Trying to sort after 40 years

With my ministry at Childs Hill now coming to an end I am trying to sort. The pile above consists of notes taken over many years when doing door to door in the area. 

A Busy Monday

Monday was a very full day. Things start quite early these days. There were other things to do in the morning as well and then at 1 pm we had the next Evangelical Library lunch time lecture from Nick Needham on Robert L Dabney. An excellent piece of work. I will give a full report soon. I am sorry not more were able to hear it. After that we had a committee meeting and that was worthwhile. Finance continues to be an issue. Things are healthy enough at the moment but on current trends, it won't be long before we are in trouble. Current trends are making it difficult. Then after that I met up with a pastor friends of mine from West London and we visited a home in Golders Green where a couple are troubled about recent phenomena in the home. It turned out that Ihad met the lady before in another connection. We talked and then we prayed |(me in English, my friend in the family tongue). They kindly gave us gifts even though we were there only a short time/ I hope this will lead to further contact and a spiritual blessing on the famiily. It was nice too to have a coffee and catch up with my friend who I first met years ago through EMF

As I walked home through the park, there was a glorious sunset. My mother used to tell me that God was too good to me (she feared I would take it for granted). God certainly is very good. Then after tea I had a Bible study on salvation with two Iranian kurd refugees who come to the church. One of them has recently been transferred to Luton nd had caught the train to Cricklewood. I am encouraging hiom to attend a church in Luton but he like us, he says. anyone I was able to pass on part of the gift I'd just received to hm to cover his significant costs. The Bible study was okay bit all in translation. Their English is not great and my Farsi non-existent.

I then relaxed watching University Challenge (Cardiff beat St Andrews - not a Celt in either team!). We also watched a bit of TV - DI Ray and the ITV News.

Door to door in diverse Childs Hill

My assistant Eddie and I try and do door to door work on a Friday. Last Friday we tackled one of the three high rise blocks of flats in the area. Most of the residents of the sixty flats were out but we caught some in and chatted to one or two. It struck me again the diversity of the area. We met people whose roots are Somali, Kenyan, Indian, Bangladeshi, Portuguese, Iranian, etc (my Ghanaian friends were out). Religiously, there were those of Muslim, Hindu, Quaker, Anglican and Pentecostal persuasion (I know that some JWs also live in this block).

Rumours of a Better Country

I was back at the Pastors Academy in Finchley on Monday for the reading group. This current book didn't draw the crowds as the book last time did but there were 9 or 10 of us and we enjoyed talking through the book  Rumours of a better country by veteran traveller and Schaefferite March Moyle. we all agreed that the book is rather quirky and a little hard to get into but felt that a willingness to stick with it bore fruit in time. The book looks at the ten commandments ina fresh and interesting way, as an apologetic directed at the interested unbeliever. Mostyn Roberts (no stranger to things Schaefferian) chaired. Next time we are back to Rosaria Butterfield and her book Five lies of our anti-Christian age. We meet next September.

Kristian Dimond

My wife got this "Football to faith" cake made up for the evening

Last night we had a special event at the church. Barry born former footballer Kristian Dimond is pastor of the FIEC church in Wellington, Herefordshire. He has quite a remarkable testimony and it was good to hear it last night along with about 40 others. A very interesting evening,

Evangelistic Materials

When I was a young man it seemed to me that all the evangelistic books I saw were by Anglicans. That's no longer the case and here are two excellent tools by two Welshmen both Calvinists and who both happen to be members in the same nonconformist church in London. I know them both. The first item is a booklet by Geoff Thomas called What is true religion? (RHB). This basically expounds what Jesus says about new wineskins and patching up old garments and one or two other Scriptures to give a powerful and very readable call to faith in Christ. Alun Ebenezer, the headmaster of Fulham Boys School, is the author of the second item The heart of the problem (EP). This is more of a book than a booklet, a little longer and more detailed,  but is still very short. Under the conceit of a medical condition we are given the problem, the diagnosis, the prognosis, cure and something about the doctor himself. Again, lots of great stories to help things along. Do get hold of these items and use them

10 Things with regard to God's Word

1. Read the Word
2. Accept the Word
3. Consider the Word
4. Preach the Word
5. Pray the Word
6. Sing the Word
7. Learn the Word
8. Share the Word
9. Live the Word
10. Spread the Word

Lecture on Thomas Treanor at the Library

We had an excellent lecture on Monday at the Evangelical Library. Norman Hopkins introduced us to Thomas Treanor a forgotten missionary to seamen in the 19th century. It was quite a striking story of commitment to bravely bring the gospel to sinners. We also had a very good number. Well worth seeing on the video taken. Enquire at the Library.

