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Bene[itting [rom Communion

Europe and EMF
Magazine. 10 Wags to Pro[it
G|org to God in the Highest
2008
Nov-Dec
1h
ltunQIItuI
PrshylrIun
. -.... ...
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Editor
Harold CIbson
'StockbrIdge'
2 8arronstown Court
0FD|DFE 8T25 1F8
hgIbson@barronstown.force9.net
5ubscriptions 2008
Collected f 6.00
8y post wIthIn UK f 7.50
8y post outsIde UK f10.75
EnquIrIes to:
EvangelIcal 8ook Shop
(See back page for contact detaIls)
Take Note
The Wealth oj Natons
The markets on Wall Street and In the cIty
of London as well as many other fInancIal
centres around the world have been
grIpped by panIc and fear In recent weeks.
8IllIons have been wIped off the value of
shares and everyone has been affected by
the turmoIl In the fInancIal world. People
are concerned about theIr savIngs and
theIr pensIon funds and rIghtly so. There Is
nothIng wrong wIth plannIng for the future
and the 8Ible encourages us to be wIse
and prudent In these matters.

Adam SmIth, In hIs monumental work
The Weclth o] Nctons, trIes to dIscern the
normal laws governIng economIc affaIrs,
such as the law of supply and demand. He
saId that he was attemptIng to detect, In
the hIstory of economIc actIon and
reactIon, "the InvIsIble hand of Cod".
LIvIng In the 21st century when the world
Ignores or sets asIde the dIvIne aspect to
every day lIfe, ChrIstIans need to regaIn
the doctrIne of Cod's ProvIdence.

Cod's promIse to provIde for hIs people
In all cIrcumstances Is one of great
comfort to belIevers. Throughout the 8Ible
we see Cod governIng and managIng hIs
unIverse. The western world In recent
years has known unprecedented prosperIty
and wealth. Jesus warns us In the parable
of the sower of the deceItfulness of rIches
that Is brought about by the cares of thIs
world and the glamour of rIches. The Word
Is choked by thorns and the hearers become
unfruItful. The greed of unscrupulous
fInancIers and uncontrolled lendIng has
greatly reduced the wealth of the natIons.

Tcke Note, we should pray, "CIve me
neIther poverty nor rIches; feed me wIth the
food that Is needful for me". (Prov J0:8)
Cover Photograph

Pamela and |usa CaIya
4 September 2008, 8elfast.
We wIsh them every happIness
and Cod's rIchest blessIng on
them and theIr work In NIgerIa.
The Evange|ica| Presbgterian
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PresbyterIan Church.
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Po|icg
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n a few weeks tIme the ChrIstmas season wIll be upon us wIth all the mad rush
and commercIal exploItatIon that comes wIth It. Crowded shops, ChrIstmas
carols playIng In the background (some of the most profound and fundamental
truths of the ChrIstIan faIth beIng expressed In these hymns) and crowds of
people In pursuIt of mammon who seldom gIve lIttle or any thought to Cod.

Yet somehow the sentIments that are uttered at thIs tIme of year by the lIps
of many who never enter a church buIldIng, should gIve us an opportunIty to
proclaIm the Cospel and to declare to the world that "the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us, and we beheld HIs glory". Dften the church faIls because
It Is too busy at thIs tIme of year! 0onald |acleod puts It so well when he says,
"ChrIstmas Is a lost opportunIty, a tIme when the world InvItes the Church to
speak and she blushes, smIles and mutters a few banalItIes wIth whIch the
world Is already famIlIar from Its own stock of clIchs and nursery rhymes".
1


We should never cease to be amazed at the wonder of the ncarnatIon. The
news of the bIrth of ChrIst was announced to some shepherds on the hIlls near
8ethlehem. The sIght caused the shepherds to fear but the message the angels
brought to them was wonderful. Wonderful, because It told of the comIng of
Cod's Son, Jesus ChrIst, Into the world. "The glory of Cod was manIfested,
celebrated In the hIghest heavens, when |essIah was born of a woman."
2
Take
a few moments to consIder the message of thIs most wondrous bIrth that we
are called to be heralds of.

CIory to Cod
The message the angels brought was one of glory to Cod. Whether It was a song
or just the spoken word, J C Fyle wrItes, "Now Is come the hIghest degree of
glory to Cod, by the appearIng of hIs Son Jesus ChrIst In the world". Cod's glory
had been manIfested many tImes In hIs dealIngs wIth hIs people but now John
can say "we beheld hIs glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth". (John 1.14) Here was Cod manIfest In human flesh.
"He Is the eternal Son of Cod who beccme Incarnate In human nature".
J
CalvIn
remInds us that ChrIst had to become man In order to fulfIl the offIce of |edIator.
He wrItes "HIs task was to restore us to Cod's grace as to make of the chIldren
of men, chIldren of Cod; of the heIrs of Cehenna, heIrs of the Heavenly
KIngdom. Who could have done thIs had not the self same Son of Cod become
the Son of man, and had not so taken what was ours as to Impart what was hIs
to us, and to make what was hIs by nature ours by grace." (lnsttutes, . x .2)

Peace on Earth
The longIng for peace In the world today Is unIversal. War In raq and AfghanIstan,
unrest In many other places and the constant threat of terrorIsm In the Western
world remInd us only too well of the dangers we face. The UnIted NatIons,
harold 0ibsoo
G|org to God in the Highest
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Clobal Peace Conferences and many other bodIes seek to fInd peaceful solutIons
by dIplomatIc means. |an as a fallen creature Is at war and In rebellIon agaInst
Cod. The world around us Is hostIle to Cod and to the message of salvatIon.
|ankInd's search for peace Is sought In the thIngs of thIs world.

The messengers from heaven, however, spoke of a peace whIch the world
can neIther gIve nor take away. |an, estranged from Cod because of sIn can be
reconcIled and know peace wIth Cod. Charles Wesley put It so well In the carol
"Peace on earth, and mercy mIld, Cod and sInners reconcIled!" The peace of
Cod passes all understandIng; It transcends earthly dImensIons of peace. "A
peace so stable, so rIch, that In Its fullest dImensIon It remaIns IncomprehensIble
to us. t Is the peace of a healed, restored and reconcIled relatIonshIp that
once was broken."
4


CoodwIII towards men
Cod's kIndness and mercy towards sInful man Is made fully known. He, of whom
the prophets spoke and were contInually poIntIng forward to, has now
appeared. We read In TItus that the grace of Cod that brIngs salvatIon has
appeared to all men. The good news announced In 8ethlehem so long ago Is
news that the church must contInue to announce, "For unto you Is born, a
SavIour who Is ChrIst the Lord."

Cod's goodness and grace toward sInful mankInd Is now fully made known by
the appearIng of hIs Son, the Lord Jesus ChrIst, who came to gIve hIs lIfe as a
ransom for many. All those who are at peace wIth Cod through the Lord Jesus
ChrIst are accepted and adopted In the 8eloved.

What prIvIleges the chIldren of Cod enjoy. Take tIme In the frantIc rush of
the ChrIstmas season to medItate on the glory of Cod and let us rejoIce and be
truly thankful for Cod's unspeakable gIft.

