Five minutes with James Anderson

Page 4

Unapologetic, part 1: The Bible

Page 6

Longing to preach
Page 8

Gods grace

in our sanctification

Wi

nte

r2

01

.50

(Page 10)

Phi lippians 1 v 9-11

The Evangelical Presbyterian is published quarterly by the Presbytery

of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
Website
For more information on the Evangelical Presbyterian Church,
including details of our various congregations, please visit our
denominational website at www.epcni.org.uk
Policy
The views expressed are those of the editor and contributors and
are understood to reflect generally the theological position of the
Evangelical Presbyterian Church, unless otherwise stated.
Unsigned articles are by the editor.
Articles
The editor is willing to accept articles for publication on the
understanding that the submission of an article does not guarantee
its publication. Contributors should recognise that all articles are also
liable to editing and alteration without consultation.
No material can be published unless the full name and postal address
of the contributor is supplied. The preferred method of submission is
electronically as a Word document.
Theme verses
Philippians 1:9-11
Editor

Andy Hambleton

37a Largy Road,
Crumlin

BT29 4RN

Phone: 07828 726130

Email: andyhambleton99@gmail.com

Sub Editors:
Marcus Hobson
Jeff Ballantine
Heather Watson

CONTENTS
03

First word

04

Five minutes wi th James Anderson

06

Unapologetic, part 1: The Bible

08

Longing to preach: A sermon on

Romans 1:8-15

10

Gods grace in our sanctification

12

The obedient Servant of God

Book Reviews

Colin Campbell
Manager

The Evangelical Book Shop
BELFAST

BT1 6DD

Phone 028 9032 0529

Email: info@evangelicalbookshop.co.uk
Website: www.evangelicalbookshop.co.uk

Subscriptions 2016
Collected: 6-00
By post inside the UK: 10-00
By post outside the UK: 22-00
Enquiries to the Evangelical Book Shop
Finance
Anyone wishing to help the churchs work may send their gift to the
Finance Committee C/O:
Rev J S Roger
16 Huntingdale
BALLYCLARE
BT39 9XB
The church can benefit from the Gift Aid scheme from taxpayers
donations. Please ask for details.
Printed by Saxoprint.
Design and layout by Derek Johnston

15

A dream fulfi lled

16

Meet John Roger

16

An AWM worker in Ireland

18

Praise & Prayer

23

Book review

24

Best of the blogs

FIRST WORD
As I sit to type these words, the headlines are filled
with the news of the horrific terrorist attack carried
out in Paris on the 13th November. Once again, we find
ourselves reminded of the hatred and violence of which
mankind is capable. In Gods providence, the following
Sunday I was due to preach on Micah 4, where we
find some wonderful words which give us comfort
and encouragement in times like this. In this chapter,
Micah describes what the future will look like for Gods
people.

irstly, it will be a glorious future. Chapter 3 contained

the warning of Gods judgment against the city of
Jerusalem on account of the oppression and injustice
of which their corrupt leaders were guilty. God would
flatten Jerusalem to the ground (3v12). Chapter 4
begins, however, with a contrasting image. In the latter
days, the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be
established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall
be lifted up above the hills. It is a picture of the true
worship of the true God being finally lifted high above
everything else in all the universe.
Secondly, it will be a global future. Micah describes
people from the surrounding nations turning to the true
and living God, to worship him and to hear his word so
that they can live as his people. They say, Come, let us
go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the

God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we

may walk in his paths.
And thirdly, Micah assures us that it will be a peaceful
future. Whilst these people from the surrounding
nations used to live in enmity with God and with his
people, they now live at peace with them. Through
coming to worship the true God they have found
reconciliation not only to God, but also to one another.
The dividing walls of hostility have come crashing down.
True and lasting peace is established. Micah writes:
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and
their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any
more.
In the light of those awful events in Paris, we see that
this is the kind of world that we long for. Thank God,
this is a reality, not a pipe dream. We catch a glimpse of
it even today. As the message of the gospel goes out
into the world, the true worship of the true God is being
lifted up, and men and women and boys and girls from
many nations are being added to the people of God,
drawn into fellowship with one another through Jesus
Christ. But we long for the day when this picture reaches
its culmination, at the return of Christ.
Only then will true and lasting peace be established
forever. Come, Lord Jesus!

about the world, and what are the major competitors to the
Christian worldview, it can help us to see why unbelievers
today are so opposed to traditional Christian beliefs and why
they find the message of the gospel so bizarre.
By bringing the conversation around to the issue of conflicting
worldviews, we can dig down to the very root of our
disagreements. In doing so we can make space for a serious
discussion of whether our respective worldviews actually
cohere and make sense of the world. Once an unbeliever
starts to see the deep problems with his own worldview, hell
be more interested to consider the alternative.
Of course, there are many different worldviews out there,
but what would you say is the prevailing worldview in
Western culture, if there is one?

Five minutes with

James Anderson
Dr. Anderson, thank you for taking the time to speak with
us. Your book Whats your Worldview? is an excellent
resource, both for Christians and non-Christians.
For those who havent come across it yet, can you explain
the concept of the book?
Whats Your Worldview? has three basic goals: (1) to help
the reader understand what a worldview is and why its
important; (2) to prompt the reader to be more self-conscious
about their own worldview and the effect it has on their
thinking; (3) to encourage the reader to think more critically
about their own worldview in relation to other worldviews.
However, as I make clear in the introduction to the book, it
isnt written from a neutral perspective! Im open about the
fact that Im a Christian and Im convinced that the Christian
worldview is true. So the book also functions as an indirect
apologetic for Christianity.
There are already dozens of great books on worldviews, but
whats distinctive about this book is its non-linear, interactive
format. Instead of reading the book from front to back in the
normal way, readers are presented with a series of yes-no
questions (such as Is there any objective truth? and Is
there a God?) and they follow different paths through the
book depending on how they answer those questions. In
that respect, the book is rather like those Choose Your Own
Adventure books many of us enjoyed in our younger years!
4

I enjoyed your comment in the book, worldviews are like

cerebellums: everyone has one and we cant live without
them, but not everyone knows that he has one. So, what
exactly is a worldview?
A worldview is an overall view of the world. Its not a physical
view of the world, like the sight of planet Earth youd get from
an orbiting space-station, but rather a philosophical view: an
all-encompassing perspective on everything that exists and
matters to us. A persons worldview represents their most
fundamental beliefs and assumptions about the universe.
It reflects how they would answer all the big questions of
human existence: fundamental questions about who and
what we are, where we came from, why were here, where
(if anywhere) were headed, the meaning and purpose of life,
the nature of the afterlife, and what counts as a good life here
and now.
Why is it important that, as Christians, we understand
worldviews?
I think there are a number of reasons, but Ill mention just two
here. First, the Bible calls us to think and live in a distinctively
Christian way (Matt. 22:37-39; Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 10:4-5).
As disciples of Christ, were called to understand God,
ourselves, and the world through a biblical Christian lens. One
way we can pursue that calling is to self-consciously develop
and apply a Christian worldview: to think deeply about how to
interpret the world and live out our lives in ways consistent
with that worldview.
Secondly, thinking in terms of worldviews can be very fruitful
in Christian apologetics and evangelism. Once we understand
what a worldview is, how it affects the way a person thinks

Its hard to pick out just one! Among intellectuals, there

are two dominant worldviews: Materialism (the view that
the material universe is all that exists) and Relativism (the
view that there are no absoluteseverything is relative
to the individual or the culture). But intellectuals arent
representative of the overall population. Among the public in
general, the worldviews associated with New Age Spirituality
and Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (to use Christian Smiths
label) are very prominent too.
Following on from that previous question, as a Brit living in
the States, are there any notable differences between the
worldviews you come across in North Carolina as opposed
to Scotland/the UK?
Yes, I think so. The UK is generally more secularized. In the
US (or at least the southern states) people tend to be more
religious in their outlook. That said, American religiosity is
often only skin-deep. Just because someone says hes a
Christian, it doesnt follow that he has anything like a biblical
Christian worldview! So I find you often have to dig beneath
the surface to discern what a persons real worldview isthe
worldview thats actually shaping their beliefs and actions.

