February Believers Magazine

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Minor Prophets
F A Tatford
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Highly respected author F A
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John Williams - of the
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James J Ellis
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During the greater part of his
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While in the New Hebrides, which were inhabited
by cannibals, he visited the island of Erromango in
November 1839 and was clubbed to death.
The Folly of Atheism
Fraser Munro
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This was originally a message
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fold folly of Atheism. Seven
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as to why Atheism is foolish.
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M. H. Finlay
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Bert Cargill
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J. Denham Smith
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February 2014
CONTENTS
From the Editor.............................................................................................................................. 34
Occasional Letters - Glimmerings in the Gloom, D Newell....................................................35-36
CONTENTS
“A Goodly Heritage” (13), J Brown............................................................................................37-38
Book Review.................................................................................................................................. 39
The Journey to Jerusalem - The Light of the World, G Hutchinson.........................................40-42
A Mini Commentary on 1st John (4), J Hay............................................................................43-44
Question Box.................................................................................................................................. 45
Poem - Our Advocate, Author Unknown........................................................................................ 46
The Church of God (1), M Sweetnam.......................................................................................47-48
The Service and Testimonies of Saul, David and Jonathan (1), C Cann.................................49-50
Elijah (3), C Jones.....................................................................................................................51-52
Abraham’s Four Altars, R Dawes..............................................................................................53-54
Lord’s Work Trust, Financial Statement....................................................................................... 55
The Lord’s Work and Workers.................................................................................................55-57
Obituaries.................................................................................................................................58-59
Forthcoming meetings.............................................................................................................59-63
Notices and Adverts.................................................................................................................63-64
Since it was first published by Mr John Ritchie in 1891, the monthly Believer’s Magazine has
sought to edify, exhort and encourage Christians in their most holy faith, and stimulate interest
and involvement in the Lord’s Work.
Published monthly by:
John Ritchie Ltd, 40 Beansburn, Kilmarnock KA3 1RL, Scotland.
Email: graphics@johnritchie.co.uk
Editor: John Grant
Editorial Panel: R Cargill, D Mowat, I Steele, I Wilkie
Typeset by John Ritchie Ltd, Kilmarnock.
All correspondence relating to editorial matters should be forwarded to the Editor, at John Ritchie Ltd. All other
matters, including notices of meetings, advertising, obituary notices, changes of address and subscriptions, should be
addressed to the Publishers, John Ritchie Ltd. (address above).
Cover Image: Bath, Somerset, England.
33

FROM THE EDITOR
From the editor
As Newborn Babes (1 Peter 2.2)
Little is known of the family life
of Peter. He and his brother
Andrew worked together as
fishermen in the Sea of Galilee
(Mt 4.18-9; Mk 1.16-17), they
lived in Capernaum, and Peter
was married (Mk 1.29-30).
The question as to whether
he had sons or daughters has
been asked at times, but is not
answered in Scripture. He was,
however, very aware of how a
new-born child was fed and how
vital it was that a babe should
feed and grow.
This issue he addresses in the
three opening verses of the
second chapter of his first epistle.
His desire is to encourage vital
spiritual growth in all who have
been born again. He commences
with the changed character of
a saved individual, and with
what has to be put away. It is
the action necessary to show
the reality of being born again
and is not forced on anyone,
but rather is the desire of newly
born again souls. The picture
is that of having laid aside a
garment, not gradually, but with
one act. “Malice, and all guile,
and hypocrisies and envies, and
all evil speakings” (v.1) no longer
should flourish in the life of a
Christian. The believer must be
different, and in facing the world
show clearly that they now have
a new, a different character.
But the action that has taken
place is backed up with a new
appetite, a desire to feed from
the Word of God. A child just born
has to grow and can only do so
by healthy feeding. This is so also
in the new spiritual life. The food
in this realm is the Scriptures,
but how does a recently born
again person feed? First, such
a spiritual child feeds intuitively.
The mother needs not to instruct
the child that it must feed, for
there is born into the child the
desire to be fed and how to
be fed. Such it is with the new
babes in Christ - there is in their
soul a genuine desire to feed
from Scripture. Without feeding
growth is absent.
Second, the newly born child
feeds voraciously, that is it feeds
ravenously. The Word of God will
be read in this way - hungrily,
eagerly, with a desire to take in
all that is possible to consume.
What a delight this is for the
babe in Christ.
Third, this babe feeds beneficially.
The food being taken in benefits
the body that strengthens, grows
and develops. So it is with the
Christian. Only by such feeding can
there be spiritual development
and strength. But note also that
the Word of God is stated to be
“the sincere milk of the word”, the
adjective “sincere” denoting what
is unmixed and pure.
What follows is the appreciation
that is the result of tasting of the
“sincere milk of the word”. This
teaches that the Lord is gracious,
the spiritual nourishment
enabling the believer to enjoy
more of Him. Not a few writers
commenting on this verse (v.3)
have directed the reader to
Psalm 34.8: “O taste and see
that the Lord is good: blessed is
the man that trusteth in him”.
But it must not be thought that the
desire to read the Word of God is
only for those who are babes. It
ought to be continuous, not only for
the novice but for all who have put
their trust in the Lord Jesus. To fail to
do so leaves the believer as a young
babe. To do so builds up spiritual
maturity when the Scriptures are
put into practice. Let us follow the
teaching of Peter and feed on the
Scriptures daily, no matter how short
that time has to be, and continue
to feed on what will mould us and
change us so that our lives are
worthy testimonies to the gospel.
The challenge today is clear. The
purpose of the Adversary is to
ensure that the Christian manner
of life differs little from that of the
world. This always has been his
goal and will continue to be so.
Daily reading of the Word of God
will enable us to overcome, and
be the more marked by Christian
maturity.
JG
34

OCCASIONAL LETTERS
Glimmerings in the Gloom
The final chapter of 2 Kings is not exactly a cheerful
read. Unflinchingly it records the terrible fate of
Judah, when in 586 BC the city of Jerusalem fell
to the besieging Babylonian army. For propaganda
purposes, politicians and military leaders frequently
attempt to present a resounding defeat in the best
possible light. Thus in 1940 the catastrophic retreat
of the BEF to Dunkirk was transformed into a marvel
of deliverance, because a sizeable portion of the
army, deprived of their weaponry, was ferried back
to Britain in the face of constant enemy action. But,
as some remarked at the time, wars are not won
by evacuations. And Scripture doesn’t airbrush the
tragedy of Judah’s collapse. More, the previous
chapter clearly spells out its cause: “Surely at the
commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah,
to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of
Manasseh, according to all that he did” (2 Kings
24.3). Let us take note: sin brings suffering.
In this candid narrative of Jerusalem’s overthrow,
four things should grab our attention. First is the
utter devastation of the city: “And in the fifth
month, on the seventh day of the month, which is
the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of
Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard,
a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem:
And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king’s
house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every
great man’s house burnt he with fire. And all the
army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain
of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem
round about…And such things as were of gold,
in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the
guard took away” (2 Kings 25.8-15). Solomon’s
magnificent temple, the royal palace, and the
houses of the nobility were all destroyed, and the
city wall razed to the ground, while the nation’s
remaining treasures were looted. Most had already
been pillaged in earlier invasions.
D Newell, Glasgow
Second, to prevent any serious resistance, the
victors ordered the extermination of the country’s
surviving leaders: “So they took the king, and
brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah;
and they gave judgment upon him. And they slew
the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out
the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of
brass, and carried him to Babylon…And the captain
of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and
Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers
of the door…And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard
took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon
to Riblah: And the king of Babylon smote them, and
slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath” (2 Kings
25.6-7, 18-21).
Third, the transportation of the remaining citizens
to Babylon left only the poorer Judeans to eke out
an existence in a war-ravaged land: “Now the rest
of the people that were left in the city, and the
fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with
the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the
captain of the guard carry away. But the captain
of the guard left of the poor of the land to be
vinedressers and husbandmen” (2 Kings 25.11-
12). Babylon’s triumph was complete.
Let us take note: sin brings
suffering.
February 2014
So far all is bleak: God’s judgment upon His
apostate people has fallen as promised and, apart
from the short-lived generosity of Gedaliah, the local
governor appointed by the Chaldeans, the picture is
one of unrelieved gloom. King Zedekiah has been
blinded, the immediate royal family slaughtered,
the people scattered. Then, at the very close of
the chapter, comes an unexpected appendix which
shifts the scene to Babylon.
35
OCCASIONAL LETTERS

OCCASIONAL LETTERS
“And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth
year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah…
that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that
he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin
king of Judah out of prison; And he spake kindly
to him, and set his throne above the throne of the
kings that were with him in Babylon; And changed
his prison garments: and he did eat bread
continually before him all the days of his
life. And his allowance was a continual
allowance given him of the king, a
daily rate for every day, all the days
of his life” (2 Kings 25.27-30).
Josiah’s grandson Jehoiachin (and
it is vital to bear in mind that he is
also called Jeconiah and Coniah) had
been captured 37 years earlier when he
was eighteen, after an evil reign of three months (2
Kings 24.8-13). But now came a change. In honour
of his coronation, the new Babylonian king decided
to show him favour, replacing his prison clothes
and diet with treatment befitting a foreign dignitary
rather than a captive. Why is this recorded? We can
of course view it as a picture of the merciful way
God today raises sinners to blessing in Christ. But
in context it signals the gracious preservation of
Judah’s kingly line. A light remained in the darkness,
for God had promised that “David shall never want
a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel”
(Jer 33.17). Therefore Jehoiachin’s name duly
appears in Matthew’s messianic genealogy: “Josiah
begat Jechoniah and his brethren, at the time of
the carrying away to Babylon. And after the carrying
away to Babylon, Jechoniah begat Shealtiel” (Mt
1.11-12, ASV). Coniah is in the ancestry of the Lord
Jesus. But there’s a problem. The same prophet
who affirmed the perpetuity of David’s dynasty also
pronounced a divine curse on Coniah: “Is this man
Coniah a despised broken vessel?…Thus saith the
Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall
not prosper in his days; for no man of his seed shall
prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling
any more in Judah” (Jer 22.28-30). Do you see the
difficulty? The great Davidic covenant of 2 Samuel
7 guarantees the preservation of David’s royal
How then can
the Lord Jesus
as son of David
reign and
prosper?
family as the line of messianic blessing. The curse
in Jeremiah 22 equally emphatically debars any
descendant of Jehoiachin (himself one of David’s
successors) from kingship. How then can the Lord
Jesus as son of David reign and prosper? The
answer is found by examining the New Testament
genealogies of Christ. Matthew traces the royal
ancestry from David, Solomon, and Coniah
to Joseph, the Saviour’s foster-father.
But Joseph was only Christ’s legal
father, not His physical parent,
as Matthew’s careful language
demonstrates: “Jacob begat Joseph
the husband of Mary, of whom was
born Jesus, who is called Christ” (Mt
1.16). Luke 3, on the other hand, traces
what we may assume is Mary’s ancestry
through another of David’s sons, Nathan, one
outside the royal line and therefore exempt from the
Coniah curse. The Lord Jesus is of the seed of David
physically via Mary, but His throne rights come from
His adoptive father Joseph. To quote the words
of the Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary,
“Matthew gives the legal pedigree through Solomon
down to Joseph; Luke the real pedigree, from
Mary, the real parent, through Nathan, brother of
Solomon, upwards (Lk 3.31)”. I strongly recommend
a reading of Robert G Gromacki’s superb book, The
Virgin Birth (Kregel, 2002) for a full account of this
remarkable fulfilment of prophecy.
In the midst of slaughter, defeat and exile Scripture
holds out the hope of blessing. 2 Kings concludes
with a testimony to God’s inexorable government
(in disciplining Judah) and amazing grace (in
preserving and, through the Babylonians, showing
unlooked-for kindness to the wretched Coniah).
But it does far more than that – it underlines the
inviolability of God’s messianic programme. Not
even Israel’s failure, or the many sins of David’s
descendants, could frustrate the coming and the
ministry of Messiah. Because of the virgin birth,
which circumvents the Coniah curse, the Lord Jesus
is the only one who can legitimately sit on David’s
throne, ruling this world in righteousness and peace.
There’s glory ahead. To be continued.
36