To 6od be the ylory
6rect thnys he hcs done
So loved he the world
thct he ycve us hs son

From 6lory to 6olyothc, 0onald |acleod, p 9, ChrIstIan Focus, 2002.

2
The Works o] 1ohn Newton, 7ol. 4, p124; 8anner of Truth Trust, 1985.

J
Collected Wrtnys o] 1ohn Murrcy, 7ol.1, p J41, 8anner of Truth Trust, 1976.

4
Romcns, F C Sproul, p 94, ChrIstIan Focus, 1994.
And there were In the same country shepherds abIdIng In the fIeld, keepIng
watch over theIr flock by nIght. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon
them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore
afraId. And the angel saId unto them, Fear not: for, behold, brIng you good
tIdIngs of great joy, whIch shall be to all people. For unto you Is born thIs
day In the cIty of 0avId a SavIour, whIch Is ChrIst the Lord. (Luke 2:812)
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Rav lao hamilioo. 0ambridga
How 5hou|d I Bene[it [rom Communion?
At a tIme when Feformed churches are takIng the celebratIon and frequency of
the Lord's Supper more serIously, the questIon How Should 8enefIt From
CommunIon: Is tImely.

want, however, at the outset to change the tItle was gIven. The change
appears mInImal, but It Is actually profound. would lIke to substItute the
plural pronoun we for the sIngular . We too easIly, and unbIblIcally, thInk of
the ChrIstIan lIfe purely In personal, sIngular categorIes. We read the 8Ible as If
It were addressed partIcularly to us as IndIvIduals, when It was wrItten to Cod's
people In theIr corporate, covenantal IdentIty. do not mean for one moment
that the ChrIstIan faIth Is not personal, or that there Is no such thIng as
IndIvIdual faIth. Father, my poInt Is thIs: Cod's people are one. SalvatIon brIngs
us Into the one 8ody of ChrIst, hIs church (1 Cor 12.1J). The default mode for
the ChrIstIan lIfe, then, Is not me and Jesus, but us and Jesus. The Lord's
Prayer puts It memorably: When you pray, say: "Dur Father.... WIth thIs In
mInd let us thInk a lIttle about our questIon.

John CalvIn begIns hIs exposItIon of The Sacraments (lnsttutes 4.15.1) wIth
these words: "We have In the sacraments another aId to our faIth related to
the preachIng of the gospel". The key words here are "aId to our faIth". n
gIvIng us sacraments, CalvIn goes on to say, Cod provIdes fIrst for our Ignorance
and dullness, then for our weakness. The sacraments are needed, not because
Cod's word Is lackIng In any way, but because we need all the help Cod can gIve
us to Instruct us and establIsh us In the faIth of our Lord Jesus ChrIst. n the
sacraments, then, Cod, accordIng to hIs InfInIte kIndness, so tempers hImself to
our capacIty that, sInce we are creatures who always creep on the ground,
cleave to the flesh, and, do not thInk about or even conceIve of anythIng spIrItual,
he condescends to lead us to hImself even by these earthly elements, and to
set before us In the flesh a mIrror of spIrItual blessIngs". (lnsttutes 4.15.J).

ThIs Is our startIng poInt. We have a kInd and mercIful Cod who uses earthly
elements "to lead us to hImself". All the benefIts we are to receIve from
partakIng of the Supper wIll be experIenced In Cod leadIng us to hImself. He
wants hIs chIldren to know hIm better. The Lord's Supper Is a gracIous gIft from
a gracIous SavIour to help us better grasp, and experIence, hIs love for us.

The fIrst thIng that needs to be affIrmed, then, Is that belIevers are
expected to benefIt from partIcIpatIon In the Lord's Supper. The Lord has not
left us a spectacle for us to admIre, but a Supper for us to eat and be spIrItually
nourIshed by. Just as we gIve our chIldren food to nourIsh them, so the Lord has
gIven hIs chIldren food to nourIsh them. Along wIth the preachIng, hearIng,
readIng of Cod's word, prayer and the fellowshIp of the saInts, the sacraments
are "means of grace". They are not bare or empty symbols, but vehIcles for the
. -.... ...
. .. .
Holy SpIrIt to brIng us Into sweeter communIon wIth our rIsen SavIour cf. 1 Cor
10.16. We benefIt from the Supper as we recognIse and receIve ChrIst by faIth
In the emblems of bread and wIne.

Second, any benefIt that we are to obtaIn from feedIng on ChrIst at the
Supper Is dependent, In large measure, on graspIng that we are feedIng on
ChrIst In communIon wIth other belIevers. The Lord's Supper Is not a transactIon
fIrst between the IndIvIdual ChrIstIan and ChrIst, but between the church
fellowshIp as a whole and ChrIst.

ThIs Is hIghlIghted graphIcally and dramatIcally In 1 Cor 10.17. The one
common loaf Is an expressIon of, Indeed a symbol of, the one people of Cod. n
other words, we gather at the Supper as "famIly". We are there together to
meet wIth and fellowshIp wIth our rIsen Lord. am not sayIng at all that there
Is no IndIvIdual benefIt for belIevers at the Supper. Father, am sayIng that we
come to the Lord's Table not as a dIsparate group of lIkemInded and lIke
hearted belIevers, but as Cod's one famIly. ThIs means that we must seek to
cultIvate a sense of the theologIcal ImperatIve at the heart of the Supper vIz.
that It heralds, hIghlIghts and proclaIms the oneness of ChrIst's church, the
unIty of the twIceborn. Just as a famIly Is greater than Its constItuent parts, so
the church Is greater than an aggregate of Its members.

Dne of Paul's solemn strIctures on the CorInthIan church was that people
were eatIng and drInkIng "wIthout waItIng for anybody else" (1 Cor 11.21).
There was an arrogant IndIvIdualIsm that was brIngIng great dIshonour to the
celebratIng of the Lord's Supper.

Two practIcal poInts may help us derIve benefIt from the Supper: ThInk
famIlIally. As you eat and drInk say to yourself, "These are my brothers and
sIsters. We are all one In ChrIst. We belong to one another. We have all been
redeemed by the same blood and are Indwelt by the same SpIrIt. We are all the
chIldren of the same Father. We are blessed beyond all words". Also, It wIll
help If we placard our unIty by eatIng and drInkIng together, not IndIvIdually
the moment we receIve the bread and wIne.

ThIrdIy, the benefIt we receIve from eatIng the Lord's Supper lIes, In
measure, In us understandIng what exactly the Supper Is. There Is the
wIdespread vIew that the Supper Is merely and only a "memorIal" of ChrIst:
"0o thIs In remembrance of me".

t Is undenIable that the supper Is a memorIal of ChrIst. We eat and drInk In
remembrance of hIm whose body was broken and whose blood was shed for us.
t Is, however, no less undenIable that the Supper Is more than a mere
memorIal. t Is, as Paul dramatIcally puts It, a "communIon In the blood of
ChrIst" and "a communIon In the body of ChrIst" (1 Cor 10.16). CalvIn agaIn
takes us to the heart of the matter: "the sIgns are bread and wIne, whIch
represent for us the InvIsIble food that we receIve from the flesh and blood of
~..-... .,

ChrIst. Now ChrIst Is the only food of our soul, and therefore our Heavenly
Father InvItes us to ChrIst, that, refreshed by partakIng of hIm, we may
repeatedly gather strength untIl we shall have reached heavenly ImmortalIty"
(lnsttutes 4.17.1).

