EEC Blog

Sunday Service 27.Dec.’09

Matthy — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 12:15:37 +0000

Reach out and touch the Lord as He goes by - MP569
All Hail The Lamb - MP12
By Your Side - MP810

Psalms 32:1-11 (NIV)

From Heaven You Came - MP162
All To Jesus I Surrender - MP25

Deuteronomy 10:12 (NIV)
Micah 6:8 (NIV) John 15:7 (NIV)
1 John 3:21-22 (NIV)

I do not know what lies ahead - MP269
Lord I Lift Your Name On High - MP881
What Kind Of Love Is This - MP750

Sermon on Hebrews 10:19-25 (NIV)
Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)
Titus 3:1b (NIV

See Him Lying On A Bed Of Straw - MP589

Ballyloughran Centre Being Closed?

Administrator — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:56:06 +0000

The Irish Times reported that the retreat centre at Ballyloughran will be closed due to funding difficulties.

"A popular outdoor activity and retreat centre near Ballybunion in Co Kerry that is owned and run by Limerick Youth Service is to close with the loss of 29 jobs.

Over the past decade Ballyloughran Centre had developed a calendar of school activity days, offering archery, swimming, basketball, tennis, canoeing, pitch and putt, orienteering and other activities.

“Recent financial difficulties” are being blamed for the expected closure of the centre. Set in 11 acres of grounds, Ballyloughran was established by the late Sr Joan Bowles as a safe haven for disadvantaged families, and as a retreat centre.

With accommodation for more than 50 people, the centre had also been used for short holiday breaks and small conferences.

Limerick Youth Centre said it had examined a number of options in an attempt to secure its future.

“Regrettably, given the financial losses incurred on a sustained basis, it has been decided to close the centre. The date of closure has yet to be finalised. In implementing this difficult decision, management, in discharging its statutory obligations, have contacted employee representatives with a view to entering into collective consultation over the coming weeks on how best to wind down operations."

Update:

I just realised that this is "old news" - the newspaper article is from th 14th of October, a few days before we actually had our Church camp there. Did anybody know that at that time?

See also a statement from Limerick Youth Service on their blog.

Sunday Service 13.Dec.’09

Matthy — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 12:19:27 +0000

Come Now Is The Time - MP1040
King Of Kings Majesty - MP1000
Thank You For The Cross Lord - MP 1109

John 14:21,23 (NIV)

Worthy is the, Lamb who was slain

Sermon by Stephen on Hebrews 6:4-6(NIV)
Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
Hebrews 5:11 (NIV)
Hebrews 5:13-14 (NIV)
Colossians 1:10 (NIV)
Hebrews 10:26 (NIV)
2 Peter 2:20-21 (NIV)
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)
John 6:50-56 (NIV)
Acts 2:2 (NIV)
1 Peter 1:12 (NIV)
1 Corinthians 6:19 (KJV)
Acts 4:31 (NIV)
Jeremiah 15:16 (NIV)
Mark 6:20 (NIV)
Hebrews 2:4 (NIV)
John 11:46-48 (NIV)
Matthew 7:27 (NIV)
1 Timothy 1:19 (NIV)
2 Corinthians 7:10-11 (NIV)
Matthew 27:3-5 (NIV)
Hebrews 4:6 (NIV)
Hebrews 10:29 (NIV)
Matthew 23:38 (NIV)
Matthew 23:27-38 (NIV)

Final Song: Search me know me

Sunday Service 6.Dec.’09

Matthy — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:01:18 +0000

Jesus What A Beautiful Name - MP998
Come Bless The Lord - MP88
Come On And Celebrate - MP99
Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord (The Name of the Lord) - MP809
Jesus What A Beautiful Name - MP998

Psalms 85:1-13 (NIV)

O, O, O, How good is the Lord - MP532
Beautiful Lord Wonderful Saviour (The Potter’s Hand) - MP1034
Hosanna – MP242
Happy Day (Jesus is alive)
We Want To See Jesus Lifted High – MP957
Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart – MP170

Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

Daniel 6:10 (NIV)
Daniel 6:16 (NIV)
Daniel 6:18 (NIV)
Daniel 6:27 (NIV)
O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go - MP515

My Life Is In You Lord - MP895

Evangelos & Greece

Administrator — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:35:14 +0000

Last month we heard of the difficulties of bringing the GOOD NEWS to the lost in Patra, Greece. Below you can read an edited version of Evangelos Sikoutris’ article from EMF’s Vision for Europe (winter edition).

