Editorial STRENGTHENING REFORMED YOUNG PEOPLE TO REACH THE NATIONS FOR GOD’S GLORY
ISSUE ONE 2016 Editorial Team Editor | HELEN MCKELVEY Secretary | ABIGAIL NELSON Design | MICHAEL MCKELVEY Treasurer | ALISTAIR ROLLESTON Distribution | EMMA DUNWOODY Features | JAMES MCCULLOUGH Features | STEPHEN STEELE Features | ANDREW MORRISON messenger.rpc.org To advertise in The Messenger, please contact advertise@messenger.rpc.org SUBSCRIPTIONS Digital editions (PDF and e-reader) are available for free online at our website Paper subscriptions cost £8 per year for 6 issues, and can be paid for online or through your congregation’s Messenger agent
ALTHOUGH I HATE to be the bearer of bad news, it is unfortunate for you, the readers, that the girl who rambles on about films has become editor of this magazine. For those of you wondering who I am, I’m Helen, a 21-year-old French and History student at Queen’s, a native of Cullybackey and passionate about coffee and people. Although I have been contributing regularly to the Messenger for a while now, it is something else to be your editor, and I am excited to be a part of putting together the magazine. I want to start by thanking our outgoing editor, James, for his years of service and for the hard work he has put in on Committee. We are all delighted he is staying on, and I look forward to serving alongside James and the rest of the Committee in the future. As a Committee, we would like to apologise for the delays in recent editions of the magazine. We thank you for your patience as subscribers, but we also ask for your understanding; the Committee and contributors are all volunteers, and we are doing the best we can to produce a professional-looking magazine with high quality content. However, we hope to be back on track within the next couple of months. We would like to remind any contributors that submissions should be with us on the first of the month prior to publication. The Messenger aims to tackle difficult issues and questions young people will face regularly, as well as equip, inspire and strengthen. I hope that this edition will encourage you to think, to delve deeper into the issues we cover and, most importantly, to bring glory to God. I want to thank our many contributors for their fascinating insights and willingness to give of their time and effort writing for us. Yours in Christ,
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missionary centrefold
ALL THE KEY INFO ON THE MISSIONARIES OF THE RP CHURCH
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“Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control” 2 Peter 1:4-5 2 THE MESSENGER | ISSUE ONE 2016
the real easter rising
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CENTENARIES, OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY AND CHRIST
dad’s army
THE NEXT IN THE FILM REVIEW SERIES
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CHANGE COMES in many forms throughout life and is something to which many of us are resistant. When life is stable and comfortable, it can be daunting and unsettling to suddenly face changes like moving house, starting a new school or job, joining a new church or saying good-bye to loved ones. We cling to memories and how things have always been, often anxious about what lies ahead. But change is a necessary part of life and something we can learn to appreciate. Most importantly, we can be thankful for the change God works in us. When we repent and change the direction of our lives, He changes our hearts as promised in Ezekiel 36v26, “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you
to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” We can be especially thankful that God continues this work of change and will continue it until it is completed (Philippians 1v6). Like Paul, we need to forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead with the certain hope of being transformed to be like the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3). Rather than focussing on the good-byes at times of change, it is more beneficial to look for the opportunities presented. At the beginning of a new year, a new month, a new week or even a new day there is the chance to seek forgiveness and refocus our minds on Christ whose “… mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning…” (Lam 3v22-23). A new job or school is the chance to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom 12v2), openly sharing that our identity is in Christ
before the opportunity passes us by. Despite its benefits, we still find ourselves anxious and unsettled when facing change. But anxiety is self-centred; we worry because we are not in control of the situation and we don’t know what lies around the corner. The greatest comfort we therefore have when facing change is that God is in control and that He will never change, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13v8). No matter how topsy turvy life can be, the Lord’s steadfast love and faithfulness will preserve us (Psalm 40v11).
AMY MCCOLLUM Ballymoney RPC
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the Twenty-First Century, history, and especially modern history, is punctuated with examples of crises in gender relations. The Bible teaches clearly that the relationship between man and woman broke down at the moment of the Fall. “To the woman he said, ‘I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.’” (Genesis 3:16) Just as our relationship with God was broken so was our relationship with others, and this part of the curse leaves a trail of damage throughout history. The rebellion of man against God leads directly to our rebellion against His established order.
