LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” APRIL 2024
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sun 7th April 10.45am Worship service Val Hulme
Sun 14th April 10.45am Open Service
Sun 21st April 10.45am Sunday Bible Study
Sun 28th April 10.45am Communion Service Rev’d N Brighton
*please be prompt so you hear the announcements and the theme of service*
Sat 6th April 10am-12pm Chat’n’a’ Brew
Wednesdays 10am -11am Prayer Meeting (drinks at 9.45am)
Wed 10th April 11.15am Deacons’ meeting
Thu 18th April 1pm-3.30pm Coffee+
Saturdays 13th ,20, 27th April 10am-12. Walking with You Group
Other Users of building:
Wednesdays 7.30pm -9pm All Singers Great & Small Community Choir
Thursdays 10am-12 Atherton and Leigh Foodbank
Thu 11th April 7.30pm-10 AGLOW
Fri 26th April 12.30pm-4 Pensioners Link Poetry Competition
NEXT CHURCH MEETING SUNDAY 2nd JUNE
Please continue to pray for Leigh Baptist Church and in particular how we structure our children’s and young people’s work, and for more people to volunteer to help with this.
NEW THINGS
“ Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing
a new thing!” Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV.
God has done new things ever since He created the heavens and the earth, everything
in it and finally, Adam and Eve. As the number of people on the Earth grew they
ignored their maker and refused to honour Him.
He therefore decided to flood the whole earth, but instructed Noah to build the Ark to
save him, his family and two each of all living creatures for a new beginning. After the
Children of Israel had been rescued by Moses from slavery in Egypt and led through
the Wilderness they started a new life in the Promised Land of Canaan. But the new
thing that affected us was Jesus, God’s Son, coming to Earth to carry out His Father’s
plan for reconciling to Himself His people who were continually turning away from
Him. Although the Children of Israel were His chosen people He enabled the Gentiles
to be included. Even Jesus’ Disciples only preached to the Jewish people at first, but
Peter was to learn something new.
Acts 10 tells about a Centurion named Cornelius living in Caesarea. He and all his
family were devout and God-fearing, gave to the needy and prayed regularly to God.
One day he had a vision of an angel who told him to send men to Joppa to bring a man
called Simon, known as Peter, to his house. The next day, as the men he sent were
approaching Joppa, Peter was on his rooftop praying and was feeling hungry when
he had a vision of a sheet being let down from Heaven to earth with all kinds of animals,
reptiles and birds on it. A voice said, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat.” Peter replied that he
had never eaten anything unclean, but was told by God not to call anything impure that
God had made. All this happened three times then the sheet was taken back up to
Heaven. While Peter was puzzling over what he had seen, the men from
Cornelius arrived at his house. God’s Spirit told Peter to go downstairs and to go with
them because “I have sent them.” After he had heard them tell of Cornelius’ vision,
Peter invited them to stay and the next day they all set off, accompanied by some of
‘the brethren’, and arrived in Caesarea a day later.
Cornelius had gathered together some of his relatives and close friends. When Peter
entered the room he found a large gathering. He began to speak to them, reminding
them that it was against the Jewish law for a Jew to ‘associate with a Gentile’, or visit
him. But, he said, “God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean,
so when I was sent for I did not raise any objection.” He asked why they had sent for
him. Cornelius then told him about his vision of an angel and continued, “Now we are
all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to
tell us.” Peter told of how they had been witnesses of all that had happened in Judea,
beginning
in Galilee with the anointing
of Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit after He was baptised in the River Jordan
by John the Baptist.
He went on to tell them of Jesus’ death on the cross and of His resurrection and how
He was seen by those of us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.
Peter went on to tell how Jesus had said, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel
to every creature.” (Mark 16:15),
and said how all the prophets testify about Him that “everyone who believes in Him
receives forgiveness of sins through His Name.” As Peter spoke, the Holy Spirit came
on all who heard the message.
The circumcised believers, who had come with Peter, were astonished that even
the Gentiles had been anointed by the Holy Spirit, and were speaking in tongues and
praising God as they had done on the Day of Pentecost. Peter ordered them to be
baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who had also said in Mark 16:16,
“He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who does not believe will be
condemned.”
When the apostles and brothers throughout Judea heard that Peter had been in a house
with uncircumcised people they criticised him, but when Peter explained everything
that had happened they no longer objected,
but praised God and said, “God has even granted the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
(Acts 11:18).
Because of this the Gospel has spread all over the world and continues to lead men,
women and children to turn to Jesus in repentance and faith. There are many stories
these days of people having visions of Jesus and so believing in Him. It is good to see
new things happening in many churches in this country, including our own.
May all this strengthen our faith and our witness to other people. In 2 Peter 3:9
Peter says that God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to
repentance. May our eyes be open to every new thing that God is doing in our lives
as well as in our churches and may we be prepared to ‘trust and obey’ Him.
Kathie. Quotes from NIV.
“For