EDITORIAL AND CONTENTS Strengthening reformed young people to reach the nations for God’s glory
CHALLENGE RECESSION AND GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY GIVING A TALK FOR YOUNG PEOPLE HOW TO INTRODUCE A PSALM PSALM 4 - ‘YOU ALONE ARE LORD’ PHOTO POSTER - PSALM 62 NANTES GO TEAM SPIRITUAL GIFTS GUIDANCE JESUS OR MOVIES - WHAT EXCITES YOU? HOW SHOULD WE TREAT OUR PASTORS? CROMIE LYRICS BOOK REVIEWS
With Euro 2012 just finished and the Olympics still ahead of us, we’re in the middle of a busy summer of sporting action. With that in mind, Robert McCollum brings us some Olympicrelated thoughts in this month’s ‘Challenge’. It’s hard to get away from talk about the economy these days, and many are feeling the financial pinch. Many young people face struggles to find work when finishing school or college and for those still at school it can be hard to know what subjects to chose and what further training might give them the best chance of a job a few years down the line. In this issue Ken Nelson starts a series on this very important and relevant topic. Another series we're starting is on the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit – which some of our Charismatic and Pentecostal friends would claim are still in operation today. In the next few issues Raymond Blair will seek to bring us the Bible’s teaching on this subject. As many Messenger readers will doubtless have the opportunity to give talks at Holiday Bible Clubs etc over the summer, we’ve asked Warren Peel to provide us with some advice about how to go about it. Continuing in this issue is our series on guidance, Cromie Lyrics, book reviews, the Songs of Jesus and much more. Have a great summer!
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Editor
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Amy Morrison Abigail Nelson Andrew Currie Robert McCollum James McCullough Andrew Morrison Emma Dunwoody
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The Messenger is the bi-monthly magazine of the Covenanter Youth, the young people’s association of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland. The subscription cost is £9/€10 per year (6 issues). Cheques made payable to the Messenger Magazine and sent to: Andrew Currie, 22 Spring Meadows, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, BT51 3BJ You can contact the Messenger by email via messenger@rpc.org. All news items and articles must be with the committee by the first of the month prior to publication and be in accordance to the requested word count. Any reports of events, camps or go teams should be no longer than 350 words. The Editorial team reserve the right to alter the content and adjust the layout of all work submitted. S.D.G.
CHALLENGE
THE EYES of the world will be on London on 27 July 2012 for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. All over the world, people will be watching. One thing that will be virtually impossible not to notice will be the official logo of the Olympics – the Olympic Rings. The iconic symbol of the five Olympic Rings is recognised throughout the world. In fact, it is one of the world’s most recognisable symbols, up there with CocaCola, McDonalds and Nike. The colours of the five interlocking rings (blue, black, red, yellow and green) were chosen in 1913 by the logo’s original designer, Pierre de Coubertin. The colours are significant because each of the countries forming the Olympic Family has one of these colours as part of their national flag, including the white background. The rings are interlinked to denote friendship among all peoples of the earth regardless of creed or colour. And the white background is to symbolise peace among all the nations for the duration of the Games as all warring states are to lay down their arms so that the athletes can compete in peace. In fact, in the Olympic charter it is stated that “The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to a peaceful and better world.” Even the Ancient Olympics stated the following as their hope: “May the world be delivered from crime and killing, and freed from the clash of arms.” Isn’t that amazing? But think about that - is that dream, written thousands of years ago, anywhere closer to being fulfilled today than it was then? Is this even a goal we see being striven for in our modern 21st Century world – a peaceful world free from killing and war? Surely if we look at our television screens for even 10 minutes, we can only see the exact opposite. Fighting in Afghanistan, war in Syria, the terrible suffering in Yemen, the shootings in our streets – it seems like our
world has gone crazy with violence. What are we supposed to do with all that; what should our response be? Firstly, we are not to be surprised; Jesus told us that in the last days, violence and wars would increase. Secondly, we are not to despair. God is a righteous judge and, though in this earth, the wicked may seem to prosper, eventually their evil will catch up with them; the trouble they have caused will recoil on themselves, and their violence will come down on their own heads as God judges them for what they have done (Psalm 7). And thirdly, we are to pray for troubled situations and areas around the world.
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In me you may have peace. (John 16v33)
History shows us that killing and wars have always taken place ever since the Fall – they have come and they have gone. In the past, sometimes arms have been put down or wars put on hold for something like the Olympic Games, but, ultimately, we know that the only way the Olympic goal of a peaceful world delivered from crime and killing can ever be fulfilled is not through sport, but through Christ’s coming to dwell in men’s hearts; only then will there ever be true peace. What about your heart? Do you know this true inner peace? The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:7 that God can give us a peace that surpasses all understanding. That peace is only available in and through Jesus Christ. He came that we might be at peace with one another, at peace with God, and at peace with ourselves. (Concept taken from Karen Turner’s 2004 Messenger article )
Robert McCollum Newtownards RPC
COVER ARTICLE
Ken Nelson Trinity RPC
ECONOMIC HEADLINES have been unrelentingly gloomy. The euro crisis, the collapse in property values, rising energy and food costs, banks reporting huge losses – the bad news seems to go on and on. Maybe you would rather watch paint dry than consider economics! Perhaps that’s why there are so many jokes about economists. Here are just two for the record: • There are three types of economist : those who can count and those who can’t! • If all economists were laid end to end they would not reach a conclusion! However, global economic trends have local impact. So what does this mean for readers of the Messenger? Well, for starters, one of the big features of the current global economic situation is the rise in youth unemployment (those aged under 25). In countries such as Spain and Greece youth unemployment exceeds 50%, whilst in Northern Ireland currently over 30% of those unemployed are aged 16 to 25. The old idea of a career or job for life is disappearing fast. Graduate unemployment in the UK is at record levels. A recent report highlighted that only 10% of teaching graduates in Northern Ireland have been able to secure
teaching positions. Across our churches increasing numbers of young people find themselves in a variety of challenging situations: • Unable to secure steady employment • Searching for work, filling in lots of job application forms with little or no success • Taking short-term employment that doesn’t relate to their studies/ qualifications • Unable to find work related to skills, qualifications and interests • Wondering what to do to improve employment prospects • Concerned about limited job prospects at the end of a course of study or training programme • Struggling to find a vocation when facing one disappointment after another • Perplexed as to which courses of study or training to pursue that will result in realistic job prospects Perhaps, reader, you have worked hard to develop a skill or trade, studied for years – and the result? You can’t find any suitable employment. You’ve prayed much about studies, training and finding work – and there seems to be nothing on the horizon. How is the Christian to respond and cope? In this series I want to consider different aspects of this topic including: the economy, work,
the recession, unemployment, choosing a career and retraining. At the outset there are vital perspectives to keep in mind:
Whatever economists and politicians may think, all that happens in global and local economies is under God’s sovereign and providential rule (Psalm 103:19). In the words of the Shorter Catechism answer 11, “God’s works of providence are His most holy, wise, powerful, preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions.” In essence, an economy is based around the flow of income (from wages and other sources) and expenditure on goods and services. As we earn and spend the economy happens. Many parts of Scripture refer to this baseline of economics including : Proverbs 13:11, Acts 16:14 and 1 Timothy 5:18. Central to the economy is the opportunity for people to earn an income through employment.
