We are all living busy lives! Havingtoo many things to do and notenough time to do them can resultin us not accomplishing anything, orskipping from one task to the next.In such a situation, the best solutionis to set priorities – to list each taskin order of importance, and actaccordingly.Then, not only will weget more done, but it will also focusour minds.

The same is true in the Christian Life.In the midst of busyness, our aim toglorify Christ and doing the Lord’swork in the Lord’s way can becomeblurred.What we need to do is setour spiritual priorities. Bearing in mindthat the good can become the enemyof the best, here are prioritiescomplied byWilliam Grimshaw (theeccentric but Godly minister ofHowarth, and a mighty instrument ofGod in the eighteenth century revival).First things first we must value thebest things most highly of all:

2

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

Material for the next issue must be in the editors’ hands by 13th July in order to avoid delay in publication.

Pastor ’s Letter

Preaching Diary

Sundays 10.45am & 6.30pm

June1st*, 8th, 15th† The Pastor22nd Hector Morrison29th The Pastor

July6th*, 13th, 20th† The Pastor27th Rev. John Davies

August3rd Rev. Ian Parry10th Rev. Mark Fisher17th Rev. David Carey-Jones24th Rev. Evan Richards31st Rev. Bruce Powell* Evening Communion; † Morning Communion

Mondays Bible study: 7.30pm

June2nd Home Bible Studies9th, 16th Pastor23rd No Bible Study30th Pastor

July7th Home Bible Studies

Summer camps

Boys Camp 19-26 JulyPorth Clais Farm, St David’s

Junior Camp 2-9 AugustMoorlands, Bournemouth

Senior Camp 16-23 AugustMoorlands, Bournemouth

Yours in His service,Wyn Hughes

a. Knowledge is good but practice is better - a good understandingwithout a good life will never turn to a good account.

b. Works are good but faith is better. Faith is a grace that is mostneedful.True faith is always a working faith and a working faith isalways a saving faith.

c. Gifts are good but grace is better.A sanctified heart is betterthan a silver tongue.

d. Honour is good but a pure conscience is better.No amount offlattery can heal a bad conscience.

e. Care of the body is good but care of the soul is better.AChristian’s work below is done best when his work for heaven isdone first.

f. A peaceable spirit is good but zeal for the truth is better. Lovethe truth of God, justify His truth and the truth will justify you.

g. Christ is better than all - He is sweeter than wine, better thanlife. He who came from above is above all. He is life eternal.

Seek to please others, but seek to please God above all. If there isno fellowship between Christ and you in holiness, there will be nofellowship between Christ in you in happiness.

EMW Conference,Aberystwyth9-16 August

MEC Cynhadledd,Aberystwyth18-22 Awst

Revival Conference21-28 June

WEST , Bridgend (See p.3)

Afternoon in the Park2pm Saturday 21 June

4

Val and I came into membership at theHeath in December 2013.We had cometo know the Lord some months beforethat. Our journeys had been somewhatdifferent from each other though.

By January 2012 I had been a backsliddenChristian for almost thirty years. Eitherthat or I had never been a true believerin the first place. I wasn't sure which. Forthe start of the new year (2012) outcame my old copy of "Daily Readingsfrom theWorks of Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones" - again. Over the last thirty yearsI'd followed it through five times. Itseemed now that online sermons mightadd another dimension and as, manyyears before I had attended anevangelical church, the Heath websiteseemed to be the one to choose.

Our son, Ben and daughter-in-law,Bethan had by this time been Christiansfor a few years and had becomemembers of Llanishen Baptist Church, sofamily mealtime conversations quiteoften centred on their church mattersand events. Maybe the Holy Spirit was atwork in our home. By November ofthat year the thought of attending aplace of worship seemed logical. I'dbeen to the Heath about four times overthe previous fifteen years, so just maybeanother visit was called for.

After attending for about six weeksValfelt that she would like to come too. Asa young personVal had attended herlocal village C of E church. She hadnever really heard the Gospel preachedand her attendance had ceased prior togoing to university.

