November 2015 Messenger

psalm 23 16FIND OUT WHY DAVID MCCULLOUGH THINKS PSALM 23 IS A PSALM OF TRUST & VICTORY

Barnabas fund 6HEAR ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK OF OPERATION SAFE HAVENS

renwick house 7 Information about the house and 2016 applications

2 3THE MESSENGER | Winter 2015 STRENGTHENING REFORMED YOUNG PEOPLE TO REACH THE NATIONS FOR GOD’S GLORY

APPROACHING the Christmas period, you perhaps had a list drawn up of certain gifts you would like to receive on Christmas Day from family and friends. Did you receive these gifts? Did they bring excitement and happiness when you opened them? Do they still provide the same joy to you even today? It is estimated that £17 billion is spent in the UK on Christmas each year. How prevalent materialism has become in our society. We continually seek after more ‘stuff’ in the hope that it will bring us lasting happiness. Paul says in Philippians 4 v 11, “…for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” What a truly counter-cultural statement! How often contentment is prefixed with the word ‘If ’ - “If I had £1million in the bank, I would be content”, “If I had a bigger home…”, “If I had good health…” or “If I could retire early…” As Christians, Paul’s declaration

is a challenge to us. Are you content with what you have? With the way God has made you look? With your wife or husband? With being single? With your children, or without being able to have children? With your job? If we are to enjoy the grace of contentment then we need to get rid of the sin of covetousness in our lives. Covetousness and contentment are enemies. Coveting something which God hasn’t given us is the reason for our discontentment. We can see from Paul’s declaration that contentment is a grace that needs to be learned. Psalm 131 gives us an example of what it means to learn to be content – it is portrayed in terms of a child being weaned:“O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvellous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel,

hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.” In the Old Testament, the weaning process sometimes didn’t take place until the child was 3 or 4 years old. Imagine the battle of wills and struggle it would have been to wean a 4 year old child. This is the struggle the psalmist was describing before he could learn contentment. Let us also engage in this struggle and learn to be content with whatever situation we find ourselves in. Jesus lived the perfect life of contentment even when faced with death on the cross for our sins. “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26 v 39).

ROGER SLOANCookstown Fellowship

CONTENTMENTchallenge

Virtually every day we are challenged to respond to the evil of ISIS; whether we encounter reports of new atrocities or the closer reality of the broken lives of refugees. ISIS flaunt their evil actions through propaganda videos seeming to fear no-one. Grotesquely the Daily Mail paints those fleeing ISIS as scroungers whilst Cameron heartlessly depicts those daring to seek a better life as a ‘swarm’. Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are amongst those seeking safety. The day of Jesus’ return will be terrifying for Islamists who have openly declared war on his people but will he not also tell our land ‘Depart from me… I was a stranger and you did not welcome me.’ As we see heart-breaking circumstances in the world around us our hearts ask ‘How much longer Lord?’ I hope you too find our cover article helpful as Bill Matthess considers why Christ tarries whilst ISIS inflict suffering. I think this issue contains many more excellent contributions which we hope I will enjoy. Thank you to each writer for the time and effort they have put into their work. Messenger articles tend to reflect the interests and concerns of the editorial team but thank you to all those who have assured that they too have benefited from recent issues of this magazine. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed leading the editorial team over recent years. They deserve huge credit for their often unsung endeavours. The team have shown vision to tackle challenging issues, courage to make difficult editorial decisions and the confidence to shoot down my more ridiculous ideas. I’d like to particularly single out Andrew Morrison for the countless hours he put into the transformation of this magazine’s design. I’m delighted to announce that Helen McKelvey as our new editor. She has already have a great influence on the magazine through her regular film reviews and innovative ideas. She’ll continue to be assisted by a strong team including her brother Michael who has already taken full responsibility for design. I’m already looking forward to future issues.Yours in Christ,

Editorial

IN THIS ISSUE

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

WINTER 2015

Editorial Team

Editor | JAMES MCCULLOUGHSecretary | ABIGAIL NELSON

Design | ANDREW MORRISONDesign | MICHAEL MCKELVEY

Treasurer | ALISTAIR ROLLESTONDistribution | EMMA DUNWOODY

Features | HELEN MCKELVEYFeatures | STEPHEN STEELE

messenger.rpc.org

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“Make every effort to supplement

your faith with virtue, and virtue

with knowledge, and knowledge

with self-control”

