Listooder Youth Fellowship

In our second meeting of the season, Stephen Cassells joined us to bring a highly relevant message on dealing with the pressures of life, through the light of God's Word. Reading from 1 Peter, Stephen considered this letter of Peter as a 'handbook on coping with pressure', written to the Jewish believers who were facing death and persecution for their faith. Thinking upon the very different struggles facing believers today, Stephen suggested that there were, perhaps, 3 different ways to deal with difficulties in the Christian life. We could ENDURE them - grit your teeth, lift your head up and get on with your life. We could ESCAPE them - constantly running away from your troubles, rather than facing them. Or ENLIST them - Grab hold of the trial and rejoice in God's help through the difficulties, praising Him for the lessons you can learn through them. Many great characters of Scripture have been required to deal with huge pressures and struggles as a child of God. Ruth had to deal with great loss, yet God gav

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

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 HOL

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

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 stud

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

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 h

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 re

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 abil

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 langua

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

Maurice Warburton returns to Listooder to consider the words of David in Psalm 40:8, whose delight was to do the will of God. He began by explaining that many young Christians feel under serious pressure to know the will of God, seeing the will of God as the 'holy grail', something that will bring ultimate completion to their lives. But God does not often reveal His will to us in that way, and certainly does not reveal to us the entirety of His plan for our lives. For one thing, our minds could not cope with the detail of those things. God's will, rather, is revealed to us progressively. Maurice demonstrated that even the Word of God was not given all at one time. God revealed Himself to Moses, who recorded the words in the first five books of the Bible, through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Then through different individuals over many centuries to comprise the inspired cannon of Scripture. So it is with the will of God throughout our lives. God reveals each step to us, as and when we need it, when we seek

Drawing on his experiences growing up in North Belfast, and taking as his example the relationship between Saul and David in 1 Samuel 18:1-14, Bobby McKay explained the dangers of anger and bitterness in the life of a believer. David was described as a man after God's own heart. He was chosen of God to replace Saul, a decision which Saul did not take well. Saul developed a real bitterness towards David, an anger which consumed him to the extent that he even attempted to kill him. Anger and bitterness are all around us, they are accepted in general society and among the unsaved, but these are attitudes which should not be present in the life of a Christian. CAUSES OF ANGER AND BITTERNESS King Saul was the nation's chosen King, he had the favour of God upon him and the nation behind him. But what happened to him? In short, Saul departed from God. Saul FORCED himself to do something that he shouldn't have done In 1 Samuel 13:12, Saul was commanded to wait, yet decided to throw himself into an unknown situat

Supported financially by the young people of Listooder, among many others, Dave & Libby have been serving the Lord among the tribes of South-East Asia for almost 10 years. Dave began his report by explaining the current situation of themselves and their co-workers. For himself and Libby, they have not been fully engaged in the work out there for several years due to issues with Libby's health. However, in the will of the Lord, Libby will shortly be undergoing her final operation on the journey towards her recovery. For their co-workers, it is becoming increasingly difficult to work as missionaries in the area. Much prayer is needed for them as they labour in the Gospel, under the watchful eye of the authorities, in risk of illness and fighting to be accepted by the indiginous people. Despite the dangers, and despite the opposition, the Lord has been giving opportunities for the workers of New Tribes Mission to visit the tribal villages, understanding the culture of the people, their belief system and s

Born in 1948, Trevor Baxter was brought up in Loyalist Tiger's Bay in Belfast. He was born into an unsaved family, church going, but no time for Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was a family affected by alcohol, where his father could be found lying passed out in their home on many occasions. Despite this, he was sent to Sunday School and the church-run Boy's Brigade on a regular basis, but he never heard the Gospel. Trevor lived in the darkness of sin until he was 17 years old old, living for the things of the world and with a filthy tongue. But it was around this time that the name of Ian Paisley was starting to be heard in Northern Ireland, causing controversy wherever he went. This intrigued Trevor, who went along to hear 'the Big Man' preach, and for the first time heard the Gospel. He realised that he was a condemned sinner on his way to hell. He knew he needed to change. Trevor decided to 'get religion', he cleaned up his life and even joined Dr. Paisley's home church, but still he wasn't saved. However, a

