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IN THIS ISSUE....
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Strapline
'Ecclesia reformata semper reformanda est'
the Reformed Church is always reforming
Editor
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Phone: 07803 282489
Email: gnburke@yahoo.co.uk
An identity crisis?...................................
Man as glory perfects him......................
Gideons International.............................
The return of Christ................................
The 5 Solas...............................................
Whose Faith Follow.................................
ICRC reports............................................
Fresh start in Edinburgh........................
Book reviews...........................................
Dear Rev...................................................
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F1RST WORD
AN IDENTITY CRISIS?
Who are we? Where are we going? These are two questions with which we really need to be wrestling within the
EPC at the present time. Ernest Brown has been helpfully detailing for us the lives of those who were involved in
the formation of our church but these dear brothers are no longer with us. Now they are with the church triumphant
in the glory of heaven. Also the situation within the Presbyterian Church in reland in terms of the Gospel has
radically improved since 1927. So all of this begs the question who are we, and where are we going?
t seems to me that that question is being answered in three ways among us at the present time. Some are saying
that we are the true Presbyterian Church in reland. We are holding on to the Word of God and to the Westminster
Standards. We are endeavouring to serve the Lord faithfully in a diffcult day and, while grudgingly acknowledging
some improvement within the PC, there are still many unbiblical practices in mother church which justifes our
separate existence. This is the 'more of the same' position. Just keep at it in the way we have always done.
Others, taking their cue from the growth of the EPCEW, feel that we need to develop a more self-consciously
Presbyterian identity and unashamedly get out there to establish confessional Presbyterian churches. Those who
hold to this view feel that we are in danger of drifting. We are losing our Reformed identity and are becoming a
merely conservative evangelical church without a distinctly Reformed and Presbyterian ethos.
Others have lost confdence in the denominational thing altogether. Their focus is on the local congregation and
have a concern for the upbuilding of their particular congregation with its own distinctive ethos according to where
that church happens to be located. Denominationalism is useful in some ways but let's keep it pretty low key.
Now all of these positions have strengths and weaknesses. We must never lose sight of where we have come
from. delight in the articles that have detailed the labours of our founding fathers because these were great
brothers true men of God who are mighty examples to us. They loved the truth of God and were prepared to
take a mighty stand for that truth. But of course we need to recognise that this is 2013 and not 1927 and that our
founding fathers were not reluctant to adapt to the age in which they found themselves in.
The EPCEW friends have seen remarkable growth in a short period of time and, yes, they do have a distinctly
Presbyterian ethos. We must never be embarrassed about our commitment to the Westminster Standards and to
the doctrines of grace but we also need to be careful that we have a truly catholic sprit embracing our brothers
and sisters in Christ wherever they are found.
We are not independents and, as such, must not retreat into our own local church as if we were not part of a wider
body. Conversely each congregation needs to be given liberty to develop its own ethos and the local session has
undoubtedly the right to determine a whole range of issues such as the materials of praise being used in worship
services.
So there is no easy answer. We all have something to contribute to this debate. Frankly whatever viewpoint you
adhere to our greatest need remains that of prayer. We can devise all sorts of strategies and plans but unless our
Sovereign God is pleased to pour out His Spirit upon us we're fnished. The Word is being faithfully preached but
the Lord's people need to get to the midweek or else all this preaching will be in vain. ndeed here is something
that undoubtedly unites us. We are together a people called to prayer. So let's in these remaining months of
2013 quit the excuses and get the coat on there's a seat in the prayer meeting for you. My late friend and senior
colleague, Rev W J McDowell , preaching the charge to the congregation at my installation as minister of Knock in
1989, made the following comment : 'you don't come to the prayer meeting - fne. Just get down on your knees and
say,' Lord don't go to the prayer meeting because... f you rise with a clear conscience fne'
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This is the last of four articles on the subject of man's four\fold state,
a subject which Thomas Boston enlarges upon in his book of the
same name. Only Adam and Eve have ever experienced the frst
of these states, the perfection of Eden. We call that: "man as God
made him. Tragically, all of us without exception are born into the
second of these states, "man has sin marred him. Genesis three
describes the terrible ramifcations of this state for all of us. However,
the good news is that through Christ we can belong to a third state,
"man as grace renews him (2 Corinthians 5:17). But that's only the
beginning because there is a fourth state to come for the people of
God, "man as glory perfects him. This does not mean that the last
of these two states are totally discontinuos - not at all. As someone
has said "grace is glory in the bud and glory is grace in full fower,
so there is a close connection between the two. Theologians call
this connection "realized eschatology and the scriptural language
of "frst fruits (Romans 8:23) and "earnest of the Spirit (Ephesians
1:13,14) hint at the way the two states relate to one another.
But there is still a long way to go, isn't there? What we presently
experience is only the frst instalment of something far greater and
Revelation 21:5b tells us what the future holds for all of God's people
"Behold make all things new". Here is a description of "man as
glory perfects him".
The occasion is the end of time after Christ returns and from His
exalted position on the throne in heaven He will speak a creative
word and make all things new. Many today agree with the sentiment
of Mary Magdalene as expressed in Jesus Christ Superstar: "he's
a man he's just a man". However, at the end of time no-one will
ever believe that again. That's because the Alpha who created this
world is also the Omega who will re-create it and on that great day
Christ will both declare and bring about the consummation of all
things. Make no mistake about it "these words are faithful and true"
(Revelation 22:6). The integrity of the speaker and His sovereign
control over all things will guarantee their fulflment.
What are the "all things new spoken about in our text? Here are
three of them.
1) They include perfection of soul and body for all of God's people.
This will be the immediate portion of the saints still residing on earth
at the time of Christ's return. The portion of those who have already
passed on is described in Hebrews 12:22-24. Having already died
"in the Lord they are among "the spirits of just men made perfect".
These saints do have some intimation of what lies ahead because
there are already a few in heaven who possess glorifed bodies. Our
Lord of course is "the frst fruits of them that sleep" (1 Corinthians
15:20). Enoch has also been glorifed. He "walked with God and
he was not for God took him" (Genesis 5:24). Elijah too was taken
"to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:1). Moses probably falls into
this category as well. The Lord buried him (Deuteronomy 34:45,6),
but the book of Jude speaks about a dispute between Michael
the archangel and the devil over his body. The presumption is
that it was rescued with a view to his appearance on the mount of
Transfguration. But all the other saints who are presently in heaven
are disembodied spirits. The Shorter Catechism summarizes their
position: "What benefts do believers receive from Christ at death?
The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness,
and do immediately pass into glory: and their bodies, being still
united to Christ do remain the graces till the resurrection". However,
those who remain on earth at the time of the Lord's return will get
everything at once. t sounds almost too good to be true and it
includes at least two blessings.
a Perfection of soul. Throughout our lives we struggle with indwelling
sin. Romans seven is our perennial experience: "the good that
would do not and the evil that would not that do". This struggle is
one of the most painful aspects of our Christian experience. Residual
sin bothers us greatly and sometimes we are shocked at the sort of
things we are capable of thinking about. Our hearts are a veritable
cesspool of iniquity and the depths we can sink to are known only
to God alone. t's a frightening thought, yet true nonetheless, that
indwelling sin within a believer is qualitatively no different from that
which masters the unbeliever. We are capable of committing any
sin an unbeliever perpetrates, apart from dying in a state of unbelief.
