The Evangelical Presbyterian - September-October 2015

8/19/2019 The Evangelical Presbyterian - September-October 2015

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P h i l i pp ians 1 v 9-1 1

S E P T -

O C T

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Genesis & the age of the earth

Page 8

The Anatomy of Obedience (Joshua 23)

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Recent trip to Kenya with MERF

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The Joy of

Sanctification (Page 4)


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C O N T E N T S

0 3F i rs t word

0 4 T h e j o y o f s an c t i f i c a t i on

0 6 T h e A na to m y o f O b e d i en c e ( J o s h u a 2 3 )

0 8G e n e s i s & t h e a g e o f t h e e a r t h ( 2 )

0 9R e c e n t t r i p to K e n y a w i t h M E R F

1 0From the churches

1 3Pra ise & Pray er

1 4Book extract

1 6B e s t o f t h e b l o g s

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Over the Summer months, one of the biggest news

stories to break was the hacking of an American

website which exists to facilitate adulterous

relationships. Subsequently, the personal details of

millions of its users were leaked online.

Of course, it should not surprise us that this kind ofthing takes place in a fallen world; Scripture’s diagnosis

of the human heart shows that this is what we ought to

expect to see taking place in this present age (Galatians

5:19-21). However, the sheer size of the website’s

membership is nothing short of staggering. Roughly

one in every fifty people in the UK has subscribed to

the website. There are 149 accounts in Crumlin, 215

in Ballyclare, 545 in Omagh, and 8,520 in Belfast. This

problem is very close to home!

What should be our response as Christians to theserevelations?Amongst other things, we should recognise first of all

that adultery is a picture of how our hearts have turned

away from God. The prime example of this is of course

in the ministry of Hosea, where the LORD uses the

category of adultery as a way of describing the spiritual

unfaithfulness of the house of Israel, who have turned

to other gods. (See Hosea chapters 1-3).

We ourselves may not be implicated in the data leak

(though, sadly, many professing Christians did have

their sin found out in this way), but that is not to say

that our hearts are free from the staining of adultery.

Adultery is, after all, a matter of the heart before it is

a matter of the body (Matt. 5:28). As Paul’s words in

Ephesians 5 remind us, marriage itself is a vivid picture

of Christ’s love for his bride the church, and the church’ssubmission to him. Whenever we have given our heart’s

affections to that which Christ forbids, and whenever

we have run to the arms of an idol to find the comfort,

satisfaction and security that can be found in Christ

alone, we have been faithless to our Bridegroom.

However, wonderfully, we should also remember

that God’s grace is sufficient for adulterous people.

Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 point us to the

remarkable truth that our God is a God who takes eventhe very worst kind of sinners, including the “sexually

immoral” and “adulterers,” and cleanses them of their

sin, and reconciles them to himself through his Son

Jesus Christ. Is that not the greatest news in the world

for sinners like us, whose hearts were by nature bent

and twisted towards sin?

“And such were some of you. But you were washed, you

were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord

Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

(1 Corinthians 6:11)

FIRST WORD


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Continuing our series of articles looking at obedience

and sanctification, we are thankful to have been offered

this article by Dr. Ligon Duncan, exploring the joy of our

sanctification.

The doctrine of sanctification is on the front burner ofdiscussion in the Bible-believing Christian community.We live in a time of happy renewal of the gospel accent,

grace focus and Christ-centeredness of the preaching on

this doctrine in our theological neck of the woods. This

is a wonderful thing, for which we rejoice. But this new

emphasis has brought its own challenges. What do we do

with sanctification (growth in maturity and obedience in the

Christian life)? How do we preach the law only as that whichconvicts of sin and leads us to Christ, but not as a rule of

life? How do we handle the prolific “oughts,” “shoulds” and

“musts” (commands) of the New Testament? If we say that

Christianity proclaims “done,” not “do” (which is a wonderfully

true statement about our redemption and justification), how

do we relate that to the “do” of our sanctification?

Two passages help us enormously in knowing how to explain

and apply the Bible’s copious teaching about sanctification.

First, there is Paul’s wonderful benediction 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.” Paul’s purpose here is

to encourage us in the Christian life. In this brief blessing Paul

articulates three massive truths:

1) Your sanctification, your growth in godliness, is the work

of God in you.

Notice that Paul said, “May the God of peace Himself sanctify

you.” He did not say, “May God aid you in your quest for

sanctification” or “May God help you sanctify yourself.” No,

your God is at work in you for your progress in holiness. And

just as your gracious God is more desirous to forgive you than

you are to be forgiven, so also God is more interested in your

sanctification than you are. What ought to be our response

to this realization? To be committed to and encouraged about

progressive sanctification. The logic works this way: If God is

so committed to this in my life, then I should be committed to

this in my life.

2) The God who is at work in you is the God of total well-

being and blessing.

Notice what Paul calls God here: “the God of peace Himself.”

He is drawing attention to the significant truth that our God

is the God of peace, or shalom — that is, total well-being

and comprehensive blessing. This is incredibly important,

because Satan’s oldest lie is the assertion to Eve and Adam

that they could only enjoy blessing and satisfaction and

fulfilment in disobeying God. He was essentially denying that

God was really the God of all blessedness and the only one

in whom that blessedness can be enjoyed. Satan argued that

freedom and blessedness would only be found in rebellion,

but Adam and Eve soon discovered the bitter truth. Sin did

not bring freedom and blessing, but the opposite: bondage

and curse. The only place freedom and blessedness can

be enjoyed is in the sphere of obedience to God, who is

blessedness and peace in and of Himself. And that is precisely

The Joy ofSanctification


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what progressive sanctification is meant to do — increase

our present enjoyment of God’s peace and blessedness.

