Welcome to our fellowship publication as we enter a new year,...2001!! (I still can’t believe it)

For those who do not come to our fellowship at Ballee Baptist, may I take this opportunity to wish you a very blessed New Year.

On the day this magazine is given out, ie. Sunday the 31st of December, I, DV, will be one week away from arriving in Andhra Pradesh in Eastern India for a “sixteen day, forty-six message,” preaching trip with Pastor Tom Orr.

For my magazine article, I would like to remind you of a very simple yet powerful word from our Bible. It is mentioned in our Authorised Version eighty-six times. It is the word “NEVER.” It can be used in both a negative and a positive sense. A negative sense can be illustrated by the words of Proverbs 27:20.. “The eyes of a man are never satisfied.” What a statement about man’s condition!

But as I have been preparing for my trip to India, it has been the “positive” instances that have encouraged and blessed my soul:-

1.The Never of His Presence.The Lord says in Heb. 13:5 “ I will NEVER leave thee nor forsake thee.”

There is nothing negative about that fact. As I travel, it is wonderful to remember, that under no circumstances does God ever leave the life of one of His children. Satan will try to tell you that God has forsaken you, but the Devil is a liar.(John 8:44).

2.The Never of His Provision Paul the Apostle said, “Charity NEVER faileth.” Love will never be powerless or without effect. Love is part, a segment of the Fruit of the Spirit recorded for us in Gal 5;22. It reaches to the Throne of God as we express our love for our Saviour; Love reaches the Saints of God, as we care for those of the “Household of Faith;”Love reaches to the world as we seek to tell the lost of the Saviour who is able and mighty to save. Maybe greatest of all, is the Love of God, which is lavished upon us daily.

3.The Never of His Placing. After Christ gave His life for sinners at Calvary, He was placed in a tomb where no one previous to that time had been placed (John 19:41). But oh the thrill to remember, the Lord Jesus will NEVER be placed in that tomb, or any tomb again, for He now lives in the “Power of an endless life” Heb 7:16, and He “ever lives” to make intercession for the saints of God. (Heb 7:25).

4.The Never of His Protection. In John 11:26 we are told that if we live and believe in Christ, we will NEVER die (eternal death). We will never perish if our faith is in the Son of God (John 10:28). In the context of my visit to India I am reminded of Gen. 31:49 “The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.” So many verses talk of God’s protection, here are some to look up. Psalm 23:4; Psalm 27:1; Psalm 91:4;

Psalm 121:5-7; Luke 10:19.

5.The Never of His Proclamation. In John 7:46 we find the words, “NEVER a man spake like this man.” The words of the Lord Jesus rang with authority and power, always full of the Holy Ghost and power (John 3 :34). As Tom Orr and I go as His servants to India, pray that as we proclaim the word of the Lord that we too will know that fullness of the Holy Ghost and power in preaching.

6.The Never of His Punishment. Christ in Mark 9 :34 spoke of “fire that shall NEVER

be quenched.” Men who reject Jesus Christ will NEVER know one moments peace and solace in the place called Hell. This is the over-riding purpose for our journey. The reason we leave comforts, family, familiarity; This is why we take the endless tablets and the injections; That’s why we risk everything from “Deli Tummy to Typhoid,...Millions of men, women and young people in India have NEVER heard the message even once that “Jesus Saves.” Pray that God in His Sovereign Mercy will save many, many souls. And remember, there is NEVER any condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (ROM 8:1).

I look forward to seeing you all again soon, and keep an eye on the family at The Manse in my absence.

Look to the east for the day sky is breaking

Soon shall the winter of sorrow be past.

Christ lingers not nor delays in His coming

Warm are the rays of His dawning at last.

Stormy this life and its billows tempestuous

Gladly our anchor we cast in the veil.

Many make ship-wreck and sink in deep waters

Better to swim in the teeth of the gale.

Long since this world has forsaken despised You.