2 Peter 1:4-5

FEW WOULD question that the ongoing terrorism of ISIS is exceedingly evil. Disturbing news reports and images flood the media, revealing evidence of unspeakable acts of violence, torture, rape and beheading. There is no justification for such unrestrained wickedness. Evil on this scale evokes outrage. Whenever we hear about these kinds of atrocities and the flood of ongoing suffering that is caused, our natural instinct is to cry out for justice. Where is God in all this? The common argument is that, if there is a God who is perfectly good, all-knowing and all-powerful, then He could easily prevent evil acts from happening in the first place. The atheist concludes that, because evil exists,

God surely does not. Yet the very fact that people recognise the existence of evil presupposes that there is a moral standard by which to condemn evil. The objection against evil and suffering only proves that there is a definitive rule of right and wrong to judge actions by. When we object to evil and suffering we are really appealing to a standard that cannot be ultimately determined by ourselves. One person’s opinion would have to be as valid as another’s. Rather than disprove the existence of God, the very fact that evil exists requires an external and perfect standard that must come from a higher authority. Whether people acknowledge it or not, this standard is the perfect moral

law of God which He has revealed to us in His Word. If God has made the rules, then is He able to enforce them? A Christian is in no doubt about whether God has sufficient wisdom and strength to judge evil and deal with it. The Scriptures are abundantly plain regarding His character. What is truly ‘good’ is defined by who God ‘is’. If there was only one word to convey God’s nature, it would be the word ‘holy’. God is holy. In other words, God is absolutely perfect in every aspect of His being. When we speak of God’s justice, it is a holy justice. If we think about His righteousness, wisdom, power and knowledge, they are all exceedingly holy (Isaiah 6:3). Holiness is

the reflection of His essential nature. R.L. Dabney wrote, “Holiness is to be regarded not as a distinct attribute, but as the result of all God’s moral perfection together.” God’s holy character is sufficient to judge all things, but what of His power to act in judgment over all things? God is not only perfect and pure in all His attributes,

but all of His attributes are infinite in their extent. His knowledge and power are unlimited so that nothing is impossible for Him to accomplish (Luke 1:37). God rules and reigns over all (1 Chronicles 29:11-12). He is righteous in His judgments and will not clear the guilty (Psalm 7:11; Nahum 1:3). It should be evident then, that God is well able to execute perfect justice at all times, in all circumstances and in every place. Yet the question remains: why does not God stop evil from happening? Why does He permit overwhelming and ongoing suffering to continue? Why does He allow evil to gain ground without any apparent restraints? This cry has gone up to God from many of His people. Jeremiah says, “Righteous are you, O LORD, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?” (Jeremiah 12:1). The prophet Habakkuk cries out with similar words, “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and are silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?” (Habakkuk 1:13). In the case of Job, God

knowingly and purposefully allowed Job to suffer dreadfully. As he lamented his condition, he cursed the day he was born and cried out in chapter 3, “Let that day be

darkness! May God above not seek it, nor light shine upon it. … because it did not shut the doors of my mother’s womb, nor hide trouble from my eyes. Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire?” God is sovereign over all that takes place and yet He is not the author of evil or sin. He is not dispassionate about the untold misery that evil causes, but ordains that sin and its effects be employed for His own purpose. We read in Proverbs 16:4, “The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.” Amos 3:6 declares “Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it?” What possible purpose could there be in allowing sinful acts to occur

without immediate judgment? Perhaps the most wonderful answer to why God allows sin and wickedness to exist, and then delays to act, is so that His glory may be revealed more brightly. If the Lord is to be seen as all glorious in every aspect of His character, then His justice and triumph over wickedness are necessary. Jonathan Edwards reasons, “If it were not right that God should decree and permit and punish sin, there could be no manifestation of God’s holiness in hatred of sin, or in showing any preference, in his providence, of godliness before it. There would be no manifestation of God’s grace or true goodness, if there was no sin to be pardoned, no misery to be saved from. How much happiness so ever he bestowed, his goodness would not be so much prized and admired . . .” Because of the existence of evil, the authority, greatness, justice and holiness of God will be perfectly and completely displayed. We should not think for a moment that sin and evil will go unpunished. There will come a day when every mouth will be stopped and every idle word shall be judged when all shall be held accountable to God for the evil deeds they have committed (Romans 3:19; Matthew 12:36). There will come a day when God will judge all sin and eradicate all evil. In a very real sense we should be thankful for such a delay as it allows more time for people to repent and come to Jesus Christ for forgiveness of their sin (2 Peter 3:9).

