MEDIA FROM ACROSS the world trained their cameras on the Vatican balcony. A surge of excitement ran through the crowd as the red curtain was pulled back and the new Pope was revealed. Thousands of men, women, and children, who had waited expectedly on the streets of Rome, celebrated. These emotive images were beamed across the world and ought to have provoked heartbroken prayerfulness amongst Reformed Christians. The influence of the Catholic Church may have waned a little on our island in recent years but this is not a universal truth. It remains an immensely powerful institution which distorts the message of the Gospel and entraps millions in confusion. In Ireland it is right to react against the bigotry which equates religious belief with political or cultural identity. In our disgust with those who would attach God’s name to a province or flag, we must not overbalance in our understanding of the Pope and his Church. The Catholic Church should not be regarded as a force for good or as morally neutral. In our cover article Prof. David McKay’s response to the new Pope provides biblical ballast and Reformed perspective. The desire to see Jesus recognised as King saturates this issue of our magazine. We have reports from mission work in Waterford, Airdrie, Nantes and Derry, alongside a discussion of favourite aspects of mission or Go Teams. As a small group of churches, we are thrilled by encouragements which hint that God may have much work for the Reformed Presbyterian Church to do. Since we collated our articles for this issue, there have also been exciting church planting developments with a regular Bible study in Cookstown and worship services in East Belfast. With the fields white for harvest may we not be found wanting in praying, giving and going.
Abigail Nelson Alistair Rolleston Andrew Morrison Emma Dunwoody James McCullough Philip Aicken Robert McCollum Stephen Steele
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 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. -
Photo: Ben Hanna
IF YOU HAVE NEVER been to Build a Burger in Belfast, you're missing out on a real treat. Think of it as being a bit like Subway, except with burgers instead of sandwiches. The fantastic thing is, once you've picked what meat you want, no matter what extras you get on it, the price will be the same. Want a completely plain burger? That's £5. Want three different types of cheese? That's £5. Want cooked onions, pickle, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and barbecue sauce? Well then, that's £5. They're all worth the same. Some of today's churches are trying a "£5 burger" Christianity in order to be less offensive and more appealing. Come to our church, and build your own little set of beliefs. What feels good is good, and it's great that you've found your special place with God. That person on your left may still be "searching", so let them find their own way. This isn't real Christianity. This is society's "Build-Your -God". Sure, there's the Bible, but that's really just a big suggestion book. It was written by men anyway; there's bound to be a few mistakes in it, and who's to say what's right and what’s wrong in there. Jesus probably existed and he had some interesting ideas. Genesis, that was just a story for the Jews, because they didn't really understand science. All that stuff in there about sexual purity certainly doesn't apply today, and Paul was just speaking to the culture of the day when he called homosexuality a sin. Who are you to decide what is and isn't love? Or so many people think. We've all come across people who think that Christians are intolerant and out of touch with today's world. Yet, as a Church and as people, we need to remember to hold the authority of the Scriptures about all else, as the self -authenticating, authoritative Word of God. Proverbs 6:23
states, "For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life." With this in place, we can refute the arguments and challenges of all those who would seek to belittle it. It was written by the One who was love personified, because as it says in Romans 5:8, "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Because we know that he loves us, for he has demonstrated that in this sacrifice, we can be sure that he only wants the best for us. We can be sure that the instructions that he has left us are the best guide we have for how to live our lives. Since we can be sure that the only being who can write on God with perfect confidence is God himself, we can dismiss any writings which would claim to show God's mind or thoughts, but fly completely in the face of what the Bible says. Indeed, this is exactly what 1 Timothy 3:16-17 says: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." Don't let yourself buy into the lie that everyone needs to create their own "personal" God or that everyone's religion is worth the same. God never changes. His love for us never changes. His Scriptures never change. And so, instead of trying to create a personal God, get to know God personally.
NEW POPE: same problem
THERE IT IS: WHITE SMOKE! We have a result – ‘Habemus papem’, as the locals say. The winner – a surprise to most observers – Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires and a member of the Society of Jesus (ie, a Jesuit). He was runner-up to Cardinal Ratzinger in the 2005 election, so perhaps not a complete surprise, but the election of a Pope from outside Europe was certainly a first. Pope Francis 1, as he is now known, cuts a rather different figure from his predecessor, Benedict XVI. Benedict was clearly an academic, a man who lacked the charisma of Pope John Paul II whom he succeeded. Francis, on the other hand, is smiling, apparently warmhearted, at ease in the glare of worldwide publicity. He has a reputation for living simply, using public transport, showing compassion for the poor. He personally telephoned his newsagent in Buenos Aires to cancel his daily papers, not the usual action of a papal monarch. Roman Catholics of course rejoice to have a new Pope, although already questions are being asked about Cardinal Bergoglio’s behaviour during the dark days of -
military dictatorship in Argentina. Was he complicit in the arrest of two Jesuits who were proving troublesome to the government? Time will probably tell. Nevertheless, many Roman Catholics hope that a new Pope will mean significant change, not least in reforming the Curia, the ‘civil service’ of the Vatican, which appears to be riddled with corruption. If that were not enough to tackle, there is the running sore of clerical child abuse and the all-toofrequent efforts of the Church to cover up scandals and look after its own. Some Protestants too are finding Francis an attractive figure. Those of an ecumenical bent hope that he will be a man with whom they can do business. Given that, as Reformed Presbyterians, we don’t fit into that camp, what are we to make of the new Pope? If we don’t share the rejoicing of others, it has to be for clearly thought-out reasons, not simply because we are automatically ‘anti-Pope’. Nobody is impressed these days with such a knee-jerk reaction. So, what do we think? On the plus side, we can acknowledge that the advent of Francis I means that there will continue to be a voice on the world
stage opposing, for example, abortion and homosexual marriage. The new Pope’s views on ethics will be no more acceptable to the world than were those of his predecessor. On many of these issues we would find ourselves in agreement with a conservative Roman Catholic position, and for that at least we can be grateful. The cultural tide in Western Europe is strongly against biblical morality and a prominent defender of such views is welcome. Having said that, we have to recognise that, in fact, nothing much has changed with the election of the new Pope. He heads a system whose motto through the centuries has been ‘semper eadem’ (‘always the same’, if your Latin is a bit wobbly). You can’t separate the man from the system, and the system has certainly not changed. To respond to the election of Francis I really requires an evaluation of Roman Catholicism, and our verdict has to be that it has not changed just because an Argentinian is now at the top. To evaluate Roman Catholicism we have to look at its official positions. What individual Roman Catholics believe may be quite different; many reject various elements of official teaching and we need not deny that some may truly