And growth in grace doesn't diminish this sense of sinfulness, rather
it increases it they who fain would serve thee best. Are conscious
most of wrong within". But there is a day coming, either when we
die, or at Christ's return, when our souls will be totally free from sin.
n a fash there will be a radical transformation and we will never be
wretched men and women again. All that will be history and it won't
even be possible for us to be tempted - ever. For those who have
never known anything other than an existence characterized by sin
the thought of this is almost incomprehensible, but what a relief and
a joy that will be after a lifetime struggling to be like Christ!
n the context of these words (Revelation 21:4) John mentions
fve situations which either cause grief to our souls or are visible
manifestations of grief in our souls. n heaven we will be done with
these forever.
The frst is tears. Many situations in life cause our tear ducts to open
and rivers of water to fow down our face. One day God Himself
will amazingly bring that to an end. Just as you comfort a child by
taking out a handkerchief and wiping away its tears, God will do
the same to us. The second is death. This is the great divider that
knows no respecter of person, but in heaven this enemy will never
trouble us again. Whatever we do in the new heavens and earth
this much is true: we will have no need of solicitors to draw up wills,
funeral directors to arrange funerals, preachers to take services and
journalists to write obituary columns. The third is
sorrow. Old age in particular can be a time of sorrow (Psalm 90:10)
and the death of loved ones also results in sorrow, although if they
are believers the sorrow is tinged with hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
n heaven there will be no sorrow. The fourth is crying. We cry
when we're upset, can't cope, get hurt, experience confusion and
whenever there is disharmony and tension. n heaven the visible
manifestation of those inner hurts will disappear for ever because the
cause of those hurts will have also passed away. The ffth is pain.
All physical, emotional, mental and spiritual pain will be history in
heaven because "the former things are passed away".
b) Perfection of body. Christ has come to destroy all the works of
the devil (1 John 3:18) and since the devil has wrought havoc in
our bodies Christ will resolve that problem too. Human beings are
body\soul entities and their salvation would be something less than
complete if their bodies did not share in the redemption that is in
Christ. 1 John 3:2 and Philippians 3:20,21 describe this bodily hope.
t's undeniable that weakness, pain, and tiredness presently beset
us in varying degrees. As time passes the outer man requires more
and more attention - hospital appointments increase, medication as
well. Furthermore, helps such as glasses, walking sticks, hearing
aids etc all become more or less necessary, a clear indication that
we're fghting a losing battle. However, by faith we can say with Job
though "worms destroy this body, yet in my fesh shall see God (Job
19:26). ncredibly one day we will have a body perfectly equipped
to serve God in the new heavens and the new earth throughout
all eternity. Think of what that will mean for those who have been
handicapped in this life. The paraplegic Joni Eareckson Tada was
once asked what she would like to do when she got to heaven. She
answered "dance with my Saviour. Some may consider that answer
fippant, but if you were presently in her position you may think
differently!
n 1 Corinthians 15 Paul describes the various features of this new
bodily existence. He tells us that we will receive an incorruptible
body (15:42). Down here we possess the seeds of disease and
death, in the fnal state there will be no more death and we will enjoy
an incorruptible existence. We will also receive a glorious body
(15:43). Presently we try to honour the dead as best as we can, but
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there is nothing more dishonourable than being buried. However,
when Christ returns we will have a body of glory (Daniel 12;2,
Mark 9:3). The thought of this should promote love to one another
because we are creatures of amazing potential. We will enjoy a
powerful body too (15:43). Down here we are always conscious of
our bodily limitations, and as time passes we become even more
conscious of them. n glory the weaknesses which hinder us now
will disappear for ever and we shall serve Christ endlessly without
a hint of weariness. Paul also mentions a spiritual body (15:44).
Sometimes Christians understand this to mean that we will possess
a "non-material body but that view is mistaken. Our bodies will be
just as physical as our Lord's which comprises fesh and bones
(Luke 24:39). Anthony Hoekema summarizes the correct meaning of
"spiritual in this context. "Spiritual means someone who is guided by
the Holy Spirit, at least in principle, in distinction from someone who
is guided by his natural impulses. n similar fashion, the natural body
described in 1 Corinthians 15:44 is one which is part of this present,
sin-cursed existence; but the spiritual body of the resurrection is one
which will be totally, not just partially, dominated and directed by the
Holy Spirit".
The rest of that great chapter also reminds us that in the resurrection
there will be both continuity and discontinuity with the present.
Paul explains the link using the analogy of a seed and a fower.
Plainly there is continuity between these two things because a seed
eventually grows into a fower, although the glory of a fower also far
excels that of a seed. n other words one day we will be "the same
only different! We'll just have to wait and see.
2) They include the renovation of heaven and earth.
f God renewed us personally, while leaving our environment
unchanged, that would indeed be mighty strange indeed, but in
the new dispensation there will be perfect harmony between the
two. One day God will effect a salvation that will be both personal
and cosmic. don't have much time for the Jehovah Witnesses for
obvious reasons, but they are right in one matter - they believe that
God's people will one day live on the earth. They are not right about
either the number or the identity of those who will live there, but
they are right about this: "the meek shall inherit the earth" (Matthew
5:5) Clearly one day God's people will live in "a new heavens and a
new earth" (2 Peter 3:13). The link between the two is spelled out in
(Revelation 21:1,2). t seems that in the new dispensation heaven
will come down to earth and be absorbed in it, in a way that is
presently beyond our understanding.
The word "new that scripture uses to describe the new dispensation
is also interesting. n his excellent book "the promise of the future
Cornelius Venema entitles one chapter "all new things ? or "All
things made new? He's really asking the question "will God entirely
obliterate the present heavens and earth and begin all over again,
or will He renew what is presently here? Scripture teaches the
latter. t's the difference between two Greek words, "neos, which
means brand new, and "kainos, which means new in quality. The
latter word is used to describe the new dispensation, the same word
incidentally which is used to describe the present new creation (2
Corinthians 5:17). When God saves someone He doesn't obliterate
them and start all over again. Rather He takes that which is presently
marred by sin and renews it entirely. That's what He will do again
at the end of time with the new heavens and the new earth. So the
new creation will not be something brand new totally unrelated to
the present one, rather, it will be one totally renewed with some
continuity with the present. Anthony Hoekema puts it well "The world
into which we shall enter in the Parousia of Jesus Christ is therefore
not another world; it is this world, this heaven, this earth, these cities,
these streets, these people, that will be the scene of redemption. At
present they are battlefelds, full of the strife and sorrow of the not
yet accomplished consummation; then they will be felds of victory,
felds of harvest, where out of the seed that was sown with tears the
everlasting sheaves will be reaped and brought home.
Romans 8:19-22 is another helpful passage in this respect because
it enables us to contrast the present with the future. n verse 22 Paul
describes the present frustration which characterizes this earth. He
describes it as "groaning and travailing in birth". He is personifying
creation by applying human characteristics to the world about us
and what he is really saying is this: he is saying that if creation could
speak this is how it would express itself. t would use the language of
childbirth. Obviously all is not well at present with creation. There are
thorns and thistles everywhere. Earthquakes, volcanoes and other
natural disasters are not uncommon. Furthermore, nature is "red in
tooth and claw. Creation is not evolving upwards towards perfection
as evolutionists would have us believe, rather it is running down. The
2nd law of Thermodynamics states that the "entropy of the universe
is increasing. That's what Paul is saying here. John Murray put it
beautifully: "the entire creation, as it were, sets up a grand symphony
of sighs
However, all is not lost, because the language of childbirth implies
that there is hope. What happens after the groaning and travailing
of childbirth? A child is born. So just as a mother looks forward to
the joy of delivering her child after the pain, creation, so to speak,
looks forward to an end of futility and the emergence of a new
heavens and a new earth in which dwells righteousness. John Calvin
expresses it like this: "because they have a hope of being freed
hereafter from corruption, it follows that they groan like a woman
in labour until they have been delivered. This is a most appropriate
comparison to inform us that the groaning of which he speaks will
not be in vain or without effect. t will fnally bring forth a joyful and
happy fruit.
n verse 21 Paul goes on to speak about the future emancipation.