It is the wisdom of God to warn of a day of judgment to come. Those who question God make themselves judges of God. They would have God judge others and govern the world according to their own rule whilst excusing their own guilt. For men to demand that God administer immediate justice for every evil act shows that they do not acknowledge their own sin, or they too would immediately be condemned. If God were to punish every evil act instantaneously, then where would we be? If there were no delay, and perfect justice were administered on the spot, there would be no one left because God would have to remove us all. We all sin and fall short of perfection (Romans 3:23; Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). The evil that resides in every heart may be less evident than that perpetrated by ISIS, but it is no less real. Anyone who asks the question of why God does not stop wickedness must also ask the question: why does God show mercy at all? Is it not good that God has provided a way by which evil in the human heart can be finally overcome? It is in God’s infinite wisdom that He devised a plan that allowed for the existence of evil and its glorious defeat through the sacrifice of His own Son, Jesus Christ upon the cross. Christ gave His perfect life and shed His blood in order that those who repent of their sin and put their faith and trust in Him should have forgiveness from the power and pollution of sin and be granted eternal life. It is because of His mercy that any are spared from His righteous judgment. As we seek for answers, we must realise that we are dealing with one whose

ways are higher than our ways. We must acknowledge that God’s ways are ‘past finding out’. He reveals what He deems is sufficient for us to know and there are some things which we are not told. Deuteronomy 29:29 states, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” God is perfect in all His ways and therefore we know that God is good and will judge all with righteousness without having every query resolved. God may choose not to disclose all that we want to know. As God is infinite and we are limited

A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO EVILwhy doesn’t god stop isis?


what is truly ‘good’ is defined by who god ‘is’.

if there was only one word to convey god’s nature,

it would be ‘holy’

is it not good that god has provided a way by which evil

in the human heart can be finally overcome?

by nature, there will be reasons and motives that are far beyond our limited capacity to understand. He is greater than we are

and therefore we can expect that there will be aspects of His perfect plan that may be

hidden from us until such a time when He will reveal His wisdom and receive the greatest glory and praise. Therefore, it is entirely reasonable that the apparent delay in punishing evil will serve in the end to accomplish a greater good. In Genesis 50:20, the treatment of Joseph’s brothers toward Joseph was evil, yet God meant it for good. God alone can bring good out of evil. He is a God full of mercy, and He alone can bring comfort to His people in their suffering. One day He will wipe away every tear from the eyes of those who have received His mercy. On that day, His people will live forever

in God’s kingdom where there will be no evil. All those who will not turn from their wickedness and repent will receive the eternal punishment that their sins rightly deserve.

BILL MATTHESSEnniskillen RPC

FIRST ARRIVALS IN CZECH REPUBLIC EXPRESS GRATITUDE AND RELIEF Two Czech government officials, a member of the European Parliament and the waiting media welcomed the first Iraqi arrivals in Barnabas Fund’s Operation Safe Havens project. 153 Iraqis are expected to arrive in four main groups over the next two months on refugee visas supplied especially by the government of the Czech Republic. British relief charity, Barnabas Fund, has

covered the costs of their flights to the Czech Republic, in addition to supporting their first year costs of resettlement in partnership with Czech charity, Foundation Generation 21. In moving scenes at Prague airport, Majid Rashid, one of the first 10 arrivals expressed relief: “For Christians, life

is very hard in Iraq, we could describe it like living hell.” He declared: “For us living in Iraq means giving your life and accepting death moment after moment.” He expressed his hope for a new life for all 37 families who will be arriving in Prague over the coming days.

