OUR MAGAZINE January April 2011

Transcription

1 OUR MAGAZINE January April 2011

2 b to the January April 2011 issue of Our Magazine The subject for these opening remarks is a stark one and one that urgently needs our attention! It comes in the form of a warning: BEWARE OF TERRORIST GROUPS IN CHURCH Out of nearly 1,300 UK Christians surveyed, 88% believe that the church is being swayed by those who promote a worldly belief system contrary to sound Biblical teaching. One poll taker responded, "Most of them don't even realize they are false and think they are doing God s work, pushing the peace and prosperity message and Christian psychology, instead of repentance and walking in the Spirit." Another respondent felt that a possible cause for the prevalence of false teachers is a lack of true faith, "Christians do not take their faith seriously. Their Biblical foundation of the Christian faith is quite shallow, weak, generalised, and not grounded in the study of Scriptures. They continued, Infiltrators are familiar with believers weaknesses, and can easily promote a distorted theology, such as a materialistic and secular hope, or use emotion to elicit a faith response." The Apostle Paul writing to his young colleague Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:3-5 stresses under divine inspiration, the danger of false teachers who would do damage to the people of God. Latest news reports are that five terrorist cell groups have been operating in many of our churches. They have been identified as: Bin Sleepin, Bin Arguin, Bin Fightin, Bin Complainin, and Bin Missin. Their leader, Lucifer Bin Workin, trained these groups to destroy the Body of Christ. The plan is to come into the church disguised as Christians and to work within the church to discourage, disrupt, and destroy. However, there have been reports of a sixth group. A tiny cell known by Page 1

3 the name Bin Prayin is actually the only effective counter terrorism force in the church. Unlike other terrorist cells, the Bin Prayin team does not blend in with whoever and whatever comes along. Bin Prayin does whatever is needed to uplift and encourage the Body of Christ. We have noticed that the Bin Prayin cell group has different characteristics than the others, they have Bin Watchin, Bin Waitin, Bin Fastin, and Bin Longin for their Master, Jesus Christ to return. NO CHURCH IS EXEMPT! (However, you can spot them if you ve bin lookin and bin goin.) Enjoy the rest of the magazine!! 28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them Acts 20 : Page 2

4 b From Pastor Jones What are your plans this summer Pastor? is a question I m being frequently asked as spring-time arrives, hopefully this summer we ll not get stranded in a foreign destination like last year after the collapse of our travel company. What I can say is since we came home from Brazil in 2005 a set date in our summer calendar has been the last week in July in Portrush. Barry s and its attractions or the renowned beaches of the region are not our principal interest but the beautiful game as from 25 th - 29 th of July the Youth International Football Competition takes place in the Coleraine, Limavady and Ballymena Council areas called the NI Milk Cup with competing teams from all over the world. Initially out of curiosity I went along to support and speak to some of the Portuguese speaking teams mostly from Brazil and Portugal and noted that other than one or two coaching staff most did not speak English and welcomed the opportunity to speak to someone local who could converse in their own language. That curiosity became a conviction when one team coach, whom I d found out was a believer asked if I d be about and available to help them the following year. My involvement in the Milk Cup Tournament and principally, though not exclusively, with Brazilian teams has three aspects to it: Firstly Support: Along with my family, friends and the fans, I seek to encourage the players and coaching staff during their matches. One of my most vivid recollections was being jumped upon by the Botafogo goalkeeper and thereafter by his teams mates after a penalty shoot out victory in a quarter-final match. Secondly Service: This is the behind the scenes work, befriending the coaching staff and players helping them with practical things such as accompanying the coach to watch other teams in preparation for the next game, tracing and if possible, reclaiming lost luggage at airports or on buses, liaising with the hotel chef about changes to dietary requirements during the week, accompanying injured players to hospital for x-rays and treatment, working alongside the media when they wish to do an interview with the team and liaising with the Milk Cup Committee and co-operating with their workers on all occasions. For those who think it s glamorous, last year one of the Desportivo players got injured and I had to accompany him to the A & E. I think it was 2.30 am before I got to bed for a couple of hours sleep then Page 3