be trusting in Christ alone for salvation. Reformers such as Calvin never tried to argue that there were no true Christians within the Roman Catholic fold. That did not, however, prevent them viewing the system as antichristian, and documents such as the Westminster Confession of Faith identify the Papacy as the ‘Antichrist’ (Confession 25.6). Why, then, might we say ‘New Pope: Same Problem’? What are the real key issues on which we disagree with Roman Catholicism? Why can we not hop on the ecumenical bandwagon and make ourselves a bit more popular than we are? There are many matters we could consider, but a few stand out: (i) . With regard to authority in the Church, the Pope himself is the most obvious problem. Here is a man content to be addressed as ‘Holy Father’ – the title Jesus used in speaking to his Father in Heaven (John 17:11). He is also termed ‘the Vicar of Christ’ – the one who acts as Christ’s representative on earth, the role in fact played by the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17; 16:7-15). Huge claims indeed! This is how the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it: ‘The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter’s successor is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful. For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered’ (§882). And that’s before we get into the issue of the infallibility of statements made by the Pope ‘ex cathedra’ (officially, ‘from his throne’). Popes have generally been canny about what they say ‘ex cathedra’, but it’s the principle that’s the problem. The question of authority, however, is even deeper than this. The basic problem is that Rome’s view of revelation is defective. According to Roman Catholic thinking divine revelation is to be found in Scripture and in unwritten apostolic tradition, not in Scripture
alone. ‘Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honoured with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence’ (Catechism §82). Cut loose from ‘Scripture alone’, anything can be justified, and all sorts of unbiblical ideas can be brought in. (ii) . Nothing is more important than the question of how a sinner can be right with God. Luther was right to regard the doctrine of justification as the test of whether a church is standing or falling. Get this wrong and, really, you’re all wrong. Rome’s doctrine of justification is essentially that of the sixteenth century Council of Trent. The Council’s decrees are not a relic of the past but are regularly cited in the Catechism as fully authoritative, not least with reference to justification. Recent documents claiming to express agreement on justification between Rome and Lutherans, and between Rome and Evangelicals should not blind us to this fact.
“ One problem lies in the Roman Catholic definition of justification. In harmony with biblical teaching, the Reformers defined justification as God’s declaration that those who believe in Christ are righteous in his sight, distinguishing it from sanctification, God’s making forgiven sinners actually righteous in a gradual, lifelong process. Only in sanctification do we have any role to play. In Rome’s view, however, ‘Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man’ (Catechism §1989). Thus there is scope for endless confusion, not least regarding what is God’s work and what is our role. According to Roman Catholic theology, ‘Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith’ (Catechism §1992). That justified status must then be maintained (or renewed) by the
exercise of faith. It is God’s grace that moves the sinner to faith, and the sinner for his part must cooperate with divine grace and put no obstacles in its way. After the initial undeserved grace that leads to conversion, the Christian is then able to merit (for himself and others) all the graces needed to attain eternal life (Catechism §2027). The role of man in salvation is thus greatly inflated, including as it does an ability to prepare oneself for the reception of justifying grace, together with the capacity to merit the grace required for remaining in a state of justification. Protestant arguments against the Roman Catholic view of justification have sometimes been crude and have missed the real point, ending up as caricatures in which Roman Catholics do not recognise themselves. Even allowing for such weaknesses, the truth is that the Roman Catholic position attributes justification to infused righteousness (which God puts into the sinner, changing him spiritually) whilst the Bible attributes justification to imputed righteousness (God’s counting the righteousness of Christ as ours, thus changing our standing in his sight). They are fundamentally different. For the Roman Catholic there are degrees of justification, depending on how much grace God infuses, and without a special divine revelation no Roman Catholic can be sure of being in a ‘state of grace’. We could comment on various other Roman Catholic doctrines, such as the belief that the Mass is a literal repetition of the sacrifice of Christ and effects salvation, the practice of confession to a priest who can pronounce absolution, or devotion to Mary who acts as a ‘mediatrix’ interceding with her Son. Enough has been said, however, to show that, whatever can be said in a positive way about the election of a new Pope, the same basic issues separating the Reformed Faith from Roman Catholicism remain. New Pope: same problem.
My favourite Go teams have always been the ones that came to help my home congregation. As a member of a small congregation, it was always encouraging when a group of young (or older!) people came to help with our church’s evangelism. It was lovely to introduce them to older members of the congregation, have them share in the work being done, and hear different ideas or suggestions from their experiences. As a young child, I loved to be able to talk to and learn from the older Go Teamers, either during the different activities or while chilling out during the week. From a personal perspective, I love helping with our own kids' club during the summer, getting to know the children and then being able to
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invite them to club during the year and say ‘See you then!’ It's also great to be walking through your town and recognise young people from summer club. You can stop and chat to them, ask about their lives and encourage them to come to youth club or church. While standing on doors, I find it so much more enjoyable offering, ‘I could come back with an answer to your question’, or ‘I could meet with you to study more of the Bible’, rather than saying, ‘I will see if someone could come and meet with you.’ Similarly, it's great to have a reason to invite friends or family to a meeting by saying, ‘We are having a week of special services at church. Would you be interested in coming?’ Even if they only come because they
are your friend and they want to encourage you, they will still hear the Gospel. There is something special about working with the people in your own congregation; having a shared goal builds a great sense of unity and fellowship. You also learn more about how each other thinks and works. So, whether your church has an official Go Team or not, make sure you get involved in the evangelical witness in your own area before you go elsewhere.
