Riverside Gospel Hall

Riverside Gospel Hall A New Testament church. Who are we? "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." Acts ch2 vs 42 {NIV}

Want to know more?

Sunday meetings:
Breaking of bread at 11:30
Fellowship and food at 13:00
Prayer and Bible study at 13:45
Sunday school/Bible class at 13:45
Gospel meeting at 19:00 We are a non-denominational, independent local church, or assembly of Christians who gather simply in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.We meet weekly to remember the Lord Jesus in the Breaking of Bread, to pray and study the Bible and

to preach the Gospel. Matthew ch 18 vs 20 {ESV}

"And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 1And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”"
Luke ch 22 vs 17-19 {ESV}

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Check out our website at www.riversidegospelhall.com

Thought for the Week by Mervyn PattersonThank you for joining Thought for the Week. This week we will consider God’s re...
09/06/2026

Thought for the Week by Mervyn Patterson

Thank you for joining Thought for the Week. This week we will consider God’s reaction to those who treat His Person with disregard. Some people think it is silly to believe there is such a being as a triune, omni-present God. The Bible is God's revelation of Himself to us, and describes Him as all-seeing and all-knowing. It also tells us three times over that

“the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Psalm 111:10, King James Version)

In Proverbs 1:24,25 (KJV) God says,

“I have called and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;”

Yes, it is one thing to refuse to shake hands with someone who is one’s equal, but refusing the Divine Hand takes it to a different level. In verse 25 we are told,

“But ye have set at nought (ridiculed) all my counsel (advice), and would none of my reproof (correction):”

How would you and I respond to such an attitude? Well, as an Irishman, I would say to give him enough rope and let him do the job himself.
In verse 26 of the same chapter God says,

“I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;”

And in verse 28,

“Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:”

We often express rash opinions when the one referred to is out of earshot. Consider Psalm 50:21 (New Living Translation),

“While you did all this, I remained silent and you thought I didn’t care. But now I will rebuke you, listing all my charges against you.”

Yes, He has heard, and recorded the Book of Evidence.

Padraig Pearse, in his poem “The Fool” penned these words,

“[a man] shall not bargain or huxter with God; or was it a jest of Christ’s
And is this my sin before men, to have taken Him at His word?”

Galatians 6:7 (NLT) says,

“Don’t be misled – you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.”

One thing you can do however, is accept the mercy of God today, while it is offered.
John 6:37 (KJV) says,

“Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

I suggest you read the chapters mentioned for yourself, or better still, make it your ambition to get to know all of your Bible.

Thought for the Week by Mervyn Patterson.This week I want to look at God’s estimation of those who want to think He does...
03/06/2026

Thought for the Week by Mervyn Patterson.

This week I want to look at God’s estimation of those who want to think He does not exist. He reveals it through the pen of David in Psalm 14 verse 1, and Psalm 53 verse 1 (New Living Translation),

“Only fools say in their heart there is no God.”

Strong words you might say. Yes, they certainly carry no ambiguity. Perhaps someone feels angry or offended by the statement. Sometimes we have to put aside our own opinions and prejudices to evaluate the wider picture.
I have some very good friends who would very much question the existence of God. That, however, does not impact on our mutual respect for one another.
The people referred to in these Psalms seem to feel insecure in their standing though, and have a low sense of ethical values. God describes them as corrupt, their actions evil, and characterised by racism and hatred of God-fearing people. Psalm 12 could be considered a character analysis, especially verse 4 (Berean Standard Bible),

“They say, “with our tongues we will prevail. We own our lips – who can be our master?”

Does it sound familiar? The idea that we can say and do what we like and get away with it, the maxim being not to get caught. Could such reasoning be to avoid future judgement and retribution? Should it be described as self-deception? I am happy to leave them to their chosen fate – or karma, if you want to keep God out of it. One thing worth noting is that there is no forgiveness with karma, just a continuous cycle of retribution.
However, let’s turn to a brighter note. In Ephesians 1:7 (New Living Translation),

“He (God) is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins.”

Colossians 1:14 (New King James Version),

“in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

Thought for the Week by Mervyn Patterson.This week I want to base my thoughts around Psalm 19:1 (New Living Translation)...
25/05/2026

Thought for the Week by Mervyn Patterson.