He tells us that there is a day coming when the earth itself will be
delivered from its present bondage. Presently it is like a piece of
meat tending towards decay but it won't always be that way. Creation
itself will undergo a similar transformation to that of God's children,
so Christians do not look forward to a vague nebulous state whereby
they will sit on clouds and play harps all day. Perish the thought.
They shall live again on this earth. This is what our Lord called the
"regeneration (Matthew 19:28). Luke called it the restitution of
all things (Acts 3;21) and Paul described it as "the reconciling of
all things" (Colossians 1:20). Robert Candlish summarizes it well:
"What a scene here bursts and breaks on the enraptured view of
faith! What a crisis! Christ, the man Christ Jesus, standing again
on this earth, in the body; all his redeemed with him in the body;
not a breath, not a whisper, of opposition or rebellion anywhere to
be heard, throughout all its continents and kingdoms; not a tomb
anywhere; not a dying groan; not a trace of sin's, or of sorrow's
ravages; not the faintest vestige of the footsteps of the Archfend
who frst brought sin and sorrow to its shores! Yes! The Lord's work
is done! The end for which he got the kingdom is fully and for ever
attained. Well may he then utter once more the exclamation of deep
satisfaction - t is fnished and so deliver up the kingdom to God,
even the Father".
3) They include the ingathering of all of God's people throughout the
ages.
One of the blessings of this life is fellowship (Malachi 3:16)
Admittedly this fellowship is neither unbroken nor perfect. Sin can
fracture it, disputes over our understanding of scripture can fracture
it, our feelings about the way things should be done can fracture it,
our temperaments and emotional outlooks can also fracture it. n
fact sometimes fellowship can be greatly marred "by schisms rent
asunder, by heresies distressed. However, in heaven all those
sinful tendencies will disappear for ever and we will enjoy perfect
fellowship with perfect people, for ever. And, what's more, we will
have all the time in the world to catch with up everyone who is there.
Nowadays time is limited, but in heaven we will have all eternity
to meet our fellow believers. magine meeting Abraham, Moses,
Elijah. Calvin, the Wesley's, a whole host of others, and above all
our Saviour. Scripture teaches that in heaven we will enjoy perfect
communion with all the redeemed for ever and it would make no
sense at all for the fellowship we enjoy in this world to disappear
at death. Thomas Boston put it this way: "The society of the saints
among themselves will be no small part of heaven's happiness.
The imagery of a city hints at the communion saints will enjoy in
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6
heaven (Revelation 21:2). Surely the use of this sort of language
implies that there is a social dimension to heaven. n other words
heaven is a place which in certain respects resembles a city. Of
course not all characteristics of city life are positive. For instance in
Genesis 4:16 we are told that Cain "went out from the presence of
the Lord" and built a city which he called Enoch. n that context city
life was a symbol of his rebellion against the Lord. t was an attempt
to do things his way without reference to God. The building of the
tower of Babel makes the same point (Genesis 11). These passages
emphasize the negative side of city life where folk want to make
a name for themselves and live life their way, so characteristics
of city life such as intense competition, concentration upon sinful
activities, striving after money, the desire for reputation, the dog
eat dog outlook, the utter loneliness of city life, the coldness and
non-caring attitude often found there, will ever be found in God's
holy city. However, there are positive sides to city life which surely
this imagery hints at - people interacting with one another, bustling
activity, close and intimate contact, a great variety of goings on,
mutuality of purpose and harmony. These positive features of city life
hint at the social side of heaven. So heaven will be a community, like
a city, not a world of isolated individuals doing their own thing.
Of course it goes without saying that we will recognize one another
there. This is one of the most common questions asked about
heaven: "shall we know one another there"? Moses and Elijah
obviously knew one another on the Mount (Mark 4), the disciples
recognized our Lord after the resurrection (John 21:12) and Paul
spoke about the Thessalonians as those who would be his "hope,
joy and crown of rejoicing at Christ's return (1 Thessalonians 2:19).
think he expected to see them again! Someone once asked the
question "shall we know one another in heaven"? The answer given
was: "shall we be greater fools in paradise than here?
Nowadays most folk long for something better than the present. They
long for freedom from pain, younger looks, a greener environment,
more meaningful friendships, but ultimately their hopes are dashed
because they live in in a fallen world. Yet God's word promises
something far more wonderful than any of these things. Heaven is
a place where all the redeemed will be perfectly satisfed for ever
(Matthew 25:23). But will you be there? That's the most important
question of all. You will be if you have a living relationship with Christ
in the here and now. J Burroughs made this important statement
about Christian experience. "Before death, there is a kingdom of
God within the soul.. He need not wait until afterwards, till he goes
to heaven; but certainly there is a heaven in the soul of a godly man,
he has heaven already... There is a heaven within the souls of the
saints, that is a certain truth: no soul shall ever come to heaven, but
the soul which has heaven come to it frst.... f you will go to heaven
when you die, heaven will come to you before you die. Now this is
a great mystery, to have the kingdom of heaven in the soul; no man
can know this but that soul which has it. The heaven which is within
the soul for the present is like the white stone and the new name,
that none but those that have it can understand it.
And where does this begin? t begins with the new birth which
becomes ours in the context of prayer and faith in Christ (Ezekiel 36
and John 3). Once that is true of you then heaven will be your future
portion. n other words Christ will make all things new at the end of
time for those whom He makes new in the here and now. sincerely
hope to meet you there in that blessed place. As Rutherford said
"your heaven would be two heavens to me and your salvation as two
salvations to me.
Jeff Ballantine, a native of Co. Tyrone,
has been a minister of the Evangelical
Presbyterian Church for almost 25
years. He is currently ministering
in Groomsport, Co. Down, having
previously served in the Lisburn Road
congregation.
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On Thursday 3rd October 2013 Mrs Annie Blair, in
her 91st year, passed into the presence of Jesus
Christ her Saviour. Mrs Blair had been a member of
the congregation of Botanic Avenue/Stranmillis since
1946. For many years her husband, Mr Jack Blair,
served the church faithfully as an elder in Stranmillis
and as the denominations Honorary General Treasurer.
Mrs Blair supported her husband in all his labours in
God's kingdom but she herself also made a signifcant
contribution to the life of Stranmillis. She attended to
many practical matters such as the weekly provision
of fowers for the communion table and, in later years,
assisting at and providing soup for the student lunch.
The family home in Malone Park was well known as a
place of generous hospitality and many of the Lord's
people, especially those involved in full time Christian
work, were on the receiving end of Mrs Blair's kindness.
Prior to her marriage in 1953 Mrs Blair had been involved
for a number of years in the Free Church Foreign Mission
work in Peru, most notably in Moyobamba. A trained
nurse, Mrs Blair, responded to the call of God to serve
overseas where she formed lifelong friendships with
Dr and Mrs Harold Lindsay and Rev and Mrs James
Mackintosh.