We are not to ImagIne that the Lord's Supper InItIates us Into a communIon
wIth ChrIst that we do not have through hearIng the word of the gospel In faIth.
No, "SInce, however, thIs mystery of ChrIst's secret unIon wIth the devout Is by
nature IncomprehensIble, he shows Its fIgure and Image In vIsIble sIgns best
adapted to our small capacIty". t Is as If our heavenly Father draws us pIctures
of hIs grace to us In ChrIst, so that we wIll the better grasp and experIence the
wonder of that grace. LIsten agaIn to how CalvIn explaIns thIs: "the Sacrament
does not cause ChrIst to begIn to be the bread of lIfe; but when It remInds us that
he was made the bread of lIfe, whIch we contInually eat, and whIch gIves us a
relIsh and savour of that bread, It causes us to feel the power of that bread". (4.17.5)

All of thIs Is a great mystery to us. CalvIn even urges us "not to confIne (our)
mental Interest wIthIn . too narrow lImIts, but to strIve to rIse much hIgher" than
he Is able to lead us. n a strIkIng statement, he acknowledges, "although my
mInd can thInk beyond what my tongue can utter, yet even my mInd Is conquered
and overwhelmed by the greatness of the thIng. Therefore, nothIng remaIns but
to break forth In wonder at thIs mystery, whIch plaInly neIther the mInd Is able
to conceIve nor the tongue to confess" (4.17.7). The old Scot's sayIng puts It
well, "t Is better felt than telt". Not everythIng In the lIfe of faIth can be
reduced to comprehensIve statements. There are profundItIes that take us out
of our depth-and the Holy Supper of our SavIour Is one of those profundItIes.

Pray then that the Lord, by the power of hIs SpIrIt, wIll feed you wIth
hImself. Pray that hIs won graces wIll be more powerfully Impressed on your
soul. Pray that the presence of the Dne who walks among the lampstands (see
Fev 1.1J, 20; 2.1) wIll be felt and experIenced as In faIth we eat hIs flesh and
drInk hIs blood (Jn 6.5J54).
For thIs Is the season In whIch men may see the greatness of Cod In a lIttle ChIld, who Is
Emmanuel, Cod wIth us! A ChIld wIthout a mother In heaven and wIth out a father on
earth; Lord of all flesh, and then born of It; |aster of the sun, and then dwellIng under
It; |aker of the earth, and then lIvIng upon It; robed In heavenly garments, but wrapped
In swaddlIngclothes; the Word of Cod, but now a speechless 8abe; Creator of the world
becomIng a creature; Fuler of the world becomIng a subject; DmnIpotence laId In a manger
and later naIled to a cross; KIng of kIngs born In a stable and later crowned wIth thorns;
the sInless Dne lIvIng wIth sInners and dyIng for them! Cod wIth us, for us, and In us!
Such Is the mIracle and mystery of the ncarnatIon! We may see It and belIeve It,
though we cannot comprehend It. WIth learned wIse men and humble shepherds we may
kneel before a tIny 8abe who Is the mIghty Cod. And He wIll save us from our sIns, wIthout
becomIng a sInner, though He became lIke us In other respects. We may love HIm because
He fIrst loved us. We may serve HIm because He fIrst served us. And at last we may go to
HIs heaven because He fIrst came to our earth. Cod wIth us, and we wIth Cod, for ever!
And that's the truth, the whole truth, and nothIng but the truth about ChrIstmas.
0r Peter Eldersveld, 8ack to Cod Hour, from The Truth cbout Chrstmcs. E 0ecember 1958
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, ,, ,

A|| Lands to GodI
Europe and EMF
Europe
Today Europe Is the most secular contInent on earth. FelatIvIsm, pluralIsm and
consumerIsm-thIs Is the aIr we breathe. To many thIs Is a good thIng. 8ut to
others It Is clear that a godless Europe, lIke a house wIthout foundatIons, Is
fundamentally unstable and therefore vulnerable to the momentous changes
that the twentyfIrst century Is already brIngIng.

There Is therefore a new mIssIon fIeld for the ChrIstIan Church. Dver the
last two thousand years Europe has been won for the Cospel twIce. t has also
been lost twIce. The great questIon facIng the Church In the twentyfIrst
century Is "Can It be won agaIn:"

EhF
For more than half a century the European |IssIonary FellowshIp (E|F) has
been engaged In thIs new mIssIon fIeld, channellIng help from churches and
IndIvIduals to support and send pastors and church planters throughout thIs
contInent.

Today E|F Is lInked wIth over eIghty mIssIonarIes In more than fIfteen
dIfferent countrIes. Some of them have been sent from churches In the UnIted
KIngdom but, sIgnIfIcantly, most are IndIgenous, pastorIng and plantIng
churches In the country of theIr bIrth.

0octrInally E|F Is commItted to the evangelIcal and reformed theology of
hIstorIc, 8IblIcal ChrIstIanIty. PractIcally we seek to honour the centralIty of
the local church. E|F Is not therefore a tradItIonal 'mIssIonary socIety'. We are
a brIdge, seekIng to brIng churches together to share resources, and an agency,
seekIng to help churches IdentIfy, send and support those whom Cod Is callIng
to serve HIm In Europe.

For deputatIon and/or InformatIon please contact Northern reland FepresentatIve
Fev Tom |cKendry, 4 Caldwell 0rIve Portrush 8T56 8ST

028 70 82431 tmcke91591@btInternet.com
~..-... .,

WIth the death of Fev PrIncIpalEmerItus A C 8oyd on 5
August 2008 the Free Church of Scotland lost one of Its
senIor and most respected |InIsters, and the nternatIonal
|IssIons 8oard servants and supporters.

Although medIcal problems prevented PrIncIpal 8oyd
from goIng to the ndIan mIssIon fIeld as he had wIshed, he
nonetheless fulfIlled hIs mIssIonary callIng through servIng
the |8 as Its Secretary, Its ChaIrman and as a frequent
delegate on Its behalf to ndIa, Peru and South AfrIca. All
hIs actIvItIes for the 8oard were characterIsed by
effIcIency plus a warm and sympathetIc understandIng of
the problems and people wIth whom he was dealIng. HIs reports to the 8oard
followIng vIsIts to the varIous fIelds were detaIled and perceptIve and hIs
recommendatIons always revealIng a thoughtful, prayerful and studIed
apprecIatIon of the sItuatIons Involved.

