September 2015 Messenger

STRENGTHENING REFORMED YOUNG PEOPLE TO REACH THE NATIONS FOR GOD’S GLORY

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Editorial

STRENGTHENING REFORMED YOUNG PEOPLE TO REACH THE NATIONS FOR GOD’S GLORY

SEPTEMBER + OCTOBER 2015 Editorial Team Editor | JAMES MCCULLOUGH Secretary | ABIGAIL NELSON Design | ANDREW MORRISON Design | MICHAEL MCKELVEY Treasurer | ALISTAIR ROLLESTON Distribution | EMMA DUNWOODY Features | HELEN MCKELVEY Features | STEPHEN STEELE messenger.rpc.org To advertise in The Messenger, please contact advertise@messenger.rpc.org SUBSCRIPTIONS Digital editions (PDF and e-reader) are available for free online at our website Paper subscriptions cost £8 per year for 6 issues, and can be paid for online or through your congregation’s Messenger agent

A surprisingly large number of Reformed Christians seem to believe in mind-reading. “My pastor doesn’t know about my problems” complains a member despite never having told their session about the issues they are facing in work.

In other scenarios we can overrate our own psychic powers when we presume we know every motivation or thought behind the actions of others. We’re similarly deluded when we make assumptions about the prayer needs of our brothers and sisters. Our interviews with those raised on the mission field have shown me the extent to which I’ve made wrong assumptions regarding their needs and concerns.

It is fascinating to read the interviewees’ reflections on what it means to be raised on the mission field. They reveal the particular challenges and privileges involved in an isolated Christian upbringing. If you have grown up in a congregation with many other young people you have experienced something very different. As I read these accounts I felt thankful for the Christian fellowship, discipleship and friendship I’ve enjoyed. Yet the repeated testimony to God’s faithfulness in these accounts reminds us that there are things more valuable than the comfort of a supportive environment. When his people chose to sacrifice the comforts of home for the advance of the Gospel God delights to pour out blessing upon them. As you read these account please reflect on how you could better pray for and support families on mission. Pray also that our Father would raise up many more families prepared to go to frontline mission work in order to win people for King Jesus.

I hope you enjoy the rest of this issue. As a team we’re really grateful for the thought and care that each writer has put into their work.

For any general queries, please contact subscriptions@messenger.rpc.org

IN THIS ISSUE Scan this code to subcribe online for free FACEBOOK | Like us at facebook.com/THEMESSENGERMAG TWITTER | Follow us at twitter.com/messenger_mag 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.

“Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control” 2 Peter 1:4-5 2 THE MESSENGER | septemeber - october 2015

MISSIONARY KIDS

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4 “MISSIONARY KIDS” GIVE US INSIGHT INTO WHAT IT IS LIKE TO GROW UP IN THE MISSION FIELD

choosing Where to live

Choosing our home is a big decision, one we want to get right.

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Young adults 17 Weekend

AN AMERICAN VISITOR GIVES HER PERSPECTIVE ON A WEEKEND OF LEARNING HOW TO DRINK FROM THE FOUNTAINTS OF GRACE

‘sons of encouragement’ challenge

Do you look to certain Bible characters and think ‘I would love to be like them’? Perhaps you would love the prayer life of Daniel or the wisdom of Solomon but have you ever looked at the life of Barnabas and wanted to be like him?

Joseph was his real name, but the apostles called him Barnabas as it translates, ‘son of encouragement’ (Acts 4v36). When we read through the book of Acts, we see that Barnabas was a great encourager. Through the encouragement of Barnabas, Paul was first accepted by the apostles in Jerusalem (Acts 9v27). Through the encouragement of Barnabas, John Mark was given a second chance to go on a missionary journey (Acts 15v36-39).

Paul exhorts all believers to encourage each other when he wrote, ‘Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing’ (1Thessalonians 5v11). This is an area that we should be seeking to grow in. Can

you look to those in the church who are particularly gifted in encouragement and observe their lives?

We need to remember that there is a clear difference between encouragement and flattery. Flattery involves saying to a person’s face what you would never say behind their back. It uses exaggeration or falsehood to make others feel good about themselves – it focuses solely on human praise. We can be guilty of flattering others in order to gain favours or to receive praise back from them. The Bible warns us against flattery (Proverbs 29v5). Kevin De Young offers a helpful definition on encouragement – ‘Encouragement means highlighting the evidences of God’s grace in the gospel or in a gospel-centered person to the glory of God.’ Encouragement doesn’t focus on human praise, but rather it seeks to underline God’s grace for the glory of God’s name.

Our reason for encouraging

others is that Jesus Christ has died for us.

Looking at 1 Thessalonians 5v9-11, we read, ‘For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another…’ Encouraging others should never be separated from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If it were not for the Gospel, any encouragement would be meaningless because our lives would be destined to eternal wrath. Praise God that we are saved through Christ and we will live with him eternally – there is no greater encouragement in life than knowing this.

roger sloan Cookstown Fellowship

STRENGTHENING REFORMED YOUNG PEOPLE TO REACH THE NATIONS FOR GOD’S GLORY

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cover article

missionary kids

an insight into ‘growing up in the field’ We are all familiar with missionary prayer letters and deputation meetings, and many of us pray fervently and often for our missionaries. This article on missionaries’ children seeks to inform us what the experience of growing up ‘on the mission field’ is like for young people whose families have left Northern Ireland to serve God elsewhere in the world, how their experiences affect their lives today and how we may effectively pray for them. We will hear from a range of young people at various stages of life, reflecting on their experiences and how they have been moulded by them. Our contributors are Thomas and Rachel Jemphrey, of our Galway fellowship; Esther Brown and Ben Harris, French and Spanish students at Queen’s University Belfast; and Mel McFarland from our Nantes fellowship.