Over the last 6 years I’ve been on many Go teams, including Balliesmills, which is certainly one of my favourite teams. Bailiesmills is 5 miles from Lisburn, and the congregation hosts an annual fiveday team to help with their summer Bible Club. This team takes place each evening and enables people who cannot give up a full week to take part in a Go team. The team is well organised and everyone from Bailiesmills is very friendly. The large summer Bible Club is a great outreach opportunity, but the congregation have few young people of their own and greatly appreciate those who come to help. In many ways I see this as the best sort of Go
team, a team which works alongside a congregation to enable outreach that would be difficult otherwise. My number one reason to go on a team is to experience the wider Church. As Reformed Presbyterians we value the close relationship between different congregations. Whilst camps and CY events perform an important role, Go teams are even better. Teams to places like Galway and Nantes let us see and experience first hand the work of our missionaries, and help them in their work. Teams to more established congregations give us the opportunity to become part of that church for a week, to help and learn from them. Wherever you go you
will form new friendships and strengthen existing relationships. It will help you to know more about the work of the Church and improve your own outreach skills. Furthermore, as you show an interest in the work of the wider Church, you will be an encouragement to other team members and to the host church.
I don’t think I have one favourite Go Team. I have enjoyed all the teams I have been on for different reasons, and particular memories stand out from each one. For example, Letterkenny was my first Go Team and, although I felt apprehensive about taking part in door-to-door work for the first time, I was reassured by the team Bible studies on Joshua. I found the promise of Joshua 1v9 particularly encouraging. I took part in the first Enniskillen GO Team which was a great experience as I served with a wide age range and a diverse mix of people, including families, young people and retired couples. We learnt a lot from
each other. At that time there was no local R.P. church, but it is exciting to see how an RP church is now growing and developing in the town. When I travelled to Nantes, France, on a Go team, I faced the additional challenges of a different language, an unfamiliar culture and a widespread disinterest in Christianity. I may be a little biased but Cloughmills has been my favourite team every year. It is always an encouragement to have other people come to help a small congregation in outreach work. Getting involved in your own congregation’s outreach work is just as important as serving somewhere else.
Going on a Go Team will make you more aware of the work and different needs of our congregations and church plants. It will help you to pray more effectively for them. It will also help you to grow as a Christian, as you learn through Bible studies and serve with other Christians, whilst giving you the confidence to share the Gospel and test your gifts.
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The Bible is a book of promises. It contains ‘very great and precious promises’ (2 Peter 1:4). Many of these point to the Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20), yet others point to the Holy Spirit, and in Ephesians 1:13 Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit is promised throughout the Bible.
SOME OF THE BEST known promises of salvation in the Old Testament are those which point to the Redeemer. In Genesis 3:15 God told Adam and Eve that ‘the seed of the woman’ would crush the serpent. In Genesis 22:14 God told Abraham that a substitutionary sacrifice like the one which had saved Isaac’s life would be provided ‘on the mountain of the Lord’. In Isaiah 53 the prophet foretold a suffering servant who would bear – and thus remove - the sins of many. These are well known and much loved promises of God. Although they are less well known, but just as important, there are promises of the Spirit whose work is bound up with that of the Redeemer. a) The Spirit will send the Saviour. This is implied in the description of the Messiah as the Servant of God. -
He is sent by the triune God to bring salvation to his people, and the Holy Spirit is an eternal person in the triune God. Thus the Holy Spirit participates in the sending of our Saviour. This inference is made explicit in Isaiah 48:16, ‘And now the Sovereign Lord has sent me with his Spirit.’ The Servant of the Lord claims that the Sovereign Lord sent him ‘with his Spirit’. This could mean either that the Sovereign Lord sends both the Servant and the Spirit, or that the Spirit joins with the Sovereign Lord in sending his Servant. Allan Harman argues that the context supports the latter interpretation and this is a striking thought. It also helps guards against the tendency to think that the Holy Spirit plays a lesser role in God’s plan of salvation. In the New Testament we are told that the Spirit announced the coming of the Saviour to Simeon
(Luke 2:26). He played a vital role in the conception of our Lord in the womb of the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:35). He directed our Lord’s earthly ministry, sending him out into the desert to be tempted (Luke 4:1) and leading him back to Galilee in power (Luke 4:14). b) The Spirit will rest upon the Saviour. Several promises of the Messiah contain a reference to the Spirit resting upon him. In Isaiah 11:1-3 the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon ‘the shoot from Jesse’ to give him the knowledge and fear of the Lord. In Isaiah 42:1 the Spirit will enable the Servant to bring justice (or salvation) to the nations. In Isaiah 61:1 the Servant announces that he will be anointed with the Spirit to preach good news to those in need of salvation. Our Lord read from this very
passage in the synagogue at Nazareth and told his hearers that God’s promise was fulfilled in their midst (Luke 4:17-21). Jesus knew that he was the promised Saviour but he also knew that he needed the Spirit’s help. He was particularly conscious of it when he said, ‘The one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit’ (John 3:34). c) The Spirit will flow from the Saviour. When the Lord Jesus came as the long-awaited Messiah he made new promises about the Spirit. He promised that another Counsellor, the Spirit of Truth, would be with them after his death (John 14:16). He promised his disciples that they would be his witnesses, but first they would be given power (Luke 24:49). This promise is repeated in Acts 1:4, and then explained in Acts 2:33. The risen Saviour has poured out his Spirit on the Church so that the nations might hear the Gospel and be saved. Note how we have two sets of intertwined promises - the promise of the Redeemer and the promise of the Spirit who enables and empowers him. Rightly, we rejoice in the work of Jesus Christ for our Salvation. We rejoice in his virgin birth, sinless life, atoning death and triumphant resurrection. However, none of this would have happened without the work of the Spirit. The spiritual salvation the Lord gives us is a totally new kind of life, lived in the Spirit. This important point is nowhere more powerfully developed than in Romans 8. Life in Christ is life in the Spirit. We are liberated from condemnation so that we may live in the Spirit. The Spirit lives in us (Romans 8:9) and we are led by the Spirit to live as sons of God (8:14). We cannot enjoy the blessings purchased by Christ apart from the work of the Spirit.