Sanctification is for our joy! Your total well-being, your

happiness, your satisfaction is inextricably connected to

sanctification. That’s why the God of total well-being is

irreversibly and indefatigably committed to your sanctification

— because he wants your total well-being, happiness and

satisfaction.

3) It is God’s purpose to make you completely perfect in the

end and to begin that work now.

When Paul says, “May the God of peace Himself sanctify

you completely” and “May your whole spirit and soul and

body be kept blameless,” he is praying for the comprehensive

sanctification of believers, starting now. He looks for believers

to be finally, completely perfected (not in this life, of course

— see “at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”), but he looks

for that work to begin in this life as a foretaste of its final

reality. To paraphrase John Newton, “We are not what we

ought to be, might be, wish to be, hope to be, nor what we

one day will be, but, by the grace of God, we are not what we

once were, and we are what we are.”

In a second great passage, Philippians 2:12-13, Paul

emphasizes both God’s sovereignty and our responsibility in

sanctification: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always

obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more

in my absence, 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.” This is one of the most important

passages in the entire Bible about sanctification.

First, Paul highlights our responsibility: “Work out your

own salvation with fear and trembling.” What in the world

does Paul mean? Does he mean that we must somehow

save ourselves by our own works? No! Look at the context:

It is about our following Jesus’ example, not so that we will

be converted or justified, but so that we will be more like

Jesus! Paul’s argument is that we are to pursue godliness

because God is at work in us for godliness. He is giving you

Dr. Duncan is the John E. Richards professor

of systematic and historical theology at RTS-

Jackson and senior minister at the historic First

Presbyterian Church in Jackson. This article first

appeared in the Winter 2012 issue of the RTS

Ministry and Leadership magazine. Used bythe kind permission of Reformed Theological

Seminary.

an encouragement from God that you can and will make

progress in driving sin from your life. Paul’s teaching is not

that God accepts you so no change is necessary, but that

God accepts you and therefore change is now possible. Note

the flow of Paul’s argument: Continue to obey — “as you

have always obeyed . . . .” Notice how Paul asserts here that

obedience is a vital, normal and essential part of the Christian

life. Let your salvation show in the way you live, demonstrate

it in your life — “work out your own salvation . . . .” Whatever

else Paul means here, he clearly expects us to be active, and

not merely passive, in living out the Christian life. Because

God is at work in you — “for it is God who works in you, both

to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Paul is stressing the sovereignty of God in our sanctification

here! His point is that we are to be encouraged precisely

because God is at work in us. According to Paul, God’s

work in us should not lead us to laziness and inactivity, but

to exertion. To paraphrase John Piper, Paul’s point is that

the sovereignty of God in our salvation and sanctification

is not permission for passivity, but a reason to hope. The

sovereignty of God makes us hopeful that change is possible,

not passive as if no change were necessary. And that’s why

sanctification is good news: There is hope. And where there is

hope, there is joy.

The only place freedom and blessedness

can be enjoyed is in the sphere of

obedience to God, who is blessedness

and peace in and of Himself.


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In chapter 23 of the book of Joshua, we see Joshua gather togetherall the leaders of the people of Israel to speak to them concerningthe need for God’s people to live l ives of ongoing obedience to

the Lord. In so doing, Joshua provides us with a wonderfully rich

description of what it means to obey our God.

1) The foundation of obedience: The grace of God

Our obedience to God is to be built on the grace of God towards

his people. That is perhaps the single most important thing to

remember when it comes to the topic of obeying God.

Why? Because if we forget that our obedience to God is built on thefoundation of God’s grace to his people, then we will inevitably make

one of two mistakes.

The first mistake that we could make is that we think that God is

unreasonable. “What right does God have to tell me how to live?

What has he ever done for me?” That is of course the mistake that

non-religious people tend to make.

The other mistake we could make when it comes to obeying God’s

commands is that we assume that we have to be our own saviours.

We read God’s commands and we say to ourselves, “this is the list of

rules that I have to keep if God is going to let me into heaven. I need

to be a good enough person, or else God won’t accept me.” And that

is of course the mistake that religious people tend to make.

Both of those understandings of obedience to God are utterly wrong,

because they both overlook the foundation of God’s grace to his

people. When God calls his people to obey him, it is always built on

the foundation of his grace to them.

That is what Joshua understands here. He begins this call to

obedience by pointing the people of Israel to the grace of God

towards them.

Firstly, in verse 3, he points them to God’s gracious works in the

past – how God has fought for his people, and driven out all of their

enemies before them.

Secondly, in verses 4 and 5, Joshua points them to God’s gracious

promises for the future – how God will continue to be with his

people to bless them as they go out to possess the land, just as theLord their God had promised them.

If you are going to live a l ife of obedience before God as well, then

this is the foundation you need to build on. You need to look at

God’s gracious works in the past. First and foremost, you need to

look at the cross and what has been done for you there by Jesus to

redeem you from sin and guilt and to bring you to God. And then you

need to look at God’s gracious promises for the future. The promise

to be with you and to never forsake you. The promise to bring to

completion what he has started in you. The promise of an eternity

with him in a glorious new creation.

The obedience of God’s people is built on the grace of God towards

them.

2) The standard of obedience: The word of God

Once we have considered the grace of God towards us, where do we

then look in order to know what it means to obey God?

That is where Joshua goes next, in verse 6:

“Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the

Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right

hand nor to the left.”

Very simply, the standard of obedience is the word of God.

Once again there are two mistakes that we are prone to make here.