Thomas and rachel: 1. Tell us about yourself.

T: My name is Thomas. I am fourteen years old, coming fifteen in October. We moved to Galway when I was eleven. I go to a school five minutes from our home, Saint Enda’s College, and I have just finished my second year. I will be doing my Junior Cert this year. I love sport, especially football, hockey, tennis and table tennis and I enjoy playing these sports in the different clubs that I go to. I have made really good friends 4 THE MESSENGER | septemeber - october 2015

at my school and play football with them at lunch time. I love Boys’ Adventure Camp and it’s great to spend time with my Christian friends there.

R: My name is Rachel. I am thirteen years old and I am going into second year in secondary school (I would be in third year if I were still in Northern Ireland but we do eight years of primary school in the Republic of Ireland.) My favourite subjects are Religion and Music. I love to read, play the piano, swim and play hockey. I am

in the hockey team at school. I started to follow God more when I was ten. I have made good friends at school but I really love coming up to Girls’ Camp every summer because I have such good Christian friends there, who really encourage me and help me to live as a Christian.

2. What did you find difficult about moving from Cloughmills?

T: I found it difficult leaving Christian friends and the church fellowship in Cloughmills. In our old primary school there were quite a lot of Christian teachers and families and that’s not the case in our school in Galway.

R: I had made good friends in my old primary school, Knockahollet, so it was hard to leave them. It was sad too leaving the church in Cloughmills because the people there were so lovely. Moving to Galway was hard for us as well because it is bigger than Cloughmills and I didn’t know anybody in my new school, neighbourhood or church.

3. How do you find life in Galway?

T: Life in Galway is great. We have made many new friends in our school, clubs and church. The thing I like about my school is that my friends are open to me being a

Christian and haven’t hassled me about my faith. The city is full of street performers and is especially busy during the summer when there are festivals on. The thing I didn’t like this year was when the people in the South voted to allow same sex marriage. It was very sad when our church was prevented from holding a public meeting in a hotel about Christian marriage.

R: Life in Galway is nice. The people in our new church are great and I am making good friends at school, but sadly they don’t know or love God. Galway city is very busy and people from many countries live here.

Many of them believe in different religions.

What I find hard is that most people don’t realise that Sunday is God’s Special Day, so just do whatever they want.

4. What do you find different about your life in Galway as opposed to Cloughmills?

T: In Cloughmills we lived in a village but now we live in a city. We have had to get used to using euro instead of pounds. In Cloughmills lots of young people came to our Friday night club but people in Galway seem much more reluctant to send their kids to a Christian-themed club. Being far away from our families and friends has been difficult sometimes, especially when things have been organised that we haven’t been

a far cry from the warm air and wide streets of Yamoussoukro.

Our stay in Northern Ireland was initially supposed to be a temporary one so, even as I started my new school in Enniskillen, I was trying not to settle in too quickly only to be unsettled again to go back to where I really wanted to be.

Little did I know that the Lord had other plans. Years went by and I was frustrated and angry; I couldn’t understand what God could possibly be doing. Over time he taught me that he is sovereign, and I learnt

Esther: I grew up in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. My parents were missionaries there with UFM Worldwide until the civil unrest made it impossible to stay any longer. In 2004 when I was 11 years old and a mere 3 months into my final year of primary school we left the country in the back of a British Army Hercules as part of an embassy-advised evacuation into Ghana. From there we made our way back to County Fermanagh,

we have a God who knows what he is doing. He has proved himself faithful in all circumstances to say, like Job: “The Lord gave and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Secondary school wasn’t an easy ride. I often felt totally unable to relate to my peers who had lived in the same small

able to get to.

R: My school in Galway doesn’t have many Christians like it had in Knockahollet. There are far more people from different countries living in Galway than in Cloughmills.

There are hardly any Christian youth clubs in Galway and I really miss Cloughmills Youth Club, Cullybackey CY and the Girls’ Brigade that I used to go to. I also have to study Irish in school which I find very difficult.

5. What would you like us to pray for you?

T: Pray that our church will grow and also for the renovation work that is happening at the minute in our new church building.

Pray that more boys and girls in our school will come to know Jesus. Pray that Galway will become a city where Jesus is worshipped by many people. Please pray that I’ll be a good witness for Jesus in my school.

R: Please pray for my friends in school who don’t know or love God and that I would be brave in living for Jesus there. Thank God for our new church building and pray that more people will come to church and our youth club. Please pray for my family that God will help us to live for Jesus in Galway.

community their whole lives and when I turned 16 I went through a time of serious questioning of my faith. I’m grateful to God that he brought me through that maze by the constant example of my parents. To discard the Christian faith would have been to declare my parents as crazy and their choices irrational and I was simply unable to throw away what they had taught me not only by word but by example.

Now 11 years have passed since I left Côte d’Ivoire. My parents have since moved to England and I am finishing my studies at Queen’s while I prepare for my wedding next summer. I can say with confidence that my experiences as a child of missionaries are the foundation of who I am today. God has placed mission on my heart and I can’t wait to see where he will lead me. Life as a follower of Christ can be emotional, unpredictable and even painful but we have a God who knows what he is doing. He has proved himself faithful in all circumstances.

STRENGTHENING REFORMED YOUNG PEOPLE TO REACH THE NATIONS FOR GOD’S GLORY

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Ben: ‘...because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.’

Lamentations 3 v 22-23

My name is Ben and I am a 22 year old student studying languages at Queen’s, Belfast. Like the verse above says, I am thankful for God’s never failing compassion and faithfulness in my life. As I look back over it, I am grateful to him for bringing me to this point and the blessings that he gives me each and every morning.

