Peter Brandon emphasizes the need for spiritual readiness, unity, and fervent prayer among God's people as they prepare for a mission in Australia. He highlights the importance of being evangelistically ready and practically involved with the community, encouraging each member to seek out souls in their neighborhoods. Brandon stresses that prayer is essential for a genuine movement of the Spirit, and he calls for simplicity and reality in the mission's approach. He also discusses the importance of proper follow-up for new converts and the role of local assemblies in nurturing them. Ultimately, he believes that if God's people are spiritually prepared, they will witness a significant harvest for the Kingdom.

First of all dear friends I would like to say that we are really looking forward to this mission with you in Australia. We are praying that God will prepare the way and that we might really see a lasting movement of the spirit. I think we're all tired of the superficial and the unreal and there's one word coming across these days and it's the word reality. And shall we pray that we might really see a deep genuine movement of the spirit that will have a lasting impact upon society in the respective areas where we're to work in Australia. Thank you Brother Peter. Now what do you believe are the real essentials for a campaign such as we hope with God's help to carry out in Queensland? First of all I would suggest that the essentials are as follows. First of all God's people must be spiritually ready. Do you remember the words of the Apostle Paul when he said I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome? He was spiritually ready, emotionally ready, spiritually ready and physically ready to preach the gospel to the people of Rome. Now we must be spiritually ready. There must be unity in the local church. I believe this is essential. We must know something of what real consecration is all about and I'm going to share this with you when I come to the ministry. We must be a spirit filled group of people that are rejoicing in the Lord and in an atmosphere of praise and love that souls are and shall we pray that the Lord's people may be spiritually ready. Secondly we want to be evangelistically ready and we want to be involved with people in our area so that before the mission starts there will be a number of people that we are working on who are ready for salvation and I believe that if we are spiritually ready and evangelistically ready the Lord will give us a harvest that will cause us to praise him. That's great. Now on two occasions at least in your introductory remarks you mentioned prayer. It's a vital thing. How heavy an emphasis do you put on prayer in your campaign? Well I want to really put a biblical emphasis on prayer. As we go through the book of the Acts you'll remember that they're as much about prayer as preaching. In Acts 1 they were praying. Acts 2 the Holy Spirit came when they were in the attitude of prayer. They continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and then you'll remember in the prayers. Acts 3 they were praying. Acts 4 when they had prayed the place was shaken. Acts 6 you'll remember that the apostle says we will give ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. Acts 7 Peter went right into the presence of God when he was praying. Acts 9 it was said of Saul behold he prayed. Acts 10 Cornelius he was praying and Peter was praying and so we can see that Luke emphasizes the necessity of prayer. Old Matthew Henry said one of the early Puritans when God says his people are praying he is preparing a shower of rain and I believe that's true and I would suggest to you my dear friends in the Lord that we should meet in house groups and pray. Let our sisters come together and call their friends together so that they can pray down the blessing of God. Brethren should meet in homes and have their little prayer cells and of course we must make the normal prayer meetings effective so that the Lord's people turn out to them and that there is fervent prayer. Quite frankly there is no meeting on earth that's so much like heaven than a good holy ghost prayer meeting and when God's people begin to really lay hold upon him in believing prayer God will work. I remember you know when I first went into the Lord's work just 31 years ago catching almost the back leg of those great days when revival was moving in the assemblies and there you would go to a meeting before the gospel meeting and there would be about 40 or 50 people on their knees pleading with God to save souls no wonder the Lord blessed. Now may those grand old days come back when the Lord's people really labor in prayer that God would move in mighty blessing. Now forgive me repeating this wouldn't it be great if the Lord really took the mission out of our hands and we saw signs of revival from the presence of the Lord during these campaign days. Well if that's going to be so may it be that the burden of prayer may be upon the people of God. Praise God people Peter that's what we're looking for revival and really turning to the Lord that's what it's all about. Now you mentioned being practically involved with people how would you go about that? Well quite frankly I think the best way to be practically involved is for each member in the respective assembly assemblies to take on a parish it may be just 30 houses and ask the Lord as you visit those 30 houses to give you at least two souls. Now I do not know the aggregate of the assembly fellowship supposing in Brisbane there are roughly 400 people in fellowship now there might be more there might be less I don't know but supposing 300 people said Lord in the next year give me two souls. Now supposing 300 people said that Lord in the next year give me two souls. Now just imagine our sisters and our brethren all going out in their little area visiting deliberately asking God to give them two souls. I'm sure of this God would give us a harvest we've seen it in Britain we've seen it in Canada we've certainly seen it in South Africa and praise God we shall see it in Australia if God's people really get the vision. Remember the Lord's coming now I do want to emphasize this the Lord's coming