Embers - Atlantic Canada Christian Organizations

Timothy Ministry is now being featured on www.embers.org, a website dedicated to the promotion of Christian missions in the Maritimes. Articles written on this site will be transferred over, furthering the reach and awareness of TM. May the Lord always receive glory and honor from all of our ventures.

The thoughts, views, opinions, and perspectives expressed on Embers.org may or may not be the official beliefs of timothyministry.com

Timothy Ministry Itinerary

This page will be updated frequently as new events become confirmed. A link can be found on the side menu. All events will happen as the Lord wills.

Christmas in Fredericton: I'll be home in New Brunswick for the month of December to spend Christmas with my family. Afterwards, will be flying back to Utah January 5th.


EXPLORE PAST OUTREACHES:
Victoria, B.C.
Campus Ministry '07
Campus Ministry '06
Toronto, Ontario
Moncton, New Brunswick
The Tannery
Fredericton Farmer's Market

A Reprobate Mind

Preached Saturday, May 27, 2006, at the Fredericton Farmer's Market. No box, no music... this message caused the most people to stop and listen than I have ever seen yet. It seemed the entire section of the market was attentively listening to God's Word being proclaimed. "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient." (Romans 1:28)

Reprobate: [adj] marked by immorality; deviating from what is considered right or proper or good; "depraved criminals"; "a perverted sense of loyalty"; [syn: depraved, immoral, perverse, perverted] n : a person without moral scruples [syn: miscreant] v 1: reject as invalid 2: abandon to eternal damnation

I believe we are living in the last days of the earth, when men and women are turning away from sound doctrine, sounds thinking, becoming unreasonable and exchanging the truth of God for a lie. The evidence of this is found in both believers and non-believers alike. "The fool has said in his heart there is no God" and "many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." It is absolutely imperative that we walk before the Lord in holy reverence and righteousness, holding fast to the knowledge of God which He has made clear from the beginnning. Hear the vital words of Jesus: "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17) I just can't stress this enough.

Had an encounter with the police on this occasion, received a warning that I could be fined $25o dollars for causing a disturbance. Please pray that the door of the gospel be not hindered, and for wisdom on how I shall proceed. "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) Download below:

Eli Brayley - A Reprobate Mind (Open Air)

Then the Churches had Rest

"Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." - Acts 9:31

In the book of the Acts of the Apostles, the man who violently persecuted the Body of Christ (throwing them in prison and overseeing their death sentences), Saul of Tarsus, was miraculously apprehended and changed by an encounter with the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, as recorded in the ninth chapter. Saul then began to preach and teach in various cities, and later was introduced to the twelve apostles in Jerusalem, whom he spent much time with "coming in and going out" as we see in verse 28.

We can talk much about the result of this transformation in Saul's life, but what of the implications this conversion had on the corporate Body of Christ at that time? We come to our text in the 31st verse: "Then had the churches rest..." And rest they had indeed, though not for long; until the fires of persecution were re-kindled in chapter 12, when king Herod killed James the brother of John by the sword.

It is interesting to note, in verse 31, the advantage which accompanies this rest that the Church experiences. We see that the believers were edified. Meaning, they took that opportune time of rest to grow in faith and love with one another (2 Thessalonians 1:3), to be built up as Christians (Jude 1:20), to strengthen that which was weak (Hebrews 12:12), to practice those things which they had learned (Philippians 4:9), etc. The key to this verse is the following line: "...walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost..." The result of all this was the multiplication of those being saved.

We can draw a parallel between the circumstance of the early Church and the circumstance of the Western Church today. Namely, that we, like those believers in Judea, Samaria and Galilee, are experiencing a time of rest from persecution, from which we may worship the Lord in peace and safety. The question is: are we also being edified and multiplying?

There are two possible outcomes to rest. The first is edification, the second is deterioration. One stems from the fear of God, the other from careless complacency. One results from the comfort of the Holy Spirit, the other from the pursuit of comfort through other things. One harvests converts, the other yields nothing. It is vital that we recognize which outcome is resulting from our present time of rest: edification or deterioration? 