As a child, I was privileged to spend 8 years in Western Kenya as my parents laboured for the Lord, evangelising and church planting. This period, almost my entire childhood, was used by God to teach me 6 THE MESSENGER | septemeber - october 2015

much, develop my character and shape my personality.

Perhaps the most obvious thing that I learned was to be grateful. I grew up in a fairly rural part of Kenya where poverty was common and I was used to seeing people much worse off than myself. Back home, we sometimes forget how generous God has been to us with belongings and wealth. God’s people in Kenya often have little, materially speaking, but are filled with much joy.

Romans 15v7 asks us to receive ‘one another’ as ‘Christ received us for the glory of God’; we can apply this to receiving those around us who are different. Growing up in Kenya, I often found that everyone around me was different; in fact, I was normally the odd one out. I am thankful

almost my entire childhood was used by God to teach me much, develop my character and shape my personality for a multi-cultural upbringing and I think that my experience as a missionary kid has made me accept and even love how God has created us all differently. I think this helped me when I came back to NI, to a society

where difference can often define or divide us.

Like I mentioned earlier on, whilst writing this article and looking back, I can see God’s faithfulness in my life preparing me for what lay ahead. As a child, I made a fair stab at speaking the local language, Swahili, and was able to communicate without much difficulty. Perhaps this was God’s way of preparing me for a languages degree and whatever lies ahead!

Most importantly, however, it showed me the sacrifices God’s servants make to serve him full time abroad. I didn’t realise as a child how much my parents gave up following God’s call: leaving family and home comforts behind to take a young family to a third-world country. I think it has also given me an appreciation of the privilege it is to serve God and has encouraged me to get involved and not just linger on the periphery of God’s work.

Kenya will always have a place in my heart and what God has taught me from my experiences there will hopefully continue to shape and mould me into the future.

Proverbs 3 v 5-6 ‘…trust in the Lord…’

Mel: Being a missionary kid in a foreign country is a privilege. You spread the Word of God, most of the time without even speaking.

People observe and notice different behaviours. They see you love people without judging them; they hear you don’t swear or take the Lord’s name in vain, gossip or tell lies; they discover quickly that you don’t drink, take drugs or sleep around. Each country will be different, but it will often be the case that those friends in your class or neighbourhood will only meet one Christian in their whole lives: that person is you. What a privilege! But also, what a pressure! When there aren’t many Christians around you, you count on your parents and siblings, other missionary kids and above all, God. There aren’t many people you can rely on so you try to find strength in the Lord.

One thing I have noticed, having been a missionary kid, is that I have never felt I belonged anywhere. In France, I was the freckled blonde girl with Irish parents who had a British name (nicknamed McDonalds because that’s all they knew with Mc). In Northern Ireland, I was the lost lamb who didn’t speak English very well. Only as a teenager learning languages at school was I able to read and write in English. People often tell me they forget I’m French until I say something grammatically incorrect. And that happens a lot!

People always say: “Are you happy to be HOME for 2 weeks?” ; my answer

is consistently: “It’s good to be BACK.” I only lived in NI for 3 years. It’s not home.

Picking up accents easily; having lived with Americans; have lived in 3 different places in England and 2 in NI; having family everywhere in the world; “Where are you from?” comes up in virtually every first meeting. The short version is half French, half Irish, working in England. Watching the Six Nations is a difficult one when Ireland plays against France; I usually decide at kick-off!

When I moved to NI in 2006, I had no idea who Take That were and had never heard of EastEnders. When you live in one country it is hard to stay in touch with news, TV programs and famous people from the other country. Not understanding jokes or play on words became very common and comments like “You don’t know who this person is?” or “What do you mean you’ve never seen this?” were hurtful.

Being laughed at for ignorance became normal. “How can you not know your height?’ – “I know it in centimetres but not inches.” 9 years on, I still don’t!

The word that comes to mind for being brought up in one country, having family based in another country and currently living in a third is ‘adapt’. You go to a new place where you only know 2 people and you have a headache every night because speaking another language is extremely tiring. You quickly learn to be okay and content with what you have and what you don’t have. A patient and kind person who takes the time to explain something as basic as clothes’ sizes is a breath of fresh air.

My mum would say her children speak confidently with a wide range of people from different ages and background and are more at ease and experienced in different cultures but it can lead to a feeling of rootlessness. In a film I saw recently, an American lady, who was going back to the States after having spent 25 years in Paris married to a French man, said: “I needed to come back because I wanted to be home. But now that I’m here, I feel like a foreigner.” Story of my life!

A song I wrote when I was 18 entitled ‘Missionary kid’, based on an article written anonymously:

When I was growing up, adults always asked me What I was going to be.

But there came a time when what I was going to be Was not as important to me...

As ...who I was, who I am.

I wonder who I am.

I’m a combination of two cultures, I’m neither and I’m both: I’m mine, I’m yours.

I’m the one who thinks desperately That fitting in is the biggest worry.

I wear native clothes with pleasure and pride.

A clear outsider, I hate the feeling of being outside.

I’m the one who travelled halfway around the world before...

I was four.

Who I was, who I am.

I wonder who I am.

I’m the one who promises to write but never does ‘cause it’s hard To deal and cope with the reality Of separation that is within me.

I’m the one who speaks 2 languages But can’t spell either and won’t for ages.

I’m the one who wears a thousand masks: One for each day and time, when someone asks, Who I was, who I am.

I wonder who I am.

I’m the one who has no home, No place of its own.

I’m the one who learned to be, All I’m expected to be.

But I still don’t know, I’m still not really sure I don’t actually know...

Who I really am.

