Winter 2003
From the Pastor
May I add my voice to the
many that you have heard in recent days, wishing you a “Happy New Year.” As
the children of God such a comment is not just wishful thinking, or a hopeful
longing..rather it is backed by the one who can save from every sin; carry over
every valley; and walk with us through every crisis.
As I look back over 2002 I
have mixed emotions. Little did I think when I started the year that the 7th
June would see me in Antrim Area Hospital Cardiac Unit with a suspected Heart
Attack! Praise God, it was more of a warning than an attack, and September saw
me back in the pulpit, albeit not back to full strength. I am now trying to pace
my workload better, and heed my body when it tells me it is time to slow down.
December 2002 saw my 14th
anniversary as the Pastor of Ballee Baptist Church, and I thank God for every
meeting, service and opportunity that has come my way, and my family who has
supported me in every way.
As we start 2003 I remind you
that, while it might be a New Year...the message stays the same! Paul writing to
the believers at Rome (Romans 1:15) reveals he was “ready” to preach the
Gospel. Paul’s life was absorbed with, and overflowing with the message of the
Gospel. In 1Cor 9:16 Paul said “Woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel.”
The Gospel message involves the truths that Jesus came, He died and was buried,
and He rose from the dead, and was seen by many after He arose (1Cor 15)… All
pointing to His truthful claims to be the Messiah; Saviour and Redeemer of the
world.
Nothing could keep Paul from
giving out the Gospel; he would not allow hindrances in his life to keep him
from telling the old, old story in a New Year. The word “ready” in Romans 1
:15 suggests an “Urgent Willingness” to proclaim the story of Jesus and his
love. The story Paul preached was both truthful and triumphant. Let me remind
you of some things about our message.
It
is a Beautiful Message. If
you examine Ephesians 2, you will discover that man is spiritually dead but can
come alive. Man is travelling in the wrong direction but can have his direction
changed to the highway of holiness. Man is disobedient, but can be made into an
obedient child. Man is doomed, but Jesus can deliver.
No other message can make such claims and back them with reality and
substance.
It
is a Blessed Message. Since
God has ordained the preaching of the Gospel to save them that believe, it is
undoubtedly a blessed message (1Cor 1 :21). It is my contention that if any
fellowship; or preacher wants to know the blessing of God upon their gatherings
and ministry, they would be wise to major on the story of the Gospel.
It
is a Bountiful Message. It
is a message of riches...and I am not thinking of a guarantee of temporal
monetary riches, but rather of spiritual riches. When a man or woman believes
the Gospel, they become an heir of God, and a joint heir with Jesus Christ (Rom
8 :17). What a “rags to riches” story!
It
is a Beneficial Message.
Nothing will benefit people more than the preaching of the Gospel. Of course we
must have a social conscience and a benevolent caring vision, but our concern
must be the theology before the ecology, redemption before relief, salvation
before social reform. The Gospel is the “power of God unto salvation to
everyone that believeth” (Rom 1 :16), so we must take great care, that we do
not feed the poor, care for the needy...yet leave them with no hope for
Eternity!
It
is a Balanced Message.
People talk of some preachers being “Judgement Preachers,” and others as
being “Easy/Love Preachers.” Such descriptions are foolish in the extreme,
for the Gospel must involve both! We must tell the truth of “repenting or
suffer the consequences” (Luke 13:5) but on the other hand, the truth of
“Believe and be saved” (John 3 :16). We must proclaim both the judgement
side and the love side of the Gospel….God will judge the unrepentant sinner,
and He will save all those who savingly believe in Him.
In this New Year may we as a
fellowship in Ballee Baptist always strive to tell the old, old story, because
it still is the only message that can meet the need of the sinners heart.
-------------------------------------------------
PASTOR
TO VISIT BILLY & AGNES JONES
For some years Pastor Victor
Maxwell (Banbridge Baptist) has suggested to our Pastor that he should travel
with him out to Brazil, to visit the work of the Acre Gospel Mission in general,
and our own missionaries Billy and Agnes Jones in particular.