The words of our Lord Jesus in Mt 16:18 are easily misinterpreted by many of the people of God. Even in the Greek New Testament text a quick reading gives the impression that the Church of God is on the defence. But praise God it is not so. The Church is knocking and attacking the gates of hell to rescue perishing sinners by the power of Christ, and not the opposite.

Another text of the Bible that is also misinterpreted by many, and by me in my early Christian life, is the very well known verse, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear My voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with Me" (Rev 3:20). This is a picture of our Lord standing at the door of the church in Laodicea and knocking. However, it is not wrong to use it evangelistically, as our Lord Jesus standing and knocking at the door of people’s hearts. But then comes the wrong interpretation by many; namely that the outcome of this knocking depends on the human response from inside only. Even painters in their pictures give this impression. They say the key to open the door, (man’s heart) is on the inside.

That was my view, until I discovered in the Word of God that there is a hole in the door (the human heart) that only the Lord Jesus knows and He is able to put in His gracious and mighty hand (the conviction of His Spirit) and have a positive response from inside and the opening of the door. "My beloved (Jesus) put his hand to the latch, and my heart was thrilled within me. I arose to open to my beloved, … (SS 5:4-5a).

So it is biblically plain that the Church of Christ together with Him is knocking at the doors of people’s hearts, by all means. Nevertheless, all things depend on Him and Him alone. So our duty to get a positive response according to His promise, is also to plead at the throne of grace. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb 4:16).

THE TWOFOLD WORK

This is what for nearly 25 years we have persevered in doing by the grace of God in our pioneer gospel work here. This twofold glorious work (knocking at doors and pleading at the throne of grace) is for me the most challenging, humbling and surprising spiritual exercise. And this is due to our human weakness and the depravity of the human heart, "…the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak". However, despite our weakness and shortcomings, the Lord blessed us with the establishment of a small church and the need to move to larger premises to continue to bring the light of His gospel to the spiritually dark city of Patra. Using mainly our bimonthly evangelistic paper Times of Refreshing, we are knocking (one or two of us each time) at the doors of single houses or flats, on the streets or squares, trying to share the good news with those who open the door, or leave a copy of our paper if no one appears. The responses are varied and exciting. Indifference, ridicule, religious and fanatical opposition and the threat of shooting for proselytism, are some of them. A few by the grace of God respond positively and some of them are pleased to receive our paper regularly. Then the Lord opens the way for us to visit them again from time to time, to have another chat and invite them to our meetings.

This is why we need your prayers to plead with us at the throne of all grace, and we thank God so much for your sharing in this glorious task. May our gracious and sovereign Lord continue to bless us and build His Church by raising new workers, to continue this glorious task, for His glory.

For more on the work of EMF, see their website @ www.emf-welwyn.org

December News in Brief

Philip Pain — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:22:23 +0000

New Mission Box Gets its First Outing!

Some of you may have noticed EEC’s new Mission Box a couple of Sundays back, in the foyer at church. Well, the citizens of Ennis got to see it ‘in action’ for the first time on Saturday 24th October, at the Height, during our regular Street Outreach and it’s been in use since then. If you would like to make use of this outreach tool in your work, school or club, please contact Vincent.

VIA Christmas Party! - 12th December. Please ask Dave or Avril for details.

Chew & Chat - starts again in the New Year.

Trip to Romania - Louis is traveling to Timisoara, Romania, Dec 10-15th with OCC’s Irish distribution team. Our Romanian partners are ‘Ecce Homo’ (Behold the Man), a Christian social welfare agency in Cluj-Napoca, who run a family-style orphanage and help Cluj’s street kids. Romania has close to 200,000 orphaned children, many with families unable to support them financially. I look forward to telling you all about the trip on my return.

Congratulations! Well done to Ann who collected her degree in Fine Art recently. Ann is pictured here in full hat & gown, proudly displaying her certificate, with hubby Nigel sharing in the good news!

Volunteers needed!

Maddy & Phil will be unavailable on December 5th and away on 19th, both days it is planned to go out on the streets (with the new mission box - see above). The lost are still lost and there is such a need for a message of hope to be brought to the people of Ennis.

Can YOU make it for a couple of hours on either of those nights to go out with Vincent and maintain our visible presence in the town?

As they say in the adverts - no experience necessary, full training provided! Contact Vincent.

