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"Take
Heed" Ministries
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Cecil Andrews, PO BOX 13, Ballynahinch, BT24 8AL, Northern Ireland. Telephone/Fax 028 9756 5511. E-MAIL - takeheed@aol.com WEBSITE - http://www.takeheed.net |
June 2008
"Be not afraid or dismayed by reason of this great multitude for the battle is not yours but God's" (2nd Chronicles 20v15)
Dear
praying friends,
Some years ago a local politician who was closely identified
with one of the leading terrorist groups involved in what came to be known
here as ‘the troubles’ famously said in a speech during a period of
ceasefire – ‘they haven’t gone away you know’. He was stating plainly
that although the terrorists were at that stage ‘lying low’ they had the capability
to at any time restart their murderous campaign. In many ways Satan’s deceptions
are like that – they rage and war against God’s truth for a period of time
and then they appear to have ‘blown themselves out’ but the reality is very
different, they are really just biding their time to perhaps re-invent themselves
and then re-emerge with renewed devastating deceptive force. In the 1990’s
2 diabolical deceptions were the Canadian so-called
‘
Your servant for Christ
The “promised
prophet” of Deuteronomy 18:
Jesus Christ
or Mohammed?
Islam claims to respect Jesus Christ
as a true prophet of God. In the Koran in Sura 2:136 we read
“Say: We believe in Allah and (in) that which had been revealed to us, and
(in) that which was revealed to Ibrahim [Abraham] and Ismail [Ishmael]
and Ishaq [Isaac] and Yaqoub
[Jacob] and the tribes, and (in) that which was given to Musa [Moses] and Isa
[Jesus], and (in) that which was given to the prophets from their Lord, we do not make any distinction between
any of them, and to Him do we submit”.
On one Islamic website [Inter Islam] we read these quotes -
Imam
Bukhari(d.256/834)and
Imam Muslim(d.261/839)
have narrated that the prophet [Mohammed] said,
"Both in this
world and in the hereafter, I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus,
the son of Maryam (Mary). The prophets are paternal
brothers, their mothers are different but their religion is one."
In the Bible, in Deuteronomy chapter 18, God through His then
prophet Moses, makes a specific promise that a very special and important
prophet would at a future date appear on earth. Islam claims that this “promised
prophet” was Mohammed and not Jesus Christ and actually seeks to use the
Bible to substantiate their claim. On another Islamic website [Islam Guide]
we find a section headed ‘Biblical Prophecies on the Advent of Mohammed
the Prophet of Islam’. In this section the article identifies 3 characteristics
that the “promised prophet” will possess and having given their understanding
of the person who possessed these 3 characteristics they state in conclusion
– “whoever believes in the Bible must believe in what this prophet says
and this prophet is the Prophet Mohammed”. Let me first deal quickly with
2 of the stated characteristics. The first characteristic of the “promised prophet” that
was identified on the website was that “he will be like Moses”. Moses
was a prophet, a spokesman for God. Moses was also the one who delivered God’s
people from slavery and bondage.
I would agree that the “promised prophet” would possess this characteristic.
Another characteristic of the “promised prophet” that was identified
on the website was that “God will put His words in to the mouth of this
prophet and that he will declare what God commands him”. Once again I
would agree that the “promised prophet” would possess this characteristic.
However, when it comes to the third characteristic of the “promised prophet”
that was identified on the website, this is where they and I disagree radically.
On the website the remaining characteristic of the “promised prophet”
was identified as follows – “He will come from the brothers of the Israelites,
i.e. the Ishmaelites”. According to the website the “promised
prophet” would come through the line of Abraham and Ishmael and not through
the line of Abraham and Isaac. This is how they explain it on their website
– “Abraham had
two sons, Ishmael and Isaac (Genesis 21).
Ishmael became the grandfather of the Arab nation,
and Isaac became the grandfather of the Jewish nation. The prophet spoken
of was not to come from among the Jews themselves, but from among their brothers,
i.e. the Ishmaelites. Muhammad, a descendant
of Ishmael, is indeed this prophet”. How do they
justify such a claim?Early
in the article they quote the following verses from Deuteronomy chapter 18
– “I raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers;
I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command
him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name,
I myself will call him to account” (Deuteronomy
Another
argument advanced on the Islamic website to supposedly prove as they phrase
it “that Jesus Christ is not the prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:18”
reads like this –
Also, one notices from the Gospel of John that the
Jews were waiting for the fulfilment of three distinct prophecies.
The first was the coming of Christ. The second was the coming of Elijah.