This week I want to base my thoughts around Psalm 19:1 (New Living Translation)

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display His craftmanship.”

We truly live in a world of amazing beauty: beauty displayed in plant and animal life as well as in the skies above us.
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Sir David Attenborough on attaining his milestone 100th birthday, and thank him for bringing before us so many aspects of our planet’s natural beauty. However, here our worldviews differ.

As a dairy farmer, I see in nature around me the revealing of a great creation and an amazing God. Psalm 8:3 reads (NLT),

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and stars you set in place-“

Consider the night sky, morning sunrise and evening sunset; how the ancient seamen would plot their courses by the sky, and the farmer would predict incoming weather by the sunset. Many have set aside the creation story in favour of the evolution - millions -of-years story. I will leave the debating of both of these faiths to more academic minds.

As one who knows the fickleness of nature and its weather patterns, one thing I also do, is prepare for the future. By that I mean that, as farmers we always make sure we have some extra animal feed in store to cover an extra-long winter, which frequently occurs.

It is ok to say that there is no God – but what if there is?

It is ok to say evolution is the way things came about – but what if creation is true?

You will end up like the unwise farmer who, in mid - April, looks at his empty barns, hungry animals and no grass in the field. The same farmer who may have laughed at his canny neighbour for making provision of extra feed, but now the truth is hitting hard.

You may call the Bible a book of fairy tales: but what if it is true?

How will you face an angry God in a coming day if you have ridiculed His writings and ignored His warnings?
We may avoid someone we don’t like, or are perhaps secretly afraid of, in our neighbourhood, but the Bible reminds us that in a coming day we will all have to meet our maker. That day will prove whether there is or is not an eternal God.

Either way, the God-fearing person has nothing to lose; like the canny farmer, he has provision made for his eternal future.

How about you?

Thought for the Week by Mervyn PattersonWelcome back to Thought for the Week. I will open this week with the question: ...
12/05/2026

Thought for the Week by Mervyn Patterson

Welcome back to Thought for the Week. I will open this week with the question: how can peace be made with God? It would be interesting to do a survey on this question and see the many different opinions it would reveal.

The insecurity regarding what happens after death leads to people involving themselves in many different activities to merit divine favour, some at great personal cost and inconvenience. These are very often built on the Old Testament laws that were given to the Jewish nation. Its prohibitions and rituals have been partly incorporated into the mainstream churches of our day.
Let’s pause for a minute and ask ourselves whether such rituals are still viable or even necessary. Turn with me to Colossians 1:20, 21 (New King James Version)

“having made peace through the blood of his cross.”
“and you, that were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now he has reconciled.”

These verses, among others, tell us that a peace treaty or process is already in place. Many summits are in progress as I write. Mediators are trying to bring countries and people together to bring peace and harmony to those who are now at enmity.
In 1 Timothy 2:5,6, (King James Version) Paul writes these words,

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men (mankind), the man Christ Jesus.”

Perhaps this is an entirely new concept to you. Peace has been made by the crosswork of Christ, and on that basis He is available to mediate with God the Father to offer pardon to you. Let me tell you at this point, that you don’t have to try to make your own peace with God. That has already been made by Christ at Calvary and is now on offer to any who feel their need and are willing to accept it.

In verse 4 of 1 Timothy chapter 2 (New Living Translation), Paul writes these words speaking of God,

“who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.”

Sadly, this subject is much misunderstood. I will sum it up with the words of Romans 5:1 (NLT),

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”

When we read the Bible, it becomes clear that peace with God has been made for us by Christ. The reader’s responsibility is to accept it by faith as a reality.

Thought for the Week by Mervyn PattersonWelcome to Thought for the Week. Recently we have been considering the peace an...
05/05/2026

Thought for the Week by Mervyn Patterson

Welcome to Thought for the Week. Recently we have been considering the peace and comfort offered to those who respect and obey God’s commands. This week I want to look at verse 11 of Psalm 7 (New Living Translation) which reads like this,

“God is an honest judge.”

Or, as the New King James Version puts it,

“God is a just judge.”

Verse 11 continues (NLT),
“He is angry with the wicked every day.”

When we read a sentence like this it is very easy to draw up a mental list of people who we think would fit this description. Hate speech is so common in many places, usually against those who disagree with the speaker’s ideas and opinions. Very often the root cause of this anger stems from personal prejudice and jealousy.