“A Goodly Heritage” (13)
Fresh Awakenings - John Nelson Darby (2)
After the division resulting from the events of 1848,
“exclusive” brethren remained for some years the
larger part of the movement, and included many
of the well-known intellectuals and writers among
the early brethren. Regrettably, the cohesion and
stability of that sector did not survive Darby’s
lifetime, and the history of subsequent divisions
served to demonstrate the difficulty of applying in
practice, some elements of Darby’s teaching relating
to discipline and fellowship. This observation is not
intended to be condescending, but is made with a
real consciousness of weakness and failure.
Labours abundant
A large number of assemblies in the British Isles
and in Europe provided an extensive field of labour
to absorb J N Darby’s energies. The expansion of
the work in the middle years of the century was
due in large measure to his zeal and whole-hearted
commitment. He devoted much time to labour in the
south of France and in Switzerland, often trudging
from place to place on foot and finding lodging
wherever he could. Between 1862 and 1868 he
made three extended visits to the United States
and Canada, followed by a visit to the West Indies.
Three further visits were made to North America
between 1870 and 1875, and from there he sailed
to labour in New Zealand. Although means of travel
had greatly improved both by land and sea since the
Whitefield and Wesley era, such journeys must have
required considerable stamina. Even while engaged
in a demanding programme of travel and preaching,
he continued a voluminous correspondence with
brethren and assemblies in many countries as well
as writing and publishing. William Kelly recalled that
he was habitually a hard worker, from early morn
devoted to his own reading of the Word and prayer;
but even when most busily engaged, he as a rule
reserved the afternoons for visiting the poor and
the sick, his evenings for public prayer, fellowship,
or ministry. Indeed whole days were frequently
devoted to Scripture readings wherever he moved,
at home or abroad.
Kelly’s reference to the poor is interesting as it
touches upon that well-attested sympathy that Darby
had demonstrated in his Calary parish and that
February 2014
J Brown, Peterhead
continued throughout his life. He wrote, I love the
poor, and have no distrust of them, living by far the
most of my time amongst them, and gladly. When
first I began such a life, I as to nature felt a certain
satisfaction in the intercourse of educated persons:
it was natural. If I find a person spiritually minded
and full of Christ, from habit as well as principle I
had rather have him than the most elevated or the
most educated. Again he wrote, I enjoyed hiding
myself and presenting the Saviour to the poor. He
often sought out poorer brethren and happily lodged
in their homes, rather than with wealthy brethren
who would gladly have provided every comfort.
His oral ministry appealed to learned and
uneducated alike. One hearer recorded his
impression: Combined with his great learning and
deep knowledge of the Scriptures was his lowliness
and simplicity, so that all could understand him,
especially when he sought in an unequalled way to
place the consciousness of others in the presence
of God and to cause souls to enjoy the glory and
work of Christ. Simple and unaffected, earnest
and heartfelt, interwoven with the true spirit of the
Gospel, his addresses were the means of conversion
and deliverance for thousands.
Another wrote, He proves, explains and answers
questions the whole day, and in the evening he can
lecture unprepared for an hour without showing
signs of tiring. Although he speaks French with
ease it is without any adornment; it is a naked,
simple confidential speech with great authority. His
expression is that of a man who is fully convinced,
enthusiastic for the truth and in whose soul the
heavenly glories are reflected.
Few ever heard allusion to Hebrew or to Greek in
his addresses. He believed that The Spirit of God
will guide more surely a plain man, if he be humble,
in fundamental truths, than a little Greek will those
who trust in it.
In Bible Readings he exercised extraordinary
patience in explaining matters to unlearned brethren,
but could be brusque to any he thought should know
better. On occasion, differences of understanding
were not well handled, such as when he was invited
37
“A GOODLY HERITAGE (13)”

“A GOODLY HERITAGE (13)”
by D L Moody to conduct Readings in Chicago.
Large numbers attended until the meetings came
to an abrupt end when Darby and Moody clashed
while discussing the freedom of man’s will. Darby
suddenly closed his Bible and refused to continue.
Last days
After a final visit to France in 1881 Darby remained in
England. By the beginning of the next year his strength
was clearly declining and in March he left his London
home to travel to Bournemouth, where, in the home
of H A Hammond, he spent his last days on earth. He
entered his rest on 29th April, 1882 and was buried
on 2nd May. Around a thousand were present when
the graveside service began by the singing of a hymn
written by R C Chapman:
O happy morn! The Lord will come
And take His waiting people home
Beyond the reach of care;
Where guilt and sin are all unknown:
The Lord will come and claim His own,
And place them with Him on His throne
The glory bright to share.
It is pleasant to know that just as the last note died
away, a lark rose from the lawns close by and poured
forth its joyous notes.
Legacy
His warm sympathies, devotedness to Christ, and
the captivating winsomeness of his personality
ensured that he was revered by many. Conversely,
others remembered him as a stern opponent, whose
judgments were sometimes flawed either by prejudice,
or the influence of some whom he had been too
ready to believe. Whatever may have been his flaws,
the legacy of his ministry and writing has proved to be
of enduring value. William Kelly edited his collected
writings comprising 34 volumes covering a variety
of subjects e.g. expository, doctrinal, ecclesiastical
and prophetic. His style of writing is difficult to read,
but close attention can be most rewarding. His
sentences are often long and complex, sometimes
with clauses within clauses, to achieve exactitude.
He once remarked to Kelly, You write to be read and
understood, I only think on paper. Kelly believed the
five volume Synopsis of the Books of the Bible to be
Darby’s greatest single work, and time has confirmed
that judgment. Three volumes of his letters provide
a wealth of interesting material in a wide range of
matters, besides revealing detail of his travels as the
place of writing is often given.
His translation work alone was a great achievement.
He was the principal scholar behind translations of the
Bible into German in 1853, and French in 1859. His
English translation of the New Testament, completed
in 1868, was highly regarded by the translators of the
1881 Revised Version of the Bible. He was not able to
finish the Old Testament, but it was completed after
his death with the help of his German and French
Translations. It should be noted that Darby did not
intend his New Translation for public use, but to
give the student of scripture, who cannot read the
original, as close a translation as possible. 1
His poems and hymns stand in marked contrast to
the dense style of his prose. It is as if his spirit had
been set free to give simple and full expression to his
deepest thoughts and highest aspirations. Darby’s
harshest critics have acknowledged that his hymns
are of exceptional value. Few have succeeded, as
he has done, in writing of heaven in lyrics devoid of
sentimentality. Consider the closing verse of Rest of
the saints above:
God and the lamb shall there,
The light and temple be
And radiant hosts forever share
The unveiled mystery.
His poem Man of Sorrows of 46 stanzas has been
described as “exquisite”. A tone of delightful
tenderness marks every line. A number of hymns
written in the last three years of his life, during
a period of great pressure and sorrow, were not
composed, but spontaneous.
Perhaps his highest note was reached in the lovely
verse:
The heart is satisfied, can ask no more,
All thought of self is now forever o’er;
Christ its unmingled object fills the heart,
In blest adoring love, its endless part.
But when we exult in the singing of such lines, let us
not imagine that we are of Darby. Let us rather realise
that Darby is ours! 2
This quotation from JND provides a suitable postscript:
Use a sharp knife with yourself, say little, serve all,
and pass on.
This is true greatness. To serve unnoticed and work
unseen.
To be continued.
1
Preface to the Second Edition of The New Testament, 1871.
2
See 1 Corinthians 3.21-23.
38

February 2014
With the Bible in North Africa by
Dugald Campbell; published by
and available from John Ritchie
Ltd; 118 pages. Price £7.99.
(9781907731938)
With the Bible in North Africa is a
further publication in John Ritchie’s
Classic Biography Series. It is, as the Prefatory Note from
the pen of Lord Maclay states, “an intensely interesting
story of travel and missionary effort not often equalled”.
For over fifty years, Campbell, a Scot, pioneered with
the gospel and, through his diligence, portions of the
Bible were published by the National Bible Society of
Scotland in various languages. With the Bible in North
Africa portrays his work as that of an itinerant preacher
and Bible colporteur at a time in North Africa’s history
when Berbers, Arabs, Jews and Europeans were, with
the exception of a minority of Muslim extremists,
willing to receive copies of the Scriptures and listen to
the gospel. How different are the present conditions
in those parts. Morocco’s constitution forbids anyone
“shaking the faith of Muslims”.
Campbell provides few dates to help the reader place
his account historically. He mentions early in the book
a visit to some of the areas in 1927. We know again
from passing references that the French colonial
power had dealt with a large-scale rebellion in the
areas through which Campbell leads the reader from
Tangiers over the Atlas Mountains to Hoggar at the
centre of the Sahara Desert, equidistant from Algiers
and Kano in Nigeria. The dangers involved in such a
long journey by bus and camel were many, not least
sandstorms and armed robbers. He carried with him
Bibles in various languages and found a willingness to
accept a Bible at all levels of society, among both Jews
and Gentiles, and during a long-promised visit, in their
black and white tents, to King Khammouk and Queen
Demlah, who then ruled over the Veiled Tuaregs.
Many of France’s Foreign Legion and other troops also
received Bibles and heard the gospel set out.
In his travels, Dugald Campbell also met some
overseas missionaries; among those from the British
assemblies, he names Mr & Mrs Fallaize, whom he
describes as “two heroes of the Cross, Mr & Mrs Fisk
and Miss Hamilton.
Dugald Campbell may not have realised how soon the
day of opportunity would close on gospel preaching
and the reading of the Bible. The night was coming
when no man would be allowed to work. With the Bible
in North Africa is testimony to how one man did what
he could.
T Wilson
BOOK REVIEWS
The Rescue of Timmy Trial - Aletheia Adventure
Series Book 1 by E M Wilkie; published by and
available from John Ritchie Ltd; 242 pages.
(9781909803558)
The aim of this first book in the Aletheia Adventure Series
is stated in the Preface as being “an attempt to help and
encourage young readers to develop an understanding
of the truth contained in the Word of God”.
The story is set in the city of Aletheia, in the mysterious
land of Err.
There is a full page detailed map of the city of Aletheia
with names such as Redemption Square, Good
Shepherd Primary School, Pray Always Farmlands and
Run-the-Race Retirement Home.
In the land of Err there are similar names with spiritual
significance in their meanings such as: Inner-self
Improvement Centre, Know-it-all, Angerton, Mockton
and Other-gods Conference Centre.
The reader is introduced to Jack Merryweather “an
ordinary boy to whom extraordinary things never
happened”. Little did he think that this was about to
change. Since the story is presented in an allegorical
way, the individuals in Jack’s class at school have names
such as Marigold Goody who “never did anything wrong”.
The adventure really begins with Jack encountering
Timmy Trial who is the school bully. They enter the
farm sheds belonging to Jack’s Grandad and are
transported into a mysterious land “the farm sheds
were gone; there was a strange road ahead; an
unknown city loomed large close by”.
The purpose of their unexpected journey is revealed when
Timmy is told by an inhabitant of the city “there’s plenty
that we can teach you during your time with us to help you
understand what it means to become a Christian”.
The two boys are joined by Henrietta Wallop and her
two brothers, but Timmy has had enough and slips
away “a lone figure walking south down Apathy Road”.
An exciting adventure begins as the four children set
out to rescue Timmy in the land of Err. Will they be kept
safe from the dangerous Snares in the dark forest?
Will they ever find Timmy? You will
need to read the book to find out.
There are numerous illustrations
throughout the narrative as well as a
helpful list of Bible references included
at the end of this imaginative book
filled with valuable spiritual lessons.
A Cameron
39
39

John 8.1-59
‘The light was shining out from His own blessed,
holy personality, shining upon them and into
their hearts, and making manifest all the hidden
wickedness and corruption and hypocrisy’
Following the Feast of Tabernacles (Jn 7.2, 37),
the Lord continued His teaching in Jerusalem.
The transition from John 8 to 9 is worth
noting. First came the Lord’s ministry when
He revealed Himself as the ‘Light of the World’
(Jn 8.12). This was followed by the miracle
of healing the blind man (Jn 9.1-41). So even
during a period when sign miracles prevailed –
unlike today (1 Cor 13.8-13) – the priority was
much more on public teaching and ministry.
THE LOCATION
The Lord continued to teach within the city of
Jerusalem and especially in the temple (Jn 7.14;
8.2, 59). It was later, during His mock trial, that
He outlined His approach: ‘I spake openly to the
world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the
temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in
secret have I said nothing’ (Jn 18.20). We too
need to follow His example and display courage
as we seek to share the Gospel with others (Rom
1.16). But we can also be a little more precise
about the Lord’s whereabouts, for, in John 8.20,
we read of Him within the ‘treasury’. This is
probably an area of the temple known as the
Women’s Court. If so, this may provide some
context for the Lord’s remarkable statement in
John 8.12: ‘I am the light of the world’ (see also Jn
9.5). As Merrill Tenney remarks, ‘Perhaps Jesus
drew his illustration from the great candlestick
or Menorah that was lighted during the Feast
40
40
H Ironside, Addresses on the Gospel of John,
Pickering & Inglis, 1959 reprint, p.351
of Tabernacles and cast its light over the Court
of the Women where Jesus was teaching. The
Menorah was to be extinguished after the feast,
but his light would remain’. (The Expositor’s Bible
Commentary, Vol 9, 1981, p.92). An alternative
suggestion is that the Lord is merely drawing a
comparison between Himself and the radiance
of the sun (see also Jn 9.4-5), which, at the time
of speaking, may have been shining brightly in
the morning sky.
THE LEADERS
Little wonder the nation of Israel was weak –
religiously and politically – when you consider
the character of their leaders. They were hostile
and opposed to the Lord, as evident in this
section of John’s Gospel sometimes referred to as
the ‘Festival Cycle’. It began with an unnamed
Feast (Jn 5.1) and progressed through the normal
running order – Passover (Jn 6.4), Tabernacles (Jn
7.2-10.21), Dedication (or Hanukkah, Jn 10.22)
and then returning to Passover (Jn 12.1). It is
here that we read of the intense hatred of the
religious leaders. From their perspective, they
had a clear and compelling need to remove the
Lord from their midst. His popularity among the
people was of increasing concern and served to
illustrate their own insecurity (Jn 7.47-48; 9.22;
11.47-48). With the woman taken in adultery,
they neglected – perhaps intentionally – the
other (male) party who was equally culpable
and liable for punishment according to the
Law (Lev 20.10; Deut 22.22). Thus the passage
before us gives a compelling revelation of their
sinful nature. It began with the less serious
offence of interrupting the Lord as He taught
(Jn 8.2-4). Had their lessons been disturbed,
would they have been as patient and gracious
as the Lord? I doubt it. The chapter ends with
a much more serious offence as they harboured
murderous intent (v59). But notice their motive
in bringing the woman to the Lord (vv4-6), for