The first several weeks at the Heathwere not easy. Singing hymns of praiseand worship to a Saviour you hardlyknow at all is at best embarrassing and atworst hypocritical. I had known what toexpect because of my past but forVal itwas very different from the villagechurch services of her youth.There wasno way that this was going to pass asnominal Christianity. It was demanding aresponse, a decision from us both.

Mark Fisher had set up Bible studies fornew seekers Christianity Explored onMark's Gospel and The GospelUnwrapped on Romans and we bothcame to understand so much more as aresult of those. Now we were alsogetting to know some members of thechurch and this helped us to feel less likestrangers in the Lord's House.

Val appeared to be easing her wayseamlessly into Christianity, but I couldtell there was a lot going on "under thesurface". She has never claimed "a road

to Damascus experience", but is now inno doubt about her Christianity.

For my part the journey has been aboutGod's restoring grace. I don't think thedoctrine of God's grace had ever reallygot through to me all those years before.No wonder I had fallen by the wayside.

Now we can both sing the hymns withfeeling. When we come across lines likeMy Saviour's obedience and bloodHide all my transgressions from viewwe can sing them because weunderstand and believe them, knowingthat they apply to us.

We thank the Lord for the way He isdealing with us and we pray for greaterunderstanding that we may come toknow Him better through hisWord.

New Members

Val and Wyndham Marshall

Occupation: I work for a company whospecialise in spinal injuries. I work with ayoung male who is a C5 tetraplegic (aparalysis caused by illness or injury to ahuman that results in the partial or totalloss of use of all their limbs and torso). Iam involved in all of his care and then Iam there to take him to the gym,wheelchair rugby, voluntary work andany other appointments or activities hewants to take part in. I absolutely lovemy job and truly believe I can honourGod in it.

How I came to know JesusI have been brought up in a Christianfamily so I have been going to church allof my life. I have always believed thatthere is a God but I don’t think I reallyunderstood how important it really was.When I was 11 I went away on an EMW(Evangelical Movement ofWales) camp in

Bala.This week was such great fun!During the week I had learnt more andmore about Jesus through dorm biblestudies and main meetings.Although I hadlistened to the talks I still hadn’t reallygrasped the greatness of what Jesus haddone or how sinful I was.On the lastevening one girl got up to give hertestimony (she was one of the girls in mydorm). I didn’t really know what atestimony was, as I listened to her I wasstruck by what she said about her sin, shementioned how bad she was and howshe deserved to be punished and to goto hell, but then she mentioned Jesus andhow he was her incredible Saviour, whodied on the cross in her place, for her. Itwas then that it hit me, I realised that Iwasn't a Christian, I was a horrible,horrible person, I was a sinner and I hadnot acknowledged Jesus and seen him forwho he really was, my Lord and Saviour. I

felt so dreadful.After the meeting I wentand found the girl, I asked her what Imust do to become a Christian, howcould I be right with God and forgiven.She prayed with me and then I prayedasking the Lord Jesus Christ to forgiveme for all of my sin and to help mefollow Him, thanking Him for everything

Hannah Simms

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In the Sunday morning service of 4 May, we witnessed the ordination of Owen Batstone. Rev Owen Batstone will shortly be inductedas pastor to Calvary Baptist Church, OgmoreVale.The statements of faith and the questions put to him are included here as a great

statement of what we believe at the Heath Church.

Take a few moments to read them and reflect on these great truths.

We believe that there is one, holy,universal, apostolic Church: thechurch for which the Lord shed Hisblood and which will be presentedto Him without spot or wrinkle.Each local church is a manifestationof the one universal church. It iscomposed of those who are chosenby God the Father, sanctified by theHoly Spirit and who believe in theLord Jesus Christ to the saving oftheir souls.