Originally from County Monaghan it was at a Faith
Mission meeting in her home county as a girl of 15 year
of age that she responded to the call of the Gospel and
placed her faith in Christ. At the time of her conversion
she was given a little book of Bible verses that she found
helpful throughout her Christian life. One of these verses
from Job 19:25 ' know that my Redeemer liveth' - was
chosen by Mrs Blair as the text to be preached upon at
her funeral service.
We sorrow today at the passing of a faithful church
member and friend yet we know that she is now in the
presence of the Redeemer in whom she trusted so long
ago. Our prayerful sympathy is extended to the whole
family circle especially to her daughters, Eleanor, Joy and
Ann. We pray that they will know the comfort of the Lord
at this time of sadness.
GNB
7
DID YOU HAPPEN TO COME
ACROSS A GIDEON BIBLE?
Did you get a break this summer? Did you head abroad or
did you support the Northern IreIand tourist industry by
staying at home to enjoy the Iong summer evenings on our
own shores? Did you stay in a guest house or hoteI? Did
you happen to come across a Gideon BibIe?
Who are the Gideons?
Gideons are members of an organisation known as Gideons
InternationaI. It is non-denominationaI and membership is
made up of business and professionaI men and their wives,
who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and have a desire
to witness for Him.
What do Gideons do?
The organisation has one simpIe and cIearIy dened aim:
'to win men, women and young peopIe for the Lord Jesus
Christ'.
In working towards this aim, Gideons pIace copies of the
scriptures in pIaces where peopIe are IikeIy to come across
them and read them; for exampIe, in hoteIs and guest
houses, hospitaIs, heaIth centres, and dentists' waiting
rooms. They aIso present scriptures to schooI pupiIs (the
Iargest part of our ministry), coIIege students, nursing
staff, members of HM Forces, poIice, re and ambuIance
personneI, prisoners in our prisons, as weII as personaI one
to one presentations.
So why do Gideons do this?
The Word of God itseIf says '. the HoIy Scriptures ...
are abIe to make you wise for saIvation through faith
in Christ Jesus. AII scripture is God-breathed and is
usefuI for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness.' (2 Timothy 3: 15-16).
How Iong have the Gideons been around?
Gideons InternationaI was estabIished in the United States
of America in 1899 and in the British IsIes in 1949.
Do the Gideons work outside the USA and the British
IsIes?
In May 2013 GreenIand became the 196th country to have a
Gideon ministry.
Do the Gideons pIace many bibIes?
2012 saw the pIacement of the 1.7 biIIionth scripture, since
the organisation was estabIished in the United States of
America in 1899, and it saw the pIacement of the 40 miIIionth
scripture in the British IsIes since the organisation was
estabIished here in 1949.

1 miIIion scriptures are pIaced every 5 days.
So how many Gideons are out there?
At the end of 2012 there were over 200,000 Gideon members
(incIuding wives) worIdwide, incIuding over 5200 in the
British IsIes.
How is the work organised in the British IsIes?
The British IsIes is divided into 10 Zones (of which Northern
IreIand is one) and has 267 branches (10 of which are in
Northern IreIand).
So how does aII of this appIy to the IocaI church?
Gideons operate as a missionary arm of the church and as
such depend signicantIy on the churches for their support;
principaIIy prayer support, nanciaI support and identifying
new members.
How does it affect you personaIIy?
We encourage you to commit to praying for the
work of the Gideons in your area, in Northern IreIand,
throughout the British IsIes and worIdwide.

We ask you to consider supporting the work of the
Gideons nanciaIIy.
If you are a business or professionaI man, a born again
Christian and have a passion for spreading the good news
about the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ, then we
urge you to consider if God couId be Ieading you into his
service with the Gideons.
Is the work effective?
God has promised '. my Word . wiII not return to me
empty, but wiII accompIish what I desire and achieve the
purpose for which I sent it.' (Isaiah 55:11).
The foIIowing is an extract from a Ietter received at
InternationaI Headquarters:
"When I got to the back page, I prayed to receive Jesus as
my Saviour. My sister aIso got saved and now we aII attend
church together. I just thought you wouId want to know how
that book changed our famiIy. Thanks for giving it to me Iast
year."
This is not our work; it is the Lord's work. 'UnIess the Lord
buiIds the house, its buiIders Iabour in vain.' ( PsaIm 127:1).
Contact details for further information:
Gideons International, Western House, George Street,
Lutterworth, Leicestershire, LE17 4EE
Tel: 01455 554241
Email: hq@gideons.org.uk
www.gideons.org.uk
James Rankin
Dromara Reformed Presbyterian Church
Lagan Valley Branch, Gideons
nternational
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The Return of Christ
Part 6 - 'MiIIennium Matters'
Great excitement is often generated in Christian circles by the
mention of the millennium. The church has become divided into
those who hold to a 'pre', 'post' or 'a' position. n some respects
the Evil One has been most clever in creating such division for
so often our concern is to defend our particular eschatological
scheme rather than to focus our minds, and the minds of others,
on the signifcance and certainty of Christ's return.
n this article we will look at Revelation 20 which is essentially
the key passage for understanding these millennium matters.
Before we consider this passage we need to take a moment to
defne our terms.
A premillennialist is someone who believes in a literal period of
one thousand years. While there are considerable variations
among those who hold to a premillennialist position, essentially
it is the conviction that Jesus will return, set up his throne in
Jerusalem, and will reign on earth for a thousand years.
Postmillennialists believe that Jesus will come after the
millennium. Most postmillennialists don't believe in a literal
period of one thousand years but rather believe that Jesus
will return after a long period of time, after a time of Gospel
prosperity a Golden Age for the church. As such, Jesus will
return to a largely Christianised world.
Amillennialists don't believe in a literal period of one thousand
years at all but rather think this is a symbolical reference to a
long period of time the whole period of 'the last days' from the
ascension of Christ to His return in power and glory. The present
writer would hold to an amillennialist position with a certain
optimism concerning the spiritual future of srael.
n Revelation 20 we are given a fve fold description of what's
happening on earth and in heaven during the 'last days'. We
need to remember that what we are considering here is a vision
given to the apostle John, and so the language is vivid and
symbolical.
THE BINDING OF SATAN - verses 1 to 3
Throughout the period of the last days Satan is bound.(Verse
2). Like an angry vicious dog Satan is chained. He's still able to
do a lot of harm and he is far from inactive but in one particular
and specifc area he is limited and restricted in terms of what
he is able to accomplish. That particular area concerns the
evangelisation of the nations. Satan is not able at this time to
'deceive the nations any more' (verse 3). Prior to the coming
of Christ the gospel was largely ineffective among the Gentile
nations but now, post Pentecost, the message of salvation is
being declared to Jew and Gentile, and God is gathering in his
people from ' every nation, tribe and tongue'. Satan will not be
able to prevent the missionary expansion of the church. Notice,
however, that just prior to Christ's return he will be unchained -
'he must be set free for a short time'. (Verse 3)
THE INTERMEDIATE STATE -verse 4 to 6
n verse 4 to 6 John is given a reassuring and comforting view
of the condition of the departed saints, especially of those who
'had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus' (verse
4). Here we read about a 'frst resurrection' (verses 5 & 6) and
a 'second death' (verse 6). These two terms obviously imply a
second resurrection and a frst death. The glorious teaching of
this passage is that the saints in glory have experienced the
frst death but will not experience the second death. They have
died, 'the frst death', but they will not die eternally, 'the second
death'. They have experienced 'the frst resurrection' when
the Lord took them into his presence in heaven and they are
awaiting 'the second resurrection' when Jesus will raise them up
on the last day and reunite their souls and bodies.