10 Invitations from the Bible

1. An invitation to cleansing Isaiah 1:18-20

"Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. 

2. An invitation to satisfaction Isaiah 55:1, 2

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. 

3. An invitation to seek the LORD and call on him Isaiah 55:6-9

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

4. An invitation to be healed of backsliding Jeremiah 3:22

"Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding." "Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God."

5. An invitation to return to the LORD Hosea 6:1

"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds."

6. An invitation to rest Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." 

7. An invitation to discipleship Mark 1:17

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people." 

8. An invitation to refreshment and refreshing John 7:37, 38

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." 

9. An invitation to fruitfulness John 15:4

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

10. An invitation to fellowship Revelation 3:20

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Tracting

Christians today disagree on the value of trying to give out tracts in the High Street. I can see both advantages and disadvantages. We continue to try and go out once a month, however, and I find it stimulating. Last time we went most did not take tracts but some did. One lady wasn't going to but then did.

Among the refusers were a lady who claimed to be an atheist. Apparently there is a lack of evidence so I suggested she take a look around. She was unconvinced so I pointed out that God had sent me to her to tell her that there is a God/ She was unimpressed. It is hard to see what more could be done.

Another refuser said he did not believe in Christianity. I try not to get wound up but I did tell him he was a silly man as the whole reason I was there on the streets was to reach people who don't believe.

I also saw three Hindu priests dressed in saffron accompanied by a minder. They were heading for the opticians. They politely refused my Christian tract.

At one point I saw someone I knew. I thought it was someone else, a woman who grew up coming to the church, at first but then I realised who it was. I don't think what I said was out of place.

Some of the time there was a lull and at one point the wind blew a tin can about so that it danced in quite a delightful way for about 30 or 40 seconds. God puts on these little shows sometimes quite unexpectedly just to amuse us.

At one point a girl stopped to sit on a bench nearby and take a stone out of her shoe. I remember thinking - if only all problems were as easy to solve.

Meal and Message with Mike Mellor

We had an encouraging evening last night. Mike Mellor came up from Bournemouth an gave his testimony and encouraged us all to faith in Christ. We were about twenty altogether, so not a large number, but about a quarter of us were people either new to us or near as. One lady comes often to events, another from time to time but the others (a Muslim, a Catholic, an Anglican, someone with vvarious trooubles who wandered in) were al fresh to us. SOme had simply read the leaflet and decided to come! How heartening. So not an achievemnet as such but a great opportunity. We pray something may come of it. The food, etc, as ever, was exceellent. Our members, especially the women, work really hard. If you don't know Mike's testimony you can get the flavour here (with Roger Carswell).

Midweek Meeting June 6 2018 etc

For quite a while I have been reporting on this blog what goes on at our regular meetings on the Lord's Day and on Wednesday nights. I didn't do this at first but as these loom so large in my weekly life it seemed strange to say nothing about them week after week.  There is an opitimum two or three day turn around time between each one and sometimes I am a little late with my updates.

We are quite late in the week for this one but I think that has turned to my advantage in the end. I say that because on Wednesday we had a visiting speaker. It was Robin Asgher from Cranford. Robin grew up in Pakistan and I first met him when I was a lecturer on the EMF course. He went on to do two years at the Seminary and was my assistant for a year before beginning as a church planter in Cranford, West London. He always speaks about me and that time very warmly.

It was great to have him back then and hear a little about the work in Cranford which now includes opportunities at nearby detention centre with immigrants interested in the Christian faith. The main topic was reaching out to Muslims. We are having a special focus on outreach in the area this month. He has a lot of experience in that area and had helpful things to say.

One reason I am not sorry to have left this report a little is that the next evening we had a visit from Luke Jenner, who had been lecturing on Acts at the Seminary. He is one of many students who, like Robin, were regularly with us during their time at seminary. Generally speaking I think these were positive times for the men involved. We certainly appreciated having them with us. (I am tempted to start listing them but I will leave someone out I'm sure. There are many. Robin, Mark Raines, Ian Middlemist and Andrew Lolley stand out as they also served as assistants). Most of these men are in ministry at present. I get rather discouraged sometimes and one bright spot that makes me confident it has not been as bad as I feel is these former members of the congregation.