The first mistake we might make is that we set our standard of

obedience lower than the standard set by God’s word. We take the

commands of God and we edit them to our own liking. If we see that

the word of God calls us to do something, or to not do something,

and we don’t like what it is saying, we ignore that command.

The other mistake that we could make is that we try and set our

standard of obedience above that of God’s word. This is what the

Pharisees in Jesus’s day tended to do, supplementing God’s word

with extra, man-made rules. We act as if what God has commanded

isn’t quite enough, and so we add a few more rules on top, even

when God’s word has given us liberty in these areas. As Jesus put it,

we start teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

Notice that Joshua avoids both of those mistakes. He doesn’t set

the standard of obedience below God’s word, but nor does he set

the standard of obedience above God’s word. Instead, he allows the

word of God to set the standard. He says, “Do not turn aside from it

either to the right hand, or to the left.” The standard of obedience is

the word of God.

It might be helpful to ask yourself, “where in my life am I setting the

standard below that of Scripture? Where am I making excuses to

carry on with that sinful thought pattern or behaviour pattern?”And then on the other hand ask yourself, “is there anywhere in my

life where I am setting the standard of obedience above that of

Scripture? Have I added extra rules to the bible? Am I binding my

conscience in any area where it ought to be free?”

The standard of obedience is the word of God, and the word of God

alone.

3) The practice of obedience: Separation from sin

What does it look like when God’s people take his word seriously,

and start living it out in their lives? Simply, it means separation from

sin.

For the people of Israel in those days, that meant that they were notto mix themselves together with the pagan people groups who were

still dotted here and there throughout the land, yet to be driven out.

Nor were they to enter into marriages with these peoples. If they did

that, then the false religion and the immorality which marked these

The Anatomy of

Obedience(JOSHUA 23)


7/16 7

people groups would infiltrate God’s

people. They would start to swear by

these other gods, and bow down to them,

and they would drift from the true God.

Of course, in the New Testament, these

same requirements are laid upon the

Christian believer. The same principle of

marrying only in the Lord is repeated,

and the same call for separation from the

world is repeated too. The apostle Johnwrites, “Do not love the world, or the

things in the world. If anyone loves the

world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

(1 John 2:15)

Ask yourself, in what way have I let the

world shape my behaviour? How has the world

directed the way in which I spend my money and my

time? How has the world captivated my dreams and

aspirations? How has the world influenced my thoughts

and beliefs?

Paul writes to the church in Rome:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the

renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is thewill of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

4) The motives for obedience: Gratitude and the fear of God

In his word, God repeatedly gives us reasons for obeying him.

Our heavenly Father is not like a grumpy parent, who, when he is

asked by his child why they have to do something, simply answers,

“Because I say so!” No, if you read the bible then you will see that

God’s commands are not only built on grace, but they are also

accompanied by reasons and motives for us to obey him.

Joshua points out two such reasons or motives for the people of

Israel to commit themselves to lives of obedience to God.

The first reason is gratitude. Why should Israel live in obedience toher God? Verses 9 and 10: “For the Lord has driven out before you

great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able

to stand before you to this day. One man of you puts to flight a

thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he

promised you.”

Joshua is getting the Israelites to look back on what has happened

in the past seven years or so the way in which, as his people have

faced battle after battle, the Lord has given them the victory. He has

fought for them, just as he promised them. Great and strong nations

have been driven out of the land.

And so, filled with gratitude for what God has done for them, the

Israelites were to respond with joyful obedience to God, thanking

him for his sovereign grace at work in their circumstances.

Gratitude ought to be one of the main motives for our obedience to

God as well. Like these Israelites, we can look back on how God has

wielded his sovereign grace to our benefit. Supremely, the grace

shown to us at the cross as Jesus died for our sin, the remembrance

of which fills our hearts with a gratitude which fuels our obedience.

But then there is a second motivation for obedience which is

indicated in these verses. And that is the fear of God. You see, God’s

word also issues us with threats and warnings in order to motivate

our obedience. That’s what Joshua does in verses 12 and 13. He

reminds the people of Israel that if they turn against God and live

lives of disobedience, then God’s hand will be against them instead

of for them. He will chasten them, and in the end he will removethem from the land that he has given to them.

Oftentimes we wrongly assume that this is an Old Testament

method which God does not use with his church today. But of course,

the fear of God, and the threats and warnings of Scripture ought still

to play a role in motivating our obedience today. Our God is a Father

who disciplines those who are his children. He does it for our good,

even though it is painful at the time. And so, as we understand that,

and as we rightly fear our God, we are motivated to obey him.

5) The consequences of obedience: The covenant blessing or

covenant curse

Joshua begins the final section of his address by reminding the

people of Israel of the faithfulness of God towards them. Not oneword has failed of all the good things that the Lord their God had

promised concerning them. As the people of Israel have walked in

faith and obedience, they have enjoyed God’s covenant blessings.

And yet, there is a sting in the tail of the chapter.

The reason for this is that the covenant faithfulness of God cuts both

ways. There are blessings for those who walk in faith and obedience,

and there are also curses for those who walk in unbelief and

disobedience. And in this final point of his address, Joshua reminds

the people of Israel that if they turn aside in the future and break

faith with God, disobeying him, then they will have the covenant

curse poured out upon them.

Of course, the unfolding story of the Old Testament tells us that this

is exactly what happened in the end. The people did mingle with thepagan nations. They did adopt their false religion and immorality.

They did forsake their God and turn away from him. They broke the

covenant that he had made with them at Sinai, because they failed

to continue walking in faith and obedience in the long haul. In the

end, the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people, and they

perished quickly from off the good land that he had given to them.

The covenant curse fell upon them.

