Listooder Youth Fellowship

Saved and Sanctified - Testimony of Alan Bartley

A new speaker at Listooder, Alan Bartley introduced himself to the young people by providing an insight into how he came to know the Lord Jesus Christ and experience the joy of sins forgiven.

Reading from Psalm 116, Alan consider the Psalmist's claim in the first verse. God had done something for the speaker in this verse, therefore he loved Him. "I love the Lord because..." indicates that there was something which caused him to turn his affection towards God. He had an encounter with the Lord.

Alan was the youngest of 8 children, in a typical 'Presbyterian' home. A religious home, but apart from the profession of his mother at an early age, a home without the Lord.

At 8 years of age, Alan lost the 'hero' of his young life. His father passed away, leaving a grieving family that would never be the same again. The loss of his father caused him to realise, for the first time, that he also would face death at some point in his life.

As he entered his teens, Alan had little desire for the things of the world, and got heavily involved in the local church. Sadly, the church did not appear to teach the Gospel, and Alan never realised that he needed to be saved.

One of his brothers, who was religious and 'good-living' had come to know the Lord in this time, but since little change could be seen in his life, this had little impact on Alan. However, when another brother, who had been caught up in the things of the world, got saved, Alan began to notice a radical change in his life. His brother began to pray, study the Bible, speak about the Lord and even bought Alan his first Bible. Shortly after this, 3 of his sisters also came to know Christ as their Saviour.

But despite this influence, Alan began to drift away from Christian things. He began to lose interest in the church and felt his life was taking a direction away from the things of God. He had little interest in hearing about his need for Salvation, or his need for Christ.

Yet at the age of 17, he was convinced to attend a Gospel mission, and reluctantly attended. As he left the mission that evening, walking out into the darkness of the night, he became acutely aware of the darkness of his own heart, and the grip of sin on his life. God was dealing with him.

He returned to the mission each night, where he learnt about the Lord Jesus Christ, His love, His death, His forgivness and His Salvation. As Alan sat in the Gospel mission, during one of the meetings, God spoke to him, calling him to repent of his sin. In realisation of his need of Christ and His work of Salvation on the cross, Alan came to Christ for forgiveness. He immediately felt the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and knew that He had changed.

But for Alan that was just the beginning of his journey. He knew his sin had been dealt with, he had been redeemed, but he also quickly realised that he still had the old sinful man within him. 

Becoming critical of others within the church, growing more and more frustrated with the inconsistencies in his life, Alan saw that he was missing out as a Christian. He knew that he was not experiencing the joy seen in the Christians of the Bible. He knew that his prayers were not being answered like the prayers of those believers. For him, the Christian life was just not working. And it frustrated him.

But God is merciful. Even though we often neglect Him, hold things back from Him and constantly sin against Him, He graciously wants to bring us to the point where we realise that He is the perfect guide for our lives. He is the perfect provider, the perfect comforter and the perfect protector. God brought Alan to that point. 

God showed Alan that he had been putting many things before Him and His Word. He showed him that he had been keeping certain aspects of his life back from God, refusing to yield his life to the Lord.

God gave Alan the strength to do just that. And for 25 years, time after time after time, Alan has seen the Lord leading him through his life. He has seen true miracles from God and experienced what it was to live fully for Him.

Closing with the hymn 'Go through with God', Alan encouraged the young people to put the Lord first and seek Him early in life, before the devil draws them away into a life of sin and emptiness.

Above thine own ambitions here,

Another voice is sounding clear.

It is the call of God to thee:

O leave thy all, and follow Me.