February 2014
they sought to entrap Him. The dilemma was
twofold. On the one hand, if He concurred with
their assessment, and capital punishment was
required, would this not set the Lord in direct
opposition with the Roman authorities (as the
Jews, by this stage, appeared to have lost the
official right to execute, Jn 18.31)? On the other
hand, if the Lord dismissed the case then this
might dent His popularity with the people?
The Lord’s handling of this difficult situation
(considered below) is sublime! But, first, notice
how the passage underscores the number of
leaders – they had clearly sought to outnumber
the Lord (v9, with the elders the first to leave).
Today, it remains the case that those opposed to
the truth will endeavour to outwit and outflank
the believer, often by sheer strength of numbers.
In the world we will always be in the minority,
but all that matters is that we side with the Lord
(1 Jn 4.4).
THE LORD
This lengthy and often debated section of John’s
Gospel reveals much concerning the Son of God.
Below are only some of the more prominent
points relating to His character.
• Authority. Faced with the conundrum posed
by the leaders, the Lord bent down from His
sedentary position (Jn 8.2) and wrote on the
ground (v6). Much ink has been spilt on
seeking to identify what the Lord wrote – both
here and in verse 8. Early church history, for
example, maintains that the Lord wrote the
sins of His accusers. Perhaps, as others have
suggested, the emphasis should be more on
the act of writing rather than on what was
written. There is certainly a striking parallel
between the Lord writing with His finger
(v6), and the same said of Jehovah and the
commandments / tables of stone (Ex 31.18).
Remember that seated within the temple/
treasury was Messiah Himself. Unlike the
religious leaders, He had power to not only
convict of sin but also grant forgiveness on
the basis of genuine repentance (Jn 8.11).
Certainly the Lord’s own challenge to the
leaders – ‘He that is without sin among you,
let him first cast a stone at her’ (Jn 8.7) –
caused great consternation. Perhaps the
leaders were guilty of the very same sin, if
only in thought rather than deed (Matt 5.27-
28). What we do know is that the Lord’s
authoritative teaching reached the heart. We
need that type of Bible teaching today. It was
said of Abraham Lincoln that ‘his speaking
went to the heart because it came from the
heart’ (Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of
Abraham Lincoln, D Goodwin, Penguin, 2013
reprint, p.165).
• Mercy. The woman must have left the Lord
in a much happier state than when she
arrived (Jn 8.11). The Lord was, of course,
‘without sin’ but instead of condemning the
woman, on the basis of the Law, He displayed
kindness and grace (Jn 1.17). We too have
come to know God who is ‘rich in mercy’ (Eph
2.4). Moreover, it is evident that the Lord has
a truly unique and perfectly balanced blend
of mercy and truth (Psa 85.10).
• Deity. The passage contains repeated
references to the Lord’s divine nature and
especially in the great ‘I Am’ statements of the
chapter (Jn 8.12, 28, 58). This links directly
with the revelation that Moses received of
Jehovah during his commission (Ex 3.14). The
Lord was thus claiming identity and equality
with the Father as being eternal and selfexistent.
This is the primary purpose of the
fourth Gospel, namely to reveal the Lord as
God incarnate (Jn 20.31).
• Testimony. The Apostle carefully
documented those who bore witness to the
Lord as the Son of God. Note, for example,
the witness of the forerunner (Jn 5.33), the
41
41

A MINI COMMENTARY ON 1ST JOHN (4)
miracles (Jn 5.36), the scriptures (Jn 5.39) and
the disciples (Jn 15.27). In the temple, and
before the Pharisees, the Lord taught that
His testimony was consistent with the Law
– He bore witness of Himself and so too did
the Father (Jn 8.17-18; Deut 17.6). On this
occasion, the self-authentication was both
necessary and valid (but equally notice the
Lord’s teaching on the subject in Jn 5.31). No
one knew the character of the Lord better
than Himself, and His Father also vindicated
His claims (see Jn 12.28-33).
• Fidelity. The narrative contains a remarkable
assertion regarding the Lord’s movements: ‘I
do always those things that please Him’ (Jn
8.29). Despite the opposition of the religious
leaders, the Lord never ceased to do that
which pleased the Father.
• Liberty. With a unique Person comes a unique
blessing – total freedom from the bondage
of sin (Jn 8.32, 36). The response from the
Jews who heard the message was absolute
bewilderment. Not only were they wrong
in their interpretation, thinking that the
subject was political emancipation, but even
here they mistakenly considered themselves
to be free from bondage (v33). What of the
numerous periods of bondage suffered by the
nation throughout their history? Put simply,
the Son of God offers a spiritual liberty that
is unknown and unattainable in the world
outside of Himself (see also Jn 10.9).
• Family. The chapter concludes with a
lengthy discussion on Abraham’s lineage (Jn
8.33-59). It was one thing being a physical
descendant of the Old Testament patriarch
(Jn 8.37) but quite another being part of his
spiritual stock (Jn 8.39; Lk 19.9). The acid test
of genuine faith remains in the actions that
follow (Jam 2.14-26). Remember the proof of
Abraham’s faith lay in his willingness to offer
Isaac, the son of promise (Gen 22.12). ‘Works
serve as the barometer of justification, while
faith is the basis for justification’ (J R Blue,
James in The Bible Knowledge Commentary,
Victor Books, 1983 p.826). Sadly the majority
of people in the temple in John 8 displayed
only their links to the devil (Jn 8.41, 44). In
contrast, those who are marked by faith in
Christ belong to the family of God (Rom 4).
THE LESSONS
The summary box outlines some of the major
lessons from John 8. It is, however, worth
stressing that the predominant theme of the
chapter is on the Lord’s radiance as He shone as
the ‘Light of the World’. Wherever He is found,
there is always an unparalleled brightness (Jn
1.4-5; Rev 21.23). Every local assembly is a
divine lampstand (Rev 2.1) and we are called
to reflect the radiance of Christ to those in the
neighbourhood.
Summary Points
• To be a faithful herald of the Gospel
requires courage and total reliance on the
Holy Spirit
• In the world, believers are in the minority
but our strength comes from God and His
word
• Bible teaching that is public must first be
practiced by the speaker
• The primary objective of the Christian is to
follow the Lord and please the Father
• True faith is evidenced by our words and
works – both should bring glory to God
42

A Mini Commentary on 1st JOHN (4)
The Anointing and the Appearing (2.18-28)
Having addressed the fathers and the young men,
John now turns to the young children, the immature
believers. He sees them as being more vulnerable
to the errors of the antichrists than the mature
fathers or the well-versed young men.
The Antichrist (v.18)
These believers had been taught that the antichrist
would emerge in a future day. Part of his agenda
will be to outlaw all religion, but in particular he will
hate the God of the Bible (2 Thess 2.4). He is “the
lawless one” (v.8, RV), but the pervasive spirit of
insubordination that will culminate in his emergence
is already with us; “the mystery of lawlessness doth
already work” (v.7, RV). Every New Testament writer
believed in the imminence of the Lord’s return
and John’s way of expressing it was this: “it is the
last hour” (v.18, RV). He indicates that even then
last days conditions were manifesting themselves,
evidenced in the proliferation of the antichrist’s
forerunners, the “many antichrists”.
The Antichrists (vv.19-23)
Once they had masqueraded as the genuine
people of God, but now they had withdrawn from
the believers - “they went out from us” (v.19). Their
defection exposed their true condition; it manifested
“that they all are not of us” (RV). Those who are “of
us”, sharing the same life and characteristics of
the family of God, are people who “continue with
us”. Continuance proves reality: “they continued
stedfastly” (Acts 2.42); “…exhorting them to
continue in the faith” (Acts 14.22); “If ye continue
in the faith…” (Col 1.23). Those who walk away from
the Lord’s people in embracing and promoting error
give a clear signal that they have never been truly
saved.
John brands these errorists as “liars” who deny
“that Jesus is the Christ” (v.22). As ever, the devil
was assaulting “the truth” about the Lord Jesus. In
attacking His Messiahship and Sonship, the false
teachers were also detracting from the Father’s
honour; they were denying Him; He had no place
in their lives (vv.22-23). Their error completely
opposed the Father’s declarations about His Son,
so their quarrel was with Him, even although they
February 2014
J Hay, Perth
perceived Him to outrank the Son! Scripture teaches
that “all men should honour the Son, even as they
honour the Father” (Jn 5.23). To deny the Son is to
defy the Father.
The torrent of error that was sourced in the 1st
century continues to flow. Various cults pour scorn
on the Christian perspective of the Trinity. Probably
the most militant and vocal are those who call
themselves Jehovah’s Witnesses. They suppose that
they are championing Jehovah’s cause by denying
the deity of the Son, ignoring and even meddling
with Biblical references to His Godhood. Like the
ancient antichrists, their stance demonstrates that
“the same (have) not the Father”.
To deny the Son is to defy the
Father.
The Little Children (vv.24-27)
The antichrists saw these new converts as soft
targets, and so their aim was to “seduce” them, that
is, to lead them astray (v.26). For these immature
believers, a major preservative was the fact that
they had “an anointing from the Holy One” (v.20,
RV). Space prohibits a consideration of the various
names and functions of the Holy Spirit, but the fact
that He is seen here as an anointing imparted by the
Lord Jesus, the Holy One, is very instructive.
• The phrase helps us to understand that in
Scripture, oil is an emblem of the Holy Spirit; see
also Zechariah 4. The connection between oil and
the Spirit is not imaginative!
• Remember that though those being addressed
here are new believers, even they had an anointing.
This refutes the notion that a period of time elapses
between conversion and the reception of the Holy
Spirit. The teaching of Scripture is that whenever a
person believes, the Spirit comes to reside (Jn 7.39;
Eph 1.13 [verb tense - “upon believing”]; Gal 3.2).
Someone who does not possess the Holy Spirit does
not belong to Christ (Rom 8.9).
• Frequently, the Holy Spirit is seen as empowering
believers both for Christian living and for Christian
A MINI COMMENTARY ON 1ST JOHN (4)
43

A MINI COMMENTARY ON 1ST JOHN (4)
service. In this context He is seen as enlightening.
Because they had an anointing they could “know
all things” (v.20). That is, they had the capacity to
discern between truth and error. The Spirit taught
them the truth, hence they had no need “that any
man teach” them (v.27). This does not mean that
divinely gifted teachers of the Word are redundant,
but in the context the reference is to the Gnostics
who purported to impart superior innovative
knowledge; in fact, their teaching was seriously
flawed. At a practical level, John is saying that
because immature believers have the Holy Spirit,
they know intuitively when something is erroneous,
even although by reason of their spiritual infancy
they may be unable to find a Bible verse to prove
their point.
• Another important truth in the section is that the
Holy Spirit “abides” in the believer (v.27); there is
permanence about His enlightening activity. The
Comforter abides with believers “for ever” (Jn 14.16).
There is never any situation in which a Christian
would have Saul’s experience when “the Spirit of
the Lord departed from Saul” (1 Sam 16.14). We
would never have to pray as did David, “take not thy
holy spirit from me” (Ps 51.11).
Allied with the enlightening activity of “the
anointing”, there must be resolve on the part of the
believer to hold firmly to the sound doctrine that was
imparted at conversion; “Let that therefore abide in
you, which ye have heard from the beginning” (v.24).
Refusing to abandon familiar, foundational, original
truth gives evidence that a man continues “in the
Son, and in the Father”, and with that union with
divine persons there is the promise of eternal life
(v.25). To give an inch to false teachers places a
question mark over the reality of one’s profession of
faith. (The terms “abide”, “continue” and “remain”
in v.24 are different translations of the same Greek
word.)
It does seem that John had confidence in the stability
of these young believers. The ongoing teaching of
“the anointing”, that is the continuing impartation
of truth by the Holy Spirit, would reinforce what had
already been taught by Him, as indicated by the
verb tenses of “teacheth” and “hath taught” (v.27).
Compliance would be sufficient to confirm that they
were among those who “abide in him”.
Again, at a practical level, we have to abide in Him
by cultivating communion with Him, “cleav(ing) unto
the Lord” (Acts 11.23). Some translations place the
end of v.27 in the imperative mood and read, “abide
44
ye in him”, and that is how the teaching is extended
to the whole family of God in v.28.
The Whole Family (vv.28-29)
At v.28, John reverts to addressing the whole family:
fathers, young men and little children. In using the
“little children” word, he is going back to the term
of affection that embraces everyone, and the plea
to all is to “abide in him”. With the background, it
obviously includes the need for doctrinal stability,
but there is surely an appeal to maintain the links
of communion with our Lord. Practically, it involves
the consistent reading of Scripture to hear His voice.
It demands a disciplined prayer life which betokens
our dependence on Him. It means wholly following
the Lord as did Caleb (Deut 1.36), rather than
following “afar off” as did Peter on the eve of Calvary
(Mk 14.54).
The effect of “abiding” will be seen when “he shall
appear”. In this context, the appearing seems to refer
to His appearing to His own at the Rapture rather than
to His manifestation to the world at His coming in power
and great glory. John seems to have the Judgment Seat
of Christ in view. Those who abide will have confidence
then. (John uses the word “confidence” on another
three occasions in the epistle: in relation to prayer,
3.21; 5.14; and in relation to the day of judgment,
4.17, there translated “boldness”.) The word carries
the idea of freedom in speech. Those who abide will
not be struck dumb with their mouths closed in an
embarrassed silence under the scrutiny of the Judge
of the living and the dead.
Allied with that positive confidence, negatively, there
will be an absence of shame. Will failing to abide
mean that I will be ashamed of my worldliness, my
carnality, my lack of Christlikeness, my shallowness?
A disciplined prayer life ... betokens our
dependence on Him.
It is interesting that John uses the pronoun “we”
in his statement. He indicates that at the coming
day of review, if they have failed to abide it will
reflect on him as their spiritual mentor. Nowadays,
there are no apostles to take responsibility for us
and instruct us, but there are men described as
“them that have the rule over you” (Heb 13.17).
Their duty is to “watch for your souls, as they
that must give account”. Is it possible that our
mediocrity will be an embarrassment to our
elders when asked to give an account of their
stewardship? To be continued.