ArchIe, as he was affectIonately known, was held In great respect In mIssIonary
cIrcles beyond our own church. He served as ChaIrman of the |IssIons
CommIttee of the nternatIonal Conference of Feformed Churches and attended
several Conferences and |IssIonary gatherIngs on behalf of the 8oard and of the
Church. At all such gatherIngs hIs gentle and gracIous manner endeared hIm to
hIs colleagues. Dver a long perIod of years, ArchIe and hIs beloved wIfe 0oreen
played hosts to a verItable multItude of mIssIonarIes and others assocIated wIth
mIssIonary work. That was a mInIstry In Itself for whIch the Church must be
truly grateful. We know that all who eIther served wIth ArchIe on the 8oard or
who were mIssIonarIes durIng hIs tIme In offIce wIll salute the memory of thIs
good brother who exemplIfIed all that was best In servIce for ChrIst.
A|| Lands to GodI
Missionarg-Mindedness Personi[ied
We cre ndebted to Rev 8lly 6rchcm, Ednburyh, ]or ths short re]lecton on the mssoncry
mnded l]e o] Prncpcl 8oyd whch the lnternctoncl Mssons 8ocrd cdopted cs ts Memorcl
Mnute. Mr 8oyd precched n qute c number o] our Churches over c perod o] yecrs
Norman PeId wrItes, 8 September 2008:
The SystematIc Theology course at degree level has been most rewardIng to teach. 8oth the
students and the teacher are constantly thrIlled by the great truths of our faIth! n the evenIng
classes on |ondays and Wednesdays Pastoral CounsellIng Is the subject. We often dIscover that
the problems we dIscuss are touchIng the students' own personal lIves as well as those of the
people they serve. We belIeve student lIves are beIng changed through thIs class. Church
HIstory Is often thought of as dull untIl we encounter some strange doctrIne In the dIm dIstant
past whIch Is stIll a lIve Issue In AfrIca today! Dr better stIll, we become motIvated by a great
hero of the faIth lIke AugustIne, who, sInce he was an AfrIcan, Is a great favourIte here! Pray
that the students wIll be hard workIng and sIncere In all theIr studIes. Pray for our college
worshIp sessIons when the word Is preached by the staff, that It mIght take root In all our hearts.
The correspondence course students also contInue to encourage us. We have had several recent
letters of apprecIatIon-reportIng blessIng especIally In the prIsons. CIve thanks and pray.
. -.... ...
r r r r
read a story once of the 'parable of the chocolate cake' (EvangelIcal TImes
|arch 2008). t was usIng an everyday scenarIo of a gIrl resIstIng the temptatIon
to eat all the chocolate cake. She began wIth no problems at all but then she
went Into the kItchen where the chocolate cake sat and It all went downhIll
from there. WIthIn a few mInutes she had lIcked a lIttle of the IcIng and then
took a slIce and before she knew It she had devoured the whole thIng!

Now, chocolate cake may not be your weakness but It brIngs out a very
Important and helpful truth whIch Cod has gIven us advIce on In hIs Word-
about resIstIng temptatIon.

He has told us that we are to pray everyday that we won't be led Into
temptatIon (|atthew 6.1J; |ark 14.J8); however, thIs also Includes a
responsIbIlIty on our part to ensure that we do not wIlfully go places where we
could be tempted. The gIrl went Into the kItchen to get
a glass of water whIch In Itself Is not wrong but then she
saw the cake and thoughts began to grow In her mInd and
the temptatIon grew stronger untIl she could not resIst.

0on't go where you know you wIll be tempted-It may
be certaIn places, certaIn sItuatIons, certaIn T7 shows,
certaIn Internet sItes or somethIng completely dIfferent.
0on't put yourself at rIsk!

t Is all very well sayIng 'don't go anywhere that you
can be tempted' but what If you fInd yourself In a sItuatIon
of temptatIon that In fact may not even have been IntentIonal-does that mean
there's no hope of resIstIng then: No! Cod has gIven us promIses In hIs Word
that he wIll gIve the strength and the means to resIst: "No temptatIon has
seIzed you except what Is common to man. And Cod Is faIthful; he wIll not let
you be tempted beyond what you can bear. 8ut when you are tempted, he wIll
also provIde a way out so that you can stand up under It." (1 CorInthIans 10.1J)

Cod does not leave us on our own to fend for ourselves In temptIng sItuatIons;
he ALWAYS gIves us a way out but It Is our responsIbIlIty to take that escape route!
Resisting Temptation
1org haooa. 0iraomillis
"Pray every day that we won't be Ied Into temptatIon"
"0on't go where you know you wIII be tempted"
"Cod has gIven us promIses In hIs Word that he wIII gIve
the means and strength to resIst"
"It Is our responsIbIIIty to take that escape route"
~..-... .,
rr rr rr rr

ScIentIsts have gathered at the Cerne laboratory In Ceneva In an attempt to
recreate the '8Ig 8ang'. t Is one of the bIggest and, at f4.4 bIllIon, most
expensIve experIments ever undertaken. The partIcle at the centre of the
experIment Is the HIggs boson, named after Professor Peter HIggs. The bIg questIon
on hIs mInd and on the mInds of the other scIentIsts Is, "WIll the experIment
fInd the 'Cod partIcle' It has been set up to IdentIfy:" For them, the socalled
'Cod partIcle' Is the thIng that Is mIssIng In the explanatIon of the unIverse.

What a tragIc parody of the Name of Cod
and what a mIsunderstandIng of the attrIbutes
and work of Cod. We belIeve that the world
was framed by the Word of Cod-not a partIcle,
but by Jehovah, who Is from everlastIng to
everlastIng. What a Person! What a Name! To
the Jew thIs was the Ineffable name-the
personal name that could not be pronounced,
the one too great for words. They would not
take that name upon theIr lIps nor even wrIte It down. That Is why they wanted
to kIll Jesus when He took that Name for hImself (John 8.58). t was the
recognItIon of that Name whIch revolutIonIsed the lIfe of Paul (Acts 9.5)

Have we lost thIs sense of Ineffableness and awesomeness In the Name of
Cod: The subtle and contInuous bombardment by the world has condItIoned
many In the church to have a small and lImIted vIew of Cod and therefore of
the Lord Jesus ChrIst.

HIs Creat name Is to be feared JeremIah 10.6
HIs CIorIous name Is to be praIsed PsaIm 8.1
HIs SavIng name Is to be beIIeved PsaIm 54.1
HIs HoIy name Is to be reverenced IsaIah 57.15
HIs VIctorIous name Is to be affIrmed PsaIm 20.5
HIs CracIous name Is to be Ioved Exodus 34.5-7
HIs EverIastIng name Is to be enjoyed PsaIm 72.17

So the scIentIsts, who talk glIbly about our Cod, show total dIsrespect and
outrIght rebellIon. t Is sIn of the worst kInd. Dn that terrIble judgment day
when every knee wIll bow, the tables wIll be turned and proud man wIll be the
sad partIcle before that neffable Name-the Name above every Name.
0avid Waisoo. Ballgelara
I have been thinking about ... That Hame
The Lurge Hudron CoIIider {LHC}
And HIs name wIII be caIIed WonderfuI, CounseIor, hIghty Cod,
EverIastIng Father, PrInce of Peace. saIah 9.6
. -.... ...
r. r. r. r.
ChiIdren's Puge
~..-... .,
r r r r
. -.... ...
r- r- r- r-
Churches News
25th Wedding Anniversarg-Congratu|ationsI
At an afterchurch fellowshIp on 28
September |Iss rene 8rown, on behalf
of the StranmIllIs congregatIon,
presented Fev Careth 8urke and Futh
wIth a gIft to mark theIr 25th weddIng
annIversary. |Iss Joanna Cordon
presented |rs 8urke wIth a bouquet of
flowers.
Careth and Futh celebrated theIr
annIversary wIth a vIsIt to Cermany
vIsItIng many of the sItes and places
assocIated wIth |artIn Luther.
Evange|ica| Presbgterian Binding