Putting on the New Man - Ephesians 4

In our last meeting of the season, Listooder welcomed Paul Foster for the first time. Speaking primarily from Ephesians 4, Paul considers how we have been called to 'put on the new man' (verse 24). It is this new man, created after the character of God, that should be our aim as believers seeking to glorify God in our lives. But to understand the requirements of this new man, we must first understand the character of God. What are the characteristics of God that we can aim to achieve as new creatures in Christ? GOD IS WISE We have a purpose, to glorify God. And God has given us the wisdom to know how we can demonstrate this purpose in our lives. It should be our desire to serve Him, and that desire comes from the wisdom of God in our hearts. GOD IS POWERFUL While yet unsaved, we had no power over the flesh. The sinful naure of our inner man had full control over us. But believers in Christ have power over the flesh. We have been given the strength of God to resist the sinful nature within us. GOD IS HOLY In Christ, we have been made holy. When we trusted in Him for salvation, we immediately came under the convering of the blood. His righteousness has been passed to us in exchange for our sin. We have been made holy, and our day by day lives should be a reflection of that holiness. GOD IS JUST Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? God is the perfect judge, His decisions are  fair and His judgements are right. Yet so often we unfairly judge others. We condemn some to hell in our minds, whilst lifting others up in glory. We must demonstrate the new man by showing justice and fairness in our actions. GOD IS TRUTH God cannot lie. His Word is truth. Therefore we can rely wholly upon His promises. As we seek to present the Gospel of Christ to the unsaved, we must guard against inconsistencies in our testimony. We must be sure that our witness is true, honest and of good report to all who watch us, so that our lives do no betray our words when we speak for the Lord. ---------------------------------------------------- Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Ephesians 5: 1-3

The Twelve Spies - Numbers 13

Samuel Adams arrived at Listooder to bring a short report of the ongoing work of Every Home Crusade before opening the Word of God at Numbers chapter 13. In the last year, the organisation produced 78 million pieces of gospel literature equating to 1385 tonnes of paper. Samuel showed a presentation of his recent visit to Mek'ele, north Ethiopia, where he met with a man who had translated the New Testament into the local language. With the help of Every Home Crusade, the Gospel of John was printed and was now ready to be distributed to the people. It was in the Ethipiopian Othrodox church where they found the biggest response to the Scriptures. These were people who believed in a God, but where faith seemed to be based solely on works. Placing the Word of God into their hands is a great blessing for now they can read for themselves the truth of God, and see Christ as the only one who can truly redeem them from their sin, showing them that their works are as nothing, without the covering of the blood of Christ. Samuel then turned to the book of Numbers to consider the children of Israel on the verge of entering the promised land. The people had been brought out of their slavery in Egypt. They had seen the miracle of God in the crossing of the Red Sea and they had received the provision of God in the wilderness. Yet it seems they had forgotten the greatness of their God. Moses had sent twelve spies into the land to bring a report back to the people. On their return, ten of these spies brought a depressing message. The land would be impossible to conquer. There was simply no way that they could overcome its inhabitants and claim the land which the Lord had given them. But of course the problem was that these ten spies, and subsequently the children of Israel were looking at the situation through the eyes of man. All they could see were problems, barriers in the way of achieving success for God. That is like so many of us today. Instead of attempting great things in the name of Lord, reaching out to needy souls and spreading the Gospel of Christ, we think of reason after reason why we are unable to take that step. We use fear, embarrasment and pride as excuses in the work of the Lord. Two men, however, saw the situation of Canaan very differently. Caleb and Joshua, later to be involved in the leading of the children of Israel into the land, brought a positive report back to the people. They saw what the ten saw, but they were not discouraged. Instead of looking at the world through the eyes of man, they looked through the eyes of God. The God who had delievered them from Egypt, the God who had brought them safely across the Red Sea, the God who met their every need in the wilderness, could easily bring the people into the land which He had promised to give them. Today, many Christians are passionate and enthusiastic, but their passion and enthusiasm is so often directed at the wrong things. So often we show more passion for sport, politics and entertainment than we do for what really matters: the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour. When it comes to the Word of God, and the Gospel we show weakness, immaturity and fear. The people had forgotten who their God was. They had forgot His greatness, His power and His glory. We so often forget that every breath, every blessing and every benefit is from the mercy of God. God's will for our lives is perfect. It is the best path for us as individuals. But to follow it we must believe with our full being in His power and believe in His will. There are many times we do not understand what the Lord is doing, there are times when the obstacles are large, when the prospect looks bleak. But it is in those times especially that we must remember who our God is, and what He is capable of. He has saved us from the pit of hell, redeemed us by His blood and made us the sons of God. Caleb and Joshua wholly followed God. Is that something we are prepared to do? Our God is limitless, He is eternal, He is never ending. So often we restrict Him in our minds, we place Him in a box, expecting Him to work within our limits. But He is God. He will lead us if we let Him, but we must follow Him fully. Wholly follow the Lord.