If we are being honest with ourselves, we know that our obedience

to God falls a long way short of what it ought to be. We overlook his

grace towards us. We fail to live by the standards of his word. We

cosy up to the world’s way of thinking and speaking and acting.

Our gratitude grows cold and our fear of God evaporates. We know

that we could never earn the blessing of God. In fact, we deservehis curse instead. What we need, more than anything else, is for

someone to earn God’s blessing for us, and to suffer God’s curse in

our place.

That is exactly what Jesus has done for us. He came into the world,

and he lived as the perfectly obedient Son of God. He met the

standards of God’s word. He was separate from sin in every way.

He earned, through his obedience, every blessing of God.

Then he went to the cross, and he redeemed us from the curse of

the law by becoming a curse for us. He died for the sins and the

disobedience of all of his people, taking the punishment that we

deserve, so that we can be reconciled to God.

Obedience to God is essential in the Christian life. But your obedience

will never make you acceptable to God; only Christ’s obedience in his

life and death can do that for you.

Is that where your confidence before God is? Are you trusting that

Jesus has taken God’s curse for you, so that you can receive God’s

blessing? And having received that grace in Christ Jesus, are you then

living that changed life of obedience yourself, built on the grace

of God?

“He died for the sins and the disobedience ofall of his people, taking the punishment that we

deserve, so that we can be reconciled to God”


8/1688

Resuming his series of articles on the doctrine

of creation, Dr. Robert Beckett outlines the

argument for a ‘young earth’.

Abelief that the age of the earth is manymillions of years is crucial for the survivalof the theory of evolution, for if the earth is only

thousands of years old, as the Bible indicates,

then there is not nearly enough time available

for evolution to have taken place.

George Wald, a famous Harvard evolutionist,

wrote in 1954, “Time is in fact the hero of the

plot. The time with which we have to deal is of

the order of two billion years. What we regard

as impossible on the basis of human experience

is meaningless here. Given so much time the

‘impossible’ becomes possible, the possible

probable and the probable virtually certain. One

has only to wait: time itself performs miracles.”

But does it, and if so how?

Take away the billions of years and evolution

crumbles. Evolutionists recognise the vital

importance of this and are very hostile to those

who adhere to the young earth position clearly

taught in the Bible. As an opposing theory to

explain the universe, belief in an old earth is for

evolutionists a non-negotiable.

Archbishop Ussher

In today’s culture the idea of creation occurring

about 6000 years ago is frequently mocked

by non-Christians - and also sadly by many

Christians. Archbishop James Ussher (1581-

1656) was arguably Ireland’s greatest ever

theologian and devoted his life to defending the

Christian faith. He meticulously researched the

secular accounts of history and found that the

Bible was in agreement with them. He devoted

several years of his life to compiling a 1600

page history of the world from creation to AD

70 (The Annals of the World). It has recently

been translated into modern English and re-

published. Until the promotion of the theory

of evolution his finding that the earth was

created in 4004 BC was universally respected

and widely accepted. Many other respected

scholars through the centuries have arrived at

similar estimates. E.g. Julius Africanus (240AD)

– 5501BC; Eusebius (330AD) – 5199BC; Philip

Melanchthon (1550AD) – 3964BC. The Mayans

had a date for the flood of 3113BC. Similar

estimates of the age of the earth predominate

from other nations and cultures. E.g. India –6181 years; China – 6164 years; Greece – 6145

years; Babylon – 6165 years; The Jews believe

their New Year starting on 14th September

2015 will be 5776 years after Creation.

Ussher recognised that there was no other

reliable source of chronological information for

almost all of the period he covered (Creation to

AD70). Before the Persian Empire (sixth to third

centuries BC) very little information is available

from any source about Greek, Roman or Egyptian

history or about any other nation either. Ussher

therefore relied solely on data from the Bible to

develop his historical framework. He based it

around the reliable dates of the final deportation

of the Jews from Judah in 584BC and the death

of King Nebuchadnezzar (562BC). He used the

genealogical records in Genesis 5 and Genesis

11 as well as other Biblical events and his work

contains more than 100 pages of detailed

calculations. They are available for examination

and indicate the brilliance of his reasoning.

Biblical Genealogies

It may be hard to believe but Genesis 5 and 11

are two of the more controversial chapters in the

Bible, even in Christian circles. This is because

many Christians have accepted the secular

dates for the origin of man and the universe

and must work out new ways to re-interpret

the Bible’s historical account. A straight forward

addition of the ages given in the genealogies

gives a date for creation of about 4000 BC.There are about 2000 years between Adam and

Abraham yet few scholars would question the

existence of Abraham about 2000 BC and the

genealogical records subsequent to him.

Many would attempt to argue that “beget” can

skip generations and does not always refer to

the son of the next generation. If this argument

was true then the date for creation using the

biblical time line of history cannot be accurately

worked out. Hebrew word usage rules out this

argument as “ben” can mean son/grandson etc.,

but the different word constantly used in the

genealogies is “yalad” which always refers to a

son. Its verb form is ‘hiphil’ which is causative

in meaning so some modern translations

translate it accurately as “fathered” (ESV). The

form in which the genealogies are presented

also preclude errors in dating due to gaps. They

each state the age of the parent figure when

the next person in line is born. This means that

even if there were gaps the age measurement

involved would not be affected.

To stretch out Biblical chronology to

accommodate evolutionary time scales of

millions of years would require the insertion oftens of thousands of missing generations. The

evidence for mankind being on the earth does

not stretch back more than a few thousand

years and is not supportive of evolutionary

claims. The size of the world’s population also

supports a date of about 6000 years.

