Special Gospel Meetings

Gospel Mission at Braehill Baptist Church

Commencing:
 Sunday 16th October 2011
11.30am & 6pm to
Friday 21st October 2011
Mon- Fri @ 7.30pm

Speaker: Pastor Denis Lyle (Lurgan)

Please plan to attend
Denis will not be speaking on Tuesday 18th -Speaker: Pastor Ian Wilson (Saintfield)

More details: www.braehillbaptist.org
Everyone Welcome

WHAT’S INSIDE A MONARCH BUTTERFLY EGG?

Came across this article from David Cloud and thought about the magnificance of God in His creation. What concerns me is that many intellectuals will continue vainess and be lost forever from God who loves them. Intellect can be something that hinders. I thank God that we have a Gospel that is simple and clear free from all intellect. Act 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. This was the call to the Phillipian Gaoler who gladly believed, not through intellect but through faith.
 The God that created the Monarch Butterfly knew what He was about. Do you?

WHAT’S INSIDE A MONARCH BUTTERFLY EGG?
(Friday Church News Notes, August 26, 2011, www.wayoflife.org
fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) -
Within this tiny egg, only about an eighth of an inch long, is an entire world of genetic information. It contains the instructions for the construction of the caterpillar with the intelligence it needs to operate all of its organs (eyes, antennae, legs, etc.), to maneuver within its environment, to digest leaves, to avoid predators, to know when and how to molt, to pupate, etc. It contains the instructions for the incredibly complex process of the final molting and formation of the pupa, including the amazing cremaster mechanism. It contains the instructions for the death and dissolution of the caterpillar into a biological soup and the reformation of that soup into a beautiful butterfly. It contains the instructions not only to construct the butterfly in all of its
mind-boggling complexity (e.g., its proboscis, its compound eyes, its intricately shingled wings, its sensory organs, its reproductive organs) but also the instructions to create the butterfly’s brain and the intelligence needed to thrive within its environment, to fly, to land, to avoid predators, to find the right plants and flowers, to drink and digest nectar, to keep its cold-blooded metabolism in balance, to reproduce. It contains the instructions for a bewildering multi-thousand mile migration to a place it has never been and in the absence of any earthly guide. It would seem, in fact, that the genetic code within that tiny monarch butterfly egg contains a map of a large part of the earth. And it contains the information for constructing hundreds of copies of itself. If the butterfly evolved, then evolution is miraculous and has the attributes of Almighty God!

www.braehillbaptist.org

Neglecting God is never a good thing

Song of Solomon 3:1 - 'I sought him but found him not'
How often God can say that of us as we live our lives and many times neglect to go into the quiet place seeking His face. Over the years this writer has neglected that quiet time set aside for communion with Him on a one to one basis many times. On reflection of this of course I see that it is me who has changed and not God. Really that's the crux of the whole matter; we change but God does not. Perhaps as we go about our daily lives we still feel in contact with Him and utter those little prayers that get us through the day. Yes He hears His children yet how much more He desires us to come and closet ourselves away for a time and fully commune with Him. As we see the Psalmist in writing Psalm 46:10 ' Be still, and know that I am God:' saw the value of  stopping the merry-go-round of the journeys in life and consider God. One proverb states 'look for a thing where you dropped it; it is there'. God was always there where I left Him and therefore it brings so much joy to return to that place to find Him there.
One of my favourite Psalms is 139 which includes the verses:
 7-10  Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  (8)  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.  (9)  If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;  (10)  Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

Have you lost that personal quiet time with God? He's right there where you left Him.

www.braehillbaptist.org

David Cloud's Friday notes

Its always good to see whats going on around us in the world and David Cloud's Friday notes are excellent for this. I would recommend them to all at the link below.
http://www.wayoflife.org/

Life is never a guarantee

Today 15th April 2011 many people have an anniversary of loved ones who have passed into eternity. Many have fond memories of lives that touched others. I have been thinking today of the Hillsborough Tragedy of 1989 where 96 Liverpool supporters died because of what appears to have been a lack of crowd control and the facilities that were provided in an aging football ground. Many enquiries have gone on since this terrible day: in the courts, in homes and in other football stadiums none more so than Anfield itself. One thing that strikes me is that all of the 96 victims left home that day without ever thinking that they would never come back. Men, women, boys and girls who were attending an FA Cup semi-final to cheer on their favourite football team never thinking that their lives would be required of them that day. My sympathy and compassion goes out to all the families affected by these deaths and also the horrendous injuries that many suffered both mentally and physically. One thing is obvious to all of mankind today is that life is fragile and no one knows the time or day when we may gasp our last breath on this earth. Many would blame God for the tragedy of death whatever way it comes yet as we consider the history of man right from Adam we see that it is in us the failure lies. We fall short of God's standard and therefore we must accept what the Bible calls the wages of sin and that is this thing called death. But what is this death? It is the separation that we have from God because of this sin curse thats in our lives. The question has to be asked then why do we want to continue in our sin and not be right with God. Again the Bible has the answer 'there is none that seeketh after God' - Romans 3:11. So it is God who does the seeking out of sinners. God presents His Son for all to accept Him in the hope that no one should be lost. 1 Timothy 2:3-4. The tragedy is that many are walking about today without being right with God and having the assurance of the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. To the Christian who depends on Christ's sacrifice at Calvary and His ressurection a great assurance exists that one day should Christ come or call in death that we will be with Him in the place the Bible calls heaven. If you are reading this without Christ in your life could I ask you one question? Are you ready for leaving this earth in death? Romans 6:23 declares 'For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord'
Its a simple faith that is available to all. Nothing to be done except the accepting of the gift of God. Don't be caught out. Search His Word the Bible and see if what I have said is true. I pray that you will find Saviour of your soul in the Lord Jesus Christ who said 'I am the way the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me'
www.braehillbaptist.org

