The brochure for the annual festival known as ‘New Horizon’, which is to be held at the University of Ulster, Coleraine should be a source of great concern to all Christians who are aware of the recent assaults made upon sound, biblical, evangelical Christianity. These assaults have come in various ‘guises’ – posing as ‘new moves of God’ [‘Toronto’ and ‘Pensacola’], ‘God breaking down the barriers’, and showing ‘the pathway to peace’ [accelerating ecumenism]’ ‘another great commission for the Church’ [the need for ‘Christians’ to unite to fight growing secularism – the ‘gospel’ according to Charles Colson and ‘Father’ Richard Neuhaus – co-authors of the March 1994 Evangelicals and Catholics Together agreement] and ‘Christians can not only be in the world but also of the world’ [Christian ‘night clubs’ for example].
Category Archives: Take Heed Ministries
News From The Front – June 2001
Dear Praying Friends,
Since our last newsletter another busy ‘ministry trip’ has passed into history. The conferences and meetings involving Rob Zins, Mike Gendron, Stephen Murphy and myself took place against a backdrop of great ‘national’ uncertainty. ‘Foot and mouth’ was uppermost in the minds of the vast majority of people as we travelled around the British Isles. In England in particular the media focussed much on this virus and the desperation to find a cure for the problem has at times reached fever pitch. No one really seems sure as to the right way to deal with the problem. Government ministers, medical experts and farmers leaders have all had an opinion [usually differing] to express. The last thing that any of them might consider is that the God of Heaven is passing judgment on the spiritual bankruptcy of the nation. Even the Archbishop of Canterbury in his Easter ‘message’ dismissed any notion of that sort – but then he would with his single-faceted ‘God of love’. In 1865 in the midst of a similar outbreak of ‘foot and mouth’ J C Ryle, Bishop of Liverpool wrote a little booklet entitled ‘The Finger of God’. In it he listed 7 national sins [all still relevant today] and went on to conclude ‘I believe firmly that these things are crying to God against England. They are an offence against the King of Kings, for which He is punishing us this very day. And the rod He is using is the cattle plague. The ‘finger of God’ I believe is pointing at our seven great national sins’. Oh that God might raise up another generation of J C Ryles!
Book review ‘Spiritual Powers’ to ‘liberating grace’
- “FROM SPIRITUAL POWERS TO LIBERATING GRACE”
- by Torbjorn Swartling
Shortly after his conversion in the early 1980’s, Swedish student Torbjorn Swartling came under the influence of Word-Faith preacher, Ulf Ekman who had just returned from the United States where he had been studying at Kenneth Hagin’s bible school. This was to lead Torbjorn into what he considered to be ‘the last great Christian revival on earth’ [p18]. However doubts began to surface and for the next years his spiritual life was like a yo-yo – a mixture of ‘highs’ and ‘lows’.
News From The Front – March 2001
Dear praying friends,
I am pleased to report that our new home and ministry office are proving to be a real blessing to us. Although the move has resulted in Margaret having more travelling to do in relation to her work as the practice nurse in Carryduff surgery, thankfully that has not presented any major difficulties so far. The “Take Heed” office is more or less complete and in order and is certainly ideal for the ministry that the Lord has called us to – it is truly ‘exceedingly abundantly above all that we could have asked for or thought of’ [Ephesians 3:20].
We are grateful to our gracious God and to so many of you who have identified with us in this move and we thank each and every one of you for your kindness and generosity at this time. Plans are now well in hand for the meetings both in England and Ireland in the latter half of March involving Rob Zins, Mike Gendron, Stephen Murphy and myself. We covet your prayers and where possible your presence as unitedly we seek to dispel the darkness and error that threatens once more to engulf the professing Christian world. We sign off by sharing with you our home church motto text for 2001 –
“The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek Him” Ezra 8:22.
News From The Front – December 2000
Dear praying friends,
As I begin to prepare this newsletter it is now almost 4 weeks since we moved to our new home in Ballynahinch. All that is said about the stress involved in moving house has proved to be accurate but thankfully many ‘loose ends’ are gradually being tied up.
We give thanks to God for His faithfulness and are confident that in due course all outstanding matters will be successfully concluded. Enclosed by separate letter are fuller details of the move as it has impacted on “Take Heed” Ministries.