Disappointing as it may be for some readers, we are meant to work! It was part of creation before the Fall and has been designed by God for our good.
COVER ARTICLE
Work is described in the Bible as beneficial to provide for our needs (Proverbs 14:23; Ecclesiastes 2:24; 3:13; 5:18-19). It provides resources to help others in need (Ephesians 4:28). Paul taught the believers in Thessalonica that anyone who was not willing to work should not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). He worked as a tent maker so he wouldn’t be a burden on anyone (Acts 18:3; 2 Corinthians 11:9). Whether or not we are paid for it, we are called to work and not to be idle (Proverbs 6 : 6-11, 2 Thessalonians 3:6). In our homes, churches and communities there will always be opportunities to work ( Exodus 20:9, Ecclesiastes 9:10). More on this topic will be covered in the next article.
However bleak the economic future may appear with the resulting uncertainty in terms of employment prospects 1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds us that God is faithful to His children and will not test us beyond our ability to bear it and will provide a way through the trial. It should drive us to prayer for ourselves and others (Philippians 4:6-7, Galatians 6:2).
If you’re struggling with unemployment and lack of job prospects, remember God is outworking His plans for your good in the situation (Psalm 84:11, Romans 8:28). We will be considering this in more detail next time.
Many of the Puritans wrote extensively on work and employment. Leland Ryken has written about the so-called Puritan work ethic in which, by valuing all of life in relation to God, they gave sacred significance to every activity (1 Corinthians 10:31). The Puritans spoke of two callings - a general calling and a particular calling. The general calling is the same for everyone and consists of a call to conversion and godliness. A particular calling consists of the specific tasks and occupations that God places before a person in the course of daily living, including paid employment. The Puritan and Biblical view that God calls all workers to their tasks in the world dignifies all legitimate kinds of work. William Tyndale said that, if we look from our viewpoint, "There is a
difference between washing dishes, and preaching the Word of God; but as to pleasing God, none at all." Richard Baxter explained, "God looks not…principally at the external part of the work, but much more to the heart of him that does it." There is a moral dimension to work as well. When the Puritans spoke of the rewards of work, they combined serving God with serving humanity. "The main end of our lives," wrote William Perkins, "is to serve God in the serving of men in the works of our callings." Finally, some thought-provoking quotes from Richard Baxter’s ‘ A Christian Directory’ which help set the scene for the rest of this series: • “Choose that employment or calling … in which you may be most serviceable to God. Choose not that in which you may be most rich or honourable in the world.” • “Take pleasure in your work, and then you will not be slothful in it.” • “ If God shows you a way in which you may lawfully get more than in another way (without wrong to your soul, or to any other), if you refuse this, and then choose the less gainful way, you cross one of the ends of your calling, and you refuse to be God's steward.”
FEATURE
THERE ARE AT LEAST two key things you need to do when you’re giving any Bible talk: you’ve got to get it right and you’ve got to get it across. One without the other is no use. If you slave away for hours studying a passage so that you understand it, but fail to communicate it, you haven’t edified anyone except yourself. On the other hand, you can communicate your message so brilliantly that you have your hearers hanging on every word you say and able to remember every single point you make, but that’s no good if you’ve got the wrong end of the stick as far as the meaning of the passage goes.
