The Desk
Our Purpose and Vision.
Adrian Gray
Missions.Over the years, the Believers Newsletter has been put to the test as to whether it could remain non-partisan, especially through its determination to not be aligned to, or under the opinion of any pastoral, ministerial or fellowship identity. If the committee had fallen from these values then its whole purpose as a neutral platform for the benefit of all, would have been reduced to the farcical exercise of being a lapdog to the potentials of doctrinal fashion and ambitious personalities.
My grateful thanks goes out to the pastors and brethren who through spiritual maturity have supported and encouraged us as we have endeavoured to keep these virtues intact during what has been a most formidable time.
With any blessing brought to the Bride, there is a war involved and as the year unfolds, the battle will get stronger as every minion from the bottomless pit exerts its last gasping stab to defeat the undefeatable Bride.
Rome's strategy is to divide and conquer whether it be an engineered credit crisis, trouble in the east again or the polarizing of message believers. Our peace is to look at the unseen through revelated eyes and know as Elisha [who is our type] that there are more for us than there are against us.
Hebrews 12:27 "And this Word, yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain."
My parting shot is to say confidently on behalf of the Believers Newsletter and the Bride of Christ, "IT'S TOO LATE DEVIL, YOU LOST. Get used to it!!!"
An Interview with BNL Webmaster.
David Shearer
BNL Webmaster.Q. Charles. Give us some background... How did you become the BNL Webmaster ?
A. Dave. In late 2012 Bro Charles asked me to look at the BNL website to upgrade and update it. I wasn’t sure if I was up to the job, as the pages made extensive use of “styles” to keep them consistent with each other. Shortly I was able to get my head around the design of the pages, and we proceeded to update the existing pages and to add new ones.
Q. Charles. Did it require any formal training or skills ?
A. Dave. I have always been involved with Technical things, but I am not a professional programmer, but just recently, I realised that the Lord had been training me, since 1980. Brother Branham says God might train you for 50 years for 5 minutes work. Looking back I can see how He had developed my skills without me realising it.
Q. Charles. Did you have any special blessings as you developed the website ?
A. Dave. I was very conscious of the presence of the Lord while I was coding the site, I would ask Him for guidance, as what to place where, and what to write. Many times I was blessed with what He showed me to do. I was especially thrilled with the page on the Resurrection ( The Tomb is empty ) which He gave me one night at about 2am. I had to get up to jot down some notes, in case I forgot by the morning.
Q. Charles. How did you choose the Languages that are on the website now ?
A. Dave. For about 2 years before this I had talked to many people using the Internet - sharing the Gospel and the message. It was my way of continuing a conversation by providing resources from the Message Hub. For some, there was no sermons available in their language, so the brief summaries may be all that they see. Stuff from Bro. Owen Jorgensen translated quite well because it was written simply and straightforward.
Q. Charles. How do you translate ? Was there any special challenges. ?
A. Dave. I translate using software. I don’t know languages, except for a little bit of schoolboy French. The main skill I have is “pattern recognition”. This allows me to translate into a number of languages. The software makes errors though, but I am not so concerned about that, as the books from the Message Hub are what produces life in a believer.
I start with a control file, which has every bit of English on a page. This includes all of the text, picture captions, as well as the page controls ( links to other pages). These are translated and then copied into a copy of the English web page. The Internet runs English commands for web pages, these all stay the same.
I found the use of some “terms”, that we take for granted in English, can be difficult, as is capitalisation. The software doesn’t translate “the Word” correctly, as it assumes it is some ones name. It also has trouble with the “I am” - it assumes there needs to a qualifier like “I am happy” rather than a state of being - The “self existing one”.
Q. Charles. So having English as the page commands helps ?
A. Dave. Yes. It helps me to locate the parts of the page. You remember when the Earth was one language ( before Babylon ) there was power in the unity of thought. Our message is a common way of thinking, so it transcends cultural and ethnic boundaries. The Bride is being called from “every nation, language and tongue.” It is a staggering thought when you consider that in China there is something like 97 languages. We don’t have to produce material in all 97, as most understand one of the main ones. It is then up to God to do the calling.
Quote...
But as soon as Jesus appeared, He had a sign: a Pillar of Fire, a light above Him, like a dove come down, a voice saying, "This is My beloved Son, Whom I am well pleased." Notice. And John immediately said, "He must increase; I must decrease." He presented the church to Christ. Amen. We're told that in the last days that will repeat again. There's going to be a message come forth that'll introduce the Messiah to the people. It'll be in such a way they'll stand dumbfounded like they did then.
William Branham - The Voice of the Sign (1964)
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.
For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?
2 Samuel 22:31-32
