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.
Your servant for Christ
CECIL ANDREWS
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THE MORMONS
Just before Easter 1999 adverts were screened on television in which a video entitled ‘The Lamb of God’ was offered free to all that would respond to a contact telephone number given. Like-wise in the run up to Christmas later that year another video entitled ‘The Nativity’ was again on offer free to all that would make contact. The adverts were sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints whose members are more commonly known as The Mormons.
The Mormons have been long established in Ireland and the first Mormon baptism here took place at Loughbrickland in July 1840. According to an article in the Belfast Telegraph of 12 May 1997 the Coleraine church opened during that year was the 12th Mormon Church to be established in the Province. Football fans may know that former Linfield manager Eric Boyer is a Mormon Bishop and has often appeared on radio and television as a spokesperson for the group.
Incredibly in recent times this group has been recognised by some within the professing evangelical Christian world as being truly Christian. They had associations with the male Promise Keepers meetings that swept America a few years ago and last year they were invited to participate in the March for Jesus held in Salt Lake City on 22 March. On Christmas Eve 1999 the ‘Larry King Live’ programme on American TV was broadcast live from the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. Live with Mr King was Mormon President – Gordon Hinckley, and then linked in via satellites were South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Crystal Cathedral’s Robert Schuller. From what was said it was clear that Tutu and Schuller fully accepted Hinckley as a fellow ‘Christian’. A detailed account of this incredible discussion can be found in the February 2000 ‘THE BEREAN CALL’ available from Dave Hunt, TBC, PO Box 7019 Bend, Oregon 97708 USA [www.thebereancall.org].
In reality this group displays the 4 characteristics of a non-Christian cult.
1. AN EARTHLY HEAD OR FOUNDER
Joseph Smith founded this group in the early part of the 19th century after he supposedly received heavenly visitations and visions. This led to him eventually obtaining inscribed gold plates that he translated and published. Having established his new church he wrote concerning himself ‘God made Aaron to be mouth piece for the children of Israel and He will make me be god to you in His stead…and if you don’t like it you must lump it’. Brigham Young who succeeded Smith as head of the church wrote ‘no man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith’. The church claims that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and that whoever occupies the position of President of the church is a living Prophet capable of receiving fresh revelation from God.
WHAT DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE?
Hebrews 1:1-2 “God…hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son”
John 5:22 “For the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment unto the Son”
Ephesians 5:19-20 “the household of God…built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets”
2. AN AUTHORITY IN ADDITION TO OR IN PLACE OF THE BIBLE
The 8th Article of Faith of Mormonism states ‘We believe the Bible to be the Word of God as far it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God’. The Book of Mormon is an additional and overriding authority to the Bible. Mormons also recognise 2 other publications ‘Doctrine and Covenants’ and ‘Pearl of Great Price’ to be authoritative scriptures. In the latter book is found The Book of Abraham translated by Joseph Smith from papyri he obtained in 1835. These papyri were unearthed in the vault of the Metropolitan Museum in New York in 1966. The Mail on Sunday of 17 August 1997 reported as follows in an item on Mormonism – ‘Egyptologists were able to decipher the hieroglyphics that Smith claimed to have understood and they concluded that the papyri did not contain the writings of Abraham but a routine description of ancient burial rites’. This should be a matter of serious concern for Mormons as they are told by God in Doctrine and Covenants to ‘give heed unto all his [Joseph Smith’s] words and commandments…For his word ye shall receive as if from mine own mouth’.
WHAT DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE?
Proverbs 30:5-6 “Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar”.
JEREMIAH 23:16 “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD”.
3. A WRONG VIEW OF THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST
Concerning the pre-existent person of Jesus Christ, on page 9 of the Mormon publication Gospel Principles we read ‘The first spirit born to our heavenly parents [yes – according to Mormonism we have a heavenly Mother as well as Father] was Jesus Christ’. Concerning Christ’s incarnation Brigham Young wrote ‘The birth of the Saviour was as natural as are the births of our children: it was the result of natural action. He partook of flesh and blood – was begotten of his Father as we were by our fathers’.
WHAT DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE?
