Rev. & Mrs. E. Anderson
EXTRACTS FROM LIFE
When you have lived a considerable number of years in relationship with God one gathers a tremendous amount in testimony to God’s grace and goodness in life. One discovers that He does some amazing things with ordinary people and through the course of this page I would share some of the wonderful and interesting experiences He has wrought. And all is to His honour and glory.
AMAZING GRACE
It is simply amazing what God’s grace can do and what lessons He can teach us in relation to it! Sometimes we are not always ready for the shock treatment that can take place in connection with the incredible goodness and power of God. John Newton never thought that he would compose the superlative and memorable hymn, ‘Amazing Grace’, but it did really happen to him.
I was overseeing the church at Chesterfield in the 1980’s and in the mid-week went along to hear a speaker at Cliff College. On that occasion he spoke from Psalm 51 of David’s restoration to the favour of God in a wonderful act of repentance which was accepted of the Lord. The passage and message laid hold of me and I sensed I ought to speak on it at our Sunday evening service.
Whilst in full flow with the utterance that night, I was suddenly possessed with the thought and truth that I must meet people where God’s grace meets them. Whilst maintaining a high spiritual and moral standard for my own life and ministry, yet at the same time I must cultivate this spiritual attitude to those who had fallen and messed their lives up. Little did I know that within twenty four hours that I would have to face a situation that would require this ministry of grace and understanding?
When giving the appeal, I was rather delighted because a couple responded and made the decision to respond to Christ and His offer of grace. It was customary for me or someone else to spend time in counsel afterwards to offer any help or service that would benefit further those who responded to Christ. On this occasion I did not take this route but spoke to them and said I would visit them in their home the following night. They appeared to be a respectable couple with a boy and girl nearing their teenage years.
I was welcomed into their nice home on the Monday evening and felt overjoyed at what had happened to them. Having been warmly greeted, Jim then said some rather shattering words that took me by surprise. He said, after you have heard my story you may not want have anything do with us. You may not desire us in your Christian community.
He then told me his story. He was a beautifully spoken Scotsman with a great deal of gift and ability, and certainly was a good communicator. Formerly he had belonged to a Brethren Christian Fellowship in Scotland and had been a Sunday School Superintendent. Unfortunately his first marriage had problems. He and his wife had seemingly been incompatible and as a consequence he had left her and committed adultery. However, he felt convicted and returned to her but again things didn’t work out and so left and made his way to England. He finished up with this woman and her family in Chesterfield where everything appeared to be going well and each felt suited to each other.
What was I to do? What action was I to take? The Lord quickly reminded me of what had been impressed on my spirit the night before in the pulpit. A great sense of spiritual restraint was upon me and I felt the Lord urge me to leave it in His hands to work out. It was not an easy situation to accept. Divorce proceedings were taking place and they intended to marry in the future. I took the direction of what I felt was the Lord’s mind and was somehow blessed by what ensued.
One Sunday morning one of our local men spoke on the need to be baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. He invited those who desired the experience to stand in the aisle whilst other believers prayed for them. Within a moment Jim had this wonderful blessing and was speaking with new tongues! The Lord was doing something gracious and of spiritual worth in his life.
One evening I took him out with me whilst I was on a preaching engagement. Having delivered the Word I gave an appeal to those who were hungry for more of God and that I would pray for them and Jim was immediate in response. As I prayed for him the Lord placed in my spirit the knowledge that he would know a Job experience of being blessed in a greater manner and measure. It was sometime afterwards that he testified of fresh movement in his affairs. He had been responsible for an insurance office in Sheffield and it had figured as being second lowest in the country. Through his management it was now second top and he was asked to move to Luton where his wife would be employed and they would be service with an extra car.
He joined a Christian assembly there and proved his worth. His divorce came through and he is now happily remarried. The latest news I received from his minister is that they are now relocated in Canvey Island with their own business. All that the Lord said would happen has occurred. How we stand in awe at the amazing, extraordinary and unique grace of God towards fallen men! Amazing grace!