Excess Baggage (Hebrews 12)

As we are reminded in the opening verses of Hebrews 12, a Christian, more often than not, is under observation. Whether it be our unsaved friends, family or just work colleagues and school friends, it is important that we prove our testimony in the way that we live. The 'witnesses' give us the perfect opportunity to share Christ with those around us. Yet so often we fail in these responsibilities, hindered by the excess baggage referred to in the verses. It is with this in mind that the writer advises us to lay aside every weight. So many legitimate things can take the place of God in our lives. Whether it be family, work, sport, television, money or something else, it is easy to spend so much time in engrossed in these things that we lose sight of our responsibilities. For example, do we get so caught up in the atmosphere of a sport that our language becomes more and more like the language and speech of the unsaved? Or are we so tied to the television that we cannot leave it to attend the midweek Bible study and prayer meetings in our local church? So not only can these genuine distractions damage, or at least hinder, our personal testimony before other, they can also spoil our relationship with our Heavenly Father. To know God more, we must ensure that we are reading His word and spending time with other Believers of like mind, and so we can be held back from this full experience by the legitimate things in our lives. Sin, of course, is also a hindrance in these things. The word 'beset' in the opening verses means 'to skillfully maneuver yourself to prevent someone from going forward'. Sin is a dangerous foe, and one which will not lie down and let us pass. It is something which we will continue to battle with in our progress as Christians, but each time we must seek the forgiveness of the Lord, put the sin behind and carry on in His strength. On many occasions, a Christian, losing the battle with sin, will simply stop making progress in their relationship with Christ. That is not what should happen. God understands our failings, he knows our weaknesses, yet he desires that we get up and run. Like excited children in a playground, we must run with enthusiasm and delight. But we must run with patience. Our weakness will halt our progress, thus patience is required, but each time we must seek God's help to get back up and start running again. Only then, will we be true examples, true testimonies for Christ before all those witnesses. The journey of each Believer is unique. It is an individual journey, 'the race set before us'. For some it will rough, for others smooth. For some it will hard, for other much easier. But regardless of the path, we are given the same instruction: keep your focus on the Lord. Christ is describes as the author and finisher of our faith, He is our beginning and our end, and without him we are nothing. Therefore it is only in His strength that we can indeed pick ourselves up and make progress along the Christian journey. Finally, do we really need to make the effort? Would it actually matter if we just carried on through the Christian life just the same as when we were first saved? Why should we learn more about Christ, and spend time with other Believers? Why should we care what unsaved people think of us, and what conclusions they come to about our Saviour by watching our lives? Well it should matter, and we should care, because of what Christ has done for us. His path, like us, was set before Him. His path led to the cross, where He would give His life a punishment for sins, for our sins. Despite the pain and suffering He was to endure, He did not stray from the path. He did not turn away from the plan of Salvation. In fact, in verse 2 of the chapter we read that He went with joy. And He did all that for us. Christ sits now at the right hand of God. Risen, victorious and representing us before the throne of God. We owe it to Him to live our lives as a testimony for Him. We owe it to Him to accept His offer of mercy and strength each time we fail, to reach for His ready hand as He raises us back onto the path. We owe it to Him to run. So, fellow Christians... Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Amen.

Understanding God: Step-by-Step

In television, printed media and among the public we hear many different 'Gods' spoken of. There is the Catholic God, the God of the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormon God, Allah in the Islamic faith and many others. This same term 'God' is almost always used, but when you take time to learn about the 'God' which they worship you find that each one is completely different from the others. So who is God? Is there a true God? Colin Murray explains how we can understand the true God, the only God - the God of the Bible. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works - 2 Timothy 3:16

Amongst many other things, the Word of God is profitable for doctrine. This word 'doctrine' should not be interpreted as something which is only within the reach of a select few scholars of Bible literature. God would not have His Word to be accessible to only a small number of individuals - it is for all! It is crucial that every believer knows and understand the doctrine of Scripture.

