Isaiah 49: Tempted to despair A lesson in perseverance from Jeremiah Christs Gifts: Ephesians 4:7-16

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Theme verses
Philippians 1:9-11
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A lesson in perseverance from
Editor
Andy Hambleton Jeremiah: Jeremiah 31:31-34
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FIRST WORD
In putting together the content for this magazine, my eye
was caught by Jeffs excellent article on the perseverance of
Jeremiah. That same week, I was preparing to preach on Luke
13:18-21, where we find the Lords parables of the mustard
seed and the leaven. These parables of the Kingdom are a
help for us as we seek to persevere in the work of
the Kingdom.
F irstly, these parables show us how the Kingdom of God
starts small. A mustard seed is a tiny seed, only about
1mm in diameter, and only a very small amount of leaven
is needed to bake a loaf of bread. In a similar way, the work
of the Kingdom of God in the world began in a very small,
unimpressive way. The King himself entered the world in the
most lowly of circumstances imaginable; born as a baby in
a cattle shed. He took to himself the form of a servant. His
disciples were largely uneducated men who no one expected
would amount to much. And yet the Kingdom of God starts
small, from humble beginnings!
How easy it is for us to become discouraged by a lack of
numbers; we can easily despise the day of small things. These
words of Jesus should encourage us, because it is in the nature
of his Kingdom that things start small.
Secondly, the Kingdom advances slowly. Watching a mustard
seed grow, or leaven exerting its influence on a lump of dough,
is hardly a spectator sport. The progress is slow, steady, and
undramatic. For a while it might look like nothing is happening
(even though things are happening, unseen by the human eye).
Similarly, the Kingdom of God advances like this in the world.
Of course, at times God performs an unusual, dramatic work of
revival, and we should certainly pray for that.
However, that is not the norm. Usually, the Kingdom advances
in the world as, slowly but steadily, the Spirit applies the
gospel to the lives of individuals, who quietly profess faith in
Jesus and join the church. It will hardly grab the headlines. It
will go unnoticed by the world. But wonderfully, bit by bit, the
Kingdom of God is advancing. We must therefore persevere
in the work, even when there is little evidence of fruitfulness,
because this is what Kingdom work is like.
Finally, the Kingdom will grow very large. Eventually, the
mustard seed grows into a tree, and the small amount of
leaven affects the whole lump of dough. From small, humble
beginnings, a great work is done. Consider the history of the
church over these past 2,000 years, as the gospel has gone
out into the world. The church is being built, the Kingdom is
extending, and it is getting bigger every year! Millions upon
millions have been brought into it already and still it grows!
Men and women and boys and girls are being brought in to
Christs Kingdom, finding a home and shelter there, under the
care and protection of their King. Jesus words here are
being fulfilled.
What an assurance this is for us that even when the work on
the ground is hard, and progress seems slow, the end point
is glorious. The King is involving us in his work, and the final
outcome is secure so keep going!
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 Isaiah 49:
Tempted to despair? Reformed Theological College
W hat is it that drives you to despair?
Is it your football team failing to win yet again, even
though they were 2-0 up with 12 minutes to go? Is it another
executive order from President Trump? Maybe its Brexit.
Maybe its your health or the health of a loved one. Perhaps
its exams, or job interviews, or the driving test; or maybe its
a build up of all of the above and a thousand other pressures
besides theres just no let up! Maybe youve been tempted
to think, Its all for nothing!
Youre not the first to think that way and no doubt you wont
be the last; we even hear those words in v4 of Isaiah 49:
Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength
for nothing and in vain What is surprising here is that this
is not Isaiah speaking this is Jesus speaking! He is identified
in v3 as the Servant of the LORD. Jesus was tempted to
despair, yet without sin as we read in Hebrews 4:15 For
we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with
our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet
without sin.
Jesus can sympathise and He can also teach us how to face
such temptations and come through them all the stronger.
In this chapter He teaches us how to face three specific
temptations to despair:
4
1. Tempted to think its all for nothing? V1-13
Have you ever felt like saying the words of v4a? I have
laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in
vain. Maybe youve laboured over a hot stove and then been
distracted by the call to help with homework, until you smell
the burning and so you cry in desperation: I have laboured in
vain!