Jesus said,

“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

Mark 16:15 STRENGTHENING REFORMED YOUNG PEOPLE TO REACH THE NATIONS FOR GOD’S GLORY

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choosing where to live a decision we want to get right

Detached or semi-detached?

Off-road parking or street parking? Three bedrooms or four? Good schools or good public transport routes nearby? Near to family or near to work? When it comes to choosing our home we are making a big decision - a decision we want to get right.

That’s because we take a lot of pride in our homes and where we live. It’s no wonder an English man’s home is his castle.

But is that the right way to look at your house? 1 Corinthians 10 v31 tells us ‘...whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God’. That includes our home, so it’s not our castle; it’s God’s castle.

Have we considered God in our decision process of choosing where to live?

The Bible will not answer those questions we raised at the beginning of the article.

We have a lot of freedom in where we buy and what type of house we buy. But some 8 THE MESSENGER | septemeber - october 2015

areas for us to consider: are At university

If you go to university this will probably be the first time you choose where to live. What you want will certainly be different from if it’s the first home that you are buying. Proximity to university will be a key factor and also whom we live with.

Although the Bible does not speak directly about whom we are to live with while at university, we should be careful that we don’t put ourselves directly into places of temptation. Living with unbelievers or persons of the opposite sex is not a decision to be taken lightly.

1 Corinthians 10 v23-24 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbour.

Our goal is for God’s glory and so

we should be careful to protect that goal by guarding against temptation. You should want housemates who will build you up and encourage healthy Christian accountability.

If you are living with unbelievers, that will be impossible. Living with persons from the opposite sex can put you into positions of compromise and temptation. Today the world encourages us to live with our boyfriend or girlfriend while the Bible tells us that it’s in marriage when we should live with someone from the opposite sex.

Genesis 2 v24 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.’

The Money Pit

In the ‘80s Tom Hanks starred in a movie called The Money Pit, where he bought a house that turned into a money pit and he nearly had a nervous breakdown over it. Buying a home comes with a lot of

pressures and hidden costs. When you are ready to buy your first home, your finances are a major factor in where you are able to live. It would not be wise to overextend yourself financially just to get your ‘dream house’ to the neglect of your marriage, your family and your church. Consider other costs like rates, heating and travelling expenses which will vary depending on your home. Long commutes to work are not ideal either and can be detrimental to the time you can spend with your family or be involved in your church. Houses can easily be money pits. No wonder the writer of Hebrews says to ‘Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Hebrews 13 v5). We often use the simile as safe as houses but clearly we read that our safety is found in God alone and not in our house. God will never leave you, while your house will constantly need your attention.

Entertaining angels

Choosing to live for God’s glory may mean living in a small house or a big house. The more important issue is how we are using our home for God’s glory. Are we more interested in a show house that would look better in Grand Designs than in a home where we can invite people to, host small groups, practise hospitality and have space to relax and enjoy family time?

Small houses do not excuse hospitality; sometimes the best hospitality is when we are willing to share what little we have.

The prophet Haggai rebuked the people of God for living in their panelled houses while neglecting the house of God (Haggai 1 v4), while James condemns those who live in luxury and self-indulgence (James 5v5). Living in large luxurious homes can be a distraction from our walk with God especially when we are constantly decorating and redecorating. So how can we use our homes to God’s glory? We should see our homes not as our own but as gifts from God to use in service to him.

The writer to Hebrews inspires us to use our homes by doing hospitality: ‘Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares’ (Hebrews 13 v2).

Location, location, location

Choosing to live for God’s glory means to live missionally. That means we want to make an impact on our local community whether we live in the country or the city. Too often Christians can be guilty of driving to church which is surrounded by a local community and then driving away again once the service is over and having no interaction with those living around the church. Is it possible to move into the community that your church is located in? This would give you opportunities to get to know people, visit local shops, send your children to local schools. Living missionally wherever you are located takes effort and means spending a little extra time to engage with those whom we meet.

There is no place like home

Christ may even call us to give up our home. ‘And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life’ (Matthew 19 v29). This is a hard ask.

But are we willing? Often we are so attached to our homes that we would hate to lose them. But many Christians have lost their homes due to persecution. Others have given them up to support mission works, while others have given up their homes in beautiful locations to go to somewhere not so beautiful in order to tell the Gospel to people unreached. It can be easy to make our homes an idol and forget our eternal home. John describes our eternal home: ‘In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also’ (John 14v2-3).

Our eternal home will be more than any earthly home can offer. There is no place like our eternal home. So let’s not lose the focus when choosing where to live. Instead include God in the decision process.

Philip mccollum Shaftesbury Square RPC

Shaftesbury Fellowship Every other Wednesday (6:30-7:30pm) during Queen's term time, students and young adults are welcome to Shaftesbury Square RPC for dinner followed by discussion on a topic from the Bible.

This year we are looking at how to reach out to your friends. Whether you are RP or not, or would like to invite your friends, everyone would be welcome.

STRENGTHENING REFORMED YOUNG PEOPLE TO REACH THE NATIONS FOR GOD’S GLORY

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10 THE MESSENGER | septemeber - october 2015

STRENGTHENING REFORMED YOUNG PEOPLE TO REACH THE NATIONS FOR GOD’S GLORY

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SERIES

the widow of Zarephath women of the bible An Unlikely Hostess

What a surprise for the prophet. Welcome to Zarephath, Elijah! Was this really the woman who was supposed to provide for him in such a time of trial?

What a let-down after his long and arduous journey. The person appointed to entertain Elijah is not one of the rich or great, but a poor widow. When Elijah met the widow she was gathering sticks to make a final scanty meal out of the last dregs of flour and oil that she had. In want and desolate, she is a picture of abject poverty and despair, yet the one who is made both willing and able to sustain the servant of the Lord.