The third was the coming of the Prophet. This is obvious from the
three questions that were posed to John the Baptist: “Now this was John’s
testimony, when the Jews of
It takes quite a measure of convoluted thinking, coloured I
suspect by a large dose of pre-determined conviction and belief, to draw the
conclusion “that Jesus Christ is not the prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy
18:18” from this portion of God’s Word found in John 1:19-21. What
we can safely conclude from this portion of scripture is that John the Baptist
rejected any notion that he was either ‘The Christ’, ‘The Prophet’ or
some kind of ‘reappearance or reincarnation of Elijah’. Does the Bible
itself give us any information that would help us identify anyone who would
be the answer to the questions put to John the Baptist by the Jews of Jerusalem?
Let me first deal with their question to John – ‘Are you Elijah?’ The
Jews no doubt had passages from Malachi 3:1 and 4:5-6 in mind. Malachi
3:1 reads “Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the
way before me; and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple,
even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in; behold he shall come
saith the Lord of hosts”.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary states ‘though
some have taken “my messenger” as the writer of this book or as an
angel it seems best to see him as a future prophet. Jesus explicitly identifies
this person as John the Baptist (Matthew 11:7-10). The fact that this messenger
will prepare His way harmonises with Isaiah 40:3’. It also harmonises
with John’s own words in John
In Luke 1 we read of the angelic announcement of the
forthcoming birth of John the Baptist and the angel said to John’s father,
Zacharias “Fear not Zacharias;
for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and
thou shalt call his name John…And many of the children
of Israel shall he turn to the Lord, their God. And he shall go before him
in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the
children” [Luke
The
Bible Knowledge Commentary states ‘Before John the Baptist was born an angel
of the Lord predicted that he would minister “in the spirit and power of Elijah,
to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children – to make ready a people
prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17). This would seem to put together the two
prophecies (Malachi 3:1 and 4:5-6) and to see John as fulfilling both of them’.
Reference was made earlier to what Jesus said in Matthew 11:7-10 and
extracts from those verses read “Jesus began to say unto the multitudes
concerning John…this is he of whom it is written, Behold I send my messenger
before thy face who shall prepare thy way before thee”. It is then very
enlightening to read what Jesus goes on to say in verses 13-15 “For
all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive
it, this is Elijah who was to come. He that hath ears to hear let him hear”. The disciples
also raised this question of ‘the coming of Elijah’ with the Lord in Matthew
17. The Lord Jesus had just been transfigured and during
that marvellous event He had been in conversation with Moses and Elijah [see
Matthew 17:2-4]. We then read in verse 10 “And his disciples asked him
saying, why then say the scribes that Elijah must come first?” In the
context of what we are considering the next verses [11-13] are very
significant – “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elijah truly shall
first come and restore all things, But I say unto
you that Elijah is already come and they knew him not, but have done unto
him whatsoever they desired. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of
them. Then the disciples understood that he spoke unto them
of John the Baptist”. John the Baptist was not literally a reappearance
or reincarnation of Elijah but in the light of the scriptures quoted, particularly
those words of the angelic messenger to Zacharias
and the words of the Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples, he certainly was
the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies of Malachi 3:1 and 4:5-6 that
were the basis of the question put to John by the Jews of Jerusalem in John
1:21. I want now to deal with the statement made by John – “
I am not the Christ”. Does the Bible itself give us any
information that clearly reveals the identity of “the Christ”? Before
answering this I just want to point out that the Greek translated as “the
Christ” [God’s anointed one] equates to the Hebrew term for “Messiah”.
Following on from the questioning of John the Baptist by the Jews of Jerusalem,
in a not too dissimilar vein, we read in Matthew 16:13 “When Jesus came
into the borders of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples saying, who do
men say that I, the Son
of man, am?” Their reply is recorded in verse 14 “And they said, some
say that thou art John the Baptist [John had already been killed by this time] some, Elijah [no
doubt these people thought Jesus was the fulfilment of the prophecies in Malachi] and others Jeremiah
or one of the prophets”. Jesus
presses the questioning in verse 15 and we read in verse 16 “And
Simon Peter answered and said, thou art THE CHRIST,
the Son of the living God”. Did Jesus, as John the Baptist had earlier
done concerning himself, reject this identification of Himself as “the
Christ”? He did not and He went on to say to Peter in verse 17 “Blessed
art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it [the
truth that He was “the Christ”] but my Father who is in heaven”.