Taken to its extreme, Feminism quickly becomes the drive to overcome the idea of any difference between men and women
THE GENDER RELATIONS CRISIS where feminism falls short
“Her most important job
has been, and will remain, that of a wife, mother and daughter. Family will always come first. I know that that will be the case with Arlene, and it should be the case.” 4 THE MESSENGER | ISSUE ONE 2016
In early January, these words were splattered across newspapers and bulletins. Edwin Poots’ official welcome to new First Minister Arlene Foster quickly became a springboard launching feminism and the place of women in society once more to the fore in Northern Ireland, polarising opinion. Many of us might nod our heads in agreement with Mr. Poots’ comments, though his delivery and timing leave much to be desired. But the feminist
debate, whether we are aware of it or not, is written into our society and we cannot escape it. Many of us shy away from the concept, associating it with angry marches and angrier women. In light of this, what should the Christian response to feminism be? From the witchcraft trials of the Sixteenth Century to the Suffragettes of the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries to the Pay Gap debates of
Modern Feminism, as defined in the Oxford dictionary as the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes, presents us with a peaceful ideal of gender relations, yet it doesn’t seem to be bringing us any closer to its utopian vision. Often, even in the minds of the most committed Feminists, these ideals become distorted. Taken to its extreme, Feminism quickly becomes the drive to overcome the idea of any difference between men and women. Equality swiftly slips into sameness. True equality becomes the point where women are capable of doing everything exactly as men do it. Complete independence is achieved, with little or no time for the ideas of submission or interdependence. It begins to deny that women might have any role as a wife or mother. This argument is hard to counter effectively: people can accuse us of being backward, of wanting women to remain in a past where they are inadequate, dependent, and restricted. Before we can refute this, we must understand what we believe about the role of women, and why we believe it. As Christians, how should we respond to this social movement, which gains more and more momentum with passing time? Firstly, it is important to note that as Christians, we should, and indeed must, be at the forefront of social justice. Perversion of Biblical precedents and classical ideology surrounding the “weaker
sex” have left women in a vulnerable and often abused position for much of history. We cannot stand by whilst women are harmed, abused, and enslaved by men. Throughout Scripture, it is clear God takes care of women, condemning those who exploit helpless women (Mark 12:40, Luke 20:47) and expressly commanding the care of widows (1Timothy 5:3). Woman is not an afterthought, but made, as man is, in the image of God. She is not worthless or useless, but valued by her Creator. God, even in cursing mankind after the Fall, gives the most beautiful hope to Eve, for from her will come the promised Saviour, “‘I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.’” (Genesis 3:15) Eve is not the only woman of note in Jesus’ ancestry. In fact, they are key: look to Sarah, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Mary (amongst many others!). God cares about women, and so we must care about women. A worldview that allows the mistreatment or exploitation of women must therefore be vehemently denounced. For many, a difficult aspect of the Christian views concerning women is that of submission in marriage. Surely
submission just puts women under the feet of men and leaves them open to abuse? The only way we can accept the idea of submission is by looking at God’s bigger plan. The marriage relationship between man and woman is a picture of the relationship between Christ and His bride the Church. As Paul explains, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” (Ephesians 5:22-25) Thus our marriage relationship, man to woman, is to reflect this wonderful reality. Notice that Christ does not abuse the Church, His bride, but is instead its Saviour. Paul goes on to say, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and
gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:26) and “Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.” (Colossians 3:19) This leaves no room for mistreatment of women. Instead, they are cherished and protected by their husbands, and in return, show
submission. This submission is not the complete surrender of self, but an attitude of heart, by which women, as they submit to the Lord, both honour and support the husband in his role as leader and head. He has the harder task in loving his wife as Christ has loved the Church! However, before we can ever expect submission to man, we need to submit to God in faith; only through Christ can this image of marriage truly reflect His great plan. The reference to the Church cannot be passed over without mentioning the role of women within the earthly Church. As Reformed Presbyterians, we hold firmly to the belief that women are not to be involved in the leadership of the church as elders or pastors. An increasingly liberal outlook from most of Christianity leaves our belief very much in the minority. However, Paul, in his writings, clearly states that one of the primary roles of the elders in the church is that of teaching and governing the church (1 Timothy 5:17), and that women are not to hold such a position of authority over men, “Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” (1 Timothy 2:11-12) Nonetheless, this is a very specific command: that women do not, by their role or actions, compromise the role of men as leaders
before we can ever expect submission to man, we need to submit to God in faith within the church. Although the role of elder or minister may be barred to women, we are not restricted to the role of silent observers. Instead, we are both free to, and called to, participate fully in church life.
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Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2-3), Phoebe and Priscilla (Romans 16:1-3) are all clear examples of women who, though not in positions of ultimate responsibility or leadership within the early church, had valuable and vital roles within the Church, working with and alongside Paul to spread the Gospel. Proverbs 31:26, in describing the godly woman says “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” Women are to be as engaged in church life and witness as men. They are not set aside as unintelligent or incapable, but rather quite the opposite. Feminism often twists Christian belief to make it prescriptive, especially concerning women. Christians are demonised as limiting woman, whilst feminism highlights our freedom of choice, particularly when it comes to careers and education. This often sounds plausible, but it can and has led to women feeling forced by society into careers, chasing up the corporate ladder because choosing to be a wife and mother is simply viewed as out of date. In many ways, in seeking to emancipate women, Feminism has tied us tighter to a new ideal: the strong, independent, self-sufficient woman. It should be noted that the aim of this article is not to tell you whether the pursuit of a career is right or wrong. Life just isn’t that simple. Thankfully, God gives us a beautiful example of His plan for womanhood in
Christians are demonised as limiting woman, whilst feminism highlights our freedom of choice, particularly when it comes to careers and education Proverbs 31. You might sigh at this, shake your head and turn away: that woman is irrelevant because she is too perfect and unattainable. STOP. She is not irrelevant, she is not unattainable. She is strong; she is godly; look at everything she does! She is a savvy, intelligent business woman, mother and wife. She has time for her friends, she helps others and she is well dressed. She could not be further from the stereotypical idea, often presented by society, of a dowdy, downtrodden Christian wife. She shows us that God’s plan is not that we remain silent, meek, and timid, bordered by a white picket fence, but that we are active, whether 6 THE MESSENGER | ISSUE ONE 2016