January 2014
QUESTION BOX ?
?
Has the new covenant
with Israel and Judah
already been made, or is
it still future? If the latter, when
and how will it be applied?
From the prophecy of
A Jeremiah 31.31 we find the
new covenant is not yet
made with the two houses of Israel
and Judah, but awaits fulfilment in
the future, for note what Jeremiah
declares in the future prophetic
tense: “Behold, the days come,
saith the Lord, that I will make a
new covenant with the house of
Israel, and with the house of Judah”.
There should not be a difficulty here.
Those of the Jews and we of the
Gentiles, who now believe in Christ,
come into the distinct position as
one body, but possessing all the
moral and spiritual blessings of the
new covenant. The fulfilment of it
pertains to the Jewish people in the
last days, when the Messiah comes
to reign over them. The Lord Jesus
died for that nation and not that
nation only, but that also He should
gather together in one the children
of God that were scattered abroad
(Jn 11.52). The Lord’s death will
avail for both purposes; the time
and order of applying it is another
question. In fact, we know that Israel
as a nation rejected the message
and hence the blessing remains in
abeyance until the fullness of the
Gentiles is come in.
When the Redeemer shall come to
Zion and out of Zion (for both are true)
“all Israel shall be saved”. Of course
we believe that all the efficacious
value for Israel then as for us now is
in the blood of Christ. Israel then will
have sacrifices as well as an earthly
temple and priesthood, but these
will be only commemorative signs of
the one great offering of Christ (see
Ezekiel chs. 44 to 46). The Epistle to
the Hebrews excludes these for the
Christian. Israel restored will enjoy
the new things of the new covenant.
They will have a new sanctuary,
a new sovereign in Christ, a new
status as a nation, a new soil in the
land (Ezek 36.34-35), a new stream
of life and healing flowing through
the land (Ezek 47) and a new spirit
(Ezek 36.25-27).
John J Stubbs
QUESTION BOX
?
Is it in order for a Christian
to carry an organ donor
card to “give others the
gift of life” (National Health
Service quote)?
First of all, it should be borne
A in mind that the believer’s
body is most precious to God.
Indeed our salvation will not, in one
sense, be complete until our bodies
(these bodies of “our humiliation”)
will be changed and “fashioned like
unto his glorious body” (Phil 3.21).
The RV renders this “conformed to
the body of his glory” - this will, of
course, take place when the Lord
Jesus returns to the air for His own.
So Paul writes, “Behold, I shew you
a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but
we shall all be changed...For this
corruptible must put on incorruption
(the reference is to ‘the dead in
Christ’), and this mortal must put
on immortality (this brings in ‘we
which are alive and remain’)” (1 Cor
15.51,53). Thus, in view of the value
of the believer’s body to God, Paul
prays that “your whole spirit and soul
and body be preserved blameless
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ” (1 Thess 5.23).
For many years now, there has been
the ability in certain situations to
perform transplant surgery. It should
be mentioned that blood transfusion
is a form of transplant which has
been practised for a considerable
period of time and this seems to
have been well accepted even by
believers.
In practice, there are two main
sources of donor organs for
transplant - living human donors and
dead human donors. Living human
donors of e.g. kidneys, tend to be
close relatives to the individuals
concerned. However, the question
relates to dead human donors, since
the issue of whether a Christian
should carry an organ donor card is
raised.
There are those believers who
would adopt the view that, since
we should be concerned about the
physical as well as the spiritual wellbeing
of our fellow men and that we
are to “do good unto all men” (Gal
6.10), we should carry an organ
donor card in order to “give others
the gift of life”. The present writer,
however, would lean to the view
that it would be unwise to promise
to give bodily organs to another
in the event of an untimely death.
Let us bear in mind that we are
“fearfully and wonderfully made”
(Ps 139.14) and, as has already
been emphasised, the believer’s
body is precious to God.
David E West
45

OUR ADVOCATE
Our Advocate
1 John 2.1
I sinned. And straightway, post-haste, Satan flew
Before the presence of the Most High God,
And made a railing accusation there.
He said: “This soul, this thing of clay and sod
Has sinned. ’Tis true that he has named Thy Name,
But I demand his death, for Thou hast said:
‘The soul that sinneth, it shall die’. Shall not
Thy sentence be fulfilled? Is justice dead?”.
“Send now this wretched sinner to his doom.
What other thing can righteous ruler do?”.
And thus he did accuse me day and night.
And every word he spoke, O God, was true!
Then quickly One rose up from God’s right hand,
Before whose glory angels veiled their eyes.
He spoke: “Each jot and tittle of the Law
Must be fulfilled; the guilty sinner dies!
But wait – Behold his guilt was all transferred
To Me, and I had paid his penalty!
Behold, My hands, My side, My feet! One day
I was made sin for him, and died that he
Might be presented faultless at Thy Throne!”.
And Satan fled away. Full well he knew
That he could not prevail against such love.
For every word my dear Lord spoke was true!
Author Unknown
46

The Church of God (1)
The Promise that Defines it
In Matthew 18 the Lord Jesus teaches important
lessons about interpersonal relationships. In the
opening sections of the chapter He uses the pictures
of a child and a sheep to emphasise the vulnerability
and the value of, and the consequent seriousness
of offending, “little ones” who believe in Him. As
the chapter progresses, the focus shifts from our
responsibility not to offend others to our response
when others sin against us, a response marked by
care to preserve unity and restore fellowship, and
a willingness to forgive “up to seventy times seven”
(v.22). First the erring brother is to be approached
individually. If that does not bear fruit, the offended
brother, with one or two reliable witnesses,
remonstrates further with the offender. If he remains
obdurate, a final approach and an ultimate sanction
remain: “And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it
unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church,
let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a
publican” (v.17).
Likely, the disciples would have been rather puzzled
by this use of the word “church”. They knew what it
meant: that the word was a compound of two Greek
words – ek, or “out of” and kaleo, meaning “called”
or “summoned”. They knew of its use to describe
political assemblies. They would have known too
that the term was used in the Greek translation of
the Old Testament to describes the assemblies of
the Jewish nation. And they would have remembered
the Lord using the word on another occasion when
He promised, “I will build my church” (16.18). The
difficulty for the disciples was not to understand the
word, but to comprehend what sort of an ekklesia –
or assembly – the Lord had in mind.
The assembly ... is an essential part of
God’s purpose.
Their questions were answered as the Lord outlined
the characteristics of the Christian ekklesia: “For
where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them” (18.20).
Before looking at the detail of this verse, we should
February 2014
M Sweetnam, Dublin
note the setting of the Saviour’s words. In 17.22-23
and 20.17-19, the Lord Jesus foretells His sufferings
and death. The material between these two passages
is structured as chiasmus:
A. 18.8–9
B. 18.10–14
C. 18.15–17
18.18–20
C. 18.21–35
B. 19.1–9
A. 19.10–12.
Matthew 18.18-20 is central to this section. The
description of the New Testament assembly is placed
like a priceless jewel in a carefully crafted setting,
emphasising the central importance of the assembly
to the teaching of the passage. The context outlines
the new relationships and responsibilities that have
been brought into being by the death and resurrection
of the Lord Jesus. And central to this transformation
is the assembly – where these relationships will be
manifest.
The lesson is as clear as it is crucial. The assembly is
neither an afterthought nor an extra. Rather, it is an
essential part of God’s purpose for His people in the
dispensation of grace. Scripture does not envisage the
prospect of maverick believers living in isolation from
others. The “assembling of ourselves together” (Heb
10.25) is a vital part of God”s plan. And as we grasp
this fact, we do well to ask whether the assembly is
central in our lives, or merely something peripheral. If
it does not form the focal point of our lives we do not
value it as God does, nor do we understand the unique
glory imparted by the presence of Christ. We should
also notice the dispensational context of the church.
In this passage, as in Matthew 16, the Lord provides
a preview of, and a promise for, the dispensation of
grace. The conditions He describes are unique to the
present dispensation. In the dispensation of Law,
the Tabernacle and then the Temple were “the place
where [His] honour dwelleth” (Ps 26.8), the gathering
centre for God”s people. In the Millennium, too, the
“nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go
up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of
the God of Jacob” (Micah 4.2). Even during Christ”s
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THE CHURCH OF GOD (1)

THE CHURCH OF GOD (1)
earthly ministry the conditions outlined in this verse
did not exist – the disciples often gathered in His
presence, but not in His name. The promise of this
verse belongs uniquely to the day of grace.
The unprecedented status that this
promise gives to the assembly makes
the opening words of Matthew 18.20
most remarkable. As the Lord outlines
the composition of the assembly,
He makes it clear that fewness of
numbers does not equate to the loss
of His presence. Even the smallest
gathering possible is not too insignificant
for His presence. Declining numbers
and decreasing strength give us no room for
complacency, but they do not prevent us from enjoying
the precious promise of the Saviour’s presence.
Then the Saviour outlines the consistency of the
assembly. It is interesting to look at the different ways
in which Bible translators have rendered the phrase
“are gathered”. Some use the past tense, others the
present. This variety is accounted for by the tense of
the verb. It is the perfect participle, and is difficult to
render literally in English. “Having been and being
gathered” is close to the sense. The gathering of the
assembly was not something temporary, ad hoc, or
occasional. It was a consistent, constant gathering. In
this respect, the assembly that the Lord Jesus speaks
of here differs markedly from the civil gatherings that
the disciples would have been familiar with. The civil
ekklesia commenced as people were summoned
together, and ceased to exist as they made their
way to their homes. By contrast, the New Testament
assembly described here has an on-going existence.
So, Paul could write to the “church of God, which is
at Corinth” (1 Cor 1.2), about the occasions when
they came “together…into one place” (1 Cor 11.20) –
the assembly existed even when the saints were not
gathered together. This verb also makes it clear that
this verse is not dealing exclusively with a meeting
for assembly discipline, as outlined in v.17. That was
clearly an isolated – and exceptional – event, not the
enduring gathering that this verse describes.
Then the Lord outlines the charter of the assembly
– “in my name”. Central to the meaning of “in my
name” is the idea of authority. In the Old Testament,
prophets spoke in the name of the Lord, claiming
His authority for the message they proclaimed (Deut
18.19-20; Jer 14.14-15; 23.25; 27.15). In the opening
days of the dispensation of grace demons would be
Tremendous
privilege
imposes
a solemn
responsibility.
cast out in the authority of His name (Mk 16.17).
Believers pray in His name (Jn 14.13-14;16.23-26).
And the assembly gathered in His name draws its
authority from Him. Every ekklesia had to have an
authority for gathering – the unfortunate
town clerk in Ephesus objected to the
ekklesia that gathered to oppose the
apostles because it was not “a lawful
assembly” (Acts 19.32,39,41). By
“a lawful assembly” he meant a
gathering vested with the authority of
Rome, but the Saviour outlines for His
disciples an infinitely greater authority.
“His name” was the mandate, as well
as the magnet. It drew them out, and it
provided the authority for their gathering.
A charter outlines authority and imparts privilege, it also
details responsibility. To gather in Christ’s name means
to gather in keeping with His character and in obedience
to Divine revelation. We can appreciate the truth of this
when we think of prayer. We ask in His name – with
His authority. But it would be a strangely insensitive
believer who would ask in His name for something
that was contrary to His will. So it is with our gathering.
We cannot claim to gather in His name, if we are not
in submission to His will. The very clause that bestows
tremendous privilege imposes a solemn responsibility, a
responsibility that should cause us all exercise of heart
to ensure that our claim to gather in His name is not an
empty assertion but an evident reality.
Finally, the Saviour makes a commitment – “there
am I in the midst of them”. Notice His use of the
present tense and the personal pronoun. Whenever
His people gathered in His name, His presence would
be an immediate and intimate reality. It is Matthew
alone of the Gospel writers who uses the lovely title
Emmanuel, “God with us” (1.23). His Gospel closes
with the Saviour’s promise, “lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world”. And here, in this great
foundational verse of assembly gathering, He promises
His presence in the midst of His gathered people.
It would be difficult to imagine a company with a
greater status than that described in this passage.
The assembly is the company on earth in which divine
administration is manifest, and divine presence
known. May God grant us the insight and appreciation
that Jacob received in the chill of a desert night: “How
dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house
of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Gen 28.17).
To be continued.
48

The Service and Testimonies of Saul, David
and Jonathan (1)
Introduction
The first book of Samuel relates to the period from
the end of the time of the Judges through to the
accession of David to the throne of Israel. Samuel
was God’s prophet at that time but the book is
mainly taken up with accounts of the lives of
three men - Saul, David and Jonathan. This study
examines something of the relationship between
them, their service for the Lord, and the relevance
of this to believers today.
Scripture carefully outlines principles of
service for God.
The time when the judges ruled was a dark period
in the nation’s history, as is seen in Judges, Ruth,
and 1 Samuel 1-7. There were fifteen judges and
they ruled for about 300 years. It is stated on two
occasions (Judg 17.6 and 21.25) that “In those
days there was no king in Israel, but every man did
that which was right in his own eyes”. The judges
were never national leaders but men, and one
woman, prepared and raised up by God to meet
local emergencies. “Nevertheless the Lord raised
up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of
those that spoiled them” (Judg 2.16). The judges
were evidence of God’s continuing love and care for
His people.
Israel emerged from the period of rule by the
judges completely dominated and humiliated by the
Philistines. The Philistines were masters in the use
of iron and the Israelites were dependent upon them
for the supply and even the maintenance of tools
used for cultivation. The Israelites had no swords;
their only weapons in battle were their agricultural
implements (1 Sam 13.19-20).
Despite the faithful testimony and labour of Samuel
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there lingered from the days of the judges that
which displeased the Lord. The sons of Eli the High
Priest robbed the people and committed adultery
in the precincts of the tabernacle (1 Sam 2.12-17).
Of Samuel’s sons we read, “It came to pass, when
Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges
over Israel…And his sons walked not in his ways,
but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and
perverted judgment” (1 Sam 8.1-3).
The people were aware of these things and this,
together with their desire to be like the nations around
them, resulted in their demand for a king to lead
them. This distressed Samuel but God encouraged
him with the words: “Hearken unto the voice of the
people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not
rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should
not reign over them” (1 Sam 8.7). After outlining the
consequences of being ruled by an earthly king (1
Sam 8.11-18), God chose Saul. The “manner of the
kingdom” was recorded in a book which was “laid…
up before the Lord” (1 Sam 10.25).
The kings of Israel, like the kings around them, had
high status and wielded considerable authority over
the people; but primarily they were (as indeed were
the people) servants of the Lord. Their success or
failure was evaluated on this basis. It is recorded
that they “DID” that which was right or evil in the
sight of the Lord (e.g. 2 Chr 28.1; 36.5). Scripture
carefully outlines principles of service for God, and
for the purpose of our study we need to consider
just four. They are principles that apply beyond 1
Samuel so are considered in the wider context of
Scripture. They are:
God always equips for service
Paul wrote about this to believers at Corinth. He
defended his position as an apostle and asserted
THE SERVICE AND TESTIMONIES (1)
49