Barnabas Fund’s Chief Executive, Hendrik Storm, welcomed the refugees to their new home and thanked the Czech government and Czech partners for recognising the need facing Iraqi and Syrian Christians. He said: “The desperate plight of Christians in the Middle East is what has brought the Barnabas Fund, Foundation Generation 21 and the government of the Czech Republic together in this initiative. We pay tribute to the vision and bravery of the Czech government in recognising

that Christians are uniquely targeted and abandoned by the international community.” Foundation Generation 21 will be on the front line of providing care, counselling and support for refugees to resettle in the Czech Republic over the next year. Jan Talafant of the charity welcomed the refugees and praised the contribution of the British-based Barnabas Fund’s Operation Safe Havens in making the operation possible. “From the very beginning we were telling the Czech government that we have a strong financial partner in Great Britain, Barnabas Fund. They had many questions about financing the project, so it was very helpful in the whole process of receiving agreement from the Czech government. Without you the project would not be possible.”

25th January 2016More information about the Barnabas Fund can be found at: www.barnabasfund.org

This article was re-printed with the permission of:

barnabas fund

operationsafehavens

PROJECT UPDATE

WILL YOU be alone as a Christian going to University? Will you be the only one in your accommodation who knows Jesus? Will you have anyone to encourage you when the going gets tough? God didn’t make us to be loners as Christians, that’s why this verse says “Two are better than one”. It’s been amazing living in Renwick the past three semesters at University. The other residents have become like a family to me, and many of us would describe Renwick as our home away from home. I truly love each and everyone one of my friends here. I’ve learnt so much from them and I know I can count on any of them. “…how can one keep warm alone?” I think the kind of warmth this verse is talking about is a spiritual warmth. Renwick is a place where we can keep each other on fire for the Lord and encourage each other in the faith. As well as that, it actually is warm. Those who visit always comment on how warm the rooms are. I’m going to miss this when I move out, as many student houses are freezing cold. On top of the fact you get to stay with other like-minded Christians, Renwick House has many other perks.

There’s a big kitchen with three ovens, toasters, microwaves, eating utensils, and any kind of kitchen accoutrement you could ask for. The rooms are big and have en-suites. There’s five double rooms, four single rooms, a spacious common room, an enclosed car park out the back that fits four

cars, and a washing room equipped with a washing machine and tumble dryer. Also, we’re all very thankful for a hardworking committee that does a great job managing everything, making it a pleasure living here. The house is on Elmwood Avenue, which is as close to Queen’s University as you can get. It takes me about three minutes to get from the door of Renwick to class in the Medical Biology Centre! It’s in a prime location for spying on fellow classmates from the big bay windows and we often give our friends a wave as they walk by. So, if you’re looking for a cheerful, warm place to live if you’re studying or working in Belfast for a few years, why not give Renwick House a try? I did, and I don’t regret it!

Contact e-mail for further details: [email protected] Closing date is April 30th 2016.

renwick house, belfastuniversity accommodation

DAVID MATTHESSEnniskillen RPC

Image courtesy of Ben Hanna


“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

WHEN THE DOCTRINE of the ‘Trinity’ is brought up, it is very easy to let out a small sigh and say, “well, you see, God is one…but he is also three. It’s just one of those things which is a mystery to us.” This sort of answer lets us fall into a kind of soothing cluelessness about what God is like. To many in Reformed circles, the Trinity is a fusty old doctrine to which we offer an orthodox, pious nod of the head before moving on to some ‘relevant’ doctrines; we have tried to explain it with eggs and shamrocks but will never really grasp it, and that’s the way it’s meant to be, a mystery. In ‘The Good God’, Michael Reeves not only throws away all the brow-furrowing (and to be honest, cringe-worthy) metaphors but sets out to show the Trinity as the most profound and vibrant of all our doctrines. Reeves’ takes inspiration and insight on the topic from all eras of Christian history, quoting extensively from the Early Church Fathers, the Reformers, the Puritans, theologians and contemporary thinkers. What is most striking though is the firm, Scriptural grounding on which the book rests; each chapter and page is laden with Bible references, transforming this book from a light, philosophical exercise to a substantial, systematic examination of what God’s Word has to say about God.