This is My Commandment

"And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it." - 2 John 5-6

Just a quick thought on this passage of Scripture: upon closer examination you will find that John presents us with a loop. First he commands that we love one another. Then he explains what love is, which is to keep Christ's commandments. And then he spells out just what the commandment of Jesus was: to love one another!

-Love one another = keeping the commandments

-Keeping the commandment = love one another

Whatever else, let us as Christians fulfill our Lord's command to love one another, just as [in the same way that] Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35)

www.timothyministry.com

A dear brother in the Lord had it on his heart to change the URL for this website, so from now on the new address will be www.timothyministry.com! Bless the Lord for his help and provision.


Psalm 146

Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.

I AM THAT I AM

This is a video segment from the preaching on Saturday, the 13th, at the market. The text is taken from Exodus 3:13-14, "And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."

A big thanks to those who came out to help sing and witness. We must be faithful in proclaiming the Word of God and allow the Spirit of the Lord to save men's souls. Eternal souls are at stake, and it is like in the days of old: "...the word of the LORD was rare in those days..." (1 Samuel 3:1) As the Church in Canada, we must be true to the Bible, to our faith and to our King, in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is nothing more important.

Market Outreach '06

Brothers and sisters,

Beginning this Saturday (the 13th) I will be picking up the ministry that began last summer at the Fredericton Farmer's Market. This will be started and carried on every Saturday at 11:00am until the end of August. What I would love to see is the local family of Christ come out and spend the vast majority of the day in evangelism, prayer and fellowship. I know this sounds idealistic, because at this time I cannot even see the body of Christ here coming together and doing something like that (how very sad)... but as William Carey has said: "Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God." I want to see Christians come together in one mind and accomplish something in this city.

If you have a desire to see lost souls won for Christ, to strengthen your witnessing skills, to build up courage and boldness in sharing your faith, to spend time in prayer for the city and to be in fellowship with other believers, then please come and help! The Lord can use whatever you offer to Him, and even the presence of supporting believers can turn the tide of the day. Only let this be your agenda: to win souls for Jesus.

Saturday's, at 11:00am, we will meet in the parking lot behind the Playhouse theatre. From there, Lord willing, we shall proceed mission work at the market using preaching, one-on-one witnessing, tracts, paintboards, singing... whatever the Lord may use. Following this we can have lunch together and fellowship one with another, and perhaps afterwards carry on the mission in downtown Fredericton. And if we may go even further... if the Lord wills we could even hit the bars in the evening, spreading the gospel light against the dark deeds of the night. Though this seems impossible to pull off, I will trust the Lord to get the job done. Whatever befalls, receive honor Lord Jesus!

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

The Making of a Minister

"Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead.)" - Galatians 1:1

The Pharisee, Saul, was an impressive man. I speak from a human perspective: "Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." (Philippians 3:5-6) If any man would be deemed qualified for the work of the ministry, our church boards today would vote unanimously. A brilliant scholar of the Scriptures, zealous, ostensibly spotless in godly piety... in modern Christian credentials the parallel might have appeared as such:

-born into a godly Christian home
-son of a long line of pastors
-touching the Scriptures, fundamental
-concerning zeal, active in numerous church programs
-touching Christian behaviour, blameless

Wouldn't such a man certainly be qualified for the ministry of the gospel? He would indeed in man's sight! When Samuel visited the home of Jesse searching for a king who would lead God's people, he took one look at handsome and tall Reuben and said in his heart, "Surely this is the one!" But God saw otherwise. We learned from this story that God sees what man does not see, and that God will choose whom He will: "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) It is not brilliance, talent or outward excellence that God is looking for in a man.