and we've only got a few seconds left and may it be that God's people in Brisbane will really get a burden for souls and take on 30 or 40 houses and ask the Lord to give them two souls and when the mission starts the Lord may give you three. That's a tremendous concept and praise God for it we hope that just that will happen. Yes. Now to meet people to reach people and to get people interested there must be publicity how would you go about that? Well the best form of publicity that we know in this country of course you may be advanced on us in Australia I mean quite frankly publicity in this country is not at its best but what we do a month before the mission the first leaflet goes out an outstanding event in the area where the mission is going to be and that's all we put on it and then the next week another leaflet is given out an event that you must not miss and then details are given and then the third leaflet is given out introducing the speaker and the meetings and then the last leaflet is given out which is a personal message from the evangelist and by this means it's building up contact I believe it's very good to have some leaflets in your window so that when the postman and the various people call you can talk about the meetings to them by having a leaflet in your window or a notice bill. Thirdly I believe it's a good thing to contact people over the telephone I believe telephone evangelism is vital and then I believe another important factor is this that we should really advertise in the area where we have been evangelizing so that if a man has got 30 houses and he's working there that's where he should go doing his publicity work and bringing the people to the hall. I think good publicity helps it doesn't bring people but it helps the personal contact so that if you go into an area where it's well publicized you can say have you heard about the mission or have you heard about the mission that we may call God's answer to today's problem now if that's well publicized then people say oh yes I've heard about it then you can talk about it and it makes the personal contact even. Great now we've talked about the essentials in preparation for a campaign we've spoken about prayer the practical involvement with people and we've now covered the publicity which is going to bring us up to the point of a campaign now the conducting of the mission. In a conducting of the mission I believe one word should come across and that is reality. I believe we've got to be absolutely real with people and perhaps the next word simplicity. I think if we have a great build up lots of entertainment it is very difficult to hold people if they are born again in that situation it's far better to have a simple approach so that you can carry on with the meetings after the mission is all over. Invariably we start off with a theme chorus and one or two spiritual songs then we have a prayer and then if there's a good soloist he sings or if there's a good duet let them sing and then the scriptures are read and then I have a chat with the congregation so as to break down any barrier of formality and then I open the scripture and preach invariably I preach for about 40 minutes at the most 45 minutes and then I conclude quite abruptly and the choir will probably sing if you have a choir I think it's good when the choir sings at the end and then I have an after meeting and the after meeting lasts approximately six minutes and I ask people who want to leave to leave so that we leave roundabout near on time and then all those people who are interested I ask to stay behind and then I explain to them the point of contact and then there's a time of quietness and then the meeting is over. During the end of that meeting I may make a short appeal I don't make a long appeal but if the spirit of God is moving we shall see God saving souls. So two words come across as far as the mission itself is concerned reality and simplicity. Yes we need that and we need it in a big way and praise God I believe we're going to heaven in the Brisbane area because we are working towards it and we're praying for it. Now of course you've brought us to the point where you're explaining to folk what God expects of them. Councillors no doubt come in at this point. What would you advise to our councillors? It is always wise to have a good body of councillors who are spiritually trained of God to lead a soul to the Lord. Now this is what I would say first of all when people stay behind make sure that there is conviction of sin. I believe this is essential. Do not be afraid to let a man go without making a decision. As we all know if all the people who had professed conversion in the last 20 years were in the church every evangelical church in the world would be packed to capacity. Two-thirds of the people who have professed conversion have wandered back in the world and it is probably due to the fact that we lead a person to Christ before the time. We are not out for mere mechanical decisions we want to see people praise God born again of the Holy Spirit that will in turn make an impact on society. So what I would say is to councillors make sure there's real conviction of sin and then take time to go over the scriptures with them. Take time. Don't put too much pressure on them. We do not want the will bombarded constantly. If a man is spiritually ripe for spiritual picking the councillor will know it and it will be a great joy to lead them to the Lord. Sometimes my wife and I we do some counselling but it's far better for local people to do the counselling because you're the people that are going to stay in Brisbane or in Melbourne or wherever or in Queensland and therefore it's absolutely essential that local people should get the point of contact. Now I have absolute confidence that you will have people already trained to do the counselling before the mission starts so that when the blessing of the Lord comes we're spiritually prepared for it. Good now we've had the counselling we've got folks that have come to a knowledge of Christ as their saviour through repentance turning to God but so often people are left at that point. Follow-up no doubt is an essential part of any work that you do for