be a public debater like the apostle Paul, but every Christian

is called to give an answer to those who ask us to give the
reason for the hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15).
You have written in the past about a presuppositional
approach to apologetics, often associated with Cornelius
Van Til. Can you explain how presuppositional apologetics
differs from other approaches? Is it necessary to be
presuppositional in the way that we do our apologetics?
I do describe myself as a presuppositionalist when it comes
to apologetics, but Im not precious about the label. (Its one of
those cases where no one has sold me a better alternative!)
As I see, there are two core convictions at the heart of
presuppositionalism: (1) No one can evaluate the evidence for
Christianity from a neutral perspective; everyone has religious
(or anti-religious) presuppositions, and those presuppositions
need to be identified, exposed, and evaluated. (2) Christians
must never presume to adopt a stance of neutrality when
discussing or debating the claims of Christ with an unbeliever,
as though we can argue from a starting position of neutral
common ground. Rather, we must acknowledge Christ as our
sovereign Lord and Scripture as our highest authority at all
times, and seek to make our case in a way consistent with
those ultimate commitments.
I think these two convictions are non-negotiables in
apologetics. But that still allows for a lot of flexibility in how
we engage with non-Christians, what specific arguments
we use, what evidences we incorporate into our arguments,
and so forth. One of the advantages of presuppositionalism,
however, is that you take the same basic approach whether
youre interacting with an atheist, a postmodernist, a
Mormon, a Muslim, or a follower of some obscure religion
youve never heard of before!
Many thanks for your time!
Youre welcome!

Very much related to the study of worldviews is the topic

of apologetics. Some Christians have reservations about
the role of apologetics in the witness of the church. People
sometimes say, Lets not do apologetics, lets just preach
the gospel! How would you answer that reservation?
My answer is very simple: Why not do both? Lets preach the
gospel and do apologetics! After all, isnt that exactly what
Jesus and the apostles did? Its clear from the New Testament
(especially the book of Acts) that not only did they proclaim
the gospel, they reasoned with unbelievers and tried to
persuade them that the gospel is truethat Christ really
was who he claimed to be. Not every Christian is called to

Dr. Anderson is associate professor of theology

and philosophy at Reformed Theological
Seminary, Charlotte.
5

Unapologetic
PART 1: The Bible

pologetics is the branch of theology concerned with

presenting a reasoned defence of Christian belief. The
word is derived from the noun apologia meaning a written
formal defence and does not mean to apologise for, or
express regret for what we believe. In fact we should be
unapologetic about our faith. In his first letter, the apostle
Peter exhorts believers to be ready to explain our reasons
for believing. In this, the first of four planned articles on the
subject of apologetics, we will start by considering the Bible.
Sadly, the Bible is no longer held in high regard by
contemporary society. Writers such as Richard Dawkins
hold the view that religion is merely superstition and expect
that, in time, theology and other humanities will no longer
be taught at universities. Even so-called theologians such
as the Jesus Seminary group in America choose which
bits of the Bible they will accept. Whilst there is truth in the
Victorian preacher CH Spurgeons exclamation defend the
Bible, I would sooner defend a lion, we do need to know how
to defend Gods word, and to know about the book that is so
pivotal to our faith. This is what Francis Schaeffer would have
termed pre evangelism. In this article I wish to consider the
reliability of the Biblical text, the canon of Scripture and the
uniqueness of its contents - the particular special revelation
of God in the Bible, that is the verbal, propositional revelation
of Gods truth.
Firstly, let us consider the text of the Old Testament. This
was written over a period from around 1400 400 BC,
the earliest complete manuscripts are to be found in the
Leningrad library and are dated at AD 1008 1009. This
is obviously some time after the initial texts or autographs
would have been written, and we need to think about how
these texts were passed on from one generation to the next.
The texts we have are described as Masoretic texts. The
Masorites were groups of scribes in the period AD 500 to AD
900 coming from selected families, the most notable being
the Ben Asher family in Tiberias. They devoted themselves
to the meticulous copying of manuscripts. Just how accurate
their copying was can be seen from the fact that when the
Dead Sea scrolls were found in 1946 at Qumran near Jericho,
there were manuscripts among them dating from the 3rd
century BC to 135 AD and the preservation of the text is
exceptional. In a copy of the book of Isaiah found in Qumran
only three words are different to the Isaiah of the Masoretic
text: three words of difference in texts copied almost a
thousand years apart!

There are over 5,000 ancient Greek manuscripts of the New

Testament text in existence, with the best whole copies of
the New Testament datiing from around AD 250. These
are the Codex Vaticanus held in the Vatican library and the
Codex Sinaiticus held in the British Museum. Also dating
from AD 500 is the Codex Alexandria, again held in the British
Museum. Earlier fragments include the Chester Beattie
papyri. This contains most of the New Testament and dates
from the third century AD. In the John Rylands library in
Manchester, there is a fragment of the Gospel of John from
AD 130. The Magdalen papyrus is a fragment of the Gospel
of Matthew which has been dated by German papyrologist
Carsten Thiede at around AD 70. All the books of the New
Testament were in circulation by the middle of the second
century.
How does this compare with the available manuscripts for
accepted secular ancient texts?
If we consider Caesars Gallic War, written between 58 and 50
years BC, there are nine or ten manuscripts in existence, the
earliest of which is dated 900 years after the time of Julius
Caesar. Consider Livys Roman history, written between 59
BC and 17 AD. Only 35 of his 142 books survived and these
are in 20 manuscripts dated at the 4th century. The Roman
historian Tacitus wrote around AD 100. Only 4 of his 14
books of Histories and 10 of his 16 books The Annals are in
existence and these are known from two manuscripts dating
from the 9th and 11th centuries. Only 8 manuscripts of the
writings of Suetonius (69-140 AD) are in existence. With
Thucydides history (460 400 BC) 8 manuscripts exist dating
from around AD 900.
It can be seen that comparing biblical manuscripts with other
ancient literature, whose historical value is seldom contested,
there are many more and many earlier manuscripts to
support the biblical text.

Now we must consider the canon of scripture; that is the list

of books that actually make up the Bible. It is usual to say
that the canon of the Bible was decided at the various early
Church Councils such as the Council of Hippo in 393 AD or the
Council of Carthage 397 AD.
It would be more accurate though to say that these councils
did not decide on canon but merely documented the books
that were accepted in practice. (Indeed the canonicity of
certain books continued to be debated right up to the
Reformation with Luther considering the letter of James a
straw epistle).
It seems that the development of the canon was a progressive
progress. Walter Kaiser in his book The Old Testament
Documents describes a succession of writing prophets. He
notes how the writer of Chronicles declares the history of
David was written in the books of the prophets, Samuel,
Nathan and Gad; how in Second Chronicles the history of
Solomon was written by the prophets Nathan, Ahijah and
Iddo; how the reign of Rehoboam was chronicled by the
prophets Shemaiah and Iddo. Abijahs history was written
by Iddo. Then came the record of the reign of Jehoshaphat
written by the prophet Jehu, then the reign of Hezekiah
recorded by Isaiah and so on. He also illustrates how Daniel in
the 6th century BC accepts the writings of Jeremiah 75 years
previously as being the word of the Lord and, in turn, Jeremiah
had viewed the words of the prophet Micah 125 years earlier
also as the word of the Lord. And so, the Old Testament
canon developed progressively as the authority of the books
was recognised by successive generations of the people
of God. A similar situation may be observed in the New
Testament with the Apostle Peter in his second letter classing
the writings of the Apostle Paul along with other Scriptures.
The Bible is a unique book. It is the word of God; God has
spoken to us in the Bible revealing himself to us. The Bible
is truth. Often where there has been no outside evidence
to back up statements in the Bible, the secular world has
dismissed its writings as mere myth. This was the case until
archaeologists discovered that the City of Ur really existed;
until they found external confirmation that the tribe of the
Hittites were real people, or that Solomons chariot city of
Megiddo actually existed. There are many other examples
where archaeology has dismissed the Bible until it has had to
acknowledge its historical accuracy.
Another example of the uniqueness of the Bible is in fulfilled
prophecy. Consider the prophet Isaiah predicting the fall of
Jerusalem and the taking of the inhabitants into captivity.
Then there is the writing of the prophet Jeremiah predicting
Israels return from captivity, and the prophet Daniel
predicting the rise of the empires of Rome, Greece
and beyond.

