Category Archives: Take Heed Ministries

United Church of God

The ‘Daily Mail’ of Tuesday 11th January 2005 carried a large advert headed ‘When disaster strikes – Where is God?

Readers were invited to make contact either by text, email or snail-mail with a group called ‘The Good News’ based in the UK in Watford. So who are this group known as ‘The Good News’. Well the group based in Watford are the British Isles base for a worldwide organisation known as the United Church of God. So who are they and what are their roots. Herewith are some extracts from a brief history of Herbert W Armstrong’s cult that was known as ‘The Worldwide Church of God’ that are found on the website –

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‘Earning the right’ to tell people about Jesus

During the visit last year by Shaun Willcock I was given at one of the meetings samples of some leaflets issued by a group calling themselves –

‘Movement For Presbyterian Reform’

One leaflet in particular struck a real chord with me [although the other leaflets were also excellent] and with the permission of the author, Willie Cowan, who works at the cutting edge of inner city evangelism in downtown Belfast, I am reproducing his leaflet that was titled as above.

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The True Church Bishop J.C. RYLE

Where is this one true Church? What is this one true Church like? What are the marks by which this one true Church may be known? You may well ask such questions. The one true Church is composed of all believers in the Lord Jesus. It is made up of all God’s elect – of all converted men and women – of all true Christians. In whomsoever we can discern the election of God the Father, the sprinkling of the blood of God the Son, the sanctifying work of God the Spirit, in that person we see a member of Christ’s true Church.

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When Tolerance is Sin

[William MacDonald has been a fulltime Bible teacher for over 40 years. His writings include ‘God’s answers to Man’s questions’ and ‘The Believer’s Bible Commentary’. He has also served on the board of directors of ‘Good News For Catholics’ based in California]

Tolerance can be a virtue, but it can also betray an inexcusable weakness of character. We admire the person who tolerates differences where no great issue is at stake. He allows for a variety of preferences, methods and unimportant viewpoints. He would rather be killed for a sheep than for a lamb.

But there is another tolerance that is despicable. This is the willingness to remain silent when God’s name is blasphemed or when Christ is dishonoured. It is the treachery of silence when truth is on the scaffold. It is the unwillingness to speak out against evil. Tolerance that condones deceit and unrighteousness is sin.

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Presbyterianism and ‘State-Sponsored Peace’

In an earlier article posted to our website called “Irish Presbyterianism: Then and Now” I highlighted how some 50 years or so ago The Youth Committee of the General Assembly of the Irish Presbyterian Church published a ‘Handbook on Romanism and Evangelical Christianity’ to meet what they described in the preface to their booklet as ‘one of the urgent needs of our Church’. In the article I quoted a number of the Question and Answer contents of the booklet that were set out in ‘catechism’ format and it was evident that those who compiled this booklet were fully versed, not only in the unscriptural errors of Roman Catholicism, but also in the truths of Biblical Evangelical Christianity.

That was the ‘Then’ of Irish Presbyterianism and I contrasted it with the ‘Now’ of Irish Presbyterianism as represented by the invitation issued by the [at the time of the writing of my article] about to be installed Presbyterian Moderator, Ken Newell, to the Roman Catholic Primate of Ireland, Archbishop Sean Brady to be one of his ‘personal guests’ at his installation on 7 June 2004. The contrast was that according to Ken Newell’s journalistic ‘spin-doctor, Alf McCreary of the Belfast Telegraph, there can be ‘joint mission’ with a Roman Catholic system that was clearly identified 50 + years ago by The Youth Committee of the General Assembly as being totally unscriptural when it comes to genuine Christian ‘mission’.

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News From The Front – December 2004

Dear praying friends,

Yet another year is drawing to a close and as time runs its course surely God’s ‘awake’ people can clearly see the outworking of that which is clearly predicted in God’s Word. If today society has not already spiralled down and reached the levels of days similar to those of Noah and Lot [wicked and immoral] then all I can say is that those former days must have been truly and unimaginably horrendous days. God’s people are called to be “salt” and “light” but today the world witnesses a professing ‘Church’ that has no “savour” and radiates no discernable “light”. As Roger Oakland said during his recent visit, professing believers have got their eyes upon ‘men, methods & movements’ and as a result the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ has been buried under an avalanche of purpose-driven, alpha-inspired, unscriptural feel-good trivia. And all the time Rome is advancing her claims and cause to be God’s one true church. On page 16 you will find details of Roger Oakland’s latest and timely book ‘Another Jesus’. [Enclosed with this newsletter is a photocopy of its front cover together with a copy of the front cover of a book that I myself have just had published called ‘Try the spirits: Volume 1’ [for details visit ‘Twoedged Sword Pubilcations’]. This book is a compendium of my writings on C S Lewis; Philip Yancey & The Alpha Course. It can be ordered from me – price £5.50 [includes p&p]. Thank you all for another year of faithful prayerful and practical support.

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Carnmoney Presbyterian Church and ‘The Passion of The Christ’

In the Autumn 04 Issue 11 edition of ‘The Word’ – the magazine of Carnmoney Presbyterian Church – there is an article on page 12 dealing with the movie ‘The Passion of The Christ’. The article is written by David Ferguson who is listed on page 1 as being a member of a 9-strong Editorial Team. Herewith is the full text of the article:-

‘It’s been a little while since the release of this Mel Gibson film, but I think that even now I would be jumping the gun if I suggested that opinions about it have begun to mellow. Jews are still hot under the collar about Hollywood turbo-charged anti-semitism. Many Protestants, especially here in Ulster still see it as a piece of pro-Catholic propaganda. (Isn’t it interesting how so many people have such strong opinions about something they’d never even seen?) Then there is the violence and the whole business of religion and entertainment being mixed together.

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News From The Front – September 2004

Dear praying friends,

I am very grateful to those who prayed faithfully for the ministry visit to California in June. Every plan went smoothly and safely [driving the California freeways is a little bit more ‘challenging’ than driving the roads of Northern Ireland] and the feedback from the various meetings was most encouraging. In particular I drew attention to the efforts of the promoters of ‘The Alpha Course’ to extend its influence this year in the USA through a nationwide series of conferences. One church that I spoke at in San Diego has posted my talk to its website and it can be listened to on the following link > [Sorry Link is Broken]

Alternatively, for folks in America, an audiotape of the Alpha talk that I gave in a church in Ontario, CA can be obtained by contacting Richard McClendon whose telephone number is 909 234 9852. For folks closer to home, the tape of this Alpha talk and also the tape of another talk entitled ‘Are we living in days of Seducing Spirits’ can be obtained from myself [price £2.00 for each tape]. A video of a talk I gave earlier this year called ‘Alpha Assessed’ is now also available [price £7.50]. Whilst in America I was able to link up with Roger Oakland for lunch. Roger is very much looking forward to his ministry visit here [23 October–7 November DV] and enclosed with this newsletter is his schedule of meetings. Please pray and plan to attend if at all possible. Margaret and I once more send our thanks to all who so faithfully support “Take Heed”.

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Philip Yancey – “turning the grace of God into lasciviousness”

  [PDF] 

When you go into any modern ‘Christian’ bookstore it will be virtually impossible not to be confronted at some point by books written by Philip Yancey. He is without doubt one of the best selling ‘Christian’ authors of this age and some of his best known works include ‘What’s So amazing About Grace’, ‘Where Is God When It Hurts’ and ‘Soul Survivor’. In March 2002 he was the Banquet Speaker at the Christian Booksellers Convention held in Doncaster.

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