Kenny is the pastor of Limavady Baptist Church, a great work in a town about 15 miles East of Derry/Londonderry. I have heard that he is a great Bible preacher and teacher, so I hope that you make plans to join us as the new building for the service tonight at 7.30 PM!
Making Tons of Progress
31 July, 2008 at 9:54 am (Church)
We had a great day yesterday painting and cleaning. It was awesome to see our team of about 10 people working, scrupping, painting, cleaning, fellowshipping, laughing, and goofing off at the new church building. I appreciate everyone who has made the effort to help with this project. I know others would have liked to help but could not for varous reasons. Several of our people worked about 10-12 hours yesterday. Others watched children, so mothers could go work. We got a gift of 100 pound toward the work yesteray from Pastor Wesley Crawford and his wife Helen in Poytzpass, and I wanted to say a special “Thank You.”
Today, we are headed over to do some more painting and get ready for our first service in the new buildings tonight. I will try to send out pictures tonight. I am excited about what God is going to do through our church in the days ahead. We had 5 people stop in yesterday just to “see what is going on.” Some used to go to church there when it was a Baptist church, others were just curious. Today, there will be tea and biscuits available, so stop in and see what is going on for yourself!
Going to Start Work
29 July, 2008 at 3:41 pm (Announcements)
We are headed over to start our work on the building. We will be cleaning things and then starting to paint. If you would like to help, then just let me know at 077 7220 6876 or meet us over there.
Building Work
29 July, 2008 at 11:11 am (Announcements)
For those who are interested in helping us with the work on our new building, we will be doing some painting and cleaning tonight. Church visitation will be cancelled for tonight so we can focus on getting everything ready. We will be over there at about 6.00 PM to get started, so if you are interested, come and join us.
Christians and the Sabbath
29 July, 2008 at 8:42 am (Growth)
Here is a great article from Pulpit Magazine on the Sabbath and how it applies to Christians. Let me know what you think.
Are the Sabbath laws binding on Christians today?
We believe the Old Testament regulations governing Sabbath observances are ceremonial, not moral, aspects of the law. As such, they are no longer in force, but have passed away along with the sacrificial system, the Levitical priesthood, and all other aspects of Moses’ law that prefigured Christ.
Here are the reasons we hold this view:
In Colossians 2:16-17, Paul explicitly refers to the Sabbath as a shadow of Christ, which is no longer binding since the substance (Christ) has come. It is quite clear in those verses that the weekly Sabbath is included, with the phrase “a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day” refering to the annual, monthly, and weekly holy days of the Jewish calendar (cf. 1 Chronicles 23:31; 2 Chronicles 2:4; 31:3; Ezekiel 45:17; Hosea 2:11).
The Sabbath was the sign to Israel of the Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 31:16-17; Ezekiel 20:12; Nehemiah 9:14). Since we are now under the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:7-13), we are no longer required to observe the sign of the Mosaic Covenant.
The New Testament never commands Christians to observe the Sabbath. On the other hand, each of the other nine commandments are reiterated in the New Testament.
In our only glimpse of an early church worship service in the New Testament, the church met on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).
Nowhere in the Old Testament are the Gentile nations commanded to observe the Sabbath or condemned for failing to do so. That is strange if Sabbath observance were meant to be an eternal moral principle.
There is no evidence in the Bible of anyone keeping the Sabbath before the time of Moses, nor are there any commands in the Bible to keep the Sabbath before the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai.
When the Apostles met at the Jerusalem council (Acts 15), they did not impose Sabbath keeping on the Gentile believers.
The apostle Paul warned the Gentiles about many different sins in his epistles, but breaking the Sabbath was never one of them.
In Galatians 4:10-11, Paul rebukes the Galatians for thinking God expected them to observe special days (including the Sabbath).
In Romans 14:5, Paul forbids those who observe the Sabbath (these were no doubt Jewish believers) to condemn those who do not (Gentile believers).
The early church fathers, from Ignatius to Augustine, taught that the Old Testament Sabbath had been abolished and that the first day of the week (Sunday) was the day when Christians should meet for worship (contrary to the claim of many seventh-day sabbatarians who claim that Sunday worship was not instituted until the fourth century).
Sunday has not replaced Saturday as the Sabbath. Rather the Lord’s Day is a time when believers gather to commemorate His resurrection, which occurred on the first day of the week. Every day to the believer is one of Sabbath rest, since we have ceased from our spiritual labor and are resting in the salvation of the Lord (Hebrews 4:9-11).
So while we still follow the pattern of designating one day of the week a day for the Lord’s people to gather in worship, we do not refer to this as “the Sabbath.”
