This is part 1 of a 2-part message. The concluding podcast will be available on the 13th of March.

Dr. Albert Chambers is currently preaching on these aspects of the Holy Spirit:

• Resist Not the Spirit
• Quench Not the Spirit
• Grieve Not the Spirit

Listen to part of this message, delivered in Paragon Chapel, London E5 0JP on Sunday 7th February 2010.

Dr Albert Chambers moved to mainland Britain from Northern Ireland at the end of the 60’s. God called him to London. God took him a step at a time and as the months went on the vision started to evolve.

In the summer of 1969, with a small group of people, who also were taking their ‘first steps’ the first open-air of the new found World Vision for Christ, took place in Worthing, Sussex. From those summer months, until 31st December 1969 World Vision for Christ planned a strategy!

The Newham recorder, writing about our small group, in the 1970’s, said we were a ‘small group of revolutionaries ….’ and that is what we were, hidden away in a tiny flat in the East End of London. Low profile… big impact!

Here is a decade by decade account of what was started within that period and how things continue to date. Please bear in mind, that not many organisations were attempting to do what we started in those ‘early years’. You will note that we did not restrict ourselves to one particular outreach, we covered many areas.

1970-1980 The Planting Years

• 1st major tract distribution started in East London
• 1st Children’s ‘Special’ started in Essex Road School, E12
• Opens Airs continue in market places in UK
• Petticoat Lane Open-Air started
• Started to print our own materials and made the service available to other churches.
• Overseas Missions
• Ministry into Ireland with crusades and monthly trips back.
• Started the Film Ministry
• Started filming crusades & meetings on 8mm film.
• Recording all meetings, first on reel-to-reel then on cassette.
• Started tent ministry, first with hired tents, then purchased our own. Tents throughout London, Birmingham, Bristol.
• Meetings in Westminster Central Hall.
• Church Crusades.
• Start of the annual distribution of ‘Poppy Tract’
• Israel Tours started.
• Put the message ‘The Impossible thing …’ onto gramophone record.
• During this decade we met Rev Jim Patterson, who was to become a very close friend and minister in the Gospel.
• A young man, who had just made his decision for the Lord, made our acquaintance, that was Evangelist David McKivett!

1980-1990 The Developing Years

• Became a registered charity with constitution & aims of the charity
• Radio Ministry into the USA.
• Radio Ministry into East, West & Central Africa
• Purchased 53 seater coaches
• Weekly visits in our 53 seater coaches to Birmingham to strengthen the hands of those recently converted during the Birmingham Tent Crusades.
• Purchase of the Birmingham Church
• Bible Conferences started
• Updated 8mm filming to video filming
• Overseas missions & tent crusades continued.
• Petticoat Lane & Market Open Airs contined. Children’s Ministry continued.
• Bookstores opened in: Ridley, Brixton & Manor Park
• Weekly Church meetings, in London, continued for those recently converted in London tent crusades, using rented buildings.
• Trafalgar Square Open-Airs

1990-2000 The Consolidating Years

• Purchase of Paragon Chapel
• Paragon Christian Academy started
• Purchase of 243 Glyn Road for senior
• PCA students
• Purchase of Centre in Ireland
• Purchase of Radio Star
• Published ‘Foundations of Faith’

Continuing from previous decades:

• Children’s ministry
• Petticoat Lane Open Air
• Open-Airs in market places
• Tent Crusades
• Ministry into Ireland
• Radio Ministry into Africa & Ireland
• Overseas Missions
• Printing
• Tract Distribution
• Annual Poppy Tract distribution
• Bible Conferences
• Bible Stores
• Videos & Audio recordings
• Church Programme

2000-2010 Continuing & Expecting

• Purchase of Emanuel Hall, Stratford
• Updating of audio/video system
• Started Friday street outreach in Stratford shopping area.
• Paragon Chapel refurbished and re-wired.

Continuing from previous decades:

• Children’s Ministry
• Petticoat Lane Open Air
• Open-Airs in market places
• Tent Crusades
• Ministry into Ireland
• Radio Ministry into Africa & Ireland
• Overseas Missions
• Printing
• Tract Distribution
• Annual Poppy Tracts distribution
• Bible Conferences
• Bible Stores
• Video/Audio recordings
• Church Programmes
• Paragon Christian Academy
• Upkeep of Radio Star

What do we want for the coming years? …

Our immediate plans are to continue pursuing the vision God gave to His servant, and his ‘band of dedicated revolutionaries’, all those years ago.

For 2010 we want to develop a Social Care Programme for the older members in our Assembly.

We also need to nurture the youngsters who are attending church week by week, that they will have a ‘passion for Christ and His Kingdom work’. World Vision for Christ values your prayers, your presence and your financial support. Part of our constitution written with the help of a Godly solicitor all those years ago says:

To promote the Christian faith by any or all of the following means:

Conducting Christian crusades.
Publication & distribution or circulation of religious books, literature or pamphlets.
Establishment & maintenance of centres for young people in need of Christian guidance
Christian guidance by telephone
Production & distribution of Christian films
Conducting of childrens meetings, to bring together children from all walks of life, colour and creed and to teach the principles of the Christian faith.
Support of missionaries & evangelism
Purchase or lease or mortgaging of property

You should point to the whole man Jesus and say, ‘’That is God.’’

