The Record - April 2022 by Free Church of Scotland

THE

RECORD

MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND APRIL 2022 • £2.00

Editor • John Macdonald The Editor, Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS editor@freechurch.org

Missions News • Mairi MacPherson Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS mairi@freechurch.org WfM Editor • Fiona Macaskill 8 Campsie Drive, Glasgow, G61 3HY rfmacaskill@me.com Gaelic Editor • Janet MacPhail 24 North Bragar, Isle of Lewis, HS2 9DA 01851 710354 Seminary News • William Mackenzie Edinburgh Theological Seminary, 15 North Bank Street, Edinburgh EH1 2LS offices@ets.ac.uk Prayer Diary • Shona McGuire seonaid1954@hotmail.co.uk Design & Layout • Fin Macrae @DUFI Art www.dufi-art.com The Record • ISSN 2042-2970 Published • The Record is produced by The Free Church of Scotland, Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS 0131 226 5286 offices@freechurch.org

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CONTENTS

WELCOME TO THE APRIL RECORD

want to begin with a ‘thank you’.

Dayspring MacLeod writes her last (for now!) column in this month’s edition. As well as being a regular columnist, Day has served as copy editor of The Record. Her support has been invaluable to me, and to several Record editors, and I’m sure my predecessors would join me in expressing our gratitude to her. Day leaves to take up a full-time post with a Christian book publisher, and we pray God will bless her in this endeavour. I’m writing this in mid-March. The latest news is that Ukrainian officials believe ceasefire talks with Russia are ‘sounding more realistic’. But shells continue to fall on Ukraine’s towns. It seemed necessary that we should reflect on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in this month’s Record. I trust you will forgive me if some of the comments in the following pages have been overtaken by events by the time you read them. Indeed, I pray that they will have been rendered out of date by peace. The Bible is clear that God ‘works all things according to the counsel of his will’ (Ephesians 1:11). He ‘ordains whatsoever comes to pass’, as the Westminster Confessions puts it. That may be easier to accept in good times than in bad. Job was wise enough to respond to suffering with the searching question, ‘Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?’ (Job 2:10) We must remember that, even in the midst of the incomprehensible providence of war, this is ‘a doctrine of hope and confidence’ (Joel Beeke). Our Confession recognises that God ordained events ‘from all eternity’. He will see them through to the end, and to his ultimate victory. Our hope and confidence lie in our knowledge of the God who is sovereign. Our God says, ‘Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.”’ (Isaiah 46:8-10) In particular we know that, not only is he almighty, God is also good. He is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4) and ‘he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men’ (Lamentations 3:33). Therefore, ‘weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning’ (Psalm 30:5). •

04 UKRAINE The Editor

Yours in Christ John

40 POST TENEBRAS LUX Catriona Murray

FREE CHURCH NEWS Building begins in Portree

PRAYER DIARY

WORLD NEWS Brazil, Ukraine, Netherlands, Russia, Ethiopia, China

THEREFORE BE READY John Surtees

FIREWALL Norman Mackay

LETTERS

THE ONLYNESS OF CHRIST Dayspring MacLeod

REFLECTIONS Sean Ankers

HEZEKIAH Donald Mackay

FOOD FOR FELLOWSHIP

REFORMATIONS SWISS AND FRENCH Zachary Purvis

OBITUARIES: ALISTAIR MACDONALD, ALEX JOHN MACASKILL

BOOK REVIEWS

MISSION MATTERS David Meredith

POETRY PAGE G.K. Chesterton

PAGES FROM ADAM'S DIARY: THE FOURTH MAN IN THE FURNACE OF FIRE (PART 2)

AISEIRIGH GHLÒRMHOR Janet MacPhail

That in all things he might have the pre-eminence Colossians 1:18 2022

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UKRAINE Photo by Isaac Davis on Unsplash

BY THE EDITOR

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УKРAЇНА Photo by Robert Anasch on Unsplash

What can the church do in the face of tyranny?

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The two-million-plus people who have now fled Ukraine join nearly seven million Syrians, four million Venezuelans, three million Afghans and more than two million South Sudanese in this horrendous circumstance.

he horrors of war and oppression have been made clear to us in a new way these past weeks.

By the grace of God, we are watching from a distance, and not fully comprehending the daily reality of those living under attack in Ukraine. Even so, the urgency of the crisis is apparent and we are moved to seek some way to respond. But in the face of Putin’s tyranny, is there anything we can do?

WARS AND RUMOURS OF WARS There are 58 ongoing, state-based conflicts in the world today. According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), 147,110 people were killed in 2021 as a result of political violence. Alongside Ukraine, the most intense violence at present is to be found in Syria, Afghanistan, Mexico and Yemen. ACLED reports that last year also saw sharp increases in violence in Burma, in Gaza and the West Bank, and in Iraq as a result of fighting between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The war between the Ethiopian state and anti-government forces in Tigray is broadening, according to The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a respected US think tank. The CFR reports that the war has brought about a man-made famine that is affecting 900,000 people and rising, making it the ‘most severe starvation crisis in the world’. All of these have been in and out of our headlines during the last year — some only appearing briefly, it must be said. Other conflicts, though, seem to have dropped off the radar altogether. In Columbia and Venezuela, for example, fighting between government forces and FARC dissidents continues, despite a peace treaty in 2016. ACLED believes 430 people have been killed in this conflict since the beginning of 2022. More than half a million people have died as a result of civil war in Somalia, which began in 1991 and continues today. Darfur in Western Sudan attracted attention in 2003 as a result of the horrific humanitarian crisis caused by fighting between rebels and governmentbacked militia. Omar al-Bashir, president of Sudan until he was deposed in 2019, was indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide. The conflict has de-escalated in recent years following a painstaking peace process, but clashes continue amid political unrest. The United Nations estimates that 82.4 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced by persecution, conflict and violence by the end of 2020. The two-million-plus people who have now fled Ukraine join nearly seven million Syrians, four million Venezuelans, three million Afghans and more than two million South Sudanese in this horrendous circumstance. But, of all the conflicts that are ongoing in the world today, the invasion of Ukraine has risen to prominence. Can this be justified?

FAMILIARITY A Daily Telegraph columnist wrote recently that Ukrainians ‘seem so like us. That is what makes it so shocking. Ukraine is a European country. Its people watch Netflix and have Instagram accounts, vote in free elections and read uncensored newspapers. War is no longer something visited upon impoverished and remote populations.’ Similarly, a senior foreign correspondent for CBS News commented that Kyiv, ‘isn’t a place, with all due respect, like Iraq or Afghanistan, that has seen conflict raging for decades. This is a relatively civilized, relatively European — I have to choose those words carefully, too — city, one where you wouldn’t expect that, or hope that it’s going to happen.’

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In the grave context of war, political buffoonery is no longer acceptable. The election of wise and competent leaders is a necessity, not a luxury.

‘Relatively civilised’ is an ugly phrase for which the journalist subsequently apologised. But the point being made here is familiar. After agreeing to Hitler’s annexation of the Sudetenland, Neville Chamberlain described the crisis on the border between Germany and the former Czechoslovakia as, ‘a quarrel in a faraway country between people of whom we know nothing.’ Is this how we feel today about violence outside Europe? Reflecting on various specific examples from recent media coverage, the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association wrote, ‘AMEJA condemns and categorically rejects orientalist and racist implications that any population or country is “uncivilized” or bears economic factors that make it worthy of conflict. This type of commentary reflects the pervasive mentality in Western journalism of normalizing tragedy in parts of the world such as the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. It dehumanizes and renders their experience with war as somehow normal and expected.’ This observation of the disparity of attention and of concern about human suffering around the world is convicting. It is clear that we have become desensitised to war when it occurs in certain parts of the world. As those who hold that all people are created in the image of God, this is not acceptable. The answer is not to be equally desensitised to the situation in Ukraine. Rather, it is to have the same level of compassion and the same sense of injured justice when it comes to violence and oppression in other places. This calls for greater effort to understand the circumstances being faced by people in Columbia, Iraq, Somalia and elsewhere. And our churches must come together to act, as the Lord gives us wisdom and resources. In our own strength, this is too exhausting a task. So may God grant us greater love for our neighbours around the globe.

POLITICAL GRAVITY Yet, even when we reject the fallacy that war is ordinary where people don’t watch Netflix, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine remains shocking. It is legitimate for the situation to loom large and strike us with fear, not because Ukrainians look familiar, rather because of the suffering of the oppressed and the power of the aggressor. We learned our own history, and so a war of conquest across sovereign state borders brings 1930s Europe immediately to mind. But the authoritarian looking to expand his territory today is armed with the world’s largest nuclear arsenal. The reality of Putin’s war has torn down our comfortable assumptions, assumptions that have allowed us to normalise war in other places. We now see that we are not immune from armed conflict. Land wars in Europe can no longer be considered historical. Territorial expansion is not a thing of the past. It is foolish to lionise political leaders, all of whom are fallible sinners like the rest of us. They will each make mistakes in the course of their work. Indeed, even President Zelenskyy, during his inaugural address in 2019, told Ukraine’s lawmakers: ‘I do not want my picture in your offices: the president is not an icon, an idol or a portrait. Hang your kids’ photos instead, and look at them each time you are making a decision.’ On the other hand, in the grave context of war, political buffoonery is no longer acceptable. Governing is not a lark. The election of wise and competent leaders is a necessity, not a luxury. As an institution, the church must be independent of party politics, and at the same time we must begin to insist that the best minds and the most compassionate hearts come to the fore in government. ‘Righteousness exalts a nation.’ (Proverbs 14:34)

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... it is tempting to feel powerless, and even hopeless. Prayer can feel like mere words. But just because it feels that way does not mean it is that way.

NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOURS However, improving political leadership in this country is a long-term goal for the church. War rages today. People are in mortal danger now. What do we do? The church on the frontline has been swift to respond. Vadym Kulynchenko, minister of a church in Kamyanka, south of Kyiv, told Christianity Today (CT) that, on the first Sunday after Putin’s invasion, ‘the whole church prayed on their knees for our president, our country, and for peace. After the service, we did a first-aid training.’ Benjamin Morrison, an American missionary and pastor of Calvary Chapel Svitlovodsk, writes, ‘“Bomb shelter ministry” is, I must admit, not a ministry profile I thought I’d ever have. And yet, we are already seeing how fruitful it’s been. Our neighbours have heard more about Christ, heard more Scripture, and been led in more prayer in the last week than most of them probably have in their lives. ‘It has often been the case that we stay down there discussing matters of faith long after the sirens have stopped.’ Despite the threat of up to 15 years in prison for contradicting the Kremlin’s false narrative about the war in Ukraine, 400 Russian evangelical leaders signed an open letter calling for ‘the authorities of our country to stop this senseless bloodshed’. They quote Jesus’ words in Matthew 26:52, ‘Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.’ By the second week of March, the UN estimated that more than 80,000 people had left Ukraine for Moldova. Nicholai Vozian, president of the Union of Churches of Moldova, has reported that more than 1,400 families from the churches he represents have signed up to receive and help refugees. A number of congregations have turned their church buildings into accommodation. Eastern Orthodox monasteries have done the same. ‘If you’re sitting and thinking, you’re worrying about things you can’t control,’ Evghenii Solugubenco, pastor of Kishinev Bible Church, told CT. ‘We’re going to do the work that’s in front of us. We’re going to help that person and then help someone else.’

WHAT CAN WE DO? We are not near enough to meet people at the border, in the way that our sisters and brothers in Moldova are doing, but practical assistance is also possible indirectly. The Free Church is partnering with Blythswood Care, who have launched an emergency appeal for funds to support people seeking refuge from the violence. This is real, immediate, loving assistance of the kind that the Gentile churches gave to the believers in Jerusalem (Romans 15:14-32). In the fog of war, it is no small thing to say and share what is right. The old adage tells us that the first casualty of war is truth. Aristotle may have preferred a plausible impossibility to an improbable possibility, but fake news and false conspiracy theories are not good enough for God. The ninth commandment prohibits all such. We should be speaking, sharing and reposting only the truth about the war in Ukraine. We must also be praying. Witnessing the images being broadcast of tanks in the streets and bombed out hospitals, it is tempting to feel powerless, and even hopeless. Prayer can feel like mere words. But just because it feels that way does not mean it is that way.