John Calvin took a similar position. He wrote,
There were three reasons for giving this [fourth] commandment: First, with the seventh day of rest the Lord wished to give to the people of Israel an image of spiritual rest, whereby believers must cease from their own works in order to let the Lord work in them. Secondly, he wished that there be an established day in which believers might assemble in order to hear his Law and worship him. Thirdly, he willed that one day of rest be granted to servants and to those who live under the power of others so that they might have a relaxation from their labor. The latter, however, is rather an inferred than a principal reason.
As to the first reason, there is no doubt that it ceased in Christ; because he is the truth by the presence of which all images vanish. He is the reality at whose advent all shadows are abandoned. Hence St. Paul (Col. 2:17) that the sabbath has been a shadow of a reality yet to be. And he declares elsewhere its truth when in the letter to the Romans, ch. 6:8, he teaches us that we are buried with Christ in order that by his death we may die to the corruption of our flesh. And this is not done in one day, but during all the course of our life, until altogether dead in our own selves, we may be filled with the life of God. Hence, superstitious observance of days must remain far from Christians.
The two last reasons, however, must not be numbered among the shadows of old. Rather, they are equally valid for all ages. Hence, though the sabbath is abrogated, it so happens among us that we still convene on certain days in order to hear the word of God, to break the [mystic] bread of the Supper, and to offer public prayers; and, moreover, in order that some relaxation from their toil be given to servants and workingmen. As our human weakness does not allow such assemblies to meet every day, the day observed by the Jews has been taken away (as a good device for eliminating superstition) and another day has been destined to this use. This was necessary for securing and maintaining order and peace in the Church.
As the truth therefore was given to the Jews under a figure, so to us on the contrary truth is shown without shadows in order, first of all, that we meditate all our life on a perpetual sabbath from our works so that the Lord may operate in us by his spirit; secondly, in order that we observe the legitimate order of the Church for listening to the word of God, for admin-istering the sacraments, and for public prayers; thirdly, in order that we do not oppress inhumanly with work those who are subject to us. [From Instruction in Faith, Calvin’s own 1537 digest of the Institutes, sec. 8, “The Law of the Lord”].
Volunteer Appreciation Day
27 July, 2008 at 2:55 pm (Volunteer)
Today was a very fun day for me. I love our church, and I especially appreciate all of our volunteers. They are often the unseen but hopefully not unsung heroes in our church who make so much of what we do possible. We have a very high percentage of attenders and members who are involved in the ministry. Below you can see pictures of us presenting certificates and gifts to the volunteers. Also, we gave a gift to Pat, the general manager of the Everglades Hotel, and the Everglades Staff and thanked them for their kind service and hospitality. This will be the last Sunday that we will be in the Everglades, so we wanted to say a word of “Thanks” to them. They are a first-class hotel with first-class service. If you are ever looking for a place to stay or hold a conference go there. Below are so pictures of the day.
Good Conference
27 July, 2008 at 6:49 am (Update)
We had a great time at the “Catching the Vision” Conference at Ballyclare Baptist Church. Bro. Evan Williams did a great job preaching on “A Vision of Eternity” and I was very privileged to be asked to preach on “A Vision for Your Life.” Bro. Martin Wickens did a great job and put in alot of hard work organising the conference. I am want to thank him for making the day possible. You can check out his post about the conference here.
It was great to meet some amazing young people with a real heart for God. I was excited to hear about their plans and desires to serve God, and I ask that You pray that God raise up labourers for the harvest from the churches here in Northern Ireland.
Youth Conference
25 July, 2008 at 11:42 pm (Announcements, Youth)
Tomorrow we are going to a “Catch the Vision” youth conference at Ballyclare Baptist Church, organised by Pastor Martin Wickens and other pastors and youth workers.
It is for teenagers and young adults. The conference starts at 4.00 and goes until 7.00. We will be leaving Derry/Londonderry at 2.00 PM and get back at around 10.00 PM. If you would like to go with us, just let me know. We would be more than happy have you go with us.
I will be preaching one message and Bro. Evan Williams will be preaching another message. We are praying for God to work in the hearts of young people about salvation and about their purpose in this world.
Pray for us all to Catch the Vision and get involved in what God wants to do in this world.
Pictures of Building Progress
25 July, 2008 at 11:30 pm (Church)
Here are just a few pictures of the progress they are making on the building. Hopefully, we will be able to get in on Monday night to begin painting and cleaning. If you able to help, please let us know.




