1. Get it Right! To explain something simply, you need to understand it clearly yourself. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that a talk for children doesn’t need too much hard study beforehand. Here are a few guidelines for getting the meaning of the passage right: (a) Pray. Don’t think for a moment that you can understand God’s Word on your own brainpower alone. Read 1 Corinthians 2.10-13, then pray Psalm 119.18. Or perhaps you depended like crazy on the Spirit the first few times you had to give a talk, but now you’ve got the hang of it and
you don’t pray nearly as much. Don’t fall into that trap. (b) Read. Read the Bible passage(s) you’re speaking on over and over and over again. Before you open another book, before you listen to what anyone else has to say, listen carefully to what God’s Word says for yourself. As you read, remember 2 Timothy 3.16: all Scripture is from God—so read slowly and carefully, thinking about every single word. - Read the passage out loud, so you know you’re reading every single word. It’s so easy to let your eye slide over familiar verses - to think you know what they’re saying. Try to imagine you’ve never read this passage before. - Think about the logic of the passage - why does this verse come here? Why does this person say that? - Think about the context of the passage - what comes before and after it. Why is this section here? If it’s a story, follow the camera angle - see whom it zooms in on and when and where and try to think about why. - Write down any thoughts that occur—anything puzzling or surprising you need to come back to; any applications or illustrations or ideas of how to explain something in the passage. You think you’ll be able
to remember that golden thought, but you probably won’t! - Don’t be too quick to go on to read what other people say about your passage/topic. It’s tempting just to get a commentary out of the church library and let someone do your thinking for you, but it’s good for us to do the hard work of trying to understand the passage for ourselves first. (c) Study. Don’t read commentaries and other books first, but do read them. A good commentator will be a safety net for you. If you come up with an interpretation that no-one in 2000 years of church history has ever thought of, chances are you’ve got it wrong. (d) Write. Try to come up with one sentence that sums up the main point of your passage(s). Everything you say should relate to this one central focus. Write out your talk in full this will force you to think precisely and carefully about what you want to say. It will make you think about your vocabulary, so that you choose appropriate words for the age group you’re speaking to. It’ll help you to see which words you’re overusing and to choose graphic, interesting words. - Work out a clear structure. It may be that there is just one point, or
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there may be five. Try to follow this pattern for each main point: state the point, explain it, illustrate it and apply it. - State the point. E.g. “The first thing I want you to see here is that Joseph trusted God when things were bad.” Don’t rush on - give it time to sink in. Repeat the point a couple of times to nail it in firmly. Explain the point as simply and clearly as you can. How much depth and detail you get into will depend on the age and background of your listeners, but it’s better not to assume too much. - Illustrate the point. Illustrations are ‘windows’ to let in light and clarify your point. Think up illustrations that will grab the particular children you’re speaking to - don’t just talk about things you like. You may be passionate about salsa dancing, but it’s probably wasted on 10-12 year-old boys. Illustrate from their world, not yours. That’s the whole point of an illustration in the first place - to illustrate what is unknown from what is known. - Apply the point. Think yourself into the shoes of your hearers. How does this particular truth affect them where they live? Show how God’s Word targets their lives, their struggles, their doubts, their worries like a heat-seeking missile. This demands more hard thinking. It’s easy to give a couple of “one size fits all” applications, but if you really love the people you’re speaking to, you’ll pour your heart and soul into this. You’ll think about the different kinds of children in front of you: Christians and non-Christians, of course, but also different categories of Christian - strong, weak, doubting, tempted, persecuted, easily led. And different categories of non-Christian too - hardened to the Gospel, openminded, atheist, agnostic, those who’ve had bad experiences of Christianity, those who’ve never heard any of this before, those from bad churches, those from Christian homes, those from non-Christian homes, those who are self-deceived. You need to try to think of how this truth applies to all these different
kinds of listener! Think about the different places where this truth applies - home, school, friends’ homes, church. Think too about the many different issues facing your listeners: TV/internet/music, friendships, dress, money, sex, boyfriend/girlfriend issues, sport, schoolwork and exams, parents. After you’ve done all this, then write your introduction and conclusion, at the very end, once you know exactly what you’re going to be saying in the talk!
2. Get it Across! Here is one of our biggest pitfalls in Reformed youth work. We’re generally pretty good at getting the content right, but we’re not that great at getting it across. It’s crucial to think of interesting ways to present your material. When God wrote the Bible he didn’t inspire one man to write a monotonous, bland treatise on truth. He used many different kinds of personalities to write law, poetry, letters, history and more. God is the perfect communicator and as his image bearers we have the capacity to communicate in a similarly interesting way. If our Bible talks are boring, it’s our fault, not the Bible’s.
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If our Bible talks are boring, it’s our fault, not the Bible’s.
So sweat and toil over your talks to make them as interesting as the Bible itself is. Does that sound like hard work? It’s agony! And you’re only half done when you’ve finished preparing what you’re going to say! Here are a few tips for delivery: - Finish preparing in plenty of time, so you can go over the talk, either out loud or in to yourself, whatever works best for you. - Write out clearly what you’re going to take with you when you give the talk and get familiar with these notes. Whether you write out every word or just jot down some headings and key words doesn’t really matter - Use whatever system works best
for you personally. But whichever system you use, you don’t want to be looking at your notes too much, but at your hearers. - Keep praying. Depend consciously on the Holy Spirit in speaking. Don’t rely on the fact that you’ve written a good talk, or that you’ve done this many times before and it always goes well; don’t rely on your eloquence, fascinating stories or funny jokes. - Speak up! Make sure everyone can hear what you’re saying. There’s no point in speaking if you’re not going to be heard. Vary your speed and pitch. You need to be a bit larger than life when you’re speaking to group of 50/60 children - your voice shouldn’t sound exactly the same as when you’re leading dorm prayers or a discussion group. - Stick to your time. If you’re meant to be 15/20 minutes, don’t take 30/40. It’s not fair on the person in charge of the next activity. Not many people can hold an audience for more than 30 minutes, so it’s safer to assume you’re not the exception! Powerpoint, interactive whiteboards and a host of other technological gizmos in school mean children expect more visual aids than ever, so it’s probably a good idea to have something visual for them to look at. But don’t overuse visual aids. Using all-singing and dancing graphics will only make it harder for them to listen to what you’re saying. Make sure the visual aids help rather than hinder you in keeping attention. - Leave your visual aids and powerpoint to the very end of the process. It’s possible to spend ages surfing the internet for the perfect picture, instead of reading and thinking and praying. Sometimes when people say, “I spent hours preparing my talk,” what they really mean is, “I spent one hour on my talk and ten hours doing a powerpoint.” There’s lots more to say, of course, but I have to practise what I preach and stick within my Warren Peel Ballyclabber RPC
FEATURE
PSALM SINGS, WHETHER at camps, Presbytery events or other settings, have been a blessing to many over the years. However the comment has been made that our generation seems to be losing the ability to introduce psalms. Psalms are chosen without any explanation – and then sung with perhaps not much thought. Whether you feel this is an accurate description of what you’ve experienced or not, it’s always important to do all we can to fulfil Paul’s exhortation to ‘sing with my mind also’ (1 Cor. 14:15). Introducing a psalm in front of a large group of people can be intimidating. Some people may never feel comfortable doing more than picking a psalm without elaborating on it – which is completely fine. However surely we’re missing out if this is all that ever happens! Guys especially should be taking a lead in this. In other situations, maybe when people have had a chance to prepare what they’ll say, some feel that introductions either dramatically miss the point or are way too long – or perhaps both. So here are some thoughts to bear in mind the next time you have a chance to introduce a psalm. Some are more straightforward and easy for everyone to apply, some are aimed more at those who are asked to prepare in advance. While some are more theological than practical, to introduce and sing psalms properly it’s important that we understand what they actually are.