Returning to the promise of the Spirit in the Old Testament we see another stream of hope – promises to the people of God. At first the promise of his presence was limited to a few in Israel. However, as time
passed the scope of the promise broadened. a) Promises to Israel’s deliverers. The Spirit was promised to people like Saul, a warrior who defended the Israelites from their enemies. ‘The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power’ (1 Samuel 10:6). These battles may seem distant and irrelevant to us, but they were a foretaste of bigger battles to come. b) Promises to the remnant. These were the Israelites who survived when God punished Israel for its sin. Many went into exile, but God promised that he would bring them back to their homeland to rebuild the ruined land of Israel. Isaiah 32:14-14 describes them as a fortress abandoned until the Spirit is poured out upon them. This promise was partly fulfilled when the exiles returned (see Isaiah 44:3-5 and Ezekiel 37:14) for Jerusalem was not rebuilt by human might but by the power of the Spirit poured out upon them (Zechariah 4:6).
“ c) Promises to all people. One of the greatest Old Testament promises of the Spirit is found in Joel 2:28-29. Peter used these verses to explain what was happening on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:16-21). God had promised to pour out his Spirit on all people, young and old, men and women, Jew and Gentile. Not everyone in the crowd preached and spoke in tongues that day, but everyone heard the Gospel and everyone who called out to the Lord for salvation was saved. Each one of them received a new insight into God’s saving plan and three thousand of them had an amazing story to tell. Paul takes up this point in Galatians 3:14, where he insists that the blessings of salvation promised to Abraham can now be enjoyed by Gentiles who trust in Jesus Christ.
‘He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.’ Chief among these blessings is the indwelling and empowerment of the Spirit.
a) The importance of his ministry. All God’s promises are great and precious. The fact that God has promised the gift of the Holy Spirit underlines the importance of his ministry. There was eager anticipation before his outpouring. There is great rejoicing after his outpouring. b) The danger of neglecting his ministry. God’s promises identify a need, because God promises the things we do not have. There is a void in us that only the Spirit of God can fill. Yet there is a real danger that we strive to know and serve God in our own strength. We overestimate our potential and underestimate our need. The blessings we enjoy may deceive us if they dull our sense of need for the Spirit. c) The urgency of praying for his ministry. God’s promises not only expose a need, they call for a response. They prompt us to ask God for the things he has promised. Our Lord taught his disciples to pray for the gift of the Spirit. ‘If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13). We are to ask our Heavenly Father to pour out the Spirit’s blessing on everything – the sermons we preach, the articles we write, the tracts we hand out, the missionaries we support for without it we will accomplish nothing of lasting value.
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Team members: Osy and Vicki Graham (leaders), Elizabeth Clement, Mairi Dundee, Ben Harris, Hannah Hyndman, Emmaline McCollum, David McConaghie, Helen McKelvey, John Neilly, Aileen Parker. AMIDST THE PLANNING for the Nantes Go Team, one eventuality we had not considered was snow in late March! Due to a few hours delay at Belfast City Airport, the team arrived at Southampton expecting to have missed our next flight. However, we discovered the plane ready and waiting for us. It had been held up due to problems with a tyre. We arrived safely in Nantes that afternoon, full of thankfulness for God's merciful control over our journey. We were ready to begin leaflet distribution. This was the bulk of our work, and over the course of the week we posted approximately 37,000 Reflexions through the letter boxes of people in the locality. These leaflets contained articles about current events designed to grab the interest of residents in Nantes, but also explaining the gospel message in a clear way. We were all encouraged to see two people out at church on the second Sunday of our stay as a result of these leaflets. A couple of other individuals contacted Malcolm to find out more.
The team attended the weekly youth club on Friday evening where, after some fun and rather competitive games, Osy Graham shared his testimony with the group. -
Osy’s honesty and Jesus’ impact on his life really struck the young people. On Tuesday night, we hosted an evening’s entertainment as an outreach event. With our best singing and acting on display, we were glad to see contacts of the missionaries who wouldn't normally attend church come along, some of whom even joined in our performance. We participated in the Wednesday night English Cafe, and there were some promising conversations with people who have no real church connections. Aside from this, the team enjoyed a little free time, learning some culinary skills at a cookery class, and seeing the sights of Nantes. Osy led us in Bible study through the book of Acts each evening, and we all benefited from looking at the works of the apostles as we sought to honour God in our own work. We all experienced during the week the words of Philippians 4:13, ‘I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength’. We were all pushed in different ways: dealing with the linguistic challenge, navigating through a foreign city, or sharing the Gospel with strangers. As we looked back over the week we realised that God helped us to do things we may not have previously believed we could. As this was my first time in Nantes, I found it very beneficial to see the church and I was struck by the missionaries’ enthusiasm for the work. I would encourage you all to continue in prayer for this city, where the Gospel message is largely unknown, and pray for the follow-up work following our team’s visit. We have faith that God can continue to do amazing things.