Psalm 90:2 “from everlasting to everlasting thou art God”
John 1:1&14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”
Luke 1:30-31 & 34-35 “And the angel said unto her…thou shalt conceive in thy womb…Then said Mary…How shall this be seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered…The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee”
Concerning the work of Christ we read on page 68 of Gospel Principles – ‘On the third day after his crucifixion, Christ took up his body again and became the first person to be resurrected…Christ thus overcame physical death. Because of his atonement all persons born on this earth will be resurrected…In the same way Jesus was resurrected so our spirits will be reunited with our bodies…This condition is called immortality’. According to Mormonism the atonement of Jesus accomplished immortality for all people but by itself did not obtain remission of sin or redemption for anyone.
WHAT DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE?
Hebrews 9:26 “but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself”
Hebrews 9:12 “by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us”
Hebrews 1:3 “when he had by himself purged our sins”
Matthews 26:28 “this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins”
4. A WRONG VIEW OF SALVATION
Because of their wrong view of Christ’s atonement – that it only guarantees resurrection – the Mormons then have to state what extra must be done by individuals to obtain forgiveness and redemption. On page 68 of Gospel Principles we read ‘Christ’s atonement makes it possible for us to overcome spiritual death…We accept Christ’s atonement by repenting of our sins, being baptised, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and obeying all of the commandments. In this way are we cleansed from sin and we become worthy to live forever with our Heavenly Father.’ This false faith + works ‘gospel’ is well summed up in The Book of Mormon – ‘for we know that it is by grace that we are saved after all we can do’ (2nd Nephi 25:23).
WHAT DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE?
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works lest any man should boast”.
Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us”.
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BOOK REVIEW
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“SIXTY QUESTIONS EVERY JEHOVAH’S
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WITNESS SHOULD BE ASKED”
This recent publication from Ambassador Productions is written by Ian Brown who is minister of Londonderry Free Presbyterian Church. On the back cover we read as follows –
“Many are of the opinion that those who call themselves ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’ are real authorities on the Bible. Truth is they are NOT.
They give a total allegiance to the dictates of an ORGANISATION – but, as the questions contained in this book demonstrate, that organisation is FAR REMOVED FROM the plain teachings of God’s Holy Scripture.
This little book aims to put into the hands of God’s people QUESTIONS that will present immense difficulties to the Jehovah’s Witness and which may, under God, penetrate his programming, shatter his belief in the Watchtower organisation, and lead him out into the blessings of a personal saving relationship with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
I would highly commend this easy to read book to those who have a desire to witness to the Jehovah’s Witnesses that come calling at your door. It may be obtained from our ministry at a price of £4.75 [includes p&p]
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SATAN’S SAME Confusion SUBTLE STRATEGY
In Genesis 3:1 we read “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field”. The word “subtil” would be well understood as meaning ‘crafty’ in today’s language.
Into a clear-cut situation “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” [Genesis 2:16-17] the serpent [Satan] introduces confusion – “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?… Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” [Genesis 3:1,4&5]
The consequence of Satan’s Subtle Strategy was ‘the fall’ and its effects are everywhere still evident today.
God’s clear-cut remedy for the salvation of fallen man is through the proclamation of His ‘gospel’ “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” [Romans 1:16] and “it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” [1 Corinthians 1:21].
To try and counteract the saving effectiveness of God’s ‘gospel’ Satan has remained faithful to his tried and trusted tactic of sowing confusion. We are now living in days of unprecedented uncertainty where the very essence of ‘the gospel’ is concerned and it is all due to Satan’s age-old ploy of questioning the truth and reliability of God’s word – still today Satan says “Yea, hath God said”?
Not only has Satan sought to pollute and pervert the core ingredients of God’s ‘gospel’ but he has also sought to confuse the identity and distinguishing marks of a true ‘Christian’. The success of this strategy is best seen in a number of developments in recent years. The most worrying aspect of all of this is that many who describe themselves as being ‘EVANGELICAL’ show the greatest evidence of being the victims of Satan’s Strategy of sowing confusion. Earlier I mentioned ‘developments in recent years’ so let me briefly mention a few of these by way of example
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March 1994
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Publication of ‘Evangelicals and Catholics Together
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The Christian Mission For The Third Millennium’.
This was endorsed by leading so-called Evangelicals such as J I Packer, Bill Bright and Charles Colson.