While singing the psalms can sound beautiful, that’s not why we do it. It’s about the words, not the tune. Try and avoid giving the impression that you’re choosing the tune first and then finding a psalm that fits it. If you really, desperately feel the need to request a specific tune – leave it until you’ve spoken about why you’re choosing the psalm. Some who are musically inclined have commented that if the tune is picked first they find it hard not to spend the next few minutes looking up the tune and seeing how it will fit – rather than thinking about what is being said.
Jesus hasn’t just given us a ‘Psalm selection book’ of a few wellknown favourites, but 150 carefully chosen God-breathed songs. Paul exhorts us to sing from the different categories in the Psalter (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). So don’t just chose ones everyone is familiar with. We’re in danger of missing out on riches!
It’s great to hear how a psalm has helped someone in a particular situation. It’s good to hear someone speaking about what a certain psalm has meant to them. But there can be a temptation to read a psalm and then straight away ask, ‘Where am I in this’? But the Bible is a book with one hero – and it’s not you! So first of all, ask what you can learn about Jesus.
Also if you try and play “Where’s Wally” you might be in for a surprise! Ps 140 starts: ‘Deliver me from evil men’. While we would like to think of ourselves as the ‘me’ mentioned, Romans 3 quotes this psalm to tell us that we’re all ‘evil men’!
Because the book of Psalms is around the middle of the Old Testament, it’s easy to think that it was put together in the middle of Old Testament times. But in fact it was put into the form we have it now right at the end of Old Testament times, in preparation for New Testament worship. So to introduce and sing psalms without seeing them in the light of the New Testament is to miss the point.
In light of the above then, by the time the psalter was put together it was clear that the picture of the great King it paints hadn’t been fulfilled by David or his descendents. So while it’s fine to talk about what we can learn from the likes of David, don’t stop short of showing people how Jesus succeeds where David failed.
If the picture of the truly blessed man painted in the psalms is only fulfilled in Jesus, then don’t merely hold them up as great moral examples. Doing so will only lead to
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self-righteousness (thinking we can actually achieve it) or despair (realising we can’t). Ultimately the only one who perfectly ‘walks not in the way of the wicked’ and ‘delights in the law of the LORD’ is the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes if we’re Christians the Holy Spirit is transforming us more into his image – but we should only talk about this in light of what Jesus has done.
There is much in the psalter which on first glance seems far from the world of New Testament Christians: Israel, altars, sacrifices, incense, oil and musical instruments. We can be tempted to ignore psalms which speak of the last – and be rather confused when singing about the others. But we don’t have to throw out our Old Testaments! These are all fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. If you’re not sure
Many readers may not yet have any difficulties with regard to sleeping, except perhaps in the morning when the gravitational pull of your mattress reaches lunar proportions. Excuse me for being gloomy but those days will soon pass and you will struggle to remember the good old days, when you never woke in the middle of the night and saw the clock at 4am, 5am, 6am. In Psalm 4 David has no trouble sleeping, ‘In peace I will both lie down and sleep’ (v8). We are not told exactly when David wrote these words so you can take your pick of circumstances from persecution under Saul or Absalom. Whenever it was, David had no need for sleeping pills. He is not stressed to the eyeballs or a coiled spring waiting to leap out of bed.
how, ask your minister or check a commentary.
There are some parts of the psalms that on first glance we may be uncomfortable with – usually when the songwriter calls on God to curse his enemies. Whether we would have as much problem with them if we lived in a country where we were being persecuted is another question! Much could be said on this topic, but as a starting point we need to realise that these curses aren’t pronounced by random individuals but by God’s anointed king. To oppose God’s king was to oppose God himself.
To close, here’s one for ‘introducers’ and singers alike! Hopefully the precentor will have
What is David’s secret? ‘For you alone O LORD make me dwell in safety’ (v8). His perspective is Godcentred. His hope is not in his mighty men, expertise, resources, or ability to fix the problem. Rather, he
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Christ’s calm call to his chosen children
rests his life and existence on the solid ground of his unchanging covenant-making and keeping God, who loves him and plans to prosper him. Thus, with contentment David ‘counsels himself and cries to God’ (v1), with peaceful poise he pleads with his enemies (v2-4), and with cool calm he consoles his men as he cries to the Lord (v5-7). Before you start searching for
picked a tune appropriate to the psalm’s mood. However the mood of the psalm shouldn’t just affect the tune we sing it to but how we sing it! If someone filmed you singing a joyful psalm and singing a despairing psalm and then played them back with the volume muted – could you tell which was which? God has given us 150 perfect songs to sing with and in praise of our ascended, reigning and returning King. How we should value and seek to understand this treasure! Psalm sings are great opportunities to ‘let the word of Christ dwell in your richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom’ (Col. 3:16). Let’s do what we can to make these occasions ones in which we seek to build each other up – and not just in knowledge, but in the love of our Saviour.
yourself in the passage and applying it a self-medicating manner, remember the One greater than David. Let Christ apply the treatment from His lullaby for life. It is not difficult to imagine a young godly Jewish mother singing her infant boy to sleep with the words of v8. The same words that His Spirit breathed out became embedded in His heart throughout His short thirty -three years. This is the song of perfect trust and tenderness that Jesus sang when a myriad of Sauls and Absaloms snatched at His heels. These are His wooing words to a wicked world, ‘How long will you love vain words and seek after lies’ (v2). These words are His calm call to His chosen children, ‘lie down and sleep in peace I will make you dwell in safety’.
