Saturday, August 16, 2008

Youth Camp and Bible Clubs - Wow, What a Ride!

Well, it is Saturday morning, 16th of August, and it is raining again! The only time the rain basically has let up this Summer has been during our Victory Youth Camp back a few weeks ago! Youth Camp was unbelievably good, and we saw 9 young people get saved! AMEN, and Amen! 
See pictures and more information about the Youth Camp at

I could write for pages about all the things that happened at Youth Camp, but I will have to leave that for another day! This morning I wanted to just jot down some thought about our Bible Club meetings this week.

We set out by faith to hold our Bible Club meetings out in the Ballincollig Regional Park, and it was awesome, although very wet. Even when raining, the children just kept focused on the activities and the Bible Lessons! We learned about how the Christian Life is very much like the Olympics - that there are some great things to live for and strive for! Getting our sins forgiven, all of them, took the most effort, and only Jesus could carry all that weight onto the cross, so that we could just reap the eternal benefits! no church, no amount of masses, no amount of prayers, no amount of money could purchase what Jesus Christ earned for us on the cross! Once a person agree with all their heart that they are a sinner, and deserving of hell because of their sins, they can then, and only then ask the Lord Jesus to take away all their sins (past, present and future), and give them the gift of eternal life! THAT is when a person, no matter how young or old, or how sinful or good, that is when they finally start living, and "running the Christian race!" What we taught the kids at Bible Club was that they obviously needed to get born again, and start following the Lord Jesus, and then, if they are going to want any rewards in heaven, then they had better get started, and might as well go all out! Go for the Gold! Just like the athletes at the Olympics! Don't settle for losing at all! 

We had 44 children come out to the Bible Club this year, and even with all the rain (see the pictures) the event was blessed!
 
Am I tired? Yes! But I had the best help with my wife Nita, and daughters Sharon and Ruth, and John, and so many others who just helped make the week a success by the help of God!
As usual, there is more to come! The ministry is a life-long effort, and I can't get enough of it!
I truly thank God for the privilege of serving the Lord Jesus Christ!

Until the trumpet sounds...
Pastor Craig Ledbetter

Thursday, March 13, 2008

What Mission’s Conference is all about

Psalm 78:38
But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

Wow, what a Scripture to ponder! The verse is referring to God noticing all the build up of sin and disobedience in the hearts and lives of Israel, and He, out of compassion, NOT destroying them, and instead forgiving them as they cried out to Him for grace! Well, THAT’S our God, and He LOVES to have compassion on unworthy, and even ungodly creatures such as us! And he has enough grace and mercy for a whole planet of sinners, amen?!

Well, that’s what this month’s Mission’s Conference is all about – Compassion, and caring about a world that doesn’t care about God or righteousness! Thankfully, God cares, and the more we hear of the spiritual needs around the world, so do God’s people!

I am so looking forward to this coming Sunday thru Wednesday with our World Evangelism Conference! Be here for EVERY meeting – the devil will work overtime to keep you too busy, but the value of just one soul is worth every sacrifice you might have to make!

Please remember to pray for our church folks, and all our families! Be sure to invite them out to church for any and all of the upcoming events! Please know that I love you and pray for you! The Lord is worthy of all our worship!

Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork
www.biblebc.com
Tel: 021-4871234

The burden of our Lord

Matthew 9:35-38
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

In the midst of all the miracles and wonderful acts of kindness that our Lord was working among the crowds of people that day, the stark reality sets in – the crowds only got bigger, and their needs grew deeper. No matter how much Jesus healed, more people would come who needed healing. No matter how many lives were salvaged, there were more to salvage. “Multitudes!” Do we really realise just how many people there are in the world? Does it affect us at all that there are so, so many who need Jesus?
The view of those multitudes affected Jesus to the point of weeping because they sought only physical healing, and He was offering so much more! Will we allow the multitudes to affect us too?
This world is lost, without God and without hope. In spite of all the religions in the world, none provide a true Shepherd and leave absolutely everyone fainting and worse off. The burden of our Lord was and always is for mankind to see that their greatest need is in their heart, and that only Jesus can fully satisfy that need!
But how will they know of such a Saviour? Who will labour among the multitudes and bring them the Gospel that can save the furthest soul? The Lord Jesus can count on me. Can he count on YOU TOO?
Our annual World Evangelism Conference is this weekend, so don't miss it!
See http://biblebc.com/Activities/Missions/2008/world_evangelism_conference08.htm for more information!