Plans where made of a
more definite nature in January of last
year (2002), but Pastor Kennedy’s involvement in the trip looked very
doubtful, when he took ill during the summer.
However thanks to the
Lord’s intervention, the Pastor feels that he is well enough to make the trip,
and his doctor, together with our oversight have approved the trip.
The dates of the trip are the
6th - 30th January 2003,and the basic itinerary of the trip is as
follows:-
Depart…..Dublin Mon 6th
Arrive….. Dublin Thurs 30th
Conference Venues
North East
Tues 7th - Thurs 16th
Manaus
Thur 16th - Mon 20th
Rio Branco
Mon 20th - Sun 26th
Fuller details of their
travels are available from David Mitchell
Please pray for:
Travel Arrangement
Protection on journeys and
Good Health
Advancement of the Work in
the North East
Wisdom in the Conference
Ministry
Encouragement for the Acre
Workers and Local Churches.
Church
Attendance On A Wet Sunday!
Frances Ridley Havergal was
the daughter of the Rev.W.H.Havergal rector of Astley, Worecestershire. Her
father was an able musician and a composer of many hymn tunes. She also had
considerable musical talent, and at one time thought of following the musical
profession. However, her literary inclinations prevailed, and she ultimately
gained high reputation for her prose and poetry.
Miss Havergal
was born at Astley in 1836 and died in 1879, and in those forth-three
years wrote numerous hymns, many of which are still sung today.
But this sincere Christian
lady also wrote her memoirs and included in them are her ‘Twelve reasons
for attending Church on a wet Sunday’ and although written in the mid
1880’s they are well still worth our consideration today.
Frances wrote:
1.
God has blessed the Lord’s day and hallowed it, making no exceptions
for hot or cold or stormy days.
2.
I expect my minister to be there. I should be surprised if he were to
stay at home on account of the weather.
3.
By staying away I may lose the prayers which may bring God’s blessing
and the sermon that would have done me great good.
4.
My presence is more needful on wet Sundays when there are few than those
days when the church is crowded.
5.
On any important business, rainy weather does not keep me at home, and
Church attendance is, in God’s sight, very important.
6.
Such weather will show me on what foundation my faith is built; it will
prove how much I love Christ. True love rarely fails to meet an appointment.
7.
Though my excuses satisfy myself they still must undergo God’s
scrutiny, and they must be well grounded to do that.
8.
There’s a special promise that where two or three meet together in
God’s name He will be in the midst of them.
9.
An avoidable absence from the church is an infallible evidence of
spiritual decay. Disciples first follow Christ at a distant and then, like
Peter, do not know Him.
10.
My faith is to be shown by my self-denying Christian life, and not by the
rise and fall of the barometer.
11.
Such yielding to surmounting difficulties prepares for yielding to those
merely imaginary, until thousands never enter a church, and yet think they have
a good reason for such neglect.
12.
I know not how many more Sundays God may give me, and it would be a poor
preparation for my first Sunday in heaven to have slighted my last Sunday on
earth.
Submitted
by John McCartney
Ladies
Meeting
This year we were a month
late in starting the Winters work due to meetings taken by Billy Kennedy.
However, this made us look forward even more in anticipation of a visit from
Chris Killen. Chris came and gave a word of testimony and then took time to
speak of the work he is involved in with drug addicts in Ballymena. Every lady
went home challenged and deeply moved by what Chris told us of a town that has a
darker side - a side where Satan reigns - basic human necessities are forgotten
in the desire to obtain the next fix. We look forward to a return visit from
Chris at a later stage to update us with this difficult and challenging
outreach.
In November Cathy Moriarty (CMML)
paid us a visit. Cathy deals with the travelling community down south and again
she spoke of the great need for outreach amongst the travellers. Cathy also gave
us a word of testimony telling of how God has brought her through many
heartaches and is using both her and her husband throughout Eire. We had no
meeting in December but we would encourage all ladies to join with is in January
for a visit from Esther McMitchell, who is coming to give her testimony. This
year God is teaching us that He works in the life of the individual then uses us
to further extend His Kingdom. If you are unable to attend these meeting please
pray that God will bless and hearts will be challenged.