Few are the comforts that lighten your way

Quicken your steps to salute His appearing

Grey-headed time bids you hasten away.

Fetch home to Christ every wayward affection

Pour at His feet the full measure of love

Patiently bear with life’s scanty lean diet

Christ is preparing a banquet above

Look on in hope to the end of the journey

Far though your feet in the desert may roam

Eagerly Christ is awaiting His loved ones

Granting the pilgrim a sweet welcome home.

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Father in Heaven hear my prayer. I thank you for your daily care,

You’re always with me where e’r I go, I do not have to doubt you so.

For this heart of mine doth yearn, as every day I try to learn,

More about your love for me

And why you died on Calvary.

Submitted by Ruth Neely.

We’re living in the midnight hour, the signs are clear to see.

The age of grace approaches its end, the way God said it would be.

There cannot be many more days before all pay the price.

Of living a life of sin below, a life without Christ.

As earthquake follows earthquake, and nations rise and fall,

All signs fulfilled before our eyes, the writing’s on the wall;

Love of many has waxed cold, false prophets and deceivers are here,

As in the days of Noah it is,,

Soon the Son of Man shall appear.

But surely the greatest sign must be, the Shepherd calling His own,

Back to Israel prepared for them, never again to roam;

More of His sheep return each day, back to a land of His care,

As His plan evolves before our eyes - a future we can share.

For though the world approaches its end, we don’t have to be perplexed,

For though earth’s midnight is almost here, we must not be sad or vexed;

Soon the mystic cry shall be heard - the trump of God shall sound,

And we who had given our hearts to Him, shall rise above the ground.

Come let us warn our brothers, as the clock approaches twelve.

Save them from a Christless eternity - an everlasting Hell;

So when our Master cometh - He’ll find us not asleep.

But working in our final hours, we must sow if we want to reap.

So far this year we have had exceptional missionary meetings - both in content and in numbers. We opened our new season with a visit from Esther Gillanders who gave a word of testimony and also encouraged us to pray for both her and Trevor as they serve God in Ireland with the Faith Mission. Our meeting in October was taken by Rachel Bartley who again gave her testimony and challenged each of us by what she had to say. Both these meetings had around 70 ladies present and this was a very encouraging beginning to our programme. In November we had a visit from Monkstown Baptist Ladies whenever around 30 ladies from Newtownabbey came and shared with us both in testimony, verse and song. A closing message was brought by Mrs Heather Hoey and we had a wonderful time of fellowship both during and after the meeting around a cup of tea. There are no meetings in Dec due to the holiday season but already we are looking forward to a visit from Trevor Boyd and Billy Scott who travelled to Romania and do a great work amongst boys and girls. They are showing slides so please plan to attend if at all possible. God has tremendously blessed us this year and we are excited about what He will do in 2001.

Our prayer meetings continue as usual although our format has changed slightly and we now have a cup of tea sometimes afterwards. Intrigued? Come and find out more on the last Wednesday of each month. We look forward to seeing you in the place of prayer. We have much to praise and thank God for and we have many ladies absent from us due to illness so may I encourage you to come and join with us and “pray without ceasing.”

Thank you for the snowdrop

So delicate and fine,

Another emblem of Your love,

To this poor heart of mine.

Thank you for the snowdrop,

Which spells the sign of spring,

The chitter-chatter of the birds,

The flapping of each wing.

Thank you for the snowdrop,

Dressed in green and white,

Reminding us of purity,

The choice of doing right.

Thank you for the snowdrop,

So humble and so small,

Created by that mighty Love

Embracing each and all. by Dorothy Anderson.

It is difficult to really believe it but another year has gone! The month of December when we celebrate the birth of God’s dear Son arrived so quickly. We trust that all our readers had a peaceful and blessed Christmas. For many of our dear friends who found Christmas a difficult season. I assure you that you were much in our prayers.