married or not. The Proverbs 31 woman shows us that there are many ways to serve, both inside and outside the home. God has endowed us all with different gifts, and it is the usage of these gifts in His service that brings Him most glory: for some this will be as homemakers and mothers, for others their career may be their area of service, while others may fall somewhere between, balancing career and family life. Rather than making value judgements based on these, we should be encouraging one another in our service to the Lord, wherever He has placed us. Some of you may be reading this with an uneasy feeling that this isn’t directly relevant to your life: a career and marriage seem a long way off, and you have no intentions of being a leader in the church. Yet, even from a young age, it is clear the
impact that Feminism can have on a girl’s mind. The world would present strong, independent, successful women as ideal role models – the Beyoncés, Karren Bradys and Margaret Thatchers of our modern culture. But how do these women match up with God’s plan? Paul tells us in Titus 2: 4-5 that we must “so train the young women … to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands.” God is very clear in His word about the attitudes and actions that make a woman godly and beautiful. Even as teenagers, we should be rejecting the worldview that teaches that we must be beautiful and cocky to be successful. Unfortunately, Feminism often focusses too much on the outward appearance. We should be comfortable and confident in our own skins, but not for the reasons Feminism gives. As redeemed daughters of the King, we should “adorn [ourselves] in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness - with good works.” (1 Timothy 2:910) In a world that teaches that baring all or looking as good as we possibly can is the key to being loved and respected, we need
to be aware that God does not value such attitudes at all. This doesn’t mean we ignore our appearance: we can dress well, but we must dress modestly, and we should never become obsessed by outward appearances like the world around us. He instead wants
We need a renewed mind which embraces the good and beautiful plan set out by God that men and
maturity. It is not about who has greater competency, nor who rules the world. With the servant hearts of Christ, we seek to build one another up in our intrinsic aptitudes. Writing this article has challenged many of my ideas and attitudes. It is only an overview where one could have written a book (and many others have). It cannot answer every question, nor tell people how they should live their lives. Instead, I hope and pray that it makes us think, so
that we are prepared to give an answer for our beliefs. Let us take the time to really consider how the principles set out in God’s word apply to our lives, no matter the stage or situation. In all things, may we live and act in a way that brings glory to God, whether in the home, school or the workplace. Many of the resources I used to help me write this can easily be found online, from
Desiring God and The Gospel Coalition, including articles, book reviews and free downloads. If you are interested in pursuing this topic further, I highly recommend these websites as a starting point.
HELEN MCKELVEY Cullybackey RPC
women work together for His glory us to focus on internal beauty, on a gentle and Christ-like character, which is so much more precious in His sight, and will reveal a beauty that lasts. (1 Peter 3: 4-5) None of this can make any sense to us unless we are first convinced of the ultimate authority of God’s Word, and Christ as the ultimate head of humanity. Without submission to Him, we as Christians can and sometimes do slip into believing some of the lies within Feminism in relation to the role of women. Even with Christ centred hearts, we are all guilty of Feminism creeping into our attitudes. Women judge men for not doing what they expect of them - the “I could do it better” attitude – which can, intentionally or not, antagonise and polarise men’s attitudes towards women. Furthermore, women and men alike judge women for the decisions they make regarding education, careers and lifestyle. We need a renewed mind which embraces the good and beautiful plan set out by God that men and women work
together for His glory: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27) Such a view is generally referred to as complementarianism. Humanity is designed neither to be so similar, nor so opposed, that the genders struggle to coexist. Men and women are given different and distinct gifts and desires that the Church should be nurturing to
shaftesbury square RPC
are you ready to be part of a vital witness?
WHEN TALKING to members of other R.P. congregations about the work here at Shaftesbury, one phrase comes up again and again: “great location”. As we tell others of the work that is going on we get many words of great interest and encouragement. This is not only supportive but stimulating. Now it may be time to bring you up to date and present you and possibly your family with a challenge which we would like you to consider. At Shaftesbury we have many regular activities throughout the week which happen over and above our normal Worship Services, Sabbath School, Prayer meetings, Bible Studies and Women’s Fellowship activities. We have two English classes which attract around 50 people each week. There is an International Bible Study on Tuesdays, and a “Service @ the Square” each Thursday lunch time. The ‘Shaftesbury Fellowship’ meets fortnightly on Wednesdays during term time and is aimed at students. As well as this, there is a church lunch once per month. All these activities continue alongside the faithful preaching of the word, regular street evangelism and other outreach work. We have seen fruits for our labours and we have people from many different cultures, both living locally or passing through, who attend our worship services. Several have professed a faith in
Christ, have been baptised and have even come into membership of the church. Some have moved on to other locations across the globe and we rejoice that they are living out Christian lives having been touched by the love and teaching from our own congregation. So, what’s the challenge to you? The denomination has considered and prayed about new works and we have seen several established in the last number of years. We have all been asked to play our part in supporting the new fellowships but it is important to remember that the church has also agreed that it needs a central Belfast witness. Over the years we have been heartened by the generous and continued support of some individuals and congregations for our work and we fervently hope that this will continue. What Shaftesbury is asking for now is that you renew your support for this longstanding and vital witness right at the heart of our capital city. While we have the common need of, and would dearly like to see new families, couples, singles, students, teens and pre-teens with a regular commitment to the church, we would also ask you to consider how you could help any aspect of our work on a weekly, monthly or other
intermittent basis. As the age profile of the congregation increases we are sorely stretched and there are many opportunities to help and witness. Ask yourself if there are any ways in which you could help to meet the challenge of maintaining the essential witness of our denomination in 2016 Belfast. We have an existing building, existing members, existing works and existing needs but we need able and committed Christians to help us continue with our work of shining God’s light into the darkness of lives that have no knowledge of Him. You can reach the world from the pews or other activities in Shaftesbury as we have visitors from all over the globe who live and work in the streets around our building. These people need the gospel and Shaftesbury needs Christian brothers and sisters to help in our long term gospel work in the city. If you consider that you might be able in any way to assist in this challenge and help to continue God’s work in this place discuss it with your own session and then speak to Dr McKay and/or Rev Philip McCollum, who would be pleased to accommodate you in any way possible.
