Loving greetings in the Lord: as many of you will
know the Lord had mercy on Frank Wren and took him home to his
reward. This issue is dedicated to the memory of this towering
saint.
Frank Wren [PW]
My father Frank Wren passed on to be with the Lord on the
16th August. As testified in the many cards received by my mother he
had been a spiritual father and encourager to many. My mother
wishes to thank those who sent cards and is sorry that she cannot reply
to all who sent their sympathy. In memory of Dad I am reprinting the
opening article from the second issue of Trumpet Sounds written in
February 1988. It sets out his main aim in starting this newsletter.
“I want to share with you in this letter some words of
testimony and also how the Lord is leading us at the present
time.
When I was a young Christian, one of my most treasured
possessions was my Scofield Bible. The notes in it are invaluable for
giving a true understanding of sound doctrine, to which are added
‘helps at hard places’, topical references, summaries,
definitions etc. One of the areas in which it has had a profound effect
on the Evangelical church is eschatology. Scofield encapsulated the
interpretation of the Futurist school as taught by scholars of the word
from 1830 onwards. Although his co-editors did not agree with him, he
included this as the authentic teaching of the Bible. With many others
of the older generation, I accepted this interpretation without
question and taught numerous classes and meetings in the 1930’s
and 40’s. I had pat Bible verses and pat answers to any question
about the Coming of Christ. Youth is wonderful.
It was in the 50’s that in my personal study of the
Word my confidence in the rightness of what I had been teaching was
shaken. There seemed to be so many loopholes and questions left
unanswered that I decided to stop teaching about the return of Christ
and did so for about ten years. This left me uneasy, as I knew that
there must be a satisfactory answer to this great Bible theme. Twenty
years ago, I decided to lay aside all commentaries, helps and, as far
as I could, my memory store, in order to give time to study the book of
Revelation. I wanted the Holy Spirit alone to be my teacher, for Him to
open my eyes and give me understanding.
I spent about a year on this project. I think the turning
point was when I saw that the real hindrance to receiving the message
of Revelation was the supposition of what is called the
‘Pre-Trib. Rapture’. I had taught this so confidently that
it took some months to get it out of my system. Once I had discarded
that and saw that the rapture took place at the end of the reign of the
‘beast’, Revelation became an open book to me. Most of the
problems I had were based on the wrong premise that the Church would
not pass through the Tribulation period. I write this not for
argument’s sake, but to show that now believing that the Church
would go through this hard testing period, it was my duty to teach and
prepare the people of God for the difficult times to come. I believe
that the church will be called away before the day of the wrath of God
described in Revelation chapters 15 and 16.”
Preparing Christians for the difficult times to come [PW]
My father came to the conclusion, which I share,
that the church will not be raptured prior to the time of tribulation
that brings this present age to an end. If the church is to go through
a time of severe testing it is best to be prepared. Over the years I
have read many testimonies from church leaders in countries which have
experienced persecution. They frequently regret that when the times of
trial came the church was inadequately prepared.
How are we to prepare?
There is a verse in Daniel that I love. Speaking of a time
when the faithful are suffering great opposition it says; “but
the people who know their God will be strong and take action”,
Daniel 11: 32. First and foremost our preparation centres on knowing
God. There is no substitute in this time before the storm to developing
personal relationship with God. Spending time with Him is time well
spent. Knowing His word will prove a rock on which we can stand. But
above all applying His word to our lives through trust and obedience
will allow the Holy Spirit to make us strong.
Second it helps to be informed. My father felt very
strongly that Christians needed to be taught about the Second Coming
and shown how prophecy was being fulfilled in our time. Those who see
the dark clouds on the horizon and prepare will weather the storm far
better than those who ignored the warning signs. The person who is
firmly anchored in the teaching of the Bible regarding the return of
Jesus Christ will, even when the clouds are darkening the sky and
obscuring the light, see rays of sunlight already breaking through.
That person’s hope and assurance will not be crushed.