Furthermore, those who were hunting for Elijah would never have thought of looking for him in the poor home of a starving widow. She was the one God singled out to shelter the prophet for quite some time.

She fed him, as a heaven-protected guest, with fearless faith. Sometimes in life, God has provided help where we least expect it; he provides for us in ways that go beyond our narrow definitions or expectations.

God Sustains

Widows have the promise of divine provision and protection (Psalm 68v5, Psalm 146v9), as this widow came to experience. When famine struck she did not know from where the next meal to sustain her and her son would come.

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Little did the distressed widow realise that deliverance was at hand - that never again would she and her son suffer the pangs of hunger! The widow of Zarephath met God in the kitchen. She looked into the bowl and found flour. She looked in the jar and found oil. The last time she checked, there was barely enough for a small portion. Now, morning and evening, day in and day out, God sustained them. This doesn’t mean the woman and her son had everything they wanted. But it does mean they had all they needed.

When we’ve come to the end of our own resources, God may say no to our ‘wants’, but he always says yes to our needs and thus we are more than satisfied.

It reminds me of “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6v11). We live on the grace and generosity of God day by day. We often are fooled; we forget that our bread doesn’t actually come from here; we are under the illusion that we are self-sufficient.

Let’s cultivate a spirit of daily dependence, gratitude and thankfulness for all that has been given to us. We have enough. We have more than enough. Live gratefully. Maybe you don’t have the job you wanted, but you do have a job. Maybe you don’t have the house you want, but you do have a roof over your head. If we postpone our gratitude until all our dreams are fulfilled, we could easily turn into cranky Christians, always

waiting for more. Grateful contentment is much needed in a society that is always demanding more.

God’s Promises and Obedience

“Elijah, arise and go,” God said. So Elijah arose and went. “Make a small cake of bread for me” said Elijah. So the widow went and prepared the meal. Elijah modelled for her the lesson he had already learnt himself: the lesson of faithful obedience. God’s word of command: “Go!” evoked an active, obedient response in Elijah. Now, Elijah tells the woman to practise the same kind of obedience. He tells her to go and do.

In response, she went and she did. That’s obedience in its simplest form. Man’s obedience and God’s faithfulness are a good combination! In the midst of difficulty, Elijah and the widow both faithfully obeyed, and God provided a meal. It is one thing to trust in God’s provision, but we must guard against passive indifference; there are times when, despite unfortunate, challenging circumstances, we are simply required to act first in obedient faith and rely on God’s response of gracious provision in his perfect timing.

rachel gardiner Cullybackey RPC

SERIES

macbeth

film review

Shakespeare’s classic tragedy gets a dramatic retelling in this new offering from Justin Kurzel. Making the most of the sweeping Scottish landscapes, Kurzel leads us across the wilds, giving us a vivid backdrop to this most famous of plays.

Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard give poignant performances as Lord and Lady Macbeth, characters driven slowly mad by their actions in the name of ambition and desire. The haunted expressions of the characters and suppressed passion in their eyes leave a lingering impression. The lighting, soundtrack and innovative use of

silence in the film develop a spine-tingling tension that leaves you on the edge of your seat, despite knowing the story. This film is so much more brutal and gory than a stage performance could ever be, and so deserves the 15 rating. However, this brings a new grit and realism to the tale and it is quite rightly critically acclaimed. It is much

harder to separate yourself from the action in the cinema than in the theatre, where close-ups give insight into every twitch of emotion.

The tale of Macbeth centres on the guilt and resulting madness of the titular Macbeth and his wife. After murdering Duncan, King of Scotland, Macbeth must continue to forge his bloody way to sovereignty, not even leaving friends untouched. However, soon after the crown is secured, we see how guilt drives a deep wedge into the minds of the protagonists, slowly disjointing them from reality and driving them to utter madness. Guilt is a powerful and dangerous emotion. Although I hope that few of our readers have been on murderous rampages to become King of Scotland, I am sure that we all have episodes in our lives we would rather forget.

guilt drives a deep wedge into the minds of the protagonists, slowly disjointing them from reality

Christ Jesus has already taken the weight of our sin and borne it on the cross. If we are found in Christ, there is no sin, past, present or future that is not forgiven: ‘There is therefore now no condemnation for those

who are in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 8v1). Of course, there is a certain guilt that we must feel when we sin, so that we may be brought to confession, but let neither guilt nor the Devil’s lies lay siege to your heart over past sins. Rest in this blessed assurance: ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1v9).

Helen McKelvey Cullybackey RPC

Guilt is one of the Devil’s greatest weapons against the Christian. But no matter how heinous our sin, we can be assured that STRENGTHENING REFORMED YOUNG PEOPLE TO REACH THE NATIONS FOR GOD’S GLORY

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Desert island verses: exodus 17:1-7

This passage tells an amazing story of how God provided for his people.

Israel was led by God to Rephidim, where there was no water to drink. I find it interesting that the people of Israel didn’t just stroll aimlessly around and happened by chance to come to this waterless place.

Every step they took was ‘according to the commandment of the LORD’. Sometimes God purposefully leads us through hard times that we may learn to completely rely on him.

‘The people quarrelled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink...

Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”’ I think it’s worth asking: Was it really Moses they were angry at, or was it the Lord? Moses’ response exposes them, showing us what they really thought: “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” Moses was just the middleman.

The people were actually angry with God, accusing him of abandoning them in the

wilderness. In fact, they were so angry they were almost ready to stone Moses!

We need to examine ourselves when we get angry. Is our anger selfless or selfish? Deep down are we actually angry with God? We ought to respond in humility like Moses, who cried out to God for help in verse 4.

Thankfully, God answered Moses and gave him instructions in verses 5-6.