Such despair is momentary, but Isaiah has a greater despair
in view, a spiritual exasperation. Youve been teaching in YPA
or Sunday school for 10 years and you begin to think: How
many children have I seen come to faith? Or youve been
witnessing to your friends from college days for the past 20
years, but theyre not listening; theyre just finding their own
way in life and enjoying themselves. Or perhaps youre only
new into college, or fresh into a new job, or a new home with
new neighbours, and already they dont want to know!
Is it all for nothing? Whats the point? These first 13 verses
teach us not to despair, not to give up, but instead we
ourselves must listen to Gods voice; we must listen to the
Saviour. And so before we consider just what Jesus said in
these verses, I want us to pause and remember this is Jesus
speaking in v4!
 mother He has made mention of My name.
I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing
and in vain. The Father has called Jesus to this task. Is there any point to
being the Servant of the LORD? Yes! Because My Father called
He understands how we feel, because He has been here. Me to this work! God has foreordained His birth for this
When He was just 12 His parents wondered why He was very purpose it cannot be for nothing! God has made Him
stuck in the temple they knew who He was, but they didnt a preacher in v2, and His words though often misunderstood
get it. Nicodemus didnt get it either; Jesus said to him in John would prove to be polished arrows that would pierce the very
3:10, Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these hearts of men. The Gospel does that it is a polished arrow
things? Many in John 6 left off from following Jesus they that pierces the heart and brings people to their spiritual
didnt understand what He was about. Philip in John 14:8 said, senses!
Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us. Jesus
replies: Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not Jesus is assured in v3 as the Father says to Him You are
known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. Thus Jesus
so how can you say, Show us the Father? prayed in John 12:28 Father, glorify Your name. Then a voice
came from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it and will
Had he not been listening! How can you say that, Philip?! Do glorify it again. Gods words put despair to flight. And so
you not believe? Jesus own brothers didnt believe until He Jesus continues to listen to what God is saying, and He invites
was risen from the dead. Thomas refused to believe until He Israel to hear what God is saying. Its the words of God that
saw Jesus risen as well! And the two on the road to Emmaus steel Jesus in His temptation, and Gods people need to hear
Jesus said to them in Luke 24:25-26 O foolish ones, and them too. And so we have at the start of v5, 6, 7, 8, 9... the
slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! LORD says, HE says, Thus says the LORD...
Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to
enter into His glory? And even just before Jesus ascended Are you tempted to think its all for nothing?
into heaven: what are the disciples asking? Acts 1:6 Lord, will Jesus was. But as He recalled what God had already spoken,
You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? Are they still the despair was put to flight. Jesus was given the most
thinking nationally? Still imagining seemingly impossible task, how
Jesus to be a political Saviour?
Remember the One who would He ever save His people from
their sins, when even from His birth
Surely Jesus was tempted to called you, remember the they rejected Him.
despair! Tempted by the thoughts
of v4: I have laboured in vain, I have
One who has made great But God had said You are called.
spent my strength for nothing and promises to you, remember You will be My Servant. You will be
in vain. the Saviour. They will despise and
the One who suffered reject you, they will even crucify
But thankfully Jesus did not yield to for you, remember your you. But you will glorify Me in your
that temptation, because v4 goes death and in your resurrection, and
on: yet surely my just reward is Saviour and your Shepherd all the ends of the earth will see
with the LORD, and my work with
get into the Word and you for who you really are and
my God. He knows this temptation you My Son, will free them from the
very well, and yet He never sinned meet with Him. bondage of sin and bring them home
in it. Never did He doubt His Father to Me.
in heaven, and it is to Him that Jesus looks here and finds the
antidote for the temptation. The antidote for such despair When we are tempted to think that its all for nothing, we too
over people not listening is for you yourself to listen to must remember what God has said. Be in the Word of God
what God has said. daily! Remember the One who called you, remember the One
who has made great promises to you, remember the One who
Jesus rests in what God has said. Looking back in v1, The suffered for you, remember your Saviour and your Shepherd
LORD has called Me from the womb; from the matrix of My get into the Word and meet with Him.