Martin Luther (1483-1546) German priest and scholar.

Jesus is the God whom we can approach without pride and before whom we can humble ourselves without despair.

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) French mathematician, physicist and philosopher.

Do you wish to see that which is really sublime? Repeat the Lord’s Prayer.

Napoleon I (1769-1821) Napoleon Bonaparte. French general, First Consul

A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act.

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) Preeminent leader of Indian nationalism.

Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I myself have founded empires; but upon what do these creations of our genius depend? Upon force, Jesus alone founded His empire upon love; and to this very day millions would die for Him.

Napoleon I (1769-1821) Napoleon Bonaparte. French general, First Consul

But what do you think?

Faith Like Potatoes (click picture for trailer)

Showing at Paragon Chapel on the 4th of December at 8pm

Based on the novel Faith Like Potatoes, this inspiring film tells the story of Angus Buchan, a South African farmer who suffers a series of seemingly insurmountable losses, but through an unlikely friendship with his Zulu farmhand and divine interventions, discovers the key to healing himself and learning to accept others lies in his unwavering belief in the power of faith.

Well, it’s that time again! Christmas is already around the corner… Once again we have our end of year festivities at Paragon Chapel in Hackney.

Our school, Paragon Christian Academy, will perform their Christmas Performance for us. Attending is a great way to show your support for both the children and for the work that the staff and ministry are achieving in working with these young lives.

The PCA Christmas Presentation will take place at 7pm on Saturday the 12th of December. Free Admission.

We will also have our Annual Christmas Banquet at Paragon Chapel. A great way to catch up with friends and make new ones.

Christmas banquet will take place on Saturday 19th December at 7.30pm. There will be a minimal charge of £5 to cover expenses.

Dr. Albert Chambers and the whole World Vision for Christ Team, warmly invite you to join us!

Sunday the 4th of October 6.30pm, Paragon Chapel

The Reverend Jim Patterson will host an evening of singing, testimony and encouragement in God’s Word at Paragon Chapel

Come and join us as we listen to Jim Patterson give his amazing testimony about how God has saved, healed and delivered Jim from the depths of despair to the wonders of the saving power and love of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is part two of  two. Dr. Chambers preaches on Acts chapter 10. In this passage, the Apostle Peter visits the house of Cornelius the centurion.

I have just been looking at Abigail’s wonderful collection of African photos on her ‘facebook’. She is following in the footsteps her father, Dr. Albert Chambers, who has ministered to multitudes of African, men women and children during his Crusades in Kenya. Pastors and laymen from Tanzania, Mozambique and Uganda travelled many miles to attend those meetings too.

It was good to see Abi’s smiling face among the many children, both at the Orphanage in Ogbomoso and among the families in outlying villages. Her brother Alexander, friend Angela Owusu and Gerry Blezard were also good companions to travel with and together they accomplished much in the short time there. The trip was a great encouragement to Sister Lara, the Founder and Administrator of the Orphanage.

September has brought with it the beginning of our seventeenth (!) Autumn Term for Paragon Christian Academy and of course the beginning of the seventeenth Academic year of this great institution! We are so grateful to God for His guiding and guarding Hand all down the years and for the many students that have graduated and gone on to Universities and subsequently to fulfilling employment. Five of whom are now themselves either full time teachers in PCA or giving some of their time and expertise in the school curriculum. That’s good ’seeding off’ friends. Keep this Ministry in your prayers; it really is a working one.

As Senior Pastor for the assemblies of World Vision for Christ and for Paragon Christian Academy I am very conscious of the great responsibility upon me.

Each day I talk to all the students of PCA. This new year their ages range from 31/2 to 16+. That is a vast difference in understanding and of course the ability of concentrate. But even children as young a 3 can remember and that is why it is good to instill in them the Word of God. Their young minds can and do retain God’s Word.

My theme to start the 2009/2010 academic year it: Christ the centre of the school. We are Paragon CHRISTIAN Academy. I then talked about the Spartans, the Greeks, and the Jews. How the Spartans developed their physical strength and might, they made this the centre of their society. The Greeks put philosophy at the centre of their society, both failed. However, we look at the Jews, a race of people we can recognise whatever nation they are in, a people that have been persecuted and almost wiped out, and say: what is it that these people have that keeps them? Theology – God at the centre. The Jews, in the main, recognise there is a Creator.

And so, each day since school resumed I have emphasised CHRIST is the centre of our school and our curriculum.

In my watching and reading of news I observe how sadly lacking our own society has become. Christ is no longer the centre of our education system (hence it being called ’secular’). He is no longer acknowledged in our health & social care, our police and law establishments, parliament, our prisons and our financial institutions. In fact Christians, who work in these establishments, are being hounded more and more for sharing their faith and offering hope, by those above them. How strange this is, when all of the above were started by Christian reformers. It was when there was an acknowlegement of a Creator that these places were good and showed integrity.

Dear reader, made Christ THE centre of your home, your family and indeed your very life. Without Him everything will crumble and fail.