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The Magazine of The Faith Mission
jan/feb 2013 Price 75p
FI RST!
abnormal fears
a personal story of
being set free
how to comfort a
bereaved child
practical pointers
surrendered sleep
biblical foundations for the
sleep-deprived
‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness’ (Matt.6:33).
FIRST! No. 1285 January/February 2013
EDITOR: Lin Pearson E-mail: [email protected] CONSULTING EDITOR: John Townend and Sandy Roger
The FAITH MISSION
OUR VISION STATEMENT
To reach through passionate
evangelism the lost of all
age groups, particularly in
the villages and rural areas
of Great Britain and Ireland,
and by biblical teaching to
encourage holiness of heart
and life in Christian people.
COUNCIL MEMBERS
President - Rev. N. Darragh
General Director - J. Townend
Mission Administrator and
Treasurer - J. McNeilly,
J. Bennett, Miss A. Brown,
Rev. J. Currie, N. Liddle,
I. MacLeod, J. Matthews,
Miss A. Paul, R. A. Potts,
Rev. A. M. Roger, J. Sandall,
Rev. W. Smylie, D. Stevenson,
Directors and Superintendents.
General Headquarters Govan House, 548 Gilmerton Road, Gilmerton,
Edinburgh EH17 7JD.
(Tel: 0131 664 5814) (Fax: 0131 664 2260)
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.faithmission.org
General Director - John Townend
Mission Administrator & Treasurer - Joe McNeilly
(Email: [email protected])
Office Administrator - Carole Townley
Practical work - John McCartney
Bible College Interim Principal: Rev. John Shearer
2 Drum Street, Gilmerton, Edinburgh EH17 8QG
(Tel. 0131 664 4336)  (Fax 0131 672 1322)
Email: [email protected] Website: www.fmbc.ac
English Headquarters Director: A. Patterson
10 Millgates, York, YO26 6AT (Tel. 01904 798357)
Email: [email protected]
Irish Headquarters Director: T. Matthews
62 Glenavy Rd, Lisburn, Co.Antrim,BT28 3UT (Tel. 028 9262 8286)
Email: [email protected]
Scottish Headquarters Director: J. McNeilly
548 Gilmerton Road, Edinburgh, EH17 7JD
(Tel. 0131 672 2149/1419)
Email: [email protected]
Faith Mission & Missionary Training Home (known as The Faith Mission)
is a charity registered in Scotland No SC005119
LOCATION OF WORKERS
SCOTLAND
South District: Superintendent – DANIEL & JUNE CHAMBERS,
3 Southhouse Rd, Edinburgh EH17 8DZ. (Tel. 0131 672 2564)
Email: [email protected]
East District: Superintendent – NOEL McCLINTOCK,
43 Great Southern Road, Aberdeen AB11 7XY. (Tel. 01224 587112)
Email: [email protected]
Kirkcaldy: Kathy Wood
Peterhead: John & Liz Macdonald
Highland District: Superintendent – DONNIE & Catherine MACLEOD,
1 Lodge Park, Inverness IV2 4YR. (Tel. 01463 238160).
Email: [email protected]
Fort William: Justin & Carol Cummings
Ministry Apprentice: Stephen Houghton
Anglo-Scottish Border District: Superintendent – WILLIAM & CAROLYN
HARRISON, The Steadings, High Barbuchany, Newton Stewart,
Wigtownshire, DG8 6QF.(Tel. 01671 403632).
Email: [email protected]
Bookshops : General Manager – NORMAN & PEARL LIDDLE.
Email: [email protected]
EDINBURGH, 548 Gilmerton Road (Tel. 0131 672 2152)
DUNFERMLINE, 4 Canmore Street (Tel. 01383 720643)
PETERHEAD, 2 Erroll Street (Tel. 01779 471961)
STIRLING,36 Barnton Street (Tel. 01786 451152)
PERTH, 240 Old High Street (Tel. 01738 638142)
Glasgow, 24-28 Bothwell Street, G2 6NU, (Tel. 0141 221 8913)
COVER photo: A grey squirrel enjoying a nut—
iStockPhoto.com
ENGLAND
Headquarters and North District: DIRECTOR – ALISTAIR & SHARON
PATTERSON, 10 Millgates, York, YO26 6AT (Tel. 01904 798357)
Email: [email protected]
Preston: James & Lynda Bovenizer
Durham: Mark & Sheena Nelson
North Lancashire: Paul Curwen
South East District: In Charge – Stephen & Cynthia Walker, Red
House Farm, Fen Lane, Earl Stonham, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 5EG.
(Tel. 01449 711877)
Email: [email protected]
Norfolk: David & Donna Ohin
Kent: Arabella Paul
Central District : Superintendent – DANIEL & GRACE HOWSON,
Glebe Farm, Langar Lane, Harby, Melton Mowbray LE14 4BL.
(Tel. 01949 860313).
Email: [email protected]
Associate Workers: Simon & Rebecca Walsh
Grantham: Tim Currie; Andrew & Grace Morton
South West District : Superintendent – IAN & HAZEL GILKINSON,
8 Willow Tree Close, Okehampton, Devon EX20 1NL.
(Tel. 01837 53922).
Email: [email protected]
Outreach: David Lewis
WALES
Regional Representative: PAUL & ELIZABETH CROWE, 5 Glandulas
Drive, Mochdre Lane, Newtown, Powys SY16 4JB. (Tel: 01686 628779).
Email: [email protected]
►► (Locations are continued on the inside back cover)
Photo by Andre Shalygin/Hemera
God in the Dark
D
r. Leslie Church tells us that once, when a child, he went out for
a walk with his father on the Welsh hills. It was a very dark night.
Meteorites were falling from the sky. He was startled, but thought them
bright and desirable and darted after them, to possess one.
He grabbed at the spot where he thought the treasure lay, to find nothing, not
even star dust. Suddenly he realized it was very dark, that his knees were cut
and bleeding, and his hands scratched and torn, and most terrifying of all, he
thought that he was alone and lost.
Then he heard a familiar voice calling his name. It was that of his father. He
was not alone, he was not lost, and the cuts and bruises did not matter. “He
was with me,” says Dr. Church, “and I belonged to him, however black the
darkness; however lonely the moor.”
So Christ came to reveal the Eternal Father. He came to humanity, to be our
Friend and Saviour, so that however dark our spiritual night, however forsaken
we might feel, or however great our sense of being lost by reason of our sin,
we might find in Jesus a mighty Saviourand a constant Friend.
Is he that to you? 
God so ‘dvu’ed
the World…
By Bob Creson
T
ranslator Lee Bramlett was
confident that God had left his
mark somewhere on the culture
of the Hdi people of Cameroon. But,
though he searched, he could not find
it. Where was the footprint of God
in the history or daily life of these
Cameroonian people? What clue had he
planted to let the Hdi know who he is
and how he wants to relate to them?
Then one night in a dream, God
prompted Lee to look again at the
Hdi word for love. Lee and his wife,
Tammi, had learned that verbs in Hdi
consistently end in one of three vowels.
For almost every verb, they could find
forms ending in i, a, and u. But when it
came to the word for love, they could
only find i and a. Why no u?
Committee
Lee asked the Hdi translation committee, which included the most influential
leaders in the community, “Could you
‘dvi’ your wife?”
“Yes,” they said. That would mean that
the wife had been loved but the love
was gone.
“Could you ‘dva’ your wife?” Lee asked.
“Yes,” they said. That kind of love
depended on the wife’s actions. She
would be loved as long as she remained
faithful and cared for her husband well.
4 January/February 2013
“Could you ‘dvu’ your wife?” Lee
asked. Everyone laughed.
“Of course not!” they said. “If you said
that, you would have to keep loving
your wife no matter what she did,
even if she never got you water, never
made you meals. Even if she committed
adultery, you would be compelled to
just keep on loving her. No, we would
never say ‘dvu.’ It just doesn’t exist.”
Lee sat quietly for a while, thinking
about John 3:16, and then he asked,
“Could God ‘dvu’ people?”
Millenia after millennia
There was complete silence for three
or four minutes; then tears started
to trickle down the weathered faces
of these elderly men. Finally they
responded.
“Do you know what this would mean?”
they asked. “This would mean that God
kept loving us over and over, millennia
after millennia, while all that time we
rejected his great love. He is compelled
to love us, even though we have sinned
more than any people.”
Love encoded
One simple vowel, and the meaning was
changed from “I love you based on what
you do and who you are,” to “I love you
based on who I am. I love you because
of Me and not because of you.”
God had encoded the story of his
The New Testament in Hdi is ready
to be printed now, and twenty-nine
thousand speakers will soon be able
to feel the impact of passages like
Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, ‘dvu’
your wives, just as Christ ‘dvu’ed the
church…”
God had encoded the story of
his unconditional love right into
their language.