5

2. Tempted to think God has forsaken me? v14-23
Isaiah was revealing the very Servant of the LORD to Gods
people; one who could not only empathise with them in their
temptation to despair, but the One who would in time not just
bring them home to Jerusalem, but home to heaven. But the
evil one was quickly pecking away that good seed of the word
of God and sowing tares instead. The devil was once again
introducing his oldest and most favourite lie. God doesnt
love you.
And Gods people were believing the lie in v14: But Zion
said, The LORD has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten
me. Its ironic that they see it this way; theyre the ones who
have forsaken the LORD but He is still speaking to them
again and again through Isaiah. And they say My Lord has
forgotten me but did they not hear what the Servant of the
LORD has said to them through Isaiah?
Theyve got it all wrong. God is caring for them as a mother
takes care of a nursing child... will she not have compassion
on her baby? Of course she will, but there are some sad cases
where mums cant cope with a new baby but this is not
the case with the Lord God promises. I will not forget you!
And to prove it look to the cross! As Jesus said to Thomas
in John 20:27: Reach your finger here, and look at My hands;
and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be
unbelieving, but believing. And here, some 700 years before,
God is saying to His people See, I
have inscribed you on the palms of And they sang a new song,
My hands; your walls are continually
before Me. saying: You are worthy to
returning people dont fit into Jerusalem anymore in v19, and
in v20 we are reminded that many of them were killed when
Babylon came in like a flood; even so they say in v20 The
place is too small for me; give me a place where I may dwell.
And theyre wondering where did all these people come from
in v21, and then the Lord answers in v22 Thus says the Lord
GOD: Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations, and
set up My standard for the peoples; they shall bring your sons
in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried on their
shoulders
The Servant of the LORD has been exalted, lifted like a Banner
for all the world to see. Lifted up indeed upon a cross, so that
all who look to Him are saved. Lifted up too as the message
of the Good News of Jesus Christ is proclaimed throughout all
the world... and the nations come and bow before Him. This is
pictured in Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying:
You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for
You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood
out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
Yes, they were tempted to think that God had forsaken them,
but the LORD was merely disciplining His people in Babylon.
He was preserving them as a people so that Jesus would
be born according to promise, and that Jesus would die,
according to promise. They had imagined that God wasnt
interested in them, that He had forsaken them, but the truth
was the exact opposite; God was doing far more in them
and through them than they could ever have imagined. They
werent forsaken, they just didnt see
it yet. But God assured them in v23:
I am the LORD and they shall not
be ashamed who wait for Me.

take the scroll, and to open

God is telling them and will soon Maybe youre being tempted to
enough show them the full extent its seals; for You were slain, think that God doesnt really love
of His love for them. He will gather
and have redeemed us to you. The evil one loves to tell this
them together in v17 and their lie above all others. Look at what
enemies will flee. Theyre going to God by Your blood out of you did last night how could God
see it in v18, Gods believing people love you?! When did God last answer
will be gathered together whats
every tribe and tongue and your prayers does He really love
happening? Something bigger than people and nation. you? How come you suffer so much
the return to Jerusalem this is illness God doesnt really love you!
Jesus building His church. They will come together, they will God knows what your heart desires but you dont have it!
be built together, they will be the very bride of Christ! He doesnt love you!

And its so much bigger than they imagined. The picture is Dont listen to the evil ones lies! Listen to the Servant of
one they dont understand at first... they sort of imagine this the LORD. Reach your finger here, and look at My hands;
to be the return from captivity, but its too big for that! Gods and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be

6
unbelieving, but believing. I am the LORD and they shall
not be ashamed who wait for Me. If youre tempted to say,
God has forsaken me listen to David in Psalm 27:14: Wait
on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen
your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD! He is worth waiting for.