I love Christmas time because of its meaning. 2000 years ago He who was eternal and invisible appeared in human form and dwelt among men. I love to think of all its meaning because so little now is directed towards the Saviour. The lights and trees seem to appear weeks before Christmas and the shops change in character. Toys and gifts of every kind fill the windows. To so many, God’s appearing on earth will not have entered their minds; it was just another shopping spree.

However, for God’s dear people it was again a time of quiet reflection on the greatest event ever known to man - God in flesh appearing. It was indeed a time of opportunity to give and receive, to share, to be happy and rejoice in the great mystery of Godliness, God manifest in the flesh. With all this in mind, and thinking of the future, I recall the three appearings of Christ mentioned in Hebrews chapter 9 verses 24-28/ These are past, present and future.

Referring to that first Christmas in the past, the writer records in verse 26, “But now once, in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Christ took human flesh upon Himself to die for hell deserving sinners such as we. Oh how thankful we should be for Christmas and for the incarnation, for had He not appeared in the flesh and gone to Calvary not one would ever have entered heaven and God’s glory.

In verse 24 we read of the present. Here we are told of the present position and work of our Saviour. He appeared in flesh to die. He rose from the dead and ascended into glory “to appear in the presence of God for us.” There, as our High Priest, He pleads our cause. He is our advocate and brings our names and our needs daily before His Father and ours.

Lastly, thinking of the future, in verse 28 we read,”Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time...” not to deal with sin as this was done ‘once for all’, but He is coming to bring in our full salvation. We shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. We shall be caught up to be with Him in glory forever. What a Saviour!

Our world is tottering with unrest and instability. It is in disarray. World oil problems and monetary problems have men’s hearts failing them for fear. But not so for the Christian. Unbelief will look at the circumstances and events but God’s people look up. The Lord Jesus not only said ‘look up’ but ‘lift up your head.’ This is not a reference to posture but to attitude. Let’s step into the new year with our heads high, with hope, with joy, with peace and live above the pressing passing events of time in joyful anticipation of His return.

Let me just refer briefly to two men from the Scriptures- one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament- who lived in time, and see how they dealt with the future:

(1) Moses. I love those verses in Hebrews 11 : 24-26 that give a summary of Moses ‘ life. In his early years Moses was clothed in the finest of Egypt, educated by the greatest of scholars and received the adulation of thousands. At forty years of age he was ready to receive the greatest throne in the world at that time. The world was at his feet. Wealth, fame, power and majesty were his for the taking. All that Pharaoh could offer was

material and temporal, but what God had bestowed was eternal. What did he do? He choose to be identified with Christ and His eternal glory. That choice was not easy but it could not be avoided. He chose to suffer affliction with the people of God. What a wonderful choice. He could never have known when he made it that it would eventually be the means to deliver His people through the Red Sea from their affliction in Egypt. May we always choose that better part.

(2) The Apostle Paul. He lived in time, yet everything he did was influenced by eternity. He did not consider his health to be important for he was often sick. He had no desire for wealth for he was mostly poor. He did not long for fame and lived his Christian life under the sentence of death. He never expected the applause of men, nor worked to be accepted by the world. From his conversion on the road to Damascus until his death outside Rome, he suffered for his faith. Did he complain? No, he viewed it all in the light of eternity. If we suffered a fraction of what Paul suffered I don’t know how we could cope. Paul would also encourage us to look up and have eternity in view.

Never loose sight of the fact that when the Lord Jesus was here He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. May we all know His clear will and guidance in the days ahead and let us keep the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus in view.

Submitted By Thompson Eccles.

Surely one of the most vivid descriptions of the Saviour in the whole of the scriptures is “Man of Sorrows” Just to think that He, the Son of God, the second person of the Godhead, who had hung the very stars in space, should become a Man of Sorrows. Yet, that is what He was. See Him sorrowing for His friend Lazarus, see Him sorrowing over Jerusalem, see Him sorrowing in the garden.