The one and only Head of theChurch is Jesus Christ, and He is theOne who provides spiritualleadership for the proper orderingand guidance of the Church onearth.The Lord Jesus Christ, theChief Shepherd, gives to His Churchundershepherds or pastors.Theyare also called elders or overseers:the words are used interchangeablyin the NewTestament. In additionwe read of some elders who areaccounted worthy of double honour.This means that the Church setsaside called and gifted men to givemore time to the preaching andteaching ministry and to pastoralduties. For this reason the Churchsupports them financially.Thosewho labour in the word anddoctrine and who rule well are tobe counted worthy of doublehonour (as Paul writes to Timothyin 1 Tim 5 v 17,18).The labourer isworthy of his reward.At thebeginning of the Christian Churchthe apostles made clear theirpriorities:“We will give ourselvescontinually to prayer and to theministry of the word” (Acts 6v4.)

The NewTestament clearly takes avery high view of the preaching of

the Gospel. It is both a greatresponsibility and also a very highhonour.This is the work to whichour brother is being set apart.

The pastor then asked Owen about hiswhole-hearted acceptance of theGospel truths.

Do you take as your primaryauthority the Holy Scriptures of theOld and NewTestaments, asoriginally given? Do you accept themas the inspired and infallibleWord ofGod, His full and final revelation ofHimself and His will? Do yourecognise them as your sole andsufficient authority in all matters offaith and practise, and believe thedoctrines taught therein, including inparticular the following?

GOD:There is one true and livingGod, everlasting and sovereign increation, providence and redemption.In the unity of this Godhead there arethree persons of the same substance,co-equal and co-eternal, the Father,the Son and the Holy Spirit.

MAN:God, by a supernatural anddefinite act, made the first man,Adam, in His own likeness: upright,innocent and holy, enjoyingfellowship with God, and glorifyingHim.Adam’s sin is reckoned to all hisposterity, so that all men are born ina state of guilt, total depravity,separation from God andcondemnation to eternal death.

THE PERSONANDWORK OFJESUS CHRIST:The Lord JesusChrist, the eternal Son of God,undertook from before thefoundation of the world to be the

Mediator of God’s elect people.Taking a real human nature in thewomb of theVirgin Mary, He lived aperfect and sinless life. In accordancewith the Father’s will, He freelyoffered Himself as a full and sufficientsacrifice, propitiation and satisfactionfor the sins of all whom the Fatherhad given Him. Having finished thework of redemption, He rose fromthe dead on the third day, ascendedinto heaven and sat down at the righthand of the majesty on high, in orderto send the Holy Spirit upon HisChurch, to receive all who come tothe Father by Him, and to reign asHead of the Church.

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH: Godfreely justifies all who believe in HisSon, Jesus Christ.Their sins arereckoned to Christ who bore themon the cross, and His righteousnessis reckoned to their account. Sinnersare united to Christ by faith, andaccounted righteous by God forChrist’s sake.

THE HOLY SPIRIT:The work ofregeneration is not an act of man’sfree will and ability, but is an effectualsovereign work of the Holy Spiritwho enables the sinner to repent ofhis sin and to believe on the LordJesus Christ.The Spirit, who indwellsall believers, applies the benefits ofChrist’s death and resurrection, andprogressively sanctifies the Christian.He keeps all those whom he callsuntil the day of redemption so thatthey shall never perish but haveeverlasting life.

THE CHURCH:The Church of Godcomprises only those who areregenerate, and it exists to worship

Ordination Service

7

and to glorify God, to declare Hisword, to promote sanctificationamongst its members, and toadminister Christ’s ordinances ofBaptism and the Lord’s Supper.

THE LASTTHINGS:At a day andhour which no man knows, Christwill return personally, visibly andgloriously, to raise the dead (bothrighteous and unrighteous) and judgeall men. Unbelievers, as a just rewardfor their sin and impenitence, will bebanished to everlasting punishment,while believers, because of the mercyof God in Christ, will be admittedinto heaven and enter into the joy oftheir Lord, sharing with Him Hisinheritance in glory.

Owen: I do accept and believe allthese truths.

Pastor: Do you confess anew yourfaith in Jesus Christ the Son of Godas your only Saviour and Lord?

Owen: I do.