This month’s prayer requests

Philip Pain — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:27:59 +0000

Please give thanks for answers to prayer:

The owner has agreed to sell us the new building subject to planning permission & with no strings attached
Our fellowship was kept safe during the floods and no major damage or loss of life occurred
That our Lord Jesus is all-sufficient, a very present help in trouble.

This month, please pray for:

A smooth & successful planning application for the new premises
The work of the Gospel in Greece; for Evangelos’ ‘Times of Refreshing’ newspaper & a new premises in Patra
Louis’ trip to Romania (see NL article); for safe travel and working conditions, for courage facing into the unknown, for openness to God’s direction
The work of OMF, especially in Japan; see for requests.

Please continue to pray for:

God’s people to rally round to help with the new building in whatever way God moves them
All those who have asked you to pray for their marriages, homes, children, work and health
Spreading the Good News (Ennis street work this month - 5th & 19th, see ).

Good News or new goods?

Philip Pain — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:19:24 +0000

In the UK, the average person (whoever he is) spent nearly £400 on Christmas presents last year and I don’t suppose it’s that much different here in Ireland (even if the Celtic Tiger has gone walk about).

At a time when we ought to be hearing the Good News, mankind seems hell-bent (an appropriate expression?) on acquiring ever more New Goods!

So what is this Good News? Well, first of all God has made a way for us to be ‘right’ with Him. This means we no longer have to look forward to an eternal, conscious death, but can know that we will be with our loving Father for all eternity in glory!

He did this by coming to earth in the person of Jesus to show us the way: "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16)

If it stopped there, you might think that would be Good News enough, but Jesus said: “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” (Jn 10:9). Not only are we saved from a lost eternity, but we are set free (we can go in and out) and our needs provided for (we will find pasture).

God in His mercy, love, compassion and inexhaustible goodness has promised us so many blessings once we are adopted as His sons and daughters.

Here are just a few to hang onto when you feel hopeless, tired, unloved, unable to continue, lost, inadequate, disheartened, unworthy, fearful, alone, in fact whenever you need lifting up -

“What is impossible with men is possible with God." (Lk 18:27)

“but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength” (Isa 40:31)

“ I have loved you with an everlasting love” … (Jer 31:3)

“My grace is sufficient for you” … (2Co 12:9)

… “He will make straight your paths.” (Pr 3:6)

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Php 4:13)

…“we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Ga 6:9)

…“God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph 4:32)

… “God will supply every need of yours” … (Php 4:19)

… “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power” … (2Ti 1:7)

“Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you” … (Ps 55:22)

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God” … (Jas 1:5)

… “’I will never leave you nor forsake you.’“ (Heb 13:5)

Good News indeed! What (more) do you want for Christmas?

December Newsletter Index

Administrator — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:38:49 +0000

December 2009 Newsletter

… is available for download and print.
Copies can be collected on Sunday at Church (limited stock!).

As always, the content will be published here as well, one per day, since the download-version is not well suited for on-line reading.

Content:

Good News
Prayer Requests
December News in Brief
Competition
Verse of the Month - Ps. 133:1
Evangelos & Greece
Youth Zone
Kidz-2-Kidz
Persecuted Church - China & CIM/OMF
Personally Speaking - Ann
Shoebox Report
Personally Speaking - Silvester
News from Japan
December Calendar

Monday Morning

A.W. Tozer — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:08:20 +0000

But the Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silent before Him. - Habakkuk 2:20

As God’s people, we are so often confused that we could be known as God’s poor, stumbling, bumbling people. That must be true of a great number of us for we always think of worship as something we do when we go to church.

We call it God’s house. We have dedicated it to Him. So we continue with the confused idea that it must be the only place where we can worship Him.

We come to the Lord’s house, made out of brick and wood and lined with carpeting. We are used to hearing a call to worship: "The Lord is in His holy temple—let us all kneel before Him."

That is on Sunday and that is in church. Very nice!

But Monday morning comes soon. The Christian layman goes to his office. The Christian school teacher goes to the classroom. The Christian mother is busy with duties in the home. . . .

Actually, none of us has the ability to fool God. Therefore, if we are so engaged in our Saturday pursuits that we are far from His presence and far from a sense of worship on Saturday, we are not in very good shape to worship Him on Sunday.

Lord, I want to kneel before You in worship not only on Sunday, but on Saturday and the rest of the week as well. Accept my entire life as a sacrifice of worship to You, I pray. Amen.