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It is clear that we have become desensitised to war when it occurs in certain parts of the world. As those who hold that all people are created in the image of God, this is not acceptable. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the preeminent modern example of a Christian response to authoritarian tyranny, wrote that ‘the richness of the Word of God ought to determine our prayer, not the poverty of our heart.’ For Bonhoeffer, the Psalms are ‘the prayer book of the Bible’. And it is the testimony of many Christians who have experienced the outrages of war that the imprecatory psalms give us the words we need for times such as these. To imprecate is to invoke a curse, so taking up the words of these psalms in prayer is intimidating in light of Jesus’ command that we love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). Certainly, they should be handled with care. But, inspired by the Spirit, the psalmist does not usurp God’s place as judge and avenger. Also, the psalms do not ask for retaliation, which only adds more evil and escalates violence. The imprecatory psalms chiefly do two things: They recognise evil for what it is, and they ask God to act. In Psalm 58, David is bold in calling out oppression: ‘In your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth. The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies. They have venom like the venom of a serpent.’ (58:2-4) Loving our enemies does not involve excusing sin, or assuming fundamental goodness which does not exist. Shelling a maternity hospital is evil. It is our duty to say that. In response to the evil he sees, David also recognises his own weakness and inability to counter it (Psalm 109:22-25). He does not threaten to commit violence in return, but — in vivid terms — he calls on God to act. ‘O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! Let them vanish like water that runs away; when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted. Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime, like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.’ (Psalm 58:6-8) While we cannot trust ourselves to execute judgement correctly, we are not prevented from imploring God to deliver justice and rescue those in danger.

SAFE HAVEN Though the politics of immigration in Europe have not necessarily shifted, a sense of compassion has been kindled for those seeking asylum from the war in Ukraine. Pastor Alex Belev reported to CT that, ‘They are not denying entrance to anyone, even if the person doesn’t have all the right documents for them, their children, or their transportation. Every person can be safe from war, from threat to their lives. Every person who arrives to the territory of Moldova receives food, accommodation, warmth, and care.’ In the coming weeks, we may be able to emulate the beautiful example of Christians in Moldova. Following sustained criticism of the UK Government’s hard line on entrance requirements for Ukrainian refugees, government sources confirmed a sponsorship scheme which will allow individuals, charities, businesses and community groups to register and offer accommodation to people fleeing the war. At the time of writing, the details of this new sponsorship scheme had not been announced, but it appears that here is an opportunity for the church to act, to alleviate fear and anxiety, to offer hospitality in the face of trauma. Even in the face of this disaster, we can act. If it is his will, may God enable us, as the church and as individual believers, to give, to speak truth, to pray or to welcome someone escaping violence and danger. In his sovereign might, may the Lord of Hosts bring peace to Ukraine. •

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FREE CHURCH NEWS BUILDING BEGINS IN PORTREE

turf-cutting ceremony has been held to mark the

for the past two decades, so it has been meeting in a local primary school. Around 80 people meet on Sunday mornings with up to 70 people joining online. Although the plans to build a church go back about twenty years, things really took off when the church bought a 1.8-acre plot of land on a housing estate in 2012. The site had previously been earmarked for 14 detached houses, with utilities for those homes already installed. However, due to the nationwide financial crisis, the land was put up for sale with an asking price of £500,000 – and the firm accepted £250,000 for it. Since then, there have been great strides in raising money so that work can start on the build. Around £1.75 million has been raised, including a substantial loan from the Board of Trustees, money from the sale of the manse in Bracadale after the parishes merged in 2016, and through many generous donations. Unfortunately, the unprecedented rise in building costs throughout 2021 means the congregation still needs to raise £350,000, taking the final total to £2.1 million. Local firm RK Joinery has been appointed for the project. Work will shortly take place to move the utilities to enable the foundations of the church to be laid. The single storey building, which will have disabled access, is set to completed by early summer 2023. •

start of a long-awaited new church building for

portree & bracadale free church. The church community met to celebrate the momentous occasion. It follows numerous delays and setbacks to the project, including rising building costs due to the pandemic. ‘On a wet and windy Saturday morning a group from our congregation, along with minister the Rev. Donnie G MacDonald, attended the sod-cutting in a field of weeds!’ said Charles Crichton, Session Clerk and Treasurer for Portree & Bracadale Free Church. ‘We have come through 20 years of prayerful preparation. We’re now grateful to be able to officially start the project.’ The new build, which will be on a housing estate, is intended to be a real hub for the community. Charles continued, ‘The church is the people, and the building is simply to support the cause of the church in this parish. Donnie G has always been very strong on this. Through the years, we’ve asked ourselves very searching questions about the purpose of the project, and we have had many tokens of encouragement. Therefore, we are more certain than ever that there’s a place for it in our community, and not just for Sundays. ‘We want to build an identifiable place in which to meet for worship, in order to develop our small part of the Lord’s cause in the Portree and Bracadale parish.’ The congregation has not had its own church building

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APR/MAY 2022 PRAYER DIARY ‘Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.’ Eph 6:18 Let us pray this month for God’s book. Please send any prayer requests to Mrs Shona McGuire at seonaid1954@hotmail.co.uk Thu 14th – Sun 17th As Spring approaches let us open our hearts to those who don’t have access or have never heard of the Bible. Let us thank the Lord for the early translation and the immense work done by the Bible Society in making His Word available in many languages and in many countries. Pray that we never take access to God’s Word for granted and help us to continue to search the hidden truths it holds. Mon 18th – Wed 20th Pray that this month we would try to have a closer walk and get to know God better through His Word. It is vital that we have a close connection to the person we are praying to. Eugene Peterson advises that prayer must be Bible based so your starting point must be immersion in His Word. Thu 21st – Sun 24th Pray for help understanding what God may be trying to tell us. As a young man St Augustine considered himself well read but in his own words, 'I resolved to make some study of the Sacred Scriptures and find what kind of books they were. But what I came upon was something not grasped by the proud, not revealed either to children, something utterly humble in the hearing but sublime in the doing and shrouded deep in mystery...they seemed to me to be unworthy to be compared with the majesty of Cicero. My conceit was repelled by their simplicity, and I had not the mind to penetrate into their depths.’ Augustine admitted he was swollen with pride. Pray that we would come humbly. Mon 25th– Wed 27th Pray for wisdom in a world full of wars and rumours of wars. Paul tells us in Eph 1:17, ‘I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.’ Pray that by reading His word we would know good decisions from bad ones and chose the right path. Pray that we would stay positive and remember He has a plan. Thu 28th – Sun 1st Pray that we would not hide our light under a bushel but shine like stars and use the gifts we have been given. Read Matt 25:14, the parable of the talents. I used to feel sorry for the man who played it safe and buried the treasure but now see he was robbing God. Whatever we have to offer pray that we feel inspired to offer it back to God.

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Mon 2nd – Wed 4th While the world continues to pray for Ukraine pray let us also pray for the people in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Months of brutal fighting across the region has left millions starving. We thank God for the charity Mary’s Meals for providing food for this war-torn region. At times like this it can appear hopeless but we must hold on to the good that is happening often behind closed doors and scarcely heard of and never lose hope. 'Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ”I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”' Help us follow the Lord’s example and give generously to help the starving wherever they may be. Thu 5th– Sun 8th The Bible is not just a book of information but a dynamic spiritual power. Jonathan Edwards wrote, ’I had then and at other times, the greatest delight in the holy scriptures, of any book whatsoever. Oftentimes in reading it, every word seemed to touch my heart. I felt a harmony between something in my heart and those sweet and powerful words. I seemed often to see so much light exhibited by every sentence, and such a refreshing food communicated, that I could not get along reading; often dwelling long on one sentence, to see the wonders contained in it; and yet almost every sentence seemed to be full of wonders.’ Pray that we could find those wonders. Mon 9th – Thu 12th Is the Bible a holy book, a magical book, the inspired word of God? Pray for enlightenment and discover the wonders it holds. It sits gathering dust in many homes, never touched at the back of a cupboard or maybe in a drawer. Pray that people would find it pick it up and open it. And pray that it would come alive like ‘The Never Ending Story’ did in the hands of the little boy Bastion. Fri 13th – Sun 15th Pray that we who are believers would live like it’s true. If we can’t show strength and dignity in times of trial, what sort of message are we giving to the atheists, the agnostics, the humanists? Please God give us the courage to believe there is a better life to come and to live like we truly believe it. If we could see what happens when we pray we would never stop praying. •

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WORLD NEWS

AMERICAS AFRICA EUROPE ASIA AUSTRALASIA ORTHODOX CHURCH The Russian Orthodox parish of St Nicolas of Myra in Amsterdam has requested a ‘canonical dismissal’ from the Moscow Patriarchate and has asked to join the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in response to the war in Ukraine. Local leaders wrote that it is ‘no longer possible for them to function within the Moscow Patriarchate and provide a spiritually safe environment for our faithful.’ Meanwhile, a letter signed by more than fifty Orthodox theologians from various countries has declared the ‘Russian World’ teaching promoted by Vladimir Putin and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill to be ‘a false teaching’ amounting to ‘religious nationalism’. The Russian World ideology argues that there exists a trans-national Russian civilisation which should be governed by a common leader (i.e. Putin) and adhere to a common religious practice (Russian Orthodoxy). The scholars conclude, ‘we reject the “Russian world” heresy and the shameful actions of the Government of Russia in unleashing war against Ukraine, which flows from this vile and indefensible teaching with the connivance of the Russian Orthodox Church, as profoundly un-Orthodox, un-Christian and against humanity.’ •

RUSSIAN EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE STATEMENT General Secretary of the Russian Evangelical Alliance, Vitaly Vlasenko, has published an open letter, dated 12th March, in which he writes, ‘I mourn what my country has done in its recent military invasion of another sovereign country, Ukraine… ‘Two peoples closely related to each other, many of whom are deeply devoted to the Christian (primarily Orthodox) faith, are now in a fierce battle – one side pursuing the goal of demilitarizing Ukraine, the other seeking to save their country from occupation… ‘Today, soldiers from one side and the other are dying. Peaceful feelings are being destroyed amidst the bombing and shelling… ‘All these events cause me deep sorrow, bitterness, and regret for decisions taken by the leadership of my country, and a great compassion for those suffering as a result of this decision… ‘Everything I could do to prevent war, I did, in an attempt to stop this military invasion.’ Vlasenko cites humanitarian assistance, prayer, and a letter he wrote to Vladimir Putin calling for peace. He concludes, ‘Today, as a citizen and as General Secretary of the Russian Evangelical Alliance, I apologize to all those who have suffered, lost loved ones and relatives, or lost their place of residence as a result of this military conflict. My prayer is that you will find strength from the Lord to extend your hand of solidarity and forgiveness, so we can live as the people of God to our world.’ •

LETHAL FLOODING IN BRAZIL February saw deadly flooding and landslides in the Brazilian city, Petrópolis. More than 170 people are known to have died. Petrópolis is situated in the mountainous region north of Rio de Janeiro and is home to around 300,000 people. This year, the city has seen the heaviest rainfall since the 1930s. According to Church Times, the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil has launched a nationwide campaign for donations to assist in the aftermath of the flooding. The local Lutheran congregation in Petrópolis has been collecting and distributing vital supplies such as food, water, blankets, personal hygiene products and clothing over the last month. The local Catholic Bishop, Gregório Paixão Neto, said in an online video, ‘I ask you to welcome your relatives, your friends and those who are in despair, looking for a place to stay. I, myself, already have a family staying in my house.’ •