Third, I quote the advice of Corrie Ten Boom, “In
the coming persecution we must be ready to help each other and
encourage each other. But we must not wait until the tribulation comes
before starting. The fruit of the Spirit should be the dominant force
of every Christian’s life”. We need to strengthen the bonds
of fellowship with each other now. How are we to do this? I ask readers
to pray, asking the Lord how we can draw together so that we will stand
in the final days. Then if you believe the Lord is speaking to you on
this please share it.
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Some thoughts on a wonderful saint [KK]
It was a privilege to have known Frank. I was
delighted be at the funeral, which was a fitting tribute to his life
and ministry. He seems to have crammed three lives into one, and
we can rejoice that he is now released from a life of growing physical
disability. One immensely gratifying aspect of the day was the
fact that over half of the congregation came from his earlier life in
Watford [which he left over 15 years ago] He was a man who
inspired great affection and love by the example of his life and
teaching. I only got to know him when he came to Devon, by the happy
accident that he shared a holiday at Eastbourne with the leaders of my
housegroup [also great saints of God]. They immediately
recognised a kindred spirit in the Lord. When I met him I found a
man ‘mighty in the scriptures’ indeed! His grasp of
the Bible was amazing, and his insights were always profound and
enlightening. I was honoured by the invitations first to join him in
ministry at the Prophecy conferences, then to help with Trumpet
Sounds. In the hands of God His deliverance ministry
[exercised with his dear wife Evelyn] was a mighty tool for setting the
captives free, and it was wonderful to learn that he had brought one of
his carers to the Lord, still ‘bearing fruit in old age’.
He was in every way, as Howard Castle described him, a spiritual
giant. We mourn his passing but thank God for the gift of one of
His choicest servants.
The Kingdom of God Luke 17: 20 – 18: 17 [PW]
The Pharisees questioned Jesus on when the kingdom of God
was coming. I cannot help but feel that this was a mocking question.
The scriptures are full of prophecies that one day a
branch will come from the house of David. For instance; "Behold, the
days are coming," declares the LORD, "When I shall raise up
for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely
and do justice and righteousness in the land. "In His days Judah will
be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which
He will be called, `The LORD our righteousness.' Jeremiah 23:5,6. The
Pharisees were challenging Jesus ‘if you are the promised King,
where is the kingdom?’ What are you doing about it? The people
might be carried away by thoughts that the Messiah had come but they,
the Pharisees, knew better. When the Messiah comes there are specific
prophecies to be fulfilled. Therefore Jesus couldn’t possibly be
the Messiah.
In accordance with their understanding of scripture, the
Pharisees were looking for a saviour who would restore the nation to
the glory of David’s kingdom. They looked for a new golden age
when once again Israel would be a great nation and many people would
come to worship their God. Jesus was well aware of their expectations
and had to tell them that they were looking for the wrong things. The
signs they were looking for were not about to be fulfilled. Instead He
announces that the kingdom is already ‘among you’ (v 21) or
alternatively ‘within you’, depending on the translation
you use. Either translation is true; the Pharisees needed first to
recognise that the King was already among them and then to receive His
kingdom within themselves. There were in fact many signs that Jesus was
the King, but their minds were focused the wrong things.
Unfortunately many Christians take these words to the
Pharisees and unbelievers as the last word on the subject. Some believe
that the Kingdom is spiritual, a preparation for heaven and has lost
its earthly significance. Others believe that the church will
progressively establish the kingdom of God as the gospel advances. It
is true that there is no point in discussing the kingdom with a person
until they have first recognised the King and then accepted His
lordship over their lives. But Jesus did not leave the discussion of
the kingdom there. He takes His disciples aside and, so that they would
not be confused, explains that He will come to establish His kingdom on
this earth but not yet.
The verses which follow present a very valuable study in guiding us to right attitudes when looking forward to the kingdom.
Longing v. 22
Throughout church history, Christians have longed
for the establishment of Christ’s kingdom. In this passage the
longing is set in the context of the time when Jesus returns to
establish his kingdom. They will long for the kingdom because the world
is descending into ever greater evil. Mockery of the gospel, apostasy
from the Church, moral decline exhibited in everyone doing what is
right in their own eyes, are some of the ways in which scripture
describes the last days. We will long for the kingdom but will not see
it. We will echo the cry of the martyrs; ‘How long, O Lord’.