THE WEEKEND CONFERENCE offers many of the same blessings as other church camps and conferences to all ages! For the past few years it has been held in Glenada Conference Centre in Newcastle. Having attended this Conference many times as a child and over the last few years as a bigger child, I must share what a blessing it has been for me to have fellowship with older Christians. I know they too appreciate the presence of younger people whom they can get to know and who in turn encourage them. The Conference may have begun with a treacherous journey through snow and a brief power cut, but the Lord certainly blessed our time together. This year Rev. Harry Coulter shared some ‘Snapshots of the Christian Life’ from the book of James. We were challenged about our godliness and joy during trials, when faced with temptation, in our speech and in the area of wisdom. I would highly recommend listening to these inspiring messages at www.rpc.org. On Saturday we spent time discussing the various types of compassion ministries in which our congregations are involved. It was a real encouragement to hear the work God is doing to advance his Kingdom and the action churches are taking to step out into their surrounding communities. Despite the Arctic ‘breeze’ some brave souls ventured into Newcastle on Saturday afternoon, the destination of course being the ice-cream shop! Others decided a quiz in the cosy lounge was preferable. Delicious meals were provided throughout the weekend by the staff in Glenada and the accommodation was a little more comfortable than a tent or hostel! I would encourage everyone, no matter what stage of life, young, old, single, married, parents, retired, to consider attending the Weekend Conference. Come with family, friends, or by yourself and share in the fellowship, worship and fun. Amy McCollum, Ballymoney RPC
Aspire – to have a strong desire to achieve an objective 27th April was the first day of Airdrie GO team 2013. The team included Anna Collins (Killicomaine Evangelical Church), David and Matthew Duly (Carrickfergus RPC), Derek Lynch (Bready RPC), Rachel Nelson (Trinity RPC), Amy Smyth (Edinburgh RPC) and Eleanor McCollum (Cloughmills RPC). The team was from Wednesday morning until Monday 1st April. That Monday also started the week of mission meetings at the church with the title, “Jesus Christ, Changes Lives for Eternity”. We came on the team hoping to get to know one another and be a help and an encouragement to the church in Airdrie.
Interwoven – to blend together, intermix For those of you who have visited before, you will know that Airdrie is a very close congregation. The members know each other well and have a genuine concern, seeking to serve wherever there is a need. As a team, we made an effort to get to know those individuals and especially the young people, spending 4 evenings with the CY. This is a group for young people aged from 12 to 23 years old with whom we did a number of social activities and a psalm sing.
Real – actually existing Throughout the four days of the team, we gave out 15,000 leaflets to the areas around the church. As we spoke to people and invited them to the mission week, we could see that the church has a presence in the community. Many knew what and where it was and some had been previous attenders. The church is living and seeking to grow in size by spreading the good news of the Gospel.
Deep – Extending far down from the surface On Sabbath morning, Rev. Andrew Quigley preached from the Gospel of Luke, on the parable of the sower. He spoke
to us about how to pray for our non-believing friends and some possibilities of what to expect for the upcoming mission week. Verse 15 of Luke 8 says, “… the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” Our obvious prayer was that there would be “4th soil Christians” brought forth from this week, but it was also a challenge to us, that we must be constantly reading the Bible and striving to “produce a crop” by witnessing to others around us.
Resolute – To be admirably determined On the Monday morning of the team, we took a Covenanter Reformation tour around a few different towns in Scotland. We learnt that during this time of persecution, there were many who fell away from the church and stopped following God. However, there were brave men, women and children who determinedly stood up for their beliefs and were willing to die a brutal death in their defence.
Inspiring - to fill with the urge to do or feel something To hear about the Scottish Covenanters defending their faith to the point of death puts our struggles into perspective and helps us to realise the brevity of life. As a team, we have been inspired to be more loving in our role as church members and praying for our congregations, truly believing that God will answer our prayers.
Enigmatic
- Difficult to interpret or understand;
mysterious That time on Airdrie GO team taught me a lot about how close God is to us, but how far away we are from him. It is so easy to be discouraged and frustrated by plans that don’t follow through and circumstances we don’t understand, but God is working and fulfilling his will for the good of those who love him.
‘WHAT BRINGS YOU to Derry?’ is a question I have often been asked in the past year. When I say that my husband came to be the pastor of a new church, the next question is inevitably, ‘Where is your church?’ For most people the word ‘church’ conjures up a picture of an old, cold building where births, marriages and deaths are marked. This flawed idea does not come close to the reality of Gateway Christian Fellowship. A better question would be, ‘Who is your Church?’ We are a group of believers who, with our children, seek to worship God in Derry and to reach others. We come from different backgrounds, some Catholic, some Protestant. Not one of us was born into Gateway, instead we chose to be there (or should that be were chosen?). We aim to live up to our name to be a ‘Fellowship’. Our service at 11:30am in the Tower Hotel, Butcher Street on Sabbath mornings is simple - involving
The word ‘session’ is used in many Presbyterian churches for the group of elders (the men God has given to lead and to teach) in a congregation. ‘Session’ is not a word we find in our Bibles, but the idea of wise and godly men to lead, teach and care for God’s people can be found all through the Bible. Elders were leaders of God’s people in the Old Testament (e.g. Exodus 18, 19, 24; Numbers 11; Ruth 4) and were -
praise, prayer, Bible reading and preaching of the Word of God. We spend almost as much time afterwards catching up with each other and getting to know newcomers. We are greatly blessed to be close to Faughan and Bready congregations and both take an interest in our work. Most Lord’s Days our core group will be supplemented by visitors from one or other of these congregations, or further afield. We were really excited when the senior classes of Cullybackey Sabbath School visited to see the work they were supporting. Recently, a lady came into the service for the first time. She was quite nervous and wanted a seat near the door for a quick exit. Imagine our joy when she was still there talking to people 2 hours after the service began! Please pray that this lady, and others who have deep spiritual questions, will be drawn to us. Our home Bible study on
Sabbath evenings is informal and lively. During the week there are individual Bible studies, Tuesday Children’s Hour, literature distribution, door-to-door work, and a Ladies’ Prayer Meeting We deeply appreciate the contribution of our young people. Richard and Conor created our website www.gatewaycfderry.org. We have been encouraged by some young doctors on placement in Altnagelvin Hospital who have worshipped with us and we would also love to have a link with the city’s student life. Are you thinking about working or studying in Derry? Would you consider making Gateway your spiritual home away from home and perhaps introducing a nonChristian friend to our Bible study? We promise to look after you!
