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Avanti Ministries - April 2014
Thank You!
We would like to thank all of the individuals and organizations that have taken the time to write to Mr. Tony Anthony offering their heartfelt and supportive messages. Following the systematic, disgraceful and very public attack he has endured, Tony has been overwhelmed at the extent of support offered. The prayers have been valued beyond words and the encouraging cards and flowers sent have been gratefully received by Tony and his family.
According to Scripture, Tony chose to step back from the desire to defend himself or to strike back at the allegations and those making them (see Matthew 5:11-12; Mark 15:5; 1 Corinthians 1:1-8; 1 Peter 2:20-23). Instead, he has chosen to focus on continuing the spreading of the gospel and encouraging others to do the same.
A rising number of people have noted their deep concern at the hindrance the attack has made to the spreading of the gospel, in accordance to the Great Commission. Some of them conducted their own investigations into the matter, one such person being Mr. Ian Bruce. Mr. Bruce and his team spent several months investigating the allegations. They approached Tony and his wife for permission to disclose some of their findings and these have been posted to Mr. Bruce’s information website. Following its publication, other responses also came on-line. (Links to the website and some of these responses are below). Please feel free to leave a comment, if you feel it is appropriate to do so.
http://www.forthesakeofthegospel.co.uk
http://www.theway.co.uk/news-9517-christian-publication-crucifies-uk-evangelist
Once again, thank you for supporting Tony’s ministry of spreading the Gospel. You can access his website via this link:
God bless you,
The Support Group to Mr. Tony Anthony
Pass It On
We believe that every child should have the opportunity to experience the Bible.
That is why in 2014 we have launched ‘Pass It On’, (*.pdf) a campaign to encourage parents to read, watch or listen to a Bible story with their child. We aspire to offer one million children a 'Bible Bedtime' throughout the year.
Our campaign is about the people that count in children’s lives helping to keep the Bible alive for many generations to come. We want to remind all those that value this classic text, regardless of their reason, that we must ‘use it or lose it’.
Download Zipfile Pdf file
For further information: http://biblestudyuk.com/about_the_bible/about_the_bible.htm#English%20Bible%20History
Southend-on-Sea - Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education
Syllabus for Religious Education (School children - Years 1-9) (*.PDF) (Effective from September 2013)
WIKIPEDIA.ORG BLACKOUT 18 JANUARY 2012
This is to protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (Pipa).
It has been argued that this will threaten the availability of freely available information which can make websites, such as this Bible Study website possible. Please click onto the icon (left) to download a 'Zip' file containing the information.
Bringing History To Life - A Celebration of 400 years of the King James Version of the Bible
1. The King James Version anniversary trail links sites in London to the history of the age.
King James Version Anniversary Trail Brings History To Life
The trail starts from Southend by coach and then it’s followed on foot, as well as by coach, around historic sites in London. The sites blend with colourful characters of history to trace 100 years of events that led to the King James Version of the Bible being published 400 years ago in 1611.
To help in bringing history to life, there are drawings and maps of the age and a copy of a customs document form the Public Records Office naming the head of Customs in the port of London when Bible smuggling was taking place.
The character of the nation was shaped in the 16th and 17th centuries by people such as Henry VIII, Elizabeth 1st and James 1st. The reign of the Tudors ended and the Stuarts took over. It was the start of the first information age when technology took off with London becoming a centre of printing. The machine of this media revolution gave its name to the modern day ‘press’.
Sites and People
All eight sites on the trail have their story to tell. In 16th century England Bibles were written in Latin which neither the people, nor a good proportion of the clergy, could understand. On the quays above London Bridge Bibles in English were smuggled into the city.
Whitehall Palace, the largest palace in Europe, was where the monarch lived. It was here that Anne Boleyn and Jayne Seymour were married to Henry VIII and where the first known performance of William Shakespeare's play The Tempest was performed. It was also here in January 1604 that James 1st walked down the Privy Stairs, boarded his barge and set sail up the River Thames for Hampton Court for the historic conference that launched the King James Version.
The final draft of the new translation was agreed in Stationers Hall (pictured, above, right). It was the Stationers of the 16th century who gave their members ownership of a text and the sole right to copy a document, and so the word copyright was coined.
The final stop on the trail is the Museum of London to watch a video of the great fire in 1666, which also shows what the city looked like and how the people of London lived in that age.
Legacy of the King James Version
Since its publication in 1611 the King James Version has had an enormous literary impact. It has influenced the development of the English language. Overseas it promoted English. People in many parts of the world have learned English by using it. It is the best selling book in the world.