THE SERVICE AND TESTIMONIES (1)
that he was equipped by God for this service. “Who
goeth a warfare any time at his own charges?” (1 Cor
5.7). The word translated “charges” occurs in three
other places in the New Testament where (in the AV)
it is translated “wages”. The root word refers to the
rations provided for an army when it goes into
battle. God makes full provision available
to all who serve Him. In this way He
equips for service.
God always reveals to His servants
the service He requires
Acts 9 records the words spoken to
Ananias about Saul of Tarsus. Ananias
was fearful of Saul but God assured him
not only of Saul’s conversion but also of the
service He would require of him. “Go thy way: for he
is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before
the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
For I will shew him how great things he must suffer
for my name’s sake” (Acts 9.15-16).
Too often we think we can decide how we should
serve the Lord and later wonder why we are not
effective or find it difficult to continue. The bondservant
does not choose his service but submits to
the will of his/her master. The Lord Jesus taught His
disciples: “Remember the word that I said unto you,
The servant is not greater than his lord” (Jn 15.20).
God never compels His people to serve Him
This is a lesson Peter had to learn. The disciples were
chosen to be with the Lord and to learn from Him
how they should continue His work after He went
away. After Christ’s death Peter had other ideas and
gathered together a small company of fishermen/
disciples and declared, “I go a fishing”; they replied,
“We also go with thee”. Sometimes God allows us to
go our own way so that we might learn that His way is
the best. So “They went forth, and entered into a ship
immediately; and that night they caught nothing”
(Jn 21.3). They ended up despondent, cold, weary
and hungry, but as the new day dawned Jesus was
waiting for them on the shore. He knew their needs
and provided warmth, breakfast and the gracious
Too often we
think we can
decide how we
should serve
the Lord.
invitation, “Come and dine” (v.12)! This would have
reminded them of earlier times when He had taught
them as they dined together, but on this occasion the
Lord had particular things to say to Peter.
He addressed him specifically but lovingly: “Simon,
son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than
these?” (v.15). It is not known, although
countless suggestions have been
made, to what the word “these” refers.
But we note the word He used for love
(agape) is the word most frequently
used in the New Testament for the
divine love. Peter was being asked if he
loved the Lord with love that was a genuine
reflection of that divine love. Peter’s best reply
at that time was, “Lord; thou knowest that I love (am
fond - phileo) of thee” (vv.15-17). The third time the
Lord asked the question, Peter was grieved because
the Lord used the word Peter had used - “Lovest thou
(phileo) me?” (v.17). Peter was aware that the Lord
knew that this represented his condition at that time.
The Lord was revealing to Peter the service
required of him. Peter had chosen his own way
and all had gone disastrously wrong. The Lord
made clear to Peter what He required by using a
metaphor associated with a shepherd rather than
a fisherman: “Feed my lambs”, “Feed my sheep”.
Peter never forgot that meeting. The direction of
his life changed and his love and service for the
Lord from that time until his death were never in
doubt.
Testimony of service for God is indelibly written
Sins after true repentance can be forgiven and
broken relationships can be repaired, but testimony
once written, for better or for worse, can never be
altered. Paul wrote, “I am the least of the apostles,
that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I
persecuted the church of God” (1 Cor 15.9). It was
testimony of his life before he met the Lord and he
deeply regretted it, but it could not be altered. This
is ever the backdrop to service for the Lord and can
be the source of joy or regret. To be continued.
50

ELIJAH (3)
I will send rain on the earth
Elijah the prophet had been told by God, “hide
thyself by the brook Cherith” (1 Kings 17.3), and
when the brook dried up he was told “get thee to
Zarephath” (v.9). God had promised to meet Elijah’s
needs in both these places. God provided for Elijah’s
physical needs in a time of drought and famine and,
as a result of being alone with God by the brook
and at Zarephath, and being led by Him through
changing circumstances, Elijah’s knowledge of God
and His faithfulness increased. His faith was tried
and tested, it was increased and strengthened, and
he did not make any move until God commanded
him to do so. He learned patience, for “the trying of
your faith worketh patience” (James 1.3).
Go, shew thyself
God had been meeting Elijah’s needs day by day,
and “after many days” (1 Kings18.1), that is, after
three years at Zarephath and the time spent at the
brook Cherith, three and a half years in total (Lk
4.25-26; James 5.17), the Lord spoke to him. Elijah
had not wasted the “many days” but had used them
to do God’s will and serve Him. We do not know how
many days we shall live. The Lord Jesus Christ could
return at any moment to take believers to be with
Himself for ever. In the light of these realities, let
us live so that we make the most of every day and
take every opportunity to serve Him. The Lord would
“teach us to number our days, that we may apply
our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps 90.12).
After he had spent many days hiding himself from
men, leading a life which was separated from the
world and unto God, “the word of the Lord came
to Elijah...saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and
I will send rain upon the earth” (1 Kings 18.1). By
the time the word of God came to him the famine
was very severe in Samaria. In the past, Elijah,
the man of God, had reacted immediately to the
commands God had given him, and once again he
obeyed without delay and went to show himself to
Ahab (v.2). In the circumstances, this was a very
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dangerous thing to do, but Elijah knew that he was
in the will of God and that all events were under
His supreme control. At their first meeting, Elijah
had said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel liveth,
before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor
rain these years, but according to my word” (1 Kings
17.1), and now God promised rain, and Elijah was to
inform Ahab of this, thereby showing that the God of
Israel was in complete control of climatic conditions.
Ahab would see Elijah as being responsible for the
duration of the drought and Ahab had the power,
humanly speaking, to do as he wished, and he could
have killed Elijah. The hatred of Ahab and Jezebel
against God and Elijah must have been intense.
Jezebel had slain the Lord’s prophets (1 Kings
18.4), but Elijah knew his God, and his faith was in
the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient One.
Let us live so that we make the most of
every day.
Obadiah feared the Lord greatly
The famine was serious, and Ahab told Obadiah,
who was in charge of his household, to go through
the land and search for grass to feed the many
horses and mules owned by Ahab so that they
might be kept alive. Ahab went in one direction and
Obadiah in another, seeking fodder (1 Kings 18.5-
6). Ahab seems to have been concerned only with
his animals: he had no thought for his suffering
people who were being afflicted as a result of the evil
he had perpetrated under the influence of Jezebel,
his wife, who wanted to supplant the worship of
the God of Israel by worship of Baal, the god she
worshipped. Ahab did not repent and return to God,
despite the chastisement of God suffered by the
people of Israel because of their idolatry.
Believers who are living close to God and seeking
to obey, serve and glorify Him may be chastened by
Him to bring them even closer to Himself than they
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ELIJAH (3)

ELIJAH (3)
have been in the past. On the other hand, He may
chasten His people when they have backslidden,
disobeyed, and fallen away from Him. Only those
who respond to chastening, and repent and return
to God, are spiritually blessed as a result of being
chastened (Heb 12.11).
Ahab, the king of Israel, had turned from God: he
had no love for the God of Israel or for His people.
How Ahab’s behaviour contrasts with that of David,
also king of Israel, to whom “The God of Israel
said, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling
in the fear of God” (2 Sam 23.3). When, because
of David’s sin, Israel was being chastened by God,
David said, “Is it not I that commanded the people
to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and
done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have
they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God,
be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on thy
people, that they should be plagued” (1 Chr 21.17).
What a difference between the attitudes of King
Ahab and King David who was a man after God’s
“own heart” (Acts 13.22).
As Obadiah was searching for grass, he met Elijah
(1 Kings 18.7). Obadiah “feared the Lord greatly...
when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord...
Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by
fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water”
(vv.3-4). Obadiah had served God. At considerable
risk, he had associated himself with the people of
God by hiding the prophets. Nevertheless, he was
not willing to make an open stand for God. He stayed
in the employ of Ahab, enjoying the privileges and
comforts of life in the palace. Did Obadiah
hope and expect to have influence over
Ahab, or at the court, and turn the
people back to God? Whatever the
truth may be, his influence had not
been significant.
Obadiah “feared the Lord” but
lived and worked in a very ungodly
environment and did not witness openly
for his God. How unhappily he must have
spent his days. He was like “just Lot” who, with the
prospect of earthly gain, had chosen to place himself
and his family in Sodom, and was there, “vexed with
the filthy conversation of the wicked” (2 Pet 2.7).
Elijah ...
openly and
boldly obeyed
and served
God.
Obadiah served God in secret, but because he hid
his faith he hindered his own spiritual development.
Unlike Elijah, who, because of his faith and trust in
God, was bold in the presence of Ahab, Obadiah
was timid and feared both Ahab and Jezebel. Elijah,
the separated man, openly and boldly obeyed and
served God, while Obadiah was openly serving Ahab
in a prominent position amidst the pomp and sin
of the king’s court and, at the same time, secretly
serving God. Elijah’s physical needs were being
met by God while Obadiah lived on that which was
supplied by Ahab and obeyed his commands.
A believer has to ask himself, “What is consuming
my time and energy? What is my chief aim in life?
Am I giving of my best to God, or to the things of the
world?”. In the Word of God we are enjoined: “If ye
then be risen with Christ, seek those things which
are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand
of God. Set your affection on things above, not on
things on the earth” (Col 3.1-2). Before serving God,
a believer must, like Elijah, spend time alone with
Him, that he might be like a holy priest who has
been in the sanctuary with God (1 Pet 2.5), and then
comes out as a royal priest to declare the praises of
God and witness for Him (1 Pet 2.9).
When Obadiah met Elijah, he showed profound respect
for the man of God and “fell on his face, and said, Art
thou that my lord Elijah? And he answered him, I am:
go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here” (1 Kings 18.7-
8). However, Obadiah feared to tell Ahab that he had
met Elijah and to inform him of his whereabouts. The
land had been scoured to find Elijah, and Obadiah
feared that if he delivered Elijah’s message to
Ahab and the Spirit of the Lord took Elijah
to some other place before Ahab came
to meet him, then Obadiah would be
slain (vv.9-14). Elijah said, “As the
Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I
stand, I will surely shew myself unto
him to day” (v.15). With this assurance,
Obadiah went to Ahab and delivered
Elijah’s message, whereupon Ahab went
to meet Elijah (v.16). Elijah was waiting for him,
confident and bold in God-given strength and courage,
because he knew his God and knew that he was in the
will of God. To be continued.
52

ABRAHAM’S FOUR ALTARS
“Unforgettable peaks”
The word “altar” in Scripture means a place of
slaughter and sacrifice, where blood was shed and
death took place; it symbolised acknowledgement
of, approach to, and appreciation of God, in other
words “worship”. The word first occurs in Genesis
8.20-22, where Noah sacrificed “clean” animals
as burnt offerings to express his worship and
a “sweet savour” arose to God. Altars had
to be unpretentious and unembellished
with human workmanship, but
marked by utter simplicity to facilitate
and encourage men to seek God (Ex
20.25; Acts 17.25; Ps 65.4). No
doubt altars were used from the
days of Abel, who first brought an
offering by divine instruction. The later
altars for the tabernacle and temple
had to be constructed strictly according to
divine design. They all foreshadowed the person
and sacrificial work of Christ. The altar teaches us,
in type, the importance of daily communion with
God on the basis of the precious blood of Christ.
These four altars mark the unforgettable peaks of
Abraham’s spiritual experiences in the pathway
of faith. We can identify with his experiences and
learn valuable lessons as we stumble along the
same route of faith.
An Altar of Praise (Gen 12.1-7)
This reminds us of Abram’s (later changed to
Abraham, 17.5) call, and the scope of divine
blessing. Abram is not only the subject of blessing,
but the medium of blessing to “all families of the
earth” (vv.2-3); one of the most important time
marks in human history. Without conditions, this
covenant has been ratified and will be completely
fulfilled; note the divine purpose, “I will”, pronounced
four times (vv.1-3). Abram arrived in the Land of
Promise, at “Shechem” (shoulder) in the plain, the
lowlands of “Moreh” (instruction); the meanings
suggest vitality and vision. This was just what Abram
needed, having left country, kindred and family for
an unknown land; he had “forsaken all” in faith
(Heb 11.8). He is immediately faced with a problem
for “the Canaanite was in the land” - a cruel, corrupt
We also
“have an
altar”.
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and callous people. Abram and his company would
be very vulnerable in this hostile environment. How
like young believers discovering that faith has led
them into a sphere where evil forces operate (Eph
6.12), yet finding that it is a sphere full of blessing
and spiritual potential.
However, the Lord was with Abram in the land
and a divine vision and voice welcomed
him there: “And the Lord (Jehovah, the
Eternal) appeared unto Abram, and
said…” (v.7); thus all his fears were
allayed. The promise was renewed
and Abram was reassured. How good
is the God we adore!
He had already been unconditionally
blessed, but now God says, “Unto
thy seed (i.e. Christ, Gal 3.16) will I give
this land” (v.7). How does Abram respond to
the grace of God? He lifted his voice in praise,
“and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who
appeared unto him”. Mark the principle - praise
is ever focussed on the Lord Himself, based on
revelation, not imagination, and is proportionate
to our knowledge and experience of God. No altar
could be raised in ungodly Ur or Haran, but only in
the Land of Promise, the place of divine blessing
and in the simplicity of faith. We also “have an altar
(Christ Himself), and “By him therefore let us offer
the sacrifice of praise to God continually” (Heb
13.10,15).
An Altar of Prayer (12.8-13)
Note Abram’s progress - he removes from the
lowlands (the plain) to a mountain (v.8), the higher
ground of faith so to speak. May this be our desire:
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground”. Here faith
found a new perspective (have we?); he pitched his
tent between Bethel (House of God) and Ai (heap
of ruins), signifying duty to God and duty to the
world - worship and witness. The “tent” and the
“altar” now characterised Abram, and he became
a pilgrim, moving from place to place: he “passed
through” (v.6), “he removed” (v.8), he “journeyed”
(v.9), he settled nowhere, for “he looked for a city
which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is
ABRAHAM’S FOUR ALTARS
53