chosen in local congregations as the church grew and spread in the New Testament (e.g. Acts 14:23; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5; 1 Peter 5:1-5).
when we think of what we mean by the word ‘session’ when we use it in church! But it’s an important reminder for us to realise how often we can use church jargon – which could mean something totally different or not mean anything at all to someone who is new to church or hasn’t grown up in the church. There is nothing wrong with the word ‘session’, but if we really want new people to come to our churches and feel welcome then we need to be careful that we aren’t constantly using words/phrases that confuse them.
When I was given the topic for this ‘Jargon’ article, a member of this magazine’s committee helpfully informed me that – according to one online dictionary of slang words and phrases – ‘session’ can mean a group of people getting together deliberately to get wasted, whether it be by drink or drugs! That may make us smile a bit
In their number one single ‘Under Pressure’ Queen sang of facing ‘the days [when] it never rains but it pours’. Their lyrics offer little comfort as they forlornly ask, ‘Why can’t we give love one more chance?’ 3000 years earlier King David was carried along by the Holy Spirit to write a very different song about pressure, Psalm 9. He has his own poetic phrase for feeling under pressure as he refers to facing ‘the gates of death’ (v13). If you live long enough you will feel the pressure of these gates. This is David’s way of describing the stresses and strains of this broken world. David responds to the ‘gates of death’ in two ways: by thanking God for past keeping (v1-12) and asking for future keeping (v13-20). David
doesn’t sit around and have a pity party. He looks to God and cries out, ‘I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.’ David feels the weight of the gates of death but he knows his God is the enthroned judge (v7, 8, 11) who is strong, faithful and just (v9,10, 12). As the songwriter reflects on God’s greatness he feels the pressure ease. In this new-found breathing space David cries to God for help (v13-20). With heart fuelled by the changeless character of God, David is confident that God sees all (v13) and governs for the good of his people. It is amazing to worship God with the same words David sang 3000 years ago. It is even more staggering
to realise that we are finding comfort in the very words that the Lord Jesus sang as he faced ‘the gates of death’. This is ultimately his song of faith as he faced the gates of death for our sake. ‘Let the nations know that they are but men’ is Jesus’ prayer to his Father. That request has been partly answered as the Spirit of God humbles men and women to fall before the Lord Jesus. At the return of Jesus it will be completely fulfilled. If you are feeling under pressure the empty lyrics of Queen and Bowie will not do you any good. Sing Psalm 9 instead and follow David’s pattern by thanking God and laying your fears at his feet. Most importantly, look to King Jesus who has conquered, and whose church will triumph over, the gates of death.
NICK CAVE HAS BEEN rattling about in the song-writer scene since the 80s and some consider him to be one of the greats. You may recognize some of his songs from film soundtracks. His song ‘People Ain’t No Good’ accompanies Shrek 2 in one of its more tender moments. Recently Nick released his 15th studio album ‘Push the Sky Away’ which has an impressive momentum and much artistic merit. At 56, he still has something to say about the love song. In this album, he names one particularly thought-provoking song after the mythical creatures ‘Mermaids’. Traditionally, mermaids symbolise women who have never been loved. In resentment they sit on the rocks and seduce sailors into danger and imminent death. Writers have used such stories to discuss broken and complicated human relationships.
Cave sets the scene in which he takes on the persona of a sailor. He sings, ‘The mermaids hung themselves/ out on the rocks/ out beyond our touch/ I watch and watch/ And they wave at me, wave at me/ They wave and slip back into the sea.’ Cave is exploring how people fall into the trap of objectifying the opposite sex. We can see this distance in the ‘watching and waving’. Cave has always refused to be pinned down regarding his beliefs in Christianity, but some of his ideas are very interesting. He attempts to break the ‘sailor and mermaid’ tandem by saying, ‘I believe in the rapture/ For I’ve seen your face/ On the floor of the ocean/ At the bottom of the ray.’ He’s insinuating that, when he looks at the sea, he no longer sees his reflection - instead he sees another’s face. He strives to overcome his narcissist traits, break
his objectification and rejoice in having a redeemed intimacy. Narcissus was a mythical character who died admiring his own reflection. The term ‘narcissism’ is a concept which describes excessive self-interest or extreme selfishness and is an interesting way to think about our sinful nature. Cave’s ‘Mermaids’ shows us that not all secular songs are shallow, steeped in narcissism, and shout, ‘Everybody in the club/ All eyes on us.’ Occasionally, there are glimmers of hope when a poet celebrates in what he has learned to be truly beautiful. And, this time the songwriter recognises that redeemed relationships are brought about by the work of the Lord Jesus.