Some confusion has existed over how we are understand the
words of verse 5:
'The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand
years were ended.'
Here is a perfect example of a verse where we must interpret
scripture with scripture. These words are not suggesting that 'the
rest of the dead', unbelievers, are annihilated or cease to exist
during the intermediate state but rather that they do not live in
glory. They 'do not come to life or reign with Christ' (verse 4).
They are, sadly, experiencing the awfulness of hell as they await
the second resurrection.
SATAN'S LITTLE SEASON - VERSE 7 & 8
We have already mentioned that just prior to the return of Christ
Satan is going to be 'set free for a short time' (Verse 3). Verses 7
and 8 describe for us what this 'unbinding' will look like. t will be
a period of great persecution for the church and will undoubtedly
coincide with the great Apostasy and the rise of the Antichrist.
Verse 8 refers to Gog and Magog. n the prophecy of Ezekiel
(chapters 38 and 39) we read about days of terrible persecution
for God's people instigated by Antiochus Epiphanes of Syria.
Gog and Magog symbolise pagan opposition to God and his
people and are terms being used here in Revelation 20 to speak
of intense persecution for God's people just prior to the Saviour's
return.
THE FINAL CONFLICT - Verses 9 & 10
Throughout this vision John has been both encouraged and
warned. He's been given a beautiful picture of the saints in glory
during the last days awaiting Christ's return. He's been warned
about the awful destiny of the godless and now he's further
encouraged as he is reminded of the ultimate triumph of the
Lord. The devil is to be thrown 'into the lake of burning sulphur'
(verse 10). This is a picture of Christ, on His return, casting
down his enemies forever - surely a particularly encouraging
image for those knowing hellish persecution.
THE FINAL JUDGEMENT -verse 11 to 15
A solemn scene is now set before John the fnal judgement.
This is a scene too solemn and too important to be 'tagged on'
at the end of this article. To this awesome sight we will return
in our next article. For now let us be comforted by the picture
of glory we see here in this passage. As we gaze, with John, at
the saints in heaven, let us rejoice in the simple, yet marvellous,
truth that ' the souls of believers are at their death made
perfect in holiness and do immediately pass into glory.' (Shorter
Catechism: Question 37\0.
9
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FAITH ALONE
J Gresham Machen writing in 1925 asked and answered the
question, "What is faith? Machen reminds us that salvation is,
"by grace...through faith and this faith is in Jesus Christ. He
wrote, "Real faith in Jesus can exist only when the lofty claims of
Jesus are taken as sober fact, and when He is regarded as the
eternal Son of God, come voluntarily to earth for our redemption,
manifesting His glory those who commit their lives to Him. The
truth is that in great sections of the modern Church Jesus is no
longer the object of faith, but has become merely an example for
faith...
Faith is not an abstract notion. t has a focus and that focus is
Jesus Christ. t is not enough to 'have faith' because in doing
so we create a works religion built on our own righteousness.
nstead of trust in the focus of our faith Jesus Christ and His
death on the cross our trust is placed in our faith - we have
faith in faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 warns us about this: "For by grace
are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Here we
learn many important lessons.
LUTHER'S FAITH DISCOVERY
The great cry of the Reformation "faith alone was no new
discovery but a rediscovery of Bible teaching. Luther, refecting
on the lead-up to his conversion said, " did not love God, yes,
hated the righteous God who punishes sinners and secretly, if
not blasphemously, certainly murmuringly greatly, was angry
with God. Luther was despairing of soul and began to wrestle
with Romans 1:17 (..The just shall live by faith). Night and
day he meditated on the word 'righteous' from the apostle Paul's
quotation of the verse from the Prophet Habbakuk: "The just [the
one who is righteous] shall live by faith. Luther in time came
to the realization that the gift of faith alone leads believers to
receive divine favour and liberation. With this enlightenment
Luther wrote that he ".thereupon felt altogether born again and
entered paradise through open gates. He now praised God,
"with a love as great as the hatred with which [he] had before
hated the words 'righteousness of God.' (Marty, p. 38)
INACCURATE IDEAS OF FAITH
Today, many think of faith in fawed ways: t is little more than
a feeling: if they just think and feel something to be true then
it must be true for them as long as they feel it so. This can
lead to doubt, rejection and mockery of what is foundational to
Christianity, yet in all good conscience these people could still
consider themselves Christians! With uncertainty: Some, when
questioned say they "believe even though they cannot articulate
what, who or why they "believe, and have little or no grasp
of what the Bible says. Wishful thinking: Others hope 'faith' is
positive thinking to see them through the day whether it is true/
evidenced or not. Some Christian authors have done little to help
this, but Jesus clearly states: "These things have spoken unto
you, that in me ye might have peace. n the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; have overcome the world.
[John 16:33]
Robert Campbell, who has recently
completed his theological studies at the
Whitefeld College of the Bible, has a
particular interest in rish Presbyterian and
Reformation Church History. Currently
residng in Londonderry with his wife and
young son, he also 'heads up' the Twelve
Stones Media Company. Throughout the
past year he has preached in a number of
EPC congregations. Robert has recently
developed an interesting website detailing
the history of some of our Presbyterian forefathers check it out
at www.irishworthies.org
BIBLICAL FAITH
Knowledge-based: knowledge that comes from the Scriptures
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word
of God. [Romans 10:17] For those of us who hold a Reformed
theological position this is very important. We have been given
the great responsibility to preach, proclaim and disseminate the
gospel to a world that neither understands nor likes it. We can
curse the darkness or light a candle - or more appropriately take
the light of the gospel from under the bushel and place it on the
mountain top! Holy Spirit-led: God the Holy Spirit takes the Word
and applies it to individuals "...when he is come, he will reprove
the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: [John
16:8] Christ Centred: Our faith is in JESUS who He is why
He came what He did. Ultimately where we spend eternity is
dependent on our faith in Him! Because the Christian faith is in
a Person we start to understand why that person Jesus is
mocked, His authenticity doubted and His deity rejected.
AN ILLUSTRATION OF FAITH
The story is told of the tight rope walker at Niagara Falls. Before
the assembled crowd he walks across the tight rope, then runs
back, and blindfolded, he pushes a wheelbarrow across. The
crowd go wild with excitement and he shouts to them, "who
believes can push a man in this barrow across the Falls? The
crowd roars back their belief that he is well able to do this. So
the tight rope walker asks the crowd, "Who will come and get
into my wheelbarrow? The response is less than enthusiastic.
This is because the intellectual belief in the tightrope walker is
not translated into personal faith. People believe he can get them
safely across but they will not put their faith in him to actually do
it! Could this be you?
Machen, J.G., 1925. What is Faith?
Marty, M., 2008. Martin Luther a Life. London: Penguin Books.
We will deal with "Christ Alone next time
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Whose faith foIIow
A short series on the founding fathers of the EPC
Charles Haddon Garland was born 5 December 1907
in Killyleagh, Co Armagh and grew up there, attending
Killyleagh Public Elementary School. His father worked for
the Great Northern Railway in Killyleagh and additionally
as a part-time farmer. The family's choice of name for their
son reveals a love for one of the most eminent preachers
of the Gospel, C H Spurgeon, who had died just 15 years
before.