Following the Trail - 10 September 2011
The trail, which is free of charge, starts with a coach journey from Southend departing at 9.00 am, returning about 4.30 pm. It can be followed on Saturdays in August and September. The sites are grouped into three clusters and the coach will be available for transport between the clusters. The coach fare is £8.00. To express your interest in following the trail, and for details of available places, please
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email: bible@biblestudyuk.com, or
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call or text: 07905 134140
 William Tyndale @ Whitehall Gardens |
 Churchyard @ St Pauls Cathedral |
 In transit |
 Talk @ Whitehall Gardens |
An additional London celebratory tour can include a walking tour in the one square mile of the City of London where we will see sites associated with Wycliffe, William Tyndale (pictured, right), Miles Coverdale and John Rogers and hear of their struggle to produce the first translation of the complete Bible in English. We will also see sites associated with the translation of the King James Bible and talk about the various different translations of the Bible putting them into the context of the history of Christianity in England. Groups can do this walk on its own or make a day of it and include one of the suggestions below.
A guided tour of St Paul's Cathedral (see left) can be included. At first it was a place opposed to the Reformation, both Wycliffe and Tyndale were persecuted there but later in the reign of Edward VI, it was the first church to use the new, truly protestant liturgy. When it was rebuilt by Christopher Wren after the great fire of London in 1666, it was the first cathedral to be built since the Reformation and very influential in terms of post Reformation church design.
Alternatively we can include a guided tour of Hampton Court Palace where, in 1604, James I held the Hampton Court Conference which then commissioned the King James Version of the Bible. We will talk about this conference in the room where it happened. We will also see the Chapel Royal and hear how Henry VIII's last wife Catherine Parr influenced his decision to allow production of the Great Bible in 1539. This is also an opportunity to enjoy an impressive Royal Palace which is a fascinating combination of Tudor and Baroque architecture in a beautiful setting by the River Thames.
Bible Seminar in Central Library Southend Continues the Historical Theme
The trail will be followed up in a series of seminars which will trace the early development of Christianity through the Acts of the Apostles. The seminars will show the contrast between the church in the 1st century and how it had developed in the 16th and 17th centuries. They will highlight why the reformers in those centuries were so passionate about their work.
The Seminars start at 7.30 pm onTuesday 13 September 2011 in the Meetings Room of the Central Library,Victoria Avenue. To register, email or phone as above. There is no registration fee.
Further Information:
http://www.thisisyourbible.com/ecclesia.asp?eid=911
http://www.thisisyourbible.com/kjvtrail
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Picture by Mark Cleveland
Follow the Bible trail
By Paul Giles
Thursday, 11 August 2011
TRAIL: Don Morley with a copy of the King James Bible, which his new trail is based around.
Mr Morley, 80, explained that the King James Bible is the most widely published text in the English language. The book was created by around 50 scholars, who were appointed in 1604 by order of King James. The trail Mr Morley has formed brings together the history of the book being printed, taking in sites where key events happened in the development of publishing. The eight sites include one stop on the riverside where Bibles in English were smuggled into London.
Mr Morley said: “The purpose of the trail is to show the way different people over a period of time contributed to the publication. Part of it is talking about the people involved and bringing them to life.
“The tale is steeped in history and will appeal to anyone who has an interest in history, printing, religion or architecture because we walk around London quite a bit.
“If the process of printing had been delayed by 150 years, the history of the King James Bible would be totally different.”
The tour starts with a coach journey from Southend into London, and the historical theme will be followed up with a series of seminars at Southend Central Library, starting from Tuesday, September 13. To book a place on the tour or to find out more about the seminars, phone Don on 07905 134140. Email: southend@yellowad.co.uk
2. The People's Bible in Southend High Street
Wednesday 22nd June, 2011 9:00 - 17:00
Venue: Southend High Street outside WH SMITH'S
This year marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible – and, to celebrate the occasion, Bible Society of England & Wales and Scottish Bible Society want to give people the chance to make their mark in history and be part of a unique, hand-written edition of the Bible. They'll be bringing their special ScribePods to Southend High Street as well as other public venues around the country (festivals, shows, shopping centres etc).
Anyone can turn up and hand write two verses of the Bible, personalised with a comment, doodle or signature. The verses will be displayed to each writer on our specially-built iPad writing stations, and then written out with a digital pen and paper – creating a searchable online archive of everyone's contribution.
So don't miss out - visit Southend High Street on Wednesday 22nd June, outside WH SMITH'S and be a part of history. The whole tour will wrap up with an event in Westminster Abbey, where the Bible Society will be presenting a bound copy of some of the hand-written verses.Cost: Free
3. 'Limited' knowledge of Bible impact (from Southend Standard)
http://www.southendstandard.co.uk/news/national/9027762.print/
12:05am Saturday 14th May 2011
Nearly half of Britons believe the Bible is an important book but many fail to realise its influence on everyday language, a survey suggests. More people believe the expression "a drop in the bucket" originated from Tony Blair - at 12% - than from the Bible - at just 7% - an online poll for the Bible Society has shown. The research into the views of 2,379 people carried out earlier this month showed nearly the same proportion believed the phrase "the writing on the wall" was from the Beatles, at 18%, as from the Bible, at 19%. Fewer than one in 10 people, at 9%, knew the expression "eat, drink and be merry" was from the New Testament, with 41% saying they thought it was from Shakespeare. The only Bible phrase to be identified correctly out of a list of five by a majority of Britons, at 56%, was the expression "my brother's keeper" - from the words of Cain in Genesis "Am I my brother's keeper?".
