Category Archives: Take Heed Ministries

News From The Front – December 2003

Dear praying friends,

My sincere thanks to all those who prayed specifically for the visit of Shaun Willcock during the period 26 October – 9 November. During that time Shaun spoke at 17 meetings and his message shed much light on the reality of what has happened and is happening in his homeland as he spoke of ‘Contending for Christ in South Africa’. For those with Internet access his message given on 7 November can be listened to on www.sermonaudio.com/kilskeery Alternatively you can obtain an audiotape of the talk from us [price £2.00 includes p&p]. His exposure of the lie of the ‘modern-day miracle that is South Africa’ should sound as a wake up call to God’s people in these islands for the very same assault on the open preaching of the unique Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ that took place in South Africa and that is now enshrined in their Constitution and Laws is taking place in our homeland and is very likely to be enshrined in the proposed European Constitution and other laws under which we will have to live. Imprinted on all of these changes are the fingerprints of the Vatican [aided by her associates such as the World Council of Churches] who pull and manipulate the strings of political establishments all over the world. Shaun has just had published a book entitled “‘Holy War’ Against South Africa” giving a full account of the history and events in South Africa and if you would like a copy it can be obtained from us [price £11.50 includes p&p]. Please pray much and often for Shaun, his wife Stacey and their little daughter Bethany. Margaret and I send you all our love and greetings at this season and our thanks for all your faithful support.

Continue reading →

News From The Front – September 2003

Dear praying friends,

Since the issue of our last newsletter a lot of ground has been covered. For just over 3 weeks in July and August, Margaret and I travelled extensively in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada and also crossed into Washington State, USA. We drove some 2500 miles and as well as visiting relatives and sightseeing I also spoke at 7 meetings along the way on the work of ‘Take Heed’. We were much blessed as we met fellow believers who have a passion to “stand fast” in these dark days of rampant spiritual deception. Following our return home I was able, thanks to the response to our ‘Video Projector Appeal’, to purchase the necessary projector, video player and sound speaker. Sincere thanks to all who so generously responded. In our June newsletter I gave provisional details of the upcoming visit of Shaun Willcock. We do thank all who prayed for the provision of a car – the Lord through a brother in Christ has provided a vehicle so we praise Him for meeting this need. Enclosed with this newsletter is a leaflet giving final details of where Shaun will be speaking. Your prayers and presence where possible are earnestly coveted.

Continue reading →

‘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.

Continue reading →

Derick Bingham and Philip Yancey

  [PDF]

In the Belfast Telegraph of 19 July 2003 local author and Pastor, Derick Bingham, recommended to those interested in some ‘Summer reading’ a book called ‘What’s So Amazing About Grace’ by Philip Yancey. In so doing Derick Bingham is yet again directing Christians to the writings of someone whose beliefs would, in the light of God’s Word, be more than ‘questionable’ to say the least. Set out herewith are a couple of reports and also a web site link that will give some alternative views on the writings and beliefs of Philip Yancey.

Continue reading →

News From The Front – June 2003

Dear praying friends,

In this issue of NEWS FROM THE FRONT I think it is significant that the 3 main articles in it all deal with errors that have been publicly promoted by those who have professed to be Christian. It is clear that we are living in days when the threat to the truth of The Gospel is as great [if not greater] from within professing Christendom as it is from without the professing Christian domain. I have been reminded of the Apostle Paul’s warning to the elders at Ephesus as he took his leave from them when he said “I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them” [Acts 20:29-30]. His instruction to the elders on how to combat this threat was found in verse 28 when he said, “TAKE HEED therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers”. Please pray that our efforts may assist faithful elders to “Take Heed” and to “feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood”.