Our prayer meetings have
continued as usual on the last Wednesday of each month. It has been great to see
new faces at this meeting but the need for prayer is great. We have many of our
ladies sick or unable to meet with us - please come and pray and uphold these
dear ladies in prayer.
As we reflect on this past
year God has moved in our ladies meetings. As we enter 2003 may we continue to
feel His presence and guidance as we plan for future events. May I take the
opportunity to wish each of our ladies a very happy “Christ-centred” New
Year.
Lesley
Kennedy.
--------------------------------------------------
Christmas
Time
Christmas
time is the time of year,
Christmas
time is the time of good cheer,
Santa
Claus and Rudolph come,
Their
sledge is full of Christmas fun
The
children clap and dance with glee,
When
they see the toys beneath the tree,
Enjoy
the toys enjoy the fun
But
remember how it all begun
A
baby was born in Bethlehem,
He
came to seek and save all men.
Submitted
by Christopher Cameron ( 10 years)
Man Made In Perfection
Gen
1. 26-28.
So God created man in his own
image, in the image of God created He him, male and female created He them. (v
27)
Man ’s Sin Brings
Separation
Gen 3. 17-24
So He drove out the man (v
24).
God’s Plan of Redemption
For unto you is born this day
in the City of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2 v 11). Behold
the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1 v 29-34). And I
give unto them eternal life, and they shall
never perish neither shall any man pluck then out of my hand.
(John 10 v 25-30).
When Jesus therefore had
received the vinegar, He said ’IT IS FINISHED’ AND He bowed His head,
and gave up the ghost. (John 19 v 16 - 37).
For as yet they knew not the
Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead (John 20 v 9) Jesus saith unto
her, touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to My Father, but go to My Brethren
and say, unto them, ‘I have ascend unto My Father, and your Father , and to My
God, and your God. (John 20 v 13 -18). Who
His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we being
dead to sins’ should live unto righteousness, ‘BY WHOSE STRIPES YE WERE
HEALED’
(1 Peter 2 v 24)
Man’s Depravity
For ALL have sinned
and come short of the Glory of God (Rom 3 v 23). All we like sheep have gone
astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him
the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53 v 6). Wherefore as by one man, sin entered
into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed on all men, for that all
have sinned (Rom 5 v 12)
If we say that we have not
sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (1John 1 v 10).
God’s Way Of Salvation
For I am not ashamed of the
Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that
believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Rom 1 v 16)
I am the door; by me if any
man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture. (John
10 v 9). See also the following Scripture: John 3 v 16,John 14 v 6, Romans 3
v 24, Romans 3 v 25, Eph 1 v 7, Col 1 v 14, Heb 9 v 12
& 15,Hebrews 10 v 20, 1 John 2 v 2, !John 4 v 10.
Neither
is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given
amongst men whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4 v 12).
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also
before my Father which is in Heaven. (Matt 10 v 32).
He
that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and He that believeth not the
son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on Him. (John 3 v 36)
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. (Rom 10 v 9 ).
Whosoever shall confess that
Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in Him, and He in God. (1 John 4 v 15).
And this is the record, that
God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the
Son hath life; and He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things
have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may
know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son
of God. (1 John 5 v 11-13).
Wherefore He is able to save
them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make
intercession for them. (Heb 7 v 25).
For God sent not His Son into
the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3 v 17).
Submitted
by James Alexander.
----------------------------------------------------
NO
OTHER WAY.
There
are those who hope to gain Heaven
By
the many good deeds that they do.
While
others place hope in religion
As
they occupy their special pew.
There
are many who give of their substance,
With
whatever their lives have been blessed.
But
this too is all wasted effort
If
Jesus they have not confessed.
That
they stand in need of forgiveness
From
all of their sin and its shame
And
will truly accept His salvation
By
believing on His precious name.
Only
then can they claim Him as Saviour
Have
a [peace such as they’ve never known.