Perhaps most striking are the many prophecies about Jesus,

the Messiah, who was to come as Gods promised King and
the saviour of mankind.
For example, it is predicted in the Old Testament:
That Jesus would be born of the tribe of Judah.
(Genesis 49:10)
Of the line of David (Isaiah 9:7)
He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14)
That he would minister in Galilee (Isaiah 9:11)
That he would enter Jerusalem triumphantly riding on a
donkeys colt (Zechariah 9:9)
That he would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver
(Zechariah 11:13)
That he would suffer in the place of sinners
(Isaiah 53:4-5)
That his hands would be pierced (Psalm 22:16)
That they would cast lots for his clothing (Psalm 22:18)
That he would be buried in a rich mans grave
(Isaiah 53:9)
And that he would be raised from the dead
(Psalm 16:10)
Much as we value the revelation of Gods truth in Scripture,
we especially value it because it points us to God most
perfectly revealed in the person of his Son. As the writer to
the Hebrews proclaims:
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the
prophets, at many times and in various ways, but in
these last days he has spoken to us by his Son whom he
appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the
Universe. The Son is the radiance of Gods glory and the
exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his
powerful word.

Michael Trimble has been attending Stranmillis

EPC since 1993, and works as a physician in Royal
Victoria Hospital. He is married to Rachel and they
have three children, David, Sophie and Solomon.

Longing to Preach
A Sermon on Romans 1:8-15
(All Bible quotations from the ESV.)

Introduction

hen you read Pauls letter to the

Romans, in which he expounds
the gospel of power (1:17), you
cannot but notice how Paul himself
seems affected by its message. In the
introductory verses he shows that it
is a gospel promised in the Scriptures,
encountered in the person of Jesus in his
death and resurrection, and is now being
proclaimed among all the nations.
It is this gospel the good news about
Jesus Christ that creates a hunger and
a longing in Paul himself that drives him
on in ministry. We see that especially
in this passage. I want you to notice
a word that pops up all through this
passage. The word you occurs nine
times in eight verses. For example he
says in verse 11, For I long to see you,
that I may impart to you some spiritual
gift to strengthen you.
This shows us that within Paul is the
kind of drive that has the situations
of other Christian people close to his
heart. He longs to see them. The gospel
has radically changed his heart. Now
he longs to be of some use to them
principally through the preaching of the
gospel, and he longs to bring it to more
people as they are brought within the
fold of this covenant community.
My friends, even as we start today, is
there anyone here who cares about the
gospel and its effects in this way? Is
there anyone here today who has it on
their heart to see the gospel spread this
way? I want to look at this longing, and
see how it affects Paul. My hope is that
we catch something of the fire that
he has.

A Longing that Fuels Prayer

praying! The frustration has not stopped

him praying because it is still a good
Clearly this church was having some
prayer flowing out of an earnest longing
kind of impact that was getting people
in the heart.
talking. Remember they didnt have
Thirdly, he is submissive to the will of
Facebook, or Twitter, or email, or even
God in this matter. In verse 10 he says,
a reliable postal service! But somehow
by Gods will. Ultimately what Paul
the news was getting around the known
has is a deep love and submission to his
world and Paul was hearing about
heavenly Father, that he knows best.
it even as he was making his way to
Isnt that a liberating view of prayer?
Jerusalem, as he was at the time of
We may have a desire about something
writing. This news created a longing
and we go to God to ask him to fulfil it.
and, importantly, fuelled his prayers.
But what, one may ask, if it is a prayer
What did he pray about? Simply, that he
for something selfish or sinful? Then
wanted to get over there and meet with
we trust that God will make that known
these new brothers and sisters and have
to us so that we can
fellowship with them
change. You see, Psalm
(v10). Thats his personal It is this gospel the good
37:4 tells us, Delight
prayer request.
news about Jesus Christ yourself in the LORD,
Now, I think we can learn
that creates a hunger and a and he will give you the
quite a bit about prayer
longing in Paul himself that desires of your heart.
here. In his commentary,
The simple fact is that
drives him on in ministry.
John Murray made a few
as we draw close to
observations about this
God, we cannot but be
prayer, which are very useful. I have
changed and our prayers will change
condensed them to three: Firstly, Paul
too. A true, gospel-centred desire and
had this desire but no certainty it would
prayer cannot be suppressed!
be fulfilled. Now this is not a sinful
desire there are no self-indulgent
Longing for Fellowship that
motives here. It was a good desire. But
Changes People
that good desire did not bring certainty
Paul longed for the kind of fellowship
of outcome. Thats important. Some
with brothers and sisters that
people would have us believe real faith
transformed lives. We see this in verses
is when you pray believing you will get
11 and 12. There are two sides to it.
the outcome you want. But we dont
Firstly, there was what Paul could
see that here. We see a longing in Pauls
bring to them. He wanted to be able
heart and that longing fuelling his
to impart some spiritual gift to them
prayer. But his faith is not in a particular
(v11). Now, it is not clear exactly what
outcome. Rather it is in his God in whose
he meant by spiritual gift but we do
hands the outcome rests.
know how Paul went about his work. His
Secondly, fulfilment of this desire had
primary task was to preach and teach
been frustrated (v13). But he keeps

the word of God. He expected the Holy

Spirit to take hold of this word and make
it effective in the hearts of his hearers,
so that remarkable, spiritual things
would then happen in the church.
Now, in our day you might think his
desire to impart spiritual gifts is a bit
big-headed of Paul, but you would be
wrong. Paul understood how spiritual
things work. The Spirit gives a man a
calling and gifts to preach the gospel
and the effect in the hearers is up to
the Spirit of God. Paul believed this with
all his heart if he played his Godgiven part then he was convinced that
spiritual gifts would be given.
But there is a second side to his desire
to have fellowship with the Roman
church because he too wanted to
be encouraged! He wanted to meet
them to see how their faith is is it
real? Is it Christ-centred? Is it lively and
eager? It is in seeing this, that great
encouragement is given to any preacher.
Friends, this is a picture we need to take
note of and learn from. There are a great
many things that can excite us about
being in a church and bring a smile to
our faces. We see new people coming
in, we like to catch up with one another,
we like to sing etc. But here is the
thing that will bring sustainable joy in
a congregation - a desire to have Gods
word at the centre and to share our faith
with each other, a fellowship that goes
deeper than simply passing the time of
day with one another. What do you long
for when you think of other Christians?
What do you long for when you come to
a church like this? Remember what you
long for will be conditioned by whether