This picture inspired one of the best-loved hymns, sung by generations of believers, especially at the Lord's table. It was written by Philip Paul Bliss who had considerable musical talents and was much in demand as a children’s worker and song leader at gospel missions. He wrote many hymns, emphasizing the individual’s desire for God and they all express deep personal commitment. As a young man of 38, God saw fit to call his servant home, when Philip Bliss and his wife were killed together in a train crash.

God has a great supply store

For whatever we may seek

It’s open twenty four hours a day

And seven days a week.

What ever deal we do there

We’ll never make a loss

The prices are already paid

By Jesus on the cross.

There’s provision for our daily needs

Food and shelter for each day

For our needs to Him we pray.

His word will learn us how to live

To repent from sin and trust

On Jesus for salvation

For Heaven’s entry is a must.

Another year, a new decade is heralded

As bells peal forth.

Their clarion sound throughout the land;

From east and west, from south and north.

All who will now, in true repentance,

Come and seek the Saviour’s face,

Shall find His free forgiveness there

While we are in God’s day of grace.

For those who know and love the lord,

His presence in their hearts will shine;

So, with reflective look, we view the year of 2000.

Thus on the threshold of another year we stand,

And trust the providence of God’s Almighty hand.

Privilege is ours to come before the Throne of Grace;

Responsible are we to bow and seek His face.

Answer He gives according to His perfect will:

Yearning, we linger as we hear Him say, “Be still.”

Entering the Holiest by the blood-bought Way,

Restoration and refreshment, ours to-day.

Lasting forever is the Saviours love

Outstanding as His stoop from heaven above;

Victorious in the work He came to do,

Enduring is His love, remaining true.

God can take your trouble and change it into treasure. Your sorrow can be exchanged for joy, not just a momentary smile, but a deep new joy. It will be a bubbling experience of new hope that brings brightness to your eyes and a song to your heart. In the midst of the darkness you will learn lessons you might never have learned in the day. We all have seen dreams turn to ashes - ugly things, hopeless and heartbreaking- but beauty for ashes is God’s exchange.

Tears and sorrow come, but each time God will be there to remind you that He cares. Romans 8:28, means that God causes all things in our lives to work together for good. Flowers can even grow on dung hills, and compost makes great gardens. God is offering Himself to you daily, and the rate of exchange is fixed. It is your sins for His forgiveness, your tragedy and hurt for His balm of healing and your sorrow for His joy. Give God the pain and sorrow, give Him the guilt you feel. Tears and heartaches come to us all. They are part of living but Jesus Christ can ease the heartache.

Remember you are not alone; many are in God’s waiting room for what seems like forever, learning lessons, suffering pain, and growing. But the fertilizer that helps us grow is in those valleys, not on the mountain top.

The iron crown of suffering precedes the golden crown of glory. Keep in mind that you are not responsible for what you cannot control and that God has only called you to be faithful. He did not call you to be successful.

Real genuine healing is a process. It takes a long, long time for the deep hurt to be resolved. Sometimes it seems that they will be with us forever, but understanding them helps dissipate their pain.

Life isn’t always what you want, but it’s what you’ve got; so with God’s help “CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY” and He will see you and your loved ones home safe at last.

Our God creates the weather the sunshine and the shower, and every little raindrop descends by his own power.

The lightning and the thunder are sent by his decree, the storm and gentle breezes show forth His majesty.

The winds he sends in season from north south east and west, are given for a purpose as He alone knows best.

He gives us cold in winter with frost and fog and ice. sometimes severe conditions as He knows will suffice.

And every little snowflake by His design is made a carpet white and silent upon the ground is laid.

Throughout the year He sends us the weather of His choice for He our God is sovereign and should for us suffice.

Tis God who sends the weather should we therefore complain if sometimes we want sunshine He wisely sends the rain.

May we be ever thankful for all He gives so free and trust Him for His goodness then rest

contentedly.