We can also check the genealogies using other

means:-

1. There are no missing generations

between Adam and Seth since Seth was a

direct replacement for Abel. (Gen.4:25)

2. There are no missing generations

between Seth and Enosh since Seth

named him (Gen.4:25)

3. Jude says Enoch was the seventh since

Adam (Jude 14) so there are no missing

generations there.

4. Lamech named Noah so there are no

missing generations there (Gen. 5:29)

5. Some Hebrew scholars believe the name

Methuselah means ‘when he dies it is

sent’, referring to the flood.

Assuming no gaps in the genealogical

record then Methuselah died exactly in

the same year the flood came. (1656

years after Creation)

Careful exegesis of the Bible does not allow

for the theory of missing generations. These

genealogies are given to show that the Bible

is real history and that we all are descendants

of the real man Adam. The whole plan of

redemption is linked inextricably with the real

existence in time of the first Adam and the

key representative role of Christ as the second

Adam. The relevance of this is dependent on

all mankind being related through a common

ancestor the Biblical Adam. As Matthew 1

and Luke 3 show, the reliability of the Genesis

chronology is a key part of validating the

credentials of Jesus Christ as the promised

Saviour.

We can trust these genealogies because they

are part of the infallible, inerrant word of God.

Our choice is clear. We must either believe God’s

infallible word or the claims of unbelievingscientists who are doing their best to invent a

theory to explain the universe which supplants

the scriptures.

GENESIS AND THE

AGE OF THE EARTH (PART2)

Rev. Robert Beckett is minister of the

Crosscollyer Street congregation.

For many years he has been studying the

whole area of Biblical Creation and has

lectured extensively on this vital subject.


9/16


10/16

Omagh EPC building project

At the end of July 2014 the members and friends of Omagh EPC

relocated to our new temporary home at Gibson Primary School,

as work commenced on our building. Some of the most difficultaspects of the project were faced in the first few months. Because

our site is reclaimed ground, it was necessary to construct a

large retaining wall and substantial foundations. The main sewer

needed to be replaced and almost forty piles had to be driven up

to a depth of thirty feet. Once all this was completed, the work

was then in an upward direction and progressed rapidly.

In June this year, we were able to have an open-evening which

proved to be a very happy occasion. Members and friends, many

for the first time, were able to look round the new spacious foyer,

the prayer room with its vaulted ceiling, the new toilets and

kitchen, the hall, the crèche, and the extended and refurbished

sanctuary. Since then, the under-floor heating has been installed,

internal decoration completed, and the doors hung. Externally, all

walls have been rendered and the stonework on the gable wall

has been finished. The fact that we have reached this stage is an

indication of the Lord’s goodness towards us as a congregation,

and along with the psalmist, we are able to ‘sing to the LORD a

new song, for He has done wonderful things’ (Ps. 98:1 NASB).

One of the most exciting things about our building project has

been the response of the local community. People have noted

that something is happening, and over the last few months, there

have been many conversations with local people. This exciting

development has encouraged us to think about the future. Whenwe return to our building, we believe that there will be a very real

window of evangelistic opportunity, and to make the most of this,

we are presently drawing up a programme of events.

We would ask you to pray that we might continue to enjoy the

Lord’s gracious blessing and that he might meet our outstanding

financial needs.

Rev. Andrew J. Lucas

Editor’s note: Since the writing of this article the building work

has been completed, and the Omagh congregation have started

worshiping in the new building, as of 6th September. We rejoice

with them in God’s provision!

Just over 100 campers, along with leaders, attended our three

church camps in July. We asked Robert Johnston, leader of Senior

Camp, to give a report on his week at the foot of the Mournes.

Susanne Gaston tells us about attending Inters Camp near

Portadown, and several campers and leaders from Junior Camp havecontributed memories.

Junior Camp

Here’s what some campers mentioned as their favourite things

about Camp in Dunluce High School:

Inflatable fun, especially the Wipeout Sweeper

The roast beef- it was wonderful

Digging for pasta in the sand

Secret church (with our speaker from Arab World Ministries)

Painting the team flags

Bible Hunt-the-leader on Sunday afternoon

Climbing on the rocks at the Giant’s Causeway The team games (even though our team didn’t win!)

The leaders were very friendly, the food was outstanding, the

activities were fun and I would recommend others to go.

The missionary focus was especially good.

And from the leaders:

Reflections: A challenging but rewarding camp! My lasting memory

is definitely the final meeting where the children had the chance

to participate. We saw such an unprecedented willingness to take

part by so many children who had clearly been affected by the

theme of ‘Jesus is greater’. In a week where there had been so many

challenges and obstacles placed in our way, it was amazing to see

how Jesus had still found a way to touch their hearts.

FROM THE CHURCHES

10

Inters Camp

Camp was a cracker! I shared a room with 3 other girls...we had our

own bathroom! Each day for breakfast we had cereal, loads of toast,

porridge, scrambled eggs; yum! At our meetings after breakfast

we would sing choruses, hear about books on sale at the bookstall,

learn the memory verse (Psalm 1), and Andy Hambleton spoke on

different parables. Then we would have our quiet times and weregiven Bible reading notes to help us. At eleven the bank, bookstall

and tuck shop were open - there was always a queue for tuck. One

day Ian refused to open the tuck shop because there was too much

litter about the place!

The afternoon activities included banana boating, canoeing, archery,

wall climbing, mountain biking, ultimate frisbee, capture the flag,

hungry hippos, volleyball, rounders and dodgeball!