you walk closely with Christ. Do you

preach the gospel wherever he can. His
want to come and be a blessing and a
primary calling was to go to the Gentiles
help to others in the faith? O, you may
and it didnt matter what kind of Gentile,
not know what your gifts and abilities
whether it was the cultured and civilised
are but it all starts with a desire a
Greeks or the uncultured barbarians! He
longing for the gospel to be at work in
felt an obligation to all of them to bring
your life and others! Do you come here
the gospel of Jesus Christ to them.
wanting to be blessed by the Word, by
Friends, have you ever really felt that
word-centred fellowship?
kind of obligation? Have
If your answer to either
you felt that impulse
But here is the thing that
of those questions is no
that comes because
will
bring
sustainable
joy
(honestly, what is in that
you know that you have
in a congregation - a desire been truly saved by
heart of yours?) then at
best you are spiritually
to have Gods word at the Jesus Christ? and now
sick, at worst you are
you feel an obligation
centre and to share our
without the gospel at all!
to play your part in
faith with each other
So, Paul looked forward
Gods purposes for
to fellowship that would
the gospel? Now, I say
affect his life, and by which he could be
again, this is not the kind of obligation
a spiritual help to others.
that is brought about by guilt or some
kind of legal or contractual obligation,
formal or informal. It is a gospel
Longing to Fulfil Gospel Calling
obligation - what the puritans used to
Finally, lets note that Pauls desire was
call an evangelical obligation to preach.
simply to fulfil his calling to preach the
gospel wherever he could. In verse 14
Conclusion
he says he is under obligation. What
kind of obligation? The Greek word can
Well, we see here a deep longing that
be used to mean some kind of debt. But
has been worked into the life of Paul
we need to be careful here. For most of
and it is a longing brought about by the
us, the idea of a debt or an obligation
gospel of Jesus Christ. When the gospel
might seem burdensome. If you owe
is present it has very practical effects:
someone some money, then it weighs
it fuels your prayer life; it creates
purposeful relationships in Christ; and it
upon you until you pay it off (at least,
creates an imperative to play your part
it should!) If you owe your employer a
certain number of hours of work as an
in this mission to bring the gospel to
obligation, that can be quite a burden
the world.
especially if you are unhappy in your
Do you know this longing? Actually, do
work! Is that what Paul meant here? A
you know Jesus Christ? Do you know
kind of legal or contractual burden that
you need him?
has to be fulfilled? No! Of course not!
What Paul expresses is a debt of
gratitude to God. Paul has had a vision
of Christ and seen the grace and mercy
of God in the gospel. He has seen how
God has given his own Son to suffer and
die in our place and then rise from the
dead in glorious victory. He has asked
himself, What kind of God is this, who
Stephen Dancer is married to
has been so merciful to me a sinner? I
Susan, and father of one.
was once an enemy of God and sought
He has a PhD in physics. He worked
for 14 years in the aerospace
to destroy the church and the name of
industry and became a chartered
Christ! And yet he has chosen me for to
engineer. He also has a BA in
be his ambassador. What kind of God
Theological Studies. He has been
is this? Now, filled with gratitude, he
a minister of the gospel at Solihull
feels this obligation to serve the Son
Presbyterian Church, part of the
of God to be his willing slave (v1) and
EPCEW, since March, 2007.
9

Have you thought to yourself, now that Im a Christian, and

Ive been forgiven, its now all up to me to make myself a
better person? As Paul says to the Galatians, Having begun
by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
Pauls words here correct that misunderstanding. If we try
and depend on our own strengths and abilities to grow as a
Christian, we will inevitably fall flat on our faces. It is Gods
power at work within us which changes us. As Paul says to
the Philippians, work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to
work for his good pleasure.

or the concluding part of our series on sanctification, we

look at Pauls prayer in 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24:
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept
blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls
you is faithful; he will surely do it.
One day recently I took a trip to IKEA in order to buy a new
lamp. (Dont let anyone tell you that ministers dont know
how to have a good time.) Having chosen the lamp I wanted,
I then needed to get a lightbulb for it, so I found myself rifling
through IKEAs selection of bulbs, reading what it said on the
boxes, to make sure I had the correct bulb. Written on the side
of these boxes, it had all the information you needed to know
about that particular light bulb.
The most obvious bit of information is of course that it
requires power. For example, the box will say that you need to
connect this light bulb to 240 volts of electricity.
Secondly, the bulb is of course designed to fulfil a purpose.
Needless to say, the purpose of the bulb is to shine brightly
and light up a room. So, the box will say how bright this bulb
is, for example 600 lumens. (Dont worry; I didnt know what a
lumen was until last week either.)
And thirdly, I noticed that these light bulbs all came with a
promise. For example, one particular bulb that I bought came
with the promise that it would last for 25,000 hours.
What we see from Pauls prayer in 1 Thessalonians 5v2324 is that our sanctification, our growth in Christlikeness,
requires power, fulfils a purpose, and comes with a promise.
1) Gods power in our sanctification
A lightbulb on its own is useless, isnt it? Unless it is
connected to a sufficient source of power, then it can
do nothing. Exactly the same is true for you and your
sanctification. Jesus himself said to his disciples, apart from
me, you can do nothing.
So where does the power come from for you to change and to
grow in godliness? In the previous paragraph, Paul has listed
no fewer than 17 commands that he wants the believers in
Thessalonica to obey. Where does the power come from for
you to be living a life obeying all of those commands, as well
as all the other things we are expected to do as Christians?

10

2) Gods purpose in our sanctification

Notice what Paul says at the start of verse 23:

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you
completely
Do you see, Paul makes it very clear there that the power in
our sanctification does not come from us; rather, it is God
himself who sanctifies us. Sanctification is a work of Gods
free grace, to use the language of the Westminster Shorter
Catechism.
Of course, that doesnt mean that sanctification happens in
our lives automatically, without us having to think about it
or put any effort in. After all, God does give us commands to
obey. But Pauls point here is that the strength to obey those
commands and the power to grow in godliness are not from
us. One commentator sums up this point well. He says, while
there is a human element [in sanctification], in that one must
yield oneself up to God, yet the primary thing is the power of
God that enables this to be done.
The question for us is, as you try and grow and mature as a
Christian, are you relying on Gods power for that? Or, on the
other hand, have you become self-sufficient as a Christian?

When a light bulb is connected to the right power supply, it

then fulfils the purpose for which it was designed. So what is
Gods purpose in our sanctification?
Thats what Paul is getting at in the second half of verse 23.
He says, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be
kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
One of the hallmarks of Pauls first letter to the Thessalonians
is the theme of Christs return. In each of the five chapters he
reminds the Thessalonians of the fact that Jesus is coming
back one day. And so it is no surprise that, once again here,
Paul speaks about the second coming of Jesus.
What is Gods purpose in our sanctification? His purpose is
that when Jesus Christ finally returns to bring this age of
history to an end, and to usher in the fullness of his eternal
kingdom, that you will be blameless before him on that day.
Thats what your sanctification is moving you towards.
And notice how Paul emphasises how comprehensive this
work of sanctification is. He has already said earlier on in
verse 23 that the God of peace will sanctify us completely.
Now he builds on that. He says, may your whole spirit and
soul and body be kept blameless.
Paul is not saying that we are made up of three parts, soul,
spirit and body. No, this is rhetorical language he is using. He
is saying that every last bit of every last bit of you is to be set
apart for God, blameless in his sight, for the return of Jesus.
If Gods purpose in our sanctification is that every last bit of
every last bit of us is to be changed, then that means that
we should never be complacent about our sanctification. We
should never think that weve arrived, or that we can take the
foot off the accelerator and take it easy as a Christian. So long
as we are in this fallen world, we are not the finished article,
and there is room for us to grow in greater godliness.
Dont fall into that trap of becoming complacent in your
sanctification. Dont settle for less than what Gods purpose is
for you in your sanctification. His purpose is that every last bit
of every last bit of you be kept blameless for that glorious day
of Christs return.

3) Gods promise in our sanctification

Those light bulbs I bought came with a promise attached to
them. The promise was that they would last for 25,000 hours.
And we see in these verses that our sanctification comes with
a promise attached. What is that promise? Well, we find it in
verse 24: He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
Thats a great encouragement and reassurance to you in your
sanctification, isnt it?
I wonder, do you ever get discouraged in your growth as a
Christian? I know I do. Most weeks, in fact. When I pray in
the morning I find myself confessing so many of the same
sins, again and again. Sometimes it feels like I take two steps
forward as a Christian, and then I take one step back. I know
Im not the only one who is like that.
Our sanctification is not a smooth, upward curve. No, there
are many ups and downs along the way. There are times
when we drift further from God and further into sin. In those
dark times it is very easy to grow discouraged and think, Im
never going to make any progress here. In fact, I doubt that I
am ever going to reach the finish line.
Thats why this promise is so precious, isnt it? Because
it reminds us that God has promised to do this work of
sanctification in us.
If it all depended, ultimately, on us, then none of us would
reach the finishing line as Christians. All of us would fall
along the wayside. But the reassurance that Paul is holding
out to these Thessalonian believers is that, ultimately, their
sanctification doesnt depend on them. It depends on the God
who is faithful to every promise that he has made. We are not
secure in the faith because we hold onto him, but because
of the fact that he holds onto us with his sovereign, faithful,
powerful hand.
As Leon Morris puts it, it is not in the unstable qualities
of people that trust must be placed, but in the eternal
faithfulness of God.
Paul says to the Philippians, I am sure of this, that he who
began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day
of Jesus Christ.
Thats Gods promise in our sanctification. He finishes
what he starts, and he is faithful to what he has promised.
And that truth stops you from being overwhelmed with
discouragement in your Christian life, doesnt it? Even on
those days when you have messed up, you can hold on to
this promise of God that he is faithful to you in his promise to
sanctify you; he will surely do it!