While ‘The Good God’ deals with ‘heavy’ theology and vital Christian truths, it does so in a very accessible way; it is only a hundred pages long and broken up nicely with images and side-notes. In the first chapter, Reeves presents God, not as simply ‘the Creator’ or ‘the King’ (both of which he is), but primarily as Father. It is his relationship to his Son, (ie his Fatherhood) which makes God eternally, inherently outgoing, loving and life-giving. A god who is not eternally triune cannot claim to be loving as our God does, for how can he love if there is nothing else there? The distinctive of the Christian God is that he is love. Chapters 2-4 deal with each member of the Trinity individually, Father,

Son and Spirit, explaining their natures and how we can better understand their work and motives. Plumbing the depths of these chapters is the work of a Christian lifetime and they will change how we view God and hence how we live for God. The God we worship is not interested in our obeying a moral code but in our reconciliation to him as sons and daughters; we are not simply to be law-abiding citizens but beloved children. When we see the love God has for us, we too will love in the way God intended from the beginning. We have turned our backs on God. But praise God, for the saving love of the Son means that the Spirit can enter us and draws us into the arms of the Trinity. Thus we can look into the Father’s heart and see how boundlessly he loves us. ‘The Good God’ presents the Trinity as a doctrine for lovers of God, not academics. It is a doctrine that changes everything.

‘YOU MUST READ’ is something of an unusual book. There is no single author or editor mentioned. Its 32 chapters are each from a different author and the subject of each chapter is different from all the others, yet the result is fascinating. As the title may imply, ‘You Must Read’ is a book all about books, and the books in view have all been published by Banner of Truth to mark its 60th anniversary. Each chapter has been written by reputable preachers, teachers and writers who spend 3-5 pages identifying the one Banner book that has shaped and influenced their ministry. So, if you want to know what makes Sinclair Ferguson tick, or find out what shaped Stuart Olyott’s ministry, or learn who influenced Jerry Bridges or discover who Edward Donnelly’s hero is, ‘you must read’ this book. This is an easy read. With individual authors, each chapter has its own style and structure, and at 3-5 pages is sufficiently brief to be read in one sitting. Personally, I used it alongside my devotions, and found it to be a great help to stir my thinking and emotions. One great effect of this book about books is that it reminded me of the power that a single book can have upon your life, and has pushed me to widen and develop my own personal

reading. Significantly, for readers of ‘The Messenger’, many of the contributors testify to their chosen book impacting them in their youth. I can certainly testify to the

same. Let me urge you not to let your youth pass you by without investing at least some of it in the inestimable value of reading good books. Perhaps you don’t know where to start? One way I plan to further use the book is to consider the contents page

as a kind of ‘wishlist’. With such stellar recommendations, all these books should certainly be found on my bookshelves. Perhaps you could begin to do likewise? One thing is certainly clear, you and I must read.

‘You Must Read’ is available at the Covenanter Book CentreHardback £11.25 (RRP £15.00)Paperback £6.00 (RRP £8.00)

“you must read” banner of truth

“the good god”michael reeves

MICHAEL MCKELVEYCullybackey RPC

ROBERT MCCOLLUMNewtownards RPC

It reminded me of the power that a single book can have

upon your life



IMAGINE you have been sent a letter. It pops through your letterbox and onto the floor. There’s just one problem though; you can’t read it. It’s not your eyesight; it’s the writing. It’s in a language you can’t understand. What would you do? I suppose you could sit down, get a piece of paper and word by word write the letter out again. After that you could get a magnifying glass and study the type of letters. You could try to see if there is anything symbolic behind the writing. Investigating every scratch on the page to see if there’s a hidden code as you seek to keep an open mind and consider every possible conclusion. You split it up into different sections but it’s just no good. You don’t have a clue. What’s next? Maybe you could try and find someone who understands the language. Sounds a lot more sensible, doesn’t it? You start to ask if anyone recognises or can read the writing. Sadly, no one that you know can understand it; they look at it as puzzled as you. They scratch their heads, stare at it, maybe they even offer a guess at what it means. You try to listen to all the opinions that they have even though some are not too nice. In fact, after you hear what they have to say, you wish you hadn’t shown them the letter. Others, however, have very strong opinions

about what it means but that’s all they have, opinions. You leave upset and discouraged. You return home and set the letter down in front of you, staring at it. What does it mean? What does it say? Why can’t you or anyone else make any sense of it or interpret a single line of it? Why can people give you only opinions but no facts?