As this landmark ‘millennium’ year draws to a close it is evident that the forces of darkness are flexing their spiritual muscles, confident that the tide of popular opinion is flowing their way. This should come as no surprise as Paul tells us of such a time when people “will not endure sound doctrine” [2 Timothy 4:3]. His remedy for such a situation was simple and concise “Preach the Word” [v 2]. Your prayers and continuing support for “Take Heed” are coveted that we may faithfully take an effective stand for truth in these days of great compromise.
An ‘Alpha’ Assessment – Nicky Gumbel’s ‘Gospel’
On Monday 25 September 2000 I went to hear Nicky Gumbel and his ALPHA team in the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. According to the Belfast Telegraph advert [16 September] this was ‘An opportunity to explore the meaning of life’.
News From The Front – September 2000
Dear praying friends,
As you will see I am issuing a letter rather than a newsletter due to our present home and ministry set-up. We moved from Carryduff towards the end of July and are currently in rented accommodation pending completion of our new home. This is expected to be around the end of September and once the premises have been painted and carpets laid we hope to move in sometime between mid-end October. I want to thank all who prayed that we would find a buyer for our former home- the sale went very smoothly and we are grateful to our heavenly Father.
News From The Front – June 2000
Dear praying friends,
This newsletter is being issued to you in the midst of what will be [DV] a very busy travelling season as you will read on page 16. Not only is ministry business taking me overseas but ministry needs are also leading Margaret, mum Andrews and myself to a new house that will be better suited to the space requirements of “Take Heed”. The prospect of leaving number 11 Ballynahinch Road has brought a renewed sense of gratitude to our Heavenly Father for the many happy memories that we will take from it. Here we shared together the last 10 years of my beloved father’s life until he went home to glory in 1995. Here Margaret and I have enjoyed our married life since 1987. Here we have been able to offer hospitality to and enjoy fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ who like ourselves are seeking to “earnestly contend for the faith” [Jude 3]. But as they say ‘life moves on’ and we look forward to serving God and His people from our new location [full details will be posted to you as soon as they are available]. Briefly but sincerely a big ‘thank you’ to the many who have given to the MISSION 2000 – by the time you receive this I hope that ALL the priests concerned will have been contacted [Full details will be given with my September newsletter {DV}]. In our next issues we will be including a series of articles that I was asked to write for the youth magazine of a particular denomination and which appear to have been well received [beginning with The Mormons]. We pray they will be helpful in equipping God’s people in these days.
Tony Campolo to spearhead ‘HISTORY MAKERS’ initiative
On Saturday 22nd January 2000, the Spires Conference Centre, Belfast played host to the launch of a large ‘ecumenical umbrella organisation’ known as ‘HISTORY MAKERS’. As you read on perhaps a more apt title for this alliance might have been ‘Reformation Wreckers’.
From their own web site we read the following –
1. What if every single student aged 14 and upwards could be given an attractively illustrated, jargon busting [has that expression triggered any alarm bells in you?] copy of St John’s gospel – the key to life and all its fullness.
2. What if young people from every background of denomination [how wide is ‘every’?] might rise to the History Makers Challenge – to see their lives and contribution count.
3. Could all the Christian [note the pre-supposition that ‘all’ the groups involved are ‘Christian’] organisations that reach out [with what for salvation? – God’s Gospel to be preached or Satan’s Sacramentalism to be performed?] to young people collaborate [“can two walk together except they be agreed” Amos 3:3] on a single project for just one year.
News From The Front – March 2000
Dear praying friends,
Well, after all the hype surrounding the arrival of a new millennium [a debatable point by the way] things are continuing pretty much as before. There is still “a time to be born and a time to die…a time to love and a time to hate; a time of war and a time of peace” [Ecclesiastes 4:2&8]. Nothing has changed because the heart of the natural, unregenerate man has not changed.
The only hope for a change of heart in man is still as it has been for the past 2000 years namely the true “gospel of Christ” [Romans 1:16]. With every passing day the darkness of error that would seek to snuff out “the light of the glorious gospel of Christ” [2 Corinthians 4:4] seems to intensify and gain even more ground in the professing church that is supposed to be “the pillar and ground of the truth” [1 Timothy 3:15]. Despite the advances and acceptance of the cults, new age, ‘prosperity peddlers’, non-Christian faiths and especially Roman Catholicism together with false ecumenism the Lord’s promise still remains “I will build MY church” [Matthew 16:18]. Margaret and I want to thank you for all your past encouragement and support and covet your prayers as we seek to encourage people to “take heed that no man deceive you” [Matthew 24:4]