I invite you to pray for them as they
absorb and seek to model the amazing,
unconditional love they have received.
A Cameroonian lady. Photo by Elisa Kellner
unconditional love right into their
language. For centuries, the little
word was there—unused but available,
grammatically correct and quite
understandable. When the word was
finally spoken, it called into question
their entire belief system. If God were
like that, and not a mean and scary
spirit, did they need the spirits of the
ancestors to intercede for them? Did
they need sorcery to relate to the
spirits? Many decided the answer was
no, and the number of Christ-followers
quickly grew from a few hundred to
several thousand.
Relationship
As God’s Word is translated around the
world, people are gaining access to this
great love story about how God ‘dvu’ed
us enough to sacrifice his unique Son
for us, so that our relationship with
him can be ordered and oriented
correctly. The cross changes everything!
Someday, the last word of the last bit
of Scripture for the last community
will be done, and everyone will be
able to understand the story of God’s
unconditional love. ■
Wycliffe, the world’s largest Bible
translation organization, is currently
working with language communities in
93 countries on 6 continents to make
the Bible and humanitarian materials
accessible to all people in the language
most meaningful to them.
In November 2008, Wycliffe USA
launched the Last Languages
Campaign with the goal of starting a
Bible translation programme in every
remaining language that needs one, by
2025. Article reprinted by permission
from the blog of WycliffeUSA—
www.wycliffeusa.wordpress.com
First! 5
Guidance:
Part 4
principles
in action
By Sandy Roger
W
e will look at Acts 1:12-26,
the record of how the disciples
coped in the period in between
Christ’s resurrection and his ascension.
If ever there was a time that these
followers needed guidance it was then.
The great value in focusing on one small
section of the Bible is that it gives us the
opportunity to see how these principles
were put into practice in a real life
situation.
6 January/February 2013
This passage contains a number of key
principles that are absolutely essential
to a right understanding of the subject
of guidance. Very few Christians doubt
that God has promised to guide and
that he does guide. Where they have
problems is in relation to how he
actually does it. There are principles in
this passage that can help us.
TURN TO THE BIBLE FIRST
Peter begins his remarks by pointing to
the importance of the Holy Scriptures,
which he acknowledges to be inspired
by the Holy Spirit. By quoting from
the Psalms (Acts 1:20) he clearly saw
God’s Word as an authoritative source
of direction. This must be our starting point as well. For Christians, their
primary source of guidance is the Bible
and that presupposes a regular reading
of it, resulting in a knowing of it. There
is just no substitute for familiarity with
the Word of God and that cannot be
acquired overnight; it takes time.
In some instances no further guidance is
necessary because the Bible has already
revealed what God wants from us. All
that is needed is our compliance with
what he has fully and finally revealed.
• Our sanctification (1 Thess. 4:3)
• Thanksgiving (1 Thess. 5:18)
• Submission and obedience to
recognized authority (Eph. 6:6;
1 Pet. 2:13, 15)
• Faith and love (1 John 3:23)
• Right living (Rom. 14:17, 18)
• Walking in the Spirit (1 Pet. 4:2)
GROUP DECISION-MAKING
Peter played a key role as leader of
the Apostolic band, but when it came
to the final decision-making process
he had no special insights the others
did not have. He was “among the
believers” (Acts 1:15). There were 120
of them and they functioned as a band
of brothers and sisters, as any family
would when faced with having to make
a momentous decision. They were a
self-contained group whose primary
allegiance was to Jesus Christ, and
the Twelve only had a special function
because of their knowledge, status and
unique responsibilities as leaders.
There is such a thing as the discipline
and corrective of collective guidance. It
is what W. E. Sangster used to call “the
affectionate scrutiny of the fellowship”.
Sharing with trusted, usually older and
probably wiser counsellors who can
often ask God-guided questions, will
often help us to read our own minds
and discover our personal motives.
There are a number of key Bible texts
that show the importance of this
principle (Deut. 17:8-9; Prov. 11:14;
12:15; 20:18; 24:6 ; 1 Cor. 12:8).
The counsel and advice of others is very
often used by the Lord to provide the
guidance we need, but not always (Neh.
6:12; 1 Kgs. 13).
This principle is not to be slavishly
applied. No one else can get guidance
for us, although they can make a
valuable contribution in our seeing what
course of action to take. We need to be
humble enough to consult others. Older
Christians often have a better grasp of
the situation, longer experience and
clearer insight. They can often judge our
gifts and limitations better than we can.
Always remember that decisions in Bible
times were usually group decisions.
ESTABLISH CRITERIA
Notice yet again how the Scriptures
feature prominently. These first
Christian believers were convinced
that by putting these principles into
practice God’s revealed will in the
Bible would be fulfilled (Acts 1:16). As
they chose within the limits of certain
specifications (1:22) clearly what they
were doing here was using their minds
to think through the issues.
Reading between the lines of this
incident we do not gain the impression
that they were just sitting around,
however prayerfully, waiting for God
to drop some ideas into their minds.
Instead, they were using their minds
prayerfully. Eventually things began
to formulate as they recognized God’s
sovereign and supreme will, began to
grasp his overall plan, acknowledged his
moral and holy will and applied these
principles to seeking what he wanted in
the situation.
► [Continued over]
First! 7
CREATE A SHORTLIST
As they thought and presumably
discussed things, it became clear to
them that only two men fitted the
criteria: Joseph Justus Barsabbas and
Matthias (1:23). Presumably there
were others, but only these two were
suitable, which led to them being
nominated and proposed. Notice that
the lot (rolling of dice) was not used at
this juncture, nor were they “looking
for a verse” or a “divine thunderbolt
from heaven”. There is something quite
calm, logical and business-like about
how they went about things. They were
seeking to “love God with their minds”
(Matt. 22:37) in this very practical way.
As in every other aspect of the Christian
life, the mind matters. God has provided two main resources to help us know
his will and both are given to aid the
mind. We have the written Word acting
as a lamp to illumine our understanding
and the Holy Spirit to incite us to apply
what we grasp.
PRAY ABOUT IT
This was not a spur of the moment
prayer (1:24). They had been constantly
in prayer for days beforehand (1:14)
and their prayer now was with the same
attitude of reverence, wide open to
what God wanted and very specific. It
was then followed up by action. Prayer
creates within us a sense of spiritual
sensitivity and a desire for moral conformity. We must reach a point where
we are more concerned to do his will
than to find it, discuss it or debate it.
For this reason we must use our minds,
but not without prayer.
TRUST GOD’S OVERRULING
PROVIDENCE
“So he was added…” (1:26) almost
8 January/February 2013
sounds matter-of-fact. But quite often
that is how guidance works itself out
in the end. Walking with God is not a
guessing game; he wants us to know his
will. But we must not ask the Lord to
guide our footsteps unless we are willing to move our feet in the direction he
opens up. The advice of St. Augustine
cannot be bettered: “Trust the past to
God’s mercy, the present to God’s love
and the future to God’s providence.”
If we are to find ourselves in a position
where we are willing to trust God’s
sovereign will implicitly then there are
certain questions which must always be
addressed when we are seeking guidance and making decisions.
• Are there biblical foundations to my
decision-making?
• Do I decide on my own or consult
with others?
• Do I use the mind God has given me
to think things through?
• Do I pray and trust the sovereign God
to control events?
This might be a good place to recall
Paul’s prayer for the Colossians. “For
this cause we also, since the day we
heard of it, do not cease to pray for
you, and to desire that you might be
filled with the knowledge of his will in
all wisdom and spiritual understanding”
(Colossians 1:9). In the context of this
chapter it demonstrates clearly that
God wants us to have a knowledge
of his truth (v.6), his will (v.9) and
himself (v.10). That in itself should be
a great encouragement in putting these
principles into practice. ■
[Series to be continued]
Adapted from a series of talks given by
the Rev Dr Sandy Roger when he was Principal
at the Faith Mission Bible College, Edinburgh.
I will answer you
“He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him” (Psalm 91:15).
B
ill Gates was hooked up to the computer network we call the internet. Using
it, subscribers can send electronic mail (email) to other users of the
internet.
In no time he
was swamped
with five thousand
messages—he
simply couldn't
handle it. So
he armed his
computer with
software that
filtered his
email, allowing
important
messages through
and sending all the
others to electronic
oblivion.
Photo—Wikipedia,Creative Commons
Originally, Gates had an internet address just like everyone. But he got into
trouble when The New Yorker magazine published his email address. Then, anyone
could send the
computer genius a
letter.
Above: Bill Gates of Microsoft (on the right) with the late Steve Jobs (Apple).
We are limited; we can handle only so much and do only so much. God, on
the other hand, never tires of s-mail (spirit mail). His ear is always open to our
prayers. And he has an unlimited capacity to help.