Continue reading →

News From The Front – March 2003

Dear praying friends,

In recent years TV programmes looking at ‘natural disasters’ have become very popular and graphic footage of damage caused by tornadoes, avalanches, volcanic eruptions etc have vividly brought home to us the havoc that can be wreaked upon humanity by such happenings. One particular programme I saw speculated upon the potential for disaster should a large portion of one of the Canary Islands [off the North West coast of Africa] suddenly slip into the Atlantic Ocean. It would apparently trigger an almighty ‘Tsunami’ – a huge ocean tidal wave that would race westwards and devastate the East Coast of the USA. – It would literally bury and destroy life and light along that coast.

I believe the professing Christian Church faces an almighty ‘Tsunami’ of unprecedented apostasy. Large portions of biblical truth are, thanks to the departure from Biblical truth and separation-standards by so-called ‘evangelicals’, slipping into the ocean of ecumenical compromise and a swelling tidal wave of polluted so-called ‘unity’ is threatening to engulf and extinguish the light of The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, there is a barrier and defence against this swelling tide and it is called ‘truth’ and no ‘Tsunami’ orchestrated by Satan himself will succeed in burying and destroying “the light of the glorious gospel of Christ” [2 Corinthians 4:4]. Let us all ‘take heed’ and ‘take heart’ from the words of Christ who said “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” [Matthew 16:18].

Continue reading →

News From The Front – January 2003

Dear praying friends,

This is an unscheduled additional NEWS FROM THE FRONT that has been prompted by the sheer volume of information that I want to distribute to you. The ‘print size’ is perhaps a little smaller than usual – again it is to enable me to include as much information as possible. You will notice that at the foot of this page, details of a Council of Reference are no longer listed. There is nothing sinister in this; it is simply the result of changed circumstances. Since the formation of the Council a number of years ago, of the original 6 members, only one is still currently working in the same situation. As a result of the various changes of location and service, including of course our own move back in 2000, it has become increasingly difficult to arrange regular ‘get-togethers’ and so it has been decided to formally ‘disband’ the Council. Each of the ‘retiring’ members has assured me of their ongoing full support for “Take Heed” and will continue to offer me a ‘listening ear’ and advice in appropriate circumstances. Margaret and I wish to record our deep appreciation to all those who served on the Council. Their friendship, fellowship and encouragement have meant much to us over the years and we wish them God’s richest blessing as they continue to serve Him “in spirit and in truth”. A new year has unfolded and as we face “the wiles of the devil” we will need both strength and help, so let me conclude this letter with what was our own Church motto text for 2002 – “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped” [Psalm 28:7].

Continue reading →

News From The Front – December 2002

Dear praying friends,

The ‘lead’ article in this newsletter focuses on the initiative that was known as Power To Change and lack of space has prevented me from saying all that I would have liked to have said so I want to share here with you an additional example of the worrying influence of this event. In Bangor, a Power To Change guest speaker was James Ryle who was for a time a board member of the ecumenical Promise Keepers and in 1990 stated ‘The Lord has appointed me a lookout and shown me things that I want to show you…The Lord spoke to me and said “What you saw in the Beatles, the gifting and the sound that they had, was from me…It was my purpose to bring forth through music a world-wide revival that would usher in the move of my Spirit in bringing men and women to Christ”’. Mr Ryle on another occasion claimed he had a vision of a Beatles concert where people were “screaming the name, Jesus”. In a bygone age, Mr Ryle would have been taken out and stoned to death! Commenting on Luke 5:4 “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught” C H Spurgeon wrote ‘In the saving of souls, God worketh by means; and while the present economy of grace shall stand, God will be pleased by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe’ and as my own Pastor often says ‘and all God’s people said – Amen’! Thank you so much for another year of support and encouragement, please pray on, and may He in 2003 continue to “perfect that which concerneth you” [Psalm 138:8]

Continue reading →

‘Sola Scriptura’ – Greg Bahnsen

Is ‘Sola Scriptura’ a Protestant Concoction?

