Finishing the race well!

In 1897 in Plymouth, England, a young English woman died and was buried in the place of her birth yet her name rings on across the century. The name of Edith Gilling Cherry (1872-97) features in our modern hymn books. The hymn for which she is best remembered was in the top 100 of a write-in poll taken by the television programme “Praise Be” (TV 1) in 2003. A total of 3111 votes were recorded for 603 different hymns and “We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender” was in joint 96th place.

The reason for this hymn spanning one hundred years is because of a sad sto­ry as­so­ci­at­ed with it. In Jan­u­ary 1956, five mis­sion­ar­ies sang it be­fore en­ter­ing the Ecua­dor­i­an jun­gle to bring the Gos­pel to the Au­ca In­di­ans. Their names were Nate Saint, Ed Mc­Cul­ly, Jim El­li­ott, Ro­ger Yo­der­i­an, and Pe­ter Flem­ing. Af­ter the men reached the Au­cas, the In­di­ans mur­dered them on the Cur­a­ray Riv­er.

One of the best known of the five mar­tyrs was Jim El­li­ot. A num­ber of his say­ings are still quot­ed (e.g., “He is no fool who gives what he can­not keep, to gain what he can­not lose”). El­liot’s wife Elisabeth went on to con­sid­er­a­ble fame as an au­thor and radio broad­cast­er.
Her book Through the Gates of Splen­dour de­scribes the en­count­er with the Au­cas; its ti­tle comes from a line in the final verse of this hymn.

We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling,
And needing more each day Thy grace to know:
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
“We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.”
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
“We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.”


We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the praise;
When passing through the gates of pearly splendor,
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.
When passing through the gates of pearly splendour,
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.

On the morning of what was to be their final departure the group sang “We rest on Thee” to the stirring tune “Finlandia” and from that moment this hymn and the story of the five martyrs were linked in people’s minds.

The words, “We rest on Thee and in Thy Name we go” are taken from King James Version of the second Book of Chronicles and they form part of the Prayer of King Asa.
“And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.”
2 Chronicles 14:11.

King Asa was entering upon a battle with the Ethiopians and he was declaring his confidence in the Lord God of Israel. The Lord gave him victory but in the following chapter Azariah led by the Holy Spirit and with a great deal of boldness went out to king Asa and all of Judah and made this statement.
“The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”
2 Chronicles 15 verse 2 (New King James Version).

Often in life we can return from a particular victory and regard that we have accomplished it all on our own. Asa was a man of prayer but pride could have come into his moment of triumph. The Plea to Asa was that he would seek the Lord. Among the kings of Judah, Asa was a good king but as he entered into old age something happened. The fact that it is mentioned in scripture is of some significance.

We read “And in the thirty–ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians.”
2 Chronicles 16:12 (NKJV)

The Plight of Asa. All of his life he had been known as a person who was constantly seeking the Lord but for the last two years of his life the testimony of Asa was stained in that he didn’t seek the Lord in those last months of his life.

It is a great sadness when those who have been “running well” fail to “finish well”.

When Professor Verna Wright, the famous physician, research scientists and evangelist of the late 20th century, discovered that his life was about to end, he responded: 'When you see the tape, you run faster'. Getting old is no time for slowing down but it should be a time for seeking the Lord for added blessing. Other pursuits will not give the blessing that seeking the Lord will bring. Keep looking to Him, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith.

The Apostle Paul could say “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
2 Timothy 4: 7-8

What needs to be seen in those who are older in the faith is a maturity in righteousness. That only comes as we constantly seek the Lord. “Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55: 6-9

Let us all make it our goal to run well and endeavour to finish well.

Some thoughts for EASTER.

During the Easter holiday period we went with friends to nearby Coventry and spent time there looking round the Cathedral.

Following the Royal Air Force bombing of Munich in 1940, Adolph Hitler sought revenge and Operation Moonlight Sonata was instigated. Over 500 bombers were brought together, their target being the industrial city of Coventry. On the evening of November 10th 500 tons of high explosives began to shake the city centre and soon the city centre was burning. Lorna, as a young girl, recalls watching from a bedroom window seeing the reddened night sky from some 25 miles away - “How could a fire be seen from such a distance?”

Early on in the raid St Michael’s Cathedral was hit, despite valiant efforts, its defenders had succumbed to the incendiary barrage and the roof began to burn. Finally at 6.15 am the all-clear sounded and slowly the shocked, dazed, frightened and tired people of Coventry emerged into the streets, or what had once been streets. People wandered around in a daze taking in the destruction around them. There were 4,330 homes destroyed and three-quarters of the city's factories damaged and the Cathedral was in ruins.

