Australasian Record and Advent World Survey for 1975

0.0.11111 tArAr AUSTRALASIAN RECORD AND ADVENT WORLD SURVEY 711.1101111111 //II VIIIWSW 1111111 IMF winr .411011010•11 MI 11111111111/./ _s -..l ' -.40110•••• • /f• ••••111/0// EDITOR: R. H. PARR WARBURTON, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA Volume 80, Number 7 Price: 10 cents February 17, 1975 This One Thing I Do" Address by DR. B. B. BEACH, Secretary, Northern Europe-West Africa Division, at the funeral service of Pastor John F. Coltheart, Stanborough Park Church, Watford, England, on October 14, 1974. "I HAVE FOUGHT long and hard for my Lord, and through it all 1 have kept true to Him. And now the time has come for me to stop fighting and rest. In heaven a crown is waiting for me which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of His return. And not just to me, but to all those whose lives show that they are eagerly looking forward to His coming back again." 2 Timothy 4: 7, 8, The Living Bible. These words of Paul reflect the life and Typically, there was no dilly-dallying on they prayed for him. Before too long thinking of John Frederick Coltheart, his part. He simply sent a telegram home Raye Williams was introduced to the fire- whom we fondly remember today. saying he was leaving for New Zealand. victim and on another summer day in It is said that when nature has a work He spent Christmas on board ship and 1948 John Coltheart and Raye Williams to be done, she creates a genius to do it. saved money by sleeping up on deck. were married. Thus began a fruitful When God has a work to be done, He He started work at Whakatane with evangelistic partnership which lasted for calls a diligent servant and gives him Alvin Cook (today Ministerial Association twenty-six years. more than genius, an unction from on secretary of Trans-Africa Division) and Ordination came in December, 1952, and high. John Coltheart was such a servant. helped raise a company the first year. then came campaign after campaign, in His was not a long life, but a full life. Here he had a somewhat disheartening city after city. John Coltheart didn't have He did not go to death as an old man, experience: he was burned out while away the outlook of a residential-congregational but death came to him. Benjamin Frank- at the meeting hall. He learned a lesson minister hovering over the faithful flock, lin, that font of simple wisdom, wrote in we must remember today: "All things work but the pioneering spirit of the evangelist "Poor Richard's Almanac": "Wish not so together for good to them that love breaking new ground and winning new much to live long as to live well." God." In fact, some 128 kilometres away souls—his was both spearhead and reap- there was a charming young nurse, and ing evangelism. And so he conducted John Coltheart was born on a summer she with the other church members got large campaigns in half a score of day in 1924—two weeks before Christmas— the news about the young Australian countries, speaking to large audiences, in Launceston, Tasmania. He did not minister who had lost all his things, and 10,000 in Sydney, 8,000 in London, and have a very promising start because he regularly between 3,000 and 5,000 when was very sick when a young child and the launching his campaigns. Only Heaven doctors indicated that he wouldn't live. knows how many souls he, together with His parents—of good Methodist stock— his teams, has won—perhaps 2,000 to accepted the Advent message when he was 3,000 as a direct result. six years old and guided him into the church. At the age of fourteen he was He came to England in 1965, and in 1967 baptized by Pastor George Burnside who he became the Northern European Divi- will be conducting the funeral memorial sion evangelist. Later he became sec- service in Australia on October 27. John retary of the Ministerial Association. Coltheart brought his first convert, a After London, great cities like Bristol, friend and schoolmate, to be baptized with Stockholm, Edinburgh, Rotterdam, Hel- him. sinki, Oslo, and Amsterdam heard his voice and message. He was eloquent because It was the inspiration of a persevering truth was on his side. He was simple, mother that led him to want to become because his thinking was clear. One a minister, instead of a metallurgical passage of Scripture summarizes the tone chemist. He went to Avondale College or quality of his mind: "This one thing where he did very well and was chosen I do." Phil. 3: 13. Evangelism—this was one year as Dux of Avondale College. his only real interest and he gave it While in college taking the ministerial everything he had, including life itself. course he engaged in a public evangelistic Oh, yes, he was interested in mineralogy— campaign with David K. Down, who later he had a fine rock collection—but this was became a missionary to India. Souls were a pleasant hobby for the purpose of re- won. While other students enjoyed socials laxation. But evangelism was the over- or went to picnics, John was working or powering force and influence in his involved in evangelism. dynamic life. There was a singleness of When he graduated from Avondale in The late Pastor J. F. Coltheart. purpose in his ministry: he knew what 1945 he received a call to New Zealand. Photo: P. Sundquist. harbour he was making for, and therefore Registered for posting as a Periodical—Category A [2] 17/2/75 AUSTRALASIAN RECORD made good use of varying and difficult out delay. God said No. The answer winds. our prayers receive is not always the an- However, I would say, with all due swer our finite hearts desire. When we respect, that John Coltheart's greatest ask God for an answer we must not com- contribution was not really the great cam- plain if the answer hurts us, because we paigns as such which he conducted. His do not know the end from the beginning. most lasting gift to God's church in It is only right that we today unabashed- Europe is the spirit of evangelistic success ly remind ourselves that we "sorrow not, which he has instilled in scores of workers even as others which have no hope." THAT TIRED FEELING from Britain to Finland. When he came 1 Thessalonians 4: 13. If all our ambitions, (Part One) to Europe, he met with an army of pastor- dreams, studies, friendships and loves were evangelists loyally going into battle, not to be swallowed up in the stark calm of FATIGUE is a symptom produced by a used to victory and almost expecting death, then life indeed would be a mean variety of conditions, among which are defeat. He galvanized their evangelistic trick, and Hemingway would be right in anemia, hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, spirit. He gave them a new sense of saying that we are simply a colony of ants infectious hepatitis, mononucleosis, and mission and success. He showed that on a burning log. Marlene Dietrich used even 'flu and the common cold. But if a public evangelism can still attract large to sing a song which presents the pathetic medical check-up has not uncovered an crowds. He said: "Where I am one, I picture of those who have no hope: explanation for your chronic tiredness, want to raise a hundred evangelists." Where have all the flowers gone? the problem may be in the area of physical News of his death in St. Albans, on Young girls have picked them, every fitness, nutrition or psychological well- Monday, October 12, swept like a prairie- one . being. fire throughout the Division. An ava- Where have all the young girls gone? First, consider the fact that you may be lanche of messages, from all parts of the Gone to husbands, every one . tired from carrying around excess weight. world, has poured in. One recurrent Where have all the husbands gone? If you don't believe it, try doing your usual theme found in these letters, cards and Gone to soldiers, every one . activities while carrying around an 11 kg cables is "He changed my life; I received Where have all the soldiers gone? (twenty-five lb) bag of flour. more help from him than from any other Gone to graveyards, every one . With your doctor's approval, begin an person in my ministerial labours; he has Where have all the graveyards gone? aerobic exercise programme such as the given us a new sense of evangelism, a new Gone to flowers, every one . one recommended by Kenneth Cooper, evangelistic spirit!" And the greatest And so the carousel of questions begins M.D.* His programme calls for brisk tribute to John Coltheart will be as the another forlorn turn and round of ques- walking, running, cycling, or swimming. evangelists go out and preach the gospel tions. But thanks be to God, for us the This kind of exercise is important not only truths as he taught them. Thus we will question is not "Where have all the flowers to help shed unwanted weight, but to in- honour him more with remembrance than gone?" but "What can separate us from crease the body's ability to deliver oxygen tears, and more with active soul-winning the love of Christ?" and the ringing, vic- to the tissues, where it is burned to pro- than remembrance! He is great who torious answer is: "For I am convinced duce energy.

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