Our interview with Stuart Elliott has fulfilled a secret ambition of several editorial committee members: to produce an issue resembling a football magazine. Stephen’s long-term admiration of the former Northern Ireland winger has produced an intriguing interview. Stuart spoke of his conversion, how he has used the gifts God has given him, and his personal journey towards a Reformed understanding of Scripture. Regardless of your interest in football, I hope you are challenged and encouraged by his story. Stuart is not our only interviewee in this issue. Long before hipster glasses or checked shirts were a prerequisite for church planting, a group of RPs sought to plant a new congregation in Lisburn. The Somerville family were amongst those involved in our denomination’s first modern church plant. In this interview they are at pains to point out that they didn’t do anything extraordinary; they just went. The reality is we need more people to simply go. At present only one member of the denomination has committed to Cookstown’s church plant whilst single figures also frequently meet at Woodstock. Please read and pray over this article. If you are a regular reader you will appreciate Robert McCollum’s many contributions to the magazine. Much has changed since Robert’s first issue, which included his very own lonely hearts’ column. As he steps down from the committee we would like to thank him for his consistent hard work, wisdom and ideas. I hope you enjoy the issue,
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 £8/€10 per year (6 issues). Cheques made payable to the Messenger Magazine and sent to: Alistair Rolleston, 3 Hawthorn Close, Newtownards, BT23 8EU. Please visit our website for other payment and subscription options. You can contact the Messenger by email via subscriptions@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.
Abigail Nelson Alistair Rolleston Andrew Morrison Emma Dunwoody James McCullough Philip Aicken Stephen Steele
Front cover image Courtesy of Pacemaker Press International, used with permission
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Have you ever thought about your thoughts? According to scientists a human has approximately 70,000 thoughts per day with speeds of at least 260mph. Each memory or new thought creates a new connection in the brain. The brain is filled with 100 billion neurons and 100,000 miles of blood vessels, the distance of travelling approximately 4 times around the world at the Equator. I could list more facts about our brains that are mind boggling. This one amazed me: our brains don’t slow down when we go to sleep; rather they become quite active. Apparently the brain organises information while we sleep and produces hormones while we sleep, so we don’t injure ourselves by attempting to act on any of our ideas. We should praise God for being a creator of detail. But what does the Bible have to say about our thoughts? “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4 v 8-9 In these verses Paul lists 8 qualities that should be characteristics of our thoughts: true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. That means that our thoughts are to be true and accurate, not giving
into lies but believing the truth of God’s Word; our thoughts about other people are to be genuine, not fake; our thoughts are to be clean, beautiful, attractive, respectful, extremely good and admirable. Paul uses the word ‘whatever’, meaning that on all occasions we are to put these characteristics into practice. This is a high calling but if our lives are to reflect our Saviour then we should desire to glorify him in everything. So if we do the maths: Number of thoughts per day = 70,000 Number of qualities = 8 Number of thoughts given to each quality = 70,000 ÷ 8 = 8750 This subject does not lend itself to a “Whatever, no one sees my thoughts anyway” attitude. God sees your thoughts and he cares about your attitude towards him and others. Paul finishes by saying that if the believers put these qualities into practice then “The God of peace will be with you.” God is pleased when our thoughts are glorifying to him. Are your thoughts true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy? Let’s rejoice that we have a Saviour whose every thought was pure and let me challenge you to direct your thoughts to glorify God. Psalm 19 v 12-14
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Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I'm an ex-professional footballer, having played for Glentoran, Motherwell, Hull City and Doncaster. I also played 38 times for Northern Ireland and scored 4 goals. However, more than anything else I'd describe myself not as a professional footballer but as a child of God. How did you come to know the Lord? It was a process for me. I lost my father when I was 13 which made me start to ponder what comes after death. However, I put all my efforts into pursuing a career as a professional footballer which then collapsed at 15. I was spending my time on the street corners with -
my mates and my life wasn't really heading in any direction. But at the age of 17 I found out that the reason for living was Christ. I was invited to a tent mission in East Belfast held by the Whitewell Church. God really spoke to me, and about 4 or 5 weeks after I went back to the church and decided that I wanted to commit my life to Christ for the rest of my days and my life has never been the same. Was the England game the highlight of your career? I've been fortunate to have many highlights in my career. I won 10 trophies with Glentoran in about 5 years, did well in a struggling side at Motherwell and then at Hull City and Doncaster I won 3 English league promotions. But the best experience for me was playing for my country and the pinnacle was
beating the great England side in 2005 at Windsor Park. What advice would you give to young Christians who are involved in sport, especially if they are the only Christian on their team? No compromise. Shine your light for Christ. Don't be ashamed of the Gospel. Give everything you have for the Saviour. Sports changing rooms are somewhere you could very easily hide away and not stand up for what you believe in.