SESSION Shaftesbury Square RPC
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outward and ordinary means, whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption, are his ordinances, especially the word, sacraments and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.” So what we often refer to as ‘church’ – gathering for worship on the Lord’s Day, the singing, reading and preaching of God’s Word, praying, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper – these are the main ways Jesus gives to us the benefits of his redemption. They are his means of giving us his grace. Doing these things cannot, does not and will not save us. However, he is the reservoir of salvation, we are the thirsty water-seekers and these things are the pipes that bring his cool refreshing, life-giving salvation. So can you have too much ‘church’ in this sense? I don’t think so. Do you want to be as close to Jesus as possible, as like him as possible and bringing as much glory to him as possible? Then go to ‘church’. Anytime and every time the church meets for public worship, be there.
he is the reservoir of salvation, we are the thirsty water-seekers and these things are the pipes that bring his cool refreshing, life-giving salvation
how much church is too much church? addressing the Church-life balance
PERHAPS YOU THINK this is a strange question to ask. The answer depends on what you mean by ‘church’. There are three ways in which we commonly use the term ‘church’. If by ‘church’ we mean “the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof ” (Westminster Confession of Faith 25.1), then clearly no amount of church can be ‘too much church’. John saw “a great multitude that no one could number, 8 THE MESSENGER | ISSUE ONE 2016
from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9). That great multitude, drawn from all four corners of the earth, will still not be ‘too much church’. When the salvation of God has been seen by the ends of the earth, it will still not be ‘too much church’. A God as glorious as our God will never have too many worshippers. Sometimes, we use the term ‘church’ to refer to what we gather to do
on a Lord’s Day. We talk about going to church, what was read at church, what we heard at church, what we sang at church, having the Lord’s Supper at church, and who we spoke to at church. When we speak like this we are using the term ‘church’ to refer to what used to be more commonly known as ‘the ordinary means of grace’. The Shorter Catechism asks in Question 88: “What are the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption?” Answer: “The
The third way we use the word ‘church’ is in reference to other activities we run alongside our worship services, the things we do as a church: midweek meetings, men’s fellowship, ladies’ fellowship, CY, Sabbath school, youth club, parents and toddlers, senior citizens group, Presbytery youth events, prayer meetings, outreach events, etc. These things are good things. They are healthy signs of life, and they promote spiritual health. They are additional pipes to the reservoir of salvation. But can we have too much of them? Consider one real life example: a man is an elder and serves as treasurer for the church. He also works on one of the committees in the church. One particular week, he has a Synodical committee meeting on Monday night, the closing of the Reformed Theological College on Tuesday night, a midweek on Wednesday night, a deacons’ meeting on Thursday night, and if the Friday hadn’t been a
holiday weekend he would have had youth club. How much ‘church’ is too much church? Probably that much. When is he meant to have shepherded his family and reached the lost living next door? Now, this may be a slightly unusual example. Nonetheless, consider how much time you spend building relationships with people in your community compared with how much time you spend organising and running events and programmes for
‘church’? I know one young couple who so enthusiastically threw themselves into ‘church’, and trying to reach the lost in their town, that they never stopped to talk to neighbours, never thought of prayerfully looking for opportunities to speak to them, but instead rushed out past them to get to the next ‘church’ event. They were trying to reach the lost in their town, but in the process they were missing the lost whom God had placed right beside them. We have a tendency to boil evangelism down to outreach weeks, youth clubs and special focus meetings (whether it is tractors, card-making or scarf-wearing). We’ve reduced evangelism to events and programmes that we can run as a ‘church’. Evangelism becomes an event for the church to squeeze into our already busy schedule. We spend a lot of time being busy in planning, organising and operating, but not a lot of time developing relationships with the people we are trying to reach. We spend a lot of time creating artificial opportunities to speak God’s
classmates, neighbours and family. So, how much church is too much church? Well, if you mean how many church activities are too many church activities, or if you tend to think of evangelism as events to be run rather than relationships to be built – you probably have too much ‘church’ stuff going on. That said, there
Perhaps less involvement in ‘events’ and more in relationships is the balance on which we need to work is a balance to be found and a fine line to walk – all the ‘church’ stuff we do is useful and healthy. So is Fruit and Fibre Cereal. Yet, if anyone were to eat too much of it there would be a detrimental effect on other vital things. A balanced diet is necessary. Your church involvement – by this, I mean your involvement in ministries and events – needs balance too. Perhaps less involvement in ‘events’ and more in relationships is the balance on which we need to work. To any fellow ministers and elders reading this – this is something about which we certainly need to think long and hard. What do you think is going to bear more fruit in the long run? Investing time in events or in relationships? We already have the ordinary means of grace – they are means of grace to unbelievers as well as believers. We don’t need to create multiple additional opportunities (events) to present the Gospel. Our people’s lives and words will do it everyday, and then their relationships with unbelievers will draw unbelievers to the ordinary means of grace. It is said people won’t enter a church any more. That’s true if the means of getting them there is nothing but a cold invite through a closed door. But where there’s a personal relationship and the investment of time, as I think experience shows, they’ll come, drawn by the warmth of the image of Christ himself that they see in his people.