You'll never hear God say, “Due to an unusually high call volume I am unable to
take your call at this time. Please call back or leave a message.” No, the Bible
says, “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I
will deliver him and honour him.” “...the desire of the righteous will be granted”
(Proverbs 10:24). “...the prayer of the upright is his delight' (Proverbs 15:8). “Call
to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do
not know” (Jeremiah 33:3). “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you
will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). ■
From UCB Word for Today—used by permission. Bible verses are from the NKJV.
First! 9
How to
Comfort a
Bereaved
Child
By Jenny Funderburke
L
ast week I was asked for advice
on comforting a mourning child.
A correspondent wrote about her
close friend and ministry leader who
was dying from cancer—they expected
the Lord to call her home that week.
She asked, “Do you have any material
that would help us deal with this loss
to our children? My main goal is for
the kids to know that our friend is in
heaven with Jesus! I want them to find
comfort in knowing that she is okay.”
This is a hard question and sometimes
God is the only comfort in those situations. But one way God helps is through
your efforts. Here are some basic things
you can do to comfort bereaved children.

Be present
In the book of Job, a book that
is quite a picture of dealing with suffering, Job’s friends do a lot of things
really, really wrong. But Job 2:13 shares
something they did right, “And they sat
10 January/February 2013
with him on the ground seven days and
seven nights, and no one spoke a word
to him, for they saw that his suffering
was very great.” When anyone, especially a child, is grieving, we have the
desire to “do” and to “fix”. Kids need
people who are there. Be consistent,
when at that point their world is void of
consistency. Even if you do nothing but
sit close by for them to run up and hug,
do that.

Be honest.
Kids will have lots of questions.
And they will likely ask questions that
no one else wants to ask, and questions
that don’t have easy answers. Answer
as honestly as possible. Of course, keep
age-appropriateness in mind, but lying
or padding the truth will only cause
more harm in the future.

Repeat the truth.
Tell the child repeatedly the
things that we know for sure from
Scripture. God loves them. God is with
them. When believers die, they are immediately with Jesus. Heaven is a good
place. God is good, even when we are
hurting. Avoid platitudes that aren’t
scriptural. Also, be wise in how you
share truth. Speak truth to comfort, not
to confuse. Saying “this was God’s will”
to a young child sounds helpful, but is
just too much for them to process.
It’s okay to say “I don’t know”. Why
did God let my mummy die? Why is this
happening to my family? How long will
it hurt? Those are questions to which
we just cannot know the answers. “I
don’t know” is an acceptable answer.
Say “I don’t know” and then repeat the
truth that we do know.

Avoid sayings that don’t make
any sense.
Kids don’t always understand “passed
away” or “gone to sleep” or “gone
away”. Use simple, clear language.
“John, I’m so sorry that your grandma
died. I know that makes you feel sad.”

Understand that kids and grownups grieve differently.
A child may very likely cry briefly and
then run off to play. This can be disconcerting to adults, but young minds just
can’t process grief in large portions.
They will be sad again and they will
think about it a whole lot more than
you realize. However, God protects
their little brains by letting them grieve
in pockets.

Listen.
Be available for the child to talk if
he or she wants to. Don’t force conversation, but it is okay to ask things like
“What did you love about your mum?”
or “Tell me a favorite memory about
your grandma.” Talking is extremely
healthy, but kids will shut down if they
feel like you are forcing them.

Watch for disturbed behaviour.
There are warning signs that may
show that a child isn’t processing grief
well. Violence, anger, extreme withdrawal, not eating, depression and selfinjury are all signs of extreme grief that
may need further attention.

Encourage counselling.
I highly recommend counselling
for every child that experiences a loss.
They may only need one session or they
may need lots of help, but I am a big
fan of having someone else walk alongside such a critical time in a child’s life.
Counselling is not a sign that the family
can’t help a child. It is a sign of great
love and dedication to that child.

Pray.
You can do all of these things
and still feel helpless in truly helping a
child who is grieving. The truth is, it is
a process that only God can bring them
through. It is part of his plan and something that he wants to use powerfully
in the child’s life. So, pray—a lot. Pray
for God to heal and bind up the brokenhearted. Pray for protection spiritually
and emotionally. Pray for God to work a
miracle in healing that child. ■
This article is from a blog post Jenny wrote
for Ministry-to-Children.com, a children’s
ministry resource site, and is used by kind
permission.
You can Jenny’s personal blog at
jennyfunderburke.com.
First! 11
HE
WALKED
WITH ME
By David McKee
God said, "He walked with me in
peace and equity, and did turn many
away from iniquity" (Malachi 2:6).
n these words God himself bears
witness to his servant Levi, almost as
if God finds a holy pride in the fact
that one of his fallen creatures can
walk with him again!
I
He walked WITH ME. Not "He worked
for me", but "He walked with me".
He walked with God continually, and
therefore talked for God convincingly.
How the Lord spoke this to my own
heart. We, in his service, are tempted
to “walk before” so many things—the
needs of the people, the urgency of
the hour, the loyalty to our mission
or group. All of these, perfectly
legitimate, can become snares if in
them we lose the vision of him.
Jesus has not sent us because of
lost souls, he has sent us for his own
glory – “all power is given unto me,
go ye therefore…” And the words of a
preacher of an earlier day search the
innermost heart, "This is the reason why
many good men have a barren ministry.
They speak from…past experience,
not from a present sight of the Lamb
of God. Hence their words are fair
and beautiful, but cold and freezing.
May the Lord enable us to stand in the
12 January/February 2013
presence of the Lord Jesus.
I wonder is there someone reading this
who is so burdened working for Jesus
that he or she has forgotten to walk
with Jesus?
He walked WITH ME IN PEACE. Later
on we read of Levi, that he turned
many from iniquity to the way of peace.
Here is the reason for his success—he
turned many into the way of peace,
because in his own life he walked,
whatever the temporary circumstances,
in the peace of God. It is God who says
this of his sinful child!
Not, “He walked with me in cringing
fear, because of the memory of past
sins."
Not, "He walked with me in agitated
concern, burdened with the affairs of
my Kingdom.”
Not, "He walked with me in perplexity
because of the apparent success of the
forces of ungodliness."
But, "He walked with me in peace,
because of the covenant which I gave
him.”
How absolutely essential it is for us
today, to enter, daily, into the peace of
his covenant! Robert Murray M’Cheyne
wrote, "We must be hiding our guilty
souls in the wounds of Jesus, or else we
cannot with joy speak of the peace and
rest to be found there."
Matthew Henry comments: "When Christ
left the world He made His will. His
soul He bequeathed to the Father; His
body to Joseph; His clothes fell to the
soldiers; His mother He left to the care
of John; but what could He leave to
the poor disciples? Silver and gold He
had none, but He left them something
which was far better, He left them His
peace!"
And His Word to us again is: "Do not let
your hearts be agitated …I have told
you these things that in me ye might
have peace” (John 16:33).
He walked WITH ME IN EQUITY.
The word equity comes often in the
Old Testament, meaning uprightness,
plainness, straightness etc. The
emphasis is peace and equity. For many
today it is peace or equity. It is either
peace, at the sacrifice of honesty and
holy testimony, or, shame to say, such a
stern loyalty to equity and holiness that
we lose the way of peace.
Levi walked in peace and equity, and
so may we. E. M. Bounds reminds us:
“Study universal holiness of life; your
whole usefulness depends on this."
He walked WITH ME, TURNING MANY
TO ME. Perhaps this is the most
astounding part of this testimony which
God gives his servant. God does not say,
“I turned many to myself through him",
but he, a creature of the dust, "turned
many to me who would otherwise
have been lost"! How deeply has God
humbled himself to depend upon
our cooperation in saving rebellious
mankind. And how crushing is the
thought that many are going unturned,
into a lost eternity, because we have
not walked with God before them!
This was God's plan for Levi, to turn
souls to God as he walked with the
Lord. This was God's plan for Paul, to
open blind eyes, to turn them from
Satan to God. This is God's plan for you!
“What doth the Lord require of thee
but to do justly, to love mercy, and to
walk humbly with thy God” (Micah 6:8).
And as you allow the Lord to quietly
search your heart now as to whether
you walked with him today or not, the
words of the chorus show the way.
Humble thyself
and the Lord will draw near thee,
Humble thyself
and His presence will cheer thee,
He will not walk
with the proud or the scornful,
Humble thyself, to walk with God. ■
The Revd. David McKee is a former Faith
Mission worker and missionary to India. He
is retired and living in N. Ireland. This article
is reprinted by permission from a prayer
letter he sent home from India in 1960.
First! 13
As I see it
By John Townend
Reflections and news
from our General Director
A
former President of The
Faith Mission, J. G. Eberstein,
wrote in 1958, “We are living in
critical days, in a world haunted by fear,
unrest and suspicion.” How relevant
that still is today! Fifty-five years later,
standing on the threshold of another year
with unknown changes and challenges to
face, we should perhaps remind ourselves
of the following foundational truths.