GO TEAM REPORT
THIS YEAR’S TEAM were mostly newcomers to Nantes. The team members were Stephen and John Neilly, Helen McKelvey, Scott Drennan, Eleanor McCollum, Rachel Nelson, Sarah McCullough, Rebekah Kerr and Nicola McCollum. Nantes didn’t know what had hit it! As in previous years the main activity of the week was the distribution of Réflexions. This year we were able to work from two bases: the Lytles in Nantes and the Balls in Orvault. We gave out over 30,000 copies of Réflexions during the week, and, even before the team left France, there were responses as a number of people requested a copy of the Bible or a John Blanchard book as offered in the leaflet. Distribution was certainly the most taxing of the week’s activities, requiring vast quantities of walking, but all for a good cause! One team member said that ‘When your feet are hurting, your blisters are pounding, your hands are tinged purple from Réflexions ... it means you've only got an hour left to go!’ Distribution may have taken up most of our time, but it was certainly not the only activity of the week. On Tuesday night we held a soirée, a great evening filled with music, sketches, quizzes, etc, performed by both the team and some of the members of the church. The soirée is always a brilliant opportunity for members of the church to bring along friends to let them hear the Gospel in a relaxed setting, and we were all encouraged by the many who attended. At the end of the
evening Andrew brought a serious challenge to his listeners asking who they believed Jesus really was. Some team members had the chance to go out into the parks of Nantes and do some questionnaires. The questions were designed to discover the attitude of the French towards religion. I was struck by the jumbled nature of the beliefs of those who I spoke to with Andrew. Truly this nation needs to hear the Gospel! We also took part in the Youth Club on Friday night, which involved some interesting explanations of games in rather broken French. Despite this, much fun was had by all! It was striking to chat to the young people and realise how different it is to live as a Christian in France. A couple of the team were able to share some of their experiences as Christians in NI, and the French young people were astounded by how many other young Christians we know. It was an eye opener to how hard it must be for these young Christians to keep standing for God whilst surrounded by an extremely secular society. We worked hard, but the team were also able to share quality time together. Most nights Andrew led team Bible studies on the life of Peter, and I certainly benefitted greatly from seeing how God used Peter’s life, despite his failings. We enjoyed a fantastic concert by Emmaline’s choir on the first Saturday night. On Wednesday, we displayed our culinary skills at a cookery club, where we prepared
and ate a meal together under the watchful eye of a professional chef, whose speedy French was understood with varying degrees of success! On Thursday night we enjoyed traditional crêpes as made by Joel and Josianne. Saturday was our day off, and we took a boat out on the river, allowing us to see Nantes from a different angle. Later we went out for a traditional meal, each of us braving a snail as well as some other interesting delicacies. Our day finished with watching the music, colour and confetti of the carnival - a perfect end to the day! The church struck all of us with its vitality and multicultural nature, with so many nationalities represented. It was so clear to us all that God is at work. We felt so welcome and it was a joy to work alongside God’s people. Visiting Nantes gave each of the team members much to be thankful for and many points for prayer. We won’t forget the kindness and generosity of the Balls and Lytles in providing for us over the time we were there. Getting to spend time with our missionaries in France was a major blessing. In short, Nantes is a fantastic place, and everyone should be praying that God will make this work grow, develop and reach out into the heart of the French nation. I hope to return, and I hope you will all consider Helen McKelvey visiting Nantes! Cullybackey RPC
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FURTHER READING
Here is a question that as Christians we need to think about! There is much debate about whether or not such extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit (as are listed mainly in I Corinthians chapters 12 to 14) are available to the Church today. Would you be able to give a clear biblical answer to this question if asked by a Christian friend? Those Christians belonging to Pentecostal and Charismatic churches would seek to convince us that we are missing out if we do not have an experience of such gifts as healing and speaking in tongues. Someone may well say to you, for example, that if don’t speak in tongues you are denying yourself the full blessings of the Gospel – it may even be implied that you are a second-class Christian or not a Christian at all! Others would argue that our evangelism cannot be effective unless the preaching of the Word is accompanied by such extraordinary gifts as healing and words of prophecy. Therefore, it is important for us to have a clear understanding based on the Scriptures why such gifts are not to be expected today. In forthcoming articles we will look at some of the specific issues concerning healing, tongues and visions but for the moment we focus on the main question. There are two main reasons why we believe such gifts are no longer necessary – 1. In the New Testament, the vast majority of miracles are performed by the apostles or those very closely associated with them. Paul explains the reason for this: “The things that mark an apostle –
signs, wonders and miracles – were done among you with great perseverance” (2 Corinthians 12 v 12). It follows that, if every believer was equipped with the ability to heal etc, then these could in no way be identifying marks of an apostle. Acts 2 v 22 shows us that Jesus was “accredited” by miracles, wonders and signs. In the same way, the apostles were marked out as genuine messengers of God by the
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The best evidence of the working of the Holy Spirit is a holy life.
miracles they performed. Acts 14 v 3 shows how the Gospel message was confirmed by the miracles Paul and Barnabas performed. Hebrews 2 v 4 also teaches how God added confirmation to the Gospel message through miraculous acts and “gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will”. There are, of course, those who would claim that the apostolic office still exists and that they therefore have the ability to exercise the apostolic gifts. However, it must be seen that in order to be an apostle one had to be an eye-witness of the Lord’s resurrection (Acts 1 vs 2122). Paul qualified as such because of his encounter with the risen Lord on the road to Damascus. Moreover, the impressive-sounding claims made today by so-called apostles to be able to perform miraculous healings or utter words of prophecy do not stand up to close scrutiny.
This is only a brief introduction to the issues under debate – for a ‘very full and convincing treatment’ Raymond Blair recommends Charismatic Chaos by John MacArthur.