Perseverance v. 23 - 25
To longing we must couple perseverance. There will be those who tell us
that the kingdom can be brought about in this way or that. We are not
to run after those who offer a quick fix. Their way is usually
compromise with the world. We are to remain steadfast in the faith
which we have received. When Jesus comes to establish his kingdom it
will be unmistakable. It will be an explosion of glory into this sad
dark world.
We are to persevere against those who would deceive us and also to
stand firm when persecuted. Jesus’ words, “but first He
must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”
could and do in part refer to the cross. But the context of the passage
is His return. I believe that these words primarily refer to the
suffering Jesus endures when his body the church suffers. This
suffering will come to a head as the world rejects the gospel at the
close of this present age. The final generation will demonstrate their
rejection of the gospel through their treatment of the Church and in so
doing bring down God’s wrath on this world.
Righteous witnesses v. 26 - 29
In both the stories of Noah and Lot they are rescued
just before the judgement is poured out. Noah entered the Ark and then
the rain came. Lot was taken out of the city just before the fire fell.
I believe it will be the same when Jesus sends his angels to gather the
faithful remnant. The world will see him coming and be struck with
terror. The Christians will be rescued and the wrath poured out. There
will be no separation in these events. They follow the pattern outlined
here. Both Noah and Lot remained righteous in the midst of a wicked
world. They remained in the world right up to the time of judgement as
witnesses to an unbelieving generation. The world ignores them and goes
about it business as if nothing was about to happen.
In the world but not of it v. 30 – 36
The following story picks up on the parable of the
wheat and the tares. In that parable the tares are not gathered out of
the field until harvest. Here, the separation of the righteous and the
wicked takes place at the time of judgement. Three times we are told
that one is taken one is left. It is tempting, when facing the prospect
of suffering and the whole world turning against us, to contemplate
withdrawing into our own closed little groups. Sticking together to
ride out the storm. These stories envisage the righteous still being
mixed among the world right up to the time when the judgement comes.
Withdrawal does not appear to be on God’s agenda.
As Christians we long for the blessed hope of the
return of our Lord. Why then does Jesus warn against turning back? One
on the housetop and one in the field want to go back! Lot’s wife
is given as the explanation. She could not leave her former life
behind. It will prove to be a matter of where our heart is. If our
treasure is on earth we will go back not being able leave it behind. In
turning back we will loose our salvation. If we have been prudent and
laid up treasure in heaven we will have no problem leaving behind all
that this world pretends to offer.
Vigilant v. 37
The disciples then ask an interesting question.
“Where Lord?” We would have asked why, how or when. The
question ‘where’ clearly indicates that the disciples had
understood Jesus to be talking of a kingdom which will be located on
this earth. Therefore where will this kingdom be? In answer Jesus says
look for the signs. Just as the eagles give a clear sign of where a
body lies so there will be clear signs of where this kingdom will be
established. The miracle of the Jews returning to the Promised Land is
one of those clear signs confirming where. It also helps us understand
why, how and when.
Persistent 18: 1 – 8
With the story of the persistent widow, we are
returning to the thoughts in verse 22. Despite the hopelessness of her
cause she did not give up. She believed in the law despite the
unpromising response of the judge. In the last days Christians will
long for the coming of the kingdom and cry out over the injustice that
they suffer. It will seem as if Jesus has forgotten them and is never
coming back. The question at the end of the story leaves the answer
open. Will we remain faithful or will we give up. As such it is a
challenge to us to enter this time prepared so that we do not give up.
A strong faith and an understanding the times will help equip us for
the challenging times ahead.