1. The Lord Reigns
What confidence this inspires! The Lord
reigns, therefore the psalmist reminds us
in Psalm 97 that we should rejoice, and
in Psalm 99 that we should stand in awe
and reverence of God’s sovereignty. We
do so because we recognize that he is in
control, he is working out his purposes
and nothing can thwart him.
To those who acknowledge this truth
and allow him complete Lordship over
their lives there need be no undue fear.
The threat of financial meltdown which
continues to loom over us, the political
unrest currently sweeping the globe like
a tidal wave, the suspicion and lack of
trust which seems to be creeping into
every area of public and social life, or the
unknown personal circumstances which
the coming year may present—all can be
faced confidently because we rest in the
fact that God is still on the throne.
14 January/February 2013
2. His way is Perfect
What encouragement this brings! In
Psalm 18:30 the psalmist reminds us that
“as for God his way is perfect”. It is very
easy to glibly quote this verse when all
is plain sailing, but more challenging
to accept its truth when it seems that
everything around us is falling apart.
Nevertheless, God is the author and
perfecter of our faith; he knows what
he is doing and even the most difficult
of times are not without purpose in his
divine plan.
This truth is summarized aptly in the
following verses taken from The Weaver,
a poem attributed to Benjamin Franklin,
in which he speaks of God as the master
weaver at work on the tapestry of our
lives.
Sometimes He weaves in sorrow,
Which seems so strange to me;
But I will trust His judgment
And work on faithfully.
Not ’til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needed
In the Weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.
3. His grace is Sufficient
What solace this affords! There are
times when, like the Apostle Paul, we are
inclined to say, “ Lord, please take this
thorn away. I can’t face the pain or the
problem any longer.” But it seems that
the Lord in his greater wisdom denies
our request. It is in those times that
we, like Paul, prove the sufficiency of
God’s grace.
Recently, at a time when the pressures
seemed almost too great to bear, God
brought to my attention three times in
one week a hymn which I had not heard
sung for years—He giveth more grace
as the burdens grow greater. The third
and fourth verses say: “Fear not that thy
need shall exceed His provision, Our God
ever yearns His resources to share; Lean
hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will
upbear.” The chorus affirms—“His love
has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus He
giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.”
4. He is Faithful
What security this provides! Had you or
I known on 1st January 2012 the demands
which awaited us in the year that was
to follow, we may well have been overwhelmed by the burden of it. Now
however, with the benefit of hindsight we
can say, “Hitherto the Lord has helped
us.” On every one of the 366 days of
the past year God faithfully gave all the
grace we needed—fresh strength for each
new demand, peace to guard our hearts
and minds and, most precious of all, the
assurance of his presence with us. Will
2013 be any different? The challenges
may be different, old burdens may be
replaced by new ones and our lives may
battered by different storms, but God
does not change! The one who reigned
last year will continue to reign; his way
will always be the best way and his grace
will never fail.
Mission News
We have much to thank God for as we
look back on the ministry of the past
year. We rejoice to know of both young
and old who have put their trust in the
saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. We
extend our sincere thanks to you, our
loyal supporters, for standing with us in
prayer and in practical ways, too.
We are pleased that Heather Wilson has
been able to return to the work in West
Fermanagh. Please continue to remember
Cherith Anderson who remains off duty
but is helping, as her health permits,
with outreach, mainly in the Irish Border
District. We welcome Andrew and Grace
Morton, along with their daughter Charis,
as they enter the work of the Mission and
join the Project Grantham team. They
will value prayer as they get to grips with
life and ministry on this needy estate.
Please continue to pray for the work at
the Bible College. We are encouraged
that some applicants have already been
accepted to study with us next session,
but we would love to see many more
applying during the coming months.
Please continue to pray for the Lord’s
provision as we finalize plans for the
appointment of a new Principal.
The Faith Mission Council meet on
Thursday 3 and Friday 4 January and
we very much value prayer for God’s
presence to be known and his wisdom to
be given in our devotions, discussion and
decision-making over those days. ■
First! 15
Evangelism
Evangelism is something that
man plans.
Revival is something God
purposes.
Evangelism is something that
man does in response to a divine
command.
Revival is something that God
does because of his own divine
passion.
Evangelism happens when and
where man determines.
Revival occurs when and
where the divine conditions
are met and the miracleworking power of the Holy
Spirit has free course in dealing
with men's hearts.
Evangelistic calendars can be
prepared for the future.
Revival visitations are known
to God alone, for he alone
knows when men—in faith,
love and obedience—will make
possible a visitation of the Holy
Spirit to convict men of sin and
righteousness and judgement.
16 January/February 2013
Evangelism can be taught.
Revival must be sought.
Evangelism is the preaching of
the Word.
Revival is the power of the
Word.
Evangelism proclaims what God
reveals in his Word.
Revival achieves what God
reveals in his Word.
Evangelism may be carried on
hypocritically by men who seek
their own ends.
Revival can be carried on only
through men who seek God's
glory alone.
Evangelism may name
its conditions and its
remunerations.
Revival conscripts life, time,
treasure, without any rewards,
but that Christ see the travail
of His soul.
or Revival ?
Evangelism could be carried out
by self-seeking, self-centred
men.
Revival only comes when all
sin is confessed and its power
destroyed in the heart of the
believer.
Evangelism may be as easy
for backslidden people as Old
Testament temple service for
unclean priests (1Sam.2:12-15).
Revival is as difficult as
Gethsemane's sweat or
Calvary's cross.
Evangelism may leave men
exhausted.
Revival keeps men in the
power of resurrection.
Evangelism can be defeated by
the strategy of wicked men.
Revival can no more be
stopped by a force than
men may hinder the rise of
tomorrow's sun.
Evangelism may be fruitless.
Revival always has abundant
harvest.
Evangelism may be carried on
without conviction.
Revival always creates a Holy
Ghost conviction.
Evangelism was taught by Christ
to his followers.
Revival was given by Christ to
his church at Pentecost.
Evangelism will benefit a nation.
Revival will transform a
nation.
Evangelism may be preached
with dry eyes.
Revival must be interceded for
with groans which cannot be
uttered.
Evangelism is worth living for.
Revival is worth dying for.
Prayer: "Oh God, revive me and,
at whatever cost, make me a
channel of revival to others.”
Reprinted in Bright Words 1966, from
the Oriental Missionary Society.
First! 17
Surrendered Sleep: Part 1
The hippocampus and the
Holy Spirit in elegant harmony
By Dr Charles Page
“I will bless the Lord who has counselled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in
the night.” Psalm 16:7 (NASB)
E
ver heard of the hippocampus?
I bet you didn’t even know you had
one! Your hippocampus is the part
of your brain that works overtime as
you lay your head on your pillow. As you
sleep, your hippocampus makes connections with other parts of your mind
to help you remember, process and
interpret the events of the day.
Recent studies out of the University
of California San Diego confirm that
the deepest stages of sleep enhance
one’s ability to maximize the creative
processing and memory. As you sleep
your hippocampus begins to integrate
seemingly unrelated data in your brain
together—similar to the linking of information on the internet. In other words,
if you “sleep on it” you are more likely
to see your problems from a fresh perspective when the sun rises.
Isn’t it funny how medical research
eventually catches up with biblical
truth? It’s positively elegant! God fashioned your brain to work on solving your
problems as you lie down to sleep. Got
a problem with no apparent solution?
Maybe it’s a challenging relationship
that you don’t know how to handle.
18 January/February 2013
Perhaps it’s a decision that has to be
made? SLEEP ON IT!
Someone once said that sleep is God’s
contrivance to give to man what he
cannot do for himself while he is
awake. Whether the answer comes from
your hippocampus or from the Holy
Spirit, God is still in it. He created the
mechanics of your mind and gave you
the Spirit to counsel you. When these
two are working together in harmony
our mind is renewed and transformed—
both by natural and supernatural processes as you sleep.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
Believer, allow the Holy Spirit to direct
your hippocampus before bedtime. It’s
a habit that can accelerate God’s plan
of renewing your mind.
Here are some bedtime habits that will
help facilitate this work in your life.
Reflect: On the decisions and prob-
lems of the day that burden your mind.
Draw them back into your consciousness
Record: Write them down in a
As you sleep your
hippocampus makes
connections with
other parts of your
mind to help you
remember, process
and interpret
the events of the day.
journal—David did. Sometimes David’s
thoughts were raw and messy, but they
proved to be an inspiration for millions
for generations to come. Psalms 3 and 4
are examples of how David sandwiched
his sleep with times of worship.
Request: Bring your requests before
the Lord who counsels your mind as you
sleep. You have not because you ask
not. Don’t forget to ask for wisdom:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should
ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be
given you” (James 1:5-6).
