THE WORDS & WORKS OF REG OFFLEY 1918-2003

[JEM]

Contents


# All things work together for good
# A Christmas Blessing
# Greet the New Year
# Love with an everlasting love
# Never Alone
# The LORD has said
# The LORD is come

[JEM]

ALL THINGS WORKED TOGETHER FOR GOOD

The Testimony of Reginald W Offley. 1918 - 2003
Poet, Preacher, Pastor, Missionary

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REG OFFLEY was born in 1918 a Jew of a Jewish mother and a Gentile father. His grandfather owned most of Covent Garden, his ancestors include 2 Lord Mayors of London, and they had a country seat in Herts at Great and Little Offley.

Reg had a very wide ministry and numbered amongst his friends Salvation Army personnel from when he lived in the East End, ex-servicemen from the North African and Italian campaigns when he served as a volunteer medic setting up and running field hospitals, former Scouts and Rover Scouts, as he was both, and later an Assistant Scout Master, Christians, Jews, preachers, and friends in a number of British Naturist Clubs

A Naturist is commonly called a Nudist. They were and are a cult based on 19th century German ideas that it is healthy for our bodies to be as exposed to the natural weather, rain, wind, sunshine, cold and heat as much as possible, and to live and work as much as possible without wearing clothes. They call us who wear clothes “textiles”.

Reg was the founder of Harlow Naturist Club. His first wife ran off with a fellow Naturist leaving Reg devastated, To cope he went to a Naturist Country Club at Bembridge IOW where Reg was led to Christ by the Club’s Methodist proprietor. He was baptised and joined Potter Street Baptist Church Harlow.

I met Reg first about a year later in 1960 at BMS Summer School at Seaford in Sussex when I managed the Book Room. Our common interest was Lay Preaching. He was a Solicitors clerk in London

He and I went to BMS Summer School in 1961 with members of Potter Street Baptist Youth Fellowship of which he was a youth leader including Seniors of 2nd Harlow Boys’ Brigade.

After that we went leading services together in Essex and Herts and North London. We both become Fellows of the Evangelical Preachers Association. I remember preaching at their AGM one year at Deptford Baptist Church.

I introduced him to membership of the British Christian Pen Pal Club of which he became a Counsellor and Advisor and at that time studied for a diploma after which he was ordained a minister.

Through BCPPC he met Nan his second wife, a house mother of a children’s home. Reg was an official visitor to Broadmoor where he visited a young man from Potter Street who had been abused as a child and become a homosexual,. but against advice had married, and attacked his wife with a knife. Reg kept in touch for many years until he died.

We worked together on a mission at Stansted Abbots and ran a Sunday School there for a year before All Nations College took it over.

He was Treasurer and I was Secretary of the Border Preachers and Border Prayer Fellowship working the Essex Herts border villages.

He joined the BJS ( later Christian Witness to Israel) as a behind the scenes jack of all trades and gradually took over pastoral and missionary responsibilities visiting Jewish homes in North London and Southend and for a time served in Israel

He was for some years Secretary of the Evangelisation Society that provided preaching supplies for a lot of evangelical missions throughout Greater London.

He retired to Chesterfield where I stayed with him and Nan about 9 years running for holidays. We also went to mission conferences together.

They befriended student nurses from the nursing school and some became life long friends,

He had groups of students up from All Souls Langham Place lodging with him in every room, who he took walking in the dales.

He led school assemblies demonstrating the Jewish festival ceremonies He became deeply involved in the Christian Hard of Hearing Fellowship, as without his hearing aid he was stone deaf.

He became a member of his church Parochial Church Council and a Lay Reader and a youth worker.

We worked on the Sheffield Billy Graham Crusade and on open air witness in Chesterfield market. He preached and I gave out evangelical literature. He had a wide ministry of intercession.

From the 1930’s onwards he wrote poems, several hundred in all. Some of his Christian poems have been printed for over 20 years in the Church Magazine of Holy Trinity Parish of Newbold at Chesterfield.

He helped found the Sheffield Messianic Fellowship and served it many years, as an elder and worship leader. I was in at their first exploratory meeting. He also travelled to the one at Manchester quite a lot.

He and Nan became involved in a whole raft of missionary societies and got me involved too.

In his 80’s he successfully learned to use a computer and to e-mail. After his wife died in 2001 his health deteriorated and he became bent double and needed care. He died in April 2003.