ABRAHAM’S FOUR ALTARS
God” (Heb 11.10). Do we likewise? Where there is a
“tent” (home), there should be an altar. Abram built
a second altar, this time for prayer - “he called upon
(invoked) the name of the Lord”. This is the result
of exercise and weakness, of dependence upon
God. Such a spirit of prayer proves the power and
presence of God. Alas, we then read that “he went
down to Egypt” (vv.10-20), to escape the famine;
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take
heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10.12). Abram then makes
a selfish proposition to Sarah (vv.11-13); he was
prepared to put his wife in danger to save himself
“that it may be well with me” (v.13)! The expedition
into Egypt resulted in fear, falsehoods, and failure.
Let us beware of the world that Egypt typifies. Where
was his faith in God now?
God in His merciful providence overruled his
servant’s folly (what a comfort to us who often fail).
Abram was soon despatched unceremoniously by
Pharaoh. He retraced his steps to Bethel where he
pitched his tent and built his altar “as at the first”
(13.3-4). Similarly we have to return to the point of
moral or spiritual departure to learn by our mistakes
and be restored to the Lord. Abram repeated the
same prayer and again “called on the name of
the Lord”. What infinite pardon and pity there is in
that Name! It was a humble prayer of repentance
because forgiveness was immediately granted;
the memory of his former sweet communion was
revived. Have we strayed from the path of faith and
lost our focus? Let us “call upon the Name of the
Lord” (Jer 33.3).
An Altar of Peace (13.14-18)
Abram and Lot had acquired flocks and herds
and tents; strife and division broke out among
the herdsmen so that they could no longer “dwell
together”. Abram pleads, “Let there be no strife, I
pray thee, between me and thee…for we be brethren”
(cp Ps 133.1). Paul likewise pleads, “Let nothing be
done through strife, or vain glory” (Phil 2.3). Strife
often leads to separation, sometimes of necessity,
but how tragic among brethren, for “the servant of
the Lord must not strive; but be gentle to all men”
(2 Tim 2.24). Abram and Lot therefore decided to
separate. Abram nobly allowed Lot first choice of
the land, and what a fateful choice it proved to be.
The yieldingness and generosity of Abram diffused
the situation (what a salutary lesson in resolving
disputes) and he was rewarded by being given
further divine assurances that all the land within his
vision would be for him and his innumerable seed.
Thus Abram moved to Mamre (vigour) in Hebron
54
(fellowship). He was now separated from Egypt, free
from strife, and enjoying complete security; hence
“he built there an altar unto the Lord” to enjoy
the peace and presence of God. May we quietly
spend more time in the divine presence “safe and
secure from all alarms”, and “be at peace” among
ourselves (1 Thess 5.13).
This supreme trial marked the
summit of Abraham’s faith.
An Altar of Provision (22.9-14)
This fourth altar is the most important of all - it was
for Abraham and it is for us. Note the emotional
pressure. As Abraham was building this altar on
Mount Moriah his heart must have been breaking,
for he was about to offer up to God his only beloved
son, not only to be slain, but to be burnt to ashes as
a burnt offering. He knew God must have Isaac, even
though he was the heir of promise, so he raised the
sacrificial knife “Accounting that God was able to
raise him up, even from the dead” (Heb 11.19). But
what was thought to be a moment of death became
a moment of triumph - a substitute, a provision,
was found and Isaac was spared. Abraham’s faith
had been tried to the limit and rewarded: “God will
provide himself a lamb, for a burnt offering” (v.8);
the glorious type of Calvary, where God “spared not
his own son, but delivered him up for us all” (Rom
8.32). It has rightly been said that “God did not want
Isaac, He wanted the heart of Abraham”; Abraham
was really upon the altar, not Isaac! This supreme
trial marked the summit of Abraham’s faith. It had
been a long and eventful journey of faith from Ur
to Moriah, from idolatry to “worship…in spirit and
in truth” (Jn 4.24). Are we on the altar for God,
have we experienced our Moriah? Paul appeals, “I
beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service” (Rom 12.1).
But we never can prove
The delights of His love,
Until all on the altar we lay.
(John H Sammis)
It is no wonder that, under God, Abraham became
the founder of a nation, the friend of God, the father
of the faithful, and the fount of blessing to a lost
world; he was truly a patriarch, a prophet, a prince,
and a pilgrim. Concluded.

February 2014
Lord’s Work Trust
42 Beansburn, Kilmarnock KA3 1RL • Tel: (01563) 521098 • Fax: (01563) 571215
E.Mail: lwtrust@lwtrust.co.uk • Charity No. SC008740
Total gifts received for the month of December 2013
The Lord’s Work and Workers
Expenses
From Assemblies 221710 3885
From Individuals 119969 1141
From Gift Aid 155527 3157
From Legacies 13224 0
From Refund of Tax 83490 0
593920 8183
Anonymous gifts include - £400, £282.14, £100, £60, £49.35 & £20 no postmark.
THE LORD’S WORK & WORKERS
SCOTLAND
Ayrshire
Ian and Mary Robertson in Auchinleck now have
7 men in their rehabilitation unit. M was baptised
and came into the assembly fellowship last year
and is doing well, but B and D have lost the way
again – they and others need lots of support and
prayer. The Robertsons are now exercised about
opening a residential rehab unit for women and are
investigating possible properties in the town.
After more than ten years the Drop-in-Centre
café has been closed as the numbers attending
had steadily decreased. Many precious souls
were exposed to the love and grace of God there,
received kindness and heard the gospel. Some were
saved and are going on for God serving Him locally
and in other parts of the UK. Eternity will reveal all
that God was doing through the ministry of that
wee Drop-in-Centre — a light in a very dark place.
The Charity Shop continues to provide work for the
lads in rehab, and gives added opportunity to get
known in the community. Mary has built up many
friendships there; some have attended meetings
and one woman has been saved and baptised and
regularly attends the meetings in the hall and at
their home. It also makes a financial contribution to
the Helping Hand Trust which was set up when the
rehab work was established.
In the assembly at Auchinleck there were baptisms
in July. A few weeks later a lady, who had made a
special effort to attend, said she had trusted Christ.
Since then she has been regularly at the meetings,
and on a few occasions her husband, too, has come.
The “parents and toddlers” group has proved to be
a great success, with children having to be put on
a waiting list as the group are unable to cope with
any more. Many good contacts have been made
through this work and there have been some great
opportunities to share the gospel. During the Easter
and Summer school holidays separate weeks of
THE LORD’S WORK & WORKERS
55

THE LORD’S WORK & WORKERS
children’s meetings brought a good response from
parents and children. At a Christmas dinner on a
December Saturday around 70 meals were served
to old and new friends, and once again the gospel
was clearly preached. Pray that the Lord will bless
all these different avenues of testimony.
N. IRELAND & EIRE
Co. ANTRIM
Ballinaloob Gospel Hall: The assembly held the
Belmont Bible Exhibition in Cloughmills Community
Centre from 11th-16th November with R Eadie and
S Maze. Very good numbers attended and it proved
very rewarding.
Ballintoy Gospel Hall: R Plant is expected for
Children’s Meetings during the week commencing
13th January.
Ballymagarrick Gospel Hall: D Gilliland had a week
of excellent Ministry Meetings at the beginning of
January with very large numbers attending.
Ballymena (Cambridge Avenue): R Plant spent the
week commencing 6th January visiting a number of
primary schools to speak at morning assembly, and
this was much appreciated.
Ballymena (Cambridge Avenue): I McClean had a
week of Children’s Meetings which commenced on
13th January.
Ballymena (Harryville): Bible Readings were held
from 6th-10th January with S Wells.
Ballywatermoy Gospel Hall: Ministry Meetings
with M Radcliffe were held from 6th-10th January.
Buckna Gospel Hall: The Annual Conference was
held on 26th December. A good number attended
and the ministry given was thought to be both
encouraging and challenging. The speakers were R
McKeown, B Currie, D Gilliland, J Fleck, T McNeill
and E Fairfield.
Bushmills Gospel Hall: Gospel Meetings
commenced on 12th January with S Gilfillan and A
Caldwell.
Co. TYRONE
Sion Mills: D Gilliland preached to a full hall each
night on the subject of “The Alphabet of the Christian
life”.
Lungs Gospel Hall: Gospel meetings commenced
on 12th January with G Woods and D McGarvey.
Newtownstewart: A very large crowd gathered
for the Annual Conference which was held on 1st
January at a schoolhouse in Newtownstewart.
The excellent Bible Reading was conducted by
D McAllister. Ministry was provided by S Wells, A
Davidson, M Penfold and A Nesbitt.
Omagh Gospel Hall: J Fleck was with the assembly
for ministry at the end of the Old Year and the
beginning of the New Year (30th December – 3rd
January). A packed hall each night heard ministry on
“Challenges of the New Year”.
Co. LONDONDERRY
Limavady Gospel Hall: Gospel Meetings are
expected to commence on 12th January in the Town
Hall with D Gilliland and R McKeown.
Tivaconavey: The small assembly was encouraged
by the recent series of Gospel Meetings held in
the Gospel Hall. There were unsaved present
each night, sometimes as many as 20. One
young women of 20 trusted Christ. The meetings
lasted for three weeks and the preachers were D
McGarvey and R O’Neill.
BELFAST
Fortwilliam Gospel Hall: T Topley and D Radcliffe
had a short series of Gospel Meetings from 1st-
13th December. The meetings were well supported
with many visitors attending each evening, some of
whom had never been in the hall before. There was
help to preach and the assembly was encouraged.
Sandringham Gospel Hall: In December, the
assembly here enjoyed weekend visits from brethren
J Fleck and S Gilfillan whose ministry and gospel
preaching were much appreciated. The Annual New
Year’s Eve Ministry Meeting was the largest ever with
the hall filled plus the anteroom. Brethren S Harper
and E Fairfield had excellent words of ministry. There
were representatives from at least 10 local assemblies
56

February 2014
present and the assembly at Sandringham was much
encouraged by the ministry and support.
Co. DOWN
Ballymagarrick: The assembly organised a special
Gospel Meeting coming up to Christmas for everyone
in the locality, with D Gilliland as the speaker. A large
number of unsaved attended.
Kilkeel: The Gospel Meetings conducted by A Wilson
and N Fleck finished well with blessing being seen
in salvation.
Kilkeel: The assembly held its Annual Conference
on Boxing Day with very profitable ministry being
given by S McBride, A Davidson, B Smith, A Nesbitt,
W Nesbitt and M Penfold.
Newry: Just prior to Christmas, the assembly held a
special Gospel Meeting for friends, neighbours and
relatives. The response was excellent and D Gilliland
gave a very clear message in the gospel.
“If the Lord will…”
Ballywalter Gospel Hall: Special Gospel Meetings
are planned to commence in March in the Gospel
Hall. Prayer appreciated. Details will follow.
EIRE
Andrew Shanks had the opportunity to place a
Scripture text on a billboard at the main roadside
through Newcastle West, on display from the
middle to the end of December. Pray that God would
move people’s hearts in response to this, and to the
clear gospel verses on many calendars which show
local scenes for each month, and which have been
distributed throughout the area. They also contain
details of the various assembly gatherings and an
invitation to all.
ENGLAND & WALES
Prison Work in the North-east
For 17 years now the authorities have granted Jim
McMaster free access to Durham Prison and its
inmates. Interest in the Friday Bible Class continues
unabated with a steady list of those waiting to take
up any vacant spaces. Often the personal contact
in the cells yields the best interaction and the
greatest encouragement, however. Pray for J serving
a long sentence for drug running. He attended a
Gospel Hall Sunday School in Lanarkshire many
years ago. Pray for another J who is very open to
the gospel. He is a nephew of Duncan Donaldson,
a notorious character in Jim’s home town who had
a remarkable conversion many years ago. Another
J is an ex-policeman who was suicidal on his arrival
but several weeks of patient visitation now sees
him very interested in studying the Scriptures in
his cell. Permission has just been granted to begin
a concerted campaign of Emmaus Bible Study
courses. This will allow Jim to place posters for
the courses all over jail and give the opportunity to
enroll as many men as possible. Pray that the Lord
will grant wisdom and discernment in this important
development of this work for the Lord.
Manchester and Wythenshaw
Wesley and Alison Downs thank the Lord for the
support they get from the team which continues to
go out each week onto the streets of Manchester to
places where homeless people are sleeping rough.
They provide them with spiritual and material help in
the form of hot drinks, food, sleeping bags, clothing
and hygiene packs provided by the saints. Many good
spiritual conversations are had there, for the gospel
message is the priority and their only true hope.
The work in the assembly in Wythenshawe continues
with the “drop-in” on Monday and Wednesday
mornings and the parent and toddlers’ group on
Friday morning, giving many contacts with local
people. Often over twenty adults attend these events
with their children which can mean quite a crowd -
among them Indian, Chinese, Bulgarian, and Czech
people. Some previous Sunday School scholars, now
grown up with children, come along and make regular
contact with believers from the assembly. These are
wonderful opportunities to show the love of Christ
and witness for the Lord as He gives help, through
telling Bible stories, singing choruses, and distributing
Bibles and other literature. Alison and other members
of the assembly faithfully run this work. Pray for June,
the Chinese lady who was saved through this witness
at the “drop-in”. She is due to move to the south in the
New Year. Pray also that her husband will be saved.
THE LORD’S WORK & WORKERS
57