Rest: In the understanding that God
cares for you as you lie down to sleep.
If God’s eyes never close there’s no use
for you to stay up ruminating over your
problems. Surrender them to God and
allow him to do for you what you can’t
do for yourself while awake.
Rejoice: That God fearfully and wonderfully made your brain and has given
you the gift of the Holy Spirit.
To think about:
What are the issues that race through
your mind as you lie down to rest?
Can you think of any other ways to
allow the Holy Spirit to direct your
hippocampus as you sleep? ■
This series continues in our next issue.
Charles W. Page, MD, FACS, is a surgeon,
author and father of five who enjoys
watching sunsets with his wife Joanna
in their Texas-sized tree house. For an
overview of the spiritual principles of sleep,
and regularly updated comments, check
out Dr Page’s Surrendered Sleep blog at
surrenderedsleep.blogspot.com.
First! 19
Why the Detail?
By Angela Chappell
Oscar Hammerstein II wrote,
“A year or so ago, on the cover of
the New York Herald Tribune Sunday
magazine, I saw a picture of the Statue
of Liberty, taken from a helicopter
and it showed the top of the statue’s
head. I was amazed at the detail there.
The sculptor had done a painstaking
job with the lady’s coiffure, and yet
he must have been pretty sure that
the only eyes that would ever see this
detail would be the uncritical eyes of
sea gulls. He could not have dreamt
that any man would ever fly over this
head. He was artist enough, however,
to finish off this part of the statue with
as much care as he had devoted to her
face and her arms, and the torch and
everything that people can see as they
sail up the bay.”
We can well ask “Why?”
Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was
the sculptor. He went from France
to Egypt in 1856 and was awestruck
by the grandeur of the pyramids and
the beauty of the stately Sphinx of
the desert. His artistic mind was
stimulated. Taken by the concept, he
decided to design something out of the
ordinary. He worked on the concept for
ten years, changing the design many
times until he was satisfied.
The result was a colossal robed lady
that stood taller than the Sphinx. She
held the books of justice in one hand
and a torch lifted high in the other.
After Bartholdi returned to France, the
French government sought his artistic
20 January/February 2013
services. His ten years of planning and
designing culminated in the Statue of
Liberty lighting the New York Harbour.
The statue of Liberty was completed
in France in July 1884 and arrived in
New York Harbour in June 1885. In
transit, the Statue was reduced to 350
individual pieces and packed in 214
crates. It was re-assembled on its new
pedestal in four months. The dedication
of the Statue of Liberty took place in
front of thousands of spectators on
October 28th,1886. President Grover
Cleveland, the former New York
governor, presided over the event.
The Statue of Liberty stands 305 feet
1 inch (93 metres) in height from the
base to the top of the torch. No planes
flew at that time. There were no high
risers. It was not until many years
later that
aeroplanes
were able
to fly above
it and the
exquisite
details and
beauty of the
top of the
head could be
observed.
Bartholdi
could have
reasonably
argued that
such detail on
the top was
not necessary. Why did he, on such a
massive job, take so much trouble on
something that he thought would never
be seen? Why? Integrity!
We see another example of such
integrity in the work of Michelangelo
in his four years labour (1508-12)
painting the very high ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel.
The painted area is about 40 metres
(131 ft) long by 13 metres (43 ft) wide.
This means that he painted well over
5,000 square feet (460 m2) of frescoes,
carefully perfecting the tiniest details
of each figure he painted.
A friend asked him why he took such
pains, since the figures would only
be seen from a great distance, and
no one would be able to discern such
perfection.
The artist simply answered “I will!”
Why? Integrity!
Integrity is more than not being deceitful or slipshod.
For the Christian, it means doing
everything “…heartily, as to the Lord
and not unto men; knowing that of the
Lord you shall receive the reward;
for you serve the Lord Christ”
(Colossians 3:23-24).
We are not called to build a sculptural
masterpiece or a great work of art,
but the same principle applies.
If no one ever knows of our efforts,
our work ethics should be the same.
When it comes to anything in Christian
service, whether it is ministering to a
lonely or needy person, or sharing the
gospel message, or singing in the choir,
or teaching children, or cleaning the
church, or working behind the scenes,
or playing a major role, or whatever
we do, we should give 100-plus percent
even to the tiniest detail which “no one
will ever notice”.
Our Father will, and we serve him. ■
Angela was born in England and now
lives in Australia. You can visit her blog at
meetingintheclouds.wordpress.com.
Photos—Thanks to Flikr users Alan English
(for his image of the Statue of Liberty) and
and Dennis Archer (for the one of Sistine
Chapel ceiling).
First! 21
God in every circumstance
Part 1 - Abnormal Fears By Catherine Slight
I have found that Jesus has helped me
in every circumstance of life.
Childhood fears
For instance, I was always a very fearful
person. When I was a child I heard that
on one side of the family most of the
people had died of painful illness. I was
just wee and I was scared this would
happen to me. I worried about illhealth, and about everything else, right
through childhood and well into my
forties. But I was so ashamed of my fears
that I didn’t tell anybody about them.
Photograph
One night I found photographs of family
members who had died of painful
illness and immediately I was gripped
with an abnormal fear. I thought,
“Lord, I can’t go on like this.” That
night in our church house group we had
a minister visiting from another of our
churches. He said, “You know, Jesus is
here tonight and he can set you free
from any abnormal fears or phobias
that you may have. If any of you have
that problem, then come for prayer.” I
was very shy, but I was desperate to get
rid of those fears that ruled my life, so
I went to the prayer room.
Prayer
When he prayed for me I didn’t feel
anything happen, but from then on that
abnormal fear of illness had gone. Right
after that, for a number of years, I had
ill-health. In fact, one GP diagnosed
one of the illnesses that I was terrified
22 January/February 2013
of getting and I found that Jesus had
completely taken away that abnormal
fear and instead I had his peace; he was
with me.
Another big fear
Now I hadn’t told the minister who
prayed for me about another big fear
I had (I had forgotten about it at the
time). I was scared of spiders big-time!
If there was a spider in a room I could
not function until somebody removed it.
In my Faith Mission work I travelled and
stayed in different places and wherever
I went I’d spot spiders. The Bible says
that spiders are even found in palaces
and I can remember one particular stay
in a very nice home.
One night I was sitting on a pouffe and,
to my horror, I saw a big spider crawling
up one side of it. The room was packed.
I couldn’t make an exhibition of myself
and scream or ask for someone to
change places with me. So, as the
spider was crawling up one side, I was
sliding down the other—and trying to
make it look as if it was absolutely
normal for me to sit like this! I was
terrified.
At a Bible youth week I had been
telling the teenagers after supper,
“Now folks, once we get to bed let’s
all settle down and go to sleep. Don’t
keep anyone awake, then tomorrow
we’ll be fit to enjoy all the meetings
and activities we’ve got planned.” The
young folk were great. They settled
and fell asleep. The girls and I were
sleeping on camp beds in a church hall.
I fell asleep, but I dreamed a spider
was crawling up my sleeping bag. My
piercing scream not only woke myself,
but the whole hall! The girls were all
startled and saying, “Who was that?”
I’m afraid I didn’t own up; I was far
too ashamed after asking them not to
keep anybody awake!
I laughed as I removed it, because,
when I had been prayed for concerning
the abnormal fear of illness, Jesus
had not only dealt with one abnormal
fear, he dealt with the very root of my
problem, the root of abnormal fear. So
the fear of spiders had gone as well.
I am telling you this because I have
found Jesus is real and he comes right
into every circumstance. ■
Difference after
That was before I was prayed for, but
what a big difference afterwards! I
was in bed the night after the meeting
and something happened that I hadn’t
seen before, and haven’t seen since.
It was warm and I threw back not only
the covers, but also the top sheet. And
there in the bed beside me…you’ve
guessed…were TWO (increasing in
numbers!)…two big black crab-like
spiders.
I gently picked them up. And as
I put them outside, my concern
was not to damage their legs as
I released them. Before, my
only concern would be my
own legs—and how fast they
could go running away from the
spiders!
Shortly afterwards I was down
on our allotment and went into
one of the huts. I felt something
crawling on the back of my neck—
another spider. I seem to be a
spider magnet!
This series continues in our next issue.
Catherine is a retired Faith Mission worker.
She worked in the Mission from 1968 until
2002, in both youth and children’s work.
This article is extracted from a talk she gave
to a ladies’ group.
“One night I found photographs of
family members who had died of
painful illness and immediately I was
gripped with an abnormal fear.”
First! 23
Powerless
in the
Sanctuary
By Stanley Banks
worshipper with the withered hand.
Here was impotence in the sanctuary.
Many of the things which Christ found
in the synagogue he would find now in
the church, and he would doubtless find
a multitude of impotent folk like this
man—waiting for something spectacular
to turn up. Mark does not tell whether
this man was born thus, or whether
through some disease he became like
this.