Recognition of who Jesus Christ really is only comes as a gracious gift
from God Himself and Jesus Himself by this statement to Peter acknowledged
that He truly was “the Christ”. In John 4:5-29 we have the account
of the Lord’s meeting with the woman at the well. Towards the end of their
encounter we read in verse 25 “The woman saith
unto him, I know that Messiah, who is called Christ, when he is come, he will
tell us all things”. The Lord leaves her and us in no doubt Who He is
with His reply in verse 26 “Jesus saith unto
her, I that speak unto thee am he”. Jesus Christ plainly declared Himself
to be “the Christ” and “Messiah”, God’s ‘anointed one’ and that
makes sense of what He said early in His ministry in the synagogue at
The statement on the Islamic website that “whoever believes
in the Bible must believe in what this prophet says and this prophet is the
Prophet Mohammed” is clearly rejected by the divine truths contained in
the Bible itself. Then what of Mohammed – was he a “promised prophet”?
Perhaps these words of God’s true “promised prophet” and “Christ”,
the Lord Jesus Christ, speak in answer to that question – “And many
false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many” [Matthew 24:11].
In 2nd Timothy 3:1 the Apostle Paul warns of ‘perilous
times’ that will come in ‘the last days’ and in verse 8 he mentions how Jannes
and Jambres [magicians in the court of Pharaoh]
resisted God’s truth in the days of Moses. Paul later refers to the things
that he himself stood for in verse 10 [including ‘doctrine’], he mentions
in verse 11 some of the problems he encountered and where those problems arose
and then he states “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall
suffer persecution” [verse 12]. In some small measure there is an example
of this ‘persecution’ for the sake of doctrinal truth in the enclosed
article with this newsletter [‘the time has come
when they will not endure sound doctrine’]. However in
‘The Canadian
government has ordered a Christian ministry that teaches doctrine and the
differences between Christians and cults shut down because materials were
"critical" of those who are not Christian… what used to be MacGregor Ministries with offerings in how to recognize and
eliminate "faulty fads" in Christian churches has been re-created
in the United States, and now operates under the name MM Outreach Media
Ministries. Lorri MacGregor,
who has dedicated her life to explaining the straight and narrow of Christian
beliefs since she found her way out of the Jehovah's Witness system, told
WND that Canada's version of a "hate crimes" law prevented their
work from continuing as it had for 30 years…The issue of the ministry's
charities license in Canada came up during a routine audit of the ministry's
finances, which was uneventful. "The auditor that looked at our books
told us that her supervisor had said she wanted us shut down," Mrs.
MacGregor told WND. "
As well as
establishing a ministry base in the USA I understand after listening to a
portion of a radio interview that Lorri gave that
they plan to establish a ‘business corporation’ in Canada that will enable
them to continue their work there but without of course the tax benefits of
charitable status. However it should hopefully mean they would be less liable
to prosecution under current ‘hate law’ legislation. Lorri
mentioned that in a few years time the
To that end
I would especially ask for prayer for [a] Roger Oakland of ‘Understand the
Times’ who has a ministry base in Canada and [b] for a planned ministry
visit to Canada by Margaret and myself [31st July – 20th
August DV] when I will be speaking along the way in churches in British
Columbia, Alberta and also hopefully meeting for a few days with Roger in
Saskatchewan.
Islamic
dollars ‘coming home to roost’
at Harvard ?
In an article
posted to our ministry website in December 2006 entitled ‘WWIII is raging:
has anybody noticed?’ I drew attention to how, as I phrased it, ‘Drop
by drop’ Islam is ‘economically’ increasing its influence in areas that were
previously viewed as ‘bastions’ of everything that typified Western culture
and identity’. One example -
There’s an
old saying ‘He who pays the piper calls the tune’ and it came to mind as I
reflected on something that I actually saw on television when I was in
‘No men are allowed in the gym between
‘Sowing and sleeping’
In Matthew 13:24-30 the Lord told a parable known as the wheat
and the tares. It tells of a man sowing good seed [‘wheat’] but whilst his
servants slept an enemy came along and sowed corrupt seed [‘tares]. As harvest
approached it was only then that the true identity of the ‘tares’ amongst
the ‘wheat’ was noticed. The Lord later gives a full explanation of the parable
to His disciples in verses 36-43. The Lord identified this parable as a picture
of ‘the
‘Tares’ appear as a result of ‘false
gospels’ being preached so how do I assess the ‘gospel’ message that would
have been preached by Franklin Graham? On Sunday 6th April, Will
Leitch interviewed Franklin Graham on Radio
came and sowed
tares among the wheat”. Over the last few hundred years in particular God’s
evangelical people have ‘slept’ and allowed men to come in and preach ‘another
gospel which is not another’ [Galatians 1:6-7] – they encourage sinners
to place ‘their faith’ in Christ by ‘making their decision’ – the reality
is that saving ‘faith’ is a gracious gift from God as we read in Ephesians
2:8 and is given to those whom the Holy Spirit sovereignly
regenerates. Let me refer back again to something Franklin Graham said in
the course of the radio interview when he stated - “God loves everyone
who is listening right now [to the radio interview] – he has
a plan and purpose for their life”. I wonder at the meetings did Franklin
Graham explain fully that God’s “plan and purpose” for His true people
may involve them being hated and martyred for the sake of His truth. That
was God’s “plan and purpose” for all but one of Christ’s chosen disciples.