Picture the scene. Moses gathers all the people together and passes before them with the elders, holding the staff which was used to judge the Egyptians, and God himself is standing on this big rock. The Israelites must have been terrified! Were they going to be judged just like the Egyptians?

All of a sudden the staff of judgment comes down, not upon the people, but upon the rock where God was standing. The Bible says this was a picture of Christ, who was struck instead of us. Isaiah 53 says ‘upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace’ and 1 Corinthians 10v4

says ‘… they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.’

Because of his death and resurrection, we can live! We can not only be saved from Hell, but can also receive eternal life. Jesus told the woman at the well in John 4 “...whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

And the answer to the question “Is the LORD among us or not?” is a resounding yes! God became man and walked among us. He died and rose again, conquering sin, death, and Satan and now reigns in Heaven making intercession for us. His name is Immanuel: God with us (Matthew 1v23).

david matthess Ballenon and Ballylane RPC

BOYS’ DISCOVERY camp report 2015

This year the venue for Boys’ Discovery Camp was Rathmore House in Larne. There were 35 boys altogether and our theme for the week was ‘Super Heroes.’

Our squads were named after some of the most famous super heroes, 8 in total: Spidermen, Supermen, Green Lanterns, Batmen, The Incredible Hulks, Captain Americas and Ironmen. I was an Incredible Hulk!

Joel Loughridge and 11 great officers led our squads and organised the fun at camp. Our officers were: 14 THE MESSENGER | septemeber - october 2015

Philip Dunwoody, Philip Moffett, Jonny McCollum, Marcus McCollum, Derek Lynch, Peter McCollum, Anselm McDonnell, Peter Loughridge, Steven Hawthorne, Robert Pinkerton and Peter McConaghie.

We also had four cooks - a.k.a. ‘the Superwomen’ - who were: Mary McCollum, Esther McCollum, Sarah Kerr and Sarah McCahon.

The talks this year were on ‘The Armour of God’ from Ephesians ch.6 v.13 – 18. We also memorised one verse of this

passage each day.

Special outings varied from visiting an army base to being chucked out of - an inflatable banana - into a lake.

Every day we also had squad games which consisted of football, volleyball, bucket ball and quick cricket.

This was my first year at BDC and I enjoyed it so much, particularly because our squad won the Best Squad Award and the talks and quiet times really helped me to get to know God better.

ANDREW NELSON | TRINITY RPC

dAVID mccullough Dromore RPC

psalm 22: the psalm of the cross Perhaps someone in your family tree fought in the trenches or on some other blood-soaked battlefield.

Wouldn’t you treasure the written words of your loved one as they poured out their heart amidst the heat of battle? Psalm 22, written 1,000 years before the coming of Jesus Christ, was composed for the Saviour’s darkest hour. We are reading his inmost thoughts on the battlefield of Golgotha.

In his perfect human nature these words were exactly what he needed as the bulls of Bashan and the roaring lions did their worst. It perfectly summarized his trial, his trust and his triumph. It was the Spirit-crafted vehicle for expressing the deepest aches of his heart.

Read the psalm and remember all that he so willingly endured for you: separation (v1), scorn (v7&8), physical suffering (v12-16) and shame (v17&18).

Have you pondered his shame? Like all who were crucified the Lord was stripped of every item of clothing. The crowds stared and gloated while the soldiers played a game of cards for his earthly belongings.

Imagine it, the one who made all things by the power of his word and for whom all things were made had nothing, absolutely nothing, not even a loin cloth. He willingly endured that so that the shame of our sin could be covered over by his great voluntary, substitutionary sacrifice.

What was it that enabled him to endure that cross, scorning its shame? This psalm was fuel for his heart. Never once did his faith falter; his cry of dereliction was ‘MY God’ not just ‘God’. He didn’t doubt his Heavenly Father for a moment (v3-5) and he cried to him, ‘Be not far from me for trouble is near’ (v11). He never tried to escape the trouble and this psalm

assured him that the terrible trouble of the cross would end in a crown of triumph. It reminded him that he would rise from the dead (v22-25), that his church would grow and prosper (v26-31) and that he would be crowned King of kings (v28).

Let me make it a little more personal so you can meditate on his love. As the Son of God laid down his life, enduring the agonies of Golgotha he looked away to the future through the lens of this psalm and saw YOU, fellow Christian, believing on him; he saw YOU telling a coming generation of all that he accomplished. And seeing the travail of his soul he was satisfied and pressed on.

Surely there is only one fitting response? Proclaim his righteousness; tell the world that the Lord has done it.

girls’ adventure camp report 2015 Well, where to begin? On Saturday 1st August 47 girls arrived at Strabane Academy armed with bags and suitcases, packed with only the essentials, of course! I think it is safe to say we were all fully prepared for an action-packed week of activities, meeting up with friends and growing closer to God in our faith.

Our talks for the week were based on the topic ‘Pursuing Holiness’. On Saturday when we were introduced to the topic of holiness it was clear that many of us were not sure what holiness was. However, as the week progressed we realised that we are all called to be holy, 1 Peter 1v16, ‘Be holy because I am holy.’ We realised that in our pursuit of holiness it would be a battle, but God does provide us with the strength to win. We must also discipline ourselves to practise holiness every day. To end our

talks we looked at the results of practising holiness. We saw that we need faith and perseverance and we will become joyful and a good witness and, most importantly, we will be with God in Heaven for eternity.

Hebrews 12v14, ‘… without holiness no one will see the Lord’.

During our week in Strabane we also did many exciting activities which included learning how to play the drums, it’s a knockout, trampolining and surfing, which some took to better than others.

There was also an evening activity each night which was also great fun and enjoyable.