Unhealthy
First, let us suppose that the man was
born like this; from birth his arm had
been undeveloped and useless. As such,
he is surely a picture of many in the
church who undoubtedly have life; they
have been born again of the Spirit of
God and have felt and known the life
of God flowing through their souls.
They are alive, but there are parts of
their lives which are withered up; there
is an impotence about their spiritual
experience; they do not enjoy real
spiritual health.
I
t seemed that whenever Christ
went to the synagogue something
unusual always happened. In Mark
chapter one he discovered a man with
an unclean spirit there. In the place
that stood for purity he found impurity.
In chapter six we read that he found
unbelief there. “He could do no mighty
works there because of their unbelief.”
The synagogue stood as a monument
to faith in God, and yet in the place of
faith he found unbelief.
The incident which is to occupy
our thought in this article is in the
third chapter. It is the story of the
24 January/February 2013
Casualties
The words “health” and “holy” come
from the same Anglo-Saxon root word.
What health is to the body, holiness is
to the soul. Health is the absence of
disease and the presence of vitality.
It is the purpose of Christ to make us
spiritually whole. He wants to deal with
the withered things in our lives and
make us fit for the task of glorifying
him and fulfilling his purpose through
our lives.
We often sing, “Like a mighty army
moves the church of God.” Where
is that army? The church is rather
like a hospital ward full of spiritual
casualties, and impotent folk who,
years ago? Or have we become cool and
calculating? There may be no heresy in
our creed, but there is no passion in our
souls; our first love has withered up.
Gradual decline
Cooled off
But perhaps the man’s arm had once
The other church at Laodicea was
been as strong and useful as the other,
successful and prosperous; yet in the
but some disease had attacked it and it eyes of God it was nauseating because
had slowly lost its power and usefulness of its lukewarmness. It made the
and had become limp and withered.
Eternal One feel sick. There are many
Are there not many in the sanctuary
in the sanctuary whose lives were once
today who can look back to better
ablaze for God, but have cooled off.
days spiritually—days in which they
Some have prospered materially and
were keen, zealous, active, but now a
become comfortable and complacent.
withering-up process has set in? They
Others are so busy with their own
have cooled off and in the process have interests that the zeal they once had
become impotent.
for the things of God has withered
Passionless
up. Many of
In the second and
our churches
“Our fundamentalism and
third chapters of
are filled with
orthodoxy and our zeal
the Revelation
middle-aged
you have a
folk who are
to defend the faith
graphic picture
are incidental to Christ, if our evangelical
of at least two
but lukewarm,
first love has withered up.”
churches which
fundamental but
had withered up.
loveless.
One was at Ephesus.
Yes, there are still people with
withered hands in the sanctuary. Christ
There were many things about the
is looking for those whose hands are
members of this church which were
whole. He wants hands stretched out
entirely commendable. There was no
in holy service—hands like Moses’,
heresy in their creed; they were truly
uplifted in holy intercession, hands
fundamental and evangelical. They
extended in generous giving. But above
would not tolerate heretics, and they
all he longs to see human hands which
strongly contended for the faith. But
bear the marks of sacrificial devotion.
the ascended Lord condemns them
Are your hands withered or whole?
for having left their first love. It is
apparent that our fundamentalism and
Christ’s dealings
orthodoxy, and our zeal to defend the
faith are incidental to Christ, if our first One further question arises from this
incident. How did the Lord deal with
love has withered up.
this man? First, he exposed the man's
Do we love Christ with a greater
need in a public place. He said to
passion and a more total abandonment
the man: “Stand forth.” The man's
today than we did one, five or ten
though they have life, have not
yet discovered that abundant and
abounding life which Jesus gives.
First! 25
impotence was fully exposed; his need
was apparent to all.
Secondly, our Lord demanded of the
man faith and obedience, for he said
to him, “Stretch forth thine hand.” In
order to do this the man needed faith
in Christ's ability and obedience to his
word, and as he trusted and obeyed he
was made whole.
Are you amongst those who are
withered up spiritually? Perhaps this
has been your condition ever since you
were spiritually born; you have never
been spiritually fit. Or perhaps you
have seen better days spiritually; the
withering-up process has set in; you
are not what you were. Will you expose
your need? Will you put faith in Christ's
ability to restore or to impart fullness
of life, and will you obey his voice ? If
so, the glory of the latter end may be
greater than the former. ■
The late Revd. Stanley Banks was a welcomed
speaker at many Faith Mission events. He was
Principal of Emmanuel Bible College, Birkenhead
for many years.
Adapted from an article first printed in the Faith
Mission magazine Bright Words, 1960.
Soothing Balm for the Fearful
Jesus Christ foretold a time of widespread terror:
“Upon the earth there will be distress of nations in bewilderment and
perplexity…men expiring with fear and dread…and expectation of things
that are coming to the world” (Luke 21:25-26 Amplified Bible).
But Jesus also brings a message of hope and security: “Do not be afraid.
I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look,
I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades”
(Revelation 1:17). He has the keys! He is in control of all that lies ahead.
Christians are never immune from problems, but we will always have his
presence and help. Even death no longer holds terror to those who have
heaven to look forward to.
Put your trust in Christ,
then you can say with all
your heart, “Even though I
walk through the valley of
the shadow of death, I will
fear no evil, for you are
with me” (Psalm 23:4).
26 January/February 2013
Photo: Hemera
Flying into the Storm
By Ron Hutchcraft
Y
ou need only to have seen an
eagle in flight to know that there's
something singular and almost
regal about these magnificent birds. It's
no wonder they have been the symbol
of great empires.
Expectant
One of the many amazing facts about
eagles is the way they respond to an
approaching storm. Other birds sense
the storm coming and they head for
cover. Oh, but not the mighty eagle.
No, he literally sits on the edge of
his nest, waiting expectantly for the
storm to come. When it does, he locks
his wings in an ascending position and
he uses the storm's strong winds to
help him spiral round and round, rising
higher and higher all the time.
Ultimately, the eagle begins to see
sunlight around him and the storm
below him. He rides the storm until he
rises above the storm.
Soaring in the storm
God seems to love the eagle like we
do. One Bible picture shows the one
whose hope is in the Lord soaring like
an eagle (Isaiah 40:31). Even in a storm
—especially in a storm. That may be
a very important picture for you right
now because "storm" is a good word to
describe what you're going through. You
have no choice about getting hit by the
storm and you certainly have no control
over it, but you do have a choice about
how you handle this storm. You can let it
frighten you into retreating, you can let
it bury you, or you can fly into that storm
and let it take you higher than you have
ever flown before.
First! 27
Thorn in the flesh
In his amazing words in 2 Corinthians
12: 9-10, Paul talks about how he
moved from being beaten down by his
storm to capturing his storm as a means
of soaring where he had never gone
before. His storm was what he called
his "thorn in the flesh," an unidentified
issue that, in his words, tormented
him constantly; something painful and
limiting that he had repeatedly begged
God to remove. Instead of taking away
the storm, God said to Paul, and he says
to us, "My grace is sufficient for you, for
my power is made perfect in weakness."
Spiritual altitude
Then, like the eagle, Paul realizes the
storm can be his chance to experience
a new level of power and spiritual
altitude. He says, "Therefore I will
boast all the more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that Christ's power may
rest on me. That is why, for Christ's
sake, I delight in weaknesses, in
insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in
difficulties. For when I am weak, then I
am strong."
Again like the mighty eagle, Paul in a
sense, says, "Come on, storm! You're
not going to beat me! You're not going
to defeat me! You are my chance to
experience Christ's power as only those
in the midst of a storm can!"
Stripped of self-reliance
Your storm strips you of your selfreliance, your ability to control things,
your ability to contribute anything
to a solution, and that's actually an
exciting place to be. Because it means
it's going to have to be totally over to
God! Don't fight that. Open yourself up
to the possibilities of letting God carry
28 January/February 2013
you to a new level of spiritual power,
of knowing him, of seeing things you've
never seen before. It was only after
his awful season of suffering and loss
that Job could say to God: "My ears had
heard of You, but now my eyes have
seen You" (Job 42:5).
You can meet Jesus, touch Jesus,
experience Jesus in a storm as nowhere
else. And if you'll surrender to the
mighty winds of God's great grace and
empowerment, you will find yourself
eventually able to look down on the
storm that once held you down. You'll
be looking at it from God's perspective.
And you will be flying higher than you've
ever flown before! ■
© Ronald P. Hutchcraft. Used by permission.Based
on a work at www.Hutchcraft.com/A-Word-With-You.
Oops!
Two mistakes of fact have been
pointed out concerning the
November/December 2012 issue
of FIRST!