In the evening meetings Ian told us about Hudson Taylor, a missionary

who went to China. On Wednesday Pamela Gaiya and wee Gracie

came to visit and Pamela told us about the work in Nigeria. After

supper we had our dorm talks where 5 or 6 campers met with a

leader and studied Joseph to see how his experience in life could

help and teach us. God was in control of what was happening toJoseph and how faithful Joseph was in trusting God when you think

of everything that he went through!

The cooks did a great job and there was always plenty of food with

fresh fruit on supply.


11/16

Memories: campers enthusiastically building sand sculptures in

the cold and mizzle (and not a complaint!); blue sky and sunshine

at the Giant’s Causeway (thank you, Lord); campers engrossed in

craft (hama bead tricolours beside union flags!); the singing on

the bus journeys (more about volume than tunefulness); campers

enjoying the memory verses; chocolate pudding; children arriving

as strangers and going home as friends.

Highlights: time every day to teach wonderful truths about Jesus; a

camper’s words on Wednesday evening: “God was in the meeting

tonight...”; hearing children talking about being sure of heaven;

a boy devouring his newly purchased Bible; the sense of being

upheld in prayer, especially when the going got tough and we

were brought to the end of ourselves; praying together as a team;

campers and leaders together worshipping God, singing “Lord

we lift your name on high”; to visit homes after camp and see a

camper’s sign sitting on the mantelpiece: “JESUS-100% God, 100%

man”; in another home to hear a mother say, “They were up there

last night in the bedroom singing their hearts out to the songs

from camp.”

FROM THE CHURCHES

1111

One night we were a little hyper so we

were taken to the games field to play

hide and seek. It did work because

when we went to bed we did sleep!

Best part of camp…

The Great Inters Bake Off!

Worst part of camp…going home! ButI had a great week meeting up with

old friends and making new ones!


12/16

FROM THE CHURCHES

12

Senior Camp stayed in the Shepherds’ Lodge Mountain Centre.

Located in Donard Forest it has a brilliant view over the seaside town

of Newcastle. The 14 campers and 5 leaders got to know each other

quickly, and before the first evening was done we were all singing

the praises of the 2 cooks who filled us with many good things.

We needed the energy for canoeing, ultimate Frisbee, speedway,

archery, laser clay pigeon shooting, team games, volleyball,

shopping, walking, and various other camp challenges! We even had

a campfire with s’mores although the midges had the greatest feast

that night!

Each morning we had a meeting where we were challenged from the

Word of God as to what it really meant to be a follower, or disciple, of

the Lord Jesus. Lessons were drawn from Matthew, John and Peter

and we learned how following the Lord changes our hearts and lives.We also heard a solemn warning from the life of Judas, who looked

like a real disciple but he never believed in Jesus personally.

Every evening we met again, learned a memory verse and discussed

the morning talks. Some campers found it easier to open up and take

part than others; but it was helpful in making sure we all understood

how the morning lessons applied to each of our own lives.

Our prayer is that campers would not only have had a great fun-

filled week, but also that they might know Jesus as their own Saviour

and keep following Him all their days.


13/1613

Thank God for His protection and

enabling at camps and Holiday

Bible Clubs and for every child and

young person who heard the truthof His word.

Pray that there will be fruit from all

the seed that has been sown, that

young ones will not harden their

hearts to the gospel and that those

who have taken the rst steps of

faith will be nurtured and kept.

Pray that relationships formed

through camps and holiday clubs

will result in families coming

regularly to church.

Thank God for men and women in

the early days of our denomination

who stood for truth in the face ofridicule.

Pray that we will appreciate

our heritage and follow in their

footsteps and that the new book

about EPC’s history will bless and

encourage those who read it.

iPads and Touch Tabletscan be witnessing tools

You are warmly invited to a special

‘NEXT-LIFE’ TEACHING SEMINAR(9.00am-3.00pm) on Saturday 10th October in

Lisburn Road Evangelical Presbyterian Hall

489 Lisburn Road - opposite the Police Station.

(Kindly granted)

JIM McCARTHY (U.S.A) will introduce and explain his free

downloadable APP that can be used for 1 to 1 evangelism by

all Christians as friends, parents, youth workers, ministers,

pastors, teachers, evangelists, missionaries and college

campus workers.

If planning to attend you should download the APP from

http://www.jamesgmccarthy.com/

The seminar schedule will be as follows:

9:00 Instruction on how to use the APP and explain

the gospel

11:00 Role Play in which participants practise using the APP

11:45 Participants pair up and go out and use the APP in

evangelism; they also find lunch

2:00 Participants report on their evangelism, inspiring

one another

2:45 Wrap Up

3:00 End

Jim has mainly but not exclusively sought to reach

Roman Catholics for Christ and produced a popular video

documentary titled ‘Catholicism: Crisis of Faith’ and has

authored several books: ‘The Gospel According to Rome’;

‘What You Need to Know About Roman Catholicism—Quick

Reference Guide’; ‘What Every Catholic Should Ask’, and

‘Talking with Catholic Friends and Family’.

All enquiries to Cecil Andrews (‘Take Heed’ Ministries)

[email protected]

Tel: 028 9756 5511


14/1614

Praise God for the MERF Bible

training Centre at Lokichoggio and

for the students who have received

teaching there.

Pray for them, that, despite

harrowing times, they would be

good shepherds of God’s ock in the

church in South Sudan.

Pray for all those in our church family

who mourn the loss of loved ones,

whether recently or in past years.

Pray that the Lord will draw near to

comfort, heal and provide for their

needs.

Join the Omagh congregation in

praising God for the progress of their

building work and for the interest

created in the community.

Pray with them for the Lord’s

continued blessing, for help in

fullling their nancial responsibilities

and for new opportunities for

evangelism.