Feaders wIll be aware of our exercIse durIng the
past year to brIng our bIndIng up to date. We
have completed the years 19812004.
The latest volume, 20042008, wIll be ready
In November. We are assumIng that all who have
acquIred the sIx volumes, 19812004, wIll want
20042008, but we can stIll make a few more
volumes avaIlable. f you are Interested please contact the EdItor. The cost wIll
be as before, f26.00 per volume.
The magazInes used In thIs latest bIndIng wIll all be new.
New C|erk o[ Presbgterg
At the September 2008 meetIng of Presbytery Fev Stephen Foger, 8allyclare,
retIred as Clerk, a posItIon he held sInce 1999. We wIsh to thank hIm most
sIncerely for hIs long spell In thIs onerous, but InfluentIal role wIth Its many
demands on tIme and energy. We are Indebted to hIm and to our successIon of
Clerks over the years for theIr key Input Into the progressIve Improvement of
the Church's admInIstratIon and structure. t Is a pIty when work of thIs nature
goes unnotIced by the Church at large. Dne of the applIcatIons of the specIal
wIsdom that Cod gave Solomon was good admInIstratIon, certaInly In the earlIer
part of Its reIgn. We should value such work greatly and express our thanks.

Stephen has also done tremendous work on developIng our web sIte and we
record our apprecIatIon for that too. There has been an extensIve update
recently-see address at top of page 2 for regular vIsIts.

HIs successor as Clerk Is Fev Samuel Watson, FInaghy and we thank hIm for
hIs wIllIngness to take over the work for a year. He Is well qualIfIed, beIng a
Chartered Secretary, and havIng done the job before, 198J1994. We wIsh hIm
a genuIne sense of fulfIlment In thIs hIghly Important work.
~..-... .,
r- r- r- r-
November Prager Diarg
Sat
1 Elderly Femember the elderly and housebound as wInter approaches
Sun
2 FInaghy Pray that we mIght have a greater burden for prayer
|on
J CrumlIn Pray for our meetIng on 5 November, to call a |InIster
Tues
4 Clerk of Pres Pray for Fev Samuel Watson In hIs role as Clerk of Presbytery
Wed
5 8allyclare Pray that more would come to our |ums E Tots group
Thur
6 Prayer Pray for our weekly Prayer |eetIngs, that many more would come
FrI
7 Dmagh Pray for our FrIday Club, gIve thanks for Increased numbers
Sat
8 ServIces Pray that we mIght know Cod's power In our mIdst tomorrow
Sun 8ook Shop Femember the work and wItness of the EvangelIcal 8ook Shop
Sat 10 |usaPamela ContInue to pray for |usa and Pamela In theIr marrIed lIfe In Jos
Tues 11 HardshIp Pray for many who are facIng fInancIal hardshIp at present
Wed 12 |oderator Pray for Fev Andrew Lucas In hIs busy schedule
Thur
1J Peter 8urke Pray for Peter 8urke In hIs work wIth A| In NamIbIa
FrI
14 EPCEW Pray for contInued opportunItIes to expand the wItness
Sat
15 ndIa Pray the Cod would halt the current wave of persecutIon
Sun 16 South AfrIca Pray for Norman FeId's range of lectures-see page 9
|on 17 StranmIllIs Pray for our student caf each Tuesday and FrIday nIght 8Ible Study
Tues 18 F Johnston Pray for Fobert as he seeks the Lord's wIll for the future
Wed 19 Crosscollyer Pray for Cod to work In the hearts of our many contacts
Thur
20 |InIbuses Pray for our mInIbus drIvers, for safety on the roads
FrI
21 NatIon Pray that Cod would move In the hearts of men and women
Sat
22 Peru Pray for a new School AdmInIstrator at ColegIo san Andrs
Sun 23 CW Pray for the spread of the Cospel to JewIsh people In many lands
|on 24 Somerton CIve thanks for some new Sunday School pupIls; pray for conversIons
Tues 25 FIchhIll Pray that our ongoIng wItness and outreach would bear much fruIt
Wed 26 ColombIa Pray that the kIdnappIngs of school chIldren wIll soon come to an end
Thur
27 Croomsport CIve thanks for our youth work, pray for conversIons
FrI
28 Knock Pray for the call Issued recently, that Cod would guIde
Sat
29 8lythswood Pray for the work In FomanIa and the annual shoebox appeal
Sun 30 E|F Pray for adequate and sustaIned fInancIal support
. -.... ...
r. r. r. r.
December Prager Diarg
|on 1 FInaghy Pray for our specIal servIces over the ChrIstmas perIod
Tues 2 FIchhIll Pray that we would know Cod's grace In all the challenges we meet
Wed J Dmagh Pray for the LadIes' 8Ible study group meetIng tonIght
Thur 4 StranmIllIs Pray for many chIldren from Annadale comIng to SS E Pathway Club
FrI 5 Peter 8urke Pray for Peter 8urke returnIng from NamIbIa today
Sat 6 ChIldren CIve thanks for the chIldren who come to Sunday School each week
Sun 7
ChrIstIan nst Pray that It wIll be gIven a hearIng and be a powerful Influence
|on 8
Presbytery Pray for Presbytery tonIght, that Cod would lead and guIde
Tues 9
ndIa Pray for the growth of the PresbyterIan Free Church
Wed 10
CrumlIn Pray for the contInuIng monthly outreach In the vIllage
Thur 11 Croomsport Pray for our wItness In the surroundIng area
FrI 12 Peru Pray for the Church work In |oyobamba and In surroundIng areas
Sat 1J Crosscollyer CIve thanks for encouragements at Helpny Hcnd; pray for more help
Sun 14
NIgerIa Femember the work of the StranmIllIs Team In July 2008
|on 15
|oodys Andrew, EunIce E Joy In Uganda, for theIr health and safety
Tues 16
8allyclare CIve thanks for good numbers at our YP groups, pray for the leaders
Wed 17
Underwoods Pray for Ed E Kate Underwood as they prepare to serve wIth WyclIffe
Thur 18 LIsburn Foad Pray for the |others and Toddlers group meetIng each Tuesday
FrI 19 Crowth Pray that we would grow daIly In grace and In the knowledge of ChrIst
Sat 20 Somerton Pray for Cod's blessIng on our planned outreach work
Sun 21
ServIces Pray for our servIces today and for all who preach the Cospel today
|on 22
South AfrIca Pray for the government and for natIonal stabIlIty
Tues 2J
|IssIonarIes Pray for our mIssIonarIes, away from famIly and frIends at thIs tIme
Wed 24
Knock Pray for the leaders of JunIor YPA as they present the Cospel
Thur 25 ChrIstmas CIve thanks and praIse for our SavIour, Jesus ChrIst
FrI 26 Thanks CIve thanks for all the opportunItIes to spread the gospel In 2008
Sat 27 Lonely Pray that the sad and lonely at ChrIstmas wIll know Cod's love
Sun 28
2009 Pray for an outpourIng of Cod's SpIrIt on our land In 2009
|on 29
8ook Shop Pray that books and 8Ibles sold wIll be of great spIrItual blessIng
Tues J0
Covernment Pray that our rulers wIll know Cod's wIsdom
Wed J1
New Year PraIse Cod for all that Is past, trust hIm for all that's to come
~..-... .,
r r r r
Churches News
The EP Incarnation Crossword, 2008
The EdItor wIII award a ook Token for the fIrst correct entry
S
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2
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Across
1 Joseph had four (5)
6 |ary not yet (4)
10 8oth CyrenIus and PIlate were (8)
11 D Come! (6)
12 When shepherds watched (5)
14 To us Is born (5, 2, 4)
15 LIght (J)
16 House of . (9)
20 Southern ProvInce (5)
21 Co North (5)
22 The angels sang thIs! (4)
23 He spoke about mournIng (8)
25 Hoped for destInatIon (J)
26 The angel conveyed thIs (4, 7)