God. What are your thoughts on that? I think the pastoral responsibility is as important in fact don't be surprised more important than the preaching. I believe if God is working in local churches and there are local assemblies that are spiritually ready for the influx of new converts that is the most important fact that we should have spiritual assemblies to take the young converts to and here's a question I'd like to put to you supposing God saved in Brisbane 500 people it would mean that new converts would be coming into many local assemblies and if the new converts followed you what kind of Christians would they be? If the new converts followed you what kind of Christians they would be? So you can see that we must not put this responsibility of pastoral concern just on the shoulders of elders. Each person in each assembly must bear the responsibility of caring for new converts and I would say these are the secrets of really looking after new converts. Number one open your home I believe we can do more in our homes than we can do in the assemblies to care for new converts because they can ask questions they can get to know you and it's in the home that we can do the bible teaching to. Secondly make the assembly meetings live and joyous it's terrible for new converts to come out of a campaign situation into an assembly situation where there is a different level of spirituality and if our local churches are spiritually keen and joyous in the Lord then it's in that atmosphere of Christian joy and love that they're built up in the most holy faith. Thirdly have suitable ministry for them I remember taking about 15 or 16 new converts to a bible reading and they were going through the 13th chapter of the revelation and they were talking about the beast and can you imagine how new converts were totally confused as they were speaking about the beast and calling him the man of sin. The first introduction was really there a failure. Now do have ready certain ministering brethren who will speak on the basic facts of the Christian life and then lastly have some suitable booklets to give them so that these new converts can read literature that's going to really lift them as far as their spiritual living is concerned and one thing I would emphasize if the local assemblies are in a spiritual condition and there is love and joy among the people of God if God's people have learned to put the flesh to death so that in the respective churches where these converts are placed there is spiritual life that in itself will be the means of encouraging these new converts in the Lord and may God give a bountiful harvest. We say amen to that. Now in our conversation relative to the people of God within the assemblies here in England and in Scotland no doubt you have the opportunity of coming in in ministry for a more prolonged period than you would be able to do in Australia. We have as I have mentioned to you scheduled certain periods of ministry before your actual campaign starts but within our own assemblies those who will be actively taking part in this work would you suggest maybe a series of ministry I know this is somewhat off the cut but a series in ministry which would build up to the point of launching out in the practical work of getting around the district and doing a job for the Lord. Would you mean by that Jim that I should do that work or someone else should do it before I come? Before you come. We haven't the time before you come to do what you could do here. Yes oh yes in this country I go in and out of one assembly and I'm doing this with a number for three years and I'm giving preparation ministry such as the New Testament Christian, the New Testament Church, New Testament Marriage, New Testament Evangelism and so on so that we are building up strong local churches that are seeing blessing without the mission but of course I couldn't do this in Australia so if some local brethren who are gifted in teaching could prepare God's people for this it would be a tremendous boost of the mission and if we are spiritually ready God will give us a harvest and I do want to emphasize that watchword that the Lord is coming. Maranatha. Maranatha yes and we've only got a few seconds left before we hear the great shout. We can see that the whole world is being prepared for that period of time called the wrath of God and it may be that in these last days we're going to have a quick harvest and then the Lord will take us all away and may it be there in Brisbane, Melbourne, Queensland or wherever these missions are going to be that God will prepare us for a real move of the Spirit of God that will do two things glorify exclusively the name of the Lord Jesus and extend the kingdom and build up his people in the most holy faith. Tremendous. Now just a final word to the folk in Queensland, in Melbourne, then again in North Queensland and maybe even in Tasmania if the Melbourne brethren are going to spare them the time to have you down there. Yeah. Would you like to say a few words just finally. I believe there is one word that the Lord is bringing to me of late. I haven't time to turn to the scripture but in Acts 9 31 the word of God makes it quite clear that when the disciples were edified they multiplied and when God's people are edified and built up in the most holy faith and they're rejoicing in the Lord and they're spiritually involved with men and women in the world to win them for Christ and when in the local church there is a sense of the control of the Spirit so that there is power in that local church then God's people are edified and when his people are edified then God multiply. You remember he said to that mighty man of God Abraham be fruitful and multiply blessing I will bless them and multiplying I will multiply them. May it be brethren and sisters ere the mission commences that we shall be edified and then multiplied the Lord grant it for his name's sake. Thank you indeed Peter I know that so many in Australia are praying right at this time for your coming there's preparation going on and for the Holy Spirit of God moving in as we believe in a mighty way we're looking forward to real blessing in all of the assemblies that you're going to visit.