But wasn't Saul chosen by the Lord? Yes indeed, but hear the words of Paul, the new creature: "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." (Philippians 3:7) And: "But by the grace of God I am what I am." (1 Corinthians 15:10) His calling in Christ was not because of who he was or what he had done. He spoke from experience when he said to the brethren at Ephesus: "That [ye have] put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that [ye have] put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Ephesians 4:22-24) Off with the old man and his estimations, and on with the new! Paul was a new man in Christ Jesus, having been given a new mind to see spiritual things; a man chosen to be a minister before the Lord.

What then makes a minister, and what then should we think towards men filling this office? Do we look for university degrees, or even fiery Christian zeal? These things are commendable and beneficial, but they in themselves do not make a minister. They certainly didn't for Paul. So what then is the qualification? It is simply: the gifts and calling of God.

"At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister." (Acts 26:13-16)

"I have appeared unto thee for this purpose: to make thee a minister!" This is what distinguishes the called from the so-called; the anointed from the self-appointed. It is the the Lord Jesus Christ who decides, who chooses, who sets apart men for His purpose. "Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:1) It is not men that make ministers. Not of men (those chosen), nor by men (those who choose); but only by Jesus Christ.

Did the Lord use Paul's abilities? Yes. His keen intellect? Absolutely! But we have now a new man: broken, humbled; and called, not because of his great skills, not because of his great zeal, not because of his social standing, but because of the mercy, grace and sovereignty of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ toward this once ignorant man (1 Timothy 1:13). Paul was made a minister, and had absolutely nothing to boast about. This is why he could he say, "Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:1), and this is why he became the outstanding minister that he was, for whom we so gratefully give thanks and glorify God.

The Tannery

An Account of My First Laborings at the Tannery
Further Labor at the Tannery
Simple Gospel on a Cold February Day
Salvation in the Streets!
Soapbox Smashed, Nearly Beaten
More Fruit at the Tannery
"Will You Pray for Us?"
The Lamb Slain from the Foundation of the World
Three Men Going to Hell
The Daily Gleaner

Revival Forum

This will be a thread dedicated to the subject of revival.

-What is revival?
-How does revival happen?
-Examples of revival?

Post any questions or comments that pertain to revival and let's discuss this rationally, reasonably in the Spirit of grace. May God add His blessing!

Entertainment

Today's western Christians are saturated with entertainment. At this point I can see no distinction between believer and non-believer. Entertainment pervades our Christian lives. When we are at home we seek to be entertained. When we are at church we seek to be entertained. And all the while Jesus Christ weeps for the thousands of lost souls who perish all the day long. "The Lord is... not willing that any should perish..." (2 Peter 3:9) Oh, how I wish that we that are living would also not be willing that any should perish! How our lives would be different!

"Woe to them that are at ease in Zion..." (Amos 6:1)

I believe one of the biggest crimes of humanity is to soak yourself in entertainment while men and women go to hell and you have the answer. Have we no shame? What will we say when we stand before Christ on Judgment Day and have lived a life of selfish indulgence? Did Jesus die for a people like this? Did Jesus want His Church to be drunk on the fun and games of this life? No! "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:18) I speak to all Christians who entertain themselves in excess: Cease this sin and be filled with the Spirit!

Leonard Ravenhill said once, "Entertainment is the devil's substitute for God's joy." I say, "Entertainment is for those who have nothing better to do." What is entertainment? It's when you are bored and need your flesh to be stimulated. It's when you have nothing better to do but sit around and watch sports and worldy TV shows. Why not read the Word? Pray? Sing songs to the Lord? Get out of your house and be a witness for Christ? Clothe the naked? Heal the sick? Encourage the brethren?

If you put the letter 'a' in front of a word it reverses the meaning. For example: a 'thiest' is one who believes in God. An 'athiest' is one who does not believe in God. The word 'muse' means to think. The word 'amuse' means to not think... Will we, the body of Christ, shut our eyes and ears to the cry of the lost simply to be amused by the passing pleasures of this fading life? The most intelligent thing a person can do is serve the Lord.

God needs radical men and women who will run the race faster than any other contender. God needs soldiers who don't get entangled in the affairs of this life. God needs Christians to throw off the world and the lust of the flesh, and serve Him in newness of the Spirit, with ALL the heart, ALL the soul, ALL the mind and ALL the strength.