It depends on the God who is

faithful to every promise that
He has made.
11

The obedient
Servant of God

he first of a new series of articles on the atonement, by Jim

McClatchey.
I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the
will of him who sent me. (John 6:38)
When we speak of the cross, I suppose it means
different things. You will see a
cross on many churches. Many people wear
a little gold or silver cross for ornamentation. But what does it
actually mean? The cross was a means of execution for about
1000 years. It was a most cruel, painful, and prolonged means
of execution. In these articles we have a very particular cross in
mind. It is the cross of the lord Jesus Christ, that is, the cross
on which Jesus died.
Gardiner Spring, in his book, The Attraction of the Cross
reminds us, The story of the cross is related in the holy
scriptures. They teach us to look upon Christs death in a totally
different light to any other person. They never mention it without
emphasis, nor without admiration.
By the grace of God, my intention in these studies is to look
at what happened at that place called Calvary and to see some
aspects of the cross through one single word. In our English
bibles that word is translated by three words, but in the original
it is just one word. It is the sixth of the seven sayings from
the cross. Although it is the briefest, yet it is surely the most
profound. The ancients spoke at times of a sea of matter in a
drop of language. That is certainly true here. Others have
said, this is the greatest word ever spoken.
That word, in the original is tetelestai:
it is finished.
It is interesting that this word can be translated a number of
ways. First, a servant would come to his master at the end of the
day and say that he had completed totally all that his master had
given him to do. Second, archaeologists have discovered old
ledgers in shops or large villas. In those ledgers, there would
be a list of goods supplied. Then at the bottom, this one word,
there meaning, paid in full. Third, a priest in the temple would
also use this word when a worshipper would bring an animal
for sacrifice. The animal would be examined because it must be
perfect, and this word would be used to pronounce that it was
perfect, acceptable, there were no blemishes.
This gives us a glimpse of the real meaning of the word. I would
hasten to make two very important points here.
First, when Christ uttered that word, it was not a word of
despair, nor a word of relief that his sufferings were coming to
an end; rather it was a shout of triumph.
Second, is the tense used. It is speaking of a past completed

12

action with continuing results. The emphasis is that while

Christ died on the cross a long time ago, yet, because of the
person he is, and because of all that he did accomplish it has
permanent effects for all of time and eternity.
In this our first study let us consider our word in the light of our
text; I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but
the will of him who sent me. This shows us that Christs death
at Calvary was in absolute conformity to the Fathers will. He
is therefore using finished to show that he accomplished all the
work given and agreed in eternity.

was called the first man. It is interesting that Christ has the
titles, the last Adam and the second man.
Adam was made perfect, he had original righteousness. He
was able to commune with God, able to live in Gods presence.
But we know that Adam failed. He sinned against God and
was thrust out of Gods presence. No sinner can stand before a
holy God. How would it be possible for a sinful man to again be
accepted by God? Two things were needed.
First, he would need to have his sin dealt with. The debt of sin
had to be paid. Another way of putting this is that we needed to
be redeemed. A ransom needed to be paid. But everyone was
I. His assignment as the Servant of the Lord.
in the same condition; no one was able to pay for his own sin and
certainly could not pay for the sin of another.
It is very interesting that Christ, the eternal, beloved, Son of God,
Second, once our sin was put away, we would only be where
is actually called a servant. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus says of
Adam had been at first, and we could fall again. So we needed
himself, the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and
something else: we needed perfect righteousness. Then, and only
to give his life a ransom for many.
then, could we come before this holy God
It is important to see that Christ links his
Christ never sinned once, in act, and be totally accepted.
service on earth with his death on the cross.
I know that there are those who say, I have
word, thought, or attitude.
In Isaiah we read a prophetic word about
done my best, God cannot ask for anything
Never once as a child, boy,
him. There are four great Servant Songs,
more than that. But the scriptures tell us
young man and as a man.
the best known of which is found in Isaiah
that all our righteousnesses are as filthy
He never sinned. Never!!
52:13-53:12. These words could be written
rags in Gods sight. That just will not do.
about none other than the Lord Jesus Christ,
All our sins have to be pardoned and
He was unique!!!
Gods Son, the great Servant of the Lord.
forgiven, and then we need a perfect
Here we have a glimpse into the terrible sufferings of Christ, as
righteousness as well. How could that come about? Only by the
the Servant of the Lord. But at the end of all of that, he could
perfect obedience of the Son of God.
triumphantly cry, accomplished!
What are the two things Christ did in accomplishing the
This brings before us an amazing picture. In time the Father sent
Fathers will?
the Son into the world. But what we often forget is that we have
First, Christ must do what Adam could not do. So Christ in
here a scene from eternity past. There in eternity is a meeting
coming to earth became the second man and the last Adam.
of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are in council
In doing so his obedience must be twofold. He must first of all
and plan the great covenant of redemption. In the word of God,
from his earliest moment as the God-man, live a life of total
redemption and salvation are spoken of as the results of the
conformity to the will and the law of God. Christ never sinned
everlasting covenant. Christs blood is called the blood of the
once, in act, word, thought, or attitude. Never once as a child,
everlasting covenant.
boy, young man and as a man. He never sinned. Never!! He was
In the covenant of redemption, the Father is the originator, the
unique!!!
Son the executor and the Holy Spirit the applier.
What a contrast with us. You see a small tot and how that tot can
This is the result of the voluntary agreement between Father,
lose his temper. We have three great-grandchildren.
Son and Holy Spirit. That means the very fact that Christ came
The youngest is just a year old. But he wanted something his
into the world was in obedience to the Father. He, who was
brother had, so he screamed until he got it. A year!! We are like
spirit from all eternity, became incarnate, he was made under the
that from our earliest moment!
law, to redeem those who were under the laws curse. He dwelt
Think of Jesus in his temptations. By the way, three temptations
among us.
are mentioned in the gospel, but he was tempted throughout his
whole life by Satan. Yet in every temptation, he did not fail. He
II. His accomplishment as the obedient Son of God.
did no sin; he was perfect in all his ways. He could look at his
perfect life and cry, accomplished! So first, Christ must be
The Son of God was sent into the world and given a twofold task
totally and absolutely sinless.
by God. But, pause here for a moment. Why did Jesus have to
Second, Christ had to take the punishment for our sin. He had to
come to do his Fathers will? What was the purpose of it all?
pay the price of our redemption. He must be our substitute. He
We have already seen that Christ was the Servant of the Lord.
must also be our surety.
That was one of his titles, but there is another, out of the great
There is in his very life suffering. Remember that he was
many he had and has. Our first Father was called Adam and he
unique; there was not a person on earth who understood him,
13

not a person who was his equal. He the sinless one was in daily
contact with sinners. What must have meant to him, living in a
sin cursed world? Think of his terrible loneliness. Think of the
suffering of Gethsemane, of the suffering of his trials and how
he was abused by sinful men. Think of him being scourged, then
being nailed to the cross, the cross being dropped into that hole
where many of his bones would be pulled out of joint. Think
of the mocking crowd, the religious leaders. The agony of
crucifixion was terrible. But worse was to come. The wrath of
God came upon him as he bore the penalty of our sin.
But there came that moment, just before he gave up his spirit that
he cried in triumph. Tetelestai. Finished.
The one who left heavens glory to come
to this earth to do his Fathers will, had accomplished all that the
Father had sent him to do.
We read that the veil in the temple was torn in two from top to
bottom. There was now a way of access to God, through Jesus
Christ. There was now a way of salvation. The price had been
paid, in full. He accomplished redemption for his people. He
not only paid the price for their sin; he also brought them eternal
righteousness. What man could never achieve by his works
or suffering, Christ achieved by his life and his death. The
scriptures tell us that, there is therefore now no condemnation to
those who are in Christ Jesus.
What a saviour we have! What a salvation we have! What a
glorious prospect we have, to be with him for all eternity! What
a great God we have to provide us with such a saviour and such
a salvation!
To the unbeliever, do you see your position before God? Do you
see that you are actually rejected by God, because of your sins?
Your natural condition before God is that you, like everyone else,
are a sinner. That needs to be dealt with. But only Jesus Christ
can do that!
He came, sent by God, to do Gods will in providing a full and
perfect salvation for sinners. What then is your response
to Jesus Christ and all that he did on Calvary?
What does the Bible call you to do? Repent. Believe.

