|
"Take
Heed" Ministries
|
|
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 |
“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.
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 Ephesus he warned them about false teachers who would
arise and who 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
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’
Cecil
Andrews –‘Take Heed’ Ministries