Don’t be taken in by the extravagant claims made by some who mean well or by others who are charlatans. There were false apostles in Paul’s day and there are equally false ones about in our day. Don’t be swept along by seemingly exciting novelties or supposed “new waves of the Holy Spirit”. Remember that the best evidence of the working of the Holy Spirit is a holy life. And holiness does not consist of the spectacular but of the beautiful everyday fruit of extraordinary patience, extraordinary kindness, extraordinary self-control etc. All of us should certainly be looking for more of these! 2. It is important to realise that the early church did not have the completed Bible as we have today (2 Timothy 3 vs 16-17). Therefore, words of prophecy, knowledge and wisdom were necessary in order for the early Christians to know what the Lord would have them to do. Now that God’s revelation is complete in the Bible those extraordinary or ‘revelatory’ gifts are no longer needed. In fact, one of the common side-effects of focusing on supposed extraordinary gifts is an undervaluing of the written Word. There are even some who justify dubious behaviour by claiming that “the Spirit told me so” rather than being obedient to the Word of Truth. In summary then, the main purpose of the extraordinary gifts was to prove that the apostles were really God’s messengers and that the gospel was of divine origin. God can, of course, still perform miracles according to His sovereign will and power but in Christ Jesus, and through his completed Word, we do have everything we need for life and godliness.
Rev. Raymond Blair Limavady RPC
SERIES
THE STORY IS told, though it’s probably not true, of a zealous young Christian who was keen to serve as a missionary but didn’t know where God wanted him to be. He “knew” that he should travel far to reach those who had never heard the Gospel but just needed to decide where. One day he prayed that God would give him clear, definite guidance, bringing a particular place to his attention and, having spent some time in prayer, he came downstairs and went to the cupboard to get something to eat. The first thing that caught his eye was a bag of Brazil nuts. That was it! God had revealed his will and so the bags were packed and the ticket bought - for Brazil. The only problem is, what would have happened if he had set eyes on a Mars bar? Like I said, I think this is a madeup story. I certainly hope it is. But it does raise some important questions: How are we to seek guidance for the big decisions in life? What steps can we take as we ask God to clarify our thinking and help us to make major decisions? In his very helpful book, “Steps for Guidance in the Journey of Life”, Peter Masters outlines six basic steps for sound biblical guidance.
What I will do, in this and the next two articles, is give you a summary of these six steps and try to apply them to situations which you may be facing. The fact that hundreds, if not thousands, of books have been written on this subject is proof that no one book gives all the answers, Masters’ included. However, the steps he outlines are helpful and we can learn much from them.
Step 1 Prayer and submission As we have already seen, there is no point seeking guidance for a particular big decision if you are not submitting to God’s revealed will in the small things. We need to be hungering for holiness, righteousness, an awareness of sin and we need to be willing to submit to the Word of God in every area of life. This needs to be a characteristic of how we live. Every day we should be asking God to lead us in his paths of righteousness. We need to be acknowledging our own weakness and need, sincerely praying for God’s hand to be upon us. This principle is seen clearly in Psalm 25. David’s prayer is that God would make his ways known, teach him, lead him and David commits himself to
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Submission is one of our greatest problems
waiting on the Lord. Be aware that submission is one of our greatest problems in life. One of the basic characteristics of sin is our unwillingness to submit. We often have OUR way of doing things, OUR way of thinking and it is what I want that really matters, not what God wants. We must pray with the spirit of the Lord’s Prayer and say, “Your will be done.”
Step 2 Clearing the Decks This step is closely linked to the first. It involves getting rid of all wrong desires, attitudes and motives which may cloud our thinking and influence any decision we make. What sort of thing am I talking about? Well, we all have selfish desires and ambitions. Rarely do we do things out of completely pure motives. In your thinking about a job, what influences your decision? Perhaps you are motivated by money or prestige and secretly you put these above factors such as working hours, closeness to a church
GUEST
and opportunities to serve God. Sometimes we are motivated by laziness or a desire to take the easiest path. I remember, to my shame, choosing a university module simply because I thought it would involve the least work, even though it would be of little use to me. In the end it turned out to be mindnumbingly dull and so I paid the price for my laziness. Let me add that this clearing of the decks also applies to those who are giving advice or guidance. It is very easy to give advice which has one’s own interest at heart and not the interest of the one looking for direction. We give advice on what is best for us but not necessarily what is best for the other person. This was always a danger for me as a teacher. Of course, I wanted all my pupils to continue in their studies of French, well, almost all of them. So when asked for advice regarding subject choice I had to be careful not to be influenced by what I wanted but by what was best for the pupil before me. So be careful when advising to make sure that your motives are pure and your advice is unselfish. As we approach life’s decisions we should be praying: Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24) So in summary of these first two points, as you approach life’s big decisions, do so with a willingness to be guided and led by God, praying sincerely for him to lead you, coming to your decision with an open mind and a submissive heart. Test your motivations and desires, be honest with yourself and God and be open to his leading as he gives you the wisdom and understanding which you need to make decisions. In the next article we will look at how we use the Scriptures and weighing up Andrew Lytle the pros and cons. Nantes
What should you do if you know someone who seems to be more excited about movies than Jesus? Many professing Christians give little evidence of valuing Jesus more than the latest movie they have seen. Or the latest clothing they bought. Or the latest app they downloaded. Or the latest game they watched. Something is amiss. We are not God and cannot judge with certainty and precision what’s wrong. There is a glitch somewhere - perhaps a blindness going in, a spiritual deadness at heart, or a blockage coming out, or some combination. Christ doesn’t appear supremely valuable. Or isn’t felt as supremely valuable. Or can’t be spoken of as supremely valuable. Or some combination. Here’s my suggestion. Instead of dampening their enthusiasm for movies, clothing, apps and events, let that go as an expression of Godgiven personality. Instead, model expressive joy in Jesus. Over time, if there is no resonance from their heart with your joy, query them humbly: I love your enthusiasm for the things you get excited about. You’re so free and expressive about good movies and nice clothes and cool apps. It seems odd to me that you
don’t seem to be as expressive about the way you feel about Jesus and what he’s done for us. Have you thought about why that might be? The point of this query is to help them see that the problem is not joyfully loving good created things. The problem is the apparent absence of similar affections for Christ. If similar affections for Jesus are not possible, then the spectre of idolatry becomes serious. But they may sense this themselves without your having to start with that indictment, if you draw their attention not to the excitement that’s there, but to what’s missing. We don’t want them to lose their exuberance about anything good. We want Christ to be supreme in their hearts so that all their exuberance comes under him and for his sake. When Jesus is felt as supremely valuable in our hearts, all other values gradually become properly ordered and purified. May the Lord give you great courage and wisdom as you help people awaken to the supreme value of Jesus. John Piper © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org
FEATURE
John Turner Cullybackey RPC
BEFORE WE CAN answer this question, we have to understand what a pastor is and what he does. These are questions which Paul answered for the church at Corinth 2,000 years ago. The church at Corinth was crippled with problems and controversies. One of the main problems was that there was disunity in the Corinthian church, arising from the fact that the Corinthians were running a competition called ‘Preacher Idol’. In Greek society at this time, public speakers were the pop stars and footballers of their day – they were well-paid and had avid fan clubs. In 1 Cor. 1: 10-17 Paul discusses the divisions which have arisen because people were idolizing certain preachers and criticizing others. This was such a huge problem that Paul spends the next three chapters dealing with it, and in 1 Cor. 4:1-13, he gives us three pictures which help us understand the task and role of the pastor – pastors are servants, stewards and scum.