1995 Promotion of the ‘Alpha Course’ by Sandy Millar and Nicky Gumbel of Holy Trinity Brompton church in the midst of they and their fellowship experiencing the so-called ‘Toronto Blessing’.
July 1998
Publication of ‘Evangelicals and Catholics Together in Ireland’. At a number of meetings in Belfast and Dublin J I Packer in company with ‘Father’ Pat Collins sought to justify this concept.
1998 Publication of ‘Adventures in Reconciliation; 29 Catholic testimonies’
The joint editors of this publication [funded by the European Programme for Peace and Reconciliation] were Paddy Monaghan and Eugene Boyle of the group known as ‘Evangelical Catholic Initiative’. Amongst the ‘Protestant’ endorsers of this book were Bishop Harold Millar (Church of Ireland), Rev Ken Wilson (Methodist) Pastor Paul Reid(Christian Fellowship Church) and Rev Ken Newell and Rev Trevor Morrow (both Presbyterian). On the Roman Catholic side Cardinal Cahal Daly and Archbishop Sean Brady endorsed it.
These theological hybrid endeavours have produced a rich harvest of deadly poisonous fruit when they speak of how a person becomes a Christian and when they spread the ‘testimonies’ of those claiming to be Christian. Rather than bringing clarity into the realm of the matters addressed they have served only to introduce widespread confusion. Many of God’s people have been greatly troubled by these developments. They have to a degree lost peace of mind over matters that were formerly never in dispute. Why has this happened and who is at the back of it all? The scriptures assist us greatly with these words “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace” [1 Corinthians 14:33].
Satan has without doubt been very busy. Briefly I would like to detail some of the ‘genetically modified’ teachings and testimonies that genuine evangelical believers are being asked to swallow and accept as being both faithful sound doctrine and testimony of belonging to Christ’s sheep.
Please consider this section [with comments added] from the March 1994
‘Evangelicals and Catholics Together – The Christian Mission For The Third Millennium’
‘Those converted – whether [1] understood as having received the new birth for the first time [evangelical Holy Spirit regeneration] or [2] as having experienced the reawakening of the new birth originally bestowed in the sacrament of baptism [Roman Catholic sacramental baptismal regeneration] must be given full freedom as they decide the [church] community in which they will live their new life in Christ [Evangelical or Roman Catholic churches viewed as equally valid].
The so-called ‘Evangelicals’ who signed this document officially sanctioned baptismal regeneration as a valid way of becoming a Christian and formally acknowledged Roman Catholicism as a viable form of Christianity. They have ably promoted Satan’s Subtle Strategy of confusion.
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‘Alpha News’ – March – July 2000
On the front page of this newspaper there is a photograph of TV presenter Diane Louise Jordan and underneath we read
‘A video explaining the vision for the Alpha supper initiative in September is being sent to all the 7000 churches in the UK running Alpha. The video is introduced by TV presenter Diane Louise Jordan’.
Half the text of page 3 is given over to supplying further information about this project and the remainder of pages 3 & 6 is entirely devoted to Diane Louise Jordan’s ‘testimony’.
In all the articles on these pages about the video and Diane Lousie Jordan herself there is not one mention of Jesus Christ. There is not one usage of the word sin. There is not one reference to either Calvary or The Cross. There is not one mention of conversion or having been born again.
There are in fact quite a number of disturbing and dare I say it ‘diabolical’ incidents referred to as the following extracts from the ‘testimony’ will show.
