feeling good to one another. Certainly it is a tragedy when seeming love turns to animosity and there is no longer any good will manifested to each other. The broken accord somehow needs to be repaired so that union and communion is restored. There has to come the reconciling that brings both parties together and to cause a fresh relationship to be birthed and developed that excels what was known previously. 

Reconciliation needed to be brought about between God and men so that there would be a healthy, pleasurable and profitable relationship created and cultivated to eternal advantage. Regrettably there came a breakdown in relationship in the Garden of Eden between God and Man and man was the offending party. How all men have lost out and how the world has become confused and chaotic as a result. The alienation from God has not proved helpful one bit because man has degenerated and become a horrid creature through sin. 

Thankfully God never lost His love for men or interest and sought and worked out the best means by which He could prove His unquenchable love for him and save him from his sinful and wretched, sinful state. The Christian message focuses on the fact that God through His Son became a man in order to pay the penalty due to his sin and to rescue him from his degenerate and doomed situation. The Cross of Christ is where sin was fully atoned for and becomes the place where every sinner can be wholly forgiven and reconciled to God and where a divine friendship and eternal future can be settled. The Bible states that ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world ( that is man) to Himself’ – 2 Corinthians 5: 19. You need no longer be an enemy to God in opposition because He has made it possible for you to be at peace with Him and to know a dynamic fellowship with Him now to your good. 

Christ told the story of a son who had made a mess of his life and needed to go back to his father and be reconciled to him – Luke 15: 11-24. He finally had to good sense and will to return and be at one with his father and enjoy his friendship and a better future. It may be that you ought to make your way to God and get things straightened out so that what remains to you in life I blessed by a vibrant accord with God. 

Reconciliation also must take place between people on earth. It is an issue that must be attended at the human level. For those who profess to be Christians they must make sure that they do not live in hatred and animosity to other people, and certainly so in the Christian community. Christ stated that God would not receive any gift laid on the altar to him if such a spirit and state existed in the giver. He said: ‘If you bring your gift o the altar, and there rememberest that your brother hath ought against you; leave your gift before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift’ – Matthew 5: 23, 24. It is important to have sweet and sound relations in the church, family, society etc. 

‘Every person should have a special cemetery lot in which to bury the faults of friends and loved ones’ – Anonymous

 PRAYER 

May my relationship with you O God be all that it should so that I may know a healthy accord and a blessed life in and through you. Teach me to live in a wholesome harmony with all men.  

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Powerful Quotes arranged by Rev. L. Goodwin

January 26, 2008 at 7:27 pm (Quotes)

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Rev. E. Anderson

QUOTES 

MISSION AND EVANGELISM  

“Evangelism is a cross in the heart of God.”Leighton Ford 

“The Church has nothing to do but to save souls; therefore spend & be spent in this work.”John Wesley 

“Too many Christians are no longer fishers of men but keepers of the aquarium.”Paul Harvey 

A voice from eternity:

You lived next door to me for years

We shared our dreams, our joys, our tears,

A friend to me you were indeed —A friend who helped me when in need.

My faith in you was strong and sure

We had such trust as should endure,

No spats between us ever rose

Our friends were alike, also our foes.

What sadness, then, my friend, to find

That after all, you weren’t so kind.

The day my life on earth did end

I found you weren’t a faithful friend…

For all those years we spent on earth,You never talked of Second Birth,You never spoke of my lost soul

And of the Christ Who’d make me whole.

I plead today from hell’s cruel fire

And tell you now my last desire, You cannot do a thing for me,

No words today my bonds will free.But do not err, my friend, again,

Do all you can for souls of men,

Plead with them now quite earnestlyLest they be cast in hell with me. 

“The gospel is not something we go to Church to hear; it is something we go from Church to tell.”Anon 

“Nothing else is any substitute for the daily unspectacular witness of the rank and file Christian.” D. Winter 

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Illustrations of Note provided by Rev. E. Anderson

January 26, 2008 at 7:19 pm (Illustrations)

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Rev. E. Anderson

BRIDGE 

Of recent months I have been over three outstanding bridges, the Firth Bridge in Scotland, the Humber in Yorkshire and the one in Kiev in the Ukraine. All three of them are terrific works of skill and craftsmanship, to the architects and builders. One cannot be but impressed by the sight of them and realize they perform a tremendous service to countless thousands. They have been built at enormous expense and demanded a great deal in time, toil and labour. 

Each of them span an enormous chasm and make it possible for motorists and vehicles to pass over without difficulty from one side to the other. How glad and grateful that a journey can be cut by hours because they exist to provide a quick route from place to place! It is helpful to take full use of the service they provide. 

It has to be said there was a great need for a bridge to be erected so that God and man could be brought together. Because sin entered the human race and infected all mankind there has been an enormous spiritual break and chasm between the Creator and the creature. Something special was needed in order to bring both into relationship again so that there could be profitable and pleasurable fellowship between both. It seemed an impossible task because of the big gulf that existed. But something urgent needed to be done. 

Certainly, it has been hopeless from man’s angle to bridge the gap! He is so weak and inept by reason of his sinful nature that he could not make a way over the vast, spiritual expanse. Left to himself man has not the ability or capacity to stretch out and reach God ina personal and positive accord. 