That was His “plan and purpose” for hundreds that suffered violent
deaths either by fire or by circus-lion under the Roman Emperor, Nero. That
was His “plan and purpose” for countless thousands that suffered
cruel, tortuous deaths at the hands of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in the
dark and middle ages – martyrdom that his father, Billy Graham and his Billy
Graham Evangelistic Association ‘hushed up’ by removing and eradicating from
the pages of the Henry Halley Bible Commentary entitled Pocket Bible Handbook
when they acquired the printing rights to it for a 1962 Billy Graham Crusade.
They deliberately erased the documented record of
Whilst in America in March I obtained a copy of a very enlightening booklet called ‘Decisional Regeneration’ by James E Adams that sheds biblical light on the errors of both the theology and methodology employed at many modern ‘crusades’. I have subsequently obtained additional copies and if you would like a free copy please let me know.
“the time has come when they
will not endure sound doctrine”
Back
in June 2006 I wrote an article that gave details of some emails that I had
received from a Mr Sammy Wilkes who took exception to my lack of enthusiasm
for ‘things ecumenical’. You can read that article on http://www.takeheed.net/Anotherday2edited.htm
At
the start of that article I wrote – ‘People sympathetic to the aims
of ‘Take Heed’ often ask me whether or not I receive much by way of
‘opposition’. The answer is that such ‘opposition’
does manifest itself from time to time but it is
far outweighed by the messages of support and encouragement that I receive.
Normally I would never consider making such ‘opposition’ known
publicly’. I then went on to explain my reasons for ‘going public’ in that particular
instance.
In
recent times I have had some email exchanges with a lady called Isobel and
I have once more decided to make these public. My aim is not in any way to
belittle this woman or to mock or even make fun of her. My reason for publishing
these exchanges is to demonstrate why error finds it so easy to make its way
into the professing Christian church. In a November 2007 article called ‘
http://www.takeheed.net/Willow_Creek_foul_mouthed_Jersey_Boys.htm
I told
of how the
Willow Creek
has released the results of a multi-year study on the effectiveness of their
programs and philosophy of ministry. The study's findings are in a new book
titled Reveal: Where Are You? co-authored by Cally Parkinson and Greg Hawkins, executive pastor of
Obviously
I have absolutely no idea of the ‘church affiliation’ of the lady called
Isobel who briefly corresponded with me but I think by the end of reading
the exchanges you may possibly feel that her ‘spiritual growth’ might find
reflection in the Willow Creek experience and findings.
Email
received from Isobel on
Cecil...
I have just been reading
a number of your articles, thoughts, reflections, criticisms, judgements
and personal opinions on a number of wide-ranging subjects, people and events.
I feel so sorry for you. It reminded me of the religious zealots of
biblical times where dotting the i and crossing the t was more important than loving
another human being. I believe you are totally convinced of your calling
but if you believe that calling others names, putting yourself up as God's
spokesperson on every issue going and discouraging those who are making
a difference - is your ministry ... then Lord help you.
...
love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance ....
I find none of the above
reading through your writings and I doubt if anyone would be called
to follow a loving, gracious and forgiving God through your many, long-winded
and discouraging ponderings....but maybe it's more bloging
for your own therapy!?
Sometimes I find the Lord
speaks through actions not words...so I'll stop now – Praying
for a change of heart...and who knows...you may even be surprised that others
are loved by God too.
Reply
sent to Isobel
Dear
Isobel ? [a guess based
on your email details]
True
Christian love “rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth” [1st
Corinthians 13:6] – it is not an expression of true Christian love to
acquiesce to error – particularly error that will lead a soul to a lost eternity.