It is vital that we know the doctrine of God, as contained in the Bible. Through this knowledge, we will grow to know our God better, we will learn to serve Him better, we will want to serve Him better and we will feel compelled to witness for Him better than ever before. We must understand God. Of course, as we have said, there are many different views on God. Some say there is no God, others says there could be a God but it is impossible to know Him. There are views that everything is a God, or that there are many Gods. But the Bible teaches clearly that there is ONE God. So who is this God, and how can we know Him better? THE TRINITY To know God, and to understand who He is, we must first accept and believe in the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity teaches, from Scripture, that God is three unique persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Each one of these three person is fully God. Yet there exists one God. This is teaching of Scripture, and it is a teaching which we must accept. We must believe that the Father, the Son and the Spirit are all fully, and individually God, yet there is only one God and not three. This is taught clearly through the verses outlined below: The Father is God - Philippians 1:2; the Son (Jesus Christ) is God - Titus 2:13; the Holy Spirit is God - Acts 5:3-4; they are THREE distinct persons - Mark 1:10-11; yet there is ONE God - James 2:19. We will, however, never understand such a concept, as our limited minds could never comprehend such a truth. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts - Isaiah 55:9 It is beyond human logic, yet many have tried (and failed) to encapsulate it into a sense of logic which we can grasp (refer to slides 4-6 of the accompanying presentation). This concept is further proved in Scripture through the first chapter of the Bible. In the opening verse of Genesis, the word 'God' is the Hebrew word 'Elohiym', which is a plural word, NOT singular. Yet the correct rendering of this word is 'God', not 'Gods'. In verse 26 of the opening chapter, God declares 'Let us make man...', again indicating a plurality. The concept of the Trinity is fundamental to understanding who God is, and how we can know Him. For it is only then that we ca truly understand that it was the true love of the Father to send the Son to die on the cross for us that we might receive the forgiveness of sins, and have the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit in our lives every day. Because only God could show the level of love and mercy that it took to send 'His only begotten Son' to a world that rejected Him. Only God, though humbling Himself to become a man who would lay down His life at Calvary, could destroy the power of sin, death and hell, taking His life back up once again. Only God could give us the peace and comfort of eternal security, teaching us in the ways of Scripture and filling us with the joy of salvation. Yet it is one God that we worship. To Him be the glory! There are many other things we can know about God from Scripture, some of which can be seen on slide 7 of the accompanying presentation. Even the very names of God (slide 8) can teach us so much about His love, His care, His presence and His power. As Christians, we are commanded to be like Christ, and although we can never hope to attain to what Christ is, and was, it should be our desire that live according to His example. And so we must study the Scriptures, learning about the Holiness, the Righteousness, the Truthfulness, Goodness, Love, Grace, Mercy and Longsuffering of God, to know what He expects us to be in a world that knows Him not. In doing so, let us look forward to that day when we shall see Christ, when we shall glory in the presence of the Father and when we shall commune eternally and perfectly with the Spirit in heaven. For it is only then that we will truly understand God, and will know Him better than anything or anyone we have ever known before. What a blessed hope! Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is - 1 John 3:2