5 up again at 6.30 am to organise a radio interview with the team manager as it had to be broadcast at noon. Praise the Lord for my understanding wife!!! Thirdly Sharing: When I m aware of which Brazilian team is coming over to play in the Milk Cup, I start to make contacts through , Facebook etc. around March time and endeavour to build up a relationship so that when they arrive, I know at least their key staff members and they know a little about me. When the team arrives I leave a little welcome pack in Portuguese which I make up with the help of NI Milk Cup, the NI Tourist Board and Athletes for Christ Brazil, with their head coach which gives them general information about the Tournament, the Coleraine and Ballymena areas and it has a testimony of Brazilian footballer Kaka. As the week proceeds and I become involved with the team and gain their respect and confidence, often team members enquire as to why I do this on a voluntary basis, giving me an opportunity to share my faith in a sensitive yet truthful manner which leads to many conversations about life outside of football and eternal issues and a number of players have asked for and received the gospel tract Victory supplied by The Revival Association. When the Milk Cup ends these contacts continue and I ve been encouraged to hear from coaches and players who have come to a saving faith in the Lord whilst back in Brazil. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9 v 22b-23, I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the Gospel s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. I d like to thank those in Ballee Baptist who support me practically and prayerfully during the Milk Cup. What are you doing this summer? Page 4

6 b As the name suggests, Believers On Mountain Bikes (B.O.M.B) are a local group of Christian mountain bikers. Our intention is to expound the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord, bringing the word to those who are not Christians, encourage fellowship amongst believers and present the opportunity for all to develop a lasting personal relationship with God. Our vision is one of life lived to the full and on fire for God. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). We use mountain bikes as our tool to help facilitate opportunities to make meaningful contact with individuals and reach them for Christ. B.O.M.B. is an international organisation which originated in California. Our local group was founded in 2003 and was the first to form outside America. For the first few years we really were a Christian social group and, while that was a blessed time, we collectively felt there was so much more we could do for God. After a lot of prayer we were challenged to find 10 bikes and use them to bring groups of people out mountain biking with us so that we could share our faith with them. We estimated it would take about 4000 to gather the basic equipment needed so we set about some fundraising. We made contact with local bike shop Chain Reaction Cycles and told them what God had laid on our hearts and hoped they might supply us with some equipment at a discounted rate. We only had a few hundred pounds in our pocket at this stage from our fundraising activities but knew we needed to buy thousands of pounds worth of equipment. It was hard not to wonder if the idea would ever become a reality or if it would remain a distant dream. However, after much prayer we decided to put our faith to the test and commit to buying the equipment needed, regardless of cost, and that God would provide for us if it was what He really wanted us to do. It is at times like this when we are out of our depth that God shows His power. When we went back to Chain Reaction Cycles to speak to the manager again and tell him to go ahead with our order he told us that he had in the meantime met with the owners of the company and told them about our vision. It turned out the owners were Christians who, after prayerful consideration, had decided to Page 5

7 donate all the equipment we needed absolutely free of charge! We saw in that moment the hand of God working and were immediately assured that God was in the work of B.O.M.B. and that it isn t just another bike club. True, we are a group of friends who like to get together to ride the trails, but that isn t our sole purpose for existing. There s more: Solid Christian fellowship, encouragement, spiritual challenge, service and ministry. Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend (Proverbs 27:17). Outreach. The inherent purpose of B.O.M.B. is a ministry tool. Showing and sharing the love of God to all, and inviting non-believers to encounter and know the Lord, by sharing the Word of God and developing relationships. We welcome anyone looking to share in the thrill and challenge of mountain biking, to explore the splendour and beauty of God s creation, as well as having some good fun on the trails. In carrying the name of Believers on mountain bikes, we ultimately seek to honour the name of the Lord in everything we say and do. There are two main areas of our ministry: Indoor events these generally take place in church halls and community centres. Various forms of bicycle-based antics take place such as balance boxes, see-saws, limbos, rocky roads and ramps using mountain bikes, bmx s and mini bikes. We would then share the gospel during an epilogue in the mid-part of the programme and finish off the evening with a high-speed, knock-out race on the mini bikes. Outdoor events our typical day out on the mountain bikes involves travelling to one of our local forests such as Tardree, Donard Park or Inniscairn. Here we challenge our groups to the technical climbs and fast descents over rugged terrain. This is always a good opportunity to get alongside individuals and share the gospel. Time is also taken out on the trails for an epilogue. God has truly blessed the work of B.O.M.B. since its formation and many doors have been opened to us over recent years. Like many sports-based ministries, our work is predominantly with young people. However we actively seek to work with older groups as well. To date we have worked with youth groups, Men s fellowships and Girls and Boys Brigades as well as non-church groups. Please pray that opportunities will continue to arise to reach people for Christ through mountain biking and that ultimately souls will be saved. If anyone is interested in hearing more about the work of B.O.M.B. please speak to Richard Christie or contact us via Facebook or by at richardchristie_uk@yahoo.co.uk Page 6