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But I've always been outspoken and tried to shine my light. I believe that God has blessed me because of that. So I'd advise them to keep doing that and keep strong in their Christian faith. What have you been up to since you retired from football? I became pastor at Living Hope Church in Hull for 2 years. I had been a teaching elder there whilst playing for 5 years before that. Then through much prayer I made the decision to come back to Northern Ireland as I wanted to launch my own evangelistic ministry ('One Goal Ministries'). That's what I've been doing for the last year or so and it's been a tremendous success under God, and I've been all over the country sharing the good news with both young and old.
You got a mention in one of Joel Beeke's recent newsletters as someone who was in the progress of embracing the Reformed faith. Could you tell us a bit about your journey to a more Reformed understanding of the Bible? I was brought up Pentecostal. A lot of people have told me that I couldn't be Pentecostal and Reformed. But when I look at the apostle Paul I see a man who was very much charismatic but also wrote the book of Romans which was a theological masterpiece. So
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Could you tell us a bit more about the work of One Goal Ministries? The work comes under two headings: Evangelism and Missions. Evangelism is basically going to schools, youth groups, churches and all sorts of places sharing the Gospel with men and women. I also do preaching and teaching on Sundays. On 9th-11th May this year we're launching a 3 night gospel crusade at Mourneview Park in Lurgan. We're expecting 1000 people each night and it's something we're very excited about. Our work isn't limited to Northern Ireland - we've been in England and Scotland as well and are looking forward to seeing what the Lord will do in the year ahead.
Reformed doctrines and my heart has been captured by them. So I'm very much a Calvinist and would see myself in the Reformed Charismatic camp alongside men like John Piper, Sam Storms and CJ Mahaney - really the 'New Calvinist' movement. I don't think I could ever go back to where I was before. Are there any other authors or books you've found particularly helpful in the Christian life? The Sovereignty of God by A. W. Pink is a tremendous book and really captured me. I'm also very interested in eschatology and John Greer's The Momentous Event really impacted me and convinced me of amillennialism. But out of them all, getting my hands on Robert L Reymond's Systematic Theology transformed my life, particularly when I was looking at the doctrines of the church, the kingdom of God (and the idea of the 'already' and 'not yet'); it really captured me and I started to see things a lot more clearly. How can we best pray for you and One Goal Ministries?
for me my journey was to remain true to Pentecost, but as I started studying (particularly a theologian called Robert Reymond), I found myself very much leaning towards
I'm a public figure, so pray that the Lord would keep his hand on me and protect me because we have to be sober and vigilant, especially with the enemy. Pray that God would give me protection and boldness to speak out no matter where I go. I want to go on till the day I die preaching the Gospel of Christ and sharing the good news with as many people as possible.
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The answers to these questions tell a lot about you. Sometimes ‘who we are’ gets wrapped up in things like our achievements, our looks or our relationships. We feel under pressure to be attractive and fun and always look as if we have life sorted. We become people-pleasers. We act the role of ‘the me I want everyone to think I am’ because it’s better than the less impressive reality. We want to be loved and approved of. And it’s exhausting.
behaviour. We look to them for value and identity. They become our idols. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with any of these things, in their right place. But when we take a good thing and make it a god-thing at any given moment, we’re on troubled ground. When I make something a priority, when I’m motivated by it or use it as a standard by which to judge others, when I invest a disproportionate amount of my thoughts, time, money or effort in getting it or keeping it – then the alarm bells should ring. Every idol springs from some perfectly natural human need, like that for value, acceptance, love,
Right back in Genesis Eve believed a lie. Something was offered and with it the promise of a better identity. The lie is still alive that created things can give us what we need and make us feel ‘worth it’ things like relationships, friendships, money, style, achievements or appearance. They push their way to the top of the pile of what’s important to us. They affect our -
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completeness - a hole that exists in your life, and that Jesus offers to fill. If only we’d realise that in Christ we’ve found our answer and are freed from the need! Enter Satan, who slithers over to keep that sense of need alive and offer alternative or additional solutions. But finite things were never intended to be infinitely satisfying, so trying to find your identity in them will leave you thirsting. It has all been a lie. Here are a few test cases to show how this works:
IDOL - We easily find our identity in what we do, and judge others by that too. This attitude runs deep and affects how you feel about university, being unemployed, having a low paid job, or being a fulltime Mum. NEED – You want to be valued, and the world says that that is linked to how much someone is willing to
pay for your contribution. You have to prove your worth. Satan cons us into believing that the career ladder is how to achieve status and credibility. FACT – While we are called to be stewards of the talents that God has given us, it’s vital that we keep some perspective. Your worth comes not from what you do but from what has been done for you. God the Son left the glory of his perfect existence in Heaven to come to this sin-struck world because he wants YOU to be in Heaven with him forever. And not because you had anything to offer. Just because. The price on your head was infinitely huge, and it’s been paid in full. Do you think you can add to that value? FREEDOM – With the idolbubble burst and God back where he belongs, we are no longer slaves to the rat race. It’s not crazy to take a pay cut to serve God better in a different way or different place. We’re free to make decisions that have eternally significant consequences.