When somebody dies in your family you ask the questions, “What is it all about? Where do we go after this? But I remember feeling quite peaceful about my sister dying because I really believe she was going somewhere better…While I was at Blue Peter, there was a producer friend who I got on with famously. He was trendy…he loved partying…We were once stuck in a hotel near Auschwitz…so we sat at the bar all evening…and in the middle of this conversation he announced that he went to a church in the centre of London where they had discussions about faith. It wasn’t churchy and a lot of media people went there so I should feel at home…I told him I didn’t believe in Christianity and it wasn’t for me…
A couple of years later we found ourselves in Argentina…On my day off I was lying on my bed with my eyes wide open when I had this massive vision. I saw my sister…There was no stress on her face…She told me that she was in heaven with God. It was a beautiful experience but I was freaked out and cried uncontrollably…Later on my friend came to find out where I was and I told him what had happened. He said that it was probably God [Luke 16:27-31 would teach differently]
…when I was leaving Blue Peter six years later…they invited me to present one episode of ‘Songs of Praise’ from LOURDES which is an incredibly spiritual place
[The question is which ‘spirits’ are active at Lourdes]
…one evening we went to the Grotto…I just stood at the side…and I just could not stop crying…I came back from there feeling quite changed…From that moment on I actually started telling everybody I was a Christian…I remembered that my producer friend had mentioned this course…It was called an Alpha course…I spoke to him about my experience in Lourdes and he just said “Yeah, I think you ought to go and do this course”…Then in 1998 I was invited to present ‘Songs of Praise’ about Alpha from Holy Trinity Brompton…It felt fantastic…and I thought “I’ve really got to go back and do this Alpha course”. So I went back and completed the course and during that time GOD SORT OF CREPT UP ON ME REALLY GENTLY AND HE HAS KEPT CREEPING EVER SINCE
[I read in my bible of ‘conviction’ and ‘conversion’ but I’m struggling to find God ‘CREEPING’]. God has been clearing away all the clutter… Even my friends are saying “You are much
As I read this ‘testimony’ I thought of the words of 1 John 4:1 “Beloved believe not every spirit but try [test] the spirits whether they are of God”. I must confess that this ‘fruit’ of ALPHA left a bitter taste as I digested it.
Finally I want to consider the confusion sown in recent years by
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‘EVANGELICAL CATHOLICS’
1998 saw the publication of a booklet and book, both of which were heavily influenced by the Irish ‘Evangelical Catholic Initiative’, based just south of Dublin. On the ‘Group Participants’ committee that helped draw up the booklet
‘Evangelicals and Catholics Together in Ireland’ were Eugene Boyle and Paddy Monaghan who on the front cover of the book ‘Adventures in Reconciliation – 29 Catholic Testimonies’ were listed as ‘Editors’. These 2 men act as spokespersons in Northern and Southern Ireland for this ‘Evangelical Catholic Initiative’ grouping. Another who was a member of the ‘Group Participants’ committee and endorsed the ‘ECT in Ireland’ booklet and also wrote a commendation at the start of the book ‘Adventures in Reconciliation’ was Presbyterian minister Trevor Morrow. Let me quote part of what he wrote
‘The Jewish Christians from Jerusalem had come down to Galatia and were fearful that Paul’s message of justification apart from the work of the law would undermine the traditions and identity of their Jewish inheritance. They were insisting that it was not enough for a Gentile to believe in Jesus Christ. They also had to follow the laws of Judaism; to be circumcised, sabbaths and festivals, in order for them to be accepted as Christians. It became for them a criteria for FELLOWSHIP [emphasis mine]. Paul rails against this. If someone insists that something else is required, apart from faith, in order to accept a person as a fellow Christian, or as a basis of fellowship, then they, says Paul, are preaching a false gospel.
If you refer back to the article in my last newsletter entitled
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‘Ecumenical “stones for bread” (Luke 11:11) in Ballymena’
you will discover an uncanny similarity between what Russell Birney preached and what Trevor Morrow has here written. They are obviously ‘singing from the same perverted ecumenical hymn-sheet’ to persuade people that the term ‘Evangelical Catholic’ is not what it truly is – a contradiction in terms.
Finally I want to consider the confusion sown in recent years by ‘EVANGELICAL CATHOLICS’ 1998 saw the publication of a booklet and book, both of which were heavily influenced by the Irish ‘Evangelical Catholic Initiative’, based just south of Dublin. On the ‘Group Participants’ committee that helped draw up the booklet
‘Evangelicals and Catholics Together in Ireland’ were Eugene Boyle and Paddy Monaghan who on the front cover of the book ‘Adventures in Reconciliation – 29 Catholic Testimonies’ were listed as ‘Editors’. These 2 men act as spokespersons in Northern and Southern Ireland for this ‘Evangelical Catholic Initiative’ grouping. Another who was a member of the ‘Group Participants’ committee and endorsed the ‘ECT in Ireland’ booklet and also wrote a commendation at the start of the book ‘Adventures in Reconciliation’ was Presbyterian minister Trevor Morrow. Let me quote part of what he wrote
‘The Jewish Christians from Jerusalem had come down to Galatia and were fearful that Paul’s message of justification apart from the work of the law would undermine the traditions and identity of their Jewish inheritance. They were insisting that it was not enough for a Gentile to believe in Jesus Christ. They also had to follow the laws of Judaism; to be circumcised, sabbaths and festivals, in order for them to be accepted as Christians. It became for them a criteria for FELLOWSHIP [emphasis mine]. Paul rails against this. If someone insists that something else is required, apart from faith, in order to accept a person as a fellow Christian, or as a basis of fellowship, then they, says Paul, are preaching a false gospel.’