With
assurance when this life is over
They’ve
a place in His Heavenly Home.
Composed
by George Walker
FOLLOWING
A STAR AND FINDING AND STABLE - Matt 2 : 1-12
Over the Christmas period we
have heard much about the wise men and their gifts. My thoughts have been turned
to these verses and I have received much blessing from them and trust as you
read this article it will be a blessing to you.
Have you ever noticed how
life doesn’t always turn out the way we carefully plan it to? Sometimes
circumstances don’t always follow our plans. Often, it seems that life is
nothing more than a series of shattered dreams. These wise men, they had spent
the last two years following a star, v’s 7,16. To follow this star, they had
left home and family behind. They had left their country and were now pilgrims.
Along the way, they no doubt had to face perils and obstacles. They even found
themselves in the presence of a king. The, when they finally arrive at their
destination, they find the star they have been following stops over a stable.
These men probably dreamt of finding the Messiah in a palace, this probably
explains their going to Herod’s first! I’m sure they at least expected
luxury, and a nice home. What they found did not match their dreams. They found
the King of Kings, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a feed trough. No
doubt their dreams were shattered. Yet, amid the rubble of their torn and
twisted dreams, these wise men found some things in that stable that changed
their lives. Sometimes life has a way of shattering our dreams and destroying
our hopes and plans.
Here is a good exercise when
you are following a star and find a stable.
Wise
men recognize God in the stables of life.
A.
It wasn’t what they had expected, but they came to worship and worship
they did! They saw God in the stable! They saw God in Jesus! “God manifest in
flesh.”
B.
When life shatters our dreams, our first duty is to find the Lord. If we
are His, then nothing can happen in your life that He has not allowed. Job 1 :
1-2.
C.
When your star leads you into a stable, remember that God is doing one of
three things:
Correction - Heb 12 : 6; Rev
3 : 1
Instruction - He is
trying to reveal Himself to you in a new way, Rom 8 : 28. (Israel
- Had they never faced all that they did, would never have known that God
could see them through!). The men of Samaria - they believed because
of what they had experienced - John 4 : 42.
Perfection - He is
trying to mould us into His image. He desires a vessel that He can use and has
chosen us as that vessel and He is getting us ready for service! (Moses - He
could not have led Israel, until he first led those sheep in the desert!
D.
When your star leads to a stable - Look for God, He will be there!
Wise
men render gifts in the stables of life.
A.
It would have been easy for these men to have turned around, packed up all they
had and they had and went home. After all, who would blame them? It hadn’t
turned out like they had planned. But they didn’t! They gave Jesus what was
rightfully His
B.
When you star leads you into a stable, that is the time to give! Most
people’s response to the stable experiences in life is to stop giving. That is
the wrong response! The way to get from God is to give to Him. See Mal 3 : 8-10;
Luke 6 : 38; 2Cor 9 : 7, 2Cor 9 : 1-9. Matt 10 : 40-42: Matt 25 : 34-40.
C.
These wise men received far more than they gave. That is always the way
with God. No man can ever out give Him. Not very many try, but those who do find
Him to be over abundant in His supply.
D.
The surest way to get a blessing is to be a blessing! (Read the Parable
of the Talents - Matt 25 : 14-30)
Wise
men receive grace in the stables of life
While
they were there, they experienced two kinds of grace.
First, they experienced
saving grace. Secondly, they experienced
sustaining grace. God saved them and then He directed their lives.
B.
When our star leads to a stable, we can expect to find God’s grace in
that hour of need - 2Cor 12 : 9. Life is seldom fair, nor what we think it ought
to be. But, even when life lets us down, we can be sure that God never will !
Heb 13 : 5; Heb 4 : 15! Heb 2 : 17-18.
C.
When our star leads to a stable, we can expect God to provide leadership
and guidance for us, John 16 : 13.
D.
As God’s children, we are never alone and never without recourse. He
will always make a way for us and in your stable. He is working on your behalf
and is concerned about your need. Why don’t you do what the wise men did, fall
down before Him and worship Him.