A Biblical Defence of ‘Sola Scriptura’

by Dr. Greg Bahnsen

(Transcribed by David T. King from a taped lecture and edited for the WWW by James Anderson)

The issue of Scripture and Scripture Alone (or what Protestants have come to call the principle of Sola Scriptura) is a matter that divides professing Christians as to the foundation of their faith and what defines their faith. Back in the days of the Reformation when there were men who felt that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ had been not only corrupted by the Roman Catholic Church, but had virtually disappeared under the mask of human traditions and rituals and things that kept people from actually hearing the good news of Jesus Christ, in order to reform the Church, in order to have the grace of God more clearly proclaimed to people, Protestants realized they had to take a stand not only for ‘Sola Gratia’ (i.e., in Latin, ‘By Grace Alone’ for our salvation), but that had to be proclaimed on the basis of Sola Scriptura (‘Scripture Alone’) because the Roman Catholic Church used its appeal to human tradition in the Church (or what they considered divine tradition in the Church) as a basis for its most distinctive doctrines.

Continue reading →

The Perfect Sacrifice by C.H. Spurgeon

“It shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein” Leviticus 22:21.

Thus, then our text shuts out all self-righteousness. IT ALSO SHUTS OUT ALL PRIESTLY PERFORMANCES.

There is a notion among some people that the priest is to save them alias the minister, for men easily in these charitable days make even Dissenting ministers into priests.

I have heard people say “Just as I employ a lawyer to attend to my temporal business, and I do not bother my head any more about it; so I employ my priest or my clergyman to attend to my spiritual business, and there is an end of it”.

This is evil talk, and ruinous to the man who indulges in it. I will speak of this priestcraft very plainly. Recollect “it shall be perfect to be accepted;” therefore all that this gentleman does for you must be perfect.

I do not know what it is that he does, I am sure. I never could make out what a priest of the Roman or Anglican order can be supposed to do in his highest function of the mass. I have seen him walk this way, and I have seen him walk that way: and I have seen him turn his back, and it has been decorated with crosses and other embelishments; and I have seen him turn his face; and I have seen him bow; and I have seen him drink wine and water; and I have seen him munch wafers; and I have seen him perform many genuflections and prostrations; but what the performance meant I have not been able to gather. To me it seemed a meaningless display.

I should not like to risk my soul on it; for suppose that during that service he should think of something that he ought not to think upon, and suppose he should have no intention whatever of performing the mass, what then becomes of those who trust in him and it?

Everything, you know, depends upon the intention of the priest. If a good intention be not there, according to the dictates of his own church, it is all good for nothing, so that your souls all hang upon the intention of a poor mortal in a certain dress.

Perhaps he has not after all been rightly anointed, and is not in the apostolical succession! Perhaps there is no apostolical succession! Perhaps the man himself is living in mortal sin! Ah, me! There are many dangers about your confidence. Are you going to hang your soul on that man’s orders or disorders? Mine is too heavy to hang upon so slender a nail, driven into such rotten wood.

If you have a soul big enough to think, you will feel ‘No, no; there cannot be sufficient ground for dependence in the best pontiff that ever officiated at an altar. God requires of me, myself, that I bring to him a perfect sacrifice; and it is all a device of my folly that I should try and get a sponsor, and lay this burden on him. It cannot be done.

I have to stand before the judgment-bar of God in my own person, to be tried for the sins that I have done in the body; and I must not deceive myself with the idea that another man’s performance of ceremonies can clear me at the judgment-seat of Christ. This man cannot bring a perfect sacrifice for me, and it must “be perfect to be accepted”.

O sirs, do not be deluded by priestcraft and sacramentarianism, whether the priest be of the school of Rome, or of Oxford: you must believe in the Lord Jesus for your selves, or you will be lost for ever! &

“It shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein” & as this rule shuts out all other confidences, SO THIS RULE SHUTS US UP TO THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST &

My heart rejoices as I think of Gethsemane, and Calvary, and of him who by one offering hath perfectly sanctified all who put their trust in him. “It is finished” said he, and finished it is for ever.

Our Lord has presented a perfect sacrifice. “It shall be perfect to be accepted;” and it is perfect. “There shall be no blemish therein;” and there is no blemish in it.

Glory be to God Most High.