*(Sorry, I must clarify for everyone what I was trying to say above because I see it was badly put, for this I apologize:

First of all, I am working now this summer, and so I only have a short 15 minute break to post, so this particular post I rushed very quickly and didn't get to say all I wanted to. I have only 15 minutes to pull out my Bible, type up my thought, and find a picture! I apologize for this hasty post.

Okay, now I know full well the word 'amuse' doesn't actually mean to not think! This is obvious! This was actually more of a joke, something humorous just to make a point. I hope this clarifies things. Sorry for the confusion.

Secondly, I really didn't get to expound on the thought I had. For one, I know all forms of liesure is not wrong. The main point I wanted to say here was against EXCESS LIESURE. The key is excess. I believe the western church is saturated in entertainment and liesure, so much so that we waste so much time. Time is wasted on things that are acceptable, but become wrong due to excess. However, a lot of time is consumed on things that are not good for us: bad TV shows, music, etc. This is worldly and I strongly speak out against it.

Again, I am terribly sorry for the lack of clarity in this post, and I hope everyone can read this comment and see what I was trying to say.

God bless,
-Eli)

Sin's Human Captives

(Taken from "The Divine Conquest" chapter 2: In Word or In Power, by A.W. Tozer)

In asserting that faith in the gospel effects a change of life-motive from self to God, I am but stating the sober facts. Every man with moral intelligence must be aware of the curse that afflicts him inwardly; he must be conscious of the thing we call ego, by the Bible called flesh or self, but by whatever name called a cruel master and a deadly foe. Pharaoh never ruled Israel as tyrannically as this hidden enemy rules the sons and daughters of men. The words of God to Moses concerning Israel in bondage may well describe us all: "I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows." And when, as the Nicene Creed so tenderly states, our Lord Jesus Christ "for us men, and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried, and the third day He arose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father," what was it all for? That He might pronounce us technically free and leave us in our bondage? Never. Did not God say to Moses, "I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey . . . and thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Let my people go"? For sin's human captives, God never intends anything less than full deliverance. The Christian message rightly understood means this: The God who by the word of the gospel proclaims men free, by the power of the gospel actually makes them free. To accept less than this is to know the gospel in word only, without its power.

Prayer: Thank You, Kind Father, that the power of the gospel makes us free.

The Daily Gleaner

"SOAPBOX SERMON: Eli Brayley, with his Bible in hand, was preaching to passerbyers on King Street recently." (Daily Gleaner 02/05/06)

Last Friday a friend and I went out preaching on King Street and for the most part the afternoon went very well. I started the day by preaching from James 4:6, "God resisteth the proud but giveth grace unto the humble." I was talking about how Jesus the Son of God humbled Himself to lowly man, to a manger, to rejection and to the cross. It was awesome to see many people listening to the gospel. The local Rabbi even was there to hear a bit of the sermon!

After preaching for a while my friend got up to preach for the very first time, and ironically, a photographer from the Daily Gleaner came right around the corner about 1 minute into his message. The guy from the Gleaner started talking to my friend thinking it was me, telling him that he had heard how I was preaching all over Fredericton, etc... finally he figured out it wasn't him but the myself standing off to the side! It was quite unusual.

Well, I was done preaching. The anointing and power was present earlier but at this point I did not feel to preach any further. But the Gleaner guy wanted a picture of me so I got up on the box again and started preaching, but after I didn't feel right about it. I felt like I had preached for the sake of the picture rather then for God and the people. So when I found the photographer later on I asked him if he would not put the picture in the paper. He was quite upset and literally stormed off when I insisted.

Well, needless to say, he put the picture in the newspaper, and to my dismay I f0und out about it at work today. That's just how the world is, but the Lord knows... perhaps the picture will work for good, as the Bible says in Romans 8:28.

That's all for now, dear saints. Keep building yourselves up in the most holy faith.