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THE REMNANT IN IRPIN Russian shelling of humanitarian corridors intended for the escape of civilians was widely reported in the world’s press, with the deaths of a mother and her two children the cause of particular sorrow and revulsion. Killed alongside them was Anatoly, a 26-year-old who was helping carry their luggage. He was a member of Irpin Bible Church. ‘Anatoly was deeply spiritual, with a good Christian character,’ his pastor told Christianity Today. ‘When he saw a need, he tried to help.’ After assisting his wife and other family members to escape, Anatoly had returned to Irpin to aid others. The town, on the outskirts of Kyiv, is in the path of Russian forces’ main assault on Ukraine’s capital, and thousands of residents have evacuated in recent days. CT reports that the town is also the ‘evangelical hub’ of Ukraine, home to around 25 parachurch ministries including Youth with a Mission, Youth for Christ and the International Fellowship for Evangelical Students. Irpin Bible Church, a Baptist congregation, is the largest church in the town. Since war began, members and staff have been transporting evacuees out of Irpin. Government officials are now directing people to the church for help. Ivan Rusyn, President of the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary, along with a handful of colleagues, is coordinating food, water and medicine supplies from the offices of the Ukrainian Bible Society. At night, Rusyn sleeps on the office floor. ‘This war has completely redefined my understanding of mission and holistic ministry. You cannot show compassion from a distance.’ Rusyn told CT about having to carry disabled people to the evacuation buses, and of the soldiers smiling in the knowledge that there are pastors remaining who are praying for them. ‘Our commitment is that no one here will be left hungry,’ he concludes. ‘Christian leaders that remain in Kyiv and other cities are the incarnated witness of Jesus Christ.’ •

LOCAL CHURCHES WORKING TO ALLEVIATE FAMINE Drought caused by climate change, and exacerbated as government resources have been occupied by Covid and war, has brought disaster to Oromia in southern and central Ethiopia. Wondimu Wallelu, who works for the Ethiopian Evangelical Church’s Development and Social Services Commission, told Christianity Today, ‘Back in the 19th and 20th centuries, droughts occurred once in every eight years, and the impact was relatively insignificant. Very recently, drought has been occurring every two years.’ Wallelu and the Commission are working to provide food, water and animal fodder, and have recently received a grant of 23.5 million birr (about £350,000) from the German church aid agency, Bread for the World. The local church is doing everything it can, according to Ethiopian Evangelical Church (EEC) leaders. CT learned that, in the Killenso Parish, a Turkuma congregation is hosting 10 families and their 300 cattle from a neighbouring district. Similarly, in Yavelo town, congregants collected 120,000 birr (£1,795) during a single Sunday service to help with relief efforts. Nevertheless, in Borena, a district within Oromia region, 420,000 people urgently need food aid according to the EEC. And there is not enough fodder to keep the livestock they depend on alive. Indeed, the United Nations has warned that the current drought has put the whole Horn of Africa on ‘the brink of catastrophe’. Wallelu’s colleague at the EEC’s development commission, Abeya Wakwaya, told CT that the church’s mission is vital in the midst of this humanitarian crisis. ‘We have to be exemplary,’ Wakwaya said, ‘to show it’s possible to help each other.’ •

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RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN CHINA New legislation, known as ‘Measures for the Administration of Internet Religious Information Services’, came into force in China in March. The measures ban unlicensed groups or individuals from sharing religious content online, including recorded or live streamed church services. Only government-approved religious groups will be granted a permit. ‘Even these churches will have their content closely scrutinised,’ says Thomas Muller of Open Doors, ‘to ensure that the message is suitably “Sinicised” and in keeping with Chinese Communist Party teaching. All other “underground” churches are effectively being driven off the internet.’ Also in China, a woman has been detained by police after repeated attempts to share the gospel with Chinese president, Xi Jinping. International Christian Concern reports that Zhou Jinxia held up a sign near the central headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party which asked the President Xi to believe in Jesus. Zhou has been charged with ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble’. •

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THEREFORE BE READY

BY JOHN SURTEES

ASR Roddy Macleod in conversation with soldiers. In addition to Roddy’s ministry as the Scripture Reader to Kinloss and Fort George Barracks, he is also an elder in Greyfriars Free Church, Inverness

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have been organised, prayer points shared online, and fundraising and other charitable initiatives supported. Our thoughts have turned to Christians we know in Ukraine, and we fear for their safety and also for the future of gospel work in Ukraine. The national focus has turned once again to the military. SASRA (The Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Scripture Readers Association) has the privilege of bringing the gospel to our military personnel. Most have had no Christian input in their lives, have never held, let alone read, a Bible, have never been in a church building – until they join up. They need a robust moral compass, the spiritual resources to cope with the danger and responsibilities of their duties, and the wonderful hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ as they face danger and harm.

As I write this, there are no doubt British military personnel checking their kit and equipment, just in case. Military commanders will be telling their troops to ‘be ready’. No one knows what exactly they have to be ready for. In a sense, that is what all military training is: preparing to ‘be ready’. A big focus of military training are the core values. In the British Army these are: integrity, discipline, courage, loyalty, respect for others, and selfless commitment. These core values were crafted by an individual with Christian values, and they reflect standards demonstrated gloriously by the Lord Jesus Christ in his death for his enemies, and required of his disciples. Last August, British service personnel displayed these values in the dangerous circumstances of the evacuation from Kabul, Afghanistan, and now they are doing the same in Eastern Europe are they are deployed in response to the developing situation in Ukraine.

CHRISTIAN MISSION TO THE BRITISH MILITARY SASRA Scripture Readers have the unique position of being able to go ‘behind the wire’ on behalf of the church. Our Readers – all military veterans turned missionary evangelists – live and work amongst the soldiers and aviators of the British Army and Royal Air Force. This presence is invaluable to the spiritual welfare of Armed Forces personnel, and

UKRAINE – THE CHRISTIAN RESPONSE Christians and churches across the UK have been considering how to respond. Prayer meetings

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their role as integral members of welfare teams allows them a platform to share their faith and the hope of Christ. It is at times like these, when our military are called upon to ‘be ready’, that military personnel need to hear the challenge of the gospel, as found in Matthew 24:44, ‘Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’

Soldier A: ‘A deployment protecting the innocent would bring a new sense of purpose that a generation of soldiers feel they are desperately lacking.’

Our Scripture Readers stand ready to serve those who serve the nation. As Christians and churches, will you stand with us in this vital gospel work?

Soldier C: ‘Guys are apprehensive of what will happen; there is definitely dread over what situation we will end up in.’

• • • •

Soldier B: ‘Deployment is something I crave. It’s the feeling that the actual deployment is the culmination of every past mundane exercise. It’s the only time I felt like a soldier.’

Pray for us and those we minister to. Give to support our work, which receives no state funding. Volunteer as a ‘SASRA Advocate’ to help us engage with your church. If you are a military veteran, and have a heart for our service personnel, apply to become a Scripture Reader.

Soldier D: ‘I am concerned at the danger it will bring and the loss of life it will inevitably bring.’

John Surtees is SASRA’s Communications Officer. Prior to his current role, he served in the Royal Air Force. To receive regular updates on the work of SASRA, visit sasra.org.uk/subscribe ASR Lee McDade opens the Bible with troops on exercise.

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FIREWALL PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN AGAINST INTERNET PORNOGRAPHY THROUGH GOD’S TRUTH BY REV. NORMAN MACKAY

The Lord announces the Word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng Psalm 68:11

n a previous edition of the record it was incredibly moving and exciting to read the testimony of julie mcaddock as she shared passionately about serving christ in the

field of addiction. Kate Mitchell is also passionately committed to engaging on Christ’s behalf in another related, though distinct, area of spiritual conflict. Kate is Missions Project Leader of The Message Trust. She is engaged in a battle which is increasingly engulfing an entire generation, destroying people in its wake, and is as addictive as crack cocaine. Starkly put, we are talking here about the dark world of pornography. Kate was heavily involved in our Govan Free Church magazine ministry. During that time we came to hold her in the highest esteem. She is someone with a vision not just for projects, but for people and their spiritual wellbeing.

A STATISTICAL SHOCK

For many years Kate’s passion has been that of unmasking the multiple dark sides of this new ‘drug’ of internet pornography. She aims to equip a new generation of young people to grasp the enormous damage such things as sexting, grooming and online pornography can do to our lives and relationships, and to warn against the terrible dangers therein. Kate’s vision is to meet young people where they are, and to help them see relationships and sexuality in the light of God’s Word. The statistics are frightening. The fact that so many internet users are children is deeply disturbing. Every month 1.4 million children access pornography. This is absolutely horrific. A cross-party parliamentary inquiry found that almost one in three ten-year-olds have already seen pornography online. In 2015, 4.3 billion hours of pornography were watched on a single website. As research continues, the negative effects on the brain, the emotions, the heart and society in general of regular viewing of pornography become increasingly established. Another huge area for concern is child protection. A study carried out by the Home Office in the 1990s found that there were 10,000 indecent images of children in

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Almost one in three ten-year-olds have already seen pornography online. circulation. Fast forward to 2021 and there are now 17 million unique indecent images of children, and this increases by half a million every month, facilitated by online platforms. Pornography is abuse repackaged as entertainment and pleasure, and this is what young people are often turning to for sex education. Tragically, adults and young people who are part of a church can also be susceptible to this current trend, and for various reasons be drawn into this addictive world.

A SHAPING INFLUENCE The cyberworld so accessible today has fundamentally and irrevocably changed the nature of human interaction. As well as offering amazing opportunities for the gospel, the internet is also a huge spiritual battleground. So I asked Kate what shape her work was taking now. She states: ‘Our ministry currently has six teams in four countries delivering first-class lessons looking at the damaging effects of pornography. The lessons also tackle topics like consent, positive relationships and sexting, online safety, and self-esteem. In addition to this we offer a fantastic course for boys and one for girls which are delivered over a six-week period and cover topics such as objectification, grooming, respect and exploitation. The material links in with Curriculum for Excellence, and has been written in line with Personal and Social Education (PSE) and Religious and Moral Education (RME) criteria, so it is hugely accessible for teachers. And as with all things from our charity “The Message”, it is evangelistic at its heart. In every lesson we tell young people they are valued and loved by God.’ This is not simply the truth of God’s word shaping young people to respond differently, but the truth of God’s word saving lives. There are traumatic stories of young people self-harming or even taking their own lives after realising that inappropriate images of them are circulating on social media, and cannot be taken back.

A SINGLE ISSUE Over the years we meet Christians whose heart God has burdened to take on a single issue or focus. Nehemiah built a wall and Noah built an ark. When we first met her, Kate was, and has remained, a zealous Christian with a single-minded passion for engaging young people on these crucial issues and their implications. Her desire is to be approachable, informed and ultimately to share Christ.

A SERVING HEART If you would like to know more about Kate’s work in schools, have her Zoom with your fellowship, have her help equip your church and/or youth group or visit your school, she can be contacted by email at kate.mitchell@message.org.uk Kate’s ministry, of course, requires funds to deliver and sustain. If you feel this is a ministry you could support financially, please get in touch at the same address. Kate is married to husband Alex, and they have two children, Lola and Asher.