IDOL – Are you a slave to your appearance? What is the base level below which you would not leave the house? No makeup? Slobby clothes? Sad hair? You want to look good for church. You know it’s really about worshipping God, but you wouldn’t mind just a little limelight for your new dress. NEED – The world sets a high standard for the acceptable look – so many things to get right plus I have to make it look effortless! Dissatisfaction guaranteed. Meanwhile Satan whispers that my appearance needs to be up to scratch if I’m to make a good impression. FACT – For redeemed sinners the compulsion to impress others should wither in the face of God’s delight in us. He declares that my appearance is without a single fault
(Col. 1:22). When God looks at me he sees perfection because I am clothed with Christ (Gal. 3:27) and he is impressed. And as I invest in true inner beauty I get something deep and lasting. Far better than any fake tan. If you’re still tempted to sigh at the person in the mirror, remember that God himself knit you together. Would you accuse him of using the wrong pattern for hair, build or skin? So applaud his skill and sing with honesty, “I will to you my thanks proclaim, for fearful, wondrous, is my frame” (Ps. 139:14). FREEDOM – When the idol has been toppled and God is in the right place you are free to wear that new top or something that everyone has seen a million times. It doesn’t add to or take away from who you are and what you’re worth. We can care about how we look, but it doesn’t consume us.
IDOL – Would you feel better about yourself if someone of the opposite sex noticed you? Do you think a ‘significant other’ would give you the love and security and sense of worth that you crave? NEED – The world has us dreaming of Prince Charming from the age of 4. Satan reinforces this, portraying singleness as something to be avoided at all costs. He tells us we are not complete without the love and security of a husband. FACT – While marriage is undoubtedly good, we already have those blessings in infinite measure. You are complete in Christ (Col. 2:10). He knows you intimately, even the bad bits. He has promised to be with you and provide for you all your days, ensuring that nothing happens that isn’t for your good, and when the time is right take you safely to Heaven. How much more security could you get? And love? God the Father loves
you as much as he loves his Son (John 17:23)! Does that blow your mind? It should - it’s outrageous, but true! Is the love of the infinite God enough to satisfy you? This love that is so wide and long and high and deep (Eph. 3:18&19) that it goes off the scale. Or is life incomplete without the affection of a man too? FREEDOM – By putting God back at the top of our thinking we can live a full life, single or married. No Christian bloke should want the No.1 slot in someone’s life anyway, so it’s much healthier and happier to never put him up there in the first place!
Now, let me ask you that question again. Who are you really? Are you first and foremost a child of God, immensely valued, infinitely loved, eternally beautiful? No-one can snatch those things out of your hands, so embrace them and enjoy
the freedom that they If you want to read more about the subject, Judith recommends: ‘Exploring Identity’ by Naomi Skull, The Good Book Company.