Following the disappointment of expected speaker, Alan Bartley, being unable to attend the meeting, a Testimony night was arranged at Listooder. In the style of an interview, David McCoubrey was below asked to reveal how the Lord has directed his life and on the audio recording, Sharon Rice speaks of the opportunities she has had to serve the Lord as a teacher at Derriaghy Primary School for 10 years. So, David, tell us a little bit about your upbringing and home life. I am from just outside Ballynahinch, on the Belfast side of the town.  I went to Magheraknock Primary School for a couple of years and then changed to Spa Primary School on the other side of Ballynahinch.  My mum and dad were both Christians from before I was born and my older brother John became a Christian at a young age. How and when did you first come into contact with the Gospel? Growing up in a home with Christian parents meant that I was taught from the Bible from a very young age at home.  We went to the Congregational Church in Bal

Callum Webster began his report on the Christian Institute with a plea to pray for those that are in authority, according to the words of 1 Timothy 2:2. Despite Timothy living in the days of the anti-Christian Roman Empire, Paul exhorted him to pray to the Lord on behalf of his political leaders. And in a day when few government minsters will uphold the principles of the Word of God, we also should pray that God would give them wisdom and help as they lead the nation. As well as praying for our nation, for our leaders and for the decisions that they need to make, Callum urged us to action against those decisions which are contrary to the Scriptures. Citing the examples below, he explained how the Christian Institute had stepped in to assist the Christians in taking a stand for the truth. PETER AND HAZELMARY BULL This couple, owners of a Cornish B&B were sued  in 2010 after refusing to allow a same-sex couple to share a double room. They have operated a marriage-only policy on all of their double room

In the history of the Church, few Christians have not struggled, at some time or other, with assurance of their own salvation. For those who are young in the faith, it is especially difficult to overcome the thoughts that we can somehow lose what the Lord has given to us. Yet as Stephen Jamison explains, the Bible is abundantly clear that we can never be taken out of the Lord's hand once He has redeemed us from our sins. We are secure in Him, just as secure as if we were in Heaven with Him. Stephen reminded the young people that our eternal security does not mean that we will never sin. Many of us will fall away from God, we will grow cold in our love for Him, distracted by the temptations of the world. But if we are truly saved, washed clean by the precious blood of Christ, it will never be possible to fall from our privileged position of salvation. ' The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him w

Psalm 1 1 - Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 - But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 - And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 - The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 - Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 -For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. 'O the Happinesses of the Man' Paraphrasing the very first verse of the Book of Psalms, Trevor Matthews of the Faith Mission declares 'O the happinesses of the man'. He is referring to the abundance of the joy in the life of the man described in Psalm 1, a man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, does

Since September 11, 2001 the western world has existed in a greater climate of fear than ever before. As a society we are obsessed with fear: health scares, financial scares, climate scares and terrorist scares. Looking at fear from a Biblical perspective, Alastair Crawford asks the question: Are we, as Christians, paralyzed by our fears? Not all fear is harmful. Instinctive fear is a gift from God, to protect us. For example, when crossing a road, fear causes us to go cautiously so that we avoid harm. There is also the 'fear of God', spoken of in the Bible. It is a good thing to fear God, not in the sense that we are afraid of Him, but that we respect the power and position that He has in our lives. However, a lot of our fear can have a negative affect on our lives. In 2 Timothy 1:7, we read that 'God hath not given us the spirit of fear'. God does not want us to have this 'spirit of fear', but wants us to be free to serve Him. FEAR WILL MAKE YOU FORGETFUL In 2 Timothy 1:6 Paul needed to remind Timothy a