Submitted
by John Boyd
Luke
22 : 41
A Stone’s Cast Further.
Jesus
took His chosen friends with Him in to Gethsemane. Those who love us most truly
must share our sorrow with us. But it is note-worthy, also, that Jesus Himself
went deeper into the shadows of the garden than He asked His friends to go. Is
not this fact most suggestive? We need not fear that in any grief of ours we
shall never be alone, without companionship. We shall never find ourselves in
shadows too deep for the sympathy and help of Christ. However far into the
garden of sorrow we may be led, if we lift up our eyes we shall see that Jesus
is on before us, a stone’s cast further than He has asked us to go.
Tribute
to Mrs Elaine Luke.
Our dear Sister Elaine was
suddenly called from this earthly scene to
be with her Lord and Saviour on Tuesday 1st October 2002. The news of her
passing cast a shadow of loss over our Fellowship. It is now fitting that
tribute should be paid to one who was so steadfast in her faith in spite of all
her circumstances. It is difficult to understand and sometimes hard to accept
why some of God’s dear people should have such problems and few indeed of His
children can confidently cope with the promises of God on one hand, and life’s
experiences on the other, when these don’t seem to go together. It just proves
to me that the testimony of difficulty can only be borne by the choicest of
Saints. We would remind ourselves that some of the mightiest victories for God
have been won by those whose lives were one long battle with health and physical
problems.
Elaine McNeill was born into
a Christian home. Her earliest memories are of her mother telling her the
stories of Jesus and teaching her to pray each night. When so got older she
started to chum around with other girls and they were allowed to play outside on
a Sunday. When she got a bit older she thought that all this Sunday business was
a bit over the top. Sunday School at 10am; Church at 12; home for dinner; The
Salvation Army Sunday School at 2pm; Another
Sunday School in the Silver Band Hall; home for tea and Church again at 6.30pm.
Then in 1949/50 Pastor James
Armstrong, (then a Constable in the Royal Ulster Constabulary)
came to Hill Street Baptist Church to have a Mission. Elaine went along
with her parents each night, God spoke to her in those meetings and before the
mission was over she gave her heart and life to the Saviour. Elaine was baptised
and the things of this old world lost their appeal in her life.
One of Elaine’s new friends
sang solo and Elaine would go to various meeting and play the organ for her. The
Billy Graham Crusades were in full swing and one such Crusade in London was
relayed to the Town Hall in Ballymena. A Choir was needed and formed of young
people from various Churches in the Town. At one of these choir practices she
meet a young man named John Luke.
In
1960 Elaine and Johnny were married. In 1962 they were blessed with their first
little Son Ian. In 1964 with another boy, David. Then in 1966 at the age of 4yrs
and 3 months Ian drowned in an accident at the river. The family were
devastated. Six weeks later David got viral
pneumonia, he was rushed to hospital. The Doctor took Johnny aside and
said, I know you have just come through a tragedy and I’m very sorry to tell
that if David makes it till the morning it will be a miracle, we only hope we
have got the right antidote. Elaine and Johnny were devastated again. They stood
at the door of the oxygen tent all night and prayed that God would spare David. At four in the morning they talked of Isa 43 v2, “when thou
passeth through the waters I will be with thee, through the rivers they shall
not over flow thee” They prayed that God would help them to cope with all that
lay ahead
The Lord answered their
prayers and at 6am there was a visible change in David. God had answered their
prayers with the miracle that the Doctor talked about. David fully recovered.
Elaine had the joy of pointing David to the Lord in later years and he is now
the Pastor at Gilnahirk Baptist Church, Belfast.
Elaine and Johnny came to
Ballee from Hill Street in 1989. In June 1994 Elaine was diagnosed with having
cancer. She records that she tried so hard to come to terms with it all. The
people of Ballee were praying and Elaine got through that in the strength of the
Lord and with a peace in her heart.
She said “I could not live
without the Lord, He is my strength from day to day, I
lean on Him for everything, the weaker I am, the harder I lean”
In March 1997 she went into
hospital for an operation in the knowledge that she would be home in at least
five days. After an epidural she was left paralysed from the waist down.
