At last it looks like things are beginning to open up, at least in the UK, after a long period of restrictions – what a strange time it has been for all of us, and how much it shows that the Lord is in control of all things and can very quickly show His control over nations and even the whole earth. Ps 108:4 states “Thy mercy is great above the heavens: and Thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.” We do not deserve His mercy when we have so trampled on His truth in these days. What so impresses me is that the Lord still shows us great mercy in the midst of the judgment that the Lord has surely been bringing upon all the nations with the pestilence of Covid in the last 18 months. May we never, even as His people, presume on that mercy.

 

In the summer period it has been a joy to get out to do two open air missions at Canterbury and Bournemouth and share the Gospel with many who stopped.  Some were really seeking. One contact sticks in my mind  - a Tunisian so eagerly took a Gospel of John to read, and who still is in contact with one of the local supporters of the team in Bournemouth.

 

It was also a joy to do two meetings in person – One was the series of three talks at the Salisbury Reformed Seminary on Sat 24th July:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The other recent meeting was a Camp Victory meeting on 27th July at the Droitwich HQ of the Crown Christian Heritage Trust which runs these superb camps for young people each year. It was a joy to speak to the young people (about 150 ) in the tent on the theme of “God's Power vs. Man’s Pride - The Flood and Noah’s Ark” – the talk used a giant TV screen since we were in a tent, and I have never seen such a giant video screen erected which needed 3 strong men to lift it into place! And it was a delight to show them real fossils to look at as well.

 

Thank you for your ongoing prayers for me personally. I am feeling frankly well and not much different to what I was before! However I am well aware from doctor’s reports that the heart is not functioning as it should and probably never will do this side of eternity. I am reminded now and then of this by a touch of breathlessness, but I am so grateful for the days the Lord has given me and seek to use them as He sees fit for His glory. Ps 31:15 is much in my thoughts “My times are in thy hand” and  Ps 39:4 “Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.”

 

In the immediate my main focus is the Summer School in a week’s time at Cloverley Hall, Shropshire Sept 3rd and 4th – bookings have been slow coming in, but we have got to 41 and we are praying that the Lord will have this reach 50 and beyond. The whole point of the Summer School is to help young people be prepared for the onslaught against their faith at University / College. I am most concerned by the falling away away from Biblical Truth even in our University CUs and the TiS Student Initiative is deliberately seeking to grow new CU leaders for future generations in our ranks. Please pray that from this initiative, the Lord may bring a group of young people and future leaders who will be burning with Biblical Truth and fervour for evangelising their generation (Jer 20:9 “But His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones…”):

 

A book recommendation ….

 

Many today in the evangelical world are embracing the insidious error of John Walton and Jack Collins and others who try to make out that we can only understand Genesis 1 through the lens of Ancient Near Eastern thinking, which is a big lie of the enemy and is an example of where Satan brings a lie to academics by flattering them with learning and implying that only the initiated can understand Genesis 1 (a sort of repeat of the Gnostic heresy in NT times). This is a subtle but massive error sweeping through evangelicalism. Liberalism has come in dressed in evangelical clothing. An excellent book which answers this very well and with great clarity is “The misted world of Genesis One” by Michael Drake (available on Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Misted-World-Genesis-One-ebook/dp/B076547K42 ) - The preface and introduction (pages 1-23) is so well written since it establishes principles of Biblical Hermeneutics not only for Genesis One but for the whole of Scripture. It is well worth getting just for the preface and introduction!

Michael Drake from Auckland, New Zealand, is not a well-known author but has done his homework on this publication and writes in a very accessible way. I would strongly recommend all Christian leaders and preachers should get hold of this excellent book.

 

Thank you for all your prayers – In Christ – Andy McIntosh Fri 27th Aug 2021