The list of our retired workers on
page 29 carried the names of
R. Kingston and E. Currie. Though
we had indicated in 2011 that
these ladies had died during that
year, their names had inadvertently
been retained in this year’s list.
Also in the last issue, the hymn
quoted on page 17 is by Charles
Wesley, not Maynard James, as
was incorrectly stated.
Thank you to those who have
pointed out these mistakes.
EDINBURGH
CONVENTION
TWENTY THIRTEEN
TUESDAY 2 - SUNDAY 7 JULY
JOHN SHEARER
ROBERT MURDOCK
The Convention aims
to provide a programme of
accessible Bible teaching
for people of all ages with
a view to helping equip for
daily Christian living
PAUL MALLARD
BRIAN EDWARDS
Morning Bible Readings
Evening Word and Worship
Youth Track
Seminars
Workshops
Other speakers include:
Peter Grainger . Stephen Nowak
Andy Prime . Linda Townend
For more details of the programme and accommodation
contact:
The Convention Administrator, The Faith Mission
548 Gilmerton Road, Edinburgh EH17 7JD
Tel: 0131 672 2149
Email: [email protected]
Book online: www.edinburghconvention.faithmission.org
Faith Mission & Missionary Training Home (known as The Faith Mission) is a charity registered in Scotland No SCO05119
First! 29
Called Home
Gordon Carter (uncle of Mrs Sandra
Matthews) trained in FMBC and worked in
The Faith Mission for a number of years. He
never lost his vision and burden to reach the
lost for Christ, and was an active member of
the Luggacurren PU. For almost thirty years
he, along with his wife and family, opened
their farm each August for Faith Mission
Camps and the annual Midlands Convention,
where many folk met with God. We will miss
Gordon’s wise counsel, his prayerful backing
and his presence at our meetings.
Mrs Phyllis Doherty was called home
recently after a short illness. She had a
great interest in the work of God, not only
locally but also worldwide, and prayed
earnestly for the work of the Mission.
Hector Irwin was a faithful member of
Curglassan PU for most of 70 years and
the leader there for many years, until
prevented through ill-health. He was a man
of wisdom and integrity, who pointed others
heavenward through his quiet witness.
George Hughes was a faithful member of
Tamnamore PU for many years and a real
support to the work of God. He was well
known and a constant witness for the Lord
in his area and will be greatly missed.
Aberdeen PU has recently lost a faithful
member with the sudden home call of
Bruce Lawson in a tragic house fire.
Jack Harper was for many years a member
of the Kilkenny PU and, although failing in
health for some time, never lost his interest
in the work of God both at home and
worldwide. His quiet and prayerful support
will be greatly missed.
Lydia Taylor (Née Lim Yeow Tien), only in
her fifties, went to be with the Lord after
complications following an operation. Sadly
missed by her husband and two children,
she is also greatly missed by us as workers,
who marvelled at her energy, servant
attitude and real interest in the work. She
wasn’t just a Northfleet PU member, but a
real friend.
Eleanor Kerry was “truly precious,” a
30 January/February 2013
fragrant, godly witness. Involved in The
Faith Mission from when she was young, (a
part of Diss PU) she was both prayerful and
practical, often passing a “that’s for you” gift
with love and real affection. She loved the
work of the Mission, and the workers, but
more noticeably, she loved the Lord.
Knowing, trusting and doing God’s will is
a true reflection of the life of Mrs Bella
Lamont who was a member of Ballynafie
PU. Bella leaves lasting and worthy
memories of doing the will of God from the
heart.
Nellie Burns was a faithful supporter of
Faith Mission work since her conversion in
the late 1980s. She will be greatly missed
by members of Dunaghy PU.
It is with much regret that Loan PU recalls
the homecall of Agnes Buick, at 93
years one of their oldest and most faithful
members while health permitted. Of a
quiet Christian disposition, she had a keen
interest in and support for the work of The
Faith Mission and her testimony will be
greatly missed by all who knew her.
Malcolm Gilmour was a member of
Ballykeel PU. In the meetings he prayed on
his knees with great emotion and tears for
the salvation of his loved ones and the work
of The Faith Mission. His sudden passing has
been keenly felt by all who knew him.
William Armour, a Coleraine businessman,
was a loyal supporter of The Faith Mission
over many years, attending missions,
conferences, conventions, etc. He was a
faithful PU member and his witness will be
greatly missed.
Tommy Galloway was a member of
Craigmore PU for over 50 years. Saved as
a young man through the work of The Faith
Mission he prayed with passion and attended
meetings where possible. He led a quiet,
consistent life for his Lord.
Billy McMahon along with his late wife,
Jean, had a great witness for the Lord for
many years in the Clones area. Residing in
Lisburn in retirement, Billy continued a vital
prayer ministry. He has gone home to a
great reward.
► [Continued on next page]
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convenient to coasts, moors and National Trust property with
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Locations
IRELAND
Headquarters and Central District
Director: TREVOR & SANDRA MATTHEWS, 62 Glenavy
Road, Lisburn, Co. Antrim BT28 3UT. (Tel. 028 9262 8286)
Email: [email protected]
Auxiliary workers: Trevor & Yvonne Bennett
West District: Superintendent – GEORGE & ANDREA
CONN, 15 Derry Road, Omagh, Co. Tyrone BT78 5DY.
(Tel. 028 8224 2286).
Email: [email protected]
Assistant (part-time): Anne Brown
Outreach: Jenny Kilpatrick
Fermanagh: Heather Wilson
Dumfries and Galloway – Static caravans for holiday lets (half
an hour from Irish ferry) Further details —01671 403632
North-West District: In Charge – Garry & Alison
Tutty,
Sheephill House, 74 Tully Road, Limavady,
Co.Londonderry BT49 9HW. (Tel. 028 7776 8871).
Email: [email protected]
DVDs for children – presenting the Gospel clearly with teaching
for Christians. Suitable for children’s meetings or home use. Free
of charge. List available. Mail: Immanuel studios, 10 Meadow
Drive, Ballyclare, Northern Ireland, BT39 9XF; Telephone: 028
93352270; Email: [email protected]
North District: Superintendent – LESLIE & MABEL BRUSH,
3 Grange Avenue, Ballymena, Co. Antrim BT42 2DX.
(Tel. 028 2565 6494).
Email: [email protected]
Assistant: Ian Booth
Outreach: Ruth Martin
Properties to let:
Florida – Orlando, Private 6-bedroom villa beside lake,
with heated pool. Disney 20mins. Year-round warm climate.
Evangelical church and friends nearby.
Northern Ireland – Also self-catering by the sea (Antrim
Coast), panoramic views. Town minutes’ walk.
Spain – Quiet coastal apartment, minutes to town/beach. Year
round sunny climate. Special monthly rates in autumn/winter.
Accommodating large families in summer. Christian fellowship.
Airport pickups available. Contact: Gerald 07971 194211,
website:www.christiancoastalapartments.com
Border District: In Charge – Andrew McCullough, 131
Mahon Road, Portadown, BT62 3SF, (Tel. 028 3833 2806)
Email: [email protected]
Co Cavan: Ronnie & Carey Killops
Yorkshire Dales – Static holiday caravan on farm. Also B&B in
bungalow in Settle, ideal to see the Dales or a stopover. Details:
Mrs Irene Fawcett 01729 823949 Email [email protected]
CALLED HOME—continued from page 30
May Truesdale hosted the Drumadonald
PU for some years and was a very genuine
Christian lady.
Joe Patterson was a very faithful member of
the Ballymacreely PU. He took a great stand
for the Lord during his career and bore a clear
witness for the Lord right up to the end.
Frances Milligan was a lovely, quiet Christian
lady whose prayers will be greatly missed. She
was a very faithful member of the Ballycarry PU.
Ethel Nelson, sister of the late Harvey Trotter,
who worked in the Mission, was a godly
woman. Although in poor health for some
years, she is remembered for her consistent
Christian witness and was a member of
Banestown PU.
South District - Superintendent – DAVID & MARJORIE
BENNETT, ‘Bethany’, Oakvale, Stradbally, Co. Laois, Eire.
Tel. 00 353 5786 25288.