DURING THE SECOND World War American servicemen stationed at the frontline coined the phrase ‘A Dear John letter.’ It referred to a letter from home ending a relationship and telling them that a special person was no longer waiting eagerly for them to return. What a cruel message to receive when these men faced death daily. What a way to end a friendship. Our culture isn’t any kinder. A text message or a Facebook message is no improvement. Often these are received out of the blue with little explanation and an immediate change of relationship status. This is no way to end a relationship but is there a good, Christ-honouring way to break up? I think the clue is in the word hidden in the terms used in a relationship: boyfriend, girlfriend. How should you treat your friend? The Bible has a lot to say about friendship. For example, ‘A friend loves at all times’ (Proverbs 17:17), ‘The sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel’ (Proverbs 27:9) and ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend’ (Proverbs 27:6). We are told to ‘love one another’ (1 John 3:23) and love is defined as ‘patient and kind’ (1 Corinthians 13 v 4). These principles should apply to all our friendships including romantic relationships. If you have entered into a relationship, you have taken on a responsibility to treat this person as a special friend with particular respect, kindness, love and honesty. As we seek to develop our friendship we are seeking to assess if our brother or sister in the Lord will become our best friend, our spouse. Christian dating should not be entered into thoughtlessly or selfishly but to share a friendship and seek to build a foundation for -
marriage. Society teaches us to treat a boyfriend or girlfriend as a possession which should make us happy and when we are no longer happy we move on. God calls for us to treat all brothers and sisters in the Lord with loving kindness and as precious in his sight. Perhaps you protest, ‘I am too
“ young to think of marriage; I just want to have fun.’ If this is your thinking then you are too immature to enter into a dating relationship and you need to wait. Your haste and selfishness will lead to pain for yourself and for your boyfriend or girlfriend. However, even if you have entered into a relationship prayerfully and are seeking the best for each, we know that not all friendships lead to marriage. When you begin a dating relationship you should honestly assess it after a few months and then perhaps every six months and ask yourself these questions: - Are you growing individually in your Christian lives? - Are you praying together and encouraging one another in your walk with God? - Has your friendship developed and grown? - Are you closer together than you were six months ago? - Could this friendship result in marriage? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘no’ then you need to seriously consider the future of this relationship. Talk together as friends and don’t just announce that you are splitting up. Talk about the concerns you have, pray together
and pray separately. If there is no improvement and it is clear that this friendship cannot develop further, then you must consider how to break up in a Christ-honouring manner. Remember the godly principles of friendship and treat your friend with love, respect, kindness and honesty. This means you must meet and talk to each other face to face. No other means is acceptable. Be considerate in your timing and, although no time can ever be ideal, common courtesy rules out her birthday, the day before his exam, New Year’s Eve, the week before her formal, your friend’s wedding, etc. You should explain your reasons for breaking up and thank them for all the fun you have had together. Don’t blame them or fall back on cliches. Instead, simply explain that you believe this relationship cannot go any further. This will be painful and uncomfortable. There may be tears, or even tantrums, but this is the best way to treat your friend with love and respect. Afterwards you should assess your relationship honestly. Don’t rush straight into another one but wait and allow God to teach you more about yourself. Take the time to learn from mistakes you may have made and don’t just repeat them. Amidst your disappointment remember that Christ is the friend who sticks closer than a brother, that he will never let you down, and that your relationship with him alone can bring full satisfaction. He gives the resources to love another person; his grace enables us to honour him in all our friendships.
THE CTY OF WATERFORD has a proud heritage. Founded by 9th Century Vikings, it claims to be the oldest city in Ireland and has withstood sieges, invasions and famines. The motto of the city, ‘Urbs Intacta Manet Waterfordia,’ translates, ‘Waterford remains the untaken city.’ This motto should be a catalyst for those interested in Irish church planting. Let us claim the city for Christ. On the evening of 27th March, six men, Harry Coulter (Carrickfergus), Billy Hamilton (Galway), David McCullough (Dromore), David McMahon (Dromore), Mark Patterson (Dromore) and Robert Robb (Enniskillen), travelled down to meet with the O’Brien family. The team spent two days enjoying fellowship with John and Sara and carrying out outreach work in the city, building up to a gospel meeting on the last night, which coincided with Good Friday. In God’s providence both John and Sara were saved in their midtwenties and joined Dromore RP Church, as they already knew some members in the congregation and had become convinced of Covenant theology. Despite a 400 mile round trip they and their two boys, Joshua and Daniel, attend services approximately every 5 to 6 weeks and enjoy Communion with other believers. Staying at a local Travelodge, the team arrived each day at the O’Brien’s to have fellowship in the Word and pray over the day’s activities. The time together allowed discussion about the opportunities and practicalities of establishing a Reformed witness in the city. The considerable church-planting
experience in the team proved invaluable in shaping future plans. Approximately 2000 tracts were distributed on Thursday which advertised the Friday night meeting held in Ardkeen Community Centre. The tract also included an article on the theme of guilt and John’s testimony. Suitable weather allowed approximately 3,000 tracts to be distributed in the city in total. On Friday morning the men were able to carry out door-to-door work, with Billy offering useful advice on witnessing to a Roman Catholic community. Some conversations were encouraging; however, it was humbling to witness the response of those who are offered Salvation but decline. It reminded us that such is the hardness of men’s hearts that only God can save. It should bring us to our knees in exhorting God to work in the hearts of the people in Waterford, but also in thankfulness that he would choose to save from such blindness those who follow him. John and Sara’s conversion and ongoing witness have not gone unnoticed amongst their wider family and friends and we prayed that some of them might attend the bible talk on Friday night. Sometimes in outreach work there can be little noticeable fruit, the workers unaware of the plans that God has for the seed sown; however, it was very encouraging to see seven of the O’Brien’s family and friends coming and listening intently to the talk on Psalm 51. The Lord was good. Throughout the time in Waterford the team were very grateful for the hospitality of the O’Brien family and the use of their home, with some of the most enjoyable moments coming around the dinner table with the
entertainment provided by Joshua and Daniel. Spending time in Waterford also allowed us a first draft at an outreach plan for the city as well as considering ways to encourage and support the O’Brien family two hundred miles from their home congregation. The family would be grateful for your prayers as they seek to evangelise in their local community and look for a church to attend outside of their visits to Dromore. Pray that the Lord would guide as the next steps of church planting in Waterford are considered and that the seed sown in the City would fall on the good ground, bringing forth a harvest for God’s glory.