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From time to time, in the weeks leading up to the beginning of the new school year, I receive enquiries about churches in particular places. They usually go something like this: "So-and-so has got a place to study this-or-that at such-and-such university in such-and-such a city. Do you know of any good church that he or she could go to?" My initial response is almost always to hang my head in my hands, because I am grieved over the failure of the prospective students and their parents and perhaps their pastors to consider the consequences of their actions and to plan accordingly. In one sense, there is no good time of the year to address this, but hopefully that means that this is not a bad time. For some, I hope it will be timely, and help you to make the right decision in the right way in the right time. What would you think of someone who told you that they had made arrangements to move to a new planet, and then asked if you knew if the atmosphere was breathable? Or that they were on
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their way to a new country, but they were not sure if there would be any food there that they could eat, and did you have any recommendations? You would look at them as if they were mad! Air to breathe and food to eat: surely these are your first considerations when planning such a significant step, not the questions that you worry about once the business of getting there has been accomplished! So why is it that year after year, professing Christians students (and their parents) plan their intellectual, academic, professional or social development (or invest in the development of their offspring), and only subsequently ask whether or not their souls will receive faithful and loving care in the only environment on earth that Christ has ordained as the normal means for the lasting health of his people? Consider this: those three or more years at university occur at a seminal time of life under peculiarly trying circumstances. For many, this will be the first time away from home, away from the protection of
parents and the shepherding of the pastors they have always known. They will go into a stimulating, demanding environment with a host of new enticements, fresh temptations, different companions, peculiar challenges and unexpected opportunities. For many, the regular and immediate outward restraints of knowing and being known, of parental government and pastoral oversight, will be removed for a prolonged period of time. And all this at a time when the character is only just being formed, when physically, mentally, emotionally and very often spiritually, there is a degree of uncertainty and instability and often immaturity alongside rapid development. The previous anchor points of life are necessarily (and not necessarily unhealthily) being altered, and the soul may drop its anchors in better places, worse places, or simply be cast adrift. And into this potentially fruitful, potentially devastating environment goes the student, and he or she often does so without any notion of where they will find Christian care, compassion, example and instruction over the long haul. Could it be that one of the reasons why we see so many professing Christians falling away or losing their way during their university years is that they have headed off to their colleges and courses without first determining where and how they will obtain their spiritual sustenance? This is not an argument against Christian Unions and the like, nor is
it an argument for stay-at-home-orlocal schooling, but such a situation reflects a cripplingly low and badly mistaken view of the church, and the Christian's relationship to it. One fears that neither the parents nor the pastors of the church from which the prospective student comes have ever made clear the Christian's priorities, or - if one or other have set them forth - that they have been thoroughly rebuffed. If that is the foundation, what will be the building? How strange to see a Christian parent providing books, clothes, funds, food, and making countless other investments in the success of a university place, and then seeming merely to hope that their child will not make shipwreck of the faith along the way without making any of the appropriate provisions for the care of their souls! I acknowledge that the prospective student may not be a Christian, and may relish the prospect of finally being out from under the compassionate, concerned and determined government of church and home. Even so, surely a concerned parent or pastor might give well-meaning counsel in the hopes that - whatever the young person's response may be initially should there ever be a softening, or a need for care, there will be someone on hand to provide it with faithfulness and tenderness? Is there no prospect that a message could be sent to a pastor in the university town to keep an eye open for an uncertain or slightly disgruntled new face in the congregation over the first few weeks of term?
Of course, the same holds true of decisions relating to employment and other spheres. A fantastic promotion, much improved prospects, a more impressive salary, a lovely new home in a much better area, a wonderful school for the kids and so on and so forth . . . and a potential spiritual dryness that may well hold back the spiritual development of a child of God for the rest of their life on earth. Now, to be sure, we cannot predict or pre-empt the work of God in such things. We make foolish errors often, but believers have a heavenly Father who is working all things together for good, and the battles fought as a result of our mistakes may make significant contributions to our spiritual formation and yet prove a means of blessing. Of course, we may make the best plans we can, under God, and discover that a distant or wellmeaning recommendation amounts to nothing. People can be mistaken, sometimes badly, and beneath the surface of an apparently healthy church may lurk a looming disaster. Nevertheless, none of this is an excuse to act foolishly or disobediently and expect the Lord to tidy up the mess afterward: "Trust in God and keep your powder dry." For the Christian who is a prospective student, this may mean more work and hard choices. It may mean sitting down with lists of universities on one sheet and churches on another and working out where there is an appropriate correspondence. It may mean beginning with a long list of universities and doing the research
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on faithful churches in those towns and cities, with a line drawn through those halls of learning without halls of holiness in the vicinity - no matter how otherwise enticing the prospects or how creditable the courses. It could require a couple of visits to see how the rubber hits the road in a particular congregation. It may mean that you make your plans and decisions with the words ringing in your ears, ratcheted into your mind, or written on your paper: "Those who honour me, I will honour, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed." Should unforeseen dangers and trials then come, there is a promise for the child of God to cling to: "Lord, you know that in my heart and in my plans I set out to honour you. Father, please now protect and prosper your child!" In the coming year, then, as you contemplate any move, whether it be a application for a university place, a shift in employment, or any other such change of place, consider your soul, and therefore consider the church. Make every effort to get yourself into a spiritual environment in which you will not merely survive but are likely to thrive. Before you go among wolves, seek out and set out after God's appointed environment and God's appointed undershepherds for the salvation, succour, support and safety of his flock. Originally published on Reformation21.org The Online Magazine of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals Used with permission.