0own
2 SurpassIng (9)
3 Shepherds' state of mInd (6, 5)
4 What's In a name (4)
5 TIme of seclusIon (5, 6)
7 A dream move (5)
8 |ore than Wonderful (10)
Not the rod or the stem (6)
13 Treasures opened there (5)
17 He rose wIth It (7)
18 A mInor wIth major Involvement (5)
1 Creat, not greater (5)
20 SurprIse on a wrItIng tablet (4)
24 From Jesse (J)
S
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W
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n
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V
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E
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8
9 10
11 12 13
14 15
16 17 18
19 20 21
22 23 24
25
26
CIues by JIm Leckey
B
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J
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A E L J
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P
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E
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U N C E T
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E H
N D
7
E B
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O R A H A
H
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A G G A L Y O N
A D A
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L P H A E U S
D
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O E G A S H S E
A A
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H T H O P H E
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L
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N A H U S P
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R S T
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A R
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C H U S
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M
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O S
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E S E R A
A U J
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E R U B B A A L
L E A Z E T O
D
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A M A R S A K A M
A O U O A H E
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U N S
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Y N T Y C H E
New ProcedureI

Although the |agazIne always becomes avaIlable on the Sunday before the fIrst day
of the month of publIcatIon (or on the 1st of the month If It Is a Sunday), not
everyone gets It at the same tIme. ThIs means that some get a head start wIth the
Crossword. Let's experIment wIth the followIng system:
1 Post your entry to the EdItor to arrIve week begInnIng J0 November (not before!)
2 |ark your envelope 'Crossword'
J The EdItor wIll then select the fIrst correct entry from the bag as the wInner.
We thank you for your Interest In the Crossword and we hope you fInd It 8IblIcally
InstructIve. Not all congregatIons have produced entrants. Can we put that rIght:
. -.... ...
r, r, r, r,
Obituarg. Miss Henrietta Ga|e, Lisburn Road-Finaghg
HenrIetta, or Etta as she was famIlIarly known, was born In 0rumconnor,
0rumahaIr, Co LeItrIm on 11 September 191J. She had three sIsters and they
maIntaIned a close famIly relatIonshIp throughout theIr lIves. UntIl theIr latter
years, It was most unusual to see one sIster wIthout the others. WhIle Etta was
stIll young, the famIly moved fIrst to Co Fermanagh and, not long after, to
8elfast. Though she lIved almost all her lIfe In 8elfast her accent betrayed the
fact that she was not a natIve of the cIty! Etta spent her entIre workIng lIfe In
the employment of the N CIvIl ServIce.
She was gIven a long lIfe, but that meant that she gradually saw all her
sIblIngs pass away. She became the last of her generatIon when her sIster Agnes
dIed In January of thIs year. She felt thIs very keenly, but was greatly helped
and supported through thIs by her cousIns on her mother's sIde.
Etta was surrounded by ChrIstIan Influence from chIldhood and early In lIfe
she professed savIng faIth In Jesus ChrIst. She was a lIfelong member of LIsburn
Foad where she served her Lord most faIthfully. 8ut she had a genuIne Interest
In the spread of the Cospel both at home and abroad and many mIssIonarIes
and socIetIes benefItted greatly from her practIcal and prayerful support.
Etta had reasonably good health for most of her lIfe. However followIng a
stroke, whIle she made a remarkable recovery, she was never really physIcally
the same. Her latter years saw her frequently hospItalIzed. Thus It was that she
passed away on the mornIng of Tuesday 7 Dctober In the 8elfast CIty HospItal.
We mourn her loss, and yet rejoIce that she Is at home wIth the Lord. Dur
sIncere sympathy and prayerful remembrance are extended to her cousIns and
wIder famIly cIrcle. SW
Churches News
Obituarg. Mr Robert (Bertie) McC|intock, 5tranmi||is
Dn Saturday 1J September the congregatIon of StranmIllIs suffered a serIous loss
through the death of our senIor elder, |r 8ertIe |cClIntock. Although unable to
be present at publIc worshIp for some tIme due to declInIng health |r |cClIntock
maIntaIned a keen prayerful Interest In the lIfe of the church all hIs days. He was
an elder for twenty years havIng prevIously served as a deacon and for some tIme
also holdIng the offIce of treasurer. He had, when health permItted, exercIsed
a very useful mInIstry In vIsItIng those who were ' shut In ' and In hospItal.
However, wIthIn StranmIllIs, we remember 8ertIe not so much on account of
the offIces he held and the work he dId but because of what he was-a humble,
self-effacIng and very genuIne servant of ChrIst. We knew he loved the SavIour
not just because of hIs spoken testImony but especIally because he reflected
ChrIst In hIs lIvIng. He exercIsed a lovely mInIstry of encouragement and there
Is no doubt that we are now the spIrItually poorer for hIs passIng.
Dur thoughts and prayers at thIs tIme are wIth hIs wIdow, 8etty, hIs son,
Peter, and the wIder famIly cIrcle.
"Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases. For the faIthful dIsappear from
among the sons of men' Psalm 12:1 CN
~..-... .,
r r r r
LIvIng In thIs sInful world, as constItuent members of It, we are partakers of Its
sIn; or, as It may be more faIr to put It, Its sInfulness Is but the expressIon of our
sIn. How can we, sInners, cherIsh hope of lIfe: n ourselves, surely, we can fInd
no ground for such a hope: and that we know rIght well. Dur hearts condemn us
and Cod Is greater than our hearts. f we look at ourselves how can we not despaIr:
Let us look, therefore, not at ourselves but at Jesus: for Jesus, the 8aptIst tells
us, Is the Lamb of Cod whIch takes away sIn. And, note It well, troubled heart,
the 8aptIst dId not make thIs declaratIon to those who had no sIn, or even to
those who, havIng It, knew not that they had It. What appeal, In fact, could such
a declaratIon make to such men as that: He made It to those whom he had called
wIth flamIng speech to repentance: and who, wIth burnIng hearts, had come to
hIs baptIsm of remIssIon of sIn. The message Is, then, to you too whose hearts
are sore wIth the sense of sIn. To you and me also he crIes wIth today: "8ehold
the Lamb of Cod, whIch taketh away sIn." s It not a joyful message to sInstrIcken
souls: Let others thInk of Jesus as they may. Let them haIl hIm as a KIng: let
them sIt at hIs feet as a prophet: let them eagerly seek to follow In hIs steps. For
you and me, sInners, he Is most glorIous and precIous, as a SavIour. Let others
make elaborate InquIsItIon Into the possIble reasons whIch led hIm to come Into
thIs sInful world of ours. He hImself tells us that there were but two reasons
whIch could have brought hIm Into the world - to judge the world or to save the
world. And, blessed be hIs name, he has further told us that It was actually to
save the world that he came. ThIs Is the only reason that can satIsfy our hearts,
or even our reason, that Jesus ChrIst came Into the world to save sInners.