‘I welcome Kate’s timely and bold ministry of speaking God’s Word into the challenging, and often dangerous, online world this generation is experiencing. We need to teach, support and encourage this generation of young people to understand God’s pattern and loving purposes in our relationships. "How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. -Psalm 119:9"’ Alison Mackay, Teacher, Govan Church Plant 2022

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Re: World News, February 2022 Dear Editor, We were surprised and pleased to see the National Evangelical Church in Bahrain mentioned in the February edition of The Record. We were members of the N.E.C. for more than 15 years and it was a privilege to worship in such a multi-cultural, multi-denominational congregation. We attended the English language service alongside Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Americans, Syrians, Europeans and Filipino Christians, but several other language services were held in the same building during the week. As to the quote ‘harassment of the Shia Muslim Community’, this is action taken in the interest of state stability against those under the influence, and with the likely financial backing, of Iran, which is constantly trying to extend its influence in the Gulf Region. How long would the current freedom-of-worship policy in Bahrain last if Iran’s ambitions were realised? We are in daily contact with an ex-colleague, who is a Shia Muslim, and harassment is never mentioned. Yours sincerely Helen and Duncan MacLachlan

Re: Church Planting in the Free Church & A Healthy Gospel Church, March 2022 Dear Sir, I read with interest the stimulating mission-related articles by Neil MacMillan and Peter Turnbull in the March Record. I know that these men aim to be thoroughly biblical in their thinking, so I would like to ask the following questions. What Scriptural arguments are there for specifying numbers in a vision statement? If only 29 churches are planted by 2030, would that constitute failure? Would 31 churches planted represent success? If the Burghead congregation only reached 95 disciples, would they have failed? If they reached 105, would that be termed a success? If judging success or failure is not the point of using specific numbers, then what is the point? The Mission and Vision statements of the Burghead congregation are, of course, a matter for that congregation alone. However, given that these statements are quoted as an example, may I make an observation? As Peter Turnbull says, ‘everyone has some vision’, myself included! However, I would not be happy with the Mission Statement ‘Knowing Jesus and making Jesus known’, which, although it contains biblical truth, I find to be slick, but simplistic. Were I to compose one, others would no doubt find objections to it also! Finally, I seek reassurance that the Free Church is not about to enter a period of a kind of neo-legalism, where a person’s spirituality is judged by the extent to which they buy into the denomination’s current focus on particular attitudes to the theory and practice of mission. Yours sincerely, David M Wilkie

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Thank you to David Wilkie for his very helpful questions, and the spirit in which they are put. He is quite right, of course, to expect that we be thoroughly biblical. I would add, however, that having this Scriptural approach mustn’t be reduced to simple proof-texting. Though there is no verse or passage containing a direct command that congregations utilise a vision statement (with or without numerical aspirations), such statements may be considered a useful tool to help us aim at obedience to other scriptural imperatives. Likewise, there is no direct command to serve refreshments after our services, but most congregations consider this a useful means to the wider (biblical!) ends of fellowship, welcome and love within the body of Christ. So, whilst we’re not compelled to use vision statements or numerical targets… • • •

We are commanded to have faith in the power of God to save. We are commanded to be on active, evangelistic mission. Many of Christ’s parables make it clear that we ought to expect (and therefore plan) for Kingdom growth.

As a congregation we have found a numerical target helpful to stretch our faith, to drive us to our knees in prayer, and to expect and plan for growth. Some may feel nervous because vision statements and numerical targets are used in the secular world. However, providing we are careful about it, our Reformed doctrine of common grace means we can recognise and, on occasion, make use of helpful ideas even if they come from unregenerate sources. So, growing to 95 disciples rather than 100 (or planting 29 churches rather than 30) would in no sense constitute failure. After all, God foreordains whatsoever comes to pass! However, if we want to be thoroughly biblical, the Scriptures never divorce divine sovereignty from human responsibility. If, by the Lord’s grace, we do grow to be a church of 95 we will look back rejoicing that the Lord used our vision as one of his gracious means of working among us. Peter Turnbull

David Wilkie raises some fair points. I think the Bible is interested in numbers and growth. Jesus chose 12 disciples and sent out 72 on mission. This was his plan. When one of the 12 was lost, Acts 1 tells us another was chosen to take his place. 11 apostles were not enough. We know there were 3000 converts in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and Acts 4 tells us that the number of converts grew to 5000 men. When it comes to the work of the denomination or a congregation then specifying numbers, e.g. 30x30, does give us something to aim for and a way to measure progress. Hopefully these numbers are not plucked out of the air but are a realistic but ambitious estimate of what might be possible under God’s blessing. The success of any plan is beyond our control. We may fail and I often have. But I would rather try and fail than not try at all. Most of what I have learnt in ministry has come through failures rather than success. And thanks too for highlighting the danger of neo-legalism! I, too, hope we don’t fall into the trap of judging each other in the way that David describes. Our unity is in Christ and we can happily disagree on particular attitudes to the theory and practice of mission. Warm regards, Neil MacMillan

We would love to hear from you…please write to the editor at: The Record, Free Church Offices 15 North Bank Street, The Mound Edinburgh, EH1 2LS or e-mail editor@freechurch.org

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DAYSPRING MACLEOD says goodbye

The

O N LY NE SS of Christ A

fter more than ten years copy - editing the record and almost as many writing

©Pearl on Lightstock.com

for it , this is my last column . You have all seen me through the tough baby years, the ‘slog of despond’, and sympathised with my homesickness. You’ve travelled with me to the Western Isles. You’ve listened as I’ve brought hidden doubts to light and found comfort and reassurance. Together we’ve wept and waited through a pandemic. Most of those columns were during those seven years of raising small children at home, and now I’m excited to return to full-time work. Thank you all for your kind words and prayers and encouragement over the years. I have nothing more to say on the subject of Dayspring, and I want instead to leave you as I found you — with Jesus. First, with a brief thought on His crucifixion. When you have grown up in the Church, you can find yourself reacting to His death with coldness instead of wonder — taking it for granted. Part of this is the unimaginability of the physical suffering He endured. Most of us, not having experienced anything like such agony, do not identify with it easily. It’s horrifying, of course, and we wouldn’t want it to happen to us, but after all millions of humans throughout history have been brutally tortured, and we may feel just as much empathy for them. I have been asking the Lord for a greater understanding and appreciation of the Cross, and as I started to write about it, I felt that the greater suffering of it was in this phrase, ‘He who knew no sin became sin for us.’ Jesus never sinned, because His divine nature was totally repelled by sin: by all selfishness, rage, lust,

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self-pity, resentment, jealousy, complacency. Temptations might come from outside Him, but all of this was completely alien to His nature. Imagine you are found guilty of some sin you find utterly horrifying: paedophilia, or abortion, or robbing an old lady. You are guilty before the law, even though you know your innocence as you are held in prison. Even worse than being in prison is being associated with that crime: the whole world condemns you for something utterly disgusting and contrary to your character. To actually go to the electric chair, as it were, under sentence for someone else’s crimes — that is a travesty of justice, an utter disgrace, that our Lord willingly took upon Himself. ‘Despising the shame’ — yes, our shame — but with His eyes fixed on the joy before Him. We think of suffering as dark. Jesus was not going into the valley of death blindly; he knew He would rise again. But He also knew He would suffer as no one had ever suffered. When Abraham receives his covenant, dividing animals in two and then falling into a deep sleep, it says that ‘a horror of great darkness fell upon him’. And that is when God appears, taking the form of light, and takes upon Himself the fulfilment of the gory covenant. When Jesus finally pays the price for that promise, He is left alone in that nightmare darkness. He is a man, still divine in His nature but, miraculously, cut off from the fellowship and joy of the Father. God is, as He illustrated when He walked alone through Abraham’s animal carcasses, cut in two. Sally Lloyd-Jones, in the Jesus Storybook Bible, puts that miraculous separation as eloquently and starkly as any scripture translation I have ever seen: ‘God turned away from his Boy.’ Creation and deliverance are two functions God performs in the Bible with great joy, ingenuity and readiness. They are easy. They are a pleasure for Him. He loves doing our impossible, delights in amazing us. But what He did on the cross was, even for Him, far from easy. Far from a pleasure. Darkness and sin and separation are all anathema to His very being. And yet, when He offers to us His covenant of sacrifice, He does it with JOY, because it opens the way for Him to be with His beloved! That is us, spotless and blameless and glorious in beauty, of the delight of His soul. Do you feel like it? I don’t. I am full of my selfimportant unworthiness, my own objections to our union, when in fact all objections should come from His side. Yet they never, ever do. We are beloved as He is beloved; we will be holy as He is holy. In the past couple of years, His presence and loveliness have been an increasing happiness to me, and I want to share with you a sort of poem I wrote recently after a prayer walk. I am not much of a poet, and yet, like the Psalmist, praise flows forth as from ‘the pen of a ready writer’, because His goodness is so overwhelming we can’t help but speak of it! The Onlyness of Christ Who is like you? You, Son of Man, holding the kingdom in your hand Holding your loved ones in your hand: who can pluck them out? Before you the angels cry Holy, Holy, Holy! Only, Only, Only! Your onlyness is not loneliness For you have received the joy set before You, And looked upon the labour of your soul, satisfied. You sit upon the throne of your father David, His root yet also his branch. Alpha and Omega compasses our understanding, not your being; Time eternal, past and future, is only the canvas on which we are laid, You the Potentate of Time. For you, and by you, and in you, were all things made, and all things shall be placed under your feet Except your Only, your Beloved, your Bride — Not under your feet but in your pierced hand. When you sang, the stars blazed into being And when you spoke, It is Finished, Death shrivelled to dust in the light of your glory. When you come with a cry, creation starts anew, And by your spirit you sweetly whisper ‘Come.’ We bow before your onlyness, But also your one-liness: Shema, the Lord your God is One. One Father, One Son, One Spirit, And whatever way we add up the divine addition of your attribution The answer still is One. •

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The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven… Now the main point of what we are saying is this: we do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary… When this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God… For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12,:2

SEATED AT GOD’S RIGHT HAND I hope you are well, and enjoying the emergence of spring at long last. Colour is returning to our garden in the shape of snowdrops and crocuses (some of which have survived our ducks’ curious bills). Last time, we reflected on how Jesus suffered the humiliation of death for us and brought us into his holy family. This month, we have the great joy of celebrating these things at Easter. We know the Easter story well, don’t we? We often speak about Jesus’ death and resurrection, but what happened afterwards, when Jesus ascended into heaven? What is he doing now? When our writer calls us to fix our eyes on Jesus in Hebrews chapter 12, he says, ‘For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ You can see from our verses this month that this is an important theme for the writer, so let’s reflect on it with him. Almost as soon as the letter begins, the writer tells us that Jesus sustains ‘all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.’ He pictures Jesus as a priest making sacrifice for sin (the Easter story) and then as a king taking his throne (the Ascension). The writer assures us that the person we have chosen to follow is, as he says in the next verse, ‘superior’ — greater than any other power, in heaven or on earth. The writer’s audience needed to hear this. They were under pressure to abandon their commitment to Jesus and conform to the religion around them. If we’re honest, sometimes we can feel the same when it comes to the culture we live in. When you are tempted on Monday to hide what you’ve learned and accepted on Sunday, remember — Jesus is superior. What does that superiority look like? Getting to his ‘main point’, our writer says we have a ‘high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary.’ We know when someone on TV or in films is superior, don’t we? People are fawning over them, and they’re receiving attention and flattery. How is Jesus using his superiority, his incomparable greatness? He is using it to serve! The sanctuary was God’s home on earth, where his priests prayed for the people. Just think, brothers and sisters — what Jesus is doing now, as you read this, is praying for you. Let that stick in your thoughts as you go through this month with its hardships and temptations. Jesus the Superior is seated in heaven praying for you. But he is not only superior to angels and spiritual powers. His temple service is superior, too (chapter 8, verse 6). How is that? Let’s move on to our third reflection verse. In chapter 10, the writer says the priests repeatedly offer ‘the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.’ There’s that Easter-Ascension connection again. The combination helps us see that Jesus’ death on the cross was a triumph — sin finally defeated, and now all that remains is the final subjugation of evil. Our news feeds seem to lurch from disaster to disaster, and we could almost believe that we’re all doomed. But fix your eyes on Jesus, who has broken the power of sin. With such a priest-king on the throne of the universe, the end can only be good! Hold on to that. This Easter, reflect with me that ‘we have a great high priest’, and ‘let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings… hold unswervingly to the hope we profess… and consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.’ (Chapter 10, verses 21-22.) May God grant you all joy and peace and perseverance as you consider Jesus, seated at the right hand of the throne of God. • The Rev. Sean Ankers is minister of Loch Ness Free Church (Glenurquhart & Fort Augustus)

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REFLECTIONS REFLECTIO Photo by Peter Feghali on Unsplash

BY REV. SEAN ANKERS

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HEZEKIAH

Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz, one of the worst kings of Judah, regarding whom the historian records that he was buried in Jerusalem but not in the tombs of the kings. As seems to have been the practice in those times, Hezekiah was coregent with his father during the last few years of Ahaz’s life, but – probably under the influence of the prophet Isaiah – he did not share in his father’s idolatrous practices. Indeed, immediately on ascending the throne he instituted a thoroughgoing religious reform. The Jerusalem temple was cleansed and the worship of Yahweh reinstated; the Passover was celebrated; and an invitation went out to the inhabitants of the northern kingdom (now in the last stages of dissolution) to join in it. The verdict of the historians of the time was that Hezekiah was among the best of the kings of Judah, and he certainly comes over in the pages of Scripture as an attractive and human personality.

ezekiah is one of the kings of ancient israel about whom we know most, thanks to the biblical records but also to those of other

cultures.