JOEL LOUGHRIDGE Cloughmills RPC Word to people, but to the detriment of the opportunities God has placed right in front of our noses: our friends, team mates, STRENGTHENING REFORMED YOUNG PEOPLE TO REACH THE NATIONS FOR GOD’S GLORY
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“God has given me a talent for sport and I want to use this talent, not bury it. I know that the competition is on a Sunday, but I can get opportunities to talk to others, to give God the credit if I do well.” “We’re not talking about competing for Ireland here – Sunday is a day of rest and relaxation, and playing sport relaxes me. I’ll go to church in the morning, but there’s nothing wrong in enjoying a game in the afternoon with my friends.” SO GO A couple of arguments from Christians attempting to justify participation in sport on a Sunday – a concept which is almost universally accepted in Christian circles today. In 2005 Channel 4 aired a programme called ‘The New Ten Commandments’, where people in the UK were polled to find out which commandments they felt were still relevant in modern society. The public then voted on a new set of 20 commandments to replace those given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. The idea that a show of hands can decide absolute standards and set our moral compass is ludicrous, but a large number of professing Christians are adopting this ‘pick and choose’ mentality to the 10 Commandments. In particular, ‘honouring the Sabbath Day’ is seen as irrelevant – many Christians arguing that there is no evidence of the New Testament endorsing the 4th commandment, so it should not be binding on us, hence the arguments above. I believe this thinking to be not only theologically incorrect, but potentially harmful to the spiritual growth and development of individuals, families and churches. The pattern established at creation of 6 days work and 1 day rest was part of God’s perfect design – one day to be different from the others. We see this continued throughout the Old Testament, but what about the New Testament – is there a change when Christ comes to earth?
The Gospels tell us very little about Jesus’ early years, but it is clear that Joseph and Mary raised him to respect the commandments – observance of the 4th commandment being part of Jesus’ normal practice (Luke 4:16). Time and again he is accused by the Pharisees of being a “Sabbath breaker” because of his actions; healing
is the most common act which causes criticism, but he is also attacked on this in Luke 6:1-5 after his disciples pluck and eat some corn. However, these accusations come, not because Jesus is disobeying the 4th commandment, but because of the sinful, self-righteous hearts of the Pharisees – for there is no evidence that Christ dispenses with Sabbath observance and, in fact, he declares himself to be “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8). Keeping the Sabbath Day and the principle of holiness are inextricably linked in the Bible. “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy” (Genesis 2:3). “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). To be holy is to be set apart, to be different, to have a purpose higher than the common purpose. God is described as holy many times throughout the Bible, perhaps most famously in the emphatic triple repetition of Isaiah 6:3. We, as his people, are called to be holy (Exodus. 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9) and his day remains a holy day. I believe, therefore, that one of God’s great means in our becoming more Christlike, more holy, is the Sabbath Day and so our activities on it should be conducive to holiness. God is sanctifying us day by day – holiness being perfected in us hour by hour, but the Sabbath Day especially is a gift of God to that end (Ezekiel 20:12).
We must ensure that our observance of the Sabbath does not result in self-righteousness, contributing, in our minds, towards our acceptance in God’s eyes. It is a dangerous precedent to try and come up with a definitive list of activities which are/are not permissible on the Sabbath, because that would put us in a Pharisaical position. We should also be careful when commending or condemning other Christians for what they do or don’t do on the Lord’s Day. This doesn’t mean, however, that our actions on the Sabbath are unimportant and should not be very carefully considered. Iain Campbell, in his excellent book ‘On the first day of the week’ (which I have used throughout this article) says: “The Sabbath principle is a constant in our lives, a foretaste of the holiness which we will enjoy when all sin is eradicated. A holy Lord’s Day, free from the trappings of secularism, free from the pressures of living in a fallen world, focusing on God’s Word and observed in the presence of God, is the nearest thing we can ever have in this world to what we can expect in the world to come. That’s a good reason to keep the Sabbath!” So do I believe that Christians should take part in sport on a Sunday? No, I don’t, but it’s not because our Heavenly Father is trying to spoil our enjoyment – his purpose for us on the Lord’s Day is an amazing one. The Sabbath is a gift from God, designed perfectly for our good, with life-changing possibilities – viewing it as a day of restrictions is to regard it from entirely the wrong perspective. Heaven is holy - a place of rest, of worship and for family, the gathering together of the family of God. How better can we spend the Lord’s Day, a foretaste of Heaven, than by resting, worshipping , spending time with our family and brothers and sisters in Christ, and becoming more like Jesus, our Saviour? He, as God, was perfectly able to observe the 4th commandment in a way that we cannot, but we are to seek to come as close to him as possible. As Peter says: “…what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness… waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:11,13).