The bombing raids continued, although generally much lighter. Two however were heavy. The Easter week raids of 8 April and 10 April 1941 were between six and eight hours long. In the first of these raids the body of Christchurch church built in 1832 as a replacement for the medieval church was gutted by incendiaries. The last actual bombing raid on Coventry was in August 1942. By that time the city had suffered 41 actual raids and 373 siren alerts. At the end of the war officially there were 1,236 people killed in the raids on Coventry; of these 808 rest in the mass grave in London Road Cemetery. King George VI visited and toured the devastation and attended the first mass burial.

Today the ruins of the old and the new St. Michael’s Cathedral stand side by side a testimony of hope rising from the ashes of the old.

In the ruins is a cross formed with two charred roof beams with the words “Father Forgive” engraved upon the wall behind to give out a powerful message. Also a very powerful sculpture, of two figures kneeling with arms around each other, entitled “Reconciliation” can be seen. In the new building flying angels etched in the glass windows have trumpets and again link to the closing chapters of the Bible. While at the outside entrance there is a bronze sculpture depicting the final winning of good over evil as written in the Book of the Revelation - Michael standing in triumph over the devil.

Revelation 12 verses 7 to 12.
“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."

Words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 14 to 18 give to the believer great hope and rich comfort.

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

The Easter message of the crucified Christ, His burial and His rising from the dead is the central theme of the Bible. The Gospel is the Good News that alone brings Salvation to all who would believe. Conflicts are in the world whether International conflict or personal conflict within the family circle. The answer for conflict is a declaration of PEACE - a ceasing of hostilities.

Personal peace is assured for all who will heed the invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ in John 14:27 For Jesus said "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”


It is time for all people to end hostilities with the Eternal God and find true Peace with HIM.

Peace and true rest for the soul is found in obeying Christ’s command to "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Matthew 11: 27 to 30.

The Ministry of Angels

An angel with a bagpipe?

On a recent visit to Scotland we spent time looking around Fort George, an army garrison built in the late 18th century, on the Moray Firth. In the Garrison Chapel there was in the main stained glass window an angel playing the bagpipes! Well, why not, for the Bible mentions angels with trumpets in Revelation chapters 8 & 9, so why not bagpipes in the heavenly realm. Some people say that the sound of the pipes is “out of this world”.

The Hebrew word translated angel is "mal'ak" whilst the New Testament Greek word is "aggelos.". In both languages, the word means "messenger," and is used to describe any agent God sends to do his will.
Angels have a ministry to perform on behalf of the Lord God Almighty and so do His ministers.
One other feature of note in the Garrison Chapel was the three tier pulpit (seen in the photograph below). This was unique and I wondered what the qualifications were to be allowed on the top level or even on the middle level!

Psalm 104:4 is quoted in Hebrews 1:7 – God “who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.”
The ministry of angels is to worship God and to carry out His commands whilst His ministers are to be on fire for Him. Perhaps the top tier was reserved for the one displaying the greater flame for His Glory?

In John 5:35, John the Baptist is described as “the burning and shining lamp”.
The need of the hour is that His ministers be aflame for the Glory of the LORD.
For those of us in ministry we should keep this ever before us – that we should burn for His Eternal Glory.

Two Bible passages, Psalm 34:7 and Matthew 18:10, indicate that God employs the ministry of angels to deliver his people from affliction and danger, and that the angels do not think it below their dignity to minister even to children and to the least among Christ's disciples. If we each have a guardian angel I trust that mine isn’t playing the bagpipes.

News from a far country!

Our oldest grandson, 19 year old Simon Briars is doing voluntary work in Zambia.

He is out there with Student Partnership Worldwide (SPW) and with his Zambian work colleague Clement M. Shibalika they are teaching in a HIV Aids awareness programme in Serenje which is in the north east of the country.