Unfortunately, there is a bit of uncertainty about his dates, and about the order of events in his life. The main problem is that the chroniclers of these events had their own agendas and for emphasis tended to pluck out of Hezekiah’s story the particular incidents that interested them. The best shot I can make is as follows: Born 740 B.C. Co-regent (with father Ahaz) 727 King 715 Building works c.705 Illness 703 Babylonian deputation 702 Siege of Jerusalem 701 Co-regent (with son Manasseh) 692 Died 687

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Woodcut: King Hezekiah on his sickbed (Artist unknown c1500-1599)

BY DONALD MACKAY

SENNACHERIB

After they had gone, the king had another call from Isaiah, who enquired who the visitors had been and what they were looking for. Hezekiah was evasive. ‘Then hear the word of the Lord’, said Isaiah. ‘One day all that is in this palace will be taken away; and your own descendants will be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon!’ Hezekiah acquiesced in this judgment, consoling himself with the thought that at any rate there would be peace in his days.

Under Hezekiah, Judah became very prosperous and perhaps too self-confident. Even when Sennacherib, king of Assyria, launched a campaign against the cities of Judah, Hezekiah felt that Jerusalem would be safe, provided its water supply was protected. He undertook massive civil engineering works to ensure this, including a remarkable tunnel which survives to this day. However, the works attracted scorn from two surprising quarters – the prophet Isaiah, who found them to be evidence of undue reliance on human resources rather than on God, and from Sennacherib, who mocked them as a puny effort by an insignificant ruler. When it came down to it, in the face of Sennacherib’s might, Hezekiah took fright and agreed to pay heavy tribute, requiring him to strip the gold from the temple doors to meet the Assyrian demands. This occasioned another barrage of criticism from Isaiah.

SENNACHERIB RETURNS Two or three years later, Sennacherib decided to make an end of Jerusalem and of Hezekiah, whom he likened to a bird shut up in a cage. So he sent an army to besiege the city, headed by a field marshal, and a field commander who seemed to be a linguist and an expert in psychological warfare. He shouted across the battlements to the people of the city in the Hebrew language: ‘Don’t put your trust in Hezekiah or in his god! Have any of the gods of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, Ivvah or Samaria been able to resist Sennacherib? Why should Jerusalem be any different?’ The Assyrians had to lift the siege temporarily, but sent a letter to the same boastful effect. Hezekiah read it, spread it before the Lord, tore his clothes in grief, and prayed: ‘Lord, what the Assyrians say is true, because the gods whom Sennacherib has overcome are no gods. Now save us from Assyria, so that the whole world may know that you are the true God.’ Isaiah responded to the news with a vivid poetic ode addressed to Sennacherib, telling him that God would put a hook in his nose and lead him back the way that he had come; God would defend the city for his own sake and for David’s sake. And so it proved. The Assyrian army, encamped near Jerusalem, was visited by a sudden outbreak of disease. Ancient sources speak of its being carried by mice, which might suggest bubonic plague, but it did not seem to infect the inhabitants of Jerusalem. At any rate, 185,000 soldiers were wiped out in a single night, and the army hurriedly withdrew. Later on, Sennacherib was assassinated by his own son. Thus Judah was delivered for the time being from the Assyrian threat. In due time a son, Manasseh, was born, and became co-regent during the last few years of Hezekiah’s life. When Hezekiah died, he was honoured by the people of Judah, but evidently not by Manasseh, who at once abandoned his father’s faith and worship, and brought on Judah the disaster that Isaiah had predicted fifteen years earlier. •

HEZEKIAH’S ILLNESS To add to Hezekiah’s woes, he developed sepsis due to an infected boil and became gravely ill. Isaiah hurried to the palace, but with no message of comfort. ‘Order your affairs, says the Lord’, he thundered. ‘You are going to die, not to live!’ At this, Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed fervently with tears: ‘O Lord, remember my faithfulness to your law and my good deeds!’ Within a few minutes, Isaiah returned, having received a new word from the Lord: ‘Tell Hezekiah: the Lord has heard your prayer and seen your tears; you will recover within three days and will again worship him in the temple; you will live for another fifteen years; and Jerusalem will not fall into the hands of the Assyrians.’ Hezekiah’s faith at once revived and he was bold enough to ask Isaiah for a miraculous sign that all this would happen: that the shadow cast by the palace sundial would go back by ten degrees; and so it did. Isaiah, who appears to have had medical knowledge, ordered a poultice of figs to be applied to Hezekiah’s boil, so there was a natural as well as a supernatural element to his healing. And Hezekiah went on to compose a poignant hymn of thanksgiving to God. It would be pleasant to think that Hezekiah went on to the end in strong, unfaltering faith, but he stumbled again shortly afterwards. MerodachBaladan, the king of Babylon (then no more than an unruly province of Assyria), heard of Hezekiah’s illness and made it an excuse for sending a goodwill delegation to Jerusalem. The real reason was to plot a revolt by the subject nations against Assyrian domination. Hezekiah was only too happy to welcome the delegation, and to show off his treasures, such as they were.

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Donald Mackay is a member of Knox Free Church, Perth.

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FOOD FOR FELLOWSHIP Tell us about yourself. My name is Megan Gray and I live in Gardenstown (better known locally as Gamrie) in Aberdeenshire with my husband, Robin, my daughter Jessica and our poodle puppy, Dottie. Robin is the minister of Gardenstown New Church and we have lived here for two and a half years. I have been on the Women for Mission committee for almost a year. We love being a part of the community in our village but sadly haven’t had as much opportunity for hospitality as we’d like. We moved when Jessica was a month old, which was a big adjustment! It was hard getting to know people and welcoming them into our home with a little one. For some people, motherhood and hospitality come very naturally but I find I have to work harder at it. I’ve been learning recently that hospitality isn’t about the perfect, large fancy meals (thankfully!) but about a simple sharing of your home and time. The best meals are when everyone is relaxed (cook included) and if that means inviting people over for a simple soup and sandwiches or a takeaway then that’s just fine. We went into lockdown 7-8 months after we moved from Cumbernauld to Gardenstown so it feels like only now are we getting back into the way of actively inviting people over and we are looking forward to making many more Lewis Quiches!

get to know non-Christians, visitors and new people who’ve come along. If we didn’t offer food at these events, it would be less likely that people would stay behind, and an opportunity to make new friendships and deepen existing ones would be missed. Food has a way of bringing us together, and after being apart for so long due to Covid restrictions, is wonderful to be able to eat together again with our church family and visitors. Even being able to have a simple cup of tea or coffee after the service again has made a huge difference to our fellowship. It’s also an opportunity to talk about the sermon – to get past pleasantries and small talk and discuss spiritual realities. As my husband says, ‘fellowship isn’t tea and coffee after the service; it is life together in Christ’; we have to strive to get beyond simply eating together and talking about the weather, and move more towards meaningful conversations that help us grow in grace. But food can aid us in this. What kind of things has being in fellowship taught you about the Lord? In the same way that I must be open and in regular contact with God in his Word and prayer, so I need to be spending time with brothers and sisters in Christ. Sharing our lives together is vital; we’re not supposed to ‘go it alone’. It’s often through fellowship that we learn and grow. I love spending time with older Christians who are willing to open up a bit about their lives, because as they talk about the Lord’s dealings with them, I learn so much about God’s goodness and faithfulness in the lives of his children. There is a wonderful lady in our church who has a list of all the young people who come or have been to our church and she prays for them every day. If I didn’t spend time with her in fellowship, I wouldn’t know what a kind-hearted prayer warrior she is, and knowing her makes me want to follow her example and ask for her help. I was having tea with another older lady a few months ago, who shared with me part of her current heartache and sufferings. As she spoke, I felt like I was reading a book about a servant of the Lord from years ago. She was telling me a great biography of God’s grace, love and goodness, and she witnessed to me how to be joyful in the midst of sufferings. In fellowship, particularly with those who have known the Lord for a long time, I have learnt what it means to trust God in all things. •

What’s your favourite recipe and why? The president of WfM (Janet Murchison) makes this quiche quite often and I thought it was the perfect choice for a simple lunch. I like it as you can also add in all the left over bits and bobs in your fridge. This Sunday I will be serving it with sandwiches, soup, sausage rolls and then some yummy shop-bought puddings! I’m all about simple cooking and this is the perfect, easy recipe. Hospitality is never about showing off but always about being genuine and sharing our lives with others. I put everything we’re going to eat on the side unit, put the cutlery in a big jug and let people help themselves. How does food play into fellowship in your church? Recently we’ve had a number of special events at the church, to which we’ve encouraged members of our congregation to invite friends. At these events, our folk are great at putting on sandwiches, sausage rolls, home bakes (‘fancy pieces’ as we call them here), and other delicious treats for everyone to enjoy. It’s a lovely time for our church to talk, relax and enjoy each other’s company. But it is also a great way to

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Lewis Quiche (Page 101, Favourite Recipes 2, WfM Cookbook) Ingredients: • 12oz/350g courgettes, grated • 3 rashers of bacon, chopped • 6oz/175g carrots, grated • 1 onion, chopped finely • 4oz/110g cheese, grated • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg • 3 tbsp cooking oil • Salt and pepper • 3oz/75g self-raising flour • 4 eggs, well beaten Method: • Pre-heat oven to 180C/ 350F/ Gas 4 • Mix all the above ingredients in a large bowl. • Place in a greased 9”/23cm flan dish. • Bake in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes.

Serves 8 friends. Can be eaten hot or cold and can be frozen.

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REFORMATIONS SWISS AND FRENCH BY DR. ZACHARY PURVIS

or the history of god ’ s people , the year 2022 is filled with red - letter days , both momentous and tragic .

Two command our attention here: the 500th anniversary of the so-called Affair of the Sausages in Zurich, Switzerland; and the 450th anniversary of the St Bartholomew’s Day massacre in and around Paris, France.

SWITZERLAND The first event occurred on 9 March 1522, when Huldrych Zwingli, Reformed pastor in Zurich, attended and later defended, even blessed, a feast of sausages at the home of the printer Christoph Froschauer. The medieval church had forbidden the eating of meat during the season of Lent, the forty-day period in the liturgical calendar between Ash Wednesday and Easter. The Affair of the Sausages doubtless was — and remains — one of the more famous incidents of Lenten non-observance. Zwingli had been called to minister at the Cathedral Church, the Grossmünster, in Zurich at the end of 1518. He began to preach not from the old lectionary but from the Bible — verse by verse, book by book — starting with the Gospel of Matthew. By 1520, he had renounced his papal pension. By 1522, reform was clearly afoot. Zwingli’s concern with Lent was twofold: Christian liberty and Christian sanctification. Regarding liberty, since the Scriptures do not command fasting, Zwingli argued that Christians remained free to fast, or free not to fast. Jesus taught plainly: ‘Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled? (Thus he declared all foods clean).’ (Mark 7:18–19) For the church to prohibit the eating of certain food without biblical warrant was to lay a burden upon the believer’s conscience that God himself had not commanded. As the Apostle Paul wrote, ‘let no one pass judgement on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or new moon or a Sabbath.’ (Colossians 2:16) Regarding sanctification, Zwingli argued that Lent trivialised our sin and led people to focus on themselves. He recognised that sin was not a matter of discipline, a thing under our control, such as merely changing our diet. Rather, it was a matter of the heart. Lent promoted an individual’s penitential sacrifice in imitation of the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness. But this, Zwingli said, inverted the true image of biblical piety. Christ’s passion, including his fasting, was not a discipline that made his heart pure in love for his Father; it was the price to be paid for our sins — and he paid it in full. Jesus’s passion was an act of love for his people: ‘We love, because he first loved us.’ (1 John 4:19) We need not create new obligations not laid upon us by the Lord, who summarised all of the Law and Prophets — and ceremonies and fasts — with the simple command: ‘A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.’ (John 13:34) The most powerful reminders, indeed signs and seals of that love, are the ones Jesus gave his church: the preaching of Christ crucified, and the water and bread and wine of his holy sacraments.