Let’s look a little deeper into this verse. Who does God regard as wicked? In Genesis 13:13, God regards the residents of S***m as being exceedingly wicked and sinful. I may pat myself on the back and say that I’m not one of those people.
In Exodus 9:27 (NLT) the king of Egypt said,

“The Lord is righteous, and my people and I are wicked.”

The Egyptians worshipped idols but we live in a nominally Christian country, so I might think that it doesn’t apply to me.

In 2 Chronicles 24 we read of a wicked woman whose sons broke into the Temple in Jerusalem, stole its sacred furniture and placed it in the temple of the pagan god Baal. We might say that we are not like that either because we respect all faiths and religious buildings.

In Esther chapter 7 we find a wicked man called Haaman, who tried to annihilate the Jewish nation. We may think that we are not racist, but respect all ethnic groups and cultures.

Things are looking pretty good for us, are they not. I might even feel a little smug and self-righteous – until I read Jeremiah 17:9 & 10 (NLT),

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?
But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

God is the just and honest judge, who knows your heart and mine. We may look down on our fellow man and their lifestyle, but the Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s requirements. Neither pride nor arrogance will be tolerated by Him.

Join me next week, God willing, and we will explore how peace can be made with this angry and grieved God.

Thought for the Week by Mervyn PattersonThank you for joining us in Thought for the Week. This week we will explore how...
28/04/2026

Thought for the Week by Mervyn Patterson

Thank you for joining us in Thought for the Week. This week we will explore how the friendship with Jesus we referred to last time actually works and is experienced.

Is it through visions or dreams that He comes to guide and comfort us? Many would lay claim to such experiences and apparitions. When we read through the bible, we see that these kinds of experiences are recorded on many occasions.

Does it happen today? Or, perhaps more correctly, does it need to happen today? The author of Psalm 119 says in verse 105 (New Living Translation),

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

Before the Bible was completed God revealed His mind, way, will and support to those who followed Him through visions and dreams. David, the probable writer of Psalm 119, had many such experiences in which future events were made known to him.

However, when it came to his everyday life, he was guided by what was available – the books of Moses: including the Law, which was given to him by God on Mount Sinai and which he recorded there.

So, how does God comfort us in times of distress today? In 2 Timothy 4:17 (NLT) Paul recounts how nobody was present at his trial, and how he felt abandoned. He goes on to say,

“The Lord stood with me and gave me strength.”

No visions or apparitions here, but rather, that feeling of the Lord being close at hand in his time of need. In Hebrews 13:5 (NLT), God has promised

“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Philippians 4:6 & 7 read like this,

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done.
Then you will experience God’s peace which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Or, as some have put it, “the peace of God, which is better than knowing the reason why.” This is something that can be enjoyed by all those who know and love the Lord Jesus.

22/04/2026

Missionary Report Meeting
Dr David McAdam of
Chitokoloki hospital
Tomorrow 23rd April
at 8pm

19/04/2026

Thought for the Week by Mervyn Patterson

Thank you for taking the time to join us on Thought for the Week. If you have followed our recent posts you will have noticed that on two occasions we have quoted the words of Romans 6:23 (King James Version),

“The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Perhaps there is someone reading this and the uncertainty of the future is weighing heavily on your mind. Circumstances may have arisen in your life which have shattered your security and peace. If you allow me the term, “the bubble has burst” and you struggle to pick up the pieces.

Proverbs 27:1 (New Living Translation) gives us this advice,
“Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.”

We are all familiar with the type of person who not only loves to tell you about what they have accomplished, but also what they are going to acquire. One thing they will never tell you about is their sin. Sin to which we are adding daily. Perhaps you are worried about things that are totally private, but you know are wrong. Many times, and by many means you have tried to find peace in your heart. Perhaps you have confided in a cleric or church establishment, yet peace and happiness are eluding you.
Perhaps things in your past life are causing you sleepless nights, and current worries and circumstances are doing likewise: the future and the hereafter fill you with dread. Have you ever tried coming to the Lord Jesus with life’s problems? These words of Jesus are recorded in Matthew 11:28 (NLT),

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

The Lord Jesus will forgive all your sins. Not only the ones you have already committed, but the ones you will commit. His redemption is absolute. As He said on the cross,

“It is finished!”