t Is only as the Lamb of Cod that has been slaIn, to purchase unto Cod by
hIs blood of every trIbe and tongue and people and natIon, and to make them
unto Cod a kIngdom and prIests who shall reIgn on the earth, that the
heavenly hosts In the apocalyptIc vIsIon hymn hIm; and It Is only as we catch a
glImpse of thIs hIs true glory that we can worthIly add our voIces to hIs praIse.

t Is only when we see In hIm a slaughtered lamb, lyIng on a smokIng altar,
from whIch ascends the sweet savour of an acceptable sacrIfIce to Cod for sIn,
that we can rIse to anythIng lIke a true sense of the glory of Jesus ChrIst, or In
any degree gIve a suffIcIent account to our souls of hIs presence In thIs world.
8 8 Wcr]eld (1851121) wcs one o] the yrectest o] Re]ormed theoloycns. He tcuyht ct
Prnceton Semncry ]or over J0 yecrs. He held Sundcy c]ternoon clcsses wth students cnd the
]ollowny s tcken ]rom one o] those clcsses. (The Scvour o] the World, 8anner of Truth)
The Lamb o[ God
B B Warliald
The Lord hcs come nto hs world!
Ncy, ncy, thct ccnnot be;
The world s ]ull o] nosomeness
And cll nquty:
He s the Lord o] cll the ecrth -
How could he stoop to humcn brth
The Lord hcs come nto hs world!
A slcuyhtered lcmb l see,
A smokny cltcr on whch burns
A sccr]ce ]or me!
D blessed Lord! D blessed dcy!
He comes to tcke my sn cwcy!
. -.... ...
. . . .
1 Femember your church magazIne Is desIgned to be more than an
entertaInIng read. f your habIt Is to thumb through It casually, pausIng
brIefly at anythIng whIch arouses your Interest, you are mIssIng out.
2 Sermons and artIcles on doctrIne requIre effort If you are to benefIt from
them. 8e prepared to sIt down wIth a 8Ible besIde you and work through
the arguments thoughtfully.
3 When somethIng you read does strIke a chord, stop there and then.
Fespond In prayer: worshIp the Cod of whom you have been remInded and
seek help for the challenges contaIned In the artIcle.
4 Use the prayer poInts! Cut the page out. Keep It besIde your bed and pray!
5 Take tIme wIth your chIldren to go through the ChIldren's Page together.
They wIll learn from the content and absorb the message that these thIngs
are Important to you. f you don't have chIldren at home, thInk about
sharIng the page wIth your grandchIldren, neIghbours' chIldren or Sunday
school class.
6 Fead mIssIonary reports wIth a sense of responsIbIlIty. What about sendIng
a letter or emaIl of encouragement: Can you help wIth a fInancIal need: At
very least, learn to pray wIth greater understandIng.
7 Whenever a forthcomIng event Is announced, consIder goIng! Could you
encourage anyone else to attend, or offer someone a lIft: 0o you know a
student or other who would apprecIate help wIth camp or conference fees:
8 Fead book revIews wIth an open mInd. s there a book whIch could Improve
your devotIonal lIfe and deepen your 8Ible study: Could someone you know
be edIfIed, challenged or encouraged by the gIft of a book. What about
recommendIng one at your ladIes' meetIng/men's fellowshIp or suggestIng
some tItles for your next evangelIstIc event:
Pass the magazIne on or recommend It to a new reader. Talk about Its
content over Sunday supper or when you meet for coffee.
10 Spare a thought for the edItor and contrIbutors. Any feedback would
reassure them that someone Is actually readIng theIr work and a word of
encouragement would motIvate them to keep goIng. Pray for them and your
church magazIne can only get better!
haaibar Waisoo. Ballgelara
The Church Magazine -10 Wags to Pro[it
"AII ScrIpture Is gIven by InspIratIon of Cod, and Is profItabIe for
doctrIne, for reproof, for correctIon, for InstructIon In rIghteousness."
~..-... .,
.r .r .r .r
A seres o] one pcye summcres o] the JJ Chcpters o] the Westmnster Con]esson,
wth comment where spcce permts. Plecse recd the Con]esson Chcpter tsel]!
SectIon 1 Subjects of harrIage
Cod ordaIned monogamous marrIage between one man and one woman. t Is
not lawful for a man or woman to have more than one spouse at the same tIme.

SectIon 2 Purposes of harrIage
Cod ordaIned marrIage for the mutual benefIt of husband and wIfe, for the
growth of the human race through legItImate offsprIng and of the church wIth
covenant chIldren, and for purIty of lIfe.

SectIon 3 0IstInctIons of harrIage
All categorIes of people may marry who can gIve consent wIth judgement.
8elIevers should marry only In the Lord and therefore not wIth members of
other relIgIons, the ungodly, or those commItted to serIous doctrInal error.

SectIon 4 PestrIctIons of harrIage
ncestuous marrIage wIthIn blood relatIonshIps forbIdden In the Word Is not
permItted even If approved by the State and the partIes consent. The same
prohIbItIons apply to marrIage (affInIty) relatIonshIps as to those of own blood.

SectIon 5 AduItery and 0Ivorce
Adultery commItted between engagement and marrIage Is a just reason for the
wronged party to break off the engagement. Where adultery occurs after
marrIage the Innocent party has the rIght to sue for dIvorce and to remarry
after dIvorce as though the offendIng party was dead.

SectIon 6 The Two Crounds for 0Ivorce
Although the sInful nature may wIden the grounds for dIvorce, nothIng except
adultery and such wIlful desertIon of a belIever by an unbelIever that neIther
church or state cannot remedy Is suffIcIent. Where It properly occurs, dIvorce
must be by publIc procedure and not left to the wIll or dIscretIon of the partIes.