You referred to ‘the religious zealots of biblical times’ - their problem
was that they were proclaiming a false way to heaven usually by burdening
people with their traditions and ‘personal opinions’ – God forbid that
I should do that – our ministry seeks to defend the truth of the ONLY way
to heaven that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone
according to the Scriptures alone and for the glory of God alone – if you
believe that I have failed to do that then please give me some specific examples.
You wrote of ‘a loving, gracious and forgiving God’
and these assuredly are some of His attributes but you failed to mention
His supreme attribute – His ‘holiness’ [see Exodus 15:11] and
because of that attribute His ‘anger’ is justly kindled against sin
and sinners – sadly much of today’s user-friendly, seeker-sensitive ‘Christian’
scene fails to awaken unsaved people to these truths and in doing so they
minimise the problem for sinners and present a ‘false Christ’ to sinners –
such teachers are forecast in God’s Word in 2nd Timothy 4:3-4.
would lead many people
astray with their unscriptural views - Paul wrote in Acts 20:28-30 "Take heed therefore unto yourselves,
and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers,
to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For
I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among
you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking
perverse things, to draw away disciples after them".
Timothy
became a key church leader in
Paul
specified to Timothy who the false teachers were by name: “This command
I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously
made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fight, keeping faith
and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in
regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered over to Satan,
so that they may be taught not to blaspheme”. (1Timothy
In Revelation 2:1-2 the Lord Jesus Christ in His letter to this same church
at Ephesus said this "Unto the
angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith
he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand,
who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not
bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles,
and are not, and hast found them liars":
The Lord Jesus Christ commended the believers at
If
you study closely the life, witness and ministry of the Apostle Paul he exercised
a ministry where he was constantly telling people to ‘take heed’. Should
faithful believers today be any less vigilant?
When the Apostle Paul was saying farewell to the
elders of the Church at
Timothy
became a key church leader in
Paul
specified to Timothy who the false teachers were by name: “This command
I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously
made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fight, keeping faith
and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in
regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered over to Satan,
so that they may be taught not to blaspheme”. (1Timothy
In Revelation 2:1-2 the Lord Jesus Christ in His letter to this same church
at Ephesus said this "Unto the
angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith
he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand,
who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not
bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles,
and are not, and hast found them liars":
The Lord Jesus Christ commended the believers
at
In
Galatians 2, Paul recounts an incident where he publicly corrected Peter:
”But when Cephas came to
In Acts
The Apostle Paul commended his listeners in
In 1 John
4:1 we read "Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether
they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world".
The Apostle John positively commands believers
to exercise discernment on what they hear being taught to them.
In 2 Corinthians
13:5 Paul writes "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the
faith; prove your own selves".
The Apostle Paul positively commands believers
to exercise discernment upon what they believe.
Pastor John MacArthur
in his Study Bible notes on 1 Corinthians
Right from the beginning of time in the Garden
of Eden there has been an ongoing 'Truth War.' In the very chapter [Matthew 24] that our ministry takes
its name from the Lord Jesus Christ warns several times that in the future
there will arise 'false prophets and
false Christs' and He says in verse 25 "Behold, I have told you before".
The
Lord Jesus drew specific attention to His 'advance warning' of the coming
of false teachers and teaching so that His people, having been forewarned
by Him, would exercise discernment in these areas.
An article posted on our website by the Godly Bible teacher, William MacDonald
who is now with the Lord has proved over the years to be of great encouragement
to me – it is called ‘When tolerance is sin’ and it is found on this
link - http://www.takeheed.net/whentol.htm
- I would commend it to you.
The greatest need in this day and age is for
professing Christians to exercise biblical 'judgment/discernment' for as prophesied by the Apostle
Paul in 1st Timothy 4:1 many
today sadly are "giving heed
to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils". To help God’s people ‘Take Heed’ I will [DV] continue to fulfil this
God-given ministry for, in contrast to the rare critical emails such as yours,
I receive MANY more emails of appreciation from those who have been helped
by our website articles.
If there is anything
that I have written that you feel is doctrinally incorrect then feel free
to share that with me for my consideration.
I
am your servant
for Christ and His truth
Cecil
Andrews
'Take
Heed' Ministries
Dear Cecil...
I am sure every single word you wrote is
doctrinally correct...but are you a real person? Can you speak from
the heart and can the Lord speak through so much red tape? I have
never heard of anyone who communicates with someone else using so many bible
verses. Can you actually communicate with me on a level of one human
being to another..? You write like a cult member...very
very frightening. I am sure the Lord - if He were
on earth today - would be looked down upon by those within the established
church system. He was a rebel with a cause...He was forever saying
and doing things to upset religious people. He was not this shining
figure in a flowing robe...He was one of us. One
of us. He spoke the language of the people...He loved the sinner...I
think you forget that He sat with people who sinned and loved them. Please
- whatever you do - do not answer me with 10 paragraphs of scripture verse.