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FRANCE The second event moves from Switzerland to France. The story of the French Reformation is not often remembered in our time. Modern France seems to be dominated religiously by scepticism or Roman Catholicism. But in the sixteenth century, France experienced a powerful, if difficult, reformation in its religious life. From the 1550s, graduates of the Genevan Academy, commissioned by John Calvin and Theodore Beza, became missionaries in France. To preach the gospel of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone was not an easy calling in the Roman Catholic kingdom. The students in Geneva joked morbidly that their diploma was their death certificate because so many of them died as martyrs in France. The Reformed Church there was a church ‘under the cross’, that is, a church which suffered intense persecution. Despite the opposition — or perhaps because of it — the Reformed Church in France grew in size and significance. By 1562, it is estimated that it included 3 million members, around 15% of the entire French population. But immense challenges emerged. Complex relations between the nobility (both Protestant and Roman Catholic) and the state led to intermittent civil war, known as the Wars of Religion, from 1562 to 1594. In this period, the increasing success of the Reformed Church prompted royal advisers to make an attempt on the life of Gaspard de Coligny, the admiral of France and a great leader of French Protestants, known as Huguenots. On the evening of 22 August 1572, a sniper fired on Coligny with an arquebus, a primitive long gun, as he left the king’s council at the Louvre palace. Coligny was hit twice but survived. Historians debate exactly who stood behind the assassination attempt: the Queen Mother Catherine de Medici? Henri, the formidable Roman Catholic Duke of Guise? Someone else? More important, though, were the consequences of the attempt. On the following day, the royal French court took the decision to finish the deed, and to attack other notable Protestants, before dawn on 24th August — St Bartholomew’s Day. Coligny was savagely killed in his bedroom as church bells sounded the alarm in the Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois quarter of Paris. The act unleashed an explosion of violence against Protestants. Thousands of Reformed Christians, and much of the leadership of the Huguenot movement in Paris and throughout the French provinces, were massacred — killed, as Theodore Beza said, ‘like sheep in the slaughterhouse’. In some ways the church never fully recovered. Huguenots fled far and wide. Yet the church ultimately endured and the Huguenots bore testimony to the faithfulness of God amid the sorrows of this life. As Beza reportedly said: ‘It belongs to the church of God to suffer blows, not to strike them. At the same time, let everyone remember that the church is an anvil which has worn out many a hammer.’ The historic anniversaries of the Swiss and the French Reformation call us to consider the heroic witness of so many Christians to the truth of the gospel. When Zwingli recovered Christian liberty and Christian sanctification, he also proclaimed the great doctrine of Scripture alone (sola Scriptura) as the authority for Christian faith and life. When the Huguenot martyrs died, many showed remarkable courage. They went to the stake singing Psalms, so their executioners began taking out their tongues in prison to keep them from singing. Neither Zwingli nor the French Protestants were perfect, but they all held to the promises of God, for ‘the Word of the Lord endures forever’ (Isaiah 40:8; Mark 13:31; 1 Peter 1:25). These events deserve to be remembered. • Dr Zachary Purvis is Lecturer in Church History at Edinburgh Theological Seminary

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ALISTAIR MACDONALD (1934-2020) BY MURDO MACLEOD

they built a new house and raised their family of two girls and two boys. Needless to say, their home was a most hospitable one, not just at communion seasons but at all times. It was truly a well matched partnership in every possible way. Endowed with a lively personality, Alistair’s views were always expressed in a very clear and forthright way. He was also a very hardworking person with an energetic zest for life and such qualities were thoroughly manifested in his Christian service. He professed faith in Lochs Free Church in March 1972, was ordained to as a deacon there in 1976 and as an elder in 1995. He also served on multiple occasions as a member of the Western Isles Presbytery and the General Assembly. He and Peggy were both very active in crofting and gardening, and he also wrote a regular column on horticulture for the local community newspaper, Lochs News. His main forte, however, was service to the church and pastoral concern in the community, as well as total dedication to his children, Annice, Margaret, Colin and Malcolm. To them and to his beloved grandchildren, our ongoing condolence is extended. We, too, greatly miss his presence and his wise counsel. But, notwithstanding his natural and healthy enthusiasm for the various activities of life in this world, he is with the Lord in the haven he desired to reach. •

ust after the commencement of lockdown two years ago , one of our first losses in the lochs congregation was that of our greatly

esteemed elder , alistair macdonald , who passed to his eternal , and keenly anticipated , rest on 10th april 2020.

Alistair, originally of 23 Swainbost, Ness, Isle of Lewis, was born on 8th August 1934. He attended Cross and Lionel Schools and thereafter embarked on a lifelong seagoing career. Conscription was, of course, still in force when he left school and his first taste of marine life was a spell in the Royal Naval Reserve. He joined the Merchant Navy in 1952 and for several years, prior to taking up employment in home-trade waters, sailed frequently to Australia and New Zealand. Such was his affection for both countries that he and his wife Peggy travelled there for a number of enjoyable spells times during their retirement. Alistair joined David Macbrayne Ltd in 1959 and served on the Stornoway run until he retired forty years later. Having joined the old Loch Seaforth at this point, he became a ‘well kent face’ for passengers until his retirement in 1999. Up until 1973, this involved a daily run to Kyle of Lochalsh and Mallaig. Thereafter, a twice-daily return trip to Ullapool became the routine, but ultimately employment conditions for staff were greatly enhanced by a ‘two week on/two week off’ roster, which allowed him more time for his other interests, of which, by then, church-related activities had gained the premier place in his priorities. In February 1971 Alistair’s life took a new direction when, one Saturday evening after his ship had docked in Stornoway, he called into a nearby hotel prior to heading home for the weekend. Chatting to the barman, who also came from Ness, he was given word that a mutual friend had been tragically killed in an accident. This news had much impact and Alistair’s immediate thoughts were directed to eternity and his own end. This was the beginning of a progressive spiritual journey which led him to seek salvation for his own soul, and very soon he was to be found at the weekly prayer meeting as well as the Sunday services. There was even additional fruit in that his witness at that time served to set his brother Angus and his wife Sheila on their own spiritual journey, culminating in their pastoring several congregations in Scotland, the last of which, prior to retirement, was Kingussie Free Church, now known as Badenoch. Any tribute to Alastair would be incomplete without mention of his wife Peggy, who predeceased him by over a year. After their marriage in 1964, they settled in her home village of Grimshader where

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ALEX JOHN MACASKILL (1921-2021)

BY INNES MACLEOD AND REV. ALASDAIR MACDONALD

lex john macaskill was born in back , on

many years is still greatly missed by those in the congregation who had the privilege to attend with him. Alex often made mention in prayer of the Lord’s unfailing loving kindness shown to him during his long life. From ill health as a young man, this continued indeed until three months short of his hundredth birthday. Our thoughts are very much with May, his devoted wife of sixty-six much-blessed years, and the rest of the family at this sad time. However, they are much comforted by their many happy memories and the firm belief indeed, that ‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.’ (Psalm 116:15). •

the isle of lewis , in 1921 and passed away in colchester in july 2021, just a few months

short of what would have been his hundredth birthday .

After a time of National Service and studying at Aberdeen University and Teachers’ Training College, Alex taught Gaelic in Inverness and Stornoway. Alex was an accomplished Gaelic scholar, and played an active part in promoting that language, which he loved so much, in different ways and for many years. He went on to become Rector of Portree High School. After some years there, he took up the post of Rector at McLaren High School, Callander, where he remained for many years. All these posts he filled with great ability and much Christian wisdom and grace. From early 1985, Alex and his wife May were members of the Dunblane Free Church, which had been set up as a church plant by nearby Cumbernauld Free Church in 1984. Alex became an elder of Dunblane Free Church in 1988, and Session Clerk in 1994. He remained Session Clerk until he moved to England to be near family in 2013, some nineteen years in all. Alex was a wise and most helpful Session Clerk to a succession of ministers over these many years – the Rev. Ken Larter, the first minister of the new church plant in Dunblane, then the Rev. Allan Macleod for some years also, and finally the Rev. Alasdair Macdonald, who was minister of Dunblane Free Church for Alex’s last fifteen years with us, from 1998 to 2013. Alex was also a fine preacher of the Word, and an excellent teacher and communicator. He was always very willing to take a service when asked. Above all, he was a man of prayer, and his presence in the weekly prayer meeting over these

QUOTATIONS: What a power the believers in Christ will be in this world, where such multitudes are hateful and hating one another, when they all come to abound in deep, pure, fervent love to God and to their neighbours! Charles Octavius Boothe

The Church is everywhere represented as one. It is one body, one family, one fold, one kingdom. It is one because pervaded by one Spirit. We are all baptised into one Spirit so as to become, says the apostle, one body. Charles Hodge

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BOOK REVIEWS Our books this month are practical, Biblical and joyful. All are available from Free Church Books ((https://thefree.church/shop) unless otherwise stated. BOOK OF THE MONTH LUKE: AN EXPOSITIONAL COMMENTARY R.C. SPROUL (2020) What could be better than a book that encourages you to dig deeper into one of the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life? This book does exactly that. Sproul’s writing is accessible and easy to follow – suitable for devotional use, and far less irritating than some commentary series with their unwieldy arrangements of material. This is not a ‘technical’ commentary, but there’s plenty of depth to make it worthwhile for the pastor who wants the insights of a respected scholar and pastor to assist his own grappling with the text. The origins of the book in Sproul’s own preaching shine through, meaning there’s little time wasted on irrelevant details. And where he gets into complicated concepts, he’s worked hard to make them accessible and engaging. For instance, if you want an explanation of the pernicious heresy of Monothelitism, there’s a great one on page 537 which I think will make sense even if you’ve never heard the word before today. Of course, understanding Monothelitism as a concept doesn’t matter in itself. But behind the philosophical question lies a better understanding of the person, character and nature of our Saviour. And that matters a great deal. • This book is available from eden.co.uk. Benjamin Wilks, Covenant Church, Newmilns

GRACE & THE GRUMBLIES EMILY SHORE & KATIE REWSE (2022) None of us can have avoided the cost-of-living crisis – at the checkout and on the news. Some of us are blessed with resources enough to cope with increased costs, but all too many families are simply not. In Grace and the Grumblies, young readers are introduced to Grace and her mum, and the superheroic efforts they make to keep the ‘grumblies’ at bay. It is a children’s book about dignity, poverty and the support available to those who need it. It has been published by CAP (Christians Against Poverty) to explain its work and help take the fear and misunderstanding out of asking for help. It is delightful, sensitive, and a story every church and every child should read. Even if CAP doesn’t have a base in your town, you will have similar foodbanks and charities that work with the vulnerable. Jesus loves the poor and the downtrodden, and this book aims to offer that love to the families who need it most – and start conversations amongst the groups who can share it. • This book is available from capuk.org. Miriam Montgomery, Free Church Books These books are only a small proportion of the ones we review. You can find all our reviews online at https://books.freechurch.org or sign up to our monthly email to get them directly to your inbox: https://thefree.church/books-sign-up Email Address: books@freechurch.org Sales Phone Number: 0330 2233423 (Please note that this number takes you directly to our bookshop partners, 10ofthose.com. They are very helpful!)