The first thing that Paul states is that pastors are ‘servants of Christ’. The Greek word Paul uses for ‘servant’ simply means one who serves under another. There are at least five implications of this. 1. Pastors are answerable to Christ, NOT the congregation. In a sense, we employ our pastors and pay their salaries, but they are accountable to Christ alone (1 Cor. 4: 3-5). 2. Pastors are servants, NOT lords. Too many people see the pastor as the boss of the church – this is wrong! Christ is the head of
the church. 3. It is the master, not the servant, who causes the church to grow. Just as Lord Alan Sugar wouldn’t blame his housekeeper if his business empire wasn’t growing, so we shouldn’t blame our pastor if our congregation doesn’t grow and prosper - it is God who “gives the increase” (1 Cor. 3:17). 4. As servants of Christ, pastors are to please Him and not men. What would you rather – a pastor who preaches what you want to hear or a pastor who preaches what Christ wants us to hear? Pray that your pastor will be faithful in his preaching. 5. One of the hardest things a pastor has to deal with is criticism from his own flock. We need to be very careful in our criticism of our pastor because, when we criticise a servant of Christ, we criticise Christ Himself.
The second picture Paul gives us for pastors is that of a steward. In Biblical times, every well-to-do householder had a steward to manage his household affairs, property, accounts and slaves. His task was to supervise, feed and administer the household. Pastors are to be stewards of “the mysteries of God”. What does this mean? For us ‘mystery’ usually means knowledge withheld or dark unexplained puzzles. Detective novels are all about detectives trying to solve a ‘mystery’. However, in the Greek language, mystery means “that which is known to the initiated”. Paul has this idea in mind when he uses the word ‘mystery’ – that which has been revealed by God to the initiated, His people. In other
words, Paul is referring to God’s special revelation of Himself in His Word. The pastor, therefore, is a steward of God’s Word. This implies two things. Firstly, the main task of the pastor is the teaching of God’s Word. The pastor is to spend the majority of his time teaching and preparing for teaching God’s Word. Too many pastors have their time taken up with church administration, running children’s work and excessive visitation programmes. Yes, a pastor is to be involved in such things, but these are not his primary task. We must see our pastors first and foremost as preachers and teachers of God’s Word. Secondly, in a household, the master filled the larder – the steward simply dispensed the food. It is the same with the pastor. He doesn’t supply his own food; he simply dispenses the food which God has provided – His Word. This means that preaching should be expository. Too many pastors today supply their own food. Their sermons are filled with their views and their opinions. Too many pastors today feed their flock a Big Mac diet – the message is easy to digest and tastes good, but it doesn’t satisfy. Another error is that pastors today are like the mother who has a larder full of all sorts of foods, but only ever gives her children ham and cheese for their dinner. They only preach on their hobby horses or their favourite passages. Systematic preaching (i.e. preaching through the Bible) requires hard systematic study. That 30-minute sermon may have taken three or four days to prepare. So pray for your pastor as he studies God’s Word and as he feeds
SERIES
you. Pray that he will be a faithful steward. Show appreciation for expository preaching. Just as we thank our mums for a lovely dinner, so we should always thank our pastor for feeding us.
The third picture Paul presents is that of scum in verses 8-13. Paul punctures the superstar status that the Corinthians had given pastors by using vivid pictures which illustrated their real status. The Corinthians had forgotten the cross – they had forgotten that the path to glory for Christ was through the cross, and so it should be for every believer and for every pastor. In verse 9, Paul says that pastors are like criminals displayed in the amphitheatre for people to laugh and jeer at. In verse 13, he
says that pastors are the filth or scum of the earth (the picture Paul has in mind here is of the scraps cleared off a plate!) Paul refers to the things he has suffered on account of his being a pastor - material want, persecution, slander and hardship. And it is no different for our pastors. They will face persecution that we will never face – they are public figures who will attract all sorts of jibes, taunts, and threats. They will be depressed when the congregation doesn’t respond to their teaching. They will weep many times over sins committed by their congregation. They carry our burdens, and this no doubt brings them anguish and mental exhaustion. They will pour their hearts and souls into preparing sermons and in preaching them, and yet people will fall asleep and not listen. They will have to deal with
the onslaughts of the Devil. Pastors are not super Christians who are above temptation. In fact, the Devil will target pastors because of the work they do. Pray for your pastor that he will remain steadfast in the face of temptation. Christ became a curse for us that we might be saved. Our pastor becomes scum for us that we may be fed with the Word of God. What then should be our attitude to our pastor? How should we treat them? We should love them with tender affection. We should esteem them highly for the work they do. We should encourage them and minister to them when they require it. We should pray for them every single day – in our private devotions and family worship. We should listen attentively to their preaching and respond to it.
