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.

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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.

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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.

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Tony Campolo to spearhead ‘HISTORY MAKERS’ initiative

tony-compolo

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.

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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]

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BRENDAN McCARTHY’S ‘ALTERNATIVE DECLARATION’ of fundamental religious principles

Christians in Northern Ireland are being asked to ‘sign up’ to a declaration “of fundamental religious principles” [see Belfast Telegraph 17 April 1999]. This “declaration” has apparently been drawn up by Brendan McCarthy of Omagh Community Church. Before looking at several points contained in the “declaration” I think it would be helpful for people to know a few things about Mr McCarthy. By his own testimony he was raised as a Roman Catholic who in his teenage years had a ‘charismatic’ experience. He has told publicly of  how people from the Protestant churches appeared skeptical at times concerning his ‘conversion’. He studied for the Church of Ireland ministry and back in 1994 was the rector of St Columba’s Church of Ireland church in Omagh. In July of that he year he partnered JESUIT priest John McDade in the Public Debate I organised on the topic ‘Should Protestants and Catholics Worship Together’?

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News From The Front – December 1999

Dear praying friends,

In a short time most of the world will be working itself into a frenzy as humanity prepares to bid farewell to the 1900’s. The world today is not overwhelmed by atheists – most people have an attachment to some kind of spiritual philosophy – but in reality they fall into the category of “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof” [2 Tim.3:5]. What is “the power” they deny – it is what is described as “the power of God unto salvation” in Romans 1:16. Most spiritual people today reject “the gospel of Christ”. Not only are these rejecters found amongst the non-Christian religions, false cults and New Age Movement but also amongst supposed Christian groups such as Roman Catholicism, Orthodox and Protestant denominations and the Word- Faith Movement. A grand coalition of many of these “gospel of Christ” rejecters is taking shape under the Primacy of the Pope and would appear to be gathering momentum and going forward in unstoppable fashion but their fate is assured. Through the preaching of the true “gospel of Christ” Christ’s true church will be built and the forces opposed to Him will one day be destroyed with the brightness of His coming. Until then let us “take heed” to our Lord’s instruction “Occupy, till I come” [Luke 19:13] and may our prayer be as we say farewell to this particular era “Even so, come Lord Jesus” [Rev.22:20].

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“Intoxicated”Evangelist [J.John] to Visit Belfast

According to the Belfast Telegraph of 4th December a United Celebration of Christmas being held in Townsend Presbyterian Church on 13th December is to be addressed by a speaker called J JOHN. The July 1997 issue of CHARISMA carried an article on J JOHN and the following are extracts from the article –

‘It’s not everyone whose ministry has been endorsed on the one hand by controversial revivalist preacher Rodney Howard Browne [as the promoter of ‘Holy Laughter’ at the time of ‘Toronto’ he described himself as God’s ‘Holy Ghost Bartender’] and on the other by the Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey. Yet that’s the broad spectrum of support enjoyed by J JOHN, arguably one of Great Britain’s foremost evangelists…. Recently he preached to capacity crowds at Sunderland Christian Centre [a product of ‘Toronto’]…. J JOHN, who is Anglican himself was one of only 2 non-Catholic speakers addressing last year’s charismatic Roman Catholic conference.

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Dr Jack Deere [former assistant to John Wimber] to visit Belfast [12-14 November]

An advert in the Belfast Telegraph has announced that Dr Jack Deere will be speaking at seminars in Fisherwick Presbyterian Church from 12-14 November. [The wife of the Fisherwick minister, Mrs McKelvey spoke favourably a few years ago on local radio of her first hand experience of the so-called ‘blessing’ during her visit to the Toronto Vineyard fellowship].

In a little booklet called ‘John Wimber – Friend or Foe?’ [Published by St Matthias Press, London] we learn some interesting insights into Mr Deere’s pedigree. In chapter 3 called ‘The Signs and Wonders Gospel’ we read details of an interview between Mr Deere and a Christian called Graham Banister who paid $150 [Australian] to attend the March 1990 Sydney Spiritual Warfare Conference. Set out below are some extracts from this chapter:-

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