Great Prophetic Information

Bro Congdon was in Northern Ireland before Christmas and his messages were a blessing to all. The information on his web site is excellent study material.
www.congdonministries.org

Truth makes the true Believer alive

Galatians 6:1-3 -Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.  For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

The burdens of life get us down sometimes and it is hard to pick ourselves up again. What a joy it is to know that we have our God who loves everyone of us. God allows the Holy Spirit to lead us into the Truth that He has given us through His inspired Word, instructing us in the way to deal with each other. Paul shows us in his letter to the Galatians that as we are all one family 'in Christ' so therefore we have a responsibility for each other and the difficulties that we all get into. God has given the believer the recipe for living a Truth inspired life with attention to their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. What a joy it would be to see 'His Church' take up that Truth and use it to it's full as we serve our risen Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. Looking out for one another as we traverse this life until He comes or calls.
If you haven't the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour then these words do not apply to you because you are outside of God's family. Why not look at your life from God's point of view and it will become a lot clearer as to what these words mean. This link may help > http://www.braehillbaptist.org/Personal

Baby selection by abortion

The news coming from Australia recently is staggering. The Christian Institute reported the following 'A couple who conceived twin baby boys through fertility treatment in Australia have aborted them because they wanted a girl'. Apparently they have 3 boys and lost a girl shortly after she was born. They then went on to ivf treatment and conceived twin boys. Not wanting the boys they terminated them by abortion technique's. This made me think of how God saw man at one time after His creation in Genesis 6.
Gen 6:5-6  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  (6)  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Many would say 'you heart has to go out to them' and yes it must be something unexplainable when anyone would lose a child during or after birth yet we must not allow this sympathy to cloud our judgement as far as life is concerned.
Life is precious right from the very beginning of conception. God knows about it and speaks about it through David in Psalm 139
Psalm 139:13-16  For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.  (14)  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.  (15)  My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  (16)  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Adam in his failure toward God caused all this by his wilful sin in disobeying. How we should be so thankful that God in presenting His only begotten Son the Lord Jesus Christ as the second Adam who because of His impeccability ie no sin in Him, He did no Sin nor could He have sinned, has made that sacrifice on the cross at Calvary that we in confession of our sinfulness can be saved.
Galatians 1:4  Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Hallelujah! What a Saviour.
 www.braehillbaptist.org

The Believers Family

Acts 4:23 - And being let go, they went to their own company…..

In those early days of ‘the Church’ the excitement, enthusiasm, togetherness, the security of being a part of a family must have really been something. Peter and John after their examination by the High Priestly mafia of Annas and Caiphas and their family circle were able to go to their own people who were watching and praying for them.

As we go into a new year wouldn’t it be equally something that as Bible believing Christians we would take more care for each other by using the great access (Roms 5:1-2) we have to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul inspired of the Holy Spirit tells us to ‘pray one for another’ – James 5:16.

Today the true ‘Church’ – that body of believers in Christ – may be small in number yet the Lord Jesus Christ continues to add to it in His time.

As we serve God on this earth and desire glory to be brought to His name may we always be conscious of our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord that we can call ‘our own company’. May we be conscious of the fact that although life’s difficulties can get us down at times there usually is some other believer getting it just as bad or even worse.

Jesus said ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another’ - John 13:34.

This love that Christ had for us is a sacrificial love and therefore we must have that love of sacrifice for each other as He has commanded. It may just be putting up with someone or something that really irritates you however whatever it is it needs to be put to the side while we do the Lord’s work.

How thankful we need to be as we consider the Lord’s return for the true believer, in the catching away of His Bride ‘the Church’ (1 Corinthians 15:51-58) – ‘and so shall we ever be with the Lord’ – (1 Thess 4:17).

Then those things that cause us grief will be no more as we do away with the corruptible and put on the incorruptible. Of course the source of us causing grief to others will be dealt with as well. :) .

1John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Maranatha