But God is a bridge–builder. He has built the bridge of a lifetime through His Son Jesus Christ.When He was born He was the God-Man, God manifest in the flesh, and it was His task to construct a way by which all men could truly come to God. He did this by stretching himself out on the Cross to become man’s Saviour. By means of His death He made it possible for every man to be forgiven and cleansed of all His sins. The righteous One died for the unrighteous to make them righteous.  

But then He rose from death to be its master and to extend the offer to come personally into the lives of those who would receive Him to give them His life so that they could live His life and cross the bridge and know dynamic fellowship with God. Christ is the real and only bridge between God and man and all need to come to Him, know His forgiveness and cross over through Him into a happy and holy accord with God. It was at vast cost that God caused this bridge to be established in time for all sinners and you need to cross into His presence and know Him through Jesus Christ. 

Once this happens, every Christian the, in some respects becomes a bridge. We become a means through God by which other people can cross over and come to know Christ. Every Christian believer must be a means by which those who do not know God come to know Him and are able to see this big bridge that He has constructed for all to pass over into a  living, vibrant accord with himself.

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Knowing God serviced by Rev. E. Anderson

January 25, 2008 at 9:13 pm (Knowing God)

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Rev. E. Anderson

IN A PERSONAL WAY

GENESIS 12 

One of the famous characters of Holy Writ is Abraham, a man who appeared to know God in a personal way. A great and repetitive phrase is: “I Am the God of Abraham” and surely this denotes the personal aspect of this divine and unique relationship. It was something that both parties desired, God and the man, Abraham. It stands out as a very close bond and union that was to benefit this individual enormously and advantage the whole of mankind and bring glory to God.

There were rich intimacies that enriched the faith and walk of this person and caused him to become a genuine pattern for others to emulate. Knowing God in a personal way for Abraham meant 

     1/. BEING AND LIVING IN CONSTANT OBEDIENCE – v4 

This choice man reflected a marked loving obedience in this personal God that had made Himself known to Him. It is evident that God had encountered him in the Ur of the Chaldees and from that resulted a life ready to respond to any demand. The first call was to be a pilgrim and to leave his seeming security to follow out God’s plan for his life and to serve him in reality and truth. As he obeyed he would get to know Him in a greater way. 

     2/.  SHOWING HIS DEVOTION IN THE RAISING OF THE ALTARS – v7 

This is a beautiful expression of his heart feelings for God in acknowledging who was the source and centre of his faith, love and loyalty. It was a way of revealing personally his appreciation of the Lord. The altar signified the place of divine relationship and the many altars underlined how he sought to build that relationship more and more. 

     3/. RECEIVING INCREASED REVELATION FROM GOD – v7; 13: 14-17 

God made Himself and His purposes known to him in an intimate and personal manner and he received from the Lord inspired declarations on the same basis. It was personal one to one stuff. The Lord did not use a mediator, a go-between, but communicated directly and Abraham advanced in that revelation. 

4/. EXPRESSING HIS FAITH IN GOD’S WORD OF PROMISE –ROMANS 4: 3 

He personally knew God’s promises to his own heart and knew God through the promises. The prospect of having a son and family at a late time in life was not lost on him, or the believing for a homeland and nation. He was sure that He would not fail to live up to what He had spoken and so the mutual trust ensured the continuance of the personal knowledge and relationship. 

     5/.  MANIFESTING A WILLING TO SACRIFICE HIS BEST TO GOD – 22: 1-18 

When God tested him on this front he was so personally conscious of God and His ways that he could go all the way with Him without asking any questions. He knew God enough that He had something greater to bring to pass by this procedure and so went straight ahead. It may have looked a vast problem and demand but he was so in covenant bond with Jehovah that He could leave the Lord to work out all the ramifications of this unusual request. If God required the best he would not hold back. 

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Christian Conversion compiled by Rev. E.Anderson

January 25, 2008 at 9:09 pm (Christian Conversions)

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Rev. E. Anderson

A WONDERFUL RESTORATION 

It is encouraging to know that the One who is the Master-Creator is also the Master-Restorer. Things may have been formed in a beautiful fashion but because of certain intrusions have been corrupted and decayed and so have lost their glory and significance. This is particularly so with regard to people.  

There have been those folk who have been truly born again and renewed by God through Jesus Christ yet along the way have turned aside from closely following Him. They lose out on their relationship with him and become hard, indifferent and obstinate to God and His designs for their life. In observing them one wonders, ‘Is it possible for them to be restored?’ One thing is sure: God loves the backslider. This being so God never gives up on them. 

It was in 1973 that I was called to go and being the Senior Pastor of the Pentecostal Church in Doncaster. It was like my home church because I was brought up within its vicinity. In my early Christian experience I gained a great amount of help in attending meetings there, getting to know the folks and enjoying the wonderful ministry of God’s Word that was brought by numerous choice men of God. Whilst out visiting the membership of the church I came to the home of a woman by the name of Ethel Edwards, who was a retired school–teacher.  