Charlie came to Belfast when he was 15-16 and served
his time in the grocery trade with Marshalls of Shaftesbury
Square, living for some years above the shop. When he
moved to Thomas Gray of Cromac Square his wages were
board and lodgings with the Grays in their home at 74
South Parade. He had had a Gospel encounter earlier in
life but it was not until he was 17 that the Lord brought him
to clarity and open profession through the ministry of W P
Nicholson, preaching in the Assembly Buildings, Belfast, in
August 1925
Identifying with IEC
n March 1928 he signed the Membership Register of
our Shaftesbury Square congregation which met in the
Alliance Hall, on the city side of the Square where Great
Victoria Street and Dublin Road converge. t was the
Hall where Rev James Hunter had conducted a series
of Bible Classes in 1925-26 and where W J Grier had
brought him information which set in motion the events
which led to the Heresy Trial in 1927. The congregation
was comprised of people from Lisburn Road, Shaftesbury
Square and Ormeau districts. Charles Garland was an
'Ormeau' constituent and was one of the two co-opted to
the Committee to represent 'Ormeau' in 1928. When the
Lisburn Road Church opened in April 1928 Shaftesbury
Square became 'South Belfast'. the group felt the loss
of the Lisburn Road members and the Alliance Hall was
far from ideal, especially in winter, but Charles noted at
the AGM in 1930 that it encouraged them to pray for a
place of their own. n answer, the Lord provided 'Botanic
Avenue' in 1930 and CHG became a member of its frst
Committee, its frst Secretary and one of it frst two Council
representatives.
We remain indebted to Mr Garland for his Shaftesbury
Square reports, including cottage meetings, the lower
Ormeau 'open airs' and the outreach, by bicycle, to
Mealough and Knockbracken in 1929. Some of his
handwritten reports have been preserved. He had very
aptly observed in his 1930 Annual Report: ".we might
say that Shaftesbury Square seems to be 'the dispensing
centre' since our formation there; the Lord has opened two
new centres.
The Student Years
From his conversion Charlie Garland had a desire to
preach and took every opportunity when at home in
Armagh. With the encouragement of Rev W J Grier, he
soon began to prepare for the ministry. n the evenings
he read theology under Mr Grier's direction and studied
NT Greek in the Evangelical Book Shop with the help of
Catherine Gillespie (later Mrs Grier). Having left school at
14 he found it necessary to take night classes for English
at Belfast Technical College and a Mr Kane provided extra
tuition as he had done for Joseph McCracken and Charles
Hunter.
Mr Garland studied at the Free Church College in
Edinburgh from 1934-37, his third year coinciding with
W J McDowell's frst, which enabled them to share digs.
One element of his training was to team up with William
McDowell in his fnal colportage tour, May to July 1935.
They worked from Keady, Co Armagh and extended into
neighbouring Tyrone, visiting 471 Protestant and 335
Roman Catholic homes. Charles became the frst of our
Assistant Ministers, providing much needed assistance
to W J Grier who was Minister of Lisburn Road and
Botanic Avenue, the Editor of The rish Evangelical and
Superintendant of the Evangelical Book Shop.
11
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Charles was ordained in Botanic Avenue on Saturday
afternoon, 28 September 1940 before a "record
attendance. Rev James Hunter presided, Rev W J
McDowell preached from Genesis 5.24, "And Enoch
walked with God ., and Rev W J Grier gave the charge
to the Minister. Rev Joseph McCracken put the Formula
questions.
The Pastoral Ministry
Mr Garland began his ministry in Crosscollyer Street,
serving 1940-1955. n 1942 Crumlin became a concurrent
charge and he ministered there for 34 years until
December 1976. n 1957 he accepted a call to Somerton
Road where he served for 22 years until his retirement
in 1979. So in his ministry of 39 years he was always
serving two congregations. Even during 1955-57, the two
years when Crumlin was his single charge, he was nterim
Moderator at the Clintyfallow, Co Tyrone. And effectively
he had three Churches from 1958 until 1961, his second
nterim Moderator spell at Clintyfallow. He was Chairman
of Council for 5 twelve-month periods and a member of
the frst Training for the Ministry Committee, 1963. He
contributed 90 articles to The rish Evangelical, marking
the month of his ordination, September 1940, with The
Prodigal Son, describing it as "the crowning parable of
all Scripture. t declared the great love for the Gospel
and for people which so strongly characterised his life's
ministry. He was greatly gifted in the whole feld of pastoral
work, such as visitation, correspondence and giving
encouragement, and many profted from his diligent,
gracious contact. He maintained a ministry-long interest
in missions and hosted a Mission Africa prayer group until
just a few weeks before his death. He went to be with
the Lord on 27 March 2003, aged 95, after a long, very
Church-related retirement.
The Family Dimension
Charles married Maisie Reid of Clintyfallow on 31 July
1951. God also called their son, Sidney, into the ministry.
He was Minister of our Finaghy congregation, 1978-1987,
before he and his wife, Jean, and family went to serve
with Qua boe Fellowship (now Mission Africa) in Nigeria
in 1987. n 1993 he founded Africa Christian Texts Books
(ACTS) and continues to direct it since his return home
in 2010. Jean carried out an immense programme of
ADS ministry. Mr and Mrs Garland visited them in Nigeria
in May 1992. Mrs Garland, herself, has contributed in
special ways. She led the Somerton Road Campaigners
throughout the 1960s and related to the companies in
Crosscollyer Street and Finaghy. She attended the Ladies'
United Monthly Prayer Meeting when began in 1927 and
ran until 1999. She became its leader for more than 10
years in the 1980s and 90s. Mrs Garland, now a member
of our Finaghy congregation, joined Clintyfallow in
December 1944 and is close to 69 years in membership.
We thank her for her outstanding faithfulness.
What of the Legacy?
We have been looking at our frst generation Ministers,
their differing gifts and their overlapping ministries, 1927-
1980. They had great collegiate, these men, and it gave a
bonded, "house and family ethos to the Church. And we
are mindful of the other men and women of those years
who served with distinction, laboured faithfully, loved the
Lord. Together they were wholly persuaded of our calling
and devoted their lives of service to it. The generation
is declining who knew these men and who link us to
something of their spirit, but we pray that the Lord will
lead us into true identity with them and that his Spirit will
give us a mind to build upon the foundation they laid. We
acknowledge our enduring indebtedness to them.
Ernest Brown of Knock is well known
throughout the EPC. For many years
he represented the church on the
nternational Missions Board of the Free
Church of Scotland. Ernest is also the
historian of the EPC and is a recognised
authority on the 1927 Heresy Trial. Here
he continues his series on the founding
fathers of our church.
From his conversion Charlie
Garland had a desire to
preach and took every
opportunity when at home
in Armagh
12
We are part of the people of God from all over the world and it is
a great privilege to experience something of that before heaven.
Following the Conference two delegations brought the world vision
of CRC to Ulster. Two ministers from Central ndia addressed a
meeting in Stranmillis church on Thursday 5th September. Later two
Orthodox Presbyterian delegates from USA had a three and a half
hour meeting with our nter Church committee, and between them
spoke at fve meetings in four of our congregations on the Lord's Day
8th.
John Grier
During our time at CRC, three of our delegation, had the privilege of
worshipping with the Cheltenham congregation of the EPCEW, and
speaking personally, this proved to be one of the highlights of the
conference.
The congregation is a relatively new work, and interestingly, it has
had a link with our own denomination from the beginning. n 2001,
the Rev. Tim Horn and his family, moved to Cheltenham from the
USA, with the intention of planting a new EPCEW church. About the
same time, Stephen and Audrey Johnston, formerly of Crosscollyer
Street EPC, also moved to the town, and through mutual friends,
the two families met and began to pray about the work. The frst
service was held in a school in April 2002. n those early years,
the congregation largely consisted in the two foundational families,
but over time, the Lord blessed the work and people began to join
them. Now congregation averages around 50 people on a Sunday
morning.