Time Management - Alistair Crawford

Time Management (Psalm 90) Good management of our time is a vital requirement in every aspect of our lives, but surely the most critical is how we manage our time in relation to God and His will. Alistair considers the time, by reason of strength, that our Heavenly Father grants to us upon this earth, and as in Psalm 90:12, reminds us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Every day we are credited with 86,400 seconds. At the end of that day, any time we have not used is lost forever. Yet each new day we are credited with a further 86,400 seconds. So how are we to make the most of this time that we have been given? How do we number our days? Firstly, we must consider this verse in context. In the context of God's eternity, a God who existed before time itself, our life is but a spec on the landscape of time. In the words of the hymn, our life at best is very brief, it is like the falling of a leaf, like the binding of a sheaf. Life is short. Yet it is within this short time that we have requested to number our days, and apply our hearts unto wisdom. IT IS A NECESSARY REQUEST By our very nature, we do not live every moment in the truth of the Word of God. Yet every moment we spend outside of the knowledge and communion with God, we miss out on some aspect of that true relationship with the One who redeemed us and called us by His grace. By numbering our days, by taking account of the few days that we have on this earth, we will surely gain a fresh view of the responsibility which God has given us to spread His Word to those who know not the truth, thus applying our hearts unto true wisdom. So many in this world live for time, and for time alone. In other words, they have no view of eternity. They have no concept of an eternal God, an eternal heaven or an eternal hell. It is the responsibility of every believer to show to those who are unsaved that there is a decision to be made in their lives. 'What think ye of Christ?' is the question which must be asked, the answer to which determines the destination of their soul in eternity. IT IS A PURPOSEFUL REQUEST There is a purpose to numbering your days, as it will lead to wisdom of heart. A sinner who receives a view of eternity from the God of heaven, one who, seeing the light of God revealed to them in the person of Jesus Christ, will receive true wisdom from God. They will receive the knowledge of sins forgiven and the assurance of salvation. And for the believer, true fulfillment in our Christian lives can only be found as we receive a true vision of the eternity of God, and the brevity of life. For it is only then that we will receive the desire to follow the service of Christ with our all, taking the Gospel of the Kingdom of heaven to needy souls. It is only then that our hearts will be applied to true wisdom in Christ. We will not only be wise unto Salvation, but we will become wise unto the service of the King. 'So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom'. Psalm 90:12

Purity of Thought - Brian McCoubrey

Reading from Philippians 2, Brian McCoubrey first asked the question 'What is Thought?'. Considering ideas, opinions and attitudes he challenged the young people to have only thoughts that are pleasing to God. Of course, God knows our thoughts, therefore as Believers it should be our natural desire to ensure that those thoughts are pleasing to Him. But our thoughts have a great influence on our lives too, and so it is crucial that our mind is kept pure, whether they be the thoughts coming from within us or those which come from the influence of the world around us. Perhaps the biggest danger comes from the devil, the enemy of God and the enemy of a Christian. If the devil can find a way to control our minds, then he has found a way to control our actions. Therefore we must guard against the 'fiery darts of the wicked' as spoken of in Ephesian chapter 6. Discussing the following dangers posed to the mind of the Believer, Brian explained the need for God's power in our lives, humbling ourselves to Him and resisting the attacks of the evil one. ANGER So often we lose control of our temper, often hurting those close to us. Yet God commands us to show temperance and control in these circumstances. ADULTERY Sexual lust and immorality are all around us, making it easy to fill our minds with these thoughts. This pollutes our thoughts, damages our relationships and destroys our witness for Christ. ANXIETY The Bible commands us to 'take care for nothing'. A Christian should not worry or fear for things in life, but rather entrust all things into the mighty hand of God. ASSURANCE The devil will often seek to use our thoughts to make us doubt the Salvation which Christ has given us. But of course we can never lose our Salvation, since no-one can ever pluck us out of the Father's hand. ATTITUDE Our attitude affects everything. Thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to will damage our effectiveness for Christ, and impact on our witness for Him. Even as Christians, we are prone to sin. We will constantly battle against these matters, in our minds as well as our actions. This is where we need the Holy Spirit to guide us and to help us. We need the power of God, battling against the sinful thoughts in our minds. By making our requests known to Him, as we are taught in Philippians 4:6-7, we are promised 'the peace of God, which passeth all understanding'. This peace, this contentment, will keep (protect) our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Testimony of a Missionary (1 Timothy 1)

