It is a real pleasure to take good books where they are really appreciated. This has always been the case at the New Focus Conference. After doing a local bookstall at the Pennine Bible Witness last Friday evening, we went down to Gornal, near Dudley, West Midlands, for the day on Saturday. It was a tough schedule, but the Lord blessed us. The driving conditions were ideal, the children were commendable, the books were mopped up by avid readers, and there was some good fellowship, ministry, and conversations. Not to mention the excellent hospitality! Where else in this country could you take books and easily sell edifying old authors like Robert Hawker and William Gadsby? If you can tell me, I'd love to know! Given half a chance, we would move heaven and earth to go, and count it a real privilege to do so.
Jeremy
Showing posts with label New Focus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Focus. Show all posts
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Only a Handful?
Another encouraging editoral in the New Focus Magazine...
"These few comments are for you who worship with only a handful of believers or are forced, by reason of conscience or convenience, to worship alone in your own home.
It has long been an encouragement to the saints that where two or three are gathered in God’s name, the Lord Jesus has promised to be there in their midst. Remember those who gathered on the hillsides of Scotland during the covenanting years, or met in forests of the Soviet Union for fear of the authorities. They did not meet without the presence of their Saviour.
Even where one worships alone the pledge of the Lord is, ‘Lo, I am with you always’ Matthew 28:20. Those who are housebound, or hospitalised, or even the prisoner in his cell, may be sure that invoking the name of the Lord in worship is not a vain exercise. His spiritual presence is with us to assist us in our worship, to comfort us when discouraged, to supply us with His grace, and to protect and preserve us from evil; which is a great reassurance.
Yet, there is more, if more be needed. Not only has the Lord promised to be with His people, but He does not come alone. When believers go to worship they enter spiritually ‘into the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem’. There they join ‘an innumerable company of angels’. More, they are accompanied by ‘the general assembly and church of the firstborn’ which are ‘the spirits of just men made perfect’ (Hebrews 12:22-23).
When God’s people worship they immediately join a heavenly choir more numerous and melodious than any mega-church choral society. When they pray, eyes closed and concentrating on Christ, the empty seats next to them fill with fellow-worshippers of the Most High God. When the gospel is preached enthusiastically, warmly, and sincerely, the hearers are not the few familiar individuals dotted around the room. They are the massed church of the Firstborn, the general assembly of the Lord’s redeemed.
I always smile when our little congregation of a dozen souls sings Charles Wesley’s rousing hymn, ‘O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise.’ It may be that in this life you and I never actually get the opportunity to stand in a congregation of a thousand and sing our great Redeemer’s praise. But in a finer way, each time we pray or sing the praise of our Saviour we join a throng so numerous, a crowd of witnesses so joyful and glorious that our frail human minds cannot comprehend it.
If you find yourself alone next Lord’s Day morning, or if your congregation amounts to but a few faithful souls, do not be discouraged. Spread throughout the land are faithful friends just like you, meeting in small congregations or at home alone, whose fellowship in the gospel is yours.
As you sing, lift up your voice and remember the heavenly choirs with whom you make melody. As you close your eyes and pray, reflect that your thoughts are merging with those of a countless throng in the worship of King Jesus. As you listen to the gospel, remember you are only the most recent generation in a long line of saints for whom Christ preached is light, love and life."
See www.go-newfocus.co.uk for more like this.
Lorna
"These few comments are for you who worship with only a handful of believers or are forced, by reason of conscience or convenience, to worship alone in your own home.
It has long been an encouragement to the saints that where two or three are gathered in God’s name, the Lord Jesus has promised to be there in their midst. Remember those who gathered on the hillsides of Scotland during the covenanting years, or met in forests of the Soviet Union for fear of the authorities. They did not meet without the presence of their Saviour.
Even where one worships alone the pledge of the Lord is, ‘Lo, I am with you always’ Matthew 28:20. Those who are housebound, or hospitalised, or even the prisoner in his cell, may be sure that invoking the name of the Lord in worship is not a vain exercise. His spiritual presence is with us to assist us in our worship, to comfort us when discouraged, to supply us with His grace, and to protect and preserve us from evil; which is a great reassurance.
Yet, there is more, if more be needed. Not only has the Lord promised to be with His people, but He does not come alone. When believers go to worship they enter spiritually ‘into the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem’. There they join ‘an innumerable company of angels’. More, they are accompanied by ‘the general assembly and church of the firstborn’ which are ‘the spirits of just men made perfect’ (Hebrews 12:22-23).