8 b Ladies Fellowship After the excesses of December, January is usually a month set aside for diets, exercise and a general stocktaking of our health and well being. In January we continued this theme in our ladies meeting with a visit from Dr S. McCurdy. After a word of testimony, an opportunity was presented for questions regarding our physical health. An enjoyable evening was had by all. February brought Attracta Hanna back to update us on her work amongst the children of Dublin. "The harvest truely is plenteous but the labourers are few" Matthew 9 v 37 could be the summary of the evening. Attracta touched the hearts of all with stories of children longing for Good News Clubs and camps and yet a shortage of workers makes for a heavy workload and many missed opportunities. Thankfully we have a God with whom nothing is impossible! We have a vast mission field on our doorstep and yet we are often reluctant to help. The work is difficult and hard and Attracta values our prayers and support as she seeks to win boys and girls for Christ. We had a visit in March from Geoff Spence from Missionary Aviation Foundation. This is a new mission for the ladies. Our final meeting will be in April when Kathryn Campbell will give a word of testimony. We invite all ladies to come and join with us for these meetings. Our outing is planned this year for 30 April and all ladies are very welcome to come and enjoy a day of shopping, fun and fellowship. L Kennedy Page 7

9 The Men's Fellowship recommenced again in January Mens Fellowship after the Christmas break with a visit from the Mander family from Portadown. This was a very enjoyable meeting as they sang and gave an encouraging word. In February we had a visit from Richard Davison from Broughshane who sang and shared his testimony. This also was a very encouraging meeting. We are planning an outing for April/May time. Details will be announced in the coming weeks and all men from the fellowship are invited even if you have never been to one of our men's meetings. If you haven't been to the Men's Fellowship you would be made most welcome. We look forward to seeing you there. M McMullan Donegal Outreach On Saturday 22 nd January a team of 10 left Ballee at 6 am to help Alan and Rosemary Armstrong with outreach in North West Donegal. The team had previously been planned for Saturday 11 th December 2010 and Saturday 8 th January 2011 but had to be cancelled due to the weather conditions. Breakfast and fellowship was enjoyed at 8.30 am on arrival at the Armstrong home at Fallcarragh before setting off on the days work. Alan had already prepared the calendars and outreach materials, also maps of the areas that they wanted covered that day. The weather brightened very well from -4 degrees leaving Ballymena to +10 in the middle of the day. The team worked hard all day and pubs and shops were also covered in the towns and villages listed. People were friendly and receptive in conversations and contacts were made. We returned to Alan and Rosemary s home around 5 pm for a meal and fellowship before setting off for home at 7.15 pm. The members took gifts which included the offerings from one of our church prayer meetings and we have a receipt from Alan for They were amazed and thankful for this and for the help of that day. Since then the roof of the Armstrong home has been seriously damaged in a severe storm. Alan and Rosemary had intended to be at our Missionary weekend but because of repairs to the house they were unable to be present. D Mitchell Page 8