Pastor: Do you believe in your heartthat God has truly called you to be aMinister of the Gospel in HisChurch?

Owen: I do.

Pastor:Will you endeavour to be afaithful minister of Jesus Christpreaching the truth in all its fullness,calling men to repentance towardGod and faith toward our Lord JesusChrist, remembering that one dayyou will give an account to Him foryour ministry?

Owen: I will, God being my helper.

Pastor:Will you solemnly promisebefore God to be diligent in prayer,reading and meditation, in preachingtheWord, administering theSacraments and exercising thediscipline of the Gospel, in caring forthe souls of all those committed toyour charge and in seeking to winthe lost?

Owen: I will so promise, God beingmy helper.

Pastor: Do you promise independence on Almighty God, yourHeavenly Father, to walk worthy ofthe vocation wherewith you arecalled, to endure hardness andaffliction as a good soldier of JesusChrist, going wherever he may sendyou in the service of the Gospel andfollowing Him faithfully all the days ofyour life?

Owen: I do, God being my helper.

Pastor:We remember the words ofthe apostle Paul,“Who is sufficientfor these things?” Thanks be to Godwe can also say with the apostle“Our sufficiency is of God whomakes us able ministers of the newTestament”.

The elders joined the Pastor.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christthe great Head of the Church, weseparate you, Owen Batstone, to theoffice and work of the ministry.TheLord preserve your going out andyour coming in; in all your waysacknowledge Him and He shall directyour paths.The Lord bless you andkeep you, the Lord make His faceshine upon you and be gracious untoyou; the Lord lift up His countenanceupon you and give you peace.

In the name of The Lord Jesus Christwe declare you to be set apart as aminister of the Gospel.The God ofall grace, who has called us unto Hiseternal glory by Christ Jesus, makeyou perfect, stablish, strengthen,settle you: to Him be glory anddominion for ever and ever.Amen.

Enjoy your prayer lifeby Michael Reeves (Leyland: 10 Publishing, 2014).Available in the Heath Bookshop: £1.75p

Within seconds of entering a bookshop, my eyes were rivetted on this smallbook. Initially it was the title that attracted me: Enjoy your prayer life.

A fascinating title ! Looking closely, I saw it only consisted of 37 brief A5 pages ofprint.And it was so easy to read and cheaper than a coffee! In fact, I could notput it down so I had to buy a copy.

Since then I realise it is one of the best and most helpful, practical books I haveread on the subject of prayer.And it is an encouraging book; it does not send uson a guilt trip. Read this taster:

'Now I stress strongly that I'm speaking as one failure to another !Nevertheless, in the light of this real concern about our prayerlessness, I hope this bookwill be a refreshment and a tonic – may be a kick-start! – for our prayer lives' ( p.10) .

The subject is a vital one for us all. PLEASE, please buy a copy (only £1.75p). But readand re-read it.And what about giving copies to other Christians?There are lots ofcopies in our bookshop. This book can be of immense help to you and others .

Eryl Davies

Georges Mandel was a Frenchjournalist, politician and Resistanceleader. His response to a British manwho offered to take him on one ofthe last planes to leave France in1940 was,“I cannot go without myluggage, and that is too big for yourplane. My luggage is France!” Hewas assassinated on 7th July, 1944.Seventy years on, I stand in awe ofhis passion and love for his nation.

Charles Alexander was brought upin a refined, cultured Christianhome. Before he joined evangelistR.A.Torrey as his song-leader it wasfelt he should at least see some ofthe depths of depravity in downtown America. It was arranged forconverted gangster Sam Hadley toshow him round. In the early hoursof a Sunday morning,Alexandercould stomach the sights no more.Hadley and he prayed, and parted.But Alexander noticed that Hadleydid not walk far before stopping andleaning bent upon a lamppost.Assuming he, too, was sickened by itall,Alexander was about toapproach and check up on him,when he heard the groans and criesfrom this godly man,“O God, OGod, the sin of this city is breakingmy heart, O God, O God!”

