This is the second book

Buy my field which is in Anathoth,

for the right of redemption is yours

to buy it'

In considering the writings of Scripture, we can read some parts of it and say, whatever was that put there for?' In Hebrews we are told that Jacob worshipped, leaning upon his staff', please tell me, why do we want to know about a man and his walking stick in The Bible? Now note that in the book of Samuel we read, that as the young lad Samuel was serving our Lord in the temple, I understand that he was about seven years of age at the time, his mother Hannah went there once a year to give him some new clothes, we would ask, Why was this ever recorded, what can we learn from it regarding our Lord?' In the Song of Solomon we have the words, Look not upon me, as I am black, because the sun has looked upon me', please tell me why do we need to be informed about a lady, in the stories of the Bible, who was sun burnt? Finally we have the words in Judges, Chose�n left-handed men, every one could sling stones at an hairs breath and not miss', what do we need to know about left handed men for? Now there are very good answers to all these questions, helping us to get a better understanding of ourselves and how our spiritual, our Christian lives should be as Christ-ones

Now consider the verse that I have quoted above, this comes from Jeremiah c32 and one would ask, whatever could the purchase of a field, in the seventh century before Christ, have to do with our Lord? Before I go any further I am going to paraphrase the words from Jeremiah, so get ready

Jeremiah, I want you to purchase a special field where the

land is desolate at Anathoth, you have a responsibility about

this patch of land, go and make the purchase'

At the time we are considering, there was the impending captivity of the people of our God, it would seem that there was not a grea(r)t deal of value in the patch of ground at Anathoth, it was desolate. Fully recognising this, our Lord instructed His servant Jeremiah to make the purchase as He saw its potential, He wanted Jeremiah to make an investment for the future. Now note that God told the prophet the field was special, it was my field'. The purchase was made with something that was precious as the end of v9 in c32 teaches, it was silver', as I am led to understand silver in the Scriptures, it speaks of redemption. To make the transaction legal, the deeds' were drawn up and placed in a clay vessel', to finish it all off we have the record in v15 that there would be houses, fields & vineyards again'. Now why on earth do we need this information recorded in the Holy Oracles and what can we understand from it?

In considering Scripture, the lessons drawn, must always be applied to ourselves as far as our Lord is concerned, if not we are missing thYe mark. In the records we have in the Old Testament in particular, they were written so that we might grasp aright the ways of our Father God. Just pause for a moment and consider the words of 1 Corinthians c10 and v11, all the things written are as examples, warnings to us and helps with ones understanding of our Lord. Now if we don't apply the teachings of Scripture in this way, then our consideration of the Oracles of God will only be an academic exercise and an utter waste of time. The teaching of our Lord, through the words we are considering, have been worked out, through other people in my life, first of all many, many years ago without me then understanding what was taking place, and still are even today having a big effect on me and so I have a positive responsibility in this area of the work for our Lord, please read on. But in� continuing, I find that I have to reflect on my own personal life, please forgive me for this, but I know you will understand. You see with the teachings of Scripture, we must be real about them, they must, must affect the lives of every one of us, if not we are wasting our time

In my life, as I go back before my encounter with Jesus, there were many Godly men and women who, as influenced by our Lord, could see a potential in my life for The Master, they were my Spiritual God Parents, please do not ask me how to explain this. They were guided by our Lord and could see a potential in me, they purchased' the Field at Anathoth' in my life and I still need those sort of folk today. When I think of myself as a young lad, all the circumstances involved, the economics of those days in the nineteen thirties and forties, ones education having attended eleven schools in nine years for understandable reasons, I wo�uld never, never ever have seen any potential at all in Trevor Ironside. Now having said all that there were those folk, I could name some of them, who were guided by our dear Lord to take an interest in me, to cover me in prayer, to spend their time with me in a number of directions, to desire me for The Master, they saw in me the value of the The field at Anathoth', do not ask me how, I am lost. How patient those folk were, what love they expressed towards me, they gave of themselves in a number of ways, they are now in glory, but I still have many friends now who continue to pay the price in my life today, for that Field at Anathoth'

In the case of Jeremiah, the silver, a precious metal, was paid over, legal deeds'' were prepared then placed in clay vessels' and the prophet was told that there would be the houses, fields & vineyards again', now what do these things mean? As far as my thinking is concerned on the points just mentioned, we must �'spiritualise' on them, to see what we as individuals can learn of our dear Lord. In your life and mine, in years gone by, dear folk were guided, by the Spirit of our God, to see a potential for our Lord in our lives, they prayed for us, befriended us as moved by the Spirit of our God, through our Lord Jesus, helping to bring us to our Father God in our conversion experience, the The field at Anathoth' was purchased' in our lives, the price was paid for our salvation in and through The Cross work of our Lord Jesus, and the price was precious, it was the giving of the life of The Only Begotten Son of The Holy, Eternal, Almighty, Creator God and let us understand this clearly. The deeds' of the covenant with our Father God were drawn up through Calvary, through our Lord Jesus, and they were all, yes I am going to use the word, they were legal and the 'deeds' placed in a 'clay vessel'' which speaks of human kind. 8Those folk were our Spiritual God Parents the vessels of clay'

Now what of the houses, fields & vineyards?