The findings come in spite of nearly half, or 46%, saying they believed the Bible was an important book and had valuable messages. The survey was released as the Bible Society in England and Wales and the Scottish Bible Society launched a project inviting people to handwrite parts of the Bible using a digital pen to mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. The results will be uploaded onto the internet and available online. The "People's Bible" tour of Britain will begin at Edinburgh Castle on June 19 on the anniversary of the birth of King James VI of Scotland at the castle in 1566. Luke Walton, culture programme manager at the Bible Society, said: "It's clear that people's knowledge of the Bible is limited and they just don't realise how significant and wide-ranging its influence has been. "We hope that this project will help people, once again, to value the Bible."
4. Bible-athon marks holy book's 400th birthday
3:00pm Thursday 7th April 2011 By Paul Offord
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| Spreading the word across Canvey – the Rev Marion Walford promoting the Bible reading, on the roof of the new Castle View School |
"Canvey residents have come up with a novel way to mark the 400th anniversary of the first English translation of Bible...reading it non-stop, cover-to-cover over four days and nights. Members of the island’s community, and beyond, will get-together and take it in turns to recite 20-minute extracts of the King James Bible at St Nicholas’ Church, in Long Road. The marathon read will start at 10.30am tomorrow and is anticipated to finish by 8.30am on Sunday.
Among those pencilled in to take part are schoolchildren, teachers, residents, the Bishop of Chelmsford the Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell, Castle Point’s MP Rebecca Harris, mayor David Cross and Canvey councillor Ray Howard. The Rev Marion Walford, who helped organise the event, said: “Canvey’s a very special place, because the people have such a strong sense of community.
“This doesn’t just have to be a church event, it can be a chance for everyone on the island to join in the celebrations.
“The King James Bible was the first in English, which meant ordinary people could understand what was being said for the first time. It changed the world forever.
“We will actually be reading a modern day version, because we need to present it in a way that is easily understandable to people today.
“Once you start using old fashioned words like ‘thou’ people switch off really, even though the language used in the original was beautiful.”
The King James Bible was the first to be translated into English in 1611. The rev Walford, 56, of Ruskoi Road, Canvey, who has lived on Canvey since she was seven years-old, promoted the special reading by appearing on the roof of the new Castle View School, off Foksville Road, yesterday afternoon. She said: “I originally liked the idea of going up on the crane at the building site.
“But I was told that wouldn’t be possible, so I’m pleased they let me stand on the roof. The views were absolutely amazing.
“I think the builders working on the site wondered what I was doing.
“Seeing a vicar on the roof probably doesn’t happen every day!
5. Bible reading goes on for 72 hours
2:00pm Tuesday 12th July 2011 in Echo News
By Emma Palmer
In the pulpit – Daphne Plant reading the King James Bible
WORSHIPPERS from a Basildon church decided to do something spectacular to celebrate 400 years of the King James bible. So they organised their own biblical epic – a 72-hour ‘Bible-thon’. Church leaders, residents and school children have been taking part, reading every word, verse, chapter, book and testament from the King James Bible out loud. The almighty act began at St Martin’s Church in Basildon last Wednesday morning and ended on Saturday, when the final word of the Book of Revelations “Amen” was read by a youngster from Woodlands School, in Basildon. St Martin’s congregation member and one of the organisers, Peter Coddings, said: “This has been a community venture which includes leaders from all denominations through Churches Together in Basildon.
“We’ve also had council members and residents taking part as well as youngsters from Woodlands School, who also made us some wonderful works of art to display in the church as part of the event.
“We’ve split the reading up into 15 minute shifts though some people have been staying much longer in the pulpit to read aloud as they’ve enjoyed it so much.
“It’s been non-stop, even in the early hours of the morning, we have been carrying on with the reading. The project has been truly ecumenical, giving us the opportunity to revisit parts of the Bible we rarely read.”
This famous version of the bible was completed in 1611 after King James VI of Scotland was persuaded a new translation of the “good book” was needed. Following its publication, the Bible was taken oversees on voyages by sailors all over the world, to the new colonies in Africa, Australia and New Zealand. That is one of the reasons why English is now a world language.
http://www.southendstandard.co.uk/news/echo/9133630.Bible_reading_goes_on_for_72_hours/
6. Look to Bible, urges Archbishop
The Archbishop of Canterbury said the meaning of life can be deciphered from the King James Bible
The meaning of life can be deciphered by flicking through the pags of a 400-year-old book, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said.