From the beginning, it was Tim Horn's intention to oversee the
church plant only until the congregation could support a minister of
it's own. n 2008, that point was reached and congregation called
the Rev. Andy Young, and the Horns returned to the States. Having
begun with only two families, Cheltenham EPCEW was now able to
help other churches in the area, by supplying preachers. One such
church was Naunton Lane Evangelical Church. As time passed,
trust grew, and eventually, the friends in Naunton Lane invited the
Presbyterian Church to take over the work. With the unanimous
agreement of both memberships, the two churches combined and
became Naunton Lane Evangelical Presbyterian Church in June
2009. This has proved to be a very happy union.
Today, Cheltenham EPCEW is thriving, with Sabbath services,
a weekly prayer meeting, fortnightly men's and women's Bible
studies, regular fellowship gatherings, as well as a football fellowship
and many other occasional meetings. The congregation, which
represents all age groups, is warm and friendly, and appreciative
of the Word. Our time with them was a real blessing and
instantaneously we felt a kinship with them. The work in Cheltenham
set off in late August for a week in the beautiful surroundings of
the Treforest campus of the University of South Wales, with Gareth
Burke our delegation leader, Andrew Lucas and David Watson.
We were going to represent our church at the eighth quadrennial
conference of CRC. Our bookshop manager Colin Campbell ran a
large and successful bookstall in the coffee lounge.
The conference was ably hosted by Bethel and mmanuel
Evangelical Presbyterian congregations, assisted by Cheltenham.
We were enriched by fellowship with delegates from more than 30
churches from all continents, which like us are committed to the
Reformed faith. Some hold to the Westminster Confession and
Catechisms, and others to the Three Forms of Unity of the Dutch
churches.
Although we shared out our duties, it was a busy week and quite
intense towards the end. We worshipped together, prayed together
and heard high quality sermons, devotionals and addresses.
Some of the sermons are available online at http://tinyurl.com/
otp5jxz. We discussed the addresses in smaller groups and then
in the full conference. On behalf of the EPC we held formal but
happy discussions with fve churches, but the real joy was to have
individual fellowship and learn from our fellow delegates over meals,
between sessions, and even down a deep disused coal mine on
our day off! Ten sub-committees worked during the conference on
various issues and brought reports which were then debated.
Applications for membership from churches in Kenya, South Sudan,
and Australia were processed; these three made presentations to
the conference, as did a large Nigerian church and churches from
Korea, ndia, France, China and Brazil. t was exciting to hear of
God's working in and through these churches.
The Conference was somewhat distracted by the lengthy discussion
of the revision of the constitution/regulations, and the controversy
about a contested application. However, if it is to be true to its aims
and ft for purpose, it is hard to avoid these incidents.
t was natural for us to enjoy times with those with British links like
Australians, the South Wales Evangelical Presbyterians, the Free
Church Professor who joined us for evening coffee in our kitchen,
and the ebullient clerk of Free Church Continuing who recounted
interesting stories to us during the day. This was balanced by our
position in the hall, with Africans in front of us, an Australian to our
right, Dutch to our left and an American and a press photographer
behind us. The banter helped us get to know each other and
our churches. As four of us were there, we gravitated in different
directions. went towards the Africans, Gareth to the... and Andrew
to the Americans; David reports his favourites below.
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also shows us what the Lord can do, when a denomination steps out
in faith and begins planting new congregations. May we remember
them in our prayers and fellow their example....
Rev. Andrew J. Lucas.
Delegates came to Cardiff from every continent, each with his own
unique and stimulating story. Among many mention just two.
Rev Patrick Jok Wic represented the Sudanese Reformed Churches.
His story was refreshing and challenging. Sudan has endured
warfare for 55 years, essentially a religious war, with the aim of the
Muslims to eradicate Christianity from the land. Patrick told us the
story of the Sudanese Reformed Churches - starting from a house
group in Khartum in 1992 in a time of great persecution, when
to be seen with a Bible led to arrest. Despite the persecution, by
2005 the Sudanese Reformed Churches were offcially organised
as a denomination and by 2013 has grown fourfold with twelve
congregations in South Sudan and four in Sudan with 8500
members. They plan that Gospel outreach (and church planting) will
double their numbers within the next fve years. t was touching to
hear of the vision to erect church buildings, maintain confessional
standards, train more ministers, organise Christian schools, a Bible
college and even a Gospel Radio Station. The zeal, vision and love
for the Lord in the face of continuing opposition puts us to shame.
/0123 24504 67 8967:;0<3
1he rsL servlce of a new lree Church of ScoLland congregauon Look place ln Lhe easL of Ldlnburgh on 6Lh CcLober. ChrlsL Church Ldlnburgh ls led
by 8ev uavld CourL, who has been a mlnlsLer for 23 years ln Clasgow and Ldlnburgh, and has recenLly been accepLed lnLo Lhe lree Church.
8y 11 o'clock every one of Lhe 100 chalrs had been lled, Lhe new congregauon belng made up malnly of people who, llke uavld, have le Lhe
Church of ScoLland over recenL Ceneral Assembly declslons. 1here was an exclLed buzz abouL Lhe place, wlLh members [oyful Lo be sLarung Lhe new
work aer weeks of preparauon.
Creeungs were read ouL from varlous churches around ScoLland, and oLher congregauons had helped ln pracucal ways, for example by lendlng Lhe
chalrs people were slmng on. uavld preached from Mauhew 16v18, explalnlng whaL Cod's plan was for Lhe church, ln Lerms of Lhe naLure of Lhe
church, Lhe bulldlng of Lhe church and Lhe fuLure of Lhe church.
1hough already a healLhy congregauon, Lhe church ls omclally a church planL of SL. Columba's lree Church ln Ldlnburgh, who are helplng wlLh sLarL-
up admlnlsLrauon. A dlsused mlsslon hall, LhaL has classrooms and a klLchen, has been renLed, wlLh members spendlng several weeks redecoraung
lL ready for Lhe sLarL. Powever, members were already dlscusslng how Lhe hall could be exLended as Lhey are already runnlng ouL of space on a
Sunday mornlng.
Mal and Lynn Cooke had
been attending a Church of
Scotland congregation since
2003 and 2007 respectively.
They were married there in
2009. Mal is from Wales and
Lynn from Ballymiscaw,
Co. Down.
One evening the opening devotions were led by Dr Paul Bae from
Korea. Using Acts 1v8, he reminded us that Korea, 'the ends of
the earth', had remained unevangelised for centuries. He told of
Robert Thomas, a missionary from Wales, frst sent to China, then
going to Korea after the death of his young wife. Sadly in 1866 his
distribution of Gospel tracts and Bibles was the cause of his death,
yet God worked in the heart of the man who killed him. Convinced by
Robert's beaming face that he had killed a good man, he kept one
of the Bibles, wallpapering his house with it. People came from far
and near to read its words. A church grew. At the age of 26, Robert
Thomas was the frst Protestant martyr, but the story was only
beginning. For the Gospel spread, culminating in 1907 when Korea
experienced a great awakening. Today many South Koreans are
Christian (estimates range from 25-40%) and the nation has some
of the largest congregations in the world. Sadly, the North remains
largely closed to the gospel, with many Christians suffering for
Christ's sake. t was poignant for a Korean Christian to be in Wales
so close to the birthplace of Robert Thomas (in Llandover), whose
legacy is still being written.