For the houses', I am just going to pick up one point only, houses speak of family life', as we become Christians we enter into the family of our Father God, the great Lord God Almighty becomes our Loving Heavenly Father. We are sons and daughters of the living God, we are brothers and sisters together in Christ, let us understand this clearly in our church life today. We address the great Lord God Almighty as Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name' and we sing Abba Father we adore Thee, in our Saviour's worthy name' all because the Lord God Almighty is our Father God and we are in His family. Let us enjoy our houses' or family life'

What points can we draw from the word field
s'? Fields were where the cattle grazed, it speaks of being sustained, as we are in the family of our Father God we should feed upon the Word of God, for it is by such things, that we live' as we are told in The Scriptures, in Isaiah. Then with our Lord Jesus as He was tested for forty days, He said to the evil one, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of our God'. We are also told to Feed the flock of God which is amongst you', this teaching applies to us all, yes to every one of us in different degrees, as believers, this is our work

The final word in our consideration is vineyards', this speaks of fruit, something that is sweet to the taste and I am going to leave that point there for a moment


I now go back to my own life again, to see how the matters one has been considering are real to me. I now recall, very humbly, how one has been involved in circumstance I am now going to record, because in no way have I, or any of those involved felt worthy. Yet having said all that, all who have been associated in the work here stated were honoured to have been used by our Lord, it has been for all concerned a privilege

At the assembly where we worshipped years ago at Hanbury Hill, Stourbridge there were a good number of Godly folk and I could name many of them. At that fellowship I had a Sunday School Class, it was in the 1950's, they were all intelligent lads but very nearly broke my heart, at one time I could do little with them. Of the six lads in �the Sunday School Class, five of them went to the local Grammar School, for maths they were taught by a master who was a good mathematician, but the problem was that he attended the same church as the lads. As the lads were taught maths, some of them sat at the back of the classroom, as they got tired, bored or just wanted to play up they would start chanting rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb' and there was little, so I understand, the master could do with them, yes he attended the same church, what a problem for him

Now going back again to my experience with these lads on a Sunday afternoon, after a time I could stand the problems with them no longer, so went to the superintendent of the school, a brother called Jack and offered my resignation, Jack told me straight that I had got it all wrong, the good man gave me some first class advise which I clearly remember today, and he was right, so I continued. Jack told me that �in the said class, I was the teacher and the young folk were the scholars, he said this had to change and we were to become friends, what good advice it was. When those young rascals were fourteen years of age they went to the Bible Class and I was appointed, together with the minister of the church, his name was Derek George Taylor, we were given the task of leaders and those young people became our friends, a very interesting experience it proved to be, what a difference was made, being backed by prayer through so many Godly folk

Those were wonderful days, but we did not fully understand the work of God that was going on in the lives of those lads at that time, nor indeed of what we experienced ourselves. There were six young men in that Bible Class, there was Alan, Graham, Lyndon, Nick, Peter and Stan and I also now include Robert with them, they were known as The Lads' as I came from Yorkshire. When they werex in their mid teens five of The Lads' became baptised believers, we had great times. All The Lads' had girl friends, then got married and today, as we reach The Millennium, I am still in touch with many of that group and news I have from a good number of them is almost too wonderful to believe. From what I know of some of the families of The Lads' I could count up to seventeen who are going on so well with our Lord, it is quite remarkable, one day I hope we will all meet again

With The Lads' I consider that my dear wife Amy to have been used in a wonderful way without realising it. Amy and myself had just got married, so she had in a real way the problem of living with Trevor Brian Ironside, the good lady was working full time, forty four hours per week, ran a home, worshipped twice on the Lord's Day, involved with the activity at the church on Hanbury Hill during the week, in the choir and young people's work. With The Lads' she loved them, prayed for them, cooked for them and mothered them, I know that is bad English, but the reality of living is far more important than correct grammar and I am living today in the spiritual legacy Amy left and it is wonderful, I am lost for words

You see in the lives of The Lads', there was bought' for them in the 1950's, by the Godly folk at that fellowship at Stourbridge, there was purchased' in their lives, The field at Anathoth' and I am now in 1999 enjoying the fruit of those vineyards' and it is very, very sweet indeed to the taste

I have spoken at some considerable length of some of my experiences in life, but in doing so it brings a challenge to me. As Godly folk bought' TBhe field at Anathoth' in my life so many years ago, so I must endeavour to make similar purchases,' yes it should be in the plural, purchases' in the lives of others, of loved ones and so many friends who are dear to me. I personally am now sustained by our dear Lord, through the prayers of His people, including many of The Lads' and those associated with them, it is all rather wonderful

Can I now encourage you to do continue to do likewise, purchase in others The field at Anathoth', it will mean hard work but so worth while as has been proved

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This is the second book