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JUST ASK J.D. GREEAR (2021) I am sure that we all wish praying was as easy as reading about it! This book by J.D. Greear does aim to make praying easier as we form a habitual daily prayer life. He deals adeptly with many of the barriers to prayer we experience and offers reasons why some prayers appear unanswered. He then challenges us to consider why we pray. We should pray, Greear argues, because of our affection for God; we should want to be with him and talk to him. We should not pray just to get something. This, to me, was the most useful section of the book. ‘If God is beautiful to you, however, then you will love to pray,’ maintains the author. He then proceeds to demonstrate how the Lord’s Prayer (which he terms the Model Prayer) will aid us in our praying. This helpful book, therefore, offers both principles of prayer and practical aids for praying. J.D. Greear writes in a modern vein, providing effective illustrations both from his life as a father and also as a pastor. Overall, I found this book beneficial even though I was not totally convinced by the way it was structured. • This book is available to purchase from The Good Book Company. Gari Lewis, Tabetnacle Baptist Church, Llwynhendy

TRUTH ON FIRE ADAM RAMSEY (2021) One sentence in the ‘Introduction’ of Adam Ramsey’s book Truth on Fire immediately held me tight in its grip: ‘What if we didn’t have to choose between an intelligent faith and a passionate one?’ The next sentence made sure that the book didn’t let me go until I had finished it: ‘After all, a sharp mind with a cold heart is just as big of a fail as a heart radically on fire about nonsense.’ Hey presto, here was a book that spoke to a long journey of faith which has taken me, very much a ‘feeler’, and my husband, who is absolutely a ‘thinker’, across the Christian traditions until gradually we have become much better at celebrating who we each are before God, both as individuals and as a couple. But, of course, the mutual respect of differences is a lesson that never ends – and it’s because we’re still learning that this book, with wonderful warmth, quiet confidence, great clarity and an inspiration that is faith-building, is such a help. Adam Ramsey makes it abundantly clear that God loves both thinkers and feelers; he loves us to think intelligently about him and he loves it when we come to him and to each other with honest hearts, especially when those hearts learn to sing, whatever life’s circumstances, because we are so close to him. In fact, an intelligent faith and a faith-filled heart that sings are two sides of the same coin that is life in Christ. And the author speaks his message by enveloping us in the absolute truth of our good God who is almighty, ever present, all loving, all forgiving and always rooting for us. Truth on Fire left me pondering the potential beauty and power that individual Christians and church communities could have – in all of their glorious technicolor – if they were really good at joyfully respecting and celebrating the coming together of both hearts and minds to worship God in truth and spirit. That might sometimes look and feel very different from each of our norms, but I reckon it would certainly make God’s heart sing! • This book is available from Free Church Books Catherine Knights, Church of England, Bishop Auckland

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APOLOGY & CORRECTION: In last month’s reviews, we neglected to mention that Missionary Baptism and Evangelical Unity by J Cameron Fraser is available at Mound Books. We apologise for this error and encourage those interested to visit their bookshop or website to make a purchase. •

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MISSION MATTERS A monthly take on some of the mission work the Free Church is involved in by our Mission Director, DAVID MEREDITH

‘T

he war that will end all war ’

is how H.G. Wells described the First World War in 1914. A mockery was made of this prediction by the Second World War, which took between 70 and 85 million lives, or about 3% of the 1940 world population. Ukraine could be the seedbed of the Third World War. The question before us this month is, how do we do mission in the context of war? A solid beginning is to be assured that the Bible reflects the world situation as it is. The American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead said that war could be abolished because it’s simply an invention, like cooking or writing. It is argued that if humanity had the will, it could abolish war, just like slavery could be abolished. You see the problem. Humanity cannot have the will because of the presence of sin in the world. Jesus told us plainly that until the end of time, ‘You will hear of wars and rumours of wars. (Matthew 24:6) As a little sidebar, we may also note that slavery has not been abolished and is in fact more prevalent than ever. Many, and perhaps most, people regard the Bible as akin to a fairy-story book. A significant part of our mission is to get people reading the Bible as quickly as possible. In our conversational evangelism, we need to get people reading the Bible with us, alongside explaining what it means, like Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. In our churches we teach the Bible as a living, contemporary book and not as a sacred text that is out of reach. Stay clear of unwarranted drama. Just as the Covid crisis drew people out of hiding to warn us of Bill Gates-inspired conspiracies and the spectre of the new world order, so people love to build imaginary and frankly bizarre theories about war. Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38:39) is not Russia and Putin is not the anti-Christ. Keep the plain thing the main thing. The main purpose of Ezekiel is

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not to detail a possible nuclear conflict but to highlight the fact that a broken and divided world will one day be united by ‘one shepherd’. Speak of Jesus, speak of him often and invite your friends to follow him. War is never clean or simple. Henri Barbusse wrote in 1916 in his novel Le Feu, ‘Two armies that fight each other is like one large army that commits suicide.’ As we speak of Christ, we are people of compassion and kindness. Ukrainian and Russian soldiers are human beings, made in the image of God, with precious bodies and never-dying souls. Each death robs us and grieves God. There will be a prolonged sadness as we witness the effects of sin. Jesus wept and the onlookers remarked, ‘See how he loved him.’ In the darkness of conflict and despair, we are reflectors of the love of God – a love that will not be seen in any other place apart from in those who speak the gospel. As gospel people, we weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. It is significant that churches in Eastern Europe are open for receiving refugees and are central in receiving and distributing aid. The values of the kingdom mean that we will reach out to those who suffer. If our love is authentic, it cannot be theoretical. In practice, that may mean giving generously to Ukrainian aid, we may have the opportunity to go further and open our homes to refugees through Refugees at Home (www. refugeesathome.org) or similar. The dual crisis of Covid and war speak to us of a connected society. We are vulnerable people and as we have been shown extravagant grace, so we are privileged to extend that same grace to others. There are times God speaks to us through a megaphone. He also speaks through a tear. May our tears refresh the soil of our hearts to enable us to model the Prince of Peace in our broken society. •

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POETRY PAGE THE WIFE OF FLANDERS BY G. K. CHESTERTON Low and brown barns, thatched and repatched and tattered, Where I had seven sons until today, A little hill of hay your spur has scattered… This is not Paris. You have lost your way. You, staring at your sword to find it brittle, Surprised at the surprise that was your plan, Who, shaking and breaking barriers not a little, Find never more the death-door of Sedan -

G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) was at the forefront of the London literati in the early 20th century. Often known today for his detective fiction, he was recognised by contemporaries as a social philosopher. But it is his works of Christian apologetics, including the classic Orthodoxy, for which he is remembered by the church. Chesterton’s poetry is also widely praised. He wrote several poems, especially during WWI, addressing the misery of war and criticising political leaders who cause and perpetuate it. In this striking example, he personalises the devastation of war by imagining a meeting between a bereaved Belgian mother and a German soldier who, having been involved in her sons’ killing, has been sent to seize her property too. The woman boldly confronts the soldier, pointing out that he is lost – geographically and morally. Upending expectation, she focuses on the soldier’s loss and not her own, telling him that conquest will not heal the damage that perpetrating violence has done to his conscience. •

Must I for more than carnage call you claimant, Paying you a penny for each son you slay? Man, the whole globe in gold were no repayment For what you have lost. And how shall I repay? What is the price of that red spark that caught me From a kind farm that never had a name? What is the price of that dead man they brought me? For other dead men do not look the same. How should I pay for one poor graven steeple Whereon you shattered what you shall not know? How should I pay you, miserable people? How should I pay you everything you owe? Unhappy, can I give you back your honour? Though I forgave, would any man forget? While all the great green land has trampled on her The treason and terror of the night we met.

Not any more in vengeance or in pardon An old wife bargains for a bean that's hers. You have no word to break: no heart to harden. Ride on and prosper. You have lost your spurs.

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PAGES FROM ADAM’S DIARY The Fourth Man in the Furnace of Fire (Part 2)

Photo by Hasan Almasi on Unsplash

A brother, known to some of us as Dr Adam, has served the Lord among his suffering church for many years. Dr Adam has also ministered in various parts of the world among refugees. We have asked his permission to print some of the stories of his life and service for the encouragement of readers of The Record. For well understood reasons, some of the names of people and places have been changed or omitted.

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separated from his wife. It seemed like being taken for execution. Then he reached for his Bible which opened to Psalm 27, ‘The Lord is my light and He is my salvation, whom shall I fear?’ Shortly after noon he was escorted to a van, taken to the airport and kept there. At 4:30, he was put back in a van, this time escorted by four police officers, and was driven out to an aeroplane. At 5:20, he was walked over to the aircraft. His lawyer had advised him as a last-ditch effort to shout and scream and resist being taken into the plane and perhaps the captain would refuse to take him onboard. He had tried, but the officers dragged him inside and cordoned off the last row of seats. They sat beside him all the way to Central Asia. Five hours later, upon arrival, once the other passengers had disembarked, this small man was taken by these four guards and put in front of an immigration officer. Ali told us that there were many officers in the terminal, but they walked towards a young man who was not busy. What they did not know was that this immigration officer was a messenger of the Lord, perhaps even the one who had been seen in the furnace of fire (Daniel 3:24-25)!

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christian couple who were asylum seekers: ali and maryam.

They had fled their home in Central Asia when their house church was discovered. But, in the country where they were seeking asylum, the Department of Immigration had come under pressure from a new nationalist party to deport asylum seekers. The party wanted to send a message of firmness to their constituents, and Ali became caught up in it. Sadly, in Ali’s case, they could not have targeted a person more worthy of asylum. However, while the earthly authorities sought to send a message, they did not know that the One to whom ‘all authority in heaven and earth has been given’ (Matthew 28:18) was also sending a message to the weak among his people to strengthen their faith and glorify God in their midst. One day, Ali was stopped by the police in a shopping centre. He was asked for his ID. When the police learned he was an asylum seeker, he was taken to a police station, then transported to a prison. In spite of our efforts in the intervening days, one morning Ali’s lawyer phoned us to say that she had been informed that he would be deported to Central Asia. Early that evening, he was put on a flight accompanied by four immigration officers. Those were anxious hours as we wondered what would happen to Ali once he arrived in Central Asia. I was also worried about the potential harm this could do to the faith of these young believers who had expected a miracle. A small group of us stayed with Maryam. Around midnight, she suddenly burst out of her room and exclaimed, ‘I have just received a phone call from Ali. He is in Central Asia but they are sending him back.’ We were astonished and confounded. We were unsure of what that meant – why, how, when? Could this really be happening? I will now pick up the story where I left off before.

THE IMMIGRATION OFFICER The escorting guards asked the officer if he spoke English. He responded, ‘Yes’. They proceeded to explain that, ‘This man is being deported by our country and we are handing him into your custody. Please sign this release affidavit and we will be on our way. We have a flight in the morning to Dubai for a short holiday.’ The immigration officer turned to Ali, and asked, ‘Do you have anything to say?’ Ali responded, ‘I have been forcefully separated from my wife and brought here against my will. My wife is still in Europe’. The officer said to him, ‘Do not be afraid. I am sent here to help you.’ Ali noted that as soon as he heard those words, a supernatural peace engulfed him and he felt the presence of the Lord. It would have been normal to ask Ali, ‘Why are you being deported? What have you done? Why did you seek asylum?’ But no question was asked. At this point, the young officer turned to the four guards who were delivering Ali and said, ‘I cannot sign his release into our custody. What crime has he committed? This is so inhumane that I will not sign this. He is covered in mud. What did you do? Did you drag him here?’ One of the four guards went to another officer to ask for help. Two officers came back with him, but they stood at attention before the younger officer. He said to them, ‘I am taking care of this case. Go back to your posts.’

