Gary Hall
I was raised as a Roman Catholic and intended to become a priest after I left school, but the Lord had other plans for me. In 1973, at the age of 17, I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour at the headquarters of the Liverpool City Mission. This immediately caused problems regarding my family. My mother and father were against what they called my "change of religion". The situation came to a climax when I arrive home one evening from a Christian friend's house only to be met by my father on the doorstep with the words, "You don't live here anymore". So at the age of 18 I would have been homeless but for the kindness of friends. One cannot rely on the goodness of others for too long, so I decided to move into a local boarding house. What I saw and experienced there cannot be written here. Eventually, after spending time living rough and in the Salvation Army hostel, I found my own apartment. I had fallen away from the Lord for two years at this time. My thoughts went back to my childhood desire to become a Roman Catholic priest. I made enquiries and found that the only real option for me was to become a monk in the Franciscan Order. The Saturday before I was due to leave for the monastery in Guildford, Surrey, I pleaded with the Lord, asking, "Lord, is it your will that I should become a monk like St. Francis?" That evening I attended a tent meeting in a local park. A preacher from Northern Ireland, Derrick Bingham, was teaching from the book of Nehemiah. During the service the preacher turned to my direction (there were about 500 people present) and said, God does not want you to become a monk like St. Francis of Assisi." Here was my answer from the Lord. From that moment I made a complete break from the Catholic Church and have come to see it as the biggest cult that this world knows. In 1979 I joined a church, The Mission, in the neighbourhood where I was living. From the moment I walked through the door of that small building I knew that I was home. The godly lifestyle and inspired teaching of Pastor Charles Bolton (promoted to glory 12 December 2003) and his wife brought me back to my first love for Christ. The church had no young people, but I never once felt that I was out of place. These people obviously loved the Lord. In my desire to reach others with the Gospel of Jesus Christ I began to give leaflets out in Liverpool City Centre. Many a Saturday afternoon was spent witnessing to those willing to stop and listen. On one Saturday in late Autumn 1979 I was approached by a girl with an Irish accent. She asked if I was a Christian and where the church I attended was located. The next morning the same girl was found at The Mission. To cut a short story shorter, six months later on March 29 1980, we were married by Pastor Bolton at The Mission. Margaret, my wife, also comes from a Catholic background, but was soundly converted to Christ and from the errors of Rome whilst visiting relatives in New York in the summer of 1979. (You may find her personal testimony one day on these pages.) In 1986 Pastor Bolton retired from the ministry at The Mission. The leadership of the church was handed over to me. To be very honest I did not fully understand what this would entail, but the Lord has been good and has led me each step of the way. Through the Lord's power we have been used to reach many hundreds of people, though our fellowship is actually small in number. In 1988 we changed the name of the church to Living Word. I am convinced that God is about to pour out His Spirit in revival one last time before the Return of the Lord Jesus Christ (see my article on Revival on this site). This revival will not come via the charismatic movement, it will not come from Toronto or Pensacola, it will not come from the ecumenical movement or the so-called Churches Together - these movements are bankrupt of the truth and the Spirit of God. This final revival will come as a result of the true believers in Christ Jesus getting right with Him. The revival will include a return to the Authorised King James Bible. My great desire is to see people coming to know Jesus as Saviour and Lord, to see backsliders returning, and to see the church of Christ revived. Though I have many failings I love the Lord Jesus Christ with all of my heart. I am willing to serve Him wherever and whenever He sees fit. The word of God is the delight of my life for I'm still amazed after all these years just how fresh and new The Holy Bible is each day!
View all articles by Gary Hall“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure”
(Philippians 2:12-13)
Introduction
God created everything according to His will. There is nothing created that does not have a purpose, therefore God has a purpose for each of our lives. The apostle Paul states that God is working in those who have submitted themselves to Him. This submission means that we ought to please Him in every aspect of our lives. God’s activity in our lives must produce results, that is, what He is working in should be worked out. This is the divine cause and effect. How can we do His good pleasure?
We must accept His pardon
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself” (Ephesians 1:3-9).
Do we truly trust Christ? Are we assured of salvation? To fail at this point makes the whole Christian life a waste of time and a sham. Those who do believe in the life-changing, sin-forgiving power of the blood of Jesus Christ know that they are sealed in Him. If doubts should arise and cause a crack in assurance, faith quickly seals the fault.
If we believe that God has forgiven us then we can assure our hearts that we belong to Him. This is the faith that the Holy Spirit uses to seal the agreement between God and man. Just as Elizabeth II adds her seal of approval to various products, the Holy Spirit stamps His seal on our lives the instant we exercise faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. This authorising seal identifies us as fully fledged followers of Christ who have trust and confidence in God’s unchanging word … “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Those who believe that they are saved know that they are “sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30), and that God is involved in every aspect of their lives, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His” (2 Timothy 2:19).
We ought to sing God’s praises
“Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalm 149).
God takes pleasure in the praises and worship of those who have truly committed their lives to Him. This holds true for communal worship as well as our personal devotions. The worship God delights in is not the grovelling adoration of those trying to placate an angry deity, for such has always been the spiritless praise of false religion, instead it is the joyous worship of those who know that the Lord loves and beautifies them (:4). Unto God we offer “high praises” (:6) with clean hands and purity of heart (Psalm 24:3-4). These are the “joyful” ones that do not forsake the assembly of the saints (Hebrews 10:25).
We must obey God’s will
“I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy Thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto Thee” (1 Chronicles 29:17).
David understood that God takes “pleasure in uprightness”, but very few of our generation do! Walking uprightly is not the same as being a morally upright person. Man’s morality is according to his own desire, feeling, and world view. Perceived morality can be another man’s immorality. The absolute foundation for uprightness is God’s will not ours.
If God is to receive honour and pleasure from our uprightness then it follows that we have to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is [our] reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be … transformed by the renewing of [our] mind, that [we] may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2). We must avoid all that is offensive to Him, for David declared, “For Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with Thee” (Psalm 5:4), but “The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy” (Psalm 147:11).
We need to walk in God’s presence
“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).
God truly delights to be in the presence of His people … “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). Therefore it ought to be our delight to walk in His presence. In reality, the only thing that keeps us from His presence is sin. Adam and Eve learned this costly lesson (Genesis 3:8).
If we aim to walk in the presence of the Lord then our feet are always on holy ground. On holy ground everything is sacred and dedicated to God. This means that nothing of this sin-polluted world is acceptable in the holy place (God’s presence). The desire of those who walk in the presence of God is never to trample upon the sacred or undermine true holiness, instead they adhere to the advice of Paul in Colossians 3:17, “Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.”
Conclusion
Moses, in Deuteronomy 6:5, says, “Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” The Lord Jesus Christ calls this the “great commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38). It is the highest duty of the true child of God to please Him in every way, to do everything, say everything, and behave in a way that honours Him. How can we hope to hear those words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant … enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21) if we refuse to please God?