10 b 2011 brought with it the recommencement of a new season for Salt with an exciting agenda planned for the months ahead. SALT We launched the New Year on the 6 th January with an open meeting to present the Disabled Christian Fellowship with the money raised from our Christmas Postbox Appeal. It was our pleasure to hand over a sum of 1275 to such a worthwhile cause. This meeting involved a report on the work of DCF from Mrs Barbara Mills, along with an epilogue and a singing lesson in sign language from Alex Kinghorn accompanied by Stephen McAuley on the piano. It was a great night, enjoyed by all. The Salt Committee wishes to thank you all for your generous donations and also to those who provided the food, making the evening a success. The second meeting of the new season on 23 rd January was based on the theme Say Something Nice. The idea behind this was to give all the young people an opportunity to encourage each other in a simple way. To achieve this we provided each person with a printed list containing the names of all those present at Salt on that particular night. They then wrote a short note beside each name. The sheets were collected and each person will soon receive a bookmark containing all their personal messages. The night ended with a quiz and well-enjoyed refreshments. We had the pleasure of Alex Kinghorn s company again on the 6 th February when he continued with some more sign language lessons. Following this he spoke about his job with the Ballymena Council relating it to God s Word. This included a very interesting demonstration using paper, an orange, some sweets and a bag of rubbish. Between meetings 3 and 4 we had our rescheduled Christmas Party in the church hall on Friday 18 th February. We are grateful to Ian Calderwood who provided us with a super nights entertainment, games and Christmas music. The night finished up with a tasty Chinese take-away, as it was a bit late in the year for turkey! Our meeting on 20 th February was a visit from Coagh Baptist Youth Fellowship. These young people organised our entire meeting at which they sang, testified and spoke on God s guidance in our lives. It was a great opportunity to meet other young people of similar mind. The night ended with fun, fellowship and food of course. We are thankful to God for His guidance in organising these meetings and we value your continued prayerful support, as we seek to direct the young people at Ballee in His way. Page 9 Salt Committee

11 In recent years Northern Ireland has hosted a vast array of Southern Gospel artists and groups. Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, Gaither Vocal Band, Guy Penrod, The Hoppers, The Isaacs, David Phelps, Greater Vision, Allison Durham Speer and Larry Ford have all graced a stage somewhere in the province. Adding to this impressive list are The Ball Brothers. The Ball Brothers are four real life brothers based in Central Illinois in the USA. They possess a beautiful blend that can often only be attained by family groups. The Ball Brothers first caught my attention with a wonderful acappella rendition of the classic hymn, I Sing the Mighty Power of God. They were appearing on Ernie Haase & Signature Sound s Get Away Jordan DVD. The youthful presence coupled with an incredible grasp of intricate harmonies made for a great performance. In 2010 The Ball Brothers were nominated for Horizon Group of the Year by The Singing News and their project, "Breakthrough" was nominated for album of the year by the Southern Gospel News. The fact that the Breakthrough project gained critical acclaim is only part of the picture for The Ball Brothers. These men are firmly anchored in the important aspects of life and consistently put God first in everything they do. The Ball Brothers are now planning to take this incredible ministry to the shores of Northern Ireland. Beginning on May 22 nd until the 2 nd June 2011 The Ball Brothers and their families are embarking upon a tour of Northern Ireland. It promises to be an exciting time for both The Ball Brothers and fans alike. Stay tuned to for more details! Phil Boles Page 10

12 b Satan s Meeting R E A D E R S C O R N E R Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said, "We can't keep Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Saviour. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do," said the devil: "Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!" "How shall we do this?" his demons shouted. "Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, hours a day, so they can afford their empty spendy lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work! Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cd player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, DVDs, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ. Fill the coffee tables with raunchy magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the biased news 24 hours a day. nvade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogues, sweepstakes and every kind of winning newsletter offering free products, services and false hopes. Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. Keep the wives too discouraged and tired to love their husbands. If they don't give their husbands the care they need, they will begin to look elsewhere. That will fragment their families quickly! Give them a generous Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their

13 children the real meaning of Christmas. Give them an Easter Bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death. Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation depressed and exhausted. Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences. Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek spiritual power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. "It will work!" "It will work!" It was quite a plan! The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there. Having little time for their God or their families. Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives, no time to attend their church! I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes? You be the judge!!!!! Does "BUSY" mean: Being Under Satan's Yoke? Submitted by Jude Law Page 12