Sometimes our lives seem just like that letter. We sit down and try to understand why we are in a certain situation. We try to understand why everything that is happening is happening; we try to figure out what this means and that means. Like a person building a jigsaw we try to piece by piece build a picture that we can see - one that has a purpose and a reason. However, most of us will, at times, feel our lives are just like that letter: confusing, frustrating and impossible to understand. Other people’s letters seem nicer. They have letters that are easy to understand, so plain and straightforward. Their letters seem to have so much more in them than

ours. Their letters are so full of blessings and ease. Their letter has no harsh difficult sentences and no out of place words. Thankfully, even though we may not get an explanation into every single thing that happens to us, we can be certain that God is sovereign and “his steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136 v 26). Though life is often confusing and difficult, it is all written by the perfect author, God. We should do all that we can to remember the person behind the letter. Behind the confusion and the pain are the pen strokes of the master who is full of goodness, love and charity - a loving Father who has carefully crafted your life to display his glory. We can trust him because he lovingly wrote out the earthly ministry of his Son, who faced the deepest sorrows and suffering, so that you might be brought near to him.

“Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.” (Psalm 139 v16)

DAVID DULYCarrickfergus RPC

when we can’t read the lettertrusting the author

IN THE ANNALS of peculiar tales, this one is particularly high up the list. Based on the memoirs of playwright Alan Bennett, and his play of the same name, the Lady in the Van really is about a lady in a van, and one who spent fifteen years living in Bennett’s driveway. Hilariously witty at times, yet heartbreakingly true to life, Dame Maggie Smith takes up the titular role and brings the excellence with which she has become synonymous. Although it can be a little difficult to gauge the passage of time, the movie follows Smith’s fifteen year tenure in Bennett’s driveway, and the awkward and often tense relationship between the two. Bennett struggles between

showing real concern for Miss Sheppard (the lady in the van), trying to rein in her eccentricities and avoiding making her a project for a play. Miss Sheppard appears to be batty, lacks personal hygiene, resents the social worker and has an unfathomable

past. It’s a film that will make you laugh, but might make you uncomfortable and leave you full of questions. Fifteen years is a long time. Yet in fifteen years Alan Bennett learnt next to nothing about the lady in a van in his

driveway. Neither he nor his neighbours took the time to find out where she came from, why she was in a van or why she hates the police. How many people wander through our lives, and we write them off as eccentric, irrelevant or a nuisance? As young people, do we take the time to find out the histories of those around us, or do we even see the elderly, vulnerable or lonely people whom we meet along the way? Paul exhorts Timothy in his first letter to be attentive to those around him, especially to older people. Ruth takes care of her widowed mother-in-law Naomi. The apostle John adopts Mary and cares for her. The lady in Luke 8 who touched Jesus’ garment was not turned away, but healed. It is clearly our duty as children

of God to show care to such people in our congregations. Remember that we are all part of God’s family, and as Paul warns

Timothy in 1 Timothy 5v8: “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

Take time to listen to and care for such people, and who knows? God may use it to strengthen your faith and you may learn something incredible!

the lady in the vanfilm review

HELEN MCKELVEYCullybackey RPC

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as young people, do we take the time to find out the

histories of those around us?


CHARLES SPURGEON once remarked, ‘A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t’. As Christians we know, theoretically at least, that our quiet time is essential to spiritual growth and maturity. And no believer is going to deny that spending one-on-one time with the God of the Universe is an immense privilege. So how come we often manage to make it through the day (or week, or month) without it? Frankly, we’re not the best people to give advice on quiet times. We forget to read the Bible. We put off prayer time until ‘later’. Sometimes an extra half hour in bed wins over half an hour in the Word. In our house, there are three major distractions that get in the way of our quiet times: busyness, children and technology.