When God’s people worship they immediately join a heavenly choir more numerous and melodious than any mega-church choral society. When they pray, eyes closed and concentrating on Christ, the empty seats next to them fill with fellow-worshippers of the Most High God. When the gospel is preached enthusiastically, warmly, and sincerely, the hearers are not the few familiar individuals dotted around the room. They are the massed church of the Firstborn, the general assembly of the Lord’s redeemed.
I always smile when our little congregation of a dozen souls sings Charles Wesley’s rousing hymn, ‘O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise.’ It may be that in this life you and I never actually get the opportunity to stand in a congregation of a thousand and sing our great Redeemer’s praise. But in a finer way, each time we pray or sing the praise of our Saviour we join a throng so numerous, a crowd of witnesses so joyful and glorious that our frail human minds cannot comprehend it.
If you find yourself alone next Lord’s Day morning, or if your congregation amounts to but a few faithful souls, do not be discouraged. Spread throughout the land are faithful friends just like you, meeting in small congregations or at home alone, whose fellowship in the gospel is yours.
As you sing, lift up your voice and remember the heavenly choirs with whom you make melody. As you close your eyes and pray, reflect that your thoughts are merging with those of a countless throng in the worship of King Jesus. As you listen to the gospel, remember you are only the most recent generation in a long line of saints for whom Christ preached is light, love and life."
See www.go-newfocus.co.uk for more like this.
Lorna
Saturday, 13 November 2010
What Think Ye of Christ?
The latest editorial in the New Focus magazine caught my eye and is worth replicating in full...
We have Anglicans and Adventists, Brethren and Baptists, Catholics and Charismatics, Presbyterians and Pentecostals, Methodists and Mennonites, Church of this and Church of that, and never, perhaps since the first century, has so little been known of Jesus Christ. What can account for such widespread ignorance, even amongst professing Christians? Simply this, despite all of the outward trappings of Christianity and all our religious activity, rarely is Jesus Christ truly preached.
There is a type of Christianity for every kind of person and every occasion. Take your pick. We can do light and fluffy or formal and strict, we can do sacramental or ceremonial or entertaining – dazzle with lights or deafen with music. We can do ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty ... We can preach morality like Pharisees or theology like academics. Yet, seldom is Jesus Christ actually preached.
We do rite of passage services for baby to bereavement, calendar commemorations for Christmas carollers and Easter morning early-risers. We specialise in children’s work or youth group, or old folks’ work or ladies’ group or missionary weekends, and societies of every kind. But, hardly ever do we minister the simple truth of Christ.
Then there are church programmes. We do social work and community service, home visitation and hospital runs, Saturday morning football and outings for the elderly. We do special teas and lucky dips, coffee mornings and prayer breakfasts, evangelistic suppers, Alpha courses, cookery courses, golf courses. All too infrequently, we preach Jesus Christ.
We seek God’s help for revival and commit to pray all night. We hire top communicators and sponsor topical debates. We discuss creationism, political involvement, Islam, falling membership and church pensions policy. We have fabric committees, evangelism committees, deacons’ meetings, elders’ meetings, joint elders’/deacons’ meetings. Yet, for all of our activity we rarely preach Christ.
“What think ye of Christ?” asked the Master. Who? “Christ!” “Whose son is He?” The Pharisees of the Lord’s day had no answer. The public thought He was Moses, or Elias, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Only Peter, to whom it was supernaturally revealed had the right answer. He was the man Jesus, of Nazareth, evidently, the Son of David by descent. But He was also the Son of God, Christ, the Messiah. What do you think about His person? What of His works? What of His words? What of His death and resurrection?
We long for numbers, growth and revival. Fine. So be it. But let us remember that the means of church growth, the means of revival, the one and only way given to the church by which the elect of God will be gathered in, is the preaching of Jesus Christ. Peace with God, reconciliation with God, fellowship with God can only be had through Jesus Christ. Sinners will only ever think properly upon Him when Jesus Christ is faithfully preached in their hearing. You can have preaching without Christ but you will never have Christ without preaching.
For more excellent editorials and articles go to New Focus or better still subscribe to receive the bi-monthly magazine.