THE LORD’S WORK & WORKERS
WITH CHRIST
In view of the number of obituary notices the publishers are expected to insert we would ask those who
submit them to keep them as succinct as possible.
Mr James (Jim) Moorhead Flanigan, aged 83
years, went to be with his Lord on 17th November.
Jim was born in East Belfast into a Christian home
where both his father and mother were active
members of the local Baptist Church. There,
through godly teachers, Jim learned the necessity
and the way of salvation and at the age of eleven
he came to know the Saviour, trusting Him with a
simple childlike faith. That was just three weeks
after his mother’s homecall. Very shortly after, the
family home was completely destroyed in the air
blitz of May, 1941 and Jim as a motherless lad,
together with the remainder of the family, were
evacuated outside the city, all of this leaving a
profound impression on his sensitive young life.
When the family returned to the city two years later
Jim met an old school friend who introduced him to
the assembly meeting in Parkgate Avenue, Belfast.
The simple godly order he observed there and their
interest in the Scriptures won his heart. But he
was still a junior and not at liberty to join them. He
was baptised in the Baptist Church by the pastor
there, the late Samuel Jardine, who also himself
identified with the assemblies of the Lord’s people
and became known to many through his writings.
Then in 1946, when granted parental permission
to move, Jim was received into the fellowship of the
Parkgate assembly and for the greater part of 70
years he esteemed it a privilege just to be gathered
to the Name of the Lord Jesus alone. Jim left school
at the age of fourteen, found employment in the
retail trade and advanced therein in responsibility.
But all the while God was calling him into special
service for Himself. He had already tasted the deep
joy of seeing souls saved and saints refreshed
under his ministry and in 1972 he resigned his
employment to devote all his time to the work
of the Lord. In that ministry Jim travelled widely,
throughout Ireland (North and South), to mainland
Britian, Australia, Jersey, USA, Canada, South
Africa and the land of Israel, and in every place
saw God’s accompanying hand in blessing. The
Lord gave to Jim a unique ministry - Christ centred
and coming from a heart deeply devoted to the
Saviour. Through it many were to find and trust
the Saviour and many, whose hearts had grown
cold, were restored again to a closer walk with the
Lord. In later years Jim gave himself extensively
to a written ministry. Thoughtful, orderly, accurate
and lucid in his writings, Jim has left for us a large
legacy, rich in both exposition of Scripture and in
appreciation of Christ. For upwards of forty years
Jim paid repeated visits to Eritz Israel, a land that
he loved, there to trace again and again, and to
meditate upon, the earthly pathway of his beloved
Lord and there to visit the little assemblies that
were dear to his heart, especially in Jerusalem,
where it all began and where today the testimony
is so very weak. It was Jim’s request that we “pray
for the peace of Jerusalem”. Pray too for his widow,
Marilyn, Jim’s two sons and their families. Marilyn,
Jim’s second wife, came into his life after the home
call of his first wife, Doris, in Australia, and for some
twenty years, with her nursing experience and
tender devotion, she enabled Jim to continue with
his valued ministry among the Lord’s people and
then gave to him all the needed care throughout
increasingly debilitating closing years. We thank
God today for Jim’s contribution, very rich and very
sweet, leaving behind a fragrant memory. The very
large gathering at the funeral service, in which
Malcolm Radcliffe, Jack Strahan, Thomas Adamson
and Jim McMullan had part, reflected the very high
esteem in which Jim was held.
Mr Jim (James) Black, aged 66, passed suddenly
into the presence of his Saviour on 4th December
He was saved on 14th February, 1961 as a boy of
14 having been awakened to his need through the
hymn, “Again the blessed gospel I have heard”.
He was a much valued and esteemed brother
who gathered with the saints in the Ballyshiel
assembly, and was predeceased by his beloved
wife Myrtle in September, 2011. A large company
heard the gospel clearly preached at the graveside
in Monaghan by David Morgan with W J Nesbitt
closing in prayer.
58

February 2014
Mr Michael Bond, aged 66 years, went to be with
Christ on 26th November, after a long trying illness
which he bore with great dignity and courage. He
was saved on 18th November, 1967, as a young
man of 20 years, after his second gospel meeting,
when Peter Brandon preached in Victoria Hall,
Belfast. Soon after, he was baptised and received
into the Donegal Road assembly, Belfast, but the
greater part of his life was in the Scotch Street
assembly, Portadown, where he was a valued
FORTHCOMING MEETINGS
Please note: All material relating to forthcoming meetings, holiday homes and personalia must be sent to
the publishers by the 1st of the month prior to publication. Email: graphics@johnritchie.co.uk
SCOTLAND
JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1
Kilmarnock: Elim Hall, Cuthbert Place. Bible Teaching
with A Gamble. Subject: Studies in Ephesians. The
Christian’s Resources for Walk, Witness, Warfare.
Friday 7.30pm-9.00pm; Saturday 2.00pm-3.00pm;
Refreshments, 4.00pm-5.00pm,s Meal; 7.00pm-
8.00pm.
FEBRUARY 1
Culloden: Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. I Grant (The Sin
Offering).
Gorgie: Gorgie Gospel Hall, Edinburgh at 7.00pm.
Bible Reading.
Hamilton: Low Waters Gospel Hall at 6.30pm. D
Gillies (Ministry and Report).
Livingston: Gospel Hall, Deans at 6.30pm. E Munro,
S Sherwin.
New Stevenston: Assembly Hall at 6.30pm. S Foster,
S Donaldson.
Perth: Gospel Hall, Huntingtower Road, West Edge
at 7.00pm. S Banks.
Shieldhill: Gospel Hall at 6.30pm. J Hay (Ministry
and Report).
FEBRUARY 7
Dunfermline: Gospel Hall, Hospital Hill at 8.00pm.
John 2.1-12.
member for 39 years. He was faithful and helpful
to the Lord’s people, with a love for the Scriptures
and the preaching of the gospel. He will be sadly
missed in the assembly gatherings. His funeral
was conducted by R Pickering when words of
comfort and gospel were given. A fitting tribute
was also given by his son-in-law, David Blevins.
Prayer would be appreciated for his wife Jean (née
Fisher), son Alistair, and daughter Ruth, with their
families.
FEBRUARY 8
Aberdeen: Holburn Gospel Hall, 220 Holburn Street
at 7.30pm. D Mowat.
Ashgill: Bethany Hall at 6.30pm. L Currie, D Lind.
Bridge of Weir: Hope Hall at 7.00pm. A Gamble.
Mayfield: Gospel Hall, Stone Avenue at 6.30pm. A
DeVille, D Gillies.
Methil: Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. H Brooks.
Prestwick: Bethany Hall, Glenburn at 7.00pm. J
Thomson.
FEBRUARY 15
Ayr: Gospel Hall, Prestwick Road, Bible Reading at
7.00pm. S MacDonald (Mark 15.1-23).
Gourock: Bethany Hall, Drumshantie Road at
7.00pm. P Coulson. Mr Coulson continues on Lord’s
Day at 3.45pm and Monday to Thursday at 8.00pm.
Kinross: Gospel Hall at 6.30pm. R Thomson (The
incarnation and virgin birth of Christ), W Banks (The
resurrection and ascension of Christ).
Kirkmuirhill: Gospel Hall at 6.30pm. A Sinclair, S
Gillespie.
Linthouse: Glasgow, Bethesda Hall at 7.00pm. R Hill.
Luthermuir: Gospel Hall, Church Road at 7.30pm.
S Arbuthnot.
Plains: Elim Gospel Hall at 6.30pm. C Lacey, K
Murray.
St Monans: Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. G Edwards.
Whitburn: West End Gospel Hall at 7.00pm. I Rees,
W Stevely.
WITH CHRIST / FORTHCOMING MEETINGS
59

FORTHCOMING MEETINGS
FEBRUARY 21
Dunfermline: Gospel Hall, Hospital Hill at 8.00pm.
John 4.1-18.
FEBRUARY 22
Aberdeen: Fountain Hall, Woodside at 7.00pm. G
Smith (Report).
Ballingry: Gospel Hall, Southfield Avenue. Bible
Reading at 7.00pm (Ruth chapter 3: The Threshing
Floor).
Falkirk: Thornhill Gospel Hall at 7.00pm. A deVille.
Glasgow: Gospel Hall, Avenuepark Street, Maryhill
at 7.30pm. J Stubbs.
Hamilton: High Parks Gospel Hall at 6.45pm. H
Brooks, S Brooks.
Kirkcaldy: Gospel Hall, Hayfield Road at 7.30pm. J
Hay.
Kirkconnel: Gospel Hall at 7.00pm. N Mellish, J
Paterson.
Prestwick: Bute Hall at 7.00pm. I Stewart, J Murdoch.
FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 2
Linwood: Gospel Hall, Bridge Street. Bible Teaching
Weekend. Friday at 7.30pm, Saturday 4.30pm and
6.30pm, Lord’s Day 4.00pm. J McQuoid: “What does
it mean to be a true Christian?”
MARCH 1
Bridge of Weir: Hope Hall at 7.00pm. I Wallace.
Culloden: Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. J Hay (The Trespass
Offering).
Gorgie: Gorgie Gospel Hall, Edinburgh at 7.00pm.
Bible Reading.
Hamilton: Low Waters Gospel Hall at 6.30pm. C
Lacey, R Cameron. Mr Lacey continues on Lord’s
Day at 3.15pm.
Kilmarnock: Elim Hall, Cuthbert Place at 6.45pm. R
Cargill (both sessions).
Livingston: Gospel Hall, Deans. Annual Conference
at 3.00pm. J Riddle, D West, C Munro. Mr West will
minister on Thursday 27th and Friday 28th February
at 7.30pm.
New Stevenston: Assembly Hall at 6.30pm. A
Paterson, D Miller.
Perth: Gospel Hall, Huntingtower Road, West Edge
at 7.00pm. J Grant.
Shieldhill: Gospel Hall at 6.30pm. I Steele, J Riddle.
Mr Riddle continues on Lord’s Day at 12.00pm and
Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm.
MARCH 8
Aberdeen: Holburn Gospel Hall. Annual Conference
in Victoria Gospel Hall, Victoria Road at 3.00pm and
6.00pm. R Hill, A Sinclair.
N. IRELAND
FEBRUARY 1
Ballymagarrick: Gospel Hall at 8.00pm. D Radcliffe.
Ballymena: Gospel Hall, Cambridge Avenue at
8.00pm. A Sinclair: “Where is the promise of His
coming?”
Glenburn: Gospel Hall, Belfast at 7.30pm. T
Armstrong, J Grant. Mr Grant continues in ministry
Monday to Thursday at 8.00pm.
FEBRUARY 3-7
Ballymoney: Gospel Hall. J Fleck.
Belfast: Cregagh Street Gospel Hall. Ministry
meetings with P McCauley at 8.00pm. Prayer valued.
Sandringham: Gospel Hall at 8.00pm. W Martin:
“Things most surely believed among us - Truths
relating to Assembly Principles”.
FEBRUARY 4-7
Ballymoney: Gospel Hall. S Wells; “7 dispensations
of Scripture”.
FEBRUARY 8
Ballymena: Gospel Hall, Cambridge Avenue at
8.00pm. T Meekin: “Coping with weakness”.
FEBRUARY 7-9
Hillsborough: Growell Gospel Hall at 8.00pm. J
McMaster: Evangelism - “Who is my neighbour?”.
FEBRUARY 9
Kilmore: Gospel Hall. J Fleck and W Martin are
expected for Gospel Meetings.
FEBRUARY 9-14
Dromore: Lough Road. Special Gospel Meetings in
New Gospel Hall. D Gilliland, R Reynolds. Lord’s Day
at 7.00pm, Monday to Friday at 8.00pm.
FEBRUARY 15
Ballymena: Gospel Hall, Cambridge Avenue at
8.00pm. J Fleck: “Haggai - A voice for our times”.
60 60