Opening with a reading from 1 Timothy 1, Victor Maxwell related his testimony to the young people of Listooder. Victor was brought up on the Donegal Road, Belfast in a 'good' home, but not a 'saved' home. He was taken to the local church on Sunday, and attended Sunday School as a youngster. He spoke with great fondness of his Sunday School teacher. Not a public speaker, he faithfully taught the gospel to the class of 5 boys, 4 of which went out to serve the Lord in some full-time ministry. However, despite the faithful teaching, Victor remained unsaved into his teens. At the age of 16, he worked at the local Post Office as a Telegram Boy, travelling through Belfast by motorbike. It was here that he was invited to a church Gospel meeting held by Rev. Ian Paisley. As he listened to the Word of God presented, the Sunday School teaching flooded back to him. Yet still he rejected Christ. He returned to the church on several occassions, continuing to resist the Saviour for fear of his work colleagues and his ability to 'keep the faith'. At one such meeting, he met a girl from school who, wondering why he was at the meeting, asked 'Are you a Christian?'. When told that he was not, she asked 'Would you like to be one?'. That night Victor put his faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. The next day, many of his friends laughed, many mocked, but in the coming weeks and months he had the joy of leading many of them to the Saviour. The Lord had great plans for Victor, as He does for each one of us. While delivering mail around the doors, at the age of 18, he came across a man named Ernie Allen, founder of the Revival Movement Association, seeking to provide Gospel literature free to those in need of Christ. He began to get involved in presenting the Gospel throughout Northern Ireland. Following a near-death experience in the water off the coast of Portrush, Victor re-dedicated his life to the Lord, committing to serve Him wherever God led him. Beginning to be influenced by tales of missionaries to Ecuador and other lands, he wondered could this be God directing him to full-time missionary work. This was confirmed to him in the words of John 6:20 - 'It is I; be not afraid'. After Bible College, both Victor and his wife, having been married for only a short time, made the long trip to Brazil and began serving the Lord as missionaries with Acre Gospel Mission. This was, of course, a challenge. It was a challenge to learn the language and to adjust to the culture. It was a challenge to meet the medical needs of a town where the nearest doctor was days away. It was a challenge to face the fierce opposition of the Roman Catholic priests in the area. A huge challenge to raise two children in the vicinity of the Amazonian rainforest. But the greatest challenge was to reach men and women with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet in Victor's ministry over the last 50 years, from the tribes of Brazil to the churches of Northern Ireland, countless men, women, boys and girls have been reached with the glorious message of salvation. Many souls have been swept into the Kingdom of God through the humble witness of Victor and Audrey Maxwell, and through Acre Gospel Mission. He ended with a challenge to serve the Lord. Whether we stay at home, or travel far, we need to remember that we have been saved from sin that we might serve the God of heaven with our lives. In the words of Romans 12:1-2, 'present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God'.