Having arrived at her home I inquired as to her husband, David. He was the head porter at the Doncaster Royal Infirmary and was a backslider of many years. I was informed that because he knew I was visiting he would be out and thus avoid any contact with me. David had been an enormous blessing to my parents when they were first converted but now he was in this regrettable state  of seemingly rejecting the overtures of God’s grace. 

However, a few months went by when I received a telephone message early one Sunday morning from Ethel. She said that David was quite poorly in bed and sensed it was the right time to see him. She even went further, believing that this was the appropriate moment for his restoration to God. How right she was! I had the pleasure of not only praying for his physical recovery but for his spiritual restoration. He truly came back to God and for the next twelve months travelled around locally when I was on any speaking engagements. We had tremendous times of fellowship especially when we were travelling. 

I was again phoned by Ethel another Sunday morning to be told that during the night that David had passed away. He was suddenly called into the presence of his Lord, Redeemer and Restorer. Thank God that he had been made ready for the occasion. Ethel told me that it had been the best twelve months of her life. I was to be pleasantly surprise by the fact that David had bequeathed to me 200 pounds. It was a pleasant bestowment that was an apt reminder of God’s goodness to him. 

The gift was to have a knock-on impact. No sooner had I received the money when the Lord told me to give half of it away. In asking to whom, he showed me a family that had just returned from Australia and were in need. Quietly I saw to it that it was deposited in their letter-box without indication as to who it was from. Imagine my surprise and delight later when providentially worked something further out. My youngest son, Keith, was going through quite a torrid time in his late teens and we were looking to the Lord for an answer and it came in an unusual manner. A group of young people were due at our church on a Friday evening for a youth meeting and along them was a choice, spiritual young woman. My son took a real fancy to her and asked me if she could come and spend a week-end at our home. I replied in the affirmative. 

Helen came and as a result a loving bond was formed and she had a choice, spiritual impact upon him. From that moment he became matured, steady and committed to the Lord. Subsequently they married and have gifted us with two lovely grandsons. The amazing yet wonderful thing to me is that she is the daughter of the man that I gave the two hundred pounds. Little did I know that when I was placing the money through the letter-box I was placing the dowry down for a future daughter-in-law. 

So out of David’s restoration other things followed. Who knows when we sow what the harvest is going to be!

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Knowing the Truth of the Gospel by Rev. T.R. Hanford

January 24, 2008 at 9:44 pm (Knowing the Truth)

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Rev. T. R. Hanford

Terry has been an Assemblies of God minister for over 50 years and is now retired from leadership of a church. He is an able preacher and teacher of God’s Word and has ministered regularly over the radio the Gospel of Christ. On this site he will be dealing and answering questions of importance relevant to Christians and non-Christians alike. I trust you will find the material a great help.

DOES GOD EXIST?

Quite often I have been asked How can I know God Exists? Show me God and then I’ll believe. Where is God anyway? Maybe you are like one of these sincere people. 

You see, as human beings we like to have things explained to us because we like to see the evidence. We like to touch and feel, but how can I explain someone who is a spirit? Who cannot be contained in the heavens, yet revealed Himself as the Lord Jesus Christ. Who lived for us, died and rose again nearly 2000 years ago, about whom one of his followers PETER said, “Whom having  not seen we love, in whom now we do not see Him, yet we believe. And we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory”. 

You see faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. We all have a certain measure of faith. If it’s only in the driver of the bus or train that we get on. Probably we don’t even give a thought about this. He could be a heavy drinker, or perhaps he has stolen the vehicle for some crime, we never think so.  

It is by faith we understand who God is. By reading His Book, the Bible, we find out what God is like, His love and compassion that HE has for us and also His holiness and anger towards sin. 

Yet it is not only by FAITH that we see God, but He has shown Himself to all of us in His CREATION. The beauty of His creation .the wonders of nature, the very food we eat proves God exists. I find it hard to understand how some believe, that by a big explosion, the BIG BANG theory, which the world and all life on it, came into existence, that we originally, over millions of years ago turned into human beings, that we originally came from a pool of slime and eventually over millions of years, turned into human being. 

They then have the audacity to tell me believing in God requires tremendous faith – (Who are they trying to kid?) – The Bible affirms that “the fool has said in his heart, there is no God”.  I don’t think it is that people cannot believe in GOD, it is rather they ‘WILL NOT’. Have you ever stopped and marvelled at the body you live in? When was the last time you woke up and had to remind your heart to start beating or your wound to start healing? Have you considered the complexity of the human eye or brain which is far beyond the capabilities of any computer? 

The human body is truly amazing beyond our understanding. God has set guidelines for us to follow, principles and instructions to adhere to, and yet it is today as it was in the beginning, man is rebellious towards God. Friend, there is no doubt God exists, and one day we shall stand before HIM., FACE To FACE, ALONE and give an account of our life to Him.  

Here is a Word in the Bible to close with for your thought. Mankind today is described as ‘EVER LEARNING, AND NEVER BEING ABLE TO COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH’. Jesus said, ‘I am the way the Truth and the Life and no man comes to the Father (GOD) but by Me’. If you really want to know God then you must come to Christ and God will become real to you. 

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