3. Tempted to think God wont do it? v24-26
Gods salvation is here questioned in v24 will God really
do it? Firstly: will He be able to release His people from the
mighty? And secondly: does He have the right to release His
people who are justly held captive? Thus says the LORD in
v25: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away,
and the prey of the terrible be delivered. This answers the
first question yes, God is more than able to release His
people from mighty enemies. God can do it. He is able to
deliver us from sin.
His Banner, but also with judgement for those who refuse to
acknowledge the Saviour. In fact God doesnt really have to
do much in a sense; by refusing the Saviour they neglect their
own salvation they eat their own flesh, they drink their own
blood. They imagine they can satisfy themselves, but they
cannot. And in the end all flesh shall know that there is one
Saviour of the world, there is One Redeemer and its Jesus,
the Mighty One of Jacob. Dont be tempted to think God wont
save and dont be tempted to think God wont judge.
So when youre tempted to think its all for nothing, remember
Jesus and His Word He has called you and made you
unbreakable promises. When youre tempted to think that God
has forsaken you, remember Jesus and His hands you are
inscribed upon His palms. And when youre tempted to think
that God wont do it, remember Jesus and His blood shed for
you. Dont despair, look to Him!

The devil says, NO! Youll never be free from your burden of
sin!!
But God says, Theres power in the blood!
The devil says, Never! Would YOU over evil a victory win?! Believer, you are set free
But God says, Theres wonderful power in the blood!
from sin, because your
Dont give up fighting sin, dont give in to the devils lies, dont Saviour has served your
be tempted to think that God is unable to save you from
sinning this week, for here he says, the prey of the terrible
sentence for you.
will be delivered. Listen to your LORD! You are free to go!
And then the Lord answers the second question: Does
God have the right to release His people who are justly held
captive? In v24 Gods people are called the captives of the
righteous or lawful captives. What right does He have to
set prisoners free? Sinners deserve captivity. We deserve to
be captive forever.

What right does God have to release a sinner? And this takes
us to the very heart of the gospel, where Christ takes on our
debt of sin and pays for it in full. Believer, you are set free
from sin, because your Saviour has served your sentence for
you. You are free to go! Thats how the LORD can say in v25,
for I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will
save your children. Dont be tempted to think that God wont
do what it takes to save a sinner; Hes already done it at
Calvary. The just has died for the unjust to bring us to God.
Robert Johnston is minister of Knock congregation in East
Belfast. He is married to Julie and together they are blessed
And finally, dont be tempted to think that those who spurn (and kept busy!) with three young children; Ben (10), Luke (9)
the gospel will get away with it, for the chapter ends not only and Sophie (6).
with God willing and able to save sinners who come under

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 A lesson in perseverance from Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 31:31-34
From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of
Judah, even to this day, this is the twenty-third year in which
the word of the Lord has come to me; and I have spoken to you,
rising early and speaking, but you have not listened (Jeremiah
25:3)
J eremiah ministered for approximately forty years throughout
the reigns of three different kings (Jeremiah 1:2-3). The
last of those kings was Zedekiah and after his reign ended
Jeremiah spent his final days in Egypt with the captives who
had been removed from Judah (Jeremiah 43:4-7a). He wrote
the above words twenty three years into his ministry and
they summarise what his life as a prophet was like. Every
day he did exactly the same thing - he got up early, prepared
his heart and preached Gods word, but no-one listened.
Yet he never gave up at any time! Jeremiah is a remarkable
example of perseverance, and in this respect he is probably
only surpassed by the Saviour Himself who uniquely set His
face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). It has often
been said, and rightly so, that the Christian life is a marathon
and not a sprint. I hope and pray that this article will promote
stickability, as we appreciate afresh, not only the remarkable
example that Jeremiah sets before us, but also the necessity
of following in his footsteps. Some years ago Maurice Roberts
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wrote an article in the Banner of Truth magazine called The
Excellence of Plodding. Jeremiah teaches us how to plod! Lets
consider this subject along four lines.
1) Jeremiahs endurance
After leaving University I worked on a building site for a time.
During the summer months it was thoroughly enjoyable, but
once the winter set in, laying kerbs day after day soon lost
its attraction! Its one thing to engage in a certain activity
for a short time when the circumstances are appropriate;
its another thing altogether to engage in it for a long time,
especially when the going gets difficult. Jeremiah did the latter.