Lorna
We have Anglicans and Adventists, Brethren and Baptists, Catholics and Charismatics, Presbyterians and Pentecostals, Methodists and Mennonites, Church of this and Church of that, and never, perhaps since the first century, has so little been known of Jesus Christ. What can account for such widespread ignorance, even amongst professing Christians? Simply this, despite all of the outward trappings of Christianity and all our religious activity, rarely is Jesus Christ truly preached.
There is a type of Christianity for every kind of person and every occasion. Take your pick. We can do light and fluffy or formal and strict, we can do sacramental or ceremonial or entertaining – dazzle with lights or deafen with music. We can do ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty ... We can preach morality like Pharisees or theology like academics. Yet, seldom is Jesus Christ actually preached.
We do rite of passage services for baby to bereavement, calendar commemorations for Christmas carollers and Easter morning early-risers. We specialise in children’s work or youth group, or old folks’ work or ladies’ group or missionary weekends, and societies of every kind. But, hardly ever do we minister the simple truth of Christ.
Then there are church programmes. We do social work and community service, home visitation and hospital runs, Saturday morning football and outings for the elderly. We do special teas and lucky dips, coffee mornings and prayer breakfasts, evangelistic suppers, Alpha courses, cookery courses, golf courses. All too infrequently, we preach Jesus Christ.
We seek God’s help for revival and commit to pray all night. We hire top communicators and sponsor topical debates. We discuss creationism, political involvement, Islam, falling membership and church pensions policy. We have fabric committees, evangelism committees, deacons’ meetings, elders’ meetings, joint elders’/deacons’ meetings. Yet, for all of our activity we rarely preach Christ.
“What think ye of Christ?” asked the Master. Who? “Christ!” “Whose son is He?” The Pharisees of the Lord’s day had no answer. The public thought He was Moses, or Elias, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Only Peter, to whom it was supernaturally revealed had the right answer. He was the man Jesus, of Nazareth, evidently, the Son of David by descent. But He was also the Son of God, Christ, the Messiah. What do you think about His person? What of His works? What of His words? What of His death and resurrection?
We long for numbers, growth and revival. Fine. So be it. But let us remember that the means of church growth, the means of revival, the one and only way given to the church by which the elect of God will be gathered in, is the preaching of Jesus Christ. Peace with God, reconciliation with God, fellowship with God can only be had through Jesus Christ. Sinners will only ever think properly upon Him when Jesus Christ is faithfully preached in their hearing. You can have preaching without Christ but you will never have Christ without preaching.
For more excellent editorials and articles go to New Focus or better still subscribe to receive the bi-monthly magazine.
Lorna
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
3 into 1 Does Go...Just!
10th - 16th April 2010.
7 days, 3 events.
2 out-of-shop bookstalls, 1 in-shop activity day. What a week!
7 days, 3 events.
2 out-of-shop bookstalls, 1 in-shop activity day. What a week!
Exhausted, but encouraged I think is my assessment at the end of a busy week.
Lorna
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
New Focus Conference 2010
Thank you to Peter Meney for once again inviting us to take a bookstall out to the New Focus Conference this year. It has been a heartwarming occasion in the past, meeting old friends and some regular mail order customers of ours. Please come along if you can. We will just be there on the Saturday, but the Conference runs from 9th - 11th April. See the official details here: http://www.egglesburn.org.uk The location in upper Teesdale is utterly charming (as are the hosts!) When I go up there I am torn between sneaking off and hiking up to the high fells and doing my duty and attending to the Conference. No, seriously, it promises to be a bigger event than ever this year and I look forward to ministry from some men I haven't heard before, as well as Don Fortner from Stateside. May the Lord grant safe journeys and happy landings to all.
Jeremy
Monday, 20 April 2009
New Focus Conference 2009
Congratulations to Peter and Jill Meney for very successfully hosting another conference in Teesdale this year. We were delighted to be invited to take a bookstall to the event last Saturday. Our feelings were more mixed when Peter badgered us into accepting 2 x 10 minute slots for stand up book reviews! Not exactly our cup of tea being the world's worst marketing managers. But we were among friends (albeit around 60 of them) and it went off OK. Lorna particularly did a great plug for sound children's literature, singling out the 'History Lives' series for special praise. This was light relief after a Dr Ella paper on John Brine. Sorry George, but she's got a prettier face! Maybe I'm biased...