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THE AWARD-WINNING, 12 Years A Slave is by no means an easy watch. The powerful retelling of Solomon Northup’s experiences as a slave in the mid 1800s is brutal, yet brilliant, and gives a realistic, painful account of a slave plantation in the 19th Century. Tricked, kidnapped and sold into slavery whilst in Washington, free man Solomon Northup loses his identity and must struggle against the odds to survive if he ever wants to return to freedom. The film follows his journey through slave markets and the plantations, never shying away from the reality of life for the slaves. This film will make you uncomfortable; there are sequences that are impossibly difficult to watch, but the harrowing truth is that the film is based on Northup’s own memoirs. The film is superbly produced, and the performances of the cast, especially lead Chiwetel Ejiofor, are outstanding. 12 Years A Slave is a cinematic masterpiece, treating the subject with dignity, and the actors delivering highly emotive, thought-provoking performances, which will leave you stunned. What should our reaction as Christians be to the issues raised by this film? The abolition movements on both sides of the Atlantic gathered pace and strength as the
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19th century progressed. 1833 marked the freeing of the British slaves, a movement spearheaded by notable Christians such as William Wilberforce. In those days the Covenanters were actively involved in the abolition movement, but what about us today? The problem of slavery has far from disappeared. For 21 million people (source: www.nomoretraffik.com) human trafficking, or modern-day slavery, is the harrowing reality. Galatians 4:7 reminds us that God has redeemed us from spiritual slavery into the light and love of sonship. We have a new identity as sons of the living God. In Isaiah 61:1 -2 the prophet writes, ‘The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the broken-hearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.’ Nineteenth century Covenanters understood that these words primarily referred to our spiritual condition, yet they also knew that they had to be taken at face value. As slavery is still with us, should we not be more active in seeking to release those who are cruelly oppressed and held captive in our world today? In Luke 4 Christ quoted Isaiah’s words. Do we follow
our Lord’s example in taking to those enslaved by sin the truth of freedom in Christ? Ultimately, this is the greatest bond of slavery that can ever be destroyed, and it is this message that we must take into our broken, hurting world.
To most Irishmen the name of Oliver Cromwell is held in contempt. And the attitude of Scottish Presbyterians towards him was scarcely favourable either. Yet Irishmen and Covenanters have a great deal to learn from this man who was a farmer, soldier, statesman and above all a godly Christian. Cromwell didn't talk a great deal about preachers he had heard or sermons which affected him. It is from his letters that we learn most about his spiritual life and reading them leaves us in no doubt about his devotion to Christ. In one letter, written to his sonin-law, Cromwell expressed that devotion, ' What a Christ we have, what a Father in and through Him, what a Name hath my Father, merciful, gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin.' Oliver Cromwell was born in 1599 one of ten children in the family. He was the only son to survive. 'I was by birth a gentleman', he said, 'living neither in any considerable height nor yet in obscurity.' His father died while Oliver was at College in Cambridge and so he had to give up his studies and return to the family farm. He was keen on rural sports and strenuous activity like wrestling.
When the Civil War broke out between the forces of Parliament and King Charles, Oliver Cromwell was forty-three years old. Oliver was convinced that this war was being waged for the very soul of the nation and, since neither side had a full-time army, he recruited his own regiment. He saw the importance of well disciplined troops who had a will to win and so chose men who believed, like himself, that Parliament was acting in defence of true religion. Cromwell asked two basic questions about those he enlisted, ' Can he fight? Is he godly?' Though he had no military experience before the war, it soon became clear that Oliver was an instinctive soldier. His regiment was so successful and his tactics so effective that every other regiment soon modelled itself on his. Hence the Parliamentary forces have become known as 'The New Model Army'.
The Parliamentary army succeeded in defeating Charles and so began that period known as the Commonwealth. Cromwell had by now been recognised as a natural leader of men and so, not surprisingly, he was appointed as head of State or Protector. He refused to take the title of king! In many ways he was a reluctant leader. ' I would have been glad to have lived under my wood side, to have kept a flock of sheep rather than to have undertaken this government' But Cromwell accepted that it was God's will that this responsibility had been laid on him and so he continued in office till his death. Now that England was no longer a monarchy it needed a new constitution. Cromwell's concern was that those elected should be ' only such as are pious and faithful to the interests of the Commonwealth'. He believed that the greatness of a nation depended on its morality and so during the Commonwealth period many laws were enacted which had the intention of restraining evil and imposing righteous conduct.