Humility v. 9 – 14
The Pharisee and the tax collector illustrate two
very different attitudes. I believe that this story, while relevant to
all time, is particularly pertinent to the end times. Sometimes there
appears to be an, ‘I’m all right jack’ attitude among
some who study prophecy. There are those who are confident that they
are will be with Jesus while the world is left to suffer. Such an
attitude does not befit a Christian. Every one of us is as deserving of
judgement as anyone else in this world. We have been saved by grace not
by our own works. As such even when we ourselves are suffering we must
pray for those who persecute us. If the self righteous are not
justified then this attitude needs to be avoided like the plague for it
is in reality a plague which could lead to us being left behind.
Simplicity v. 15 - 17
Allowing the children to come to Him, Jesus makes
the most important point of all. Only those who receive the kingdom of
God like a child will enter it! Looking ahead I see darkness and a time
of unprecedented evil. That is not very encouraging. But of one thing I
am confident, those who possess a child like faith in their loving
heavenly Father will pass through that time and enter into glory. Now
is the time to develop a simple trusting relationship with our Father.
Commit all our ways to Him and discover the joy of seeing his hand at
work in our lives. Even the hard times He uses to draw us closer to
Himself. Those who keep their trust in Him He will never let go.
------------------------------------------------
Believing the Evidence [PW]
For a generation Anthony Flew was heralded as the leading
atheist philosopher. In an interview with his long-term friend Gary
Habermas published in 2005, Flew explained his transition from atheism
to theism. Quoting Flews own words from the interview he simply,
“had to go where the evidence leads”. Previously Flew, like
Bertrand Russell and other philosophers before him, had rejected the
idea of God because in Russell’s famous words, “God
hasn’t produced sufficient evidence of his existence”.
Flew explained in the interview that, by the beginning of
the 21st century, 50 years of DNA research had yielded undeniable
evidence of design. Evidence of design was for him the external proof
of the existence of God, which he had been searching for. Flew has not
become a Christian. He still doubts the revelation that is at the heart
of our faith. He would describe himself as a deist, which is someone
who believes in God through philosophical reasoning. The remarkable
feature of Flew’s testimony is that after a lifetime committed to
a certain point of view he has been prepared to change his mind when
confronted with the evidence.
Richard Dawkins, author of the Blind Watchmaker and the
God Delusion among other books, adopts a very different position when
questioned about the evidence of design. Dawkins when interviewed on
BBC Radio 4’s Sunday-morning current affairs magazine
Broadcasting House (09/01/05), said:
“Darwinism is the explanation of life on this planet, but
I believe that all life, all intelligence, all creativity and all
‘design’ anywhere in the universe, is the direct or
indirect product of Darwinian natural selection. It follows that design
comes late in the universe, after a period of Darwinian evolution.
Design cannot precede evolution and therefore cannot underlie the
universe”.
But in a response published on the web site www.edge.org
in 2005, he admitted, "I believe, but I cannot prove, that all life,
all intelligence, all creativity and all 'design' anywhere in the
universe is the direct or indirect product of Darwinian natural
selection".
It is extraordinary that Dawkins, who regularly uses
evolution as a stick to beat belief in a designer (such as God), admits
that his stick is a conjecture, and his belief in it a matter of
‘faith without evidence’. The sort of faith that he
attributes to, and scorns in, religious believers.
In an open letter written to his daughter Juliet on her tenth birthday
(published in A Devil’s Chaplain p242), Dawkins advises her to
only accept beliefs supported by evidence. “Have you ever
wondered how we know the things that we know?’ asks Dawkins. The
answer, he says, is ‘evidence.’ Dawkins advises Juliet:
Next time somebody tells you something that sounds important, think to
yourself: ‘Is this the kind of thing that people probably know
because of evidence? Or is it the kind of thing that people only
believe because of tradition, authority or revelation?’ And next
time somebody tells you that something is true, why not say to them:
‘What kind of evidence is there for that?’ And if they
can’t give you a good answer, I hope you’ll think very
carefully before you believe a word they say.”
