This rather remarkable piece of film was made my college friend Olly Lambert.
Saturday 31 August 2013
Monday 26 August 2013
Anchor of my Soul - A Testimony of God's Grace
Anchor of my Soul: A Testimony of God's Grace Kevin Bettany August 2013
For many years, before I had become a Christian, whenever I heard the Gospel, I was like the Roman Governor Felix in Acts 24 v 25. On hearing about “faith in Jesus Christ, about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come;” he said to the Apostle Paul: “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” O ignorant and foolish man! The idea that accepting or rejecting the offer made by Jesus Christ is a matter of my convenience!
I once read about a Roman general whose army had conquered another country and captured its king. Using his sword the general drew a small circle around the king in the dust and told him that he would remain in that circle until he submitted himself and his country to the dominion of Rome. That king had nowhere to go, and, if he wanted to stay alive, no real option but to submit to Rome.
The Dutch theologian, Cornelius Van Til, made a good point about the effect of sin: “Sin being what it is, we may be certain that all our preaching and reasoning with men will be in vain unless God brings men to bay. Men cannot be brought to bay if they have any place to which they can go. And they do have a place to go if they have the inherent ability to accept or reject the gospel; in which case they need not feel uneasy about rejecting it today, because they can accept it tomorrow.” The Defence of the Faith (p. 20).
The Lord brought me to bay in a little flat in Henleaze in Bristol. God had sent me to a godly minister of the Gospel, Robert Duff, who with his godly wife Ilsa, was the founder of the Delhi Bible Institute. I have often reflected that other godly men had preached the Gospel to me but, despite feeling under condemnation for my sins, I had not received Jesus Christ as Lord; he could justly have not sent Mr Duff into my life.
But, in that sitting room in Henleaze, I was desperately in need of having my sins forgiven; desperately in need of having my marriage and family saved from breakdown; desperately in need of being delivered from drug addiction and debt. Even more I was desperately in need of receiving that peace which I saw in Robert and Ilsa and which I first saw in their daughter Dorothy, a fellow student, who had introduced me to her parents.
After a couple of months of weekly Bible studies I had repeated a prayer of repentance and faith. When I left that flat on the 9th of June 1976, I believed that all my sins had been forgiven and I had peace with God. I also had an expectation, (which has never been disappointed), that my life would never be the same again.
I was 25 years old when I came home and told my longsuffering wife Anji what had happened. She was confused but within a few days she was impressed with the change she could see in my attitude and behaviour. After three days, I was delivered from my drug addiction. At the end of that college year the Lord provided a holiday job to start helping us get out of debt. Within months Anji came to know that same joy and security of being anchored in Christ. The Lord has gifted us with six more children! I am now 63 years old and I am still firmly and securely encouraged in the Anchor of my soul.
In John 13:20 Jesus is recorded as saying “Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me." In Matthew 10: 40 he is recorded as saying “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”
“ … it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope that is offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Hebrews 6 v 18:19.
Have you considered fleeing to take hold of the hope that is offered to us? The offer is still open; still available to be fled to and taken hold of; still ready to give great encouragement. How do I know? Because God cannot lie.
For many years, before I had become a Christian, whenever I heard the Gospel, I was like the Roman Governor Felix in Acts 24 v 25. On hearing about “faith in Jesus Christ, about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come;” he said to the Apostle Paul: “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” O ignorant and foolish man! The idea that accepting or rejecting the offer made by Jesus Christ is a matter of my convenience!
I once read about a Roman general whose army had conquered another country and captured its king. Using his sword the general drew a small circle around the king in the dust and told him that he would remain in that circle until he submitted himself and his country to the dominion of Rome. That king had nowhere to go, and, if he wanted to stay alive, no real option but to submit to Rome.
The Dutch theologian, Cornelius Van Til, made a good point about the effect of sin: “Sin being what it is, we may be certain that all our preaching and reasoning with men will be in vain unless God brings men to bay. Men cannot be brought to bay if they have any place to which they can go. And they do have a place to go if they have the inherent ability to accept or reject the gospel; in which case they need not feel uneasy about rejecting it today, because they can accept it tomorrow.” The Defence of the Faith (p. 20).
The Lord brought me to bay in a little flat in Henleaze in Bristol. God had sent me to a godly minister of the Gospel, Robert Duff, who with his godly wife Ilsa, was the founder of the Delhi Bible Institute. I have often reflected that other godly men had preached the Gospel to me but, despite feeling under condemnation for my sins, I had not received Jesus Christ as Lord; he could justly have not sent Mr Duff into my life.
But, in that sitting room in Henleaze, I was desperately in need of having my sins forgiven; desperately in need of having my marriage and family saved from breakdown; desperately in need of being delivered from drug addiction and debt. Even more I was desperately in need of receiving that peace which I saw in Robert and Ilsa and which I first saw in their daughter Dorothy, a fellow student, who had introduced me to her parents.
After a couple of months of weekly Bible studies I had repeated a prayer of repentance and faith. When I left that flat on the 9th of June 1976, I believed that all my sins had been forgiven and I had peace with God. I also had an expectation, (which has never been disappointed), that my life would never be the same again.
I was 25 years old when I came home and told my longsuffering wife Anji what had happened. She was confused but within a few days she was impressed with the change she could see in my attitude and behaviour. After three days, I was delivered from my drug addiction. At the end of that college year the Lord provided a holiday job to start helping us get out of debt. Within months Anji came to know that same joy and security of being anchored in Christ. The Lord has gifted us with six more children! I am now 63 years old and I am still firmly and securely encouraged in the Anchor of my soul.
In John 13:20 Jesus is recorded as saying “Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me." In Matthew 10: 40 he is recorded as saying “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”
“ … it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope that is offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Hebrews 6 v 18:19.
Have you considered fleeing to take hold of the hope that is offered to us? The offer is still open; still available to be fled to and taken hold of; still ready to give great encouragement. How do I know? Because God cannot lie.
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