14 b Seasons of Life Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. James 4 : 14 Our life is like the Seasons, Summer, Winter, Autumn, Spring. It grows matures and fades away, And then eternity begins. The Spring reminds us of our youth, Our step is light and gay. Nothing now seems to bother us, Along life s happy way. Summer comes before we know, Our childish days are o er. We shoulder now the burdens that, Our parents did before. Autumn leaves will soon fall down, Our life is past its prime. But many never see this stage, They fade along the line. Winter winds very soon doth blow, Our journey s almost run. E en though we live to sixty five, It seems we scarcely have begun. How like God s word which says, Our life is like a vapour. It only appeareth for a little time, And then it s gone just later. When life is past, what ter that, The grave is not the end. Heaven or hell has been your choice, Eternity where? you ll spend. Written by Barbara Mills Page 13

15 Acceptable Offerings Let her alone She hath done what she could Mark 14 : 8 This is a lovely story; Mary showed sympathy for the Lord, a thing which others did not, and she received a wonderful commendation from the lips of the Saviour. Mary could not have done better than this if she had been a thousand times more gifted. We get two lessons. One is that all Christ wants is what we have ability and opportunity to do. He asks no impossibilities. The poorest things, the smallest offerings, are acceptable if they are really our best in the circumstances. A child in a mission school offered her teacher a handful of weeds and grasses, wilted and soiled at that, which she called a bouquet. Did the teacher refuse the gift and criticise the poor, withered weeds? No, she accepted them with a sincere gratitude and as many thanks as if some wealthy friend had offered her an elegant bouquet of flowers. The child did what she could and the teacher looking behind the gift saw the love in the little heart and that transfigured her poor gift. So it is that Christ accepts our poorest work or our little offering if it is our best. But the lesson has another side. She did what she could. It is this, then, that pleases Christ. Are we doing what we could do? Do we always bring to Him our very best gifts? Do we never put Him off with the faded flowers, keeping the fresh and fragrant ones for ourselves? Do we do for Him our very best work? Are we faithful? If we are only doing half of what we might, we cannot take the comfort of this commendation. The widow s mites were very acceptable coming from her, because they were all she had; but they would not have had such commendation if one of the rich men had given them. A little child s ministry is very beautiful for a child, but it would not be as fitting in the father or mother. We must really do the very best we can for our Lord and Saviour if we would have such commendation. D Mitchell Page 14

16 b Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people I am the Lord! Leviticus xix 16 Oh, Christian, pressing onward, to that home beyond the sky; There are many dangerous places that you surely must pass by There s that one that s often quoted Grumble Corner is it s name, But the one I m thinking of just now is called, THE GOSSIP S DEN There the busy-bodies congregate and make an awful din As they ridicule their Brethren This is what they revel in. Did you hear of Mr So and So that lives across the way Well I m told that he did such and such a thing the other day. And remember what I m telling you is as true as it can be For it was Mrs Someone Else that told it all to me. But don t say I was telling you for she asked me not to say, But I thought it was my duty when the talk came round that way. Then each in turn tell what they ve heard whether or not tis true, This they slander all their Brethren, well-they ve nothing else to do. So with malice, strife and envy, and sometimes lies as well, They separate God s people, and grieve the Lord as well. Oh, happier for that noble few, who take the things they hear And spread them out before the Lord, and drop a silent tear. And seek to end the matter there nor spread it far and wide, Nor try to hurt the hearts of those for whom the Saviour died So Christian flee from GOSSIP S DEN It s not a healthy place, It s the scandal of God s people The Assembly s disgrace. R.F. Page 15