One evening we had a seminar based on the book by Mary Kassian, ‘Girls gone wise in a world gone wild’. During this seminar we looked at the character traits of a wise girl and of a wild girl. However, we focused on how we could become wiser and were given

many good personal applications for this in our lives.

Each night we ended with evening worship. We listened to the story of Corrie Ten Boom, to the hardships she had to face and how throughout them she stayed faithful to God. This made me realise that often the hardships in my life are nowhere near as difficult but it is still equally important to rely on God to help us through.

I benefited greatly from Camp; I learnt many valuable lessons and took many practical tips away with me. I would like to thank the cooks for preparing all of the food for us; it was greatly appreciated.

Also thank-you to all the leaders who made Camp so enjoyable by the time they spent preparing talks and activities. ruth carson

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SHARE 2O16 UPDATE

covenanter holiday conference You may already have picked up some details about the Covenanter Holiday Conference 2016, such as the venue, (Share Centre, Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh), the dates (23rd-30th July 2016), the Keynote speaker (Rev Knox Hyndman) and his theme, “Ending the long silence - John the Baptist introduces the Saviour”. Here are some more details to help you in planning your attendance at the conference.

Accommodation: Chalets with bunk beds and in the Camp Site.

The Chalets range from 4-bed (2 rooms) to 12-bed. All Chalet accommodation is on full-board basis. The Camp Site has plenty of space for tents of all sizes and there are hard sites for all caravans, including 12 sites with electric hook-up.

Costs: Full-board Chalet (Inclusive of all meals) Adult (16+) 12-15yrs 6-11yrs 2-5yrs Under 2yrs

Camp Site

£240 + (£60 conference fee Per site £210 + (£40 conference fee) £110 + (£20 conference fee) £80 (No conference fee) Free

£200 (caravan or tent) + conference fees at same rates as for full board

Conference Fee This is required to cover the costs of the conference over and above the accommodation.

It is applicable to all at the conference including day visitors. For day visitors the conference

SHARE Activities: Activities run by the SHARE centre and which we hope to use in the afternoons from Monday to Friday include: Canoeing Archery Pottery Kayaking Mountain Biking Balloon Modelling Dingy Sailing Pedal Go-Karting Mosaics Keelboat Sailing Bush & Camp Craft Film Making Windsurfing Combat Corps Circus Skills Boat Trips It goes without saying that activities are not mandatory. Day visitors will have to pre-book and pay for activities they wish to participate in.

All SHARE activities are led by qualified and experienced members of staff in each discipline. Share Village is suited throughout to wheelchair users.We will of course plan to have the usual range of activities organised by ourselves.

fee is £10 per day (not including SHARE activities or meals).

Meals: Meals may be pre-booked and purchased by campers and day visitors at the following rates: (Breakfast £3.50) (Lunch Child £5.50) (Lunch Adult £6.50) (Dinner Child £6.50) (Dinner Adult £7.50)

We look forward to seeing you there!

SHARE 2016 Organising Committee Booking for SHARE 2016 will open in November 2015 and close at the end of January 2016

jargon//excommunication Peter loughridge | north edinburgh rpc When is this phrase used and what does it mean?

In a church setting, the words ‘excommunicate’ or ‘excommunication’ refer to the ultimate step taken by the leadership of the church in disciplining a church member who is wilfully sinning and remains unrepentant. ‘Excommunication’ means removing that person from the membership of the church.

Where does it come from?

The word ‘excommunicate’ isn’t in our Bibles. It comes from Latin words meaning ‘out’ and ‘common’, put together to mean ‘removing or excluding someone from a community’. However, the idea behind the word is certainly found in our 16 THE MESSENGER | septemeber - october 2015

Bibles – in passages such as Matthew 16:19; 18:15-20; John 20:23; 1 Corinthians 5:1-2; 1 Timothy 5:19-20.

The Gospel is a message of restoration, so Jesus teaches in Matthew 18 that the person should be challenged privately first. If that fails, other witnesses should correct him. If that fails, the church (and especially its leadership) should confront him. If all of that fails, he should then be removed from the fellowship and community of the church. So excommunication is the end of a process, not the first step.

When should we use it?

It’s not a word that we want to use often in our churches, but we should

remember that excommunication is not actually intended as punishment. The whole process of church discipline, up to and including excommunication, is intended to bring the unrepentant church member back into the fellowship of the church. Being removed from church membership should be a ‘wake-up call’ about their sin. So even excommunication – though it sounds drastic and certainly is a solemn thing – is motivated by the loving concern of the church leadership: concern for the honour and glory of God; concern for the reputation and health of his Church; and concern for the spiritual wellbeing of someone who says they’re a Christian but needs to repent. Ultimately, it is this refusal to repent that results in excommunication.

Young adults’ weekend 2015

I had such an amazing experience at a Young Adults’ Weekend in Northern Ireland in September. It was such a fun and encouraging time for me.

I was really blessed through meeting many other young adults who love God and strive to serve him in every aspect of their lives.

The messages were very thought-provoking and convicting for me as Mark Loughridge spoke on drinking from the fountain of grace given to us in the preaching of God’s Word, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper and the Benediction. I was convicted about the ways in which I need to be actively taking part in these for my own growth in holiness rather than just passively participating in them.

Knowing only a couple people before going, I was a little nervous but the other young people were very welcoming. I was encouraged by their kindness towards me and the other Semester- in-Scotland students. I was reminded of the fact that I am so blessed as a child of God to have brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world and that, when I am with them, I

can feel at home even when I am away from home.