Cromwell saw that if national life was to be reformed and stable then the church should be at the heart of it. He was in favour of a national church and regarded it as one of the state's responsibilities to ensure that the church was properly organized. However, he did not believe that the organization should be Presbyterian! Covenanters take issue with Cromwell here. The state does not have the right to direct the affairs of the church. We agree with one of Cromwell's biographers who wrote, 'We would have preferred his leaving to the church the power of self government.' Yet he did love the church of Christ. Addressing Parliament he beseeched them to ‘care for the whole flock’, ‘love the sheep’ and to protect even the ‘poorest ... most mistaken Christian’. Cromwell is undoubtedly a complex character and like all of us is a mixture. However, his motivation throughout his life was to please God and to bring honour to his Name. Surely this is a most worthy legacy for any man.
When did you first consider being involved in a church plant? We had been involved in Go teams to Cork and Galway and this stirred our interest in seeing the Church grow. We believed that the Reformed Presbyterian Church had a role in maintaining and teaching the doctrines of the Reformation. After an approach to the Eastern Presbytery about the possibility of a new congregation in Lisburn, the Presbytery in 1979 consulted a few RP families living in Lisburn and worshipping in other congregations. After an initial 2 week period of preaching, those involved decided to begin morning and evening services in the town and a midweek meeting. This was a reasonably new concept but we were aware that Trinity Congregation had relocated a few years earlier so we could see that, with God’s blessing, it was possible. We saw the need to have congregations in areas of population. Working in farming we were aware that much of the work is investing for the future and that to remain viable there has to be expansion. It is the same with the Church of Christ - we have to be investing in the future by expanding into new territory. Here was an opportunity for us to help. How old were your children? What advice would you give to families about church planting? At the time we had one child of a year old so the children had really no say in our decision. We do believe that it was good for our children to grow up in a congregation with the expectation of growth. What advice would we give other families? Children -
are a definite asset in a new work. They bring a natural exuberance, joy and life to the group and hope for the future. They form core groups for children and youth outreach. They are blessed by the interest and prayers of the older members. So, before God, make your commitment and go where he is leading. Go in faith, trusting in a faithful God. Give it your all, for the years go very quickly. Leave the outcome to God. What worries did you have about leaving your former church and what convinced you to go? Leaving the congregation he was raised in was most difficult for John. We thought we would go for 5 or 10 years and then return but we discovered it had to be a long - term commitment. Perhaps it would have been more difficult if we had known this at the beginning. There was a cost for our children in not having the privilege of growing up in the family church where their grandparents and aunt worshipped. Of course there was a cost for the family in seeing us go. But the home congregation was numerically strong and we were young and had the energy for a new venture. We wanted to see the Church grow. Although we didn’t feel we had any special talents, there was a job needing doing and we thought we could help. The challenge and excitement of starting a “new bit of ground” were irresistible. What was the hardest part of being involved in a church plant? In the early years the commitment of travelling the 26 mile
round trip to Lisburn perhaps 3 or more times a week, especially with 5 small children, was not easy. Over the 34 years we have become used to the travel and indeed have found it can be valuable family time. Being a distance away from where we worship is less than ideal when trying to reach out to a new community. The most difficult part of new work is definitely dealing with disappointments. When people attend for a time, sometimes years, and then move on because of dissatisfaction, there is a sense of somehow having failed, but not knowing quite how. But we are thankful for the many adults and children who have heard the message of salvation over the years. What was the best part of being involved in a church plant? One advantage of getting older is that one can look back and see how things have turned out. We have experienced the wonderful blessing of seeing God in his grace take a handful of families and over the years adding families and individuals to form a strong, warm fellowship of people from different backgrounds. It has been our privilege to be part of it. Our lives have been enriched and blessed by getting to know and love so many people we would not otherwise have met. We have, in a way, come full circle and we now have the joy of seeing young people from among us, following God’s leading in their own lives and moving on to help with new work and in small congregations both at home and abroad. It needs to be said that we also appreciate and are thankful for those who have stayed to invest in the future of the home congregation and to, as it were, “work the home farm” and take care of Granny. Looking back over the years would we make the same decision? Absolutely “Yes”.