Jim McClatchey has been in the ministry for the past 45

years, and has served in Lancashire, Lincolnshire, and
Scotland. He now lives in Fermanagh and is a member of
Omagh EPC. He still preaches regularly at home and in
England and Scotland. Jim is married to Irene, and they have 4
children, 9 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

A DREAM FULFILLED
For many years I have had a desire to visit Dumisani
Theological Institute in King Williams Town, South Africa, and
to visit a congregation of the Free Church in Southern Africa.
That dream became a reality over the weekend of 6th 9th
November 2015 when Ruth and I spent a few days in the
Eastern Cape at the home of Deon and Shelley Lombard.
We were on a family visit to Cape Town but on the first Friday
of our stay we flew to East London where we were warmly
welcomed by the Lombards who over the next few days
showed us around and gave us a great insight into the work
and ministry of Dumisani. Deon is the Vice Principal and
Shelley is currently the registrar of the College. Jack Whytock,
the Principal, and his wife, Nancy, were out of town but over
the weekend we also met with the other full time members of
staff Wayne Gratz and Greg Phillips.

These are critical days for Dumisani. There are around 50/60
students enrolled in full time and part time courses.
The students are drawn from a variety of churches and are
mainly men preparing to minister in village church situations.
The College is an excellent place with a dedicated and
committed staff but they are currently facing serious financial
pressure. Please pray for this situation and that the staff will
feel encouraged in the excellent work that they are doing.

On the Sunday, we were taken out of King Williams Town to

the village of Bulembu where I had the opportunity to preach
at the morning service in the FCSA congregation.
The women, clad in their distinctive blue and white uniforms,
were assembled outside the church when we arrived and one
could only be impressed by the warmth of their welcome.
The service was conducted by the minister, Rev Mafuya, who
spoke to me most warmly afterwards of the great help he had
received form Norman Reid during his days as a student in
Dumisani. After the service we walked the short distance, in
scorching heat, to the Lenge Centre for the elderly. This is an
excellent ministry where older needy people in the community
are being provided with meals and other help on a daily basis.
Please pray for the people of Bulembu and especially for Rev
Mafuya who is responsible for several congregations and was
very burdened about the needs of the village. Alcohol and
drug abuse is a serious problem among the young people, with
syncretism also an issue with which he was having to contend.
GNB

14

15

Meet John Roger, student for the ministry

Tell us about yourself.
I grew up in a home where I had the privilege of being taught
about the Bible and Christianity both in words and example
- from a young age. As many of you know, my dad is the
minister in Ballyclare EPC. It sounds silly, but growing up in
the ministers home, I assumed I was a Christian. It wasnt
until I moved to secondary school that I started to come
under the conviction of my sin, and saw myself in need of the
Saviour. By this point I wasnt particularly interested in church,
but wonderfully God had kept me reading my Bible each night,
as Id been taught from a young age. He spoke to me through
his Word, and I became a Christian when I was 13.
After school I went to Queens, where I studied Law and then
served as President of the Students Union for a year. In 2008
I joined a Professional Services firm in Belfast and worked for
seven years as a Business Consultant. I am married to Claire
and we have just had a little girl, Meredith!

What led you to become a student minister?

Growing up in the house of a minister, I wasnt sure what
I wanted to do when I grew up. But I knew I would never
go into the ministry! However, when I was around 21 I had
an inward conviction that perhaps God was asking me to
consider the one job I had ruled out. I committed to praying
about this, and over the next six years God grew that sense
of inward call until I felt I was disobeying him by not testing it
more formally.

16

I spoke firstly to my minister (i.e. Dad!), our local session

in Ballyclare, and then the Training of the Ministry and
Admissions Committee of our denominations Presbytery.
Each was supportive and tested my call through formal
interviews and opportunities to preach.

How is College life?

Fantastic! It is such a privilege to be able to study Gods Word
in an intensive, full-time way, and I am really enjoying all I
am learning. We have a small class, with only three full-time
students. While this means there is no hiding place on those
tough mornings when your brain is on a go-slow, it gives
more opportunity for discussion and questions.

Have you got any prayer requests?

At the opening service of College we were asked to share
some prayer points, and I asked the congregation to pray
for 3 Hs hunger for Gods Word and not just an academic
approach to learning, humility that as I learn I will not become
proud but remain grounded and useful, and finallyHebrew!
Please also pray for Claire and Meredith as we adjust to life as
a new family.

And finally, the all-important question: which is

proving harder - nappies or Hebrew?
Hebrew certainly has some unique challenges a new
vocabulary, looking at things from a different perspective,
and making some truly strange sounding noises. But each of
those could apply to nappy time too, so its too close to call!

An AWM worker in Ireland

The writer works with Arab World Ministries (AWM) in Belfast
family back home were at constant risk of extremism. I took
and is associated with Hope Fellowship.
the opportunity to push a little further as I asked if such
The Arab world lies at the heart of the 10/40 window and
attacks caused them to question their faith in Islam. The
has been historically resistant to the gospel of Christ. In
brother, on the verge of tears, expressed his confusion and
many nations of the Arab world it is illegal to convert from
uncertainty in his faith. As a global church we need to take
Islam to Christianity (or any other faith). Muslims who have
this opportunity for the Gospel. Muslims are here, many of
come to faith in Christ often live in areas where there are no
them questioning and seeking after the truth which we hold
fellowships or in countries that do not have an indigenous
and are called to share. Another friend on that same day came
church. In many places, it is illegal to hold Christian meetings
to visit to make sure I knew she wasnt a terrorist and would
or even own a copy of the Bible. However, encouragingly,
still be her friend. As we sat outside my house we started to
there are a growing number of small house groups of
talk about Gods plan for the world; it led in to a very natural
believers meeting and studying the Word of God in secret.
conversation on what the Bible says about Jesus and why we
As someone who grew up in the countryside I was almost
can trust it as the Word of God. Please pray for these people
totally unaware of how little Gospel exposure people of
- pray as they come west and are exposed to the truth, many
the Arab World had and I certainly never expected to be
for the first time, that the Holy Spirit would open their eyes to
working among Muslim people here in the UK.
Muslims are here, many Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
However, as a university student on a short
of them questioning and As part of AWM we have a media department
term team to London, God showed me very
that broadcasts through the websites,
seeking after the truth
clearly that Muslims are people with lives,
YouTube, Facebook and other media platforms.
which we hold and are
people with souls and people who must face
The recent AWM newsletter was a huge
called to share.
eternity. They are people who need Jesus.
encouragement as it reports that from January
God is very much at work among Muslims both here in the UK
to September 2015 there were 1.5million visits to their
and in the Arab World today. Islamic extremism has caused
website which clearly presents the Gospel, 35 000 Bibles
many Muslims to come to a crossroads in their faith. Just
after the horrendous terror attacks in Paris I went to visit a
Muslim friend and her brother. I have known the family for
just a few weeks but we have a good relationship and I was
able to ask them directly their thoughts and views on the
recent devastation. Their response was that of condemnation
and horror, sorrow and fear. They went on to share that their

were downloaded, 11 053 personal Gospel conversations had

and 3 642 online Bible courses completed. The Muslim world
is hungry for truth. When you see or hear it on the news dont
fear but remember it in your prayers. And pray for us, too,
that God may open a door for our message, so that we may
proclaim the mystery of Christ (Col 4:2).