JOHN DONNELLY Trinity RPC
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what’s worth celebrating? national identity and christ
TWO CENTENARIES are generating headlines both in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. In 1916, two events occurred which became the foundational myths of the two separate states on our island. A small armed uprising in streets of Dublin at Easter 1916 has come to be seen as the turning point in the fight for Irish autonomy. The tale is certainly powerful: a handful of young men embarked on an impossible mission to wrest key buildings from British control so that the Irish people could demand a Republic. They saw themselves as martyrs, sacrificing their lives so that others could have freedom. There are significant factual problems in the popular narrative of the Easter Rising, not least that Home Rule had already been won through popularlysupported constitutional reform and that more Irishmen were amongst Redmond’s Home Rule supporters and fought for the British Army than expressed any sympathy for Pearse’s rebellion. The study of history does not simply involve the sequence of events but must also entail understanding the contemporary reaction and subsequent legacy. The fledgling Free State latched onto the story of the Easter Rising as a unifying force in a deeply divided society. Similarly the newly-created Northern Ireland found its sense of collective identity in the story of the Somme. In contrast to the ‘stab-in-theback’ of the Dublin rebellion, Ulstermen nobly set aside local politics for the greater good of the British Isles and laid down their young lives in the fields of France. On July 1st 1916 the 36th Ulster Division’s 14 THE MESSENGER | ISSUE ONE 2016
offensive near Thiepval gained more enemy territory than any other unit involved offensively that day. Over 5,000 Ulstermen lost their lives. First Minister Arlene Foster is right to describe the Easter Rising and the Somme as fundamentally different events with no moral equivalence. However, it is almost equally historically doubtful to assert that either ‘blood sacrifice’ brought us the freedom we enjoy today. We ought to be grateful for modern liberties but they are a result of God’s sovereign mercy. Despite even the best intentions of many individual participants, today’s freedoms were not earned by countless tragic deaths in an imperial war from a previous century.
Founding national myths are an important part of national identity. We imagine a shared sense of belonging with others because of the symbols, stories and culture we claim, often defined by the exclusion or in opposition to another identity. National identity is of some value for the Christian as we are to live as part of a wider community and, furthermore, we are to celebrate aspects of culture which bring glory to God. Although historic people groups are not identical to modern national identity, the Bible recognises that
we share a particular sense of belonging with some of those around us and calls on all the different peoples, regardless of their identity, to praise God. Christians cannot be culturally neutral and so must strive to avoid becoming blinded to national sin. We are called to help those around us recognise the failings of our culture and to lead in repentance of shared guilt. Much evil has been perpetrated in the name of every national identity. This is not to say that we dismiss our national identity, but instead that we are to hold it lightly and condemn the idolatrous glorification of any nation or identity. We are called to love those around us and every people group by proclaiming the Gospel. In Christ we have benefited from a truly redemptive sacrifice. His real Easter Rising and blood sacrifice have given us a new identity which trumps all others. It is the only identity worth dying for. Let us avoid giving any human sacrifice the level of redemptive significance seen only in Christ’s death. Let us not become entangled with the arguments of national identity which seem to dominate the thinking of many professing Christians in our Province. Rather let us exceed the zeal of those who so keenly propagate their dearly-held stories of nationhood, as we seek to tell those around us about Christ and his everlasting Kingdom.
JAMES MCCULLOUGH Woodstock RP Fellowship
women of the bible: esther ESTHER has all the makings of a great story – a beautiful and courageous heroine, an evil villain, suspense, humour and a happy ending. It is an unusual book in that God is not mentioned directly in it at all. However, as you read, it is clear that God is at work overseeing every detail, even details that seem unremarkable until later in the story. What could Esther’s story have to teach us when God isn’t even mentioned? Well, Jesus himself said that the Scriptures speak of him (“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” John 5:39-40). Whilst reading the book of Esther recently, I was reminded of how her story continually and wonderfully points us to Jesus. Esther risks her life for her people An edict is sent throughout the Persian Empire with the instruction “to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month” (Esther 3:13). The Jewish nation is facing a total wipeout. Esther had kept her nationality as a Jew secret throughout the beauty contest, and even when she became Queen it remained a secret. Surely now more than ever was the time to keep this hidden? But her adoptive father tells Queen
Esther that she must beg her husband the king for mercy on behalf of her people. Queen Esther knows that to enter the king’s presence unsummoned is punishable by death and, having not been summoned by her husband for thirty days, she fears the worst. However, for the sake of her people, the Jews, we hear Queen Esther say, “… if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). How honoured and grateful the Jewish people must have felt to have the Queen of this great empire risk her life to save them. We are a sinful people who are headed for destruction, for the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). We have a king, Jesus the Son Of God, who left the glory of Heaven to die for us - a king who did not merely risk his life for his people, but went to Jerusalem with “his face set like a flint” (Isaiah 50:7; Luke 9:51) knowing that he would die for his people. Esther was prepared to die with her people. Jesus died for his people. Esther speaks up so that the day of destruction may become a day of victory Imagine being a Jew and each morning knowing that you were one step closer to the day of annihilation. The fear and dread they must have felt… “but now the tables were turned” (Esther 9:1). (Read the book to find out how…!) Not only
would the Jewish people survive this day but they would be victorious over their enemies! This was no longer a day to be dreaded but a day to which they could look forward! Does this not remind us of the Day of Judgement? As sinners we have every reason to fear and dread that Day but, in Christ, not only are we saved but we have victory over sin and death! The Jewish people respond with “…happiness and joy, gladness and honour” (Esther 8:16). Sackcloth is exchanged for royal robes. What joy and gladness we should have in how the tables have been turned for us. We can look forward to that day because with Jesus as our Saviour it will assuredly be a day of victory and not destruction. I would recommend that you have a read through the whole book; it’ll take you no time at all! These are but two of the many ways that the story of Esther points us to Jesus, and encourages us to live out our faith, no matter how great the challenges we face.