The other reason I am glad that I have delayed is that Robin was encouraging us to be friendly to Muslims and to take time to get to know them. Well, today was the first day of door to door and a deacon and I knocked in one of the high rise flats near the church. Most people were out though those who were in were friendly enough. Then we knocked a door and the lady, a Muslim, I recognised from a local shop. She invited us in for a cuppa and we had a good chat while some Hindi gameshow played on a TV in the corner. She was very positive about Islam (though not fasting and unenthusiastic about some of its modern manifestations). One could think of several women in the congregation who might be able to befriend her and I must get hold of a bilingual New Testament for her. An encouraging start then.

We also had our second actual men's meeting. I must report on that elsewhere.

Banner of Truth Conference 2018 Slot 3

We started today with two reports from overseas but our main opening session today was led by Iain Murray. Focusing on Matthew 4:19, Luke 5:10 and John 21:10 he said that the same they contain the same message given on different occasions. He made several points.
1. The Lord calls men to the work of evangelistic preaching.
There are fish to be caught, lost sheep to be found, prisoners to be set free. It is to be done through preaching the Word of God. It is a mistake not to see the apostolic ministry as a proto-type for ministry today. Thomas Cartwright and John Whitgift debated in the 16th Century what ministers are to do. It is to preach. In the 18th century Whitefield wrote "I wish well to this poor kingdom but this will never be until the Spirit of God is poured out on the sons of the prophets."
2. Following Christ comes before preaching him
"Religion never thrives much under too much sunshine" (Whitefield). It is possible to be doing the work of the ministry without having been converted. Whitefield spoke against those dealing with the "commerce of an unfelt Christ". There is a way to hell from the very gate of heaven. John 15:5. Nearness to Christ is the key to usefulness.
3. The confirmation that is needed is that Jesus is the incarnate God
This comes out in Luke 5 as it does in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 1. Cf Job 42:6. The relative absence of conviction of sin today is no doubt due to our failure to preach the deity of the Lord as we should. Before the Reformation the Lord's death was common knowledge. What was missing was an apprehension of the glory of the Godhead. When that happens, every other truth loses its power. Which he has bought with his own blood. Knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men.
4. It is the fear of the Lord that will enable us to do what we cannot do by ourselves
We are channels not the means of saving people. It is Christ who does the work.
5. Churches need reformation as well as revival
This is seldom heard or practiced. John Owen wrote that if we are faithful we "will receive nothing, practise nothing, own nothing, in his worship, but what is of his appointment." It is not that the Puritans were pernickety. Rather they were evangelists.
6. What evangelistic preaching means in practice
As a matter of principle Dr Lloyd-Jones believed that in every congregation preaching that is primarily evangelistic 'should take place at least once each week'. Spurgeon wrote "I do not know of anything that is more likely to produce a congregation of Pharisees than [not preaching evangelistically]. A further result of this wrong attitude is that such people only attend one service each Sunday; once is enough for them, they do not need any more!"

He also said "The sermons that are most likely to convert people seem to me to be those that are full of truth, truth about the fall, truth about the law, truth about human nature, and its alienation from God, truth about Jesus Christ, truth about the Holy Spirit, truth about the Everlasting Father, truth about the new birth, truth about obedience to God, and how we learn it, and all such great verities."

Great stuff

Death of Billy Graham

Billy Graham went to heaven this morning. Not without his faults and failures, the Arminian Graham was a man of God and for the most part, a faithful preacher, as the sound bites all testify. Plenty of material here at NBC.

A week of mission

The above shows the team eating together one evening

There are arguments for and against a special week of mission in a local church. The chief argument against is that every week should be mission week and a special effort risks introducing an artificial and unsustainable note to the work that risks demeaning the regular efforts. On the other hand, a special effort can sometimes reach people otherwise unreached and, if visitors are invited in to help, can be a help to them as well as the church itself.

Missions have been rare here in Childs Hill. We have just had what must be the third or fourth in 34 years. As I begin to recover I thought I might briefly report.

We know Hicham from France well and he has led church missions and so we followed the pattern he is familiar with. This involved gathering a team to do formal evangelism chiefly Saturday to Thursday in the week June 10-15. Our team was a little on the small side - three full time and four more for the last two days plus two or three visitors on the Thursday with help from five or six members at various times, including me.

We started each day with breakfast in church followed by prayer and a short Bible study. We then spent 90 minute sessions morning and afternoon delivering leaflets and invites, door knocking or speaking to people in the streets of Golders Green, our nearest shopping centre. We ate lunch in the church and evening meal either there or in homes.