I have been married to Marjorie for 43 years and we have two children, one living in the South of Scotland and one in Bangor, and three grandsons. We currently live in Newtownards and worship with the Newtownards congregation when I’m not preaching away somewhere. I was born in a small mining village just south of Edinburgh where my father was a coal miner. We moved to Cambridge when I was a small child because my mother did not want my brother or me to have to work in mining. Sadly, my mother died when I was 14, and that had a great impact on my life. I ran away from home and joined the army even although I was too young to do so. Although I had gone to Sunday School and had been in the Boys’ Brigade, I left all thoughts of church and religion behind me and became involved in all the kind of activities that you expect soldiers to be involved in! I did, however, always keep my mother’s Bible with me whenever I moved from camp to camp.
When I was stationed at Catterick camp in Yorkshire, I woke up one morning with the usual hangover and thought ‘There must be more to life than this.’ I fished in my kitbag and found my mother’s Bible at the bottom. I can’t remember what passage it was that I was reading, but I know that God spoke to me and convicted me of my sin and of my need of Christ. I remembered some of the things I had learned at Sunday School and Bible class and simply asked God to forgive me. The next Sabbath day I made my way to the Garrison Church and found great joy in the worship of God.
Church of Scotland. During the course of my studies at BTI I became increasingly aware that God was directing my thoughts more and more towards work in South America. I simply asked that, if God wanted me in South America, he would open the door. I belonged to the Free Church at that time and they were looking for people to serve in their work in Peru. I applied and was accepted. This was confirmation to me that God had opened the door!
We served in Peru twice for a total of 15 years – 5 years during the first time and ten years the second. I think the most important lesson we learned was that God is always sufficient. Sometimes we think that we are not able to do a particular thing in the service of God but, when he calls, he always equips.
I would say that you should grasp the opportunity with both hands. You will learn more about God, more about yourself and more about how your gifts and abilities can be used in the service of God than any other way.
After I left the army I knew that I had to spend my life in some sort of Christian service and in order to do that I needed some kind of preparation. I applied to the Bible Training Institute (BTI) in Glasgow to which Marjorie came as a first-year student whilst I was in my second year.
My initial call was to missionary work with the Free -
You do not become a missionary when you go to another country. If you do not have a heart for mission here and a dependence upon God in prayer, it will not come simply because you go overseas. I think, if my outlook has changed, it is in the area of contentment with God’s provision, thankfulness for his daily mercies and supreme confidence in the power of the Gospel to change lives.
OUR OUTREACH HAS been forced to adapt slightly due to changes in our culture. The majority of the population no longer attend church on Sundays or encourage their children to go to clubs and organisations run by the church. People have grown suspicious of the church and more intolerant of Christianity’s moral claims. How can we change our approach to outreach to address the needs of society? What can I do to share Christ with those I meet daily? ‘Not So Secret’ by Graham Orr is a collection of personal stories and reflections on our role as evangelists in everyday life. Graham taught in England and Japan before training for ministry. He served as pastor at the OMF Chapel of Adoration in Tokyo before returning to Northern Ireland, the homeland of his wife, Alison. Using examples from Christ’s ministry and his own life, Graham
encourages us to re-evaluate our outlook on evangelism, both as individuals and as a body of believers. The book addresses issues such as the sense of community and family that should characterise the church. Are we as welcoming, open and approachable as we can be for our surrounding communities? He highlights important aspects we should consider when approaching outreach, such as language, building trust and showing genuine care for those we aim to reach. These are not new ideas and we are all used to evaluating the effectiveness of our efforts in outreach. However, the author’s experience of the constantly changing societies and cultures in England, Japan and Northern Ireland is evident in the original questions raised and the cross-cultural lessons shared. His understanding of the Japanese people, their culture and their approach to forming relationships, both in the business
world and personally, has allowed him to transfer what he learned about evangelism in Japan to the very different setting of Northern Ireland. While this book is very reflective and practical, it fails to address the centrality of prayer in evangelism or how we go about actually sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in conversation. Instead, its main focus is with how we draw people into church by taking advantage of daily opportunities to invite people to church events or bible study groups. This simple book could be considered light reading, but it provides a useful challenge to rethink some of our more traditional forms of outreach and it may help you to recognise the daily opportunities you have to share Christ.
Have you ever wondered why such a loving God allows people to suffer? Or maybe you hear people talking about Buddhism, Islam and atheism and you wonder what all these big words mean. When I was younger, I could never quite get my head around difficult questions like this, or find meaningful answers which left me feeling satisfied. Perhaps you are feeling much like me and you just want to be pointed in the right direction and shown where in the Bible these questions are answered. Lee Strobel wrote the book ‘A Case for Christ’ after embarking on a two-year mission to disprove Christ
as the Son of God and ultimately the Christian faith. The book follows his journey from rebellion against God to faith in Jesus Christ. Written as a follow-up, ‘The Case for Faith’ involves Strobel looking into some of the toughest and most challenging questions Christians face. The book addresses objections to Christianity and places a lot of focus on how science and faith in God can co-exist rather than contradict one another. ‘The Case for Faith’ is definitely worth a read and it is split up into short chapters, including interesting ‘facts’ sections and examples of short relevant stories from the lives of many different people.
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