desert island verse IT IS VERY hard for me to pick a favourite Bible verse as there are so many verses God has highlighted to me over the years during times of hardship and through stressful situations, as well as in times of happiness and excitement. For me, my verse (or rather verses) would have to be Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This verse is vital for me in my daily life as a Christian. I am a worrier. Fact. I find myself worrying about little things that are far in the future or beyond my control, yet when I look at this verse I regain a sense of peace. No matter what I am worrying about, whether a big decision, such as where I will go for a PGCE course next year and how I will cope with it all, to the smaller worries such as how a group
meeting will go, I can be assured that God will give me the peace I need to be able to deal with it. Christ has promised that, if we ask, he will help us and give us the strength we need. There are so many changes that happen in our lives, things that we sometimes have no control over, yet God remains sovereign and we have to trust him with them all. As Christians we can gain great comfort from this truth. God has a plan for our future, for my future, and I have to trust him above all else. This is so much easier said than done as we often try to fix or deal with things by ourselves and thus forget that God is there and will help us through it all. I was reminded very clearly not to try relying on my own merits when I was in Lower Sixth at school. I found that I was relying on my own work and my own way of dealing with exams until God stepped in. I fell very sick during my AS Levels and was unable to sit one of my exams. I believe
that this was God reminding me that I can’t and shouldn’t be relying on myself and that I should rely on him more. Thankfully, I realised this, and by God’s grace I was able to get the grades I needed to get into university and to where I am today. I am forever thankful for God’s help and guidance which made me realise more than ever that I need to trust and rely on him in everything I do and every decision I make. I encourage you not to let worry control your life but control worry by handing it over to God and by believing firmly in the promise of these verses. He will provide you with a greater peace than you could ever imagine or achieve on your own.
UNITED CY AT RIVERSIDE, Newry, hosted an Open Doors café serving real coffee and cakes and buns which the UCY members home baked and brought along. We have been using the Open Doors Ten Steps booklet to pray for persecuted Christians in our UCY meetings and wanted to find out more and help the work in our own small way. As well as having a tasty treat, we learnt about the work of Open Doors and how they help persecuted Christians all over the world.
they have no building to have it in; this is another one of God’s gifts to us which we just take for granted. We we able to write cards to the boys which Open Doors will take with them when they go back out to help them and we hope that these will encourage them and help them remember that God is always there looking over them. We were told that when Open Doors went to a church in Africa that the people there were praying for us in Ireland and I thought this was incredible because we have life so much easier than them yet they are praying for us because of the help that we have given.” - Anna Murphy
until they found the border. This worked and these three girls were reunited with their families. We were challenged to pray for the remaining girls still in captivity, and we wrote words of encouragement to their families.” - Joshua Murphy
LAURA HUNTER Dervock RPC
LOIS KELSO Drimbolg RPC
“I was especially struck by the fact that Muslim extremists bombed a school and a church in the Central Republic of Africa; there were many young children inside who all suffered greatly. We were told about 3 young boys between the ages of 9 and 11 who had one or both of their legs blown off because of these bombs. Thankfully they have been helped and have received crutches but this still doesn’t make it right. The boys just want to go back to Sunday school and learn more about Jesus, but they can’t as it’s not safe for them and
“I was impacted by the story of three out of the two hundred plus Nigerian Christian girls who found themselves captured by Boko Haram. These three girls somehow managed to escape because one of the girls had a mobile phone and managed to tell her dad that they didn’t know where they were. The dad replied and said to watch the sunset and follow it
The Open Doors presentation was very interactive, from writing cards, sticking prayers on to World Watch countries on a map of the world, to being stamped with ‘n’ for Nazarene as used by IS against Christians in Iraq. We even drank tins of coke sold by Christian refugees from a tent in a refugee camp, recreated in the church hall, and we were challenged to sacrifice something like a tin of coke or a McDonalds that we enjoy to use the money to help these persecuted Christians. The cafe brought in almost £200 which we were able to give to the work of Open Doors.
RIVERSIDE CY Newry
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girls gone wise book review
ability’. Every chapter quickly has you gripped by the second or third paragraph. Kassian uses the shameless woman of Proverbs 7 as the recurring theme throughout the book, highlighting how women’s attitudes today are not far removed from this ‘wild’ woman of the past. Having exposed the wild woman’s behaviour, she contrasts her characteristics with those of a wise and godly woman, demonstrating how walking in the light of God’s Word brings fulfilment and blessing. Personally, several times I assumed that the next chapter wouldn’t apply to me; however, two pages in, I found myself rebuked. This book brings a fresh sense of how warped we’ve become by the sinful traits of our culture, so much so that we often do not even recognise sin as sin. If you have a desire to grow spiritually, to
become more sensitive to sin and to learn how a wise woman is to conduct herself in every area of life, then I could not recommend this book enough. The target audience is young women aged between 13 and 30, but since we all have ‘wild’ hearts, this book would probably be helpful for any woman to read. If you’re a mother, I’d recommend that you read the book prior to giving it to a younger daughter, since it does address some sensitive topics in a blunt, but biblical, way.