I have been saved almost 30 years and I do not need to be evangelised.
I just pray that you will have your eyes opened. You need the Lord's
compassion for other not setting yourself up as judge and jury on every
point YOU do not agree with.
Isobel
Reply
sent to Isobel
Dear
Isobel,
Thank
you for your further email, one that saddened me greatly as it is an example
of “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine” [2nd
Timothy 4:3] - now I can just imagine you thinking to yourself – ‘there
he goes again – quoting scripture to me’ – but why shouldn’t I? – Please
bear with me - was the Psalmist wrong when he said “Thy word is a lamp
unto my feet and a light unto my path” [Psalm 119:105] and “The entrance
of thy words giveth light; it giveth
understanding to the simple” [Psalm 119:130]?
Was my much beloved late mother who is now with the Lord wrong
to base her life on “Trust in the Lord with all thine
heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths” [Proverbs 3:5-6]?
Was the great Apostle Paul wrong when he wrote, “Let the word of God
dwell in you richly, in all wisdom and teaching” [Colossians
All
believers have been given a suit of armour [Ephesians
You
wrote ‘I do not need to be evangelised’ – please be assured that I
certainly was not attempting to do that [only 'the lost' need
to be evangelised] in
my email but I was simply trying to be of some help in the area of discipleship
– something that unfortunately is clearly lacking amongst huge swathes of
professing Christendom with the result that error gains a very easy entrance
into the professing church that is meant to be “the pillar and ground of
the truth” [1st Timothy 3:15].
I
must confess I also had major problems with this expression in your email
– you wrote concerning the Lord Jesus Christ – ‘He was a rebel with
a cause’. The Saviour, the second person of the triune Godhead, who
was “holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners” [Hebrews 7:26]
was one who tenderly said, “I am the good shepherd and know my sheep
and am known of mine…I lay down my life for the sheep…My sheep hear my voice
and I know them and they follow me” [John 10:14-27].
I
certainly do not forget that He sat with people who sinned but I also recall
that He told them to “go and sin no more”; I also recall that in the
precincts of the temple He made a whip and drove out those who with false
religious practices were “making merchandise” of people – ripping them
off in the name of religion. He also clearly identified and with strong words
of condemnation [see John 8:44] challenged the false religious leaders
of His day who by their false teachings were perverting the truth of God’s
Word and way of salvation – should faithful disciples of Christ do any less
today?
Christians,
who when they see false teaching and practices and reach out to those who
often are being led to hell by them, are actually demonstrating true Christ-like
compassion – and what will their reward be in this life for doing so? In the
midst of warning of false ‘godliness’ that will appear in “the last
days” [2nd Timothy 3: 1&5] the Apostle Paul tells of what
will happen to those who will remain faithful to God’s truth in the midst
of all that deception– “all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall
suffer persecution” [verse 12].
I
remain your servant
for Christ and His truth
Cecil
Andrews
'Take
Heed' Ministries
Obviously it's impossible for you communicate
without a verse thrown in for good effect.
I give up...
I'll not be checking out the website again
because I want to cry when I do...it saddens me. No wonder people
dispair of Christianity... I would too ... if this correspondence
was the only thing to go on...
Jesus loves me...this I know...
hope things become clear to you on down the line my friend....
Dear
Isobel,
Thank
you for your email and rest assured I have no wish to ‘prolong your agony’
so I will simply say this. I find it incredibly bizarre that you as a professing
Christian are so saddened by someone like me who seeks to follow the example
set by my Saviour whilst here on earth - my Saviour regularly interspersed
what He said with quotes from the Word of God [as for example when He was
tempted by Satan]. Love for Christ is exemplified by seeking to obey His commandments
and our ministry takes its name from one of His commands in Matthew 24:4.
I’m
sure you would be ‘shocked’ if I didn’t, as you rather disparagingly put it,
‘throw in a verse for good effect’. God’s Word is never ‘thrown in for good
effect’ – it is God’s Spirit-energised means of saving, sanctifying and fitting
people for service here as Paul told young Timothy.