David Watson
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THE MESSAGE OF MALACHI: 'I have loved', you says the Lord
RRP: 16.00 Our Price: 12.80
Author: Peter Adam
Publisher: VP, 2013
124 pages, paperback
This is an excellent addition to the Bible Speaks Today series. The author is an Australian Anglican probably best known to us as a speaker at
Proclamation Trust conferences who has also written a number of books on preaching and Scripture.
Malachi has a very clear structure, being a series of disputes between the Lord and his people after they had settled back into the land after the
Exile and Adam follows this closely.
He writes in a very clear and economical style and yet also covers the material comprehensively. He particularly emphasises that this is the
Word of God and that to fail to respond to the word of the Prophet is to fail to respond to God. t is addressed originally to the people of srael
and now to the church today. We should therefore in preaching it aim to change not just individuals but churches.
The book combines careful exegesis with relevant and pastorally sensitive application. found his comments on both tithing and divorce
particularly helpful. The author also shows how this OT book points forward to Christ and concludes with a stirring focus on the Gospel.
would thoroughly recommend this book both for personal Bible reading and anyone thinking about preaching a series of sermons on Malachi.
Leslie Hutchinson (Bangor)
The Message of Daniel (Bible Speaks Today) RRP: 9.99 Our Price: 7.50
Author: Dale Ralph Davis
Publisher: VP, 2013
176 pages, paperback
Here we have another gem from the pen of the author who wrote the much appreciated six volume set on Joshua through to
2 Kings. The constraints of the BST series give it a slightly different feel and he quotes more from other commentators, perhaps because
there are more on Daniel. He continues to be a sure guide to the text as a Professor of Hebrew and to practical application as a Pastor. His
illustrations are as memorable as ever, if sometimes American. What one minister said to me of the previous commentaries holds good for this
one too, " get double value from them, get a series of sermons and my wife gets a great devotional! ts main competitor is the longer and
more expensive 2008 Reformed Expository Commentary by ain Duguid (17.99/14.50). Both offer a sane, restrained exposition and avoid
the human guesswork so common on this prophecy. They tell us how to live as God's kingdom is being built in troubled times.
John Grier (Somerton Road EPC)
'But I Say To You.' RRP: 12.99 Our Price: 9.75
Author: John Stott
Publisher: VP, 2013
221 pages, paperback.
This book, written some 43 years ago, is like a breadth of fresh air and is just as applicable to our Christian life today as it ever
was. t is for both new and mature Christians because as you read each chapter, it will be an introduction or a re-examination
of so many things that we are challenged with at the beginning of our Christian walk. His pastoral approach will cause you to think of your frst
Love, and it will take you to those wonderful truths that you eagerly treasured during your early days of conversion.
With regard to his chapter on Morality outward or inward - we are reminded that love is sometimes blind and it will be the commandments of
God that will chart the pathways of love. This whole section directs us to matters of the heart based on the teachings of Jesus, where we get
a correct interpretation and therefore a true understanding of the Law. From the Puritans, Stott shows the unity of Law and Love. t is the Law
that sends us to the Gospel that we may be justifed, and then the Gospel returns us to the Law to see how we might live for God. Jesus, Stott
says does not make neat distinctions between Law and Love.
On the subject of worship he reminds us to be careful not to come to the worship service with our minds left behind. We are to take care about
forms of worship which appeal to the senses and emotions but do not engage the mind (heart). Stott uses the principles as drawn up by the
early Reformers in the Book of Common Prayer to show how the word of God was used to stimulate the worshipper to a heart-felt response to
God. The Service, the Sermon and the Sacrament seek a response of worship.
Stott's comments on tradition and scripture will cause us to realise how we in evangelical congregations, have not always discerned between
the two and then he brings us to see something of Christ's view of scripture. The Jews studied scripture diligently as an end in itself but missed
15
!"# %&'()#*+,'* -.#/012#.+'( 34567%8 9:;<
the Person they were all about. He shows that Christ, as our greatest teacher bears witness to scripture, and scripture bears witness to Christ.
About Sadducees and Pharisees he has much to say and we need to listen carefully. Here is an opportunity to check our hearts, whether
through slackness or false piety we have fallen into the way of the Pharisee or Sadducee. The Sadducee is exposed by Jesus as being
ignorant of God's word and the Pharisee is noted for the introduction of tradition and man-made rules that had the effect of weakening the Law
to something merely skin deep.
The Tax collector's prayer - read Stott's exposition about that Pharisee in the church of srael! Do we lack warmth, is the church for saints or
sinners, is holiness a respectable comfortable seat on Sunday and how would we welcome a notorious prostitute to our services? He says that
only the power of God will deliver us from a judgemental attitude and only the power of God will enable us to show the compassion of Christ.
A must read or re-read.
Allan Baird (Stranmillis EPC)
'POPCULTURED" RRP: 10.99 Our Price: 8-25 Our Price: 12.80
Author: Steve Turner
Publisher: VP, 2013
"Popcultured by Steve Turner is a book that deals with how a Christian should treat the things that we see, read and hear.
Actively we can choose what books we buy, which flms we watch and whose opinions we support, but passively we are
constantly taking in information as we live and breathe in a world where Biblical truths are less and less important. Advertising, music and
journalism all present their own points of view and they are pumped into our households through tv sets, smart phones and magazines each
and every day.
How does a follower of Christ ensure that they can enjoy all the good thing that Pop Culture has to offer without subscribing the secular views
they promote? s it even possible? This is the issue that journalist, poet and writer Steve Turner unpacks in "Popcultured. He writes;
"Any guidance we have on living or thinking as a Christian has to take into account popular culture because we spend so much time in the
sphere of its infuence.
Turner Begins with a defnition of Pop Culture and then launches into a discussion about media, journalism and celebrity and our Christian
calling to engage with it. "Popcultured skips easily from the fashion catwalk, to the viewfnder of a war photographer, from the Stand up
Comedy stage to the kitchen of a young David Bowie. n his career Turner has found himself right in the middle of the culture makers and
infuencers. This means he is perfectly placed to discuss popular culture skilfully and with conviction, and he has gathered invaluable opinions
and quotes from talented Christians who work in the creative industry. Chapters are short, yet satisfying, with a list of suggestions and
additional reading for those who want to go deeper on that issue. The fnal chapter encourages Christians to use discernment and Biblical
knowledge when enjoying what Pop Culture has to offer, rather than pretending that its has no infuence on us or our worldview. He writes;
"We're not taking ourselves very seriously if we think we are impervious to the infuence of Pop Culture.
This is the kind of book that will provoke lots of discussions and conversation. The author describes "Popcultured as 'a practising writers view'
rather than 'an academic book'. Some may fnd that it is light on Scripture and heavy on cultural references but Turner doesn't shy away from
issuing some bold challenges to Christians. He yearns for Christians to use their God given gifts with integrity to transform pop culture rather
than pretending it is of no importance. The Bible and the truth therein is sadly being pushed off the agenda for scriptwriters, agenda setters and
creatives, Turner dares Christians to step in and cause a positive change for the Glory of God.
Cherith Simpson (Ballymena)
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Living By ReveaIed Truth
The Life and PastoraI TheoIogy of CharIes Haddon Spurgeon by Tom NettIes RRP: 29-99 Our Price: 19-99
WaIking With God Through Pain and Suffering by Tim KeIIer RRP: 14-99 Our Price: 9-99
Grow in Christian Character (3 in 1)
The Pursuit of HoIiness, The Practice of GodIiness & The DiscipIine of Grace RRP: 12-99 Our Price: 8-66
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