Email:[email protected]
Midlands: Mervyn & Rachel Tomb
Cork: Johnathan & Janet Slater
Bookshops: Gen. Manager- JOHN MATTHEWS (028 9060 2102)
Accounts - Linda Collins (028 9062 4438)
Purchasing - Trevor Wilson (028 9060 2102)
BELFAST (Queen St): Mark Conroy (028 9023 3733)
Armagh: Craig Beattie (028 3752 7927)
Ballymena: William White (028 2564 9443)
Banbridge: Stephen Dundas (028 4062 6761)
Bangor: Stephen Dundas (028 9145 3222)
Belfast (C’reagh Rd): Jackie Smith (028 9073 1779)
Coleraine (028 7034 3857)
Cookstown: Iris Farrell (028 8676 6569);
Kilkeel: Elsie Baird (028 4176 4934)
Lisburn: Tracy Brown (028 9266 5888)
Londonderry: Brian Kerr (028 7134 5137)
Lurgan: Liz Lavery (028 3832 5304)
Omagh: Dean Mallison (028 8224 1334)
Portadown: Jim McKee (028 3833 4123)
P’DOWN Clearance Shop:Glenn Yeman (028 3833 2348)
THE BIBLE COLLEGE
College Director: John Townend
Interim Principal: Rev. John Shearer
Vice-Principal: Adrian Holdsworth
Staff Lecturer: Heather Holdsworth
Chef: John Frame
Administrator: Alistar Frater
Librarian: Valerie Robertson
Finance Assistant: Patti Worth
Property Maintenance: Scott Worth
The Faith Mission
Bangor Convention
2013
29 March-2 April
Bible Teaching • Worship & Fellowship
Challenge & Encouragement
Renewed Spiritual Vision • Ministry To All Ages
Jonathan Currie
Magherafelt, N Ireland
Raymond Moore
Lisburn, N Ireland
Andrew Mullan
Kilkeel, N Ireland
For more information, contact:
The Faith Mission Office
62 Glenavy Road, Lisburn, BT28 3UT
Email: [email protected]
Tel: (028) 9262 8286
Jacques Nadeau
Ontario, Canada
John Shearer
Edinburgh, Scotland
The Magazine of The Faith Mission jan/feb 2013 Price $16 per year
FI RST!
abnormal fears
a personal story of
being set free
how to comfort a
bereaved child
practical pointers
surrendered sleep
biblical foundations for the
sleep-deprived
Challenge & Growth
Report from JOHN BENNETT, General Director
2012 has been a year of:
Many changes
Kevin & Janice Evans relocated from
Kamloops to assume the management
of the Mission Centre at Falkland.
Andrew & Melissa Porter moved to
take up the work in the Mount Forest
area, and our newest workers Mark &
April Hardwick replaced them in King
Kirkland. Bill & Heather Bott resigned
from the mission due to health reasons
and Jennifer Moldovan resigned to
marry a pastor. Cheryl Mitchell, having
reached retiring age, officially retired.
However she continues to live in the
mission home in St Thomas and is still
fully involved in ministry to ladies and
kids.
Many challenges
We face the increasing secularization
of society and consistent opposition
to freedom of evangelical Christian
thought and outreach. One example
is a recent proposal by the Toronto
school board to increase the rent—
sometimes by up to 400%—to churches
renting schools for religious services.
The Toronto City council also proposes
to prevent churches renting in the less
expensive light industrial areas, forcing
them into more expensive property.
Much encouragement
• Welcoming new workers Mark and
April Hardwick to the work in the north
• New doors opening to share the
gospel and existing doors remaining
open.
• Seeing souls saved and many of God’s
people coming to a place of fresh
surrender to the Lordship of Christ.
• Experiencing a gracious sense of
God’s presence in our summer camps
and seeing boys, girls and youth openly
profess faith in Jesus Christ.
• Knowing that most of our camp
counsellors and summer team members
were former campers and have come
through our Youth Leadership training
program.
• Seeing many volunteers offering their
time and skills to help forward the
ministry. ► [Continued on page 31]
[Continued from page 2]
For example, when a new home
was needed for the managers at the
Falkland Centre, a retired building
contractor donated his time to oversee
the project. Many others volunteered
to see the project to completion.
Volunteer kitchen and cleaning help
both at Falkland and Campbellville have
been invaluable. This includes Wayne
Welch on a year out from his work in
China. He lives on site at Campbellville
and is there to help wherever necessary.
• Seeing God faithfully and consistently
fulfil his promise to supply all our need.
• Watching what God is doing in the
area of prayer. Let me share some
examples:
N. Ontario
For over eight years Andrew and Melissa
Porter laboured faithfully in Northern
Ontario, among adults and children.
There seemed little growth or fruit. In
2009 some men from the north attended
a men’s retreat at Campbellville, where
they were challenged about their prayer
life. On returning home they made
prayer a priority in their lives and in
ministry, and began a weekly early
morning prayer meeting. Their wives
noticed a great change in their lives
and soon the ladies began meeting to
pray. After more than a year of praying,
they began to see God at work in the
community. Some youth and adults got
saved; numbers at the ladies’ outreach
meetings suddenly and unexpectedly
increased to over eighty, most of whom
were unsaved, and some requested a
Bible study.
A pastor from an Ontario church wrote
“Last year…a group of men from here
went to the Faith Mission Men’s retreat.
It became the catalyst for getting the
men from city excited. They now have
eight small Men’s Groups, with several
new men coming. Two of the groups
are ready to split. Their men’s ministry
used to be eleven guys, now it is over
eighty and growing”.
Saskatchewan
When Jeff Goudy began an evangelistic
ministry in Saskatchewan four years
ago, God gave him a vision to see men’s
prayer groups all over the province.
God led him to guide the groups
through the Beatitudes for the first
few weeks, asking God to search and
cleanse their own hearts.
What began in Melfort four years ago,
is now repeated in many communities.
Pastors have testified that since these
weekly early morning prayer meetings
began in their community, God has
been blessing their ministry in a
way they did not know before. Men
attending these groups have become
passionate about evangelism and we
hear of some leading souls to Christ.
Other communities want to start similar
groups.
What of 2013?
We enter another year full of hope
and expectancy, knowing God has a
wonderful plan. We are believing God
for someone to join Debra Hewitt in the
work in Quebec, a couple to manage
the Campbellville centre and a couple
to fill the vacancy in St Thomas. We
are praying for a second couple to join
the work in Saskatchewan and trust we
will have permission to commence the
building extension at the Campbellville
centre. Please pray on for us as we
enter another year of challenge, that
we may ultimately look back on 2013 as
a year of encouragement and growth. ■
Open yourself up
for growth
at Faith Mission events 2013
ONTARIO
youth leadership training
March 8-12
Men’s Retreats
February 22-23 Speaker: Glenn Deane
March 1-2 Speaker: Jeff Goudy
LADIES’ RETREATS
May 24-26 & May 31-JUNE 2
Speaker: Lynda Bovenizer
For details of all events contact
(905) 854-3284
Email [email protected]
Staff locations
B.C.
Snow Camps
Teens (12-14yrs) Feb 1-3
Junior (7-11yrs) Feb 15-17
marriage enrichment Retreat
March 8-10
Details: Kevin & Janice Evans (250) 379-2422
Email: [email protected]
“Men of Honour” Retreat
April 26-28 Speaker: Mr. John Bennett
Details from (250) 558-1805
Email [email protected]
Hamilton: Timothy & Emma Condy
133 June Street, Hamilton, ON L9A 2S1
Tel: (905) 575 5975
Montreal: Debra Hewitt
202 - 481, Boulevard Perrot, L’Ile Perrot, QC J7V 3H4
Tel: (514) 425 0740
Napanee: Jennifer Armitage and Laura-Anne Drake
395 Ginger Street, Napanee, ON K7R 3X8
Tel: (613) 354 9882
Coldstream: Brian & Julieanne Spence
326 Inverness Drive, Coldstream, BC V1B 3W1
Tel: (250) 558 1805
Campbellville Centre:
10463, 2nd Line, Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0
Tel: (905) 854 3284 and (905) 636 0721
Falkland Centre: Kevin & Janice Evans
4690 Hoath Road, Falkland, BC V0E 1W1
Tel: (250) 379 2422
Mount forest: Andrew & Melissa Porter
340 Church St. S. Mount Forest, ON N0G 2L2.
Tel: (519) 323 9400
MELFORT: Jeff and Jani Goudy
Box 4109, Melfort, SK S0E 1A0
Tel: (306) 752 3103
king kirkland: Mark & April Hardwick
286 Broadway Avenue, Box K8, King Kirkland,
ON POK 1K0. Tel: (705) 567 2956
The FAITH MISSION (in Canada) - Incorporated
General Director: John Bennett Secretary: Isabel Bennett
Head Office: PO Box 376, Campbellville, Ontario L0P 1B0
Tel: (905) 854 3284 Fax: (905) 854 3827 Email: [email protected]
Website: www.faithmissioncanada.org
COUNCIL OF REFERENCE: Revs. Wm. Clayton, James Reese, Drs. Grover Crosby, Gerald B. Griffiths, A.P. Lee,
John Moore, Ted Rendall, Ian Rennie and J. Weatherall.
BOARD MEMBERS: P. Ali, J. Bell, H. Bock, W.R. Hatch, M. Hoover, D. Hysert, E. Hoey, M. Quigley, W. Robb, D. Robson, R. Thompson.
ABOUT US: Information about our Aims and Principles, Prayer Newsletter, coming events, etc. may be obtained from
any Area Office (see address box above for your nearest).