He left the UK in the first week of January and after training for four weeks in Kabwe, just north of the capital Lusaka, he has moved to where he will be until mid August. Now he faces a daily routine of being in their first class just before 8 in the morning and being “on the go” often until around 4 in the afternoon on most days. Their daily routine keeps them fully occupied and weekend breaks are most welcome as will be the Easter holidays. Boma Basic School and Miselo Kapika, extension school provides education for over 1500 children under the headship of Mrs.Dakas. The situation with regard to HIV aids is awesome and the age expectancy in this region of Africa is only 32! Last year at this particular school 87 of the girls got pregnant so the educational programme set up by the Zambian Authorities is most important

One recent problem this week for Simon was getting Malaria which took him out of the routine for 3 days, although he takes the weekly dose of Larium, it can’t give full protection when you read the small print! So it is important to make sure the mosquitoes don’t bite and in the rainy season that isn’t easy. He is on the mend after the Doctor gave him some “mind numbing drugs” and plans this weekend to take the 5 hour minibus journey back to Kabwe for two nights in a better mid-range hotel with a better restaurant with better food (for the European taste buds).


In spite of a few major set backs he is resolved to finish the task he has begun but he says that he values the “chin-up chats” with home and mail arriving from the UK is always a “red letter” day.

Changing faces !



Over the years people have told me I look like my father, Frank Briars.
I am not sure that is true but just recently I came across a photograph of my grand father, Frederick Briars. He was born in 1857 and was taught to read and write in a Sunday School class for the under privileged boys living around the Sanvey Gate area of the city of Leicester.

Mary Royce would have been 23 years of age when she started her class for boys and my grandfather, Frederick Briars would have been about 12 years of age. I remember my own father explaining to me how it was the direct invitation of Mary Royce while out walking on the Belgrave Pastures that resulted in him attending her class. She asked Frederick, if he could read and would he like to be able to read. He became a regular attender of the class meeting where he was to be taught to read and write by Miss Royce, and we must assume that it was there where he heard the Bible stories.

Mary Royce, the founder of the Royce Institute was born in 1845 and as a young woman took on the task of giving poorer children the Christian Gospel while improving their education.
Dr. Mary Royce was one of the country's first women doctors and it is reported that her death, aged 47, was following an infection caught while treating one of her poorer patients. In a letter to "her boys" she encouraged them to continue to meet in "the room" after her death leaving a sum of money to three of "her boys" so that the work could continue.

Frederick Briars was one of those original founder trustees of The Royce Institute, a work that continues to this day.

The purpose of the gospel of Christ is to see lives changed.
This change can only come about when a person acknowledges that they are a sinner in the sight of an Almighty God. There is also the need for true repentance, namely a sincere desire to leave the pathway of the pattern of this world in order to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans chapter 10 verse 9 & 10 states "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

With the confession of sin comes conversion and also cleansing. That is being changed enough to be made ready for entrance into heaven. The inner work of salvation should result in outward change. In Bible terms it is described as being "conformed" into the likeness of God's Son. (Read Romans chapter 8 verse 29)

It doesn't matter whether we look like our father, grand father but it does matter that we bear the image of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son.

Poland photos in Torun, February 2006
Click on individual pictures to enlarge them.












After 10 very exciting days in Poland we returned to the U.K. on February 24th. 2006 from Bydgoszcz to Stansted Airport. Praising the LORD for His goodness to us all.

Harbinger of Spring.

This phrase was used by the great English poet William Wordsworth in his poem
"To a snowdrop".


"Nor will I then thy modest grace forget,
Chaste snowdrop, venturous harbinger of spring, "

After winter we look for a herald of spring, some evidence that winter is almost over.

In the Old Testament there were those who studied the "signs of the times" recorded in the first book of Chronicles chapter 12 verse 32. These were "the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do . . ."

It is great to be able to known what we "ought to do" in any given situation!

It is important to understand the signs of the times.

I believe that it is the only way that we can find encouragement to face the days of difficulty and distress. Conflict is always with us but when the conflict zone is around the Land of Israel we need to take special notice. The final events of this present age will all take place in that area of the world. Some would want to remove the name, Israel from the world map. In fact this happened recently when the United Nations held what it called "A day of Solidarity" with the Palestinian people. In the presence of Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General, a large map was displayed labelled in Arabic "Map of Palestine" with UN and PLO flags in evidence but no mention of Israel.

For 56 years the Nation of Israel has sat in the company of the (so called) United Nations and yet it is still being ignored. Sadly some Bible believing Christians are failing the see that this is all part of those things that will happen in the last days.

Over a century ago Baptist and Anglican preachers had a clear view of what would have to happen before Messiah comes.
Charles H. Spurgeon and Bishop J.C.Ryle were getting the church in the U.K. to observe the signs of the times. These two writers are still speaking to the age in which we live.
When Christ returns, and The King is coming,
reprinted by Whitaker of New Kensington PA. USA keep alive
Spurgeon's words on this important subject.