In the evenings we had excellent and well attended seminars on reaching Jews and Muslims on Monday and Tuesday; Wednesday was  our regular midweek meeting; and on Wednesday we had an evangelistic meeting with Mick Lockwood from Haworth.

on  the Wednesday morning the Mothers and Toddlers group had a bouncy castle and some of the team took opportunity to mingle. One young woman very helpfully gave a testimony.

We prepared 10,000 A3 leaflets containing testimonies, messages and information and gave away about half of these plus nearly a thousand postcards inviting people to hear Mick. We also had other literature to give away - Gospels, UQs, etc.

We were able to reconnect with several people we already know and some fresh faces. Some few came to meetings on the Thursday and Lord's Day. Some, such as the atheist who wrote to complain, and the people who saw us talking at length to the son of a rabbi, were not happy but generally speaking we did ourselves good. The feedback answered questions such as, say,  where most Jews and Muslims and Filipinos tend to be found, the fact there are Syrians in the area as well as Iranians and the fact some have little English.

It was a worthwhile effort. We are very grateful to the team who helped us and to Mick Lockwood and "Mr McH" in particular. Last time we had a mission we were unable to follow up the next year. I would hope that now we have a clear plan of approach we might try again next Junes or July.

Reply to an irate atheist

We have had a mission this week delivering leaflets door to door and on the streets. One irate atheist wrote a long e-mail to me complaining. I wrote back with this e-mail.

Dear Sebastian (not his real name)

Thank you for your long letter. It is always good to get a response even if it is a negative one. You say that you received a ‘Come Take a Look’ leaflet through your door from our “organisation”. I should explain that we are just a little group of local people with plenty of links to others and getting some help this week but not part of some big organisation in the accepted sense.

I note your vehement objection but I do not see that we have been shameful or wasteful. Your use of the word “foist” is highly contentious. We simply offer leaflets. No-one is being forced to read them. You helpfully mention reasons for objecting to our ‘evangelising’. They turn out to be pretty flimsy as far as I can see.

The first point makes no sense. I can only assume there is a typo. Your second point shows a lamentable ignorance of British history. If you care to do a little research you will discover that Baptists were fiercely persecuted in earlier times. That came to an end in 1689 but we were still subjected to various disadvantages for our faith, including being effectively barred from the universities until the 19th century. Thankfully, we live in partly more enlightened times and we have the right to go on to the street and let people know what we believe. Long may that right continue.

I do know that the Golders Green area has a large Jewish population. Having said that, it is still only 15% in Barnet, meaning that 85% of the people we are likely to meet are not Jewish. We are not cynically or provocatively trying to foist Baptism on anyone. You would be surprised, perhaps, how slow we are in fact to baptise anyone. (By the by are you aware that the Jew themselves have miqvot all over the area where they happily get baptised on a regular basis?). Again, your ignorance is letting you down I fear. Have you ever come across Messianic Jews? These are Jews who have become Christians. True Christians tend to be more respectful to Jews than most.

The only person being provocative here is you with your suggestion that you are going to report me and the church to the council! Have you done that? I have not heard from anyone. Perhaps you have rethought it – why give them all that free publicity, eh? What exactly would be “appropriate action”?

If you are aware of any hungry or homeless people in the area, please let us know. Our resources are small but we have been able to help people in the past. Another point, you seem to think we are fundamentalist Christians. Now we certainly take a firm stand on the fundamentals but we probably fall short of the accepted definition. As for “bothering people with religion” we are with you on your apparent opposition to religion. It was religious people who were largely responsible for Jesus's death and religion has clearly been responsible for many ills in this world. No, we are not peddling religion. If that is the impression we have given then I am sorry. We are talking about a personal relationship with God himself, something he brings about not us.

As you are perhaps aware, atheism is not a philosophically tenable position. You do not know everything and so it may be that one thing you do not know is God. If you would care to take a look at one of the many books on the resurrection of Jesus you will find that it is a well established historical fact. The virgin birth is not susceptible to the same sort of demonstration and so it is a matter of faith. As for the immaculate conception we are totally agreed – utter nonsense.

You are rather dismissive of the Bible. I wonder if you have actually read it. I think you would be much less dismissive if you knew it better. I would be happy to provide you with a copy or even help you read through it if you wish. I am a graduate in English literature and have a history degree too and I can assure you that a knowledge of the Bible will open up real vistas if you have any interest in these areas. Your self-confessed failure to see how a book that was written some 2000 years ago (well over that in the case of the Old Testament) can be applicable in the modern world is most understandable. It amazes me too. However, once you see that the New Testament lays down principles applicable in any age and culture it all begins to open up.

