Category Archives: Contemporary

‘THE BARNABAS TRADITION’

In his book ‘52 Personality Profiles from the Bible’, former Principal of the Scottish Baptist College, R E O White wrote on page 20 in a chapter entitled ‘Barnabas the Good’ – ‘He was honoured with the nickname ‘Son of encouragement’ (or ‘comforting’) – the same word used of the Holy Spirit. No wonder that Bunyan modelled upon Barnabas the character of Mr Greatheart, companion, guide, defender and friend of all the weaker pilgrims on the King’s highway’. From time to time God has moved people to either ‘put pen to paper’ or to ‘email over the airwaves’ to express their gratitude for help given by ‘Take Heed’ or to commend ‘Take Heed’ for the stand taken for God’s truth.

In so doing these fellow-believers are following in what I have dubbed ‘THE BARNABAS TRADITION’. Barnabas as we have read in the brief profile above was one who encouraged those who were engaged in the Lord’s work. These expressions of gratitude to and solidarity with “Take Heed” have been sources of great encouragement to us and as another year draws to an end I hope that by sharing some of these messages with you that you, our readers, will likewise be encouraged and be energised to continue in your prayers for us.

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DERICK BINGHAM and GEORGE HARRISON

In recent weeks the Belfast Telegraph has published articles in which professing Christians, Derick Bingham and Alf McCreary have expressed some very strange views from a Christian perspective.

Set out below are the articles penned by each author together with copies of letters that I submitted to the Belfast telegraph but which to date have not been published.

THERE are times when you hear a story that touches something deep inside. I heard such a story recently and I now share it.

A friend of mine was at a dinner at which the speaker was the international Evangelist Luis Palau. He said that a Christian man was at a Formula One racetrack one day and saw the late George Harrison of The Beatles there.

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IS ‘WILLOW CREEK’ THE ‘WAY TO GO?’

As I prepare this article, Belfast is gearing up for yet another conference to promote the evangelistic methodology of the group known in the UK as the ‘Willow Creek Association’. An advert for this conference to be held in the Kings Hall Conference Centre on Monday 10 March 2003 reads as follows –

  • REACH THE UNCHURCHED
  • BUILDING A CONTAGIOUS CHURCH
  • SPEAKERS
  • LEE STROBEL (Author of ‘The Case for Christ’)
  • MARK MITTELBERG (Evangelism Director of the Willow Creek Association)

Many pastors and churches are being urged to adopt the strategies used apparently with great ‘success’ at the Willow Creek Community Church in America whose Senior Pastor is Bill Hybels.

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9/11 – Who is on the Lord Side?

The events of 11 September 2001 will be forever engraved in the memories of all those old enough to have viewed and ‘taken in’ what was unfolding before their eyes through [in particular] the medium of television. The  terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre twin towers and the Pentagon  were acts of barbarism spawned from the hearts of evil men who are or were ignorant of the only true God. Our Lord Jesus Christ identified the ‘command centre’ for such foul deeds when he said in Matthew 15:19 “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders etc” and He identified what it means to be in a relationship with the one, true God when He said in John 17:3 “And this is life eternal that they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent”.

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Clouds of Concern over New Horizon

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].

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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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News From The Front – March 1999

Dear praying friends,

With my last newsletter I enclosed a short note giving details of new funding arrangements which were being considered in relation to my involvement with a sister ministry known as Breda Centre. The new arrangements were agreed and as most on my UK mailing list know via a letter that I sent to them towards the end of January there was a substantial reduction in support from this sister ministry with effect from 1st March. This was perfectly correct as over recent years the “Take Heed” workload has increasingly outstripped my duties with Breda Centre. The letter sent at the end of January invited recipients to consider support by means of an annual bankers order payment with effect from 1st March. I have just been overwhelmed by the response to this letter – not only from individuals [either through standing order arrangements and/or gifts] but also from a number of Church fellowships. I hope all will understand why I have been unable to acknowledge each individual response but I want now to say to everyone “THANK YOU”

I can confirm that God through His people has once more proved His faithfulness and this need that arose has been fully met. [Psalm 118:23]

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News From The Front – September 1998

Dear praying friends,

This newsletter is being issued now and not in October, as I have been invited to take part in a 2-evening debate in Fresno, California on the subjects of ‘Sola Scriptura’ and ‘The Papacy’ and I will (DV) be partnering Rob Zins against 2 Roman Catholic apologist. YOUR PRAYERS ARE COVETED for this event scheduled for 19th and 20th of September. Upon my return (DV) I will be quickly launched into the meetings arranged for the visit of Frank Eberhardt and the leaflet giving details of his schedule is enclosed. The ministry has received a wonderful gift of a brand new computer/printer and modem [for internet use] and I am currently trying to learn how to best use this equipment and hopefully my next newsletter will be prepared on it so you may see some changes. Already communication and access to resource material has been increased greatly by this marvelous gift. Pastor William Houston has moved on from my own church and 1 want to thank him for his contribution during his time as a member of the Council of Reference and to wish him and his family well for the future.Yours servant for Christ. Cecil Andrews.

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News From The Front – December 1996

Dear praying friends,

As the work of “Take Heed” has increased and the profile has heightened I have felt for some time that it would be helpful to me personally to have a group of men with whom I could discuss the work, to whom I could turn for advice and who would be prayerfully committed to the work. To that end I have written to a number of Pastors/Ministers and I hope to be able to give details in my next newsletter of the make-up of what will be called the Council of Reference.

In relation to Newsletters I would plan from 1997 onwards to issue three per year – February, June and October but these may be slightly enlarged as is the case with this issue. Margaret and I send best wishes to you all and trust that these words of 2nd Timothy 2 verse 13 will be of encouragement to you in 1997

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