I was reading a little about Brownlow North, who was an evangelist and preacher some 150 or so years ago in Scotland. Not sure that I would have the courage to do what he did in the story recounted below: but could, potentially, with my somewhat chequered past (though perhaps not as chequered as North’s), be put in a similar position.
Brownlow North
The Scottish evangelist Brownlow North came to Christ in November 1854 after living a life of debauchery. After his conversion, he gave up his old ways and immediately began to share the gospel. One day, just prior to entering the church in Inverness, he was handed an anonymous letter saying:
“Brownlow North, you miserable hypocrite!” The letter then contained lurid details of his past, and concluded:
“Now, you wretched hypocrite! You know that every word of this letter is true; will you, after reading it, dare to go into that pulpit, and rant and rave, and preach what you call the gospel?”
North was shaken by the letter, but he put it into his pocket, and when the time for his message came, he read these familiar words from 1 Timothy 1:15:
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am chief.”
North then told of the letter handed to him, confessed to his sorrow and shame that the accusations were true, preached that God had forgiven him and finally said if God could forgive him he could forgive anyone. Brownlow North continued his powerful ministry for the next twenty years until his death.
About Paul Sibley
Andrew Gosden (now 18) has been missing from his Doncaster home since 14 September 2007. The search continues.
Elizabeth Jackson on 