Where does it come from and what does it mean? The name comes from covenants signed in Scotland – the National Covenant (1638) and the Solemn League and Covenant (1643). These documents were both a protest against the king’s interference in how the church should be run and a recognition of Jesus as the only true King and Head of the Church. The Covenanters went on to be violently persecuted by the king in a period known as ‘the Killing Times’ in the late 1600s. It’s in this movement that the Reformed Presbyterian Churches of Scotland and 18 THE MESSENGER | ISSUE ONE 2016
Ireland have their roots. When should we use it? It’s important to be balanced in our attitude towards church history. It’s definitely good to know, appreciate and learn from our own Church’s past. It’s good to be thankful for the godly men and women whom God raised up in earlier centuries. It’s good to be spurred on by the example of others who stood firm in the past. It’s good that we don’t forget the great things God has done. It’s good to be grateful for gospel freedoms we have today. If you don’t know much about the Covenanters – you’re missing out! Read and find out more! Reformationhistory.org is a good place to start. However, neither are we, as a church or as individual Christians, to be stuck in the past. The Covenanters were mostly ordinary men and women who took
dad’s army
film review
HANNAH DUNWOODY Dervock RPC
jargon: covenanters When is this phrase used? Mostly, ‘Covenanters’ refers to the ancestors of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in 17th Century Scotland. Modern day RPs are also sometimes known as ‘Covenanters’.
Images coutesy of Universal Pictures UK
‘GIRLS GONE WISE’ is written by Mary Kassian, an award-winning author, well-known speaker and distinguished professor of Women’s Studies. Kassian has wonderful wisdom and insight for the topic she is addressing. Time and again she displays great understanding of the issues facing young women today. She is able to accurately expose the sinful thoughts, behaviours and desires which young women have and graciously redirect them to godly, biblical thinking. In this book she is fearlessly and brilliantly blunt in addressing the brazenness of our generation. She covers topics such as speech, appearance, attitudes, friendships, influence and media usage, as well as more sensitive issues like body language and flirting, sexual conduct, neediness, physical boundaries and ‘teach-
a stand for King Jesus and were willing to die for him. We don’t have to hold our church services in the fields under fear of attack; we probably won’t be tied to wooden posts and burned, or drowned by the incoming tide; our preachers don’t live their lives on the run – but what would we be willing to give up for the cause of King Jesus? Would we give in a way that really costs us financially to support church mission, or move to support a smaller, struggling church or church-plant? Are we – as 21st Century RPs – willing to show the spirit and sacrifice of the Covenanters?
PETER LOUGHRIDGE North Edinburgh RPC
REMAKES have an unpleasant tendency to get people riled up. Purists and super fans alike cannot countenance something being different to their beloved film/book/TV show. 2016’s film version of Dad’s Army is no exception to this very human desire to point out every flaw. However, sit back, relax and appreciate this film for what it is: a very funny and very British comedy. Whether you grew up on the gravelly tones of Frazer, became addicted to endless reruns of the original TV series, or are completely new to the concept, this film is witty, silly and heart warming. The star studded cast perform their well-loved characters wonderfully, and my friends and I laughed so hard we probably ruined the evenings of our poor fellow cinephiles. With familiar strains of “Who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler?” and a ridiculous new adventure for the Home Guard of Walmington-on-Sea, this film makes great light entertainment for an evening. The underlying principle of the Home Guard was the defence of the British Isles should a serious offensive target the mainland. However, as Dad’s Army suggests, the defence force was somewhat laughable: men too old, too young, or too infirm to contribute to the war effort. The new adventure of Dad’s Army puts Captain
Mainwaring’s flagging command to the test as they face a genuine invasion threat with the advent of a spy to their sleepy army base. Captain Mainwaring calls on doddery Corporal Jones for aid in flushing out the spy, relying on his experience in the First World War to tide him through should he be called to action. Little does Mainwaring realise Jones has never actually
seen real action…with such a motley, disaster-prone crew, it is little wonder that Captain Mainwaring’s seniors begin to despair of their fitness for service. It can be easy for us as Christians to look around the global Church today and similarly despair. Against the rising tides of secularism and persecution, we can seem like a motley crew of doddery old fools, and often this is how the world views the Church. As individuals also, we can be painfully aware of our own weakness. But our High Command does not despair of us. As Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 12:9-11, we have a
Commander who delights to use those who are weak: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Furthermore, unlike the Home Guard of Walmington-on-Sea, who faced an uncertain future, we have assurance of the outcome of the battle in which we are engaged. Revelation 17:14 reminds us of the great truth that, “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” Though we must be on our guard, ready for the enemy’s offensives, we need not fear invasion, for he is already defeated. As Christians we may take heart, for it is when we are at our most inadequate that we rely fully on God, and realise His allsurpassing sufficiency and all-conquering victory.
HELEN MCKELVEY Cullybackey RPC
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