Long before that Moses was sobroken by sins of his beloved people,he went back to the Lord andprayed,“Oh, what a great sin thesepeople have committed! They havemade themselves gods of gold. Butnow, please forgive their sin – but ifnot, then blot me out of the bookyou have written.”

For me, Jeremiah’s personal reflectionsput flesh on the bones of his messages.Eavesdrop in on this prayer: ‘Oh thatmy head were waters, and my eyes afountain of tears, that I might weep dayand night for the slain of the daughterof my people!’

Similarly, Paul wrote,‘I have greatsorrow and unceasing anguish in myheart. For I wish I that I myself werecursed and cut off from Christ for thesake of my brothers, those of my ownrace, the people of Israel.’ People ofpassion stir the heart and shake usinto activity.

After the most powerful of sermonswhere the Lord Jesus – Godincarnate, remember – haddenounced the sins of religiousleaders His heart was overwhelmedwith love an-d longing,“O Jerusalem,Jerusalem, you who kill the prophetsand stone those sent to you, howoften I have longed to gather yourchildren together, as a hen gathersher chicks under her wings, but youwere not willing.” Jesus finds nocomfort in concepts such as ‘theseare hard times’ or ‘God will save Hiselect’ or ‘we do have someevangelistic events’ or ‘all we arecalled to be, is faithful.’ As the A.V.puts it, ‘I would …. you would not’…and it broke His heart. His ‘luggage’was too big! He had to go toCalvary because of compelling love.Even if we can dismiss compassionfrom our hearts, God cannot.

I find this one of the most compellingthemes of the Bible, that God’s heartwills that none should perish, andthat His people are characterised bya similar longing. God has nopleasure in the death of the wicked,but appeals saying,‘Turn you, turnyou,’ and grieves that “you are notwilling to come to Me that you mayhave life.” From God’s first questionto Adam and Eve,“Where are you?”to Scriptures last words, the theme isconsistent, God does not want todrive the wicked from Him, butappeals for them to turn and cometo Him the fountain of life.

Take note again of those last wordsof the Bible. What is sounded fromthe Lord, is to be echoed by us. First

we read,‘And the Spirit and the bridesay,“Come!”’ Then it goes on,‘Andlet him who hears say,“Come!” Andlet him who thirsts come.”’ Hisheart is to be our heart; His burdenour burden; His desire, passion andappealing, ours.

I am a blood-bought believer, enjoyingimmense blessings now, andimmeasurably more in eternity.Therefore I cannot allow myself tosee crowds or individuals as neutralin their relationship with God. Thepeople with whom I do business, whorub shoulders with me, with whom Ichat whilst standing in a queue, orsitting on a train, or whilst paying atthe check-out have an everlastingdestiny. Those who have turned theirback on Jesus are without hope andwill consciously spend eternity in hell.This thought, to which we easilybecome immune, is too terrible tocontemplate for long. The issue isnot whether they are ‘nice’ peoplebut whether they are new creaturesin Christ. It is thereforereprehensible for anyone to arguethat they themselves are notevangelists, and, therefore, cannotspeak. Every Christian is a witness;every church should be a soul-winning centre which is known for itsevangelistic burden and programme.Church leaders have theresponsibility in leading the church in

8

Passion for evangelism

Roger Carswell

9

ethos and activity, to be visionary,evangelistic, missionary-minded andwinning people to Christ.

If someone is trapped in a burningbuilding, we do not ask them tocome to us so we can explain theescape route. We go to immenselengths to rescue them while there istime. Yet our evangelistic endeavouris usually based around invitingpeople to come to us. Amen to that,but we must go to them,where theyare, as well. This is especially truewhen there is so little Christianbackground in the minds of people,and church is just an alien world tothem.These people are the ‘luggage’who are on our hearts.

In Noordwijk,Holland I once stoodand looked at the bronze bust ofHenriette Roland Holst, the Dutchpoet and socialist, and recalled herwords,‘Man’s sorrows often will notlet me sleep.’ HudsonTaylor similarlywas unable to sleep at the thought ofa million Chinese going into eternitywithout ever hearing of Jesus.