17

FROM THE CHURCHES

OFFICE BEARERS HALF DAY OF PRAYER
Each year, EPC office bearers (ministers, elders and deacons) meet in the home church of the
Moderator for a half day devoted to prayer. Rev Robert Johnston led the opening devotions in
Knock church on Saturday 21st November, taking his theme from Jesus command to love one
another. Following brief reports from each congregation, specific prayer was made for the
points raised.
We were joined by Rev Rik Bikker, representing the Christian Reformed
Church in the Netherlands (CGKN). He shared with us something of the
work of CRC in the Netherlands and their desire to help the evangelical
cause in other parts of Europe. He also encouraged us, from Psalm
122 and the first petition of the Lords Prayer, to pray for the peace of
Jerusalem, involving the progress and unity of Gods kingdom.
The times of prayer were filled with thankfulness, pleading for blessing
upon our congregations and crying for our land and Europe, especially
following the Paris terror attacks. The mid-morning refreshment break
allowed sweet fellowship together. The Lord was with us.

OBITUARY - Mrs Ruth Ballantine

Following a prolonged period of ill health Mrs Ruth
Ballantine passed into the presence of her Saviour on
Monday, 8th October.
Ruth was born on 31st August, 1929. The second
youngest of six children, she grew up on the family farm,
just outside the village of Sixmilecross, County Tyrone.
Having received her education locally, she eventually
entered the employ of a poultry farmer as bookkeeper.
Marrying in 1953, Ruth went to live in the village of
Gortin, where she became the mother of her seven
children - Andrew, Jeff, George, Angeline, Osborn, Nigel,
and Adrienne. Sadly, her eldest son Andrew passed away
shortly after birth.
Whilst living in Gortin, the most important event in Ruths
life took place. She came to a personal faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ, and from that moment onwards, Ruth
became a shining example of a true Christian lady. Despite
the many hardships that followed, she came to exemplify
Pauls words in Rom. 8:37, we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us. Never harsh or bitter, but
always loving, kind, generous, hospitable, and joyful, Ruth
endeared herself to countless people.
For many years, Ruth was a faithful and much loved
member of Omagh EPC. Both the hardships of life and
her deep concern for the lost, made Ruth a valiant warrior
in prayer. However, she didnt restrict her evangelistic
concern to prayer alone, but with great winsomeness,
Ruth sought to speak to many about the Saviour she
loved so much.
The members and friends of Omagh EPC wish to express
their sincere sympathy to Ruths children, grandchildren,
great grandchildren, and to her surviving brother, Stewart.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21.
Rev. Andrew J. Lucas

Ballyclare
Harvest Thanksgiving
16th -18th October 2015 was harvest weekend in
Ballyclare EPC, a time when we make special efforts
to invite others into church to hear the gospel. Several
hundred invitation leaflets were delivered to homes
in the town and early-morning prayer meetings were
held the previous week to ask Gods blessing on the
congregation and the harvest services in particular.
It was a pleasure to welcome Rev David Court from
Christ Church (Free Church of Scotland), Edinburgh as
speaker for the weekend. His first talk was on Friday
night when many young people who normally attend
the Junior and Senior YPAs came to the service and
heard preaching on the story of the Good Samaritan,
as well as doing justice to an ample supper. Saturday
evenings meeting was a Harvest Supper, a sit-down,
two-course meal served to around 100 people and
followed by an address on Jesus, the only way to God.
The building was well filled again for both Sunday
services. David Court preached from Pauls visit to
Philippi (Acts 16) in the morning and in the evening he
spoke on the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.
In each case, a familiar passage was expounded with
fresh depth, warmth and challenge. Some members of
the congregation had formed a choir and their singing
was an added blessing.
It is right that we stop at harvest time and thank God
who gives us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons.
And it is always a benefit to Gods people to meet for
worship and to hear His word proclaimed. But we also
want to hear of children and adults turning to God and
walking with him. We believe that His word does not
return to Him void.

18

19

Stranmillis Missionary Weekend

3rd and 4th October 2015
Very encouraging. Really enjoyable. Great for the children.
These are the comments I heard after our missionary
conference in October 2015. We focussed on the work of
our own missionaries Sid and Jean Garland, Ed and Kate
Underwood, Sam and Jenni Ray and Andrew and Eunice
Moody as well as being really enriched by the contributions
and presence of Jorg and Heike Muller of European
Missionary Fellowship.
On the Saturday afternoon an enthusiastic committee had
organised a two hour long event in the Lisburn Road Hall for
children known as Ready to Go. The boys and girls were able
to visit various hands on displays and sample for themselves
the kind of work the different missionaries are involved in.
You could carry a water jug on your head, drink Ethiopian tea,
pretend to be a Bible smuggler or try to read an Alur Bible.
Jorg and Heike reminded us of the huge spiritual need of
Europe while teaching us a little German as well.
On the Sunday Jorg shared with the Adult Bible Class on the
work of EMF while Heike and Ed visited the Sunday School.
In our services Sid and Jorg preached, while Andrew and Ed
were interviewed. The weekend concluded with a Sunday
Night Extra at which Jean gave us a challenging reflection on
The Missionary Call .
We knew Gods rich blessing for which we praise Him. Our
goal was that we would as a church be stirred up to pray
better for the work in other lands. Our second goal was that
someone would hear the call of God to go. Please pray with
us that this goal will soon come to pass.
GNB

On Friday 6th November 2015 approximately 60-70 people gathered in

Omagh EPC to hear Mr Phil Robinson from Creation Ministries speak in
defence of Creation and the Gospel. A most informative and thoughtprovoking message was delivered, with believers being encouraged
in their faith and non-believers being challenged to consider the
great truths of Scripture. He quoted from pronounced atheist
Richard Dawkins and several other evolutionists but was able to
confirm that Science and the Bible are not in conflict with each
other but rather complement each other. The people (half of
whom are not connected to the congregation) listened intently
and there was a time for questions at the end.
There was a bookstall available and supper was served when
most people stayed behind for further discussion
and questions.
20

THE
IMPACT
OF A GIFT
Under the sparkling lights of the Christmas tree, a young child
ripped through the Christmas paper to find the iPad for which
he had pleaded for months. His family smiled at his glee, but
very soon they would be heartbroken. Through this gift he
received his first exposure to hardcore pornography, which he
would keep secret from his family.
Unfortunately, this scenario will have occured thousands of
times at Christmas as parents with good intentions wrapped
unprotected mobile devices that are the equivalent of
emotional and psychological dynamite.
Please, dont be one of those parents.
43% of children view pornography for the first time before
the age of 13. Thats not a joyful statistic and should serve as
a wake-up call about the risks and impact that unprotected
computers, gaming systems, and mobile devices may have on
a childs life.
These risks include:
Pornography exposure
Cyberbullying
Child predation
Inappropriate photo-sharing
Take the time to get educated on these issues. Life is busy,
and these things so easily get put on the backburner. But life
will come to a screeching halt the moment you realise your
child has been exposed to, or is a part of, an online danger.
Three things you can do now to start protecting your family:
1. Talk to your children. Let them know that the new device
they get comes with responsibility and consequences. Set a
standard in your home for safe Internet use and stick to it.
2. Do an app inventory. Do you know all the apps your
child has on their phone or tablet and what those apps do?
Popular apps like Snapchat are getting kids into inappropriate
situations, some with legal consequences. Parents need to
stay educated and research new apps their kids want to use.
3. Install protective monitoring and/or filtering software
on your childrens internet devices. This gives an extra
layer of protection for when you cannot be there to look over
your childs shoulder. Services like Covenant Eyes can help
your children make wise choices about the sites they go to,
knowing someone will receive a regular report of their activity.
To learn more about protecting your kids online visit,
ProtectYourKids.org.uk
For a 30 day free trial of internet accountability software visit
ProtectYourKids.org.uk/free or CovenantEyes.com and use
promotional code: keeppure

The following are some of the items

shared at the recent office-bearers
half day of prayer.
Praise God for encouragements in
all our congregations. Pray that new
converts will be built up in their faith,
that new families will be stabilised and
integrated into church life, and that
contacts will develop into meaningful
relationships with opportunities to
share Christ. Pray for ministers and
congregations to be upheld through
discouragements.
Ballyclare: Thank God for continuing
blessing in Mums & Tots and for
young people from outside the church
attending Senior YPA
Crosscollyer Street: Pray for people
to come who have qualities and gifts
to help in leadership
Crumlin: Pray for outreach
opportunities in a new housing
development and for the possibility of
a Christianity Explored course
Finaghy: Pray for the Mums and
Toddlers ministry, and the contacts
made with unbelievers through it.
Groomsport: Praise God for
progress in the young peoples work

21

BOOK REVIEWS
TRAINING EVENTS
Training event for all who lead, teach or help in
childrens or youth work in EPC
Hope Fellowship: Praise for people
coming into open church through the
week and for bible studies
taking place
Knock: Pray for the election of
deacons planned for the new year
Omagh: Thank God for interest
shown by neighbours to come in to
view the new building
Richhill: Praise God for good
numbers attending special praise
nights and pray for future such events
Stranmillis: Pray for wisdom in
proceeding now that planning
permission has been granted for a
new building
Pray forJohn Roger: hunger for Gods
word, humility and help with Hebrew.
And for Trevor Kane: for Gods
guidance and provision in the
months ahead.
Please pray for Muslims as they come
west and are exposed to the truth,
many for the first time, that the Holy
Spirit would open their eyes to Jesus
as Saviour and Lord.
Pray for those who befriend them in
the name of Christ.