In his annual New Year message for 2011, which has been pre-recorded for the BBC, Archbishop Dr Rowan Williams urges people from all faiths, along with those who do not identify with any particular religion, to take a close look at the King James Bible.
First published as a standard English Bible in 1611, the 400-year-old story of the universe "can still move and even shock us", Dr Williams says.
"Things move on but it's good for us to have some long-lasting furniture in our minds, words and images that have something a bit mysterious about them and that carry important experiences for us that we can't find words of our own for," he says.
To help make sense of their lives, the Archbishop urges people to ensure that some kind of "big picture" matters for them, regardless of their beliefs.
He says: "When we try to make sense of our lives and of who we really are, it helps to have a strongly defined story, a big picture of some kind in the background.
"As the King James Bible took hold of the imaginations of millions of people in the English-speaking world, it gave them just that - a big picture, a story in which their lives made sense.
"Whether you're a Christian or belong to another religion or whether you have nothing you'd want to call a religion at all, some sort of big picture matters. If we are going to talk about a 'big society' that will need a big picture, a picture of what human beings are really like and why they're so unique and precious.
"This year's anniversary is a chance to stop and think about the big picture - and to celebrate the astonishing contribution made by that book 400 years ago."
The Archbishop of Canterbury's New Year Message 2011 airs on Saturday January 1 at 12.35pm on BBC One, and 5.10pm on BBC Two.
Susheela's Dinner Party Group
7:30pm on 12th July 2011 in Thundersley, Essex
Top 10 Thoughts for Christian Living
Knowing who God made you to be is the fist step in seeking His will for your life. These simple steps will do much to ensure that you are ready to grow exponentially in 2011. Seek Him in all that you do and honor Him with your life, thoughts and actions.
1. WWJD. Before making any decisions ask yourself What Would Jesus Do. To help with this I suggest you think about what your pastor would say to a question, your father and or a older/wiser Christian mentor you can trust and respect. We learn the most when we seek to learn wisdom from others. Opening the Bible to see what God has to say about life issues is the best indicator of what you should do as He walked among us and know what He desires for our lives.
2. Seek God Daily. Reading your Bible, studying on BibleGateway.com, reading the study notes of your Bible, Having a Personal Journal, Seeking Accountability, Acknowledging Weaknesses while focusing on strengths, Daily Devotions, formal Bible Study, Service to the Kingdom, and Prayer.
3. School Work. School work and always doing your best is essential to your personal, business and financial growth. Planning on a career that suits your talents, personality and skills is an essential part of this process. Making a B, when you could have made an A should not be satisfying, whereas making a B, when it is your best, should be.
4. Career/Work Life. Thinking long term, five to ten years out is essential to making wise and prudent long term decisions. Doing everything as if doing it for the very glory of God is critical for He alone is the perfector of our faith. Seek to do your best in everything that your boss requires while seeking to see weekly what you might do to improve your skills and to support his efforts will do much to further your business ethics.
5. Thinking Long Term. Never let a short term gratification get in the way of your long term success. Being of the world, rather than of Christ, may do much to offer you short term joy but may separate you spiritually from Christ, causing you undue harm, and robbing you of God's best for your life. Always plan ahead.
6. Seek God's will for your Life. For when we know where are we are going it is easier to get there. Each step of our life either takes us further away or towards God's goal and destiny for our life.
7. Always tell the whole truth regardless of the consequences. The very basis for living is truth. Absent truth, there is no basis for relationship or trust. Think before acting and think before speaking will do much to ensure that we are always honoring God and pursuing Him with our thoughts, deeds and actions.
8. Don't Repeat Mistakes. Learn from them and put the past where it belongs. Behind You. There is perhaps no better barometer to measure our spiritual growth than to be aware of where we have fallen, to repent and to learn from our mistakes. If there is a substantial weakness in your life. Acknowledge it and then seek to surround yourself with others who have overcome these struggles and actively participate in Support Groups and individual study to exponentially grow in wisdom and discernment. Never assume you know what is best and always seek Biblical counsel through prayer, Bible study and Christian mentors.
9. Remember that the biggest enemy is yourself. Rule over your body and do not let Satan have a foothold. We can either live our life for good or for evil. Be sure that every day that you do not get in your own way as you strive to grow closer to God.
10. Live in Obedience. Seek to Surround Yourself with Good Christian people who are smarter than you are to help with life decisions. Surrounding yourself with people who are of this world rather than those who are in Christ is a recipe for disaster. Seek older experienced Christian mentors to whom you can learn from.
"Dare to Attempt Something so Great for the Kingdom of God, that it is Doomed to Failure Lest God be in it!"