17 THE PRESENCE OF GOD Reading a publication one morning, I came across a profound thought, According to my view of God so will all my living be. This really set me thinking, that every person s approach to communion with God, will necessarily be shaped by his or her understanding of God and their understanding will be shaped by their spiritual insight (great or small) of what the Scriptures say. So it is according to the depth that I know and love God that dictates my relationship with Him, my living in the home, in the work place or where ever I find myself to be. Psalm 24:3-5 shows what our condition must be to approach God, Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation If my view of God is that of a benevolent father christmassy figure then my living of the Christian life will measure up with that and my reverence of God and the Scriptures will be no more than that. On the other hand, if my spiritual eyes have been opened, I will see God as the seraphim saw Him. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. So, if this is the cry and action (covered their faces) of the holy seraphim, what then should/will my view and actions be before Him? When Isaiah got a vision of God, he cried out, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Isaiah. 6. Therefore, when I see Him in this fashion, I discover as never before my unworthiness, my smallness, and my filthiness, and feel less than a speck of microscopic dust (still too big) in His thrice-holy presence and there will be such great reverential fear! Even then, I say even then, my reaction is very inadequate. Job said I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:5-6. Nevertheless, it is the Holy Spirit alone who can show us this, as all man s teaching can never reveal to us God in this way. Teaching can bring us so far, but then like salvation we have to personally experience it to know it. Jesus said on more than one occasion, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive Matthew 13:14.If that benevolent father christmassy figure is our view then, God help us and only God can, to see anew. In the following Page 16

18 b Psalms we see a picture of God and what happened in His immediate presence: Psalm 68: 7-8 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah (consider this): The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. And again in Psalm 114: When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah was His sanctuary, and Israel his dominion. The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs. Then it goes on to ask the following questions with a knowing smile and tongue in cheek (as it were), followed with the thundering command, What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? Thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs? Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob. You see God was present! So the sea, Jordan and the mountains had to give way, there was nothing else they could do. When we come into the New Testament. we have Jesus words in John 14:23 If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him (His house). Paul speaking to the Corinthians said, For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people Is this the same God as in Psalm 114 where it says of Him Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob Of course it is! For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah. 9:6. Again in Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. This same awesome majesty, power belongs to the Gospel in this Day of Grace. God s attributes do not change because we live in the day of Grace. This same God is now present in His people. I will dwell in them, and walk in them. However, there is a question, which begs to be asked and demands an answer. Do we take this truth, this honour and privilege too lightly? You see God s presence is Salvation in the fullest sense of the word and so is Judgement! Now knowing this, I need to be sure that when I meet with the people of God, that I don t take it as a light thing, that I have not a wrong attitude so that I m not offering profane fire as worship as they did in Leviticus 10:1-3, And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.

19 And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And again in 1 Corinthians 11:29-30 we have this warning, For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. So as we meet together we have the promise of Christ in Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. This same God as in Psalm 114 and in 1 Corinthians 11 is, In our midst His immediate presence. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Psalm 29:2. We need to recognise this as we sit down in the Church s meeting place, bow our heads and with our whole being in recognition, give ourselves to the reading of the Word, mediation and prayer, in preparation for our worship and for what God has to say to us. Also if any unsaved come in they will realise that God is there! And it will be so when the preacher mounts the pulpit that he will know that God is there to bless, otherwise, any levity of the gathering will hinder the blessing of God. Finney says this about levity and he is right, Levity. How often have you trifled before God, as you would not have dared to trifle in the presence of an earthly sovereign? You have either been an atheist, and forgotten that there was a God, or have had less respect for Him, and His presence, than you would have had for an earthly judge. (Finney s Life & Lectures) Now as it is indicated in the above Scriptures, it is not because of the place where we meet in, but because of the Presence of God that makes it a holy place. It could be a bedroom, a hall, a field, below a tree or as it was with Moses in the wilderness. At any other time the bush was just like any other place or bush, but then God choose this spot to meet with Moses and it became holy. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. So, is it not His choice when we meet together in His name to be there? We are on Holy Ground! So let us take and believe the word that Immanuel gave us, For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Believe it, know it and practice it with great reverence and holy fear THE PRESENCE OF GOD. Eternal Light! Eternal Light! How pure the soul must be, When placed within Thy searching light, it shrinks not, but with calm delight, Can live and look on Thee. Submitted by Ernest Tuff

