© Bethany Hall, Glenburn, Prestwick.
Bethany Hall
Shaw Road
Prestwick
Ayrshire
Scotland
KA9 2LN.
We meet together weekly to remember the Lord Jesus, and we do so in the way described by Paul in his first letter to the Corinthian Believers, where they (and we) are reminded that “ ... the Lord Jesus, in the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread: and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said: ‘Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.’ After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying: ‘This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.’ ”
The letter then continues with these words: “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come” (1. Corinthians 11:23. -
We baptise, by full immersion in water, people who have repented of their sins and have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. It is normal for someone who has experienced the forgiveness of God to have a desire to obey him, and since the Lord Jesus commands that all believers be baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, obedience to this command is an excellent first step.
Baptism identifies believers with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and indicates their willing acceptance of the fact that God has called them to walk “in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). The Bible defines baptism with great clarity as “the answer of a good conscience toward God” (1. Peter 3:21).
God
There is one God, the living God, who is the Creator, Sustainer,
and Ruler of all things (Deuteronomy 6:4). He is infinite, eternal, unchanging, and is revealed to us as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 2. Corinthians 13:14). When the Bible uses the term “the Godhead,” it refers to the eternal co-
In John 4:23-
In John chapter 1. and verse 1, we read: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Then, in verse 14. of the same chapter, we read: “.. the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us …” “The Word” is one of the names by which Christ is known. See also Revelation 19:13.
In Acts 5, verses 3. and 4, Ananias, who was guilty of lying to the Holy Spirit, was told in no uncertain terms that he had lied to God.
The Father:
One of the first indications we find in the Bible that God wishes to be known as the Father of his people is found in the book of Exodus, chapter 4, verses 22-
Other examples are:-
Deuteronomy 32:6. -
Isaiah 63:16. -
Isaiah 64:8. -
The Son:
The Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man (Luke 1:34. -
He accomplished this redemption by dying for our sins
according to the scriptures, voluntarily giving Himself as a sinless, substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, thereby satisfying God’s righteous judgment against sin (Romans 3:24. -
After substantiating the accomplishment of that redemption and our justification by His bodily resurrection from the grave, He ascended to the right hand of His Father, where He intercedes on behalf of those who trust Him (Romans 8:34). And, before ascending there to prepare a place for those who believe in Him, Christ promised, in John chapter 14, verse.3: “… I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
The Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8. -
He is the divine Comforter whom Jesus promised he would send to be with and in his disciples forever (John 14:16. -
In fulfilment of that promise, He dwells in all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and seals them until the day of final redemption (Ephesians 1:12. -
The Holy Spirit is also called “the Spirit of God,” “the Spirit of the Lord,” “the Comforter” and, in some instances, simply “the Spirit.”
He distributes spiritual gifts within the church, equipping each member to function for the glory of God and for the blessing and edification of the church itself (1. Corinthians 12:4. -
He gives assurance to those who have trusted Christ for salvation, as stated in Romans 8:16: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.”
The Word of God:
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2. Timothy 3:16).
Peter describes in his second letter how this took place, when he points out that “... the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2. Peter 1:21). We believe that this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of Scripture, and we therefore believe that the whole Bible is completely true and without error in the original manuscripts.
In Isaiah 40:8, we read: “The grass withers, the flower fades: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
And in Mark 13:31, Christ declares: “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”
Creation:
Man was created directly by God and in his image (Genesis 1:27).
God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, by direct act (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16. -
For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else (Isaiah 45:18).
A satellite view of the entire sunlit side of Earth from one million miles away.
(Click to enlarge)
Mankind:
Although man was created in the image of God, he fell into sin and is lost (Genesis 3:17. -
Forgiveness of Sin:
The Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a substitutionary sacrifice, and all who believe on Him are redeemed by His shed blood (Isaiah 53:5; Hebrews 10:4. -
We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ and in His ascension into heaven (Luke 24:36. -
He is our High Priest and Advocate (Hebrews 4: 14. -
Christ taught his disciples to show their appreciation of God’s forgiveness by forgiving others (Luke 11:4).
Hezekiah, one of the kings of Israel, experienced the forgiveness
of God in his life and celebrated it with these words: “Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back (Isaiah 38:17).
Salvation:
We believe that salvation is the gift of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7).
It cannot be gained or made more secure by works of righteousness, but is freely bestowed upon all who put their faith in Jesus Christ and in the work which he completed when he died to redeem us at Calvary (Ephesians 2:8. -
All who so trust the Saviour are forgiven of their sins and born into the family of God by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (John 1:12; Romans 10:9. -
Being “saved,” being “born again,” being “justified by faith,” being “redeemed” are all expressions which describe the human experience of being reconciled to God, the experience of salvation.
The old-
In Acts 4:12, Peter, speaking of Christ, boldly states: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
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