As always it’s been a busy few months for the Youth Fellowship. Our season began on 3rd September when we welcomed new members into our company. The meeting had an informal tone as we got to know one another. The committee took part, each introducing themselves before giving a word of encouragement from their favourite verse. Richard Logan then challenged each of us to set targets for the year ahead. We drew up a checklist of some of the targets that we as young Christians should have. We are reviewing this list on an ongoing basis throughout the year, to determine how well (or not) we are achieving these goals.

On 17th September we watched a video ‘A thief in the night’ which dealt with the Lord’s return. It was certainly a very apt reminder that we will not know the day or hour when He will come back and so we must be ready now.

Ian Calderwood took charge of our meeting on 1st October when we looked at how to find true happiness. The meeting took the form of discussion groups, the result of our study determining that trusting in God is the only way to have true, lasting happiness.

“Why do we do that?” was the subject which the Pastor undertook to speak to us on at our next Youth Fellowship. He dealt ably with the reasons for our hat wearing ‘tradition’ at Ballee, pointing out that it was not a force of habit but a simple display of obedience to God and His word.

Auldwyn Calderwood and Billy Portis formed our panel on the 29th October when we had a question time which dealt with issues raised by our own group. We would certainly like to thank Auldwyn and Billy for all the effort and preparation which had evidently gone into their answers. We definitely learned a lot from God’s word that evening.

On the 12th November Jonathan Reid from Child Evangelism Fellowship visited us. Jonathan’s enthusiasm for the work of CEF really encouraged us to pray for him as he told of many different situations where God was moving.

Our final meeting for this quarter was a discussion on ‘Self Image’. We looked at how the world looks at our outward appearance but God looks at our hearts. This was a challenge to us as we considered how we ought to be developing our inner beauty by spending time with God.

Please continue to pray for all the Young People at Ballee that they would know the Lord Jesus as their personal Saviour and seek to serve Him in their lives.

The following people from our Fellowship have completed the Christian Carer’s Course: This was organised by Family Life Foundation, Carrickfergus, held at the Church and consisted of twelve study evenings concluding on 23 Nov. 2000.

Barbara Bankhead, Betty Barr, Susan Bell, Noel Bell, James Clarke, Pauline Colville, Mena Davis, Moira Herbison, Raymond Herbison, Iris Houston, Linda Irons, Stephen Irons, Audrey Johnston, Lesley Kennedy, David Long, Sammy Lyness, David Mitchell, Albert Moore, Nancy McAuley, Grace McCaughey, Stephen McWhirter, Margaret Nutt, Ruth Simpson, Sally Whann, Susan Wilson.

Sun 7th Jan. am & pm Pastor Jim Magill {Dromore Baptist}

Tues 9th Jan. 8:00 pm Mr. Cecil Andrews {Take Heed Ministries}

Sun 14th Jan. am & pm Pastor Ian Wilson {Grove Baptist}

Tues 16th Jan. 8:00 pm Mr. Stanley Mawhinney

{Irish Missionary Fellowship}

Sun 21st Jan. am & pm Pastor Wesley Crawford {Comber Baptist}

Fri. 26th Jan. 8:00 pm Mr. Walter Burrell

{Seamens Christian Friend Society. Cork}

**Thur 8th Feb. 7:30 pm A.B.M.

ALL MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND.**

Tue. 13th Feb. 8:00 pm Mr. Jackie Burke. Drug Awareness Night.

Sun 18th Feb. am & pm Pastor Silas Henry.

Fri 23rd 8:00 pm Mr. Tom Lewis {B.E.E.}

Sat 24th 8:00 pm Mr. Douglas Mark {Open Doors}

Sun. 25th 11:30 am Mr. Sherrard McKay {Protestant Truth Society}

Sun. 25th 6:30 pm Mr. Jim Gillett. {Ireland Outreach}

Tue. 6th March Mr. Billy Swann {Dublin Christian Mission}

Tue. 27th March Mr. Mick Gendron {Dallas U.S.A.}

Testimony & Ministry