There are no loose ends to be tied up. His presence in life’s problems is real. That’s what David meant in Psalm 23:1 (KJV),

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

His promise for the future is secure. That’s what the Lord Jesus meant in John 10:28 (New King James Version),

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone sn**ch them out of My hand.”

Jesus offers forgiveness, help, friendship and security. We often hear it said that a friend in need is a friend indeed. The Lord Jesus is such a friend.

Thought for the Week by Mervyn PattersonWelcome to Thought for the Week. Last week we considered the words of Jesus on ...
14/04/2026

Thought for the Week by Mervyn Patterson

Welcome to Thought for the Week. Last week we considered the words of Jesus on the cross, “It is finished!” and the positive results of accepting His freely offered redemption and pardon.

Perhaps somebody who read the article, or heard this message before, already decided that No, this is not my style. I am going to do my own thing and live life exactly as I please. I am a free thinker. This line of reasoning is a characteristic of human nature.
I would ask you to pause for a minute and ask yourself the question, “where and how will it end?” What are the risks of such a lifestyle? Perhaps you have the vigour of youth at the moment; please bear in mind that it won’t last for ever, and that one’s choice of lifestyle can have a very negative effect on the body and mind.

Come with me to the Bible and we will do a character study of Moses, a respected figure in Jewish culture. On reaching his majority, as it is recorded in Hebrews 11:24-25, he made the decision to leave his adoptive parents and their lifestyle in the palace of Egypt. It says in Hebrews 11:25 (New Living Translation),

“He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.”

That was a big decision to make, to leave a life of affluence and luxury with all its trimmings and security, for a spartan lifestyle minding sheep in the desert. Was it a wise choice? James, in chapter 1 of his short letter (King James Version) writes these words,

“Then when lust (or desire) hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

Romans 6:23 tells us,

“The wages of sin is death.”

Who in their right mind would work for an employer who pays wages like this, resulting in death? No, we would all avoid such an employer, and his employment.

Now we will look at the latter part of Romans 6:23,

“The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Moses had evaluated the bigger picture and decided that Egypt with its lifestyle were not for him: that ultimately, he would have to meet God, and if he continued like that, then that meeting would not go well. So, he decided to follow God’s laws.

Moses’ successor, Joshua, spoke these words to the people of his day in Joshua 24:15 (New King James Version),

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Thought for the Week by Mervyn PattersonThank you for following Thought for the Week. As most are aware, this past week...
07/04/2026

Thought for the Week by Mervyn Patterson

Thank you for following Thought for the Week. As most are aware, this past week is known as Passion Week: the week when Christian culture acknowledges the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God. In many areas it is celebrated with much symbolism and fervour. Let us pause and consider the real significance of Passion Week, to use the term. We will examine it against the background of the last words spoken by Jesus while He was on the cross, as it is recorded by John in his Gospel, chapter 19 and verse 30 (New Living Translation),

“It is finished. Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

Other Gospel writers tell us that His last words were spoken with a loud voice, indicating that His death and “yielding up of His spirit” was a situation over which He had full control.

What did He mean by, “It is finished”? what was finished? Was it His life? Perhaps, but only in a very temporary measure because on the third day He rose from the dead, which was witnessed by the temple guards and Jesus’ disciples.

Was it His time here on earth? To a point, yes. However, during the following forty days, He visited His own people on many occasions. He appeared to a gathering of over five hundred people, which is recorded in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. These visits with His Christian followers came to an end with His ascension, which is recorded in Acts chapter 1, verse 9.

So, what was finished at Calvary? It was the ongoing sacrificial rituals of the Old Testament. Hebrews 10:12 (NLT) says,

“But our High Priest offered Himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then He sat down in the place of honour at God’s right hand.”

Colossians 1:14 says (New King James Version),

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”

I would like to say at this point, that following Christian culture does not gain forgiveness, but rather, we must realise that everything has already been done on our behalf. All that is needed is to accept this fact and thank the provider. The result of doing so is not a lottery, it is a certainty.

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Riverside Gospel Hall, Allen Square
Bandon

Opening Hours

11:30am - 12:45pm
1:30pm - 2:30pm

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