He preached on a daily basis for some twenty three years and
to a very large degree his words went unheeded. What a man!
Some of the people I admire most in life are those who
persevere through difficulties while still managing to remain
sweet. I once had the privilege of ministering to some little
old ladies in our Lisburn Road congregation. They didnt have
it easy in life because they struggled with loneliness, pain
and weakness, yet they continued to bring forth fruit in old
age (Psalm 92:14). What trophies of grace they were! Or
think of John Marshall who was a minister in the same church
in Hemel Hempstead for over forty years. At a Banner of
Truth conference someone once asked him if he ever felt like seen affliction by the rod of His wrath (Lamentations 3:1)?
resigning. His answer was: about once a week, but he never When trials are both long and hard, that makes perseverance
did! Latterly, Geoff Thomas has ministered in Aberystwyth for doubly difficult, but Jeremiah ran a good race. He endured,
an even more remarkable fifty years! To work in the school of like Moses, as seeing Him who is invisible (Hebrews 11:27).
hard knocks for such a long time as these men did is surely
proof of the reality of Gods grace. But they only reached this To use New Testament language, he endured hardship as a
lofty goal by following in Jeremiahs footsteps rising up early good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3). What an example
and speaking... We dont persevere automatically, as the book he sets before us!
of 2 Chronicles constantly reminds us. We read there about
men such as Solomon, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Uzziah, Asa, Josiah 3) Jeremiahs secret
and Hezekiah, and they all had one sad feature in common -
they fell in the latter stages of their lives. How true the words What was it that enabled this remarkable man never to give
of 1 Corinthians 10:12 are: let him that thinks he stands, take up? The answer is not really a secret at all, more an open
heed lest he fall! By Gods grace the example of Jeremiah secret, because God sustained him in exactly the same way
can prevent us from making the same mistake. Are you ever that he sustains every single believer. Jeremiah rose early every
tempted to give up? Remember Jeremiah. day, talked to the Lord, listened to what God had to say to him,
and then went out and ministered to others. He loved Gods
2) Jeremiahs hardship word (Jeremiah 15:16) and he knew the value of seeking God
(Jeremiah 29:13). These disciplines undergirded everything
To persevere faithfully in the things of God for twenty three that he did. Grace didnt come to him in one big dollop at the
years is a remarkable feat in any age, but the day in which beginning of his ministry; rather, he experienced Gods grace
Jeremiah lived was anything but ordinary. God called him to one day at a time. Paul emphasises the same truth in 2
minister in hard times - the period just prior to the captivity Corinthians 4:16. The inner man is renewed day by day, not
when the children of Judah were carried away to Babylon. week by week, Sunday by Sunday or month by month -
The two prominent notes of his ministry were repentance but day by day. The most beautiful words Jeremiah ever wrote
and judgment, themes folk do not readily want to hear also make the same point: His compassions fail not. They
about. Imagine being told at the outset of your ministry are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Here lies
that the message you have to proclaim contains twice as Jeremiahs secret - he lived one day at a time and in doing so
many negatives as positives! That was Jeremiahs portion he discovered the reality of Gods grace.
(Jeremiah 1:10), so its no surprise that he had a hard time.
The response of his hearers was perennially the same: you Its really no different today because Paul tells us that God told
have not listened. Life must have been wearisome for him: My grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9).
this good man, especially as he had In addition to that, God also gives more
to endure indifference for twenty Jeremiah rose early grace (James 4:6), even grace for grace
three years. Seeing folk converted
every day, talked to (John 1:16). In the latter phrase the
can be a wonderful tonic for Gods intimation is that grace comes to us like
servants, but Jeremiah was denied the Lord, listened to waves on the sea, new grace constantly
that comfort. In fact his reward for replacing old grace. This was Jeremiahs
faithfulness was a strange one - he
what God had to say secret, or rather open secret.