B O O K E X T R A C T

NEW BOOK!

The Story of the Evangelical

Presbyterian Church.

No up to date history of our denomination has been

available since The Origin and Witness of the Irish

Evangelical Church in 1945. This new book gives the

background to our formation in 1927, the reason for our

existence, the journey to the present and some challenges

for the future. The book is hard back, has over 400 pages

and is full of detailed information. You may even see

yourself in one of the many photographs throughout.

It is your story!

We aim to launch the book as part of the Evangelical

Book Shop Annual Lecture on Thursday 5th November at

7.30pm in our Knock Church. On that evening the author,

Ernest Brown, has agreed to give the lecture on The

Confessional Church. Afterward the book will be available

for purchase at £15. We encourage congregations and

individuals to order copies through the Bookshop, for

collection on that evening.

Whether you have been born and bred in EPC, or whether

you are interested in EPC, take it up as a must read -

even a suitable Christmas gift!

The following is comprised of extracts from a chapter, Gaining a Foothold,

and describes how the Irish Evangelical Church took its first steps.

These were generally hard times for the people of Britain and

Ireland. Belfast had enjoyed some 80 years of prosperity, but this

was drawing to a close at the end of the 1920s. The 19th century

Industrial Revolution applied powered machinery to manufacturing

and focused locally on the dominant linen business that had

developed as a cottage industry during the 17th century between

the rivers Bann and Lagan – the Linen Homelands. Industrialisation

transferred it to factories concentrated in Belfast. People flocked

from the countryside to work in the Belfast linen mills, and the

human tragedy of the Irish Famine, 1845-1848, added to the

migration. It was largely instrumental in the rapid growth of the

population from 20,000 in 1800 to 350,000 in 1900, and 438,000

in 1939. There were over 70,000 Belfast linen employees at the end

of the 19th century, many of them women and girls – the ‘shawlies’

among whom Amy Carmichael worked in the 1880s. Shipbuilding

began in 1853 and developed quickly into a golden era with Harland

and Wolff boasting the largest shipyard in the world by the early

20th century. The launch of the luxurious, technically advanced

Titanic in 1912, symbolised its prestige. Rope making also flourished

during the 19th century and the Belfast Ropeworks became the

biggest in the world, at one point employing 4,500 people.

However, Belfast did not escape the post-World War I industrial

decline nor the impact of the global Great Depression (1929-1941)


15/161515

following the Wall Street crash of 1929. High unemployment

marked the period in many parts of the world, earning it the epithet,

the Hungry Thirties. Belfast was one of the places badly affected.

Harland and Wolff’s workforce, for example, fell from 20,000 in 1924

to 2,000 in 1933. Added to this was a resurgence of political tension,

with weeks of serious violence in Belfast in 1935. Such were the

IEC’s early years.

The Conferences

The Irish Evangelical Church was constituted in October 1927.

An early decision was to use a series of conferences to spread

awareness of the new Church and the first was on 31 March 1928 in

the YMCA Minor Hall. “The Hall was filled, some being present from

the counties of Down, Antrim, Tyrone and Derry.” The handwritten

programme, showing that five congregations or groups were already

in existence, outlined an afternoon meeting of two hours duration.

It began with the singing of Psalm 121, and ended with “The

Church’s One Foundation”, both from Alexander’s Hymns No 3. The

YMCA Minor Hall, and on one occasion the Large Hall, featured as

Conference venues, but less often than congregational venues. The

first of these was in Ballyclare on 1 September 1928 followed by anopen-air meeting which formed “a large ring in Market Square”. A

‘Special Bus’ took the Belfast contingent.

At the May 1928 Conference, Charles E Hunter of Ballyclare

gave his testimony and his reasons for separation from the Irish

Presbyterian Church. W J McDowell, the Church’s Colporteur

addressed the gathering in April 1929. There were some well-

known speakers at these Conferences too: Dr E J Pace Director of

the Field Extension Department of the Moody Bible Institute in

Florida spoke in October 1929 and Rev. R Wright Hay, Secretary of

the Bible League, in January 1930. Rev. Angus Mackay, Free Church

of Scotland, Kingussie, was the speaker in April 1930, and Dr Basil

C Atkinson, Under-Librarian of Cambridge University, in January1931. Missionaries addressed two of the Conferences. Of special

significance was the ordination of Rev. W J Grier at the Lisburn Road

Conference on 20 July 1929. Another highlight was the visit of Dr

Lewis Sperry Chafer, President of Evangelical College, Dallas, Texas,

on 28 June 1930.

Dr Gresham Machen, President and Professor of New Testament of

Westminster Theological Seminary formed in 1929, visited Belfast in

June 1932. He addressed a conference in the Botanic Avenue Church

on Saturday afternoon, 25 June 1932, and another in the Wellington

Hall of Belfast YMCA on the following afternoon. On Sunday morning

he preached at Knock and in the evening at Crosscollyer Street. DrCornelius Van Til, Westminster Theological Seminary, addressed a

Botanic Avenue Conference on 10 September 1938. He spoke on 1

Cor 1.20-21: “Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the

disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of

this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom

knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to

save them that believe.” He said that it was plain that the Schools

of Philosophy of Paul’s day had no answer to Paul’s challenge, and

that likewise the modern thinkers had no answer to the Christian

challenge, no solution to offer for the real problems of life, its origin

and destiny. He appealed to his audience to hold fast manfully and

consistently to that which was “the wisdom of God”.

So the first decade saw the Conference become a regular feature

of denominational life with most congregations hosting, and some

establishing it as an annual event. During the period its purpose

evolved from external advertising to internal bonding.