The Testimony of Ian Moore

Ian Moore was born into a Christian home. His parents both loved and served the Lord Jesus Christ. He was regularly taught the Scriptures at church and at home. Yet Ian was very aware that his parent's faith was not enough to save him. He too had to come and put His trust in Christ for Salvation, which he did when he was nine years old. Ian reminded us of Proverbs 22:6, 'Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it'. Ian found little difficulty being a Christian in Primary School, but in Secondary School it was much more difficult. When challenged about his attendance at the church, he, like so many of us, found it easier to hide and make excuses rather than stand up for God. How often it is that we fear those who, at worst, can take our lives, yet fail to stand up for the One who gives us eternal life (Matthew 10:28). Again, like so many young Christians, Ian found himself slipping into sin rather than standing for Christ in school. For Ian, it was his bad language that hid the light the Gospel to his school friends, but at home and in church he appeared walking fully with God. Having double standards is so often the way young believers, especially those from Christian families, get through their school life. Saying one thing in school, and another at home. But as Ian revealed there is no peace in your heart with this kind of life, no fulfillment as a Christian and no contentment about your sin. Having left school, Ian moved into Plumbing, working as an apprentice. Sadly, his sinful habit continued in his work life, once again damaging his testimony. Despite this, and despite the failings of every believer, God continues to show His love to us. He understands our weaknesses, and often allows our sinful nature to almost overcome us before revealing His power and love to us and guiding us back to the truth. In such a way, God used Ian's boss, an unsaved man from a Christian home, to bring him back onto the path of righteousness. It was he who pointed out to Ian that if he was indeed a Christian, he should not under any circumstances have such a foul mouth. In fact, going as far as to say that if Ian failed to stop swearing, he would find himself out of a job. It was that weekend that Ian attended a youth meeting, in which the speaker asked 'are you glorifying God in your life?'. The shame of his experience at work caused Ian to realise that his sin was keeping him from a better relationship with God. God changed him. The swearing was gone, and he began to look for opportunity to better serve God. As we read in Psalm 103, the Lord is merciful, gracious and slow to anger. Although we are not perfect, He has promised to hold our hand when we feel weak and to lift us up when we feel low. We will fail Him many times, yet our God never fails us. It was at this stage that Ian brought to remembrance a verse which has been of great comfort at times in His life. Psalm 46:1 - God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. A Christian is no stranger to trouble. While sickness, sorrow and suffering exist in this world, they will inflict both saved and unsaved alike. In the last 10 years or so, Ian has faced many trying and difficult circumstances, most notably when his mother, Margaret, passed away to be with the Lord after a short battle with cancer. As believers in Christ, the family found strength in the comfort of God. Ian was proud to testify to the reality of Psalm 46:1. He found strength in the refuge of God. Many people experience sorrow, many of whom have no relationship with the God of heaven. Is their sorrow any greater than what Ian and his family went through? No, of course not. The pain of loss was just as strong for them, yet a sorrowful heart in Christ receives divine strength that only He can give, and Ian could praise the name of God for His blessings to the family at that time. A few years ago, Ian's father also went through a period of illness, to the extent where the medical staff had indicated a low chance of survival. Yet as Ian, the family and their brothers and sisters in Christ, all prayed for the safe delivery of Ian's dad from illness, he amazed the doctors by recovering fully from the necessary operation. The mighty, healing hand of God and an answer to earnest prayer. This is the hope and blessing for the Christian, to have the Creator, the God of heaven, ordering our individual lives and bringing blessing, comfort and answered prayer where and when we need it most. Ian has seen God move in many confusing and mysterious ways in his life, but he is left with no doubt that God's ways are better, higher and mightier than any path he would chose to take alone (Isaiah 55:8). He thanked God for his wife Sharon (who he met at Listooder!), for their life together, the Christian home they have established and for His guiding hand on every decision in their home. The pathway for Ian, and for Sharon, has not been the easiest that a  Christian has ever experienced, yet Ian can look back with thankfulness. Closing with the words of the hymn below, Ian encouraged any unsaved in the meeting to come and put their trust in Christ. Whatever struggles we face, whatever sufferings we experience, whatever sorrow we endure, it is better to face them with the God of heaven on your side, rather than face them alone. What a fellowship, what a joy divine, Leaning on the everlasting arms; What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, Leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms. What have I to dread, what have I to fear, Leaning on the everlasting arms; I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Missionary Report - F.A.M.E.

Local church elder, Sandy Boyd, recently travelled out to Kenya to see the progressing work of Friends of Africa Missionary Endeavour (FAME). A volunteer Director in the work, Sandy was perfectly placed to bring a report on the latest developments and the needs of the Mission. He began with a brief message from Romans chapter 15. The apostle Paul, though a fierce opponent of the Gospel, was saved and called to spread the very Gospel he abhored. He was called to be a missionary. As believers, we have a responsibility to spread the word of God to those around us. We don't have to go to Africa, but we do have to preach Christ. FAME was set up to provide emotional, physical, medical  and material support to the orphans of Kenya, but most of all to bring the message of Salvation to their souls. In verse 20 of Romans 15, Paul 'strived to preach the Gospel'. That was his desire, to bring the good news to the people. So it is with FAME, presenting Christ to the African people. In verse 22, Paul had made the Gospel his number one priority. Other desires had to take a back seat 'for this cause'. Paul was aware of financial support being sent from Christians to those in need Just as the believers of Macedonia and Achaia made 'a certain contribution for the poor saints' in verse 26, so we have an obligation to provide support to others who do not have what we have. It is also critical that we pray for such works. In verse 30, Paul pleaded with the believers to 'strive together with me in your prayers'. We are not all called to go into foreign lands for the sake of the Gospel, but we can all pray that God's Word will go forth with power and that souls will be saved. Finally in verse 31, Paul makes mention of those who 'do not believe'. There will be opposition to the work. As the message of Salvation is presented, our adversary, the devil is seeking to tarnish that message. Yet we must remain faithful, and go on in the strength of the Lord. Sandy's full presentation can be viewed on the Listooder website.