According to the Doctors in the Royal Victoria Hospital and Musgrave she would
probably remain in a wheelchair, once she got that length. She responded well to
treatment but inside her heart was breaking, why had this happened to me again.
The people of Ballee prayed, the doctors were amazed at Elaine’s response and
in 12 weeks she took her first steps in Musgrave Hospital.
Elaine could always trust the
God of miracles. After that she had another attack of Cancer, but she recorded
in her dairy, “I have proved the Lord’s sufficency over and over again. Ps
56 v3/4 were precious to Elaine “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
In God I will praise his word, In God I have put my trust, I will not fear what
flesh can do unto me”
The affection, respect and
regard in which she was held was shown in the large crowd that attended her
funeral in Ballee on Thursday 3rd October 2002.
Pastor Kennedy spoke well of Elaine and highlighted his positive faith in
all the trials of life. All present were left in no doubt of their absolute need
of Elaine's Saviour. The crowds
left the Church saddened by the loss from our midst of One so much loved and
respected, but gladdened to know she was already in the very presence of her
Lord and Saviour whom she loved so dearly and served so faithfully.
"Thou shalt be missed
because thy seat will be empty" 1 Sam 20. v18.
We commend the whole family
circle to the God of all comfort and grace.
To Johnny her dear husband.
Son - David, his wife Elizabeth and their family - Jill, Emma and Calum.
Son - Edwin and his wife Cathy.
D. Mitchell.
Secretary.
They
borrowed a bed
To
lay His head.
When
Christ the Lord came down
They
borrowed an ass
In
the mountain pass
For
Him to ride to town
But
the crown that He wore
And
the cross that He bore
Were
His own.
He
borrowed the bread
When
the crowd He fed
On
the grassy mountain side.
He
borrowed a dish
Of
broken fish
With
which He satisfied
But
the crown that He wore
And
the cross that He bore
Were
His own.
He
borrowed the ship
In
which to sit
To
reach the multitude
He
borrowed a nest
In
which to rest
He
had never a home so rude.
But
the crown that He wore
And
the cross that He bore
Were
His own.
He
borrowed a room
On
His way to the tomb.
The
Passover Lamb to eat
They
borrowed a cave
For
Him a grave.
They
borrowed a winding sheet
But
the crown that He wore
And
the cross that He bore
Were
His own.
Submitted
by Mary Linton.
Special
Dates For Your Diary.
Week
of Prayer:……...Monday
6th - Friday 10th January
Sunday
12th January am & pm
Mr David Mitchell
Tuesday
14th January
8:00pm
Gideons
Sunday
19th January am & pm
Pastor Alan Hoey
Tuesday
21st January
8:00pm
John & Irene Barfoot
Sunday
26th January am & pm
Mr Tommy Anderson (WGM)
Tuesday
28th January
8:00pm
Lo Debar Trust (Gordon Campbell)
Annual
General Meeting
(MEMBERS ONLY) Thurs 13th February 7.30pm
Missionary
Weekend
Friday
21st
February
Pastor Daniel Cocar (ECM Romania)
Saturday
22nd February
Mr David Kelso (Word of Life)
Sunday
23rd February (am)
Pastor Bobby Toner (Japan)
Sunday
23rd February (pm)
Mr Jonathan Morton (OMS Mexico)
Tuesday
4th March
8:00pm Mr Stanley
Mawhinney (IMF)
Sunday
9th March
am & pm
Pastor Tom Orr
Tuesday
11th March
8:00pm Pastor Ian Wilson
(Grove Baptist)
Sunday
16th March
am & pm
Pastor Raymond McLarnon
(Ballymena
Congregational)
NEW
MEMBERS:
The
following believers were brought into fellowship
Miss
Julie Irons 27/10/02
Mr
& Mrs David Dornan. 15/12/02
Congratulations
to
Alan
& Shirley Johnston on the birth of their daughter Emily Grace 4/12/02
Samuel
& Jennifer Carson on the birth of their son Richard David
10/10/02