How then does such a burdengrow? If I may, I have twosuggestions. First, let us pray forcompassion and for unconvertedpeople, and secondly, let us makesure, that with others, we areregularly involved in reaching out tothem with the gospel. Nothingenhances Christian concern likemeeting the unsaved, hearing themspeak and share, and then pointingthem to Jesus the Friend of Sinners.They are not our enemies: they areas we once were; we want them tobe as we are now. They are theluggage of the Christian life.

Let me look at the crowd as my Saviour did‘Til my eyes with tears grow dimLet me look ‘til I pity the wandering sheepAnd love them for love of Him.

Roger Carswell

EVANGELISM:

The Saviour’s final command to hisdisciples (and so to us also) was: “Go ..make disciples of all the nations,baptizing them in the name of the Fatherand of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,“teaching them to observe all things thatI have commanded you; and lo, I am withyou always, even to the end of the age.”Here are some of the opportunitiesto witness we have locally:

Children and young peopleThe church’s children’s and youngpeople’s clubs cater for children from4 to 18+ both at the church /122 andat Maes-y-Coed Community Centreand St Faith's Church, Llanishen.Ourchildren can have fun and fellowship ina safe environment - an alternative toworldly pursuits with school friends.They are also a means of reachingyoung people whose families wouldnever bring them to church, and beunlikely to hear the Gospel otherwise.The work can be tough, requiring alot of patience and perseverance butalso extremely rewarding, particularlyas the Lord applies the Gospel totheir hearts, young people grapplewith biblical truth and work it out intheir lives and follow Christ.There's arole for everyone, young or old, loudor quiet.Young, energetic people maylead games and quiet, older peoplemight sit with children doing crafts,get to know them and speak ofChrist. Some officers speak the gospelfrom the front, others listen with thechildren prayerfully, lead Bible songsand teach scripture memory verses.Some have experience and others justeagerness to serve and a desire to seeyoung people converted. It is a joy to'let the little children come' to Jesus(Matthew 19:14). Pray that the Lordwill give opportunities to share thegospel with parents too.JamesVilares and Hywel Swann

Work colleaguesEvangelism in the workplace needn’tbe hard – nor need it get you fired! Itis all about understanding Matthew5v16 and the verses leading up to it.Our Lord encourages us to “Let yourlight so shine before men, that they

may see your good works, and glorifyyour Father who is in heaven.”You’veheard the phrase which says we arethe only Bibles that some people willever read – well, it’s true! By ourlives, by our hope – by the things wesay and the way we react, people seeChrist in us, the hope of glory(Colossians 1v27) – even withoutbreathing a word of the Gospel. Youmustn’t sacrifice your work toverbally witness, as that’s a form oftheft and dishonoring to God – but ifyour life makes others ask – or, if youare given opportunity, always be readyto give a reason for the hope that lieswithin you (1 Peter 3v15). And thisrequires practice – so don’t be afraidto practise with friends or evenprayerfully on your own. As MarkTwain said, 'It usually takes me threeweeks to prepare a goodspontaneous performance.' Howmuch more important to be “ready”to share the words of life whenopportunity arises in the workplace!Tony Rucinski

NeighboursThere are no slick answers on how toevangelise neighbours. In Maesteg,wesaw one neighbour saved as weextended a welcome to our home.TheLord was working.The change in herwas remarkable.Compassion, prayerand hospitality were keys.We found itmore difficult in Bangor, butrelationships again needed to beestablished - some have continued.Afew heard the Gospel. In Cardiff,Magwen shows interest in differentfamily situations while chatting withthe women.Kindness and invitationsfor a chat /coffee are important.Astreet Christmas evening focusesattention on inviting neighbours.Thosewho come are those with whom thereis a developing relationship.One longsfor more fruit and greater boldness inwitness.Our lives, too, are beingwatched 24 hours of the day.That is achallenge to talk, react, behaveconsistently and compassionately.Prayer is the key.Why do I not praymore for conversions?Eryl Davies

Glimpses of some Local OutreachOpportunities.