IF BANDS WERE COLOURS, Mumford & Sons would be beige – safe, inoffensive, unlikely to conjure up strong feelings in anyone but the most ardent fans of their brand of folk-tinged indie pop. Formed in late 2007, Mumford & Sons shot to success with the release of their debut album, Sigh No More, in 2009. Admirably, the band self-financed this record, before later being picked up by a major label. The band’s chief lyricist Marcus Mumford (clarification – the other band members are not actually his offspring) has an interesting background – his parents are the founders, and current leaders, of the Vineyard group of churches in the UK. Mumford’s lyrics often address issues of faith and spirituality, which
in itself is to be praised, given the prevalent view of today’s society that faith is a private matter not to be shared or discussed in public. Without wanting to speculate too much on whether Mumford is a Christian or not, it’s clear that he has more than a passing knowledge of the Bible, and this informs his music. “The Cave”, a single from the aforementioned album, is perhaps the most obvious example of these scriptural influences. The lyrics of this song could be interpreted as speaking about the Christian’s experience. For example, Mumford sings in the chorus, “I’ll find strength in pain, and I will change my ways”. This does sound like he is speaking of the promise of God’s Spirit working in his life. In addition to
this, he (possibly) sings of trying to convince a friend to realise the seriousness of their sin, and turn to Christ – “I won’t let you choke on the noose around your neck.” Of course, we should always be careful not to read too much into these lyrics; artists do not always mean what they sing, and we can certainly object to another of Mumford & Sons’ tracks, which contains a striking and needless profanity. However, we should welcome intelligent and thoughtprovoking lyrics such as these (musical blandness aside), and we can echo Mumford’s words; “I need freedom now, and I need to know how to live my life as it’s meant to be.”
BOOK REVIEW
Peter Fallows Faughan RPC
emphasises that all of the beatitudes are for all Christians - it is not a case of some Christians being poor in spirit, while others are meek, and still others hunger and thirst after righteousness. This book also explains how the beatitudes all link together and follow on from each other. There must be a tearing down before there is a building up; we must first be poor in spirit and truly mourn for our sins before we enjoy forgiveness and God’s blessing. Another theme that is emphasised throughout the book is the difference between the believer and the unbeliever, the difference between the Christian’s attitude to life and the attitude of the world. Much of what is said in this passage of the Bible is at odds with what we are told in the world today. The world tells us, ‘Stand up for your rights’, and praises power and self assurance. The Bible says, ‘Blessed
www.thepsalmssung.org The Psalms of David – Sung a cappella Listen, Share & Download for Free
are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.’ This was particularly challenging to me - how different am I from the world? This book is full of challenges and will make you really think about how you are living your life. I would really recommend it; although it is quite heavy and takes a fair while to
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The Sermon on the Mount is one of the passages in the Bible that most of us will be familiar with, but how well do we really understand it? This collection of sermons by Martyn Lloyd-Jones has been of great help to me in getting to grips with it over the past year. The first few chapters address the issues of the purpose of the Sermon, arguing that it is ‘a description of character, not a code of ethics’, ie, it is not a list of rules that we need to keep to be acceptable to God, but rather it is a description of what the Christian’s character should be like. It is a life that we have no chance of living by ourselves; we need God to work in us. Jesus died to enable us to live the Sermon on the Mount. After these introductory chapters, there is a chapter devoted to each of the beatitudes. The beatitudes are a description of the Christian character. Lloyd-Jones
£19.50 from the Covenanter Book Centre
get through it, it is well worth reading. I think you would struggle to find a more comprehensive guide on this part of the Bible. I would particularly recommend it if you are reading through the Sermon on the Mount in your Quiet Time.
BOOK REVIEWS
God’s Big Picture, by Vaughan Roberts (IVP, 2002) £6.50 from CBC
Betyrayed, by Stan Telchin (Published by Chosen, 1982) £5.00 from CBC This is an autobiography of a Jewish businessman's journey to discover the Messiah. I love this book and think it’s a good one to give to searching unbelievers. It's the story of a young girls conversion and how her Dad sets out to prove her wrong, you can guess how it ends but it’s a great journey of discovery! This book displays the power of the Word of God when someone is truly searching, it highlights how much the Old Testament speaks of Jesus Christ. This book will bolster your own faith and if you hand it on to someone else perhaps it will point them to the Saviour too! Review by Rachel McCollum, Lisburn RPC
This book is about the whole Bible and the timeline that the Bible runs on and covers from Genesis to Revelation. Vaughan Roberts talks about how the Bible is one book with lots of sections rather than lots of unrelated books being shoved in together in any random order. At the end of each chapter there is a short Bible study which gives you the option of reading the book yourself, reading the chapter and doing the study with a friend, or studying the book as a CY or in a group. Vaughan Roberts takes you through God's kingdom starting with the pattern of the kingdom and finishing with the perfected kingdom – making you look at things in a different way because we often focus on one small passage and not looking at the bigger scale of things. He also has diagrams throughout the book which really helps you visualise what he is talking about. This is one of those books which is good to read every few years to keep these things fresh in your mind. So perhaps it is time to read it for the first time or dust it off and study it again. Review by Gavin Blackwell, Trinity RPC
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Covenanter Book Centre From his amazing multi-coloured coat to Pharaoh’s dreams of lean and fat cows, follow the amazing ups and downs of Joseph’s story, and see how he came to realize that through it all, God in love and mercy meant it all for good. Price: £6.00 Mark, a young boy leading a normal life, finds it difficult to put the Bible into practice. Learn lessons with him in five exciting stories. Price: £5.00
Dan Walker is a successful sports journalist who currently works for the BBC. He is also a Christian who firmly believes that Sunday is the Lord’s Day, a day for rest from work and for worship of God. Why does he believe this? Did he have to compromise his beliefs in order to be successful in his career? Here he tells his story. Price £2.00
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Have you applied to study at a Glasgow or Edinburgh university or college next year? Are you moving to Glasgow or Edinburgh for work? Are you a minister or elder with people from your congregation moving to Glasgow or Edinburgh to work or study? We would love to welcome you to worship with us and share in fellowship with us at Glasgow Reformed Presbyterian Church or at the Scottish RPC’s church-planting work in Edinburgh.
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