20 b How Truthful Are You? There are other forms of untruthfulness besides the direct lie. There are those who would not speak an untrue word who yet colour their statements so as to make them really false in the impression they leave; or they would not speak a lie, but they will act one. Their lives are full of small deceits, concealments, pretences, insincerities, dissimulations, dishonesties. You know how many of these there are in society. Oh, be true in your in most soul - true in every word, act, look, tone and feeling. Never deceive. There are no white lies in God s sight; it is a miserable fiction that thinks there are. J.R. Miller, D.D. Today Not Tomorrow There are duties that must be done at a particular moment or they cannot be done at all. It is today the sick neighbour needs your visit, your help; tomorrow he may be well or dead. It is today your friend needs your sympathy, your comfort; it will not be of any use to him tomorrow. It is today that the tempted one needs your help in his struggle; tomorrow he may be defeated, lying in the dust of shame. It is today you must tell the story of the love of Christ; tomorrow it may be too late. Learn well the meaning of NOW in all life. Tomorrow is a fatal work; thousands of lives and countless thousands of hopes have been wrecked on it. Today is the work of divine blessing. J. R. Miller D.D Knowing Your Place You are seated with Christ at God s right hand. Nothing is Higher than that! God loves you with an everlasting love. Nothing is Deeper than that! He invites you to drink from the river of His delights. Nothing is Purer than that! He shares His heart with you in communion. Nothing is Dearer than that! He watches over you with tender mercies. Nothing is Kinder than that! He is with you and will NEVER leave you. Nothing is Nearer than that! He leads you according to the counsel of His own will. Nothing is Wiser than that! He faithfully feeds you from His word. Nothing is Truer than that! He is in you and joined to your spirit. Nothing is Closer than that Roy Lessin Page 19

21 WANTED Someone to fill this page! If you have any articles, poems, book reviews etc that you think would be suitable for publishing in the church magazine, the Editors would love to receive them. Please forward any articles to the Editors at

22 b Book Review Twice Freed Onesimus a young slave longed to be set free to be with his girl Eirene. He was a very privileged slave because he had a good master. His master had heard the apostle Paul preach and had become a follower of Jesus. Onesimus hates Christianity. Suddenly there was an earth quake; Eirene s fathers mansion crumbles while she is at home with her father. Onesimus steals some of his masters money and escapes, but freedom brings trouble! Wherever he goes he seems to always fall into the kind and tender hearted hands of Christians. Soon he learns that Paul is in prison and yearns to learn more of this Jesus. He becomes a Christian and returns to Colosse to ask for his master s forgiveness. Paul was on trial while Onesimus asked Eirene s hand in marriage. Dated: Where: Author: Publisher: Type: AD (Nero s reign) Rome Patricia St John CF4K Historical based fiction. I would give this book 8/10 because it was a romance and it was historically based. Submitted by Hannah Anderson CPS P7 Page 21

23 Young Seekers Most children know about Cain and Abel, but do you know about Enoch & Enoch? We hope you enjoy our imaginary newspaper article based on Genesis chapters four and five, which we named the Eden Times. We don t believe there were newspapers about in Noah's day but there must have been story-telling. So here is a story for you... it s not new but maybe you haven t been told it before. Maybe your mum, dad, Granny or Granda might want to read it to you and help you answer the quiz questions. See if you can prove to be more cleaver than them! Just put the quiz sheet in the young seekers box, on the table in the entrance hall and remember to fill in your name and age. You never know there may be something with your name on it in a few weeks! Quiz to be in the box by 1 May Peter 2 : 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. Page 22

