The importance of baptism could not be more strongly emphasised to us than by the discovery we make upon opening the pages of the four Gospels. Before we have read very far into each of them, we are introduced by all four to the person of John the Baptist, who, they say, was sent from God to Israel as the official herald and forerunner of Jesus Christ. In the course of his ministry John authoritatively announced the imminent coming of Christ, who, he said, was above him, and was to be preferred before him.
Having stated this, he officially presented the Lord Jesus to Israel, saying clearly that this was the main reason for his baptism, and making plain that all other things accomplished by it only had any value as they were related to this. John was a Spirit-filled man, a great saint, a burning and a shining light and a mighty preacher. He came to Israel in the spirit and power of Elijah to fulfil scripture with a ministry of conversion to the Christ whom they did not know.
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G.W. North (1913 - 2003)
G. W. North was born in London England in 1913. As a young man he became aware that the Lord was calling him into the work of the ministry. At timely stages the Lord placed folk in his path who were able to direct him into the truth of heart purity and a more expansive understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He held pastorates in Kent and Bradford. By the late 1960s, following a significant period of ministry in Liverpool, he began a more itinerant ministry. This led him to many parts of the world, and occupied him until well into his eighties. His powerful preaching and the unique sense of the Lord's presence, which seemed to brood over his meetings, were always intensely challenging.The true secret of his remarkable ministry stemmed from his personal communion with the Lord Jesus. To him, 'entering the holiest' was not merely a theological concept; it was a distinct spiritual reality - and the central feature of his spiritual life. It was here, in the place of worship, that his revelatory ministry found its source. He preached from understanding and conviction. He was never the echo of another, nor did he take on board the ebb and flow of various contemporary emphases. He was not a man of 'books'; he soaked himself in Scripture and allowed it to saturate his heart and mind. Truly, this is a man who has lifted up a standard for the people. Mr North went to be with the Lord on 29th April 2003, shortly after his ninetieth birthday.