Despite
what you may think this type of ministry and I are not 'one-offs' - all around
His world God has His faithful watchmen who are alerting His people to the
wiles of the devil. I leave you with this challenge from God’s Word “Examine
yourself whether you are in the faith; prove yourselves. Know ye not yourselves
how Christ Jesus is in you except ye be reprobate” [2nd Corinthians
13:5].
Yours
in Christ
Cecil
Andrews
‘Take
Heed’ Ministries
So your 'a faithful
watchman' and I'm a mere woman who knows nothing I guess...
you probably don't believe
in woman ministers either...but that's a whole other topic....and I'm sure
you'd have lots of verses to back that one up. It must be wonderful
to be so perfect...God love ya...it'll be a shock
when your in your own wee heaven with all those others who judge
their neighbours and speak in the authorised way...
Dear
Isobel,
With
each email that you send me, very sadly and worryingly your lack of knowledge
of God’s Word, will and ways becomes ever more apparent. Quite why you introduced
a ‘gender’ issue [you wrote - ‘I’m a mere woman’] is not clear unless of course
you are troubled by what God’s Word clearly has to say on this issue. As you
have raised the topic of ‘woman ministers’ let me confirm that God makes it
quite clear from His Word [1st Timothy
In
your first email to me you wrote of - love,
joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness
and temperance – I have to say that I’ve been pretty
much searching in vain for these qualities in your subsequent emails.
Your aversion to the Word of God is truly sinister.
The Apostle Peter when writing to true believers reminded them of how they
had been “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the word of God” [1st Peter 1:23] and
a few verses later he instructed them “As newborn babes, desire
the pure milk of the word, that ye may grow by it, if so be ye have tasted
that the Lord is gracious” [1st Peter 2:2-3].
Your lack of appetite for and open disdain for
God’s Word is a normal feature in the lives of unregenerate people as Paul
explained in 1st Corinthians 2:14, but when it is openly displayed
in the ‘speech’ of a professing believer then alarm bells should be ringing
loud and clear.
“He [or she] that hath an ear, let him
[or her] hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” [Revelation 2:7]
Yours
in Christ
Cecil
Andrews
‘Take Heed’ Ministries
...as usual
Everyone else is lacking...wrong...lacking
in knowledge...sinister...
thanks for the encouragement...
I will not be opening any more of your emails...so
you needn't reply to this one...
Go forth perfect one...in your perfect world...along
with all your other perfect cult members...
I
would like to emphasise once more that in making these exchanges public I
have no desire to offend this lady [indeed I would ask you to pray for
her] but rather I want to demonstrate
what happens in the professing church when the Word of God is set aside in
favour presumably of the ‘wisdom of men’ [1st Corinthians 2:5].
Reflecting
back on the ‘gender’ issue perhaps Isobel took exception to my use of the
word ‘watchmen’ – I should like to state that over the years I have read helpful
materials produced by ‘watch-women’ like Jackie Alnor,
Ruth Davis, Tricia Tiillin, Elizabeth MacDonald
and Ingrid Schlueter. I see no biblical prohibition
on women sounding a warning about false teaching etc but I do see a clear
biblical prohibition on them occupying the role of the teaching elder.
Another thought that struck me about these exchanges was of the contrast between them and some other email exchanges I had from a man called Paul who contacted me after I encouraged people to contact the local BBC authorities about the evolutionary line promoted in a series of Programmes called ‘BLUEPRINT’ that were to be broadcast on BBC 1 Northern Ireland. These were those email exchanges –
Email
received from Paul on
Dear Cecil Andrews,
I am responding in relation to your letter regarding the BBC Northern
As I am sure you are aware, the BBC has a great deal of watchers from all
kinds of different backgrounds and different religions. Since, as British
citizens, we all must pay the BBC TV Licence, it is apparent to me that
the BBC caters for all members of the public, by showing a wide range of
programmes which relate to all different beliefs.
As such, would it therefore not seem fair that those who do not believe
in creationism are allowed their programmes, just as you have a right to
have your programmes tailored to your views? I am sure that if the BBC spent
as much on a creationist play, there would be complaints asking the BBC
to justify the "offensive abuse of their TV licence fee money."
I implore you to ask yourself this: "What right would they have to
complain about something I believe in?"
I am proud to be part of a country that takes pride in representing all
these different cultures and religious views. Of course, there will be times
where we may not all agree with each other. If there is one thing we all
do have in common, it is that we are forced to pay this TV licence!
Yours Sincerely,
Paul
Dear
Paul,
Many
thanks for your courteous email - not always the type I have received in recent
days on this topic.