February 2014
Cardy: Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. S Baker.
Kingsmoss: Gospel Hall. Annual Conference at
2.00pm. W Fenton, E Fairfield, S Jennings. (See box
advert.)
FEBRUARY 22
Ballymena: Gospel Hall, Cambridge Avenue at
8.00pm. W McBride: “The redemption of the soul
and body”.
Craigavad: Gospel Hall at 7.45pm. J Fleck.
Kingsmills: Gospel Hall at 8.00pm. C Brown.
Kingsmoss: Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. D Williamson:
“The Trespass Offering”.
MARCH 1
Ballymagarrick: Gospel Hall at 8.00pm. W Banks.
Ballymena: Gospel Hall, Cambridge Avenue. No
meeting due to the opening of Ballyvaddy new hall.
Ballyvaddy: Gospel Hall. Special meeting for the
opening of the New Hall. Ministry 3.00pm-6.30pm.
Refreshments 4.30pm. Speakers: T McNeill, D
Gilliland, L Ballantine, J Fleck. D Gilliland continues
Lord’s Day at 6.00pm.
MARCH 2
Kingsmills: Gospel Hall. D McGarvey and M Campbell
are expected for Gospel Meetings. Please pray for the
visitation of the locality and the salvation of souls.
MARCH 3-5
Ballyvaddy: Gospel Hall. Ministry at 8.00pm with D
Gilliland.
MARCH 3-21
Ballymena (Harryville): Gospel Meetings in Ballee
Community Centre (kindly granted) with A Steele
and D Williamson.
MARCH 7-9
Hillsborough: Growell Gospel Hall at 8.00pm. S
Grant: “Winning the battle against sin”.
MARCH 8
Ballymena: Gospel Hall, Cambridge Avenue at
8.00pm. A Summers: “The Millennial Temple -
Ezekiel’s vision of the future”.
MARCH 10-14
Lisachrin: Gospel Hall. Ministry at 8.00pm with S
Wells.
MARCH 15
Ballymena: Gospel Hall, Cambridge Avenue at
8.00pm. P McClarty.
Cardy: Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. W Fenton.
MARCH 15-17
Cork: Annual Conference in Bandon Grammar
School. C Hutchison, M Radcliffe. Details from
T W Webb, Innishannon, County Cork, email:
twwandhfw@hotmail.com or phone 00353 21
4775116. (See box advert.)
MARCH 16
Glenburn: Gospel Hall. J Rogers and T Armstrong
are expected to commence Gospel Meetings.
MARCH 16-21
Armagh: Gospel Hall. Ministry with D Gilliland.
MARCH 17
Aughrim: Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. R Pickering, J
Parkinson.
MARCH 22
Ballymena: Gospel Hall, Cambridge Avenue at
8.00pm. W Banks: “The person and work of the Holy
Spirit”.
MARCH 29
Ballymena: Gospel Hall, Cambridge Avenue at
8.00pm.
Craigavad: Gospel Hall at 7.45pm. B Martin. Mr
Martin continues Monday to Thursday.
Kingsmoss: Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. S Jennings:
“The Sin Offering”.
APRIL 7-11
Kells: Gospel Hall. S Wells expected for Bible
Readings.
APRIL 12
Hillsborough: Growell Gospel Hall at 8.00pm. E
Fairfield.
APRIL 26
Kingsmoss: Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. L Craig: “The
Day of Atonement”.
FORTHCOMING MEETINGS
61

FORTHCOMING MEETINGS
APRIL 27
Ballyvaddy: Gospel Hall. Gospel Meetings with D
McGarvey, A Steele.
Sandringham: Gospel Hall. Gospel Meetings are
expected to commence with M Radcliffe and P
McCauley.
MAY 23-27
Lurgan: Malcolm Road Gospel Hall. Annual
Conference and Bible Readings. Friday evening
23rd to Tuesday 27th. Preliminary Notice - details
to follow.
JULY 7-18
Bushmills: Bible readings with R McKeown
responsible. (See box advert.)
JULY 28-31
Sandringham: Gospel Hall. Ministry by Sandy
Higgins (USA).
ENGLAND & WALES
FEBRUARY 1
Ash Vale: Ash Vale Christian Assembly at 6.45pm.
J Riddle.
Birmingham: Gospel Hall, Quarry Lane, Northfield at
4.00pm. D Dalton.
Butt Lane: Ebenezer Gospel Hall, Banbury Street at
7.00pm. M Platt.
Cwmbran: Gospel Hall, Oakfield Road at 7.15pm.
C Cann.
Deri: Gospel Hall at 7.00pm. D Whiteley.
Ely: Gospel Hall, Ship Lane at 7.00pm. M Cooper. Mr
Cooper continues on Lord’s Day at 4.00pm.
Jarrow: Gospel Hall, Cambrian Street. Bible Reading
at 4.00pm. Ministry at 6.45pm (John 16). W Stevely.
Killamarsh: Ebenezer Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. T
Coltman.
Leicester: York Street Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. D West.
Liverpool & District: Crete Hall at 7.30pm. G Bourne.
Prestwich: Gospel Hall, Venwood Road at 7.00pm.
J Griffiths.
Saltash: Gospel Hall, Moorlands Lane at 7.00pm. E
Parmenter. Mr Parmenter continues on Lord’s Day at
7.45pm and Monday at 7.30pm.
Westcliff-on-Sea: Gospel Hall, Carlton Avenue at
7.30pm. G Stewart.
62
West Mersea: Assembly Hall, East Road at 4.00pm
and 6.00pm. C Roberts.
Wimborne: Emmanuel Gospel Hall at 7.00pm. J Kimber.
FEBRUARY 7
Port Talbot: Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. D Voisey.
FEBRUARY 8
Bristol: Unity Chapel at 7.00pm. N Davis.
Bromborough: Gospel Hall, The Rake at 7.30pm.
Continuing on Lord’s Day at 8.30pm and Monday
and Tuesday at 8.00pm.
Cheshunt: Mill Lane Chapel at 7.00pm. J Lee.
Coventry: Gospel Hall, Church Street at 7.30pm. R
McClenaghan.
Gorton: Gospel Hall, Highmead Street at 7.00pm.
R Thomson.
Liverpool & District: Bethany Hall, Huyton at
7.30pm. D Grant.
Maidenhead: Parkside Christian Fellowship, St
Luke’s Road at 7.00pm. D Rudge.
Northampton: Osborne Road Gospel Hall at 7.30pm.
P Coulson. Mr Coulson continues Lord’s Day at
4.00pm and Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm.
North Shields: Gospel Hall, Coach Lane at 7.00pm.
R Cargill.
Redditch: Foxlydiate Crescent Gospel Hall at 7.00pm.
J Scarsbrook.
Southampton: Millbrook Road Gospel Hall at
7.15pm. H Hatt.
Stoke-on-Trent: Gospel Hall, Fletcher Road. Conference
at 3.00pm and 6.00pm. E Parmenter, E Griffiths.
Tooting: Longley Road Gospel Hall at 7.00pm. T
Ledger.
Warrington: Hope Hall, Hawthorne Street at 7.00pm.
J Coltman.
FEBRUARY 15
Blackburn: Gospel Hall at 7.00pm. K Totton.
Burton-on-Trent: Winshill Gospel Hall at 7.15pm. J Hall.
Cheltenham: Bethany Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. C Rees.
Harrow: Belmont Hall at 7.15pm. J Fenn.
Liverpool & District: Larkhill Hall at 7.30pm. M
Cooper.
Mitcham Junction: Gospel Hall, Percy Road. Bible
Reading at 7.00pm. J Riddle (John 14.12-22).
North Shields: Gospel Hall, Coach Lane at 7.00pm.
E Menzies.
Peterborough: Orton Gospel Hall, Malborne Way at
7.00pm. S Buckeridge.
Solihull: Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. R Rabey.

February 2014
FEBRUARY 22
Bexleyheath: Bethany Hall, North Street at 7.00pm.
G Stewart.
Bournemouth: Drummond Gospel Hall at 7.00pm.
C Cann.
Brierfield: Hebron Hall, Walter Street at 7.00pm. S
Baker.
Bristol: Bethany Gospel Hall at 7.00pm. C Rees.
Coleford, Somerset: Gospel Hall at 7.00pm. R Plant.
Coventry: Gospel Hall, Upper Hill Street at 7.30pm.
N Patel.
Derby: Gospel Hall, Brunswick Street at 7.00pm. J
Scarsbrook.
Dereham: Toftwood Gospel Hall at 7.00pm. F
Proudlock.
Hanworth: Gospel Hall at 7.00pm. J Jacob.
Helions Bumpstead: Gospel Hall at 7.00pm. M
Radcliffe.
Leicester: York Street Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. P
Dryden.
Liverpool & District: David Street. Bible Reading at
5.00pm. Ministry at 7.30pm. J Holifield.
London: Hope Hall, 222 Kilburn Lane at 7.00pm. K
Wilkins.
Northampton: Gospel Hall, Spencer Bridge Road at
7.30pm. S Grant.
North Shields: Gospel Hall, Coach Lane at 6.30pm.
Home Workers Conference. J Black.
Withington: Manchester, Gospel Hall, 16A Mauldeth
Road at 7.00pm. K Cooper.
MARCH 1
Ash Vale: Ash Vale Christian Assembly at 6.45pm.
D Rudge.
Biddulph: St John’s Road at 7.00pm. G Payne.
Birmingham: Gospel Hall, Quarry Lane, Northfield at
4.00pm. T Coltman.
Cwmbran: Gospel Hall, Oakfield Road at 7.15pm. J
Salisbury.
Deri: Gospel Hall at 7.00pm. N Mellish. Mr Mellish
continues on Monday and Tuesday at 7.30pm.
Ely: Gospel Hall, Ship Lane at 7.00pm. P Richardson.
Mr Richardson continues on Lord’s Day at 4.00pm.
Great Yarmouth: Gospel Hall, Kitchener Road at
7.30pm. G Guile.
Jarrow: Gospel Hall, Cambrian Street. Bible Reading
at 4.00pm. Ministry at 6.45pm (John 17.) C Hutchison.
Killamarsh: Ebenezer Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. M Hill.
Liverpool & District: Newsham Park Chapel at
7.30pm. T Galilee.
Prestwich: Gospel Hall, Venwood Road at 7.00pm.
J R Baker. Mr Baker continues in ministry Monday to
Wednesday at 8.00pm.
Saltash: Gospel Hall, Moorlands Lane at 7.00pm. K
Totton. Mr Totton continues on Lord’s Day at 7.45pm
and Monday at 7.30pm.
Westcliff-on-Sea: Gospel Hall, Carlton Avenue at
7.30pm. C Roberts.
West Mersea: Assembly Hall, East Road at 4.00pm
and 6.00pm. A Wiseman.
Wimborne: Emmanuel Gospel Hall at 7.00pm. D
Voisey.
MARCH 7
Port Talbot: Gospel Hall at 7.30pm. R O’Hara.
Notices
General
For audio requirements in your assembly e.g. P.A.
systems, induction loop for hard of hearing, radio
mics, as well as video data projectors, screens etc.
Alex Borthwick 01592 654549 or www.acav.co.uk.
Lisburn: 3 bedroom furnished semi-detached house
to let, close to M1 Junction 9 (Moira). Reduced rent
considered for “house-sitting” arrangement. Tel:
07745 828787.
Paul Trimble Printing: for tracts, calendars and
invitations visit www.gospeltractprinting.com. Tel:
028 9261 2775. Email: office@gospeltractprinting.
com.
Wanted: Authorised Version Bibles and Testaments,
new or secondhand, for needy Christians and
anxious souls in West Africa. J Ritchie, 3 Strath
Peffer, Law, Carluke ML8 5SQ. Tel: 01698 374071.
Residential Bible Readings
Faskally House, Pitlochry: Bible Readings and
Bible Teaching, 31st March - 4th April, 2014
(DV), conducted by David West (Leicester). Young
People’s Weekend, 14th-16th March (DV). Speaker:
Iain Lewis (Aberdeen). For further information please
contact: Colin & Alison Connell on 01796 474411 or
email: manager@faskallyhouse.com.
FORTHCOMING MEETINGS / NOTICES
63

NOTICES
Holiday Homes
Cyprus, Paphos: 2 Bedroom Luxury Apartment
near to the beach, town and harbour, quiet location.
Reduced Rates. Contact David & Sue Strachan on
07789768245. For photos, email and availability
visit www.apartments4less.net.
Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides: well equipped
cottage sleeping 6 available for holidays throughout
the year. Visit www.7south.co.uk or call Dollanna
Maclennan on 01851 710349.
Portstewart: Modern spacious detached 5 bedroom
home, 2 reception rooms, ensuite, shower room
and bathroom. Completely refurbished throughout
to a high standard for 2014. Tel: 07549689432
or visit, www.portstewartholidayhomes.com, Info@
portstewartholidayhomes.com. Available for letting
from February.
Spain: apartment in Costa Blanca for rent. Quiet
location. For details visit www.spain-villa-holiday.
co.uk or telephone 07921753002.
Windermere: Luxury self-catering apartments
sleeping 2-6, set in beautiful, peaceful grounds.
Central heating, fully equipped. Car parking. Open
all year. Brochure from Mrs M Robinson, Packway
House, Crook Road, Windermere, Cumbria LA23
3NE. Tel: 015394 43532.
KINGSMOSS GOSPEL HALL
Doagh Road, Newtownabbey
Annual Conference
15th February, 2014 (D.V.)
Bushmills Annual Bible Readings
and Open Air Gospel Meetings
7th July to 18th July 2014 (God Willing)
in Dunluce Secondary School, Bushmills
Bible Readings Monday to Friday at 8.00pm.
Passages to be considered:
Commencing at 2nd Timothy chapter 3.1.
Conducted by Mr Robin McKeown.
Open Air Gospel Meetings will be held
every morning at 11.00am.
There is ample supervised car parking.
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,
and a light unto my path” Psalm 119.105
64
Speakers expected:
Mr W Fenton
Mr E Fairfield
Mr S Jennings
Ministry 2.00pm-4.00pm
Refreshments 4.00pm-4.45pm
Ministry 4.45pm-5.30pm
CORK ANNUAL
CONFERENCE
15th to 17th March, 2014 (D.V.)
at: Bandon Grammar School
Speakers:
Mr C Hutchison (Scotland)
Mr M Radcliffe (N Ireland)
Details available from:
T W Webb,
Inninshannon, County Cork, R.O.I.
Telephone: 00353 21 4775116
email: twwandhfw@hotmail.com
AYRSHIRE BIBLE READINGS
Bute Hall, Prestwick, Ayrshire
Sunday 4th to Friday 9th May, 2014
Speakers: Mr J Grant, Mr J Hay
Subjects:
Studies in Luke’s Gospel for the
Bible Readings and Ministry (chs 18-24)
Bible Readings - Monday-Friday at 4.00pm.
Ministry at 7.00pm.
For details of the meetings and accommodation
required, please contact:
Mr Raymond Millar, 50 Sherwood Road, Prestwick, KA9 1EY.
Telephone 01292 471124
Email: beechwood65@talktalk.net
www.ayrshirereadings.org

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