ended up in a dungeon, an incident to him, and then went Doubtless there were times when he felt
that always reminds me of a poem absolutely wretched, but he still continued
my Grandmother used to recite to
out and ministered as before. Sometimes depression would
me when I was a child: Im living in to others. set in, but he still got up, had his devotions,
Drumlister and Im in clabber to the went to work and then did exactly the same
knee. As for fellowship, Jeremiah thing the next day - every day of his life,
didnt enjoy much of that either. He appears to have had only until the Lord took him home. I doubt very much if he gave
a few friends, Baruch and Ebedmelech, so one of lifes great much thought the day God called him, to what might happen
blessings, the blessing of fellowship, was largely denied him. twenty three years down the line. Had he thought about that,
Is it any wonder he tells us elsewhere: I am the man who has he might well have been overwhelmed, even before he started.

9
 Its not our business to think about what may, or what might
not happen, in the future. Thats a futile occupation because
consequences belong to God, while duty belongs to us.
My times are in your hands (Psalm 31:15) - thats all we need
to know. So Jeremiah kept going day after day until twenty
three years passed, then forty, and now he is in heaven.
Can we not do the same? Theres a lot of truth in the words of
that well known country and western song: One day at a time
sweet Jesus. Someone has illustrated this outlook as follows.
A certain author wrote many books and one day a journalist
asked him how he managed it. He answered: I dont write
books. I just write a page a day, but after three hundred and
sixty five days I usually end up with a book, and I have done the
same thing for many years. Isnt life a bit like that? We look to
God on a daily basis. We write the page that He has planned
for us so to speak, and in doing so we discover that His
grace is sufficient . Then we keep on writing pages, day after
day, until the book of life is finished - the book that God has
ordained for us: And in your book they were all written, the
days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them
(Psalm 139:16). If God sustained Jeremiah on a daily basis, and
He did, then He can sustain us too. And if Im ever tempted to
give up, remind me of what I said in this article!
4) Jeremiahs relevance
This is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. Gods
people are called upon to persevere the same way as Jeremiah
did. Did our Lord Himself not say they that endure to the end
shall be saved? (Matthew 24:13). Of course our circumstances
differ greatly from Jeremiahs, but if anything our position in
the history of redemption actually reinforces our responsibility,
hence Pauls words: work out your own salvation with fear
and trembling (Philippians 2:12). The good news is this: if
Jeremiah could succeed, then we can too. Would we even dare
to compare our portion in life to his? Surely the lines have
fallen to us in much more pleasant places than Jeremiah ever
experienced (Psalm 16:6)? Surely if God could sustain an Old
Testament saint through far greater difficulties than we will
ever experience, can He not sustain us, especially as we enjoy
blessings Jeremiah knew little about? He predicted the new
covenant; we experience it. He possessed a partial revelation;
we possess a complete revelation. He looked forward to the
coming of the Lord our Righteousness; we can now look back
upon His death, burial, resurrection, as well as enjoying His
present intercession. Therefore, arguing from the greater to
the lesser, if he was able to persevere, we can too.
In conclusion, therefore, I urge you to purpose in your own
heart to persevere to the end, in every area of your spiritual
10
walk. If you are a young Christian, aim to be as godly as you
can possibly be, because if you do these things you will
never stumble (2 Peter 1:10). If you are married, endeavour
as a couple to set an example before others, so that your
relationship is a little shadow of the relationship between
Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:25-26). If you are a church
member (as every Christian ought to be), then persevere
with your local church unless the activities practised there
are patently unbiblical. Dont go down the route, (sadly
commonplace in our own land) of engaging in the spiritual
equivalent of musical chairs, going from one church to
another in an attempt to find the perfect church. Such
destructive behaviour tears the heart out of leaders, sets a
terrible example before an unsaved world and is often repeated
again at a later date, since you cant escape the pollutions of
your own heart. Dont go there! Above all else, make sure you
dont fall personally, because if you do, that is what folk will
remember you for, regardless of how much good you may
accomplish at other times. Scripture nowhere commends
anyone for quitting, but exhortations such as the following
abound: 2 Timothy 2:3; Galatians 6:9, Hebrews 10:38. Jeremiah
didnt quit, Isaiah didnt quit, Paul didnt quit and above all our
Lord didnt quit, so we mustnt quit either. And the good news
is this - we dont have to fall. Through the diligent use of the
means of grace, and the blessing of God, we can follow in
Jeremiahs footsteps.
Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling and to
present you faultless before the presence of His glory with
exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory,
majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen
(Jude 24-25).
Jeff Ballantine, a native of Co. Tyrone, has been a
minister of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church
for 25 years. He is currently ministering in
Groomsport, Co. Down, having previously served
in the Lisburn Road congregation.
 Justification by Likes:
The Christian and
Social Media
A t the outset of this article I must admit that I am no expert
when it comes to social media. I do have a Facebook
account which I use occasionally, but apart from that Im not
hugely in the social media scene. I remember one conversation
I had a few months ago when I was speaking to some young
people at our church about Snapchat (whatever that is!) and
one of them said to me, Andy, you cant go on Snapchat; its
for young people. I hope that in time I will find the strength to
forgive the offender for her comment
Many of our readers will be very familiar with the social media
scene, though I would imagine that for some it is all a bit
of a mystery. So I want to start by giving a very quick, basic
introduction to what we mean by social media. Heres one
definition that I found:
Social media are websites and applications that enable
users to create and share content or to participate in social
networking.
You can access social media with pretty much any device that
can connect to the internet so you can use social media on
your smart phone, your iPad, your computer, or even your
watch if youve got the right kind of watch.
Though there are quite a number of forms of social media, in
essence they all function in a fairly similar way.
There are basically two things that you can do on social media:
1) You can share things
There are various things you might share. You might share an
opinion, saying what you think about something. You might
share a photograph you have taken of something, or a video
you have filmed. Or, you might share an article or news story
you have read which you think is noteworthy, and so youll
put something on social media, encouraging people to go and
read this themselves. Once you have shared whatever it is you
want to share, then all the people who are connected with you
on that social media platform can see what you have shared.
Depending on your settings, it may be that absolutely anybody
in the world, so long as they have access to the internet, can
see what you have shared.
2) You can respond to things
When you see what your friends have shared on social media
photos of what they are up to, thoughts about certain things,
a funny video they have seen somewhere - you can respond to
those things in various ways. You can hit the button that says
like, or something similar. You can comment on it. You can re-
share it so that all your friends can see it as well.
This is something of an oversimplification, but as I understand
it all the different social media platforms boil down to a
variation on these two main activities. Sharing things, and
responding to things that others have shared.
Social medias rise
Over the last few years, social media has become huge. Various
studies have shown that, on average, teenagers today will
send, receive or interact with 400 messages per day, and over
the course of a year they will view about 600,000 Facebook
posts. They will spend generally between 4 and 8 hours each
11
 day on social media. Make no mistake; social media is a huge
part of life for the so-called millennial generation. You may
be surprised to hear that statistics show that the generation
who are currently in their late teens smoke less, drink less,
and sleep around less than their parents generation did. One
of the main reasons for this is that they are on social media
constantly!
What is good about social media?
Well get to the critique of it later on, but I dont want to give
the impression that social media is a bad thing, in and of itself.
There are, of course, concerning aspects of social media, but
lets start with the positives.
Social media seeks to meet our need for community. Humans
are social animals. Thats how God has made us. We crave
community and relationship. We are not made to live in
isolation from one another, but instead we are designed to
live in relationship with one another. In part, social media
seeks to facilitate all of that in an online context, for an online
generation.
Social media is a great way to stay in touch with people you
would otherwise have lost contact with long ago; friends from
school or university, distant relatives, old work colleagues.
Through social media, it is possible to keep track of where
people are and what is going on in their lives.
Social media is also a great way to share things, like the
announcement of a new baby being born, or news that youve
got a new job, or that youve got engaged, whatever it may
be. Social media provides a way that news like that can be
shared with hundreds of people at the tap of a finger.
Social media can be edifying. I often find myself reading
thought provoking Christian articles that people have shared.
Social media can be evangelistic, because it provides another
platform for the good news