Going back to what Mr Morrow wrote, the Judaisers were not insisting on all those things listed as a basis for FELLOWSHIP – THEY WERE INSISTING UPON THEM AS THE GROUNDS FOR SALVATION and that was what Paul condemned as ‘preaching a false gosepl’ and as I explained in my previous article he publicly challenged those like Peter who fellowshipped with these ‘false gospel’ peddlars and Mr Morrow and Mr Birney are today both guilty of the same error as Peter. Sadly in June Trevor Morrow will be installed as Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The Presbyterian Church and Christ’s gospel have been well served by the outgoing Moderator, my brother in Christ, John Lockington, but true evangelicals in the Presbyterian Church will have to brace themselves for seeing their new Moderator happily engaging in false ecumenism. Following his selection in February the Belfast Telegraph reported [2/2/00] that ‘Dr Morrow will be willing to take part in joint acts of worship with Roman Catholics’ even though the same article later quotes Mr Morrow as describing his own ministry as ‘evangelical, reformed and orthodox’. His willingness to engage in false ecumenism should come as no surprise following his comments back in 1989. That year the Presbyterian Church voted against joining the ecumenical
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Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland.
The Belfast Telegraph [28/6/89] reported ‘The assembly voted overwhelmingly against the new inter-church body which includes the Roman Catholic Church of England and Wales’. The same article also reported ‘The leader of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic, Dr Trevor Morrow has strongly attacked decisions taken at the General Assembly to oppose membership of the Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland…Dr Morrow told a meeting of the Dublin and Munster Presbytery yesterday that the decisions highlighted the need for “deep and radical repentance” within the Church’.
Finally, many on my ‘local’ mailing list will know of the concerns we raised about plans for Eugene Boyle to speak at the womens FOCUSFEST meetings to be held in Coleraine in early June. Apart from our own protests, many people including a large number of genuinely converted former Roman Catholics also wrote expressing their concerns. I am pleased to report that equal time will be allocated to Baptist Pastor, Clive Johnston, to question Mr Boyle [in depth] during these seminars. I am not claiming any victory here but simply rejoicing that an opportunity will be given [by way of questions] to express the view that Mr Boyle’s claimed position is in reality scripturally untenable.
I commend Clive Johnston to you for your fervent prayerful remembrance.
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POINTS FOR PRAYER
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MINISTRY TRIP TO USA 2-23 JUNE
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MINISTRY TRIP TO SLOVAKIA 1-8 AUGUST
I have been invited [along with Rob Zins and friends from Vermont] to speak at a conference in Presov, Slovakia. Pastor Jan Sichula there is concerned about the increasing popularity of false ecumenism and he has invited us to come and minister to his people. This will be a return to a town that I spoke in back in 1995 albeit with a different fellowship this time. Please pray that we unitedly will “lift up a standard” [Isaiah 59:19] against the flood of ecumenical error that is engulfing many.
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MOVING HOUSE TO BALLYNAHINCH
Driven by the need to have more space to house the ministry, Margaret and I [and of course mum Andrews also] are hoping to move to a new house in Ballynahinch [about 8 miles from our current location]. Things are at an early stage as I write this but we are hoping [DV] that the move may take place in July. Please pray for a buyer for our present home and that the planned move will in due course go without a hitch. In the light of the ministry trips detailed above you’ll appreciate just how tricky the matter of timing will be in all of this. However I am reminded of God’s sovereign control of all matters when I read in Galatians 4:4 ” But when the fullness of the time was come, GOD…” and so we are content to trust and to rest in Him. When the move has taken place [DV] I will drop everyone a line with all the new address details etc.