It was good to meet some longstanding mail order customers for the first time - one from the Isle of North Uist! And it felt great to be selling really good books to really appreciative people. Don Fortner was once again over from Danville, Kentucky and spoke well. I just hope that he hasn't packed too much into his UK itinerary after his health setback last year. I remain amazed that Evangelical Press appeared to snub him again, despite being (presumably) happy to have published around half a dozen of his books. There's nowt so queer as folk to use a good Yorkshire expression. Ken Cotty completed the line up and complemented it very well with a most gracious meditation of the Mount of Transfiguration.
Jeremy
It was good to meet some longstanding mail order customers for the first time - one from the Isle of North Uist! And it felt great to be selling really good books to really appreciative people. Don Fortner was once again over from Danville, Kentucky and spoke well. I just hope that he hasn't packed too much into his UK itinerary after his health setback last year. I remain amazed that Evangelical Press appeared to snub him again, despite being (presumably) happy to have published around half a dozen of his books. There's nowt so queer as folk to use a good Yorkshire expression. Ken Cotty completed the line up and complemented it very well with a most gracious meditation of the Mount of Transfiguration.
Jeremy
Monday, 31 March 2008
The New Focus Conference
The inaugural New Focus Conference was held over the past weekend in idyllic surroundings. Teesdale really is a lovely spot, and more so because it is often overlooked by tourists in favour of the better known dales further to the south. Somewhat a metaphor in fact for the conference itself. We just went up for the Saturday sessions to supply the bookstall, but it appeared that few local evangelical churches supported it. We counted 45 people, many of them from quite a distance. What is the organiser Peter Meney's crime? Is it that his 'New Focus' magazine has become synonymous with George Ella and his campaigning ways? Perhaps, but he deserves a voice. Like him, loathe him if you will, but at least engage with the research he does even if you don't like his conclusions. Leaving aside such things, Peter and his wife Jill did a great job of organising the conference down to the last sausage roll! Thanks again you two.
The (loose) theme of the conference was 'Salvation, past, present and future'. Re the past, George Ella presented an historical paper in two parts. He focused on a few individuals from the North of England who have been influential in the spread of the Gospel while this country was in its formative years. Indeed his opening thesis was that the true gospel arrived on these shores in the north long before Pope Gregory sent Augustine to 'convert' the heathen Saxons. He moved on to highlight the Venerable Bede and then Alcuin before devoting much time in the second part of the paper to John Wycliffe (from Teesdale!). Wycliffe was compared in some respects to Luther, and shown to be a great reformer. His sound biblical views were expounded, which are much less recognised than his bible translation work itself. I'd like to go on and read more about his views now.
In between George Ella's contribution a slot was given to Ken Cotty. He preached a sermon which I only got tantalising bits of, due to surpervising the children in a side room. It was an uplifting message on the future for the true christian and was well received. Lorna and I necessarily had to 'dip' in and out of sessions for the children's sake, but after a meal freely provided, we were all together for the final part at 7pm. Don Fortner (Pastor, Grace Baptist Church, Danville, Kentucky) preached a short sermon and set forth the gospel in his usual dogmatically God-honouring manner. All in all, we felt it was a very heart-warming and stirring conference. Heavy rain was the only dampener as people finally dispersed (and the lost hour!)
NB. New Focus can be obtained from us or directly from the editor Peter Meney http://www.go-newfocus.co.uk/Evangelical Press have printed a number of books by Don Fortner, as well as Go Publications. All are obtainable from us.
Jeremy
Saturday, 9 February 2008
Pause for Thought
All things work together for good to them that love God - all the temptations of Satan, all the trials of life. If God's grace is in your heart you will know and feel more and more of the power of temptation, and you will feel more and more keenly the thorns of trial. They work toether for good does not mean temporal good and prosperity, though it is of no small mercy when God is pleased to vouchsafe his favours in this direction. Nor does it mean that God's people will be free from losses and crosses in this world, that they will be able to sit down in ease and comfort in their own homes. What then is that good? This - the increasing of our knowledge of and acquaintance with the Lord Jesus Christ. Anything and everything that brings me consciously and experimentally nearer to the Lord Jesus Christ, is for my good. Anything and everything that weans me from the world, that puts the world in its right perspective, is for good. Everything that brings me to communion with God in Christ, to sacred fellowship with Him, to the knowledge of the love of Christ, all this is for good.
John E Hazelton quoted in the Dec/Jan edition of New Focus Magazine.
Lorna
BTW John E Hazelton wrote an excellent little book called 'Hold-fast' (£9.95). Read this review on our site.
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