All these aspects really ministered to me, but I was especially struck by the beauty of the landscapes and scenery that surrounded us. The retreat was held in the small town of Annalong, at the foot of the Mourne Mountains and adjacent to the sea. When driving to the Mullartown House where the retreat was held, the views were spectacular with the mist concealing the mountain tops on one side and the sea extending until it touches the sky on the other.

Saturday afternoon, we walked up into the Mourne Mountains through pastures of sheep. As I viewed the surrounding hills purple with heather and dotted with sheep, I was reminded of Psalm 50v10-11 where God says, “For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.” I was struck by the majesty of God displayed in his creation and his care for all living things.

During our Psalm sing, I was again filled with wonder at God’s creation.

We were sitting surrounded by trees with birds and fields of cows and sheep. As we sang, all creation lifted up their voices and praised God. ‘Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!

Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds!

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven.’

Psalm 148v9-10, 13 The talks from the weekend are available to download online. See facebook.com/youngadultsweekend

Juliana miller College Hill RPCNA Pennsylvania

Nantes Go Team 2016

18th or 19th March - 28th March 2016 Speaking French is not essential but would be beneficial. The Overseas Section encourages new applicants and also those who have been on the Go Team before.

The cost for those whole applications are accepted will be £100. The closing date is 4th December. Those interested in going are asked to request, complete and submit forms, as soon as possible. Forms can be obtained from Rev Andrew Kerr by emailing handrewkerr@gmail.com, or by calling 02890 701721.

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As a social worker and a Christian what challenges do you face interacting with broken lives?

challenging situations. Circumstances can overwhelm people and leave them with little hope. Social workers still try to combine practical help alongside developing a relationship with people as they try to improve a challenging situation.

A team of professionals work together to help the most vulnerable. It is great to share knowledge and expertise but cumbersome bureaucracy can be frustrating. Whilst Christians may be happy with much of the practical work, there is the added challenge of operating with different worldview than the relativistic, atheist philosophy which underpins much psychological theory.

The basic objectives of the Christian in social work remain the same as in any other job: to glorify God ‘in all things’ (1 Corinthians 10v31), ‘to be the fragrance of the knowledge of him’ (2 Corinthians 2v14) and to ‘keep our conduct … honourable … that they may see your good deeds and glorify God’ (1 Peter 2v12, 13). We are all called

Social work in the UK began when to ‘pray without ceasing’ (1 Thessalonians people like Octavia Hill acted in response 5v17) that those we care for and work with to the deprivation in 19th century Victorian will see their need of a Saviour, turn to Jesus slums. She visited people in their homes in repentance and follow him in faith. and developed a housing programme to help them improve their lives. Concern Priscilla Drennan about the conditions of the poor led to laws Trinity RPC which aimed to prevent the exploitation of the most vulnerable in society.

Today, social workers still visit people facing profoundly complex and 18 THE MESSENGER | septemeber - october 2015

“We need you in on Sunday; here’s what needs to be done.”

It’s an awkward situation, rarely phrased as a request, which most of us are going to come across in our professional life. In my own job, I am asked to work roughly one weekend every month and a half.

The first question to ask is whether the work is an act of necessity or mercy? There are jobs where you are actively taking care of other people or are needed in an emergency. Good examples are doctors or firefighters. People still need medical attention on the weekends; there’s still a need for firefighters to be available ready to respond to an emergency on a Sabbath. Similarly, it’s very clear-cut what you should do if you’re working in a job which isn’t classed as necessity or mercy.

What is required is a polite but firm conversation with your boss, saying that you won’t be working any Sundays for religious reasons.

There’s still protection legally that says you can’t be forced to work on them but ultimately the consequences are to be left with God.

Where I work, a lab at a major hospital, falls into a bit grey area. Someone needs to be there 24/7, to support our A+E and maternity departments, but a lot of the work we’re asked to do at the weekend could be done at other times. I try to work around this by doing as much ‘non-essential’ work on the Saturday, which means on Sunday I only have to do the emergency work I’m there for.

Alistair Rolleston Newtownards RPC

How does your faith affect your work as a music therapist?

Music therapy has Biblical roots. David played his harp to Saul to alleviate him of an evil spirit (1 Samuel 16v23). Today it is an allied health profession, which provides a safe environment to express emotions, communicate and interact with others through a range of musical concepts and instruments, when words are not always available or appropriate. I work mainly with children with learning and/or physical disabilities and life-limiting conditions.

It is a challenging but very rewarding job, being able to help children to develop and improve their communication

and social skills. As with any job, it is always a blessing to have Christian colleagues. I have found this helpful when facing certain clients or situations, knowing that I have friends who will first of all understand more fully and also be able to pray about it. I only realised how important it was to have a Christian boss when I got a new non-Christian boss, who had a very different attitude to work. Again, as with any job, this can be challenging but I aim to remember Colossians 3v23 – ‘Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for me.’

Every day I meet children and their families who are facing difficult situations due to the child’s condition. It can be difficult for them to see any hope in their circumstances and future. But I feel it is important to spend time with the family to listen to their situation and understand their needs, by showing Christ’s love to them through my attitude to my work.

Clients also influence my work. I once worked with an elderly lady with a profound learning disability and dementia.

Her favourite songs were ‘Jesus loves me’ and ‘All things bright and beautiful’, which she remembered from going to church as a child, even though her short-term memory was very poor. She requested these each week and sang them word perfectly. I felt it was important to chat to her about the lyrics as it seemed to be the only Christian witness she now experienced. By doing so, I was able to remind her of God’s love and power in a way she could understand and remember. In return, it reminded me that the Gospel can be easily explained and understood, and that we don’t need to use big words to convey its message. This has challenged me to make the most of opportunities and to not shy away from sharing the Gospel in a simple manner.

Pamela Blair Ballyclabber RPC

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20 THE MESSENGER | septemeber - october 2015