I love sport. I think it is incredible how one person on a sports field has so much responsibility and can make such an impact. Take Brian O’Driscoll for example, possibly the greatest player of his era. When Brian was captain everything went through him. He was the main man, he took all of the media attention, performed consistently on the pitch was the centre of attention. When people thought of Ireland they immediately thought of Brian. In a sense this verse is telling us something similar about someone far greater. The key word in this verse is ‘him’. It is so important that Paul uses it four times. When I read this verse for the first time my initial reaction was that Paul is trying to make a point here. What is that point? Why does Paul repeat the word ‘him’, surely it is just a three letter word? I am sure most of you have realised that the word ‘him’ here is talking about Jesus, the greatest man that ever lived. Paul is trying to show us that being a Christian is all about ‘him’, it’s all about Jesus. From Jesus we receive everything, through Jesus we have endless life, to Jesus do all things belong and to Jesus goes all the glory and all the honour. This really challenged me; being a Christian is not about your church, how
involved you are in church or being a nice person. Don’t get me wrong these things are very important – but being a Christian is all about a relationship, a relationship with Jesus. It is all about him. Jesus has to be the most important thing in our lives. It is vital that our life is all about him. True Christianity is all about Jesus. The final line of this verse for me is one of the most challenging parts of the bible. Just read those six words slowly. Ok, they may seem like familiar words, we hear them regularly at the end of prayers and at church. But, these words should be our aim. As Christians we should not get up in the morning with the aim of passing an exam, earning money, doing as much work as possible or buying the nicest clothes from Hollister or Superdry. We should be getting up in the morning with one single aim for that day. That aim should be these six words. Our aim, our desire, our purpose, must be to give God the glory. God must get all the glory. That means that we get none. Every single day, God must get all the Glory, not us. Is that your aim today, is your single aim to Glorify God?
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“Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.’” (Exodus 20:20)
There are certainly things you ought to fear: we have a natural aversion to danger. There are other things you shouldn’t fear, but perhaps you do anyway: people have a lot of rather odd phobias! And then there are the things you don’t fear, but maybe should. What does the Bible say about fear, and the things that make us afraid? In this article, we begin a short series on texts of Scripture which contain the words, “Do not be afraid!” Far from being a theme of secondary importance, it’s actually the most common command in the whole Bible. Exodus 20:20 is a good place for us to start: “Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.’” At first blush, these words contain a seeming paradox: “Don’t be afraid … fear God instead!” But the paradox is actually a
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principle we encounter throughout God’s Word – that, while there are things Christians are sometimes afraid of, these fears must be overcome by learning a different kind of fear: the fear of God. That was what Israel learned at Mt. Sinai, where Moses spoke these words. Please take a few minutes to read Exodus chapter 20.
God’s people were afraid, and perhaps understandably so. They had just listened to the holy demands of the Ten Commandments, which revealed God’s holiness and their own sin. And as if that were not enough, they also witnessed the holy majesty of God’s presence: “Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off” (v18). But it is striking that Israel actually receives a gentle rebuke: “Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.’” In one
sense, the fear of God they’re indulging is surely an understandable fear – which of us wouldn’t tremble at such a sight? But in another sense, we are told it is also an improper fear. Should believers taste the dread of anticipated judgment? Should God’s children run away at his approach, like Adam did in the Garden? Exod.20:20 shows us that it is possible even for those whom God has redeemed from slavery to experience what we might call a ‘slavish’ fear of God, that only sees him as a wrathful Judge. That was Israel’s problem at Sinai. Perhaps it’s your problem too? Like Israel at Sinai, you approach God with a slavish fear, like the servant in Jesus’ parable, who said, “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man … and I was afraid” (Matt.25:24-25; cf. Rom.8:15).
Maybe you thin I’m being just a bit unfair to Israel? After all, wouldn’t you be terrified too? But these verses illustrate why God’s redeemed people shouldn’t indulge such a fear of God: because they have
a Mediator! Notice what they say to Moses: “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die” (v19). Israel’s mediator is Moses: he’s one of them, chosen and commissioned by God to go down into their Egypt, redeem them from Pharaoh’s slavery and lead them through the wilderness to the Promised Land. And if you’re a Christian, you too have a Mediator: Jesus Christ! He is one of us, chosen and commissioned by God to go down into this world, redeem you from sin and Satan’s slavery, and lead you through this wilderness to your heavenly home. With Jesus as your Mediator, there are good grounds for the command, “Do not be afraid!” Jesus makes approach to God bearable, not terrifying. Jesus makes God’s countenance a smile, not a frown. Jesus makes God’s voice delightful, not dreadful. Jesus renders God your Father, not your Judge. Jesus makes God’s Law a delight, not a death sentence.
The ‘benediction’ is pronounced by the minister at the end of a service.