24 b EDEN TIMES Enoch & Enoch Noah you had a grandfather who disappeared, I believe. Oh, no, no, no... Enoch was my great grand father. My father, Lamech told me about his disappearance. Enoch was the son of Jared and he went missing at the age of three hundred and sixty five years, a young man by all accounts. He left behind a wife, his eldest son Methuselah and many other sons and daughters. Enoch was a man of God, and he was a great preacher, telling everyone that God would judge their sin. What sin would that be? Well, complainers, people looking out for themselves and nobody else. Those who flatter others to get what they want, you know the sort of thing. Not forgetting murder, lying, general disobedience to God. Did anyone see were he went to? Well my father told me that God took him body and all into the heavens. It must have been a great sight! But why was he taken and not anyone else? I do believe it was because Enoch had a personal relationship with God, he had faith and he lived his life the way God wanted. Noah, was the city of Enoch named after your great grandfather? No certainly not, my family descended from Seth, as I have written down for you to understand. Seth was born of Adam and Eve because Cain, their first-born son murdered his younger brother Abel. Only when Seth was born and he had a son called Enos did people begin to call upon the name of the Lord. Let me tell you what has been told to me by my father. Cain, the firstborn of Adam and Eve, killed his brother Abel. Is that the story of the first murder? Yes, let me continue the story, Cain s brother Abel was a sheep farmer and Cain was a crop farmer. Cain had brought fruits which grow out of the ground to the Lord the creator of this earth, and his brother Abel brought the first born lambs from his flock and the fat. God wasn t pleased with Cain s offering but he was pleased with Abel s, this made Cain really angry. Well... God saw how angry he was and told him that next time, if he brought the right sacrifice, then he would be accepted. That made Cain even angrier because Abel s sacrifice was better than his. Cain talked with Abel in the field and well there was still a swell of anger inside Cain...and he killed his brother. Of course God had seen and heard it all and Cain thought He hadn t. God cursed him, which meant if he dug the ground no fruit would grow and he would wander about on the earth. How could Cain bare such a punishment? He loved digging the ground and watching the corn, vegetables and fruit trees grow...plus everyone that found him would want to kill him. He hadn t thought that he d be punished for his actions. Cain got lost in his jealousy and anger, there was just no self-control, I suppose. But that doesn t explain why the city is named Enoch! Cain wandered about in the land of Nod, just east of Eden. he had a wife and together they had a son called Enoch; Cain built a city and named it after his son. But God doesn t punish anyone now! God sees the wickedness of man and that every thought of his heart is evil all the time. God is sorry that he has made the earth and I m speaking to you so that others will read and understand that God is going to punish those who do not seek forgiveness, God is going to flood the whole earth. Genesis chapters 4 & 5 2 Peter 2 : 5.

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26 b Young Seekers Quiz Tick the correct answer - there may be more than one 1. God cursed Cain because He murdered his brother He didn t bring the correct sacrifice He was the eldest son 2. Cain built a city and called it Eden Enoch Nod 3. In the ads section of the Eden Times there are mentioned some firsts that are found in Genesis. What musical instruments are mentioned? Harp Violin Piano Flute 4. What did Tubal-Cain Make? Bronze Wood Aluminium 5. Where would you buy a Cow? Zillah s tent Jabal s tent Irad s tent 6. God gave Adam another Son to replace Cain and Abel, his name was? John Samuel Seth 7. Noah s great Grandfather was called? Enoch Shem Adam 8. What age was Enoch when he was taken by God? Why was Enoch taken by God? He had a personal relationship with God He had faith in God He lived his life the way God wanted him to Name...Age For extra points - Who lived to the age of 969 years, the oldest, biggest age of any man recorded in the bible? Methuselah Noah Seth

27 Dates for your diary Here are some important dates for the coming months. APRIL Tuesday 12th April 8 pm - Missionary Meeting - Jonathan Morton (OMS) Saturday 16th April 7.30 pm- Festival of Male Voice Praise - Guest Speaker Pastor G. Ward JUNE Sunday 5th June Anniversary Sunday - Pastor Ian Wilson Sunday 19th June Youth Sunday - Pastor Nigel Kissisk For further information refer to the Monthly Information Sheets Page 26

28 b Services Sunday School & Bible Classes 10.15am Sunday Services 11.30am & 6.30pm Salt* alternate 8.00pm Good News Club* 7.00pm Bible Study* 8.00pm Ladies Fellowship* 2nd and last Wednesday of each 8.00pm Men s Fellowship* 3rd Wednesday of each 7.45pm Prayer Meeting* 8.00pm Youth Club* alternate 7.30pm *SUBJECT TO CHANGE DEPENDENT ON TIME OF YEAR PASTOR Pastor Lawrence Kennedy 10 Woodcroft Heights Ballymena BT42 1GF (028) ASSISTANT PASTOR Pastor Billy Jones 127 Whitesides Road Ballymena BT42 2JG (028) editor@balleebaptist.org