Now to claim that design cannot precede Darwinian
evolution sounds like an important statement. So following Dawkins
advice we should ask, where is the evidence. By Dawkins own admission
there is no evidence. Again taking his own advice this sounds like
justification for not listening to another word he says. It is not the
purpose of this article to debate the issues raised by Dawkins, others
have done that very ably. If you wish to take it further I recommend an
excellent little book called ‘The Dawkins Letters’ by David
Robertson. It contains a series of open letters written by David
Robertson to Richard Dawkins. In commenting on ‘The God
Delusion’, He summarises the flaws (almost too numerous to
number) in Dawkins’ line of argument.
At the start of the book David Robertson comments that
Richard Dawkins posted the first of the letters on his web site.
Robertson was taken aback by the intensity of the vitriol expressed by
some of the responses to his letter. It was clear that to many
respondents the views of Richard Dawkins are above criticism.
Dawkins represents a form of militant atheism which
knowing that its arguments are increasingly looking very weak has
adopted the traditional technique of, ‘argument weak shout
louder’. Unfortunately a great many are being influenced by his
anti-religious diatribes which is born out by ‘The God
Delusion’ selling over 1 million copies in the UK alone. When
MP’s were asked this summer what book they will be reading during
the recess ‘The God Delusion’ topped the list.
As I read the signs of the times those who shout louder
will in the short-term triumph. We are heading into the time when those
who trust God will be hated by all nations. Faith in the true God will
be ridiculed and shouted down. Scripture prophesies that these things
will happen. Indeed during the 20th Century millions of Christians
experienced and continue to experience intense persecution.
Part of being prepared is knowing what to expect. The
intellectual harassment from people like Dawkins is just one of the
many ways in which the Christian faith will come under attack in these
last days. Intellectual harassment will in time breed physical
persecution. For instance Dawkins advocates that those who teach their
children about religion should be regarded as child abusers with the
state intervening to remove their children. This is just one of the
ways in which we may well be persecuted in the future.
Despite opposition we are hold fast to the faith knowing
that soon Jesus will be revealed. In his appearing all truth will be
confirmed and all His opponents shamed. Read the letters to the seven
churches in Revelation and meditate for a while on the many blessings
which will be given to those who overcome. It is natural to fear, but
perfect love casts out fear. Instead of fear, pity and pray for the
many who in their blindness are shutting themselves out of this
glorious kingdom.
The Anthony Flew interview can be read on; http://www.biola.edu/antonyflew/flew-interview.pdf
Rev. Ann Holmes Redding [PW]
In the last edition of Trumpet Sounds I shared about the Rev.
Ann Holmes Redding, who saw nothing incompatible in being both a
Christian and a Muslim. My brother who lives in the USA has updated me
on the story. Although serving in Seatle she was ordained in the
Diocese of Rhode Island and therefore it is that diocese which has
disciplinary authority over her. In contrast to the Bishop of Seatle
the Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf, Bishop of Rhode Island does recognise a
conflict in the professing to belong to both faiths. She has asked
Redding to “reflect on the doctrines of the Christian faith, her
vocation as a priest, and what I see as the conflicts inherent in
professing both Christianity and Islam”. My brother commented;
female bishops seem to think more clearly than male ones!
The Most Quoted Old Testament Prophecy [PW]
Michael Penny sent me a copy of his latest book ‘The
Most Quoted Old Testament Prophecy’. I confess that before
reading the book I could not have answered which Old Testament Prophecy
is quoted most frequently in the New Testament. It is a helpful book
with many valuable insights. For me it also raised a number of
questions. If you would like to purchase a copy either go the
www.obt.org.uk or write to the Open Bible Trust, Fordland Mount, Upper
Basildon, Reading, RG8 8LU. Cost £2.00.
Streams in the Desert
I have also received a couple of booklets from Heather
Galelli. These comprise some inspirational poems which she has written
and would like to share. If you would like copies send an addressed A5
envelope with standard stamp to, Heather Galelli, 214 Amherst Drive
Orpington Kent BR5 5HW.
Pass it on
If you have found Trumpet Sounds helpful please consider
passing it on. We want to help as many Christians as possible to be
informed and prepared as the end of this age approaches. You may
forward it as an email or print it off.
Email: contact@trumpetsounds.org.uk
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