If we’re having a particularly hectic week, the temptation is strong to ‘save time’ by cutting out prayer. We love our kids dearly, but our little blessings often choose to have a nappy ‘incident’ or get wedged somewhere perilous just as we’re opening our Bible. And have you noticed that you always seem to get important texts or email notifications when you’re settling down to meditate on the Word? We’ve found that the best way to combat these distractions is to plan and schedule. We read actual paper Bibles as opposed to a tablet version because otherwise it’s too tempting to flick over to Facebook or catch up on emails while ‘meditating’ on the Word. We try to get up before our kids so we can have uninterrupted time with God (remember that Jesus was an

advocate of early rising to spend time with his Father). When we know it’ll be a busy week, we consciously make our quiet time the one non-negotiable thing on our ‘to do’ list. After all, if we can’t even place Jesus first when we’re planning our day, we can hardly claim that he is Lord of our lives. It might sound a bit legalistic to advocate putting your quiet time on a ‘to do’ list. But becoming a man or woman of the Word doesn’t just happen, it takes discipline. And the beautiful thing is, the more consistently you read the Bible, pray and meditate on the Scriptures, the more of a delight your quiet time will become. “Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the Law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night” (Psalm 1 :1-2).

tips for your time with god

PAUL As a minister, I have the pleasure of studying the bible all day, and I’ve found my quiet times change because of that. I tend to choose a book of the Bible I don’t know all that well and try to get to know it better. That’s the first thing I do (after praying for help to understand), then I pray for my family and my church family. After that, I spend some time reading through my current Christian book - I’ve just finished ‘Family Shepherds’ by Voddie Baucham. Essentially, the thing that motivates us to do our quiet time is love for Christ. We love him, so we want to know his Word better. We love him, so we want to talk to him and listen to him. When we aren’t doing our quiet time regularly, it’s a sign that our love for Jesus (our ‘first love’ as the Bible puts it) isn’t what it should be.

SARAH Generally, I do my quiet time early in the day. Currently, I’m reading through the Old Testament which has providentially tied in really well with our current sermon series on the Ten Commandments in church. After praying, reading and making some journal notes, I like to read a Christian book alongside my quiet time. At the moment, I’m reading ‘Why we love the Church’ by Kevin DeYoung. Recently, our church started preparing the passages that we’ll be studying in our morning and evening services as part of our quiet times during the week. It’s really helpful to come to church with a prior knowledge of the passage, and we’ve found it generates good discussion afterwards.

what our quiet times look like

PAUL & SARAH WRIGHT

Cookstown RPC

“THE ESSENTIAL Jesus Challenge” (and the EJesus app), by Whitney T. Kuniholm, is part of the E100 (Essential 100) initiative from Scripture Union. E100 uses 100 readings taken from throughout the Bible to show the whole story of redemptive history. The EJesus Challenge is much more Christ-focussed, choosing passages from the Old and New Testament to challenge your view of Jesus. The devotions come in themed blocks of 5, including ‘Who is Jesus?’, ‘Psalms

about a Saviour’, ‘The Parables of Jesus’, ‘The Crucifixion of Jesus’ and ‘The Second Coming of Jesus’. Each day starts with prayer, then the passage, a short exposition and an opportunity to jot down any ideas, and finishes with prayer. The app allows you to take your Quiet Time with you on the move (paper resources are also available) and chart your progress throughout the 100 days. EJesus is easy to work through alongside friends, and is also a great resource to work through with a non-believer. I’ve

really enjoyed the easy to read expositions and it is exciting and encouraging to see how Jesus is central to the whole Bible, and the Christian life. If you have never used notes for your Quiet Time, or aren’t sure how to go about a Quiet Time, the E100 and EJesus Challenges are a good place to start.