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25-27th April

Gower House Party

It rained! Oh how it rained.... but thisdidn't affect our enjoyment, spiritualand physical, in any way!

Rev Chris Rees from Narberth led usfor the 4 services and we looked at 2Peter,going through all 3 chapters. Hedrew our attention to the centralityof the cross and we looked at the

transfiguration as seen through theeyewitness account of Peter, and alsoat present and future attacks on theWord of God and the church.

Leisure times were spent on walking,chatting, knitting, reading and playinggames such as Scrabble, where Sylviacontinues to reign supreme!

Chris Rees recommended some books focussing on the cross :The Death of Christ by James DennyThe Cross of Jesus by Leon MorrisThe Ultimate Rescue by Eryl DaviesOn being aTheologian of the Cross by Gerhard O. FordeThe Cross centred Life by C.J.Mahaney

Our bookshop also has these titles available for purchase now:The Cross by Andrew Sachs and Steve Jeffrey at £2.99TheWondrous Cross by Iain Campbell at £3.99The Glory of the Cross by GwynnWilliams at £4.99 Anita Lee

stands for.This year we have beenblessed to have students from Europe,Asia and the Middle East.Through thework of Open House,we are able tobefriend students and build genuinefriendships with them.Theserelationships enable us to share andexplain the Gospel in a clear and anon-confrontational way. It is veryencouraging to see studentsresponding to the message either bycoming to faith, or by having a desireto find out more.We have weeklyepilogues at the end of every Fridayevening as well as Bible studiesaccording to need.Open House hasalso proved to be a good trainingground for evangelism for someChristian students within ourcongregation.They have been able toinvite friends from university as well asshare with them their own testimoniesand discuss the teachings of the Bible.We would appreciate your continuingprayer support for this vital ministry.Levon Chorbadjian

PersonalEvangelismWorkshop

SATURDAY 12 JULY 2014

You are invited to attend whatever yourage, there will be something for you.

Programme10.00: Tea / coffee10.30: Roger Carswell speaks (1hr)11.30: Q &A (45 minutes)12.15: Lunch (bring your own

sandwiches) (1hr)1.15: Break out groups (1hr)•Witnessing in the workplace• Befriending asylum-seekers• Speaking to strangers about Christ• Reaching students with Good News• Sharing the Gospel with family,neighbours and friends

• Leading little ones to God• Seeking the salvation of seniors• Sharing the Gospel at the school gate2.15: Roger Carswell speaks (45 mins)

Roger has also agreed to preach theGospel at 6pm in our church on theSaturday evening. Why not come andbring family, friends, neighbours andcolleagues?

12

Freedom

As I write, the headline news has been the shocking kidnapping of over 200 school

girls in Nigeria and the coalmine disaster with hundreds killed inTurkey. We struggle

to understand the blind hatred of those who kidnap innocents in the name of a

distorted dogma. We are shocked too that officials and politicians would apparently

ignore standard safety requirements and thus jeopardise human life in the pursuit

of profit and economic growth.

If we try to figure these things out rationally we draw a blank. These things defy logic.

They only make sense when we factor in the work of Satan. He is a malicious and

hateful being who opposes the work of God, blinds people’s eyes to truth and

righteousness and enslaves millions of people in this world and the next.

The Apostle Paul reminds Christians that we were also once unwittingly under

Satan’s thraldom. “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the

prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling

the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just

as the others.” (Ephesians 2: 1-3)

Christians have been rescued from Satan’s grip and the eternal pit of Hell. “But

God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He has loved us,

even when we were dead in trespasses,made us alive together with Christ (by grace

you have been saved), and raised us up together in the heavenly places in Christ

Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in

His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2: 4-7)

No wonder we spend a lifetime thanking Him for what He has done for us! We also

understand the horror of the predicament of those who are still the dupes of the

Devil. A vital part of our service of gratitude (or “good works”) is to witness to the

unbelievers we live amongst.“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and

that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God

prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2: 8-10).

KO