Monday 22nd February 2016

7:30pm to 9:30pm in Knock EPC

was perhaps true of those who lived nearer to the time.

Author: Ernest C. Brown

He assesses both the strengths and the weaknesses of our

Publisher: Evangelical Presbyterian Church & Evangelical

forefathers case and the tactics that they employed.

Book Shop

This balanced approach only adds strength to the authors

final conclusion that truth was unquestionably on the side of

Not everyone appreciates history.

those who opposed Professor Davey. And just in case we

For example, the American industrialist Henry Ford famously

think the issues raised in 1927 belong to a bygone age, the

remarked History means nothing to me. History is more

book also includes five helpful articles by different authors,

or less bunk. As evangelical Christians we have a different

which show their ongoing relevance for us today.

perspective, particularly regarding sacred history, which as

Paul tells us was written for our instruction (Rom. 15:4

The final sections of the book centre on the establishment

NASB). But we should also have a high regard for church

and growth of the Irish Evangelical Church, as it was then

history more generally, which is so often a helpful interpreter

known, and from 1964 the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

of present dilemmas.

The early years were not without their difficulties, but much

For this reason, the members and friends of the Evangelical

can be learned from how our forefathers coped with those

Presbyterian Church are particularly indebted to Ernest

difficulties. But perhaps the most striking feature of this part

C. Brown for his new book The Story of the Evangelical

of the book, is the zeal displayed by the founding members of

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

(Children learning to pray)

Presbyterian Church. It is a fact, that the events that brought

the EPC. They had a clear vision that all of Ireland, both north

our church into being now lie beyond the memory of all of

and south, should be reached with the gospel of grace, and

us, and for this reason, it would be easy to lose our ties with

to this end they laboured with extraordinary zeal and self-

Please put it in your diary and plan to attend

the past, and to question our reason for existing as a distinct

sacrifice. The reviewer was struck by the observation made

denomination. But with great clarity, the author of this new

by J. Campbell Andrews, a student at Free Church College in

work brings those momentous events to life again, and helps

Edinburgh, who visited Ireland in the 1930s. He wrote:

CEF have been invited to give seminars on the

following topics:
Good news is for you (Helping children
understand the message of salvation)

Calling all
Campers!

Dates for your diary...

Junior Camp Reunion

Saturday 27 February
Ballyclare EPC
Senior Camp Reunion Weekend
12-14 February
Ganaway BB Centre
Inters Camp Reunion details to follow
For more information visit www.epcni.org.uk

22

Title: The Story of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church

us to see, that not only was the cause of our forefathers

just, but that there is also a strong case for our continuing

Two things about the Irish Evangelical Church must impress

existence as a confessional church.

a stranger. One is the spiritual fervour of the members with

whom one comes in contact. They are zealous for the glory

In the opening chapters, we are skilfully guided through the

of God in the salvation of souls. The other is the great volume

ups and downs of Irish Presbyterianism in the centuries

of earnest and definite prayer rising from the church to

preceding the crisis that gave birth to the EPC. And what

the throne above. It must be prevailing prayer because it is

becomes clear, is the fact that our forefathers struggle

offered in faith, in Christs name, to the end of His glory and

was nothing new, but part of a recurring struggle for

the good of mens souls. Such zeal and prayer must have

Biblical Christianity. The issues may have changed from one

results, and for this reason one feels that, under God, the Irish

generation to another, but again and again, faithful men had

Evangelical Church is to be a means of great blessing to many.

to step up to the mark and fight for the truth. In the closing
decades of the 19th century, previous battles were forgotten,

If the book helps us to rediscover this prayerful zeal, we

and the Irish Presbyterian Church once again allowed itself

will be forever indebted to its author. This book is warmly

to drift theologically. Ideas began to be tolerated which

recommended and is an absolute must for all who love the

would require a new generation to take up the fight. The

Lord Jesus Christ and his church.

author introduces us to those characters who will go on to

play a significant role in the coming battle. He describes their

Rev. Andrew J. Lucas.

backgrounds and their initial skirmishes, before moving

on to the dramatic events of 1927. The fact that almost
ninety years have passed since the heresy trial, allows the
author to view events with a little more detachment than
23

Best of the Blogs

A selection of online blogs and articles to challenge and
encourage you in your walk with God and his people
Are there Degrees of Sin? (R.C. Sproul)
www.ligonier.org/blog/are-there-degrees-sin/
Many Evangelical Protestants have rejected the idea of
degrees of sin because they know that the Protestant
Reformation rejected the Roman Catholic distinction between
mortal and venial sins. As a result, theyve jumped to the
conclusion that there are no distinctions between sins in
Protestantism.
The Old Testaments message to our Culture (David Murray)
www.headhearthand.org/blog/2015/11/04/the-oldtestaments-message-to-our-culture-2/
What can the Old Testament possibly say to our culture?
It seems a million miles and sometimes a million years
away from our time, our generation, and our problems.
How can something so old address all the new challenges
of globalization, sex-trafficking, the digital revolution, etc.
Theres no question that the Old Testament is a challenging
read; it doesnt yield its wisdom quite as easily as fortune
cookies. However, it does repay disciplined and prayerful
reading and research.
A Testimony: Infertility, Miscarriage and Motherhood
(Janelle Bradshaw)
www.girltalkhome.com/blog/a-testimony-infertilitymiscarraige-and-motherhood/
After over 2 years of trying to conceive, I was still childless
and crying out to God in the midst of the heartache of
wanting a family but not knowing if He would ever make
it happen. I felt like Hannah in the Bible, who desperately
wanted a child but could not conceive. The Scriptures say that
Hannah was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and
wept bitterly.
The Three Greatest Reasons Christ Loves You (Mark Jones)
www.reformation21.org/blog/2015/11/a-puritan-graceboy-assurance.php
The Puritans sometimes get a bad rap for their theology,
especially in the area of assurance of salvation. Yet, I gained
full assurance of salvation from reading a Puritan, Thomas
Goodwin. No Continental writer has quite given me a sense of
Christs love for me in the way that Goodwin did when I first
read him on the heart of Christ in heaven towards sinners
on earth.

24

Five Questions About Sanctification And Good Works: How

Does Sanctification Differ From Justification?
(Kevin De Young)
http://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/
kevindeyoung/2015/10/06/five-questions-aboutsanctification-and-good-works-how-does-sanctificationdiffer-from-justification/
This is the first of five helpful articles from Kevin De Young
seeking to address five important questions about the topic
of sanctification, and the place of good works in the Christian
life. You will find links to the other four articles at the top of
the article, if youd like to read through the whole series.
Worship: What Can We Sing? (Jeffrey Waddington)
www.alliancenet.org/placefortruth/column/theology-on-thego/worship-what-can-we-sing
One of the hallmarks of Presbyterian and Reformed churches
(including Reformed Baptist congregations) is our approach
to corporate public worship. While we affirm the importance
of private and family worship, the emphasis has usually fallen
on public worship. Public worship is not optional and what
we do in worship is not left up to us to figure out. God has set
out in his Word not only that he wants to be worshiped and
that it is only he who is to be worshiped. He has also revealed
to us how he wants us to worship him (Exodus 20:3-6). This
concern with how we worship God has come to be called the
Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW).