BTM News 27

This newsletter has not been published since April 2003, so here’s another one! BTM News is about BTM personnel and work…let us give an update…

PhD

Barry Napier was awarded the doctorate in theology this year, with an ‘A’ grade. He hopes to publish his dissertation on disfellowship, in amended format, soon, possibly by another publisher. More at a later date.

John and Mike

John Napier continues to supply Barry with transcripts of Biblical texts, which are used on computer for a variety of teaching materials. Mike Ford scours the Internet and other sources for suitable research materials.

Natasha and her hubby, Paul, are currently ‘in the wings’ until James finishes preparing the second site.

Meanwhile, they have brought their considerable skills together and started a new Internet web-design company. We wish them well. Thanks go to all who co-work the ministry with Barry.

BTM Work

Not a few readers of our Web site and other materials mistakenly think we ought to have a general forum for alternative views. We would point out that the ministry has been given specifically to Barry Napier. It is not a forum any more than Paul’s apostolic ministry was open to democratic debate! A minister is given what he has to teach, by the Holy Spirit, so it is not open to debate.

As a pastor and writer, Barry is prompted by God, not by men. That is why the ministry rarely uses materials written by anyone else. If they are used, they are an adjunct to Barry’s ministry and separate from it, though they might be suitable and of good standing.

Once a ministry broadens out to include input by others, it is no longer a ministry, but a humanly-led para-church organisation! (The Evangelical Alliance (EA) is a good example of this).

There would be an absurdity in publishing material prompted by God, and then opening it out to debate! Such an activity is really saying that the original material was not of God.

It is true that minor mistakes can be made by any minister. But, if his ministry is truly of God he will be unlikely to make repeated ‘big’ errors in the sphere of ministry he has been called to. That is a spiritual truism!

Barry’s eldest son (also named Barry, but called ‘BJ’) has looked after BTM for a while now, with free machines. Recently, he gave us a brand new monitor and an expensive updated version of our old black and white laser printer. Hopefully, we can now get rid of that scruffy ink mark that often appeared on some pages! Thanks BJ.

Our Church

Manselton Church grows slowly but surely, but we never advertise or seek for members. As always the aim is to teach members in the ways of God and true doctrine, so that they may stand against error, proclaiming the Gospel and witnessing in truth.

Our meetings are lively and never dull! We stop at any point for questions, comments or testimonies. Scripture is supreme and the only source of truth in our studies. In general we agree with historical ‘giants’ of the faith – that the teaching of doctrine is vital.

No doubt God will give us all new directions in the future. Meanwhile we will continue as we have done. Though our small group started way back in 1987, Swansea churches continue to ignore us…not that it has made any difference to our lives!

We find it immensely sad that fellow believers are unable to accept that faith can take a variety of forms outside of denominations. (We have noted how many of these ‘formalised’ Christians experience immense problems in their beliefs and lives… so what benefit do they have in remaining how they are?)

Barry recently read a PhD thesis by a Christian pastor, which examined why people left their churches. It seems that there are thousands who, like us, left what we call ‘the system’, so that our faith might take wings and fly high. That is, we left human systems, not the Church (which is impossible).

We are no greater than our fellows…it is just that God has shown us a far better way, and organised denominations, etc., simply do not fill the bill. And, at the very foundation of this, is the need to know doctrine.

Health

Barry has suffered damage to the Achilles tendons of both legs, causing much pain and dual limping!! As his ‘secular’ job involves being on his feet all day, this is very difficult, so he has to take strong pain-killers. Even then, there are still many things he can’t do, because the ankles are presently incapable of bearing much weight. Ah well!

Otherwise, his blood-pressure and thyroid conditions are quite stable and he is still able to work 13 hour shifts (as does his wife, Diane)! For reasons not yet clear, Barry also has an overall feeling of tiredness and illness, so holidays become very important, and give great refreshment, for which we thank God.

Our co-worker, Mike, has his fair share of health problems, also, having a nasty case of arthritis, which caused him to retire early. His wife, too, recently had an operation, from which she has recovered well. Other members are still breathing, we think!

The Way to Go?

Since the inception of BTM’s ministry, we have had a vision (which is documented in one of our introductory articles). If that vision were to be initiated, it would mean spreading the ministry’s teaching to other pastors and Christians personally, as well as providing a centre for like-minded Believers and much-needed respite for those who need a break. But, there has been no move by God to lead us along the lines of the vision, and we ask ourselves why.

Are we missing something vital? Have we not done something at an important point? Or, is the time not yet right? As this ministry is not one of those mighty-earners, it is evident to us that the fulfilment of the vision must come through other Christians, who will make the vision possible by their giving. How, we don’t know. It intrigues us!

From the start we have not gone down the road of becoming a registered charity, simply because it has not seemed to be appropriate. Is this right or wrong? We cannot yet tell, but we do know that by not being a charity we cannot benefit from certain types of gift-giving, etc., and gifts made out to us are therefore more random and small. No doubt God will give us a clue at some time! (Interestingly, most gifts now come via the Internet ministry)

Ideally, we suppose, we need gifts of property – large ones could possibly be used as they are for residential purposes, and smaller ones could be sold to provide cash needed to purchase a residential unit. But, this is all speculation at this time. We will simply have to wait.

Barry’s time has been mainly taken up with finishing his PhD, so fewer articles have been written. This, hopefully, will now be put right, as he gets back to writing for a wider readership.

It has been proposed by some that Barry preaches generally. This he continues to refuse, as he once did that, and strongly felt that it was not how his ministry was to go. He will speak to interested groups of any size, but will not yet preach as he used to, to a general audience. To do otherwise, he says, would be to get back on the usual reformed tread-mill, speaking to ‘Christians’ who are not saved, or to people who only wish him to finish talking so that they can get back to their TV soaps and non-spiritual lives!

Groups may therefore contact Barry, who will prayerfully consider speaking to them, if they truly have God’s calling for him to do so. In this way, others can get to know first-hand about the ministry and the work of ‘continual reformation’, with all that it implies. (We do not ask for payment of any kind, though a contribution toward expenses would be appreciated).

Theology…

Every so often Barry receives emails and letters complaining about this or that statement or teaching (usually predestination). They subtly advise that Barry is wrong and the critic is right (of course!), and that Barry is a lousy theologian (because he does not think the same way as them)!

Barry is more than aware of his own deficiencies and that there will always be a better and brighter theologian around the corner. The main thing is that he does what God tells him to do – he is not concerned about whether or not he is the best or brightest thinker on the planet!! It comes down to a very simple question – is he doing what God commands? If he is, then his ministry will always be top-rate in God’s eyes, for it comes from God!

At any rate, he refuses to be drawn into protracted arguments on issues (see above comments on democracy).

Website

The number of visitors to our first website continues to grow, around 4,000 to 5,000 per month. Thousands of readers actively print out even more thousands of pages every week – and that is without advertising! As you know we make no charge, but a very small number have been prompted by God to send us fairly regular gifts. Oddly, most come from the USA, for some reason.

Without these gifts the ministry could not function properly – but God knows our needs and will provide. The whole structure of this ministry means that it can function, if necessary, even if slowly, without any kind of cash input at all, because we tend to fund most of it ourselves. After all, our main consideration is not income but output!

When the second website comes on line this year it will begin to offer the same studies used by Barry every Sunday – obviously, the bits in between (the chat and questions, comments, etc) will not be included.  If you wish to receive a Microsoft Word version of these studies by eMail, please make your request by sending an email to info@christiandoctrine.net.

Pornogaphy

Barry continues to receive pornographic emails. These usually have explicit photos, which come up as soon as the message hits the screen. For this reason he deletes all emails with obviously-pornographic content even before they appear as messages.

He has been told that NTL provides a service whereby it can get rid of these emails before they reach the computer. We will look into this. These disgusting things began to arrive soon after Barry received objections from homosexuals about certain articles against their lifestyle. They thought it would be great fun to get their own back by ‘subscribing’ to filth-providers on his behalf, and so the emails began to arrive in large numbers.

At first he made the mistake of pressing the ‘unsubscribe’ button (though he had not ‘subscribed’ in the first place)…later being told that by doing so he actually activated further emails!!

If necessary, we will close down his present email address and install Internet facilities from a different company. Beware of these emails.

If you receive anything like this, click on ‘delete’ immediately. Later, go into the ‘deleted messages’ section and delete those, too.

Also, do not subscribe to receive free updating information from Internet companies – many of whom have legitimate names and products, but which are ‘fronts’ for pornography companies who merely wish to obtain lots of email addresses.

Typically, they say that they are sending materials because you have subscribed to this or that Web site. It’s about time regulators got into this whole scene and obliterated these sites.

Disclaimer

We often quote from a variety of sources. For those who like to argue, we must say that we do not necessarily agree with such quotes, or with the people who make them.

Legal Opposition Coming?

Two Christians pastors have been taken to court in Australia by Muslims, for daring to be critical in Web sites and in meetings, about Islam. This we feel is the growing trend. It will be interesting to see if UK Muslims will follow the same trend, given their assurances of religious freedom and toleration!

Until we are silenced, then, remember that Islam is not free-thinking or tolerant of Christians…unless they remain silent and allow Islam a clear run through society! In advance, we would point out that evil continues and grows if good men stay quiet. As watchmen we have taught this many times. One day this counsel will be silenced to the detriment of all concerned. It is up to fellow believers to see the signs on the wall and to act fast, before Islam grips the UK by the throat and throttles the life out of evangelism and Christian speech.

One Gone, but Others Will Arise!

As you know, Barry was recently criticised by Bryn Jones’ surviving daughter, for saying that his ministry was far from Christian. Well, Barry equally criticises all charismatic leaders for taking others down a Satanic path. One of those was Kenneth Hagin, who died last month at the age of 86.

Without doubt this man was a heretic and liar. Yet, his followers numbered in the millions ‘naming it and claiming it’ in the name of Jesus! For this he will be suitably judged by God and will now know how wrong his whole life and teaching has been.

Similarly, that gross heretic, Benny Hinn, made two major ‘prophesies, this year and both never came to pass. Even so, his followers hang on to every word, ignoring the serious implications of being a false prophet!

Many more heretics are ready to take the place of the worst preachers this planet has ever known. That is why this ministry will continue to oppose them. Why? Because God demands obedience and truth from us, so that the true Church remains holy. Amen!

Barry receives quite a large number of complaints from heretics who lead so-called ‘ministries’. Their words can sometimes be heated and very unrighteous. Prayers much needed!

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Bible Theology Ministries

© Oct 2003

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