The word ‘benediction’ simply means saying a blessing. The actual wording used in the benediction usually comes from the blessing the priests pronounced on God’s people in the Old Testament (“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” – Numbers 6:24-26) or a New Testament equivalent (e.g. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” – 2 Corinthians 13:14).
It’s easy to get used to the benediction signalling the end of the
Having provided the way to approach God without slavish fear, Israel’s mediator shows them a better way to fear: “The fear of God will be with you” (v20). As we shall see in this series, the believer possesses a holy fear which is the antidote to all sinful fears. It is sometimes called ‘filial’ fear, or reverence - fear tempered by love. What will this other kind of fear look like in your life, practically speaking? The rest of the chapter (v20, 22-26) offers two ways to practise the fear of God. The first is to live a life of holiness: “The fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning” (v20). What difference does it make to your choice of company, entertainments, relationships that you have had an encounter with the holy God? Only God-fearing men and women taste the joy of victory in the battle with personal sin.
church service, but it’s much more than just a full-stop at the end of a sentence, a full-time whistle at the end of a match, or a bell ringing at end of school. The benediction is a pronouncement of God’s blessing on the community of His people. It recognises the church as a covenant community – God has entered into a covenant (or solemn and unbreakable agreement, like a marriage) with His people and He is always faithful and promise-keeping. The church is God’s treasured possession. He puts His Name on them. They are His people with His blessing resting on them.
The benediction is pronounced by ministers of God’s Word. In Numbers 6, we learn that the blessing was to be spoken by “Aaron and his sons” (v23) – who were God’s appointed spokesmen.
The second is to live a life of worship: God says, “You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven … An altar of earth you shall make for Me” (v22, 24). The altar Moses built represents the sacrifice your Mediator offered to render your slavish fear obsolete and make holy fear the new norm of your life. God and his Law need no longer hold terrors for you if your penalty has been paid by Jesus on the altar of the Cross. And this is what fuels a life of worship that is both joyful and reverent (v26; cf. Rom.12:1, Heb.12:18-29). Are you a Christian who’s “standing afar off” from God (v21)? Listen to the voice of your Mediator saying, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
As Christians, we receive the benediction in faith that God does bless and has blessed His people. Even when non-Christians have been at the service, we know that simply being at church doesn’t automatically make them part of God’s family – but the benediction recognises the privileges of being among God’s covenant community (hearing His Word, meeting His people), just like strangers and foreigners shared in some of the privileges of God’s people Israel in the Old Testament. The benediction is not a prayer for blessing, but a statement of the blessing that is already ours as God’s people. “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them” (Num. 6:27). Since it’s a pronouncement rather than a prayer, many ministers I know are happy for you to keep your eyes open! Ask yours if you’re not sure!
Stop and read Psalm 13. This lament is not from the pen of a spiritual novice on a slightly rough day. This is the man after God’s own heart, the sweet psalmist of Israel, who wrote the great declaration, ‘The LORD is my shepherd.’ But right now he is heartbroken; he feels forgotten by God and consumed by a tidal wave of emotion. You don’t have to be the embattled king of Israel or surrounded by powerful, lifethreatening enemies to need Psalm 13. It’s the psalm for that agonising ache that won’t go away when the doctor says, ‘I am sorry there is nothing more we can do.’ It’s the psalm you need when it feels as if your heart will break because that person you loved so much has gone. It’s the song for those days of
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uncontrollable emotion when your best laid plans for a happy future have melted in family turmoil. Aren’t you so thankful that David would write down the words you wouldn’t dare to say, “How long, O LORD?” Aren’t you thankful that the Holy Spirit gave these lyrics so you could sob them back to God with a quivering voice? This is not denying God but crying out in faith to the only one who can do anything. Faith is limping on after God when your circumstances say, ‘Give it all up.’ David’s great concern is to be ours when there is sorrow in our heart all the day - ‘Light up my eyes, Lord.’ That is exactly what happens when we cry to God like David. The light dawns, the rays of grace break through our veil of tears. We can say these may be my circumstances, this may be what I see, but this is what I know; ‘I have trusted in your
steadfast love, my heart shall rejoice in your salvation; I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.’ Read Psalm 13 again. Can you hear another voice beside yours? Is this not the psalm about the man of sorrows, Jesus Christ? At Golgotha he felt forsaken by his Father and was surrounded by his enemies. Upon his death his enemies thought they had prevailed but his eyes were relit with resurrection glory. He had defeated death and accomplished the salvation of his people. God was ruling over the darkest moment in history for his glory and his people’s best. If you’re his, this means you can be sure that even in the most awful circumstances, he will deal bountifully with you. So limp on, brother. Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
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