The
point you have made in your email, I am sure that if the BBC spent as much on a creationist play, there would
be complaints asking the BBC to justify the "offensive abuse of their
[non-creationists'] TV licence fee money" is precisely the basis of my
complaint only in reverse - I hope you follow my line of thinking.
I
don't know if you heard 'Talkback'
* on Monday when I was part
of a debate that included one of the Producers - Paul McGuigan.
He said that the important consideration taken into account when making the
programme was scientific 'consensus' but he had to admit when I then challenged
him that there were NO scientists contributing to the programme who held to
a 'young earth/biblical creation' point of view, based not simply on 'faith'
but also on true science namely that which can be observed and proved by repeated
experimentation so in reality his 'consensus' was a very biased 'consensus.
The
flaw in non-creationist thinking is that true science has nothing to say in
relation to God's revelation in the Bible of how He created everything - that
is simply not true and that is the type of programme that those who protest
to the BBC are asking for.
Just
in closing, the main issue for Christians is of course the gospel of the life,
death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and its significance
can only be fully grasped and understood in the light of events at the dawn
of creation in the Garden of Eden.
This gospel of the
death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is God’s remedy for
the condemning problem [see Romans 5:18-19] caused by the disobedience of
the first man created, Adam, but God Himself knows that “the preaching
of Christ crucified is to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Gentiles,
foolishness” 1st Corinthians 1:23
For 38 years of my
life it was precisely that to me -
'foolishness' - but
then things changed and God 'created' me anew [see 2nd Corinthians 5:17] -
you can read my brief testimony to this on http://www.takeheed.net/capt.htm
I am your servant for
the Lord Jesus Christ
Cecil Andrews
'Take Heed' Ministries
*PS I am hoping to have posted in the next few
days to our website under RADIO INTERVIEWS this 'Talkback' debate and also
one that took place last Sunday on Sunday Sequence so perhaps those might
be of further interest to you.
Email
received from Paul on
Cecil Andrews,
I certainly understand your frustrations. You are receiving these, what
I would label as abusive, emails from members of the Richard Dawkins forum.
I myself identify as an agnostic (for philosophical reasons etc), but I
have recently felt a need to understand why there is this sort of "Richard
Dawkins Atheist" movement. It is a shame that such intelligent people
are so fanatical in their conclusions. In the event that the BBC does do
a creationist play, people would complain and I believe this to be closed
mindedness on their behalf. I am sure you will agree with me that they have
to put as much faith into their scientific methods as you do into your religious
beliefs. Only those who place importance on what science has achieved will
hold scientific methods to be superior. Those who have experienced God will
similarly hold God to be superior.
What I am trying to say is: Don't be a fanatic. We all must live in the
same world, and we all think different concepts are the truth. As such,
we have to be tolerant of each other's ideas. We needn't complain when we
see an idea that opposes what we hold to be the truth,
rather we can appreciate it and use it as a basis for confirming our own
beliefs.
"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."
- Albert Einstein
Thank you very much for your time, I will be sure to read/listen to those
radio interviews :)
Paul
Dear
Paul,
Many
thanks once more for your further email.
You
wrote of ‘Those who have experienced God’ and that of course is what
happened when God converted me as I outlined in my testimony that I directed
you to.
The
reality is Paul, when someone like myself ‘experiences
God’, it means we can no longer stand idly by where ‘truth’ is
concerned because the Lord Jesus Christ said that He was The way. THE TRUTH
and The Life [John 14:6] and He also declared that God’s Word was TRUTH [John
Just
in closing and with reference to your mention of the 'Richard Dawkins forum’
I did post an article to our website following an interview that William Crawley
did with him – it might be of interest to you and it is on this link - http://www.takeheed.net/DeludedDawkins.htm
Sincere
thanks for your ‘gentle’ approach. With all good wishes.
I
am your servant for Jesus Christ
Cecil
Andrews
‘Take
Heed’ Ministries
Dear Cecil Andrews,
Yes thank you very much. I can see now, that in your view, it must be like
watching someone drown. Anyone would be compelled
to save that person, even if they did not want saving :)
Best of luck, and don't let those fanatical Atheists get you down.
Paul
I hope the contrast between the attitude of Paul and the attitude
of Isobel is as plain to you as it is to me and I would ask you also to please
pray for Paul.
In
my exchanges with Isobel I referred her to some verses from Psalm 119 and
in closing I would just like to quote some verses from another well-known
Psalm – Psalm 1 – whilst it speaks of a ‘man’ it has of course
equal application to a ‘woman’
‘Blessed is the man who walketh
not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth
in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of
the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his
law doth he meditate day and night’