APP: the essential jesus challenge

HELEN MCKELVEYCullybackey RPC

what we’ve learnt

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

THIS PSALM is learnt by many before they can read and is also often one of the last psalms spoken to those who can no longer read for themselves. It was written by David, the shepherd, who became king, about and for the King, Jesus Christ who became the Shepherd. It is just possible that you may have memorized this song, sung it hundreds of times and don’t actually know that it’s not about you. The words are mind-blowing. Throughout they express complete, perfect, undiluted trust: “The LORD is my shepherd….. I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” No ifs, buts or maybes in sight, just an eye of single faith: ‘I will not want’, ‘He restores my soul’, ‘He leads me’, ‘You are with me’,

‘You prepare a table’, ‘You anoint my head’, ‘my cup overflows’, ‘goodness and mercy shall follow me’. This is an unrelenting, unending and unfaltering statement of faith. David exhibited giant-killing faith and was described as the man after God’s own heart but surely when he penned these words they were better fitted for the King who would come of his line, Jesus Christ. Take a second look at these words, not forgetting that they come right after the Psalm of the cross, and think of your Saviour. This transforms every phrase. ‘Through the vale of death’s shadow I walk’ is no longer a moment of quiet self-reflection but the steely cry of the determined Saviour. Perhaps we could chose

an alternative notation to the ‘moderately softly’ of ‘The Psalms for Singing’. If we belted out this line our focus might shift from the memory of funerals where we sang this psalm to confidently praising him who gives all united to him the victory. This is Jesus’ psalm displaying his perfect trust and unwavering faith in his heavenly Father. When you hear these words sung by his lips and when you know him as your shepherd, you can confidently take these words and ask, “LORD, increase my faith that I may be more like you”.

WHY DO YOU love the LORD? If someone asked you this, what would your response be? This Psalm is one person’s response to this question and I feel that this Psalm captures what Christianity is all about. Without God we are trapped in the snares of death (v2). We stumble about in the dark, led by our own desires; this path only leads to distress and sorrow. We are lost, without hope and destined for the grave. Left to ourselves we are helpless but God did not leave us to ourselves. God delivered us from this condition – there was

nothing in us that made us attractive to him. ‘Grace’, ‘mercy’ and ‘compassion’ are used by the Psalmist to emphasise that his salvation was undeserved and unmerited. The wonderful thing about salvation is that God saved us just because he loved us! The change in the Psalmist’s outlook is total - despair turns to joy, death is overcome with life (v8) and in place of anguish he has rest (v7). Thinking about what God has done for me I wonder with the Psalmist, “What shall I return to the LORD for all his goodness to me” (v12). If we appreciate what God

has saved us from and what we are now as a result, the only natural response should be to love him and say with the Psalmist, “Truly I am your servant, Lord.”

desert island versepsalm 116

psalm 23: perfect trust

DAVID MCCULLOUGHDromore RPC

STEPHEN FALLOWSFaughan RPC

FAMILY DAY CONFERENCE 2016

Keeping the Sabbath a Delight Rev. David Sutherland !Come along with your family and be refreshed in Christ. Childcare is provided. Venue: Ballyclabber RP Church. Time: 12:30 -4:30pm Cost: Donations welcome to cover costs. !Register by sending names of those attending, and also ages of your children, to: [email protected] or texting Rachaela Mongiat-Johnston on 07525182786

12MARCH


Four events focussing on the church’s unique priority, confidence in the Word of God and a challenge to engage in this worldwide, lifetime’s task of proclaiming Jesus Christ.Kevin DeYoung has been the Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church, Michigan, USA, since August 2004. His three main responsibilities include preaching, leadership, and administration. Kevin has published a number of books including Taking God at His Word and What is the Mission of the Church.

1. CHALLENGE TO MISSIONFor students and young adultsTHURSDAY 25 FEB 20167.30pmAll Saints’ Church, Canterbury Street, Belfast BT7 1LBFREE OF CHARGE

2. TAKING GOD AT HIS WORDFor all who teach God’s wordFRIDAY 26 FEB 201610.00am - 12.30pm (lunch included)St Saviour’s Church, Dollingstown. BT66 7JPFREE OF CHARGE

3. WHAT IS THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH?All welcomeSATURDAY 27 FEB 20169.15am-4.00pmArmagh City Hotel BT60 4FRCOST £10 Lunch is not included in priceCancellations will incur a 10% administration fee

4. SUNDAY TEACHINGJoin Kevin as he teaches this SundaySUNDAY 28 FEB 201610.30amSt Elizabeth’s Church, Church Green, Dundonald BT16 2LP

18 THE MESSENGER | Winter 2015

Documents

November 2015 Messenger