t Is a trIbute to the comprehensIveness of the ConfessIon that In Its coverage
of lIvIng the ChrIstIan lIfe It deals wIth the State (2J) and |arrIage (24) the
foundatIon of famIly lIfe from creatIon. n EPC, as In a number of other
PresbyterIan Churches, we omIt the last sentence of SectIon 4: "The man may
not marry any of hIs wIfe's kIndred, nearer In blood than he may of hIs own,
nor the woman of her husband's kIndred, nearer In blood than her own." 8y
omIttIng thIs sentence we restrIct the applIcatIon of SectIon 4 to consanguInIty
rather than to consanguInIty and affInIty. The Issue has contInued to be a
matter for debate In the reformed constItuency. LeavIng thIs partIcular debate
asIde, the headIng of Chapter 24 should make It stand out as somethIng of
crucIal Interest to Church members as well as leaders.
WCF 24
Faith and Li[e-Marriage 6 Divorce
. -.... ...
.. .. .. ..
The 0Iary and JournaI of 0avId raInerd
Jonathan Edwards, 8anner of Truth, Clothbound, 792 pages, f17.00 f13.60
The book consIsts of two maIn parts, 8raInerd's personal dIary
and a record of the amazIng and remarkable work that was
carrIed out amongst the North AmerIcan ndIans from 1742 untIl
hIs death In 1747.
8raInerd's travels on horseback amounted to some 4,000 per
year such was hIs dIlIgence In seekIng to take the Cospel to the
ndIans. The book also contaIns Jonathan Edwards valuable
spIrItual assessment of 0avId 8raInerd's mInIstry.
There Is much here to encourage ChrIstIans to seek the
advancement of ChrIst's kIngdom In thIs world. 8raInerd gave the followIng
advIce to hIs brother: "We should always look upon ourselves as Cod's servants,
placed In Cod's world to do hIs work, and labour faIthfully for hIm; not wIth a
desIgn to grow rIch and great but to glorIfy Cod and do all the good that we
can." f we were to take thIs advIce then It may please the Lord to use us In the
extensIon of hIs kIngdom. hIghly recommend thIs book. Tovo C|||||ood Tovo C|||||ood Tovo C|||||ood Tovo C|||||ood

A HandfuI of PebbIes, TheologIcal LIberalIsm and the Church
Peter arnes, 8anner of Truth, Paperback, 88 pages, f5.50 f4.40

ThIs lIttle book sets out In a very clear way what lIberalIsm Is.
TracIng the hIstory of Its rIse In the church from |arcIon to the
neoorthodoxy of Karl 8arth followed by the 20th century quest
for 'the hIstorIcal Jesus' 8arnes brIngs us to 6 key doctrInes that
are orthodox and evangelIcal essentIals. ScrIpture, Cod, The
Person of ChrIst, SalvatIon, The FesurrectIon and Heaven and Hell.
n just 88 pages the author shows that the battle contInues
today. HIs closIng sentence remInds us that "LIberal theology
offers only a handful of pebbles; the Cod of the 8Ible offers us
Jesus ChrIst-the 8read of lIfe." A book every evangelIcal must read. THo Ed|to THo Ed|to THo Ed|to THo Ed|to

PunnIng the Pace-ErIc LIddeII, DlympIc ChampIon and |IssIonary
John KeddIe, EvangelIcal Press, Paperback, 254 pages, f8.95 f7.50
John KeddIe's Runnny the Rcce, a thoroughly researched
bIography of the lIfe and career of ScottIsh athlete ErIc LIddell,
has receIved wIdespread praIse and has the endorsement of the
sportIng world vIa a foreword by SebastIan Coe. The author gIves
partIcularly detaIled analysIs of LIddell's athletIc career,
IncludIng hIs gold medal success at the 1924 DlympIcs, before
focusIng on hIs latter days In ChIna In the fInal four chapters.
The book Is easIly read, though a negatIve poInt would be an
overly detaIled look at LIddell's sportIng records and statIstIcs.
However, KeddIe's knowledge of LIddell's achIevements Is clearly unrIvalled
and alongsIde the athletIc detaIls, the author skIlfully manages to Intersperse
Book Reviews
PrIce
0Iscounts
avaIIabIe from
Evanyelcal
ook Sho
eIfast
~..-... .,
. . . .

the Cospel, poIntIng to the ChrIstlIke attItude of LIddell towards hIs fellow
man In both a sportIng envIronment and In ChIna. LIddell's refusal to be
moulded by the world and compete on Sundays Is also outlIned as a great
example for us today. The cIrculatIon of a ChInese versIon of the book at the
recent 8eIjIng DlympIcs shows Its use In an evangelIstIc capacIty.
All In all, the book would receIve a ratIng of 7/10 and would be of partIcular
Interest to those wIth an Interest In sport, mIssIons or Indeed makIng sport theIr
mIssIon. However, fans of Chcrots o] Fre should be warned that the author often
poInts out error or manIpulatIon of the truth In the legendary fIlm! 0ov|d Bo|o 0ov|d Bo|o 0ov|d Bo|o 0ov|d Bo|o

The Future of JustIfIcatIon, A Fesponse to N T WrIght
John PIper, 7P, Paperback, 240 pages, f9.99 f7.
John PIper analyses the theology of N T WrIght and exposes the
maIn problems In hIs reworkIng of the doctrIne of justIfIcatIon.
PIper has eIght maIn areas of concern whIch are WrIght's
assertIon that the gospel Is concerned wIth the lordshIp of ChrIst
and Is "not an account of how people get saved"; that
justIfIcatIon declares what Is already the case Instead of how
one becomes a ChrIstIan; that justIfIcatIon Is not the gospel;
that we are not justIfIed by belIevIng In justIfIcatIon; that the
ImputatIon of Cod's own rIghteousness 'makes no sense at all'; that our future
justIfIcatIon Is based on the complete lIfe lIved; that fIrst century JudaIsm was
not selfrIghteous and legalIstIc; and fInally, that Cod's rIghteousness merely
means HIs covenant faIthfulness.
n order to arrIve at some of these conclusIons WrIght must fIrst overturn
1500 years of church hIstory whIch he does by claImIng to follow the same
methodology as |artIn Luther. He uses the mantra of the FeformatIon, cd
]ontes (back to the sources), to suggest that he Is redIscoverIng New Testament
truth after a long perIod of theologIcal error. However, It appears that he Is not
so much redIscoverIng ScrIpture as constructIng a framework to Impose upon It.
PIper Is concerned that WrIght rejects the tradItIonal vIew of the ImputatIon
of ChrIst's rIghteousness whIch creates a vacuum that Is InevItably fIlled by our
good works. To counter thIs, he Includes a wonderful sectIon In Chapter 7 In
whIch he draws from the Augsburg ConfessIon, the HelvetIc ConfessIon, the
ThIrtyNIne ArtIcles and the WestmInster ConfessIon to show that our good
works are not the basIs or foundatIon for our justIfIcatIon, but that they sprIng
from It. UltImately he turns to ScrIpture, usIng Fomans 4.J8, Fomans 5.1819,
PhIlIppIans J.9, CorInthIans 1.J0 and 2 CorInthIans 5.2 as hIs texts for
defendIng the orthodox vIew of justIfIcatIon.
LIke N T WrIght's theology, the book Is at tImes complex and technIcal as It
seeks to explore the nuances of the debate, but the patIent reader wIll be
enrIched by PIper's careful and thorough treatment of thIs great doctrIne. He Is
motIvated to wrIte the book because he has a pastor's heart. He realIses the
Importance of justIfIcatIon and sees great confusIon ahead for the church If Its
preachers follow WrIght and he therefore ends the book by pleadIng for our
allegIance to a "robust, bIblIcal, hIstorIc, vIsIon of ChrIst whose obedIence Is
counted as ours through faIth alone." Co||o C Co||o C Co||o C Co||o Compbo|| ompbo|| ompbo|| ompbo||

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The author of top sellIng "Feason for Cod" explaIns the heart of the ChrIstIan
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