His favourite text was from Romans 8 v 28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”

John E Maddams

[JEM]

A CHRISTMAS BLESSING
*********************************

Approach today the Christ-child born
to bring the world to a brighter dawn

Christmas - the feast of Christ has come,
Happiness wells within our breast,
Rejoicing fills the aching heart
Infilling mind with thoughts of love.
Since the Lord of life has come
To redeem mankind and take us home
May this time of God’s great gift
Awake your heart and you uplift
So that you’ll know His lasting peace.

Behold! The Saviour now has come;
Look upon Him with desire
Enter now the Holy Place
Sense the warmth of Holy Fire
See the Lord of Hope awaits
Into your hands His love to give.
Now accept His priceless gift
Go in peace - His life in you to live.

Written by Reginald W Offley 1986

[JEM]

Greet the New Year

Greet the New Year, God the Father at your side
Allow Him to be your strength and your stay
Give Him your life, He will be your guide
Through every contingency-each step of the way

Greet the New Year with Christ in your soul
His great authority be yours each day
all of your fears beneath his control
and all your bewilderments ever under His sway

Greet the New Year - The Spirit is here
Filling you, thrilling you, giving you power,
In every valley. He will be near
strengthening, enabling, upholding each hour

Greet the New year., Father. Spirit and Son
and know that you will be completely at rest,
God bless your year ,then having just begun
and, dear friend, may you know you will ever be blest



Written by Reginald W Offley Dec 7th 1984

[JEM]

Loved with an everlasting love
*************************

Loved with an everlasting love
Drawn by love that love to know
Jeremiah thus proclaimed it
God has said it, it is so
How can one reject the fullness
Of a love so sure and strong
God proclaims undying favour
Trust, and fill your heart with song

Loved with love that’s ever flowing
From a heavenly Father’s heart
Loved with love that’s ever showing
How of God we are a part
He has made us in his image
therefore precious we must be
That His love draws us unto Him
So that His glory we might see

Loved with love that knows no boundary
Knows no end because it can’t
Love undying , showering blessing
Removing doubt and fear and want
Oh, the precious love of Jesus
Love revealed on Calvary’s tree
Giving up himself for sinners
Vile and helpless such as we.

How can one reject the message
Of a love so rich, so strong?
Loving both the saint and sinner
And forgiving all that’s wrong
if we but confess our errors
Cast our sins upon the Lord
He has promised He’ll accept us
It is written in His Word

Loved with a love that’s everlasting
Oh the joy it fills the soul
Loved with love that’s e’er abiding
All our cares in Him we roll
He who says “I am your Saviour”
“I’m your husband, brother, friend .“
“Say, “I love”, because I loved you
And to my love there is no end.

Written by Reg Offley April 1995

[JEM]

NEVER ALONE

You’re never alone for your LORD is with you
He stays by your side every hour
You’re never alone for your Saviour abides
And fills you each day with His power

You’re never alone as you walk down the street
Or sit in a park on the way
You’re never alone for you have God’s own word
That with you He ever will stay.

You’re never forlorn by yourself in your room,
Nor when you feel sad and alone
You’re never alone for the best of all friends
Assures you that you are his own.

Written by Rev Reg Offley in 1986

[JEM]

THE LORD HAS SAID
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“I will tell you new things
things you have not heard.
I will show you hidden things
Within My Holy Word.
I will share My secrets
Reveal the things unknown
That you my precious people
May reap the seed you’ve sown”.

“Come and hearken to Me
Listen to My voice.
I have now great things for you
so in your heart rejoice.
Do not be so faithless
and do not be afraid
Neither be you anxious, child
Nor yet be dismayed”

“For I have spoke to you
The best is yet to be.
Just loosen off your burdens
And give them all to Me.
For I will lead you truly
Into my paths of rest
Then. You will have. my children
Those things that are the best”.

“Possess them now, I give you
My joy, My love, My peace.
Surrender now your burdens
And know my sweet release
I want you all to have them,
My gifts without compare.
So take them now my children
And with all people share”.

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Inspired during his Quiet Time with God
and written down Sept 7th 1984 and
published in Oct 1984 in Holy Trinity News
Chesterfield where several people
read it with profit or benefit.

[JEM]

The LORD is come

The LORD is come, laid in a manger
God in man, not as a stranger
Has come to rescue us from danger
What is our response?

The LORD is come born in a stable
To redeem mankind he is able
His outstretched arms like a cable
Drawing us close to God

The LORD is Christ, there is no other
Purposed child of a gentle mother
Lo! He comes, our lives to cover
With his precious blood

The LORD is come, to seek and to save
To keep us from a Christless grave
So give to Him the best we have
Give to Him your life

The LORD is come. He will return.
The grain to store, the chaff to burn
So let us unto Him now turn
Ending needless strife

Reg Offley 1983