ALI’S RETURN The next morning, at about 8:30, we received a phone call from Ali. He was in the airport and needed to be picked up. We were in a state of disbelief. At about 10:00 a.m., when we arrived at the airport, we saw him standing at the entrance. He was still in his prison clothes. His shoe laces had been removed and he had been left in a most humiliating fashion in the middle of a busy airport. He had not seen his wife since he was arrested six weeks earlier. Ali and Maryam held each other for several minutes. He had aged. His hair had greyed. As we headed back to the apartment, we heard the most amazing story. Ali told us that the previous day, on the morning of his deportation, he had been notified by the prison officials to prepare to be taken from his cell. He was overwhelmed with sorrow at being

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He then turned to the four European guards and said, ‘You have two options before you. Either immediately take this man back on the return flight or I will charge you with assault and kidnapping and you can enjoy your holidays in one of our prisons.’ One of the four guards frantically got on his phone to call for support. Meanwhile, the young Central Asian officer called for the European airline’s station manager. When the manager arrived, he told him, ‘This man has been transported here by your airline against his will. He does not even have a passport. This will result in a citation and consequences for your airline. I suggest you put him back on the flight and quietly return him.’ The manager checked and reported that the flight was full. He would have to wait and either fly the next evening or fly on their partner airline in the morning. The officer retorted, ‘In that case, I will have to file an incident report against your airline.’ After brief consideration, the manager said, ‘The only seats I have available on this flight are in first class. I will put them in first class and charge the bill to their embassy.’ The young Central Asian officer ordered the four guards, who were furious, to go to the gate and wait there. He then took Ali aside and said, ‘You are going back. Do you not want to take any souvenir for your wife?’ Ali answered, ‘They are going to take me back to prison. And I have no money with me anyway.’ The young officer smiled and responded, ‘Do not be afraid. And I have plenty of money with me.’ He then took Ali on a shopping spree through the airport stores and walked Ali to the gate. He ordered the four guards into the aircraft and said to Ali, ‘Do not be afraid. Go in peace. God is with you.’ On the flight back, one of the guards taunted Ali, saying, ‘At least we are going home. You are going straight back to jail and you can rot there!’ But that was not the Lord’s plan. Upon arrival back in Europe, the four officers delivered him into the custody of their own immigration authorities. His lawyer told us that at this point the decision was made that this had the potential to turn into a public relations scandal, and it was best to quietly let Ali go. So, an officer walked Ali beyond the immigration checkpoint and released him. He was an undocumented asylum seeker all over again. When we picked Ali up, he had two bags full of pastries and gifts for his wife and all of us. As we heard this account, some were laughing and some were crying at this turn of events and the marvelous ways of the Lord.

For days, everyone was praising and glorifying God. Through the ordeal that this dear man suffered, his own faith and the faith of many others were strengthened. I still meet people and receive phone calls from those who say, ‘Our faith has been multiplied.’ Paul tells the Philippian Christians, ‘I want you to know, brothers, that what happened to me has really served to advance the gospel…And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.’ (Philippians 1:12-14) Through Ali’s tribulation, we were taught lessons, which hopefully we will not forget. In the following days, efforts were made by Maryam’s family in Central Asia to locate the officer who had helped Ali. They were told that there had never been an officer with that name or description in the airport. Instinctively, I had known that. Therefore, I said he was the fourth man in the fiery furnace. Who he really was, we will not know on this side of heaven. Whether he was a man, an angel, or the Son of Man, and what supernatural event had really transpired in that airport, only God knows. Whoever he was, he was sent by the Lord to help one of his own. Did he not promise, ‘I am with you always, to the end of the age?’ (Matthew 28:20; cf. 10:16-31) In the last 35 years of serving our Saviour, I have encountered inexplicable situations which defy natural logic. The longer I have walked with the Lord, the more I am made aware of his presence and ceaseless interventions in the lives of others. There are times when we pray and there seems to be no answer. Our faith falters. We doubt and lose heart (Luke 18:8) when, in fact, the Lord has already answered our prayers. And even if he says, ‘No’, that answer is rooted in his wise, gracious, good will for us. In Daniel 9, when Daniel begins to pray, there seems to be no answer. But later Gabriel informs him, ‘At the beginning of your supplications, the commandment came forth, and I am come to show you; for you are greatly beloved.’ (Daniel 9:23) As Daniel began to pray, the answer had already been given (Daniel 10:12-14). As the cries of a hungry infant cause his mother’s milk to flow, so it is with the prayers of the believers. On Friday evening, after the crucifixion of our Savior, the disciples’ hopes seemed dashed. Their world had collapsed. They did not know that Sunday morning was coming. In Ali’s trials, we also learned that God’s ways are different from ours. We made every possible effort to prevent Ali from being sent into the lions’ den. But God had a different plan. He would glorify his name by making the lion his defender and helper. No one could take any credit for this turn of events. All glory belongs to the Lord and him alone then, now, and forever! •

TO GOD BE THE GLORY All of these events seemed unreal. A day earlier, we had been standing in front of the prison. In less than 24 hours, we were taking Ali back home.

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Aiseirigh ghlòrmhor (Glorious Resurrection) LE JANET NICPHÀIL

uair a chì sinn sìtheanan a' nochdadh a-mach

Bidh a' bhuaidh Aige-san an còmhnaidh, ach 's dòcha aig amannan, nach bi uisgeachan Mhàrah fad air falbh bho làithean saorsa iongantach. Tha gach nì san t-saoghal a'tachairt na aimsir fhèin. Thig beannachadh na àm fhèin agus dùsgaidhean spioradail, nuair a thig an Cruthaidhear a' companachadh an Fhacail le A bheannachd. Thig trioblaidean nar freastal, agus saoilidh sinn aig amannan nach eil tuigs' idir againn air slighe a' Chruthaidheir, ach tha A shùil-san an-còmhnaidh air a' cheann-uidhe. Chì E ceann gach slighe agus na nithean a dh' ionnsaich A shluagh, no nach do dh' ionnsaich iad, nuair a bha E gan treòrachadh. Nach eil seo a' cur nar cuimhne na facail a leughas sinn ann an Leabhar Dheuteronomi? 'Cuimhnichidh tu an t-slighe air an do threòraich an Tighearna do Dhia thu san fhàsach, gud irioslachadh, gud dhearbhadh, a-chùm gum biodh fios ciod a bha nad chridhe, an gleidheadh tu a àitheantan, no nach gleidheadh.' Tha Esan an-còmhnaidh a' dèanamh mar as àill Leis nuair a tha freastalan duilich, agus air a' cheann thall, dìreach mar a nochdas na sìtheanan à marbhalachd na talmhainn, ma tha sinn a' toirt ar cùisean Thuigesan, nì Esan slighe a-mach às gach èiginn. 'S dòcha nach e am freagairt a dh' iarradh sinne a bhios ann, ach bheir Esan comas dhuinn gach nì a ghiùlain. Nach toir a' bheatha ùr a chì sinn san t-saoghal mun cuairt oirnn' aig an àm-sa den bhliadhna bàrdachd Mhurchaidh a' Cheisteir gur cuimhne?

à talamh reòidhte,

fuar, bidh seo bliadhn' an-dèidh bliadhn' a' cur fìor iongnaidh oirnn', agus is iongantach mur bi mòran dhinn a' coimhead ri talamh cho marbh le fuachd is gèiltean a' gheamhraidh, agus seo na sìtheanan a'nochdadh a-mach às an dorchadas. Tha na sìtheanan ag èirigh air an socair, agus ann an ùine ghoirid bidh iad le dathan eadar-dhealaicht'. Nach mòr na tha a' tachairt nar saoghal nach fhaic an t-sùil? Fhuair iad gu leòr uisge co-dhiù, oir b'e mìos glè fhliuch a bh' anns a' Ghearran. Nach e seo a thachras nar beatha cuideachd? Aig amannan thig fuachd a-steach, 's ged a bhiodh sinn a' fiachainn ri bhith a' moladh a' Cruthaidheir, tha gach sàrachadh a tha gar cuartachadh gar fàgail gun cheòl. Tha sinn coltach ris na sìtheanan, marbh fon talamh, ach, nuair a dh' atharraicheas Esan aimsirean, èiridh sinn a-rithist, a-nis le òran ùr ga mholadh. Teichidh fuachd a' gheamhraidh, agus thig blàths spioradail, ach feumaidh sinn a bhith faiceallach nach mill sinn seo ler cainnt, ler beatha no eadhon nar cridhe. Is e an Cruthaidhear an Tì ris am bi sinn ag earbsa gach nì, oir tha A lèirsinn agus A thuigs' iomlan, agus is e ar gliocas aig amannan a bhith sàmhach. 'Bithibh sàmhach 's tuigibh gur mi Dia,' tha E Fhèin a' cur seo nar cuimhne. Nuair a bha Maois a' treòrachadh an t-sluaigh, Clann Israeil, aig uisge na Mara Ruaidh, thuirt Dia ris, 'Cogaidh an Tighearn' air ar son, agus fanaidh sibhse nur tost.' Leughaidh sinn mar a rinn an Cruthaidhear an fhairge na thalamh tioram, 's mar a dh'imich Clann Israeil air talamh tioram ann am meadhon na fairge. Cha b'e seo idir mar a thachair do na h-Eiphitich, agus an Cruthaidhear air cridhe Phàraoh a chruadhachadh. Bha na h-Eiphitich a bha an tòir air Clann Israeil marbh air tràigh na fairge.

'Se bàs is fàs a' ghràinne chruithneachd fìor Cheannard na Slàint' thug teàrnadh dhuinne, fo chumhachd a' bhàis chan fhàg E duine len àill bhith pilleadh ri tròcair.

•

Abair deagh naidheachd don t-saoghal!

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BY CATRIONA MURRAY

POST TENEBRAS LUX W

hile sitting in church recently , waiting

as though there can ever be versions of the same. But, Christ actually is real to me and, I hope, to you – but not to those as yet unsaved. You have to experience him to make him real. By that, of course, I don’t imply that he is imaginary, merely that he is a stranger to some. None of us can know a person we have never met. Years ago, my own congregation was a difficult place for anyone new. People were content to know about you — who your family was, where you lived — but made no attempt to get acquainted with you as a person. And that’s how a frightening number of people are with Christ. They’ve heard about him. He’s the guy with the parables and the moralising. Let him get a hold of you and life will lose its flavour altogether. Knowing about him is quite enough. Actually knowing him, though, that’s never enough. We always want more. More of his wisdom, more of his love. How do we get the unsaved to that place? The answer is twofold. First, we have to show the depth of our joy so that we attract them to this mysterious thing we have been given. And then, when we have their attention, hoping to meet this Christ, we have to introduce them to him. This is the tricky part, and it ought not to begin when their eyes are on us — nor does it need (m)any words. I am conscious of speaking words which are mocked by my deeds, by my attitudes, by my very mindset. If unbelievers look at me and I am not displaying humility and love, then I am not witnessing for my Saviour. Instead of testifying to the change that comes in giving your life to Christ, I am demonstrating the extent to which sin is still holding me in its power. And there — right there in that moment of self-awareness — his strength is perfected in my weakness. To show the lost how perfect things are for me since meeting Jesus is to mislead and discourage. Better by far to be honest and say that all the old challenges are still there, but the fear is gone because, however much I fall short, I know that my sin cannot overwhelm his victory. •

for the service to begin , my mind went off on a journey of its own , as it is wont to

Photo by Matt Botsford on Unsplash.

do .

For some reason I half-remembered a story about a famous writer who, as a child, claimed to have seen the prophet Ezekiel under a tree and was ‘soundly trounced by his father’. The screenwriter Helene Hanff commented, ‘I’m with his father on this,’ but then, people often react with hostility to things beyond their own experience. In The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, the Professor asks the older children why they doubt their sister’s claims of another world existing inside the wardrobe, choosing instead to accept their brother’s denial of the same. He challenges their idea of logic by asking who is usually the more truthful. It is precisely the caveat I issue to folklore students — when a trustworthy person tells you they have been haunted, or have had a vision of the future, on what grounds can you dismiss their account? There are often two motives. First, there is fear: we don’t want what they say to be true. If there are ghosts, even ones we don’t see, then nothing of what we have been taught is wholly reliable. So, we push any ‘evidence’ of the unseen from us. Second, we tend to reject what we have not experienced. Another person’s claim that they have had a supernatural experience must be denied because it has never happened to us. Does this sound familiar to you in your attempts to witness? I know that there have been many times when God comes so near, or intervenes in such a particular manner that you want to run, like the woman of Samaria, and tell everyone, ‘come see a man’. Surely, I have found myself thinking, no one could fail to be moved by this. Not long ago, at a funeral, I was convinced that everyone in the church must certainly see the reality of Christ in the preacher’s words. Of course, I know that’s wishful thinking. Just like the people who rubbish your reports of a world inside a wardrobe, or a vision of the future, there are those who do not know the reality of Christ. I have never much liked the phrase, ‘real to me’, nor am I a fan of the modern ‘speak your truth’,

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