46. CUF: Foundation : By Grace

Foundation.

With considerable advantage, I was brought up attending a Congregational Sunday School between the ages of five to fifteen years, whilst a member, first of the cubs then of the scouts. At school I was tutored in English, French and German Grammar amongst a variety of other subjects. Because of this training in languages, I had no difficulty when later I came to study the elements of Biblical Greek and Hebrew. The Second World War disrupted this early beginning, bringing to an end my initial religious training. There followed Industrial engineering training in Technical Colleges whilst working in Drawing Offices, having volunteered for the R.A.F., trained for aircrew, ITW as an A.T.C. Flight Sergeant and Aircraft Recognition Instructor. In the Police Messenger Service for a period whilst performing the usual Fire Watching and 'Aerospotter' duties in the workplace.

At the end of the war, continuing my engineering and design training in industry, attending colleges for over ten years studying not only mechanics but also practical aesthetics, I became involved in the resolution of an international problem. I did not realise that after persisting through many years, it would lead to an almost unbelievable resolution. With a number of friends, we formed a group to research this problem and spent many hours reading about and discussing its resolution. This caused me to visit and then to attend a local Church of England where the Rector had made this problem a personal study. He offered help, even joining in with our group discussions.

Most of us in this group found our Christian roots were renewed. We began to recognise the importance of forming a relationship with the source of all knowledge, Jesus Christ. This became increasingly important to me during regular attendance at the local Church, listening intently each Sunday evening to the hours of blackboard teaching by the Church Rector, who used the Greek and Hebrew Scriptures of The God Breathed Word to explain, first the foundation of the Christian Faith, and secondly to introduce details of the Structure of belief which is built upon that foundation. He was a diligent and careful teacher who delighted in setting up special classes to introduce interested students to the elements of the grammar of the Koinee Greek Scriptures.

One day, during the Spring of 1958, I found myself weeding the front lawn of our newly built home. My wife and I had recently bought a load of what the supplier had called 'top soil' to level the garden surface, a title which the material did not deserve because it was not 'the tops', being riddled with weeds, particularly those of the 'mare's tail' variety. These alone had grown up about five or six inches enabling me to easily pluck them from the 'soil'. During this weeding activity, my mind was occupied with much of the fascinating new things that I was learning. Suddenly, a thunderclap of mind occurred. Whilst bending down, plucking at the offending growth.............the intense meaning of the phrase 'The Lamb of God' was revealed to me. All through my life to this point I had always defended the belief that Jesus Christ was the manifestation of God Himself, but had never grasped the reality of His atoning death which this phrase revealed. I was overjoyed to now recognise that I myself had a personal relationship with Christ through His Spirit, not provable, but very real. [See Seed and Bread Nos: 1 & 2] The foundation of my life was no longer a rickety, changeable, self construction, but one which was perfectly formed, being worked by God. Totally reliable, and when trusted would lead to a developed, mature and perfect relationship with God Himself

Evangelical teaching

This I readily absorbed. The foundation was laid and upon it I began to build, following what others had learnt in their walk as Evangelical Christians.

They gather together in churches or fellowship groups, as the examples described in the New Testament. As individuals and as fellowships they honour The Lord Jesus Christ as God their Father and seek to grow in His character. They practice the Love of God towards their neighbours and amongst themselves by sharing, praying and receiving teaching from the Scriptures which are accepted as God's Word. They practice baptism for believers. Overjoyed in the knowledge of their Salvation, they seek by every means to pass this wonderful news to others. They regard to-day's Church as a pale reflection of that described in the Scriptures. Because of this, they are encouraged to give constant attention to God's Word. They regard their activities as being part of the prophesied Kingdom of God, applying them, together with the parables of Christ, to all their worship in relation to God Himself.

They look for a time when Christ will return and gather them up to be with Him always. Following this, they expect a period of great tribulation on the earth which they will not experience, during which time 144000 Jews will be converted to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Because they believe that the rest of the Jews have rejected Jesus Christ as their King, they understand that they, the Gentile Christians, will live in the coming thousand year Kingdom of God with Christ as their King. This they believe will be imposed over all the earth. During this period Christ's Adversary is locked away. After this they expect a great judgement following the release of the Adversary who organises the last rebellion. When all of God's creation in Heaven and upon Earth is united there will follow a New Heavens and a New Earth.

This description of the Evangelical Church beliefs is a generality..........many uncertainties, many variations. Having lived and worshiped amongst them, my original beliefs coincided with theirs, but became increasingly troubled because of their willingness to override many facts revealed in God's Word.
Although committed to the Evangelical Churches, having been baptised, I had occasion to work with a local Salvation Army Corps, helping out with services and running costs. Being dedicated to my work as an Industrial Design Engineer, I was able, with others to lead meetings in the workplace at monthly intervals, showing Fact and Faith films and short sermons by the Evangelist, Billy Graham. Services were held at Christmas, Easter and Harvest times in association with The Workers Christian Fellowship [Christians at Work]. Every large orthodox denomination was represented in this group....Anglican, Church of Rome, Methodist, Baptist, Exclusive and Open Brethren, Pentecostal and Adventist. We held Bible Study groups for young employees, discussing problems of the day and relating them to answers in the Scriptures. Two members later made The Church their vocation.
Following this rich Christian experience and having had the privilege of an intense Industrial Design Engineering Career, becoming a Chartered Engineer and a Chartered Designer, I was able to form my own business as a consultant in that profession influencing the design of Salt Furnaces, Industrial Lighting and Heating Equipment, Gas Fires and Fly-ash analysis equipment for Power Stations, together with many other Industrial Products.

Having obtained my own film projection equipment, I joined a local group showing Fact and Faith Films in many places throughout central England. This gave me the opportunity to experience and preach to many congregations and gatherings of unbelievers and Christians, taking the message of God's Salvation to prisons, soup kitchens, county fairs, boys clubs, old peoples homes etc. With special trailer equipment we displayed our Moody Institute of Science films to outdoor gatherings such as those in markets, fetes and holiday events.

In 1991 I was happy to retire and give priority to study and understand the activities of God revealed in His inspired Word. By Word studying the original God Breathed Greek and Hebrew texts and using concordances and lexicons, I continued to open my mind to His expressed detail. I began to realise that despite the variations of belief, there were many biblical statements which did not fit what I originally believed. The task of resolving them was overwhelming, so that I was relieved when I found that, over the previous century, many Christians in a variety of denominations had also focused upon these important parts of God's Expression. Their studies had opened the way to a clearer understanding of fundamental doctrine. After careful consideration, testing this increasing revelation against the God breathed Word, I began to resolve many of my difficulties.

This enlightenment was attacked from many directions even to the point of a close Christian friend accusing me of following the Devil’s work. He himself had much worldly advantage to lose by accepting these changes. His place and authority in the church, his and his wife’s living and pension. Most of all, his community’s respect.. These are hard things for a leader to give up. Many Christians will not even begin to consider any change to their belief structure if it means loss of place or authority in their community. Friends or Truth, which shall it be ?

The apostle Paul faced this choice, leaving behind many of the Churches which had formed the basis of his evangelical work, when he wrote:.

All they which are in Asia be turned away from me. [2Tim 1:15]