Your antipathy to creationism is no surprise. There is nothing nonsensical about it. That adjective could be applied more appropriately to evolution. You say that science has disproved the young earth idea but that is only true if you accept the theory of uniformitarianism, which cannot be proved. As you probably know, the reliability of carbon dating and radio isotopes is hotly debated. Having said that, if the Bible is wrong on creation then that undermines the whole thing, as you say. Hey, that's something else we agree on!

Your advocacy of keeping religion private is the mantra of the day and I am well aware of the desire many have for our types to shut up. But then if you believe what we believe there is no way you can go private. Anyway, why should we be quiet when someone like Richard Dawkins grabs all the publicity he can get? Hardly fair. How about if you keep your atheism to yourself? You say that you believe that I have every right to follow a religion if I so choose but I believe I ought to let people know what I believe.

I love your list near the end of your letter - subservient, non-questioning, irrational, hypocritical, and utterly disconnected from the realities of modern life. I cannot think of anyone in the church who fits such a description. Okay, may be we are a bit hypocritical, sometimes.

I see that you have checked out the scientific evidence on whether prayers do anything at all. The evidence is pretty poor you are right. It is a very difficult thing to examine scientifically. Your idea of prayer as a selfish act is most interesting. I suppose that you are just thinking of one sort of prayer, supplication. There is also confession, praise and thanksgiving. As someone who tries to pray often I can assure you that feeling good is not the usual feeling that prayer produces. I agree that there are selfish prayers but everything in the Bible encourages the very opposite attitude.

Your conclusion that “religion, all religion, belongs in the dustbin of history” has often been said but so far has proved hollow.

If you let me have your address I will do all I can to avoid bothering you with further leaflets. As I said at the beginning we are not a large organisation so I cannot totally guarantee that it will not happen again. If it does, just bin it.

Gary

Westminster Fellowship

The Westminster Fellowship continues to meet on the first Monday of the month at Westminster Baptist Church (kindly lent and staffed - Jonathan Arnold is about to become the pastor of the church, good news about which we are very happy).

Last Monday was a good old fashioned discussion day looking at evangelism and worship. About 15 ministers and retired ministers gathered and we soberly discussed our present troubles and joys under the able chairmanship of Mostyn Roberts.

One brother who works overseas but is often with us expressed quite movingly his great appreciation for the fellowship. 

We meet again in February.

Midweek Meeting December 9 2016

We had a bumper turn out yesterday and a very good time of prayer. I began on our third 'R' - Regeneration, looking at both regeneration and evangelism. I also showed a video reminding us of the work of Caring for Life in Leeds, a work we try and support. Visitors included a refugee from a health and wealth church who have met before.

Midweek Meeting May 27 2015

As it is half term this week I thought I would take a break from Philippians and look at 2 Corinthians 5:16, a verse that has been on my mind a lot recently. We worked through what it is to regard Christ in a worldly and in a spiritual way and then with regard to others. I hope it was helpful. We had a good time of prayer to follow and most people prayed. 

Evangelistic Preaching

I picked up a copy of Roger Carswell's new book, Evangelistic Preaching at the conference (thanks John). It is a beautifully produced book - hardback in a lovely blue colour with a few graphics and clear print. The print could have been slightly bigger perhaps but they wanted it short which it is - only just over 70 pages. In five chapters Carswell the evangelist simply urges and encourages more evangelistic preaching inside our buildings and out with lots of helpful advice and quotations on the way (from Wiersbe, Stott and others). After speaking of the need he looks at preaching Christ, manifesting love, being creative, connecting and expecting results. Good stuff. I was slightly surprised but pleased to find this quotation from John Stott on pages 28 and 29.

 

I constantly find myself wishing that we twentieth century preachers could learn to weep again. But either our tear-springs have dried up, or our tear-ducts have become blocked. Everything seems to conspire together to make it impossible for us to cry over lost sinners who throng the broad road which leads to destruction. Some preachers are so preoccupied with the joyful celebration of salvation that they never think to weep over those who are rejecting it. Others are being deceived by the devil's lie of universalism. Everybody will be saved in the end, they say, and nobody will be lost. Their eyes are dry because they have closed them to the reality of eternal  death and outer darkness of which both Jesus and His Apostles spoke. Yet others are faithful in warning sinners of hell, but do so with a glib and even a sick pleasure, which are almost more terrible than the blindness of those who ignore or deny its reality.