The Irish Evangelical

In 1987, Rev Joseph McCracken, then a retired missionary in South

Africa, wrote a 60th anniversary article on the Evangelical Book

Shop. In it he looked back on his own early days as an employee

in the Shop: “I can recall the day when I said to Mr Grier, ‘We need

a magazine’, and he heartily agreed, and so was born The Irish

Evangelical” with Rev W J Grier as editor. In February 1933 the

title became more ornate and superimposed on a sketch of the

seven-branch Golden Lampstand of the Tabernacle. The Lampstand

symbolised the church’s calling to be the light of the world, fuelled

by the oil of the Holy Spirit and energised by the power of Christ

(Ex 25.31-40; Zech 4; Rev 1.12, 20). To the left was the Chi Rhomonogram of the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ, and

on the right, the Alpha and Omega, signifying that the Lord Jesus

Christ is the beginning and the end of all things. (Rev 1.8) The text in

the lower left box changed with each issue.

The first issue – 16 pages – June 1928, set a lasting pattern. It

carried substantive articles—exegetical, devotional, evangelistic,

and missionary with an IEC news section emphasising the need for

prayer. There were ‘Gleanings’—brief quotations from well-known

Christian writers. Its strong polemical note was a feature of W J

Grier’s 50-year editorship, presenting a global picture of Higher

Criticism, evolution, modernism, ecumenism, and the suffering of

the church in parts of the world. The back page began its lasting

Evangelical Book Shop advertisement of Bibles, devotional, doctrinal,

teachers’ and children’s books, the Revised Psalters and

Hymn Books.

The First Congregations

The strategy of meeting in homes with supporting conferences

produced 10 congregations in the first five years, 1927-1932. Knock

and Crosscollyer Street opened in October 1927, meeting at first as

house churches. Shaftesbury Square began in November 1927 with

evening services in a Lisburn Road home before starting morning

worship on 11 December 1927 in a Shaftesbury Square hall.

Ballyclare (1928), Jocelyn Avenue (1930), Clintyfallow (1931) also

began in members’ houses. Somerton Road (1929) started in the

local Unionist Hall, Crumlin (1929) in the Market Hall, and Slatehill,

between Carrickfergus and Ballynure, was a Mission Hall. There was

tremendous fervour in those early days. There were nights of prayer

in the Shaftesbury Square Hall, until the man in the house next door

started hammering the wall when the prayer and praise continued

into the middle of the night. After that it was ‘half nights’ that

stopped at midnight. They preached in the open air. They used every

means that they could. This was a time of encouraging progress but

it outstripped the limited manpower resources and produced its owndifficulties as later became apparent.


16/16

A selection of online blogs and articles to challenge and

encourage you in your walk with God and his people…

Making the most of Sunday (Joe Thorn)(www.alliancenet.org/christward/making-the-most-of-

sunday#.VY_00Ie9KK1)

“Corporate worship on the Lord’s day is precious to the people

of God. We are invited to gather together for fellowship with

God and one another through both word and sacrament,

prayer and song. This gathering is perhaps the most beautiful,

earthly picture we have of the church as we, of differing

backgrounds and interests, unite together in Jesus Christ.” Joe

Thorn encourages us to make the most of this magnificent

privilege by making sure that we prepare for, participate in,and reflect upon the public worship of God.

Have I committed the unpardonable sin? (Rick Phillips)

(www.reformation21.org/blog/2015/06/have-i-committed-

the-unpardona.php)

“Many Christians live under the affliction of fearing that

they have committed a special sin that places them in an

unpardonable category. Despite their faith in Jesus, they have

been led to believe that a certain prior action in their lives has

effectively triggered a special clause that will keep them fromheaven.” Rick Phillips helpfully unpacks the difficult words of

Jesus concerning blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

What happened on the cross? (Mike Riccardi)

(www.thecripplegate.com/theories-of-the-atonement-what-

happened-on-the-cross/)

“Throughout church history, there have been various views

and theories that conceptualize the nature of Christ’s work

on the cross. Because the atonement runs to the very heart

of the Gospel, it’s important for us to know how peoplethroughout the history of the church have understood the

work of Christ, and to be able to test each by Scripture.”

6 reasons why membership matters (Kevin De Young)

(www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/

kevindeyoung/2015/05/14/6-reasons-why-membership-

matters/)

“For many Christians membership sounds stiff, something

you have at your bank or the country club, but too formal for

the church. Even if it’s agreed that Christianity is not a lone

ranger religion, that we need community and fellowship with

other Christians, we still bristle at the thought of officially

joining a church. Why all the hoops? Why box the Holy Spirit

into member/non-member categories? Why bother joining

a local church when I’m already a member of the universal

Church?”

The Fear of the Lord (Mark Johnston)

(www.alliancenet.org/placefortruth/column/resident-aliens/

the-fear-of-the-lord)

Mark Johnston has a helpful article on a frequently overlooked

aspect of the Christian life. “A rediscovery of what it means

to fear the LORD will impact the kind of worship we offer

(Hebrews 12:28), the service we render (2 Corinthinas 7:1)

and the witness we bear to a hostile world (1 Peter 3:15).

Therein indeed lies the skill for living that will transform our

lives and reach the world with the gospel.”

How we do family devotions (Tim Challies)

(www.challies.com/christian-living/how-we-do-family-

devotions)

“I am a believer in family devotions. So are most of you, I’m

sure. But when I talk to other Christians, and especially to

men, I find that this little family tradition is the source of a lot

of regret and frustration. Many Christians feel that familiar

sense of guilt whenever they stop to think about it. For

something so simple family devotions sure are hard.”

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The Evangelical Presbyterian - September-October 2015