Christian Focus Publications of Fearn, Scotland
keep alive the words of J.C.Ryle in the book entitled
Prophecy, ISBN 1-871676-64-9.

One magazine well worth reading is that produced by Tony Pearce,
Light for the Last Days, Box BM - 4226, London, WC1N 3XX
http://www.lightforthelastdays.co.uk/

In the New Testament the Lord Jesus Christ tells of men observing the sign of the red sky at night in Matthews Gospel chapter 16 verses 1 to 4. It becomes a natural thing for people to comment on the weather signs, be it red sky at night or red sky in the morning!

We are living in interesting times, if not seen by some as difficult times.
Recently while visiting in Poland I was asked "How do you see the signs today?"

As I was asked I gave answer to that question and those who know me would expect me to hold forth on the subject. The subject being the end times as clearly shown in Holy Scripture.

I am amazed at the lack of concern that some Christians have in seeing the plan of God unfolding and for His future return to this earth, to rule and to reign.

Scripture encourages us to be ready and to be prepared, in Matthew Chapters 24 & 25 it was the Lord Jesus Christ Himself giving the warning to watch and be ready.

So I for one will continue to obey HIM.

Snow Reflections.
Some thoughts about SNOW.
When I was very young I remember that my mother used a few lines of poetry to caution my behavour. "Robert" she said "The future lies before you like a field of untrodden snow, be careful how you tread it for ever step will show". From what I recall she said that it was written by a friend in an autograph album she was given as a young woman.

One poem about Snow that I managed to commit to memory as a child was by Sir Alfred Noyes. He was born in Wolverhampton and died in the 1958. I haven't seen it in print for many years, as I remember it went like this.

The Healing Snow by Sir Alfred Noyes.
A pure white mantle blotted out the world I used to know,
There was no scarlet in the sky or on the hills below,
gently as mercy out of heaven came down the healing snow.

The trees that were so dark and bare stood up in radiant white,
And the road forgot its furrowed care as day forgets the night
And the new heaven and the new earth lay robed in dazzling light.

And every flake that fell from heaven was like an angel's kiss
Or a feather fluttering from the wings of some dear soul in bliss
Who gently leaned from that bright world to soothe the pain of this.


Snow is mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Job, Psalms, Proverbs and elsewhere.

The verses that come to mind today are in
Isaiah Chapter 55 verse 10 &11
"For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." from the N.K.J.V. of the Bible.

If you take time to read further on in the King James Version of the Bible you will see that we "briars" get a mention - we get every where.

Yes, that really is me in the top right hand corner of the article.

On February 25th 2006 we returned from 10 days in central Poland.

There we visited Christian friends who are involved in sharing the Good News concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Our time was spent in Piotrkow Trybunalski and in Torun.

In Piotrkow Trybunalski we lived in the unfinished church premises of the Evangelical Christian Church (Kosciol Ewangelicznych Chrzescijan) where many rooms are completed and used for the weekly activities and the Sunday services. We also enjoyed the company of many friends, eating meals in their homes and with the help of the Pastor, Daniel Kryston and his family, having good translators understanding all that was shared with us.

Since retirement in March 2000 we have visited Poland on five occasions but this was the first winter visit. The no frills Ryanair flights are cheap and with our experience the flights arrive on time.

In Torun we were active in teaching children in the Mid-term Holiday Club (they call it a Camp). The weather wasn't cold but there were days when the snow came down, one day it snowed for 6 hours adding a further 5 inches of snow to the picturesque scene.

We have had connections with the Evangelical Church at Torun for around 25 years since first meeting their Pastor Tadeusz Tolwinski when he was a Bible student in England. That friendship has developed into a life time commitment to each other in proclaiming the Gospel of Christ in Poland and beyond. Members of the growing congregation built the premises and now they are accepted in the urban area for their involvement with children and teenagers.

From Monday through to Friday (20th to 24th) the children came and were left by their parents to enjoy five hours of activities. Bible stories, workshops and games plus mid-day soup. This soup was prepared by ladies and a man from the congregation.

The whole day was supported by a team of 15 willing workers who gave consistent service to make the time exciting and interesting for the children, some of whom had travelled some distance to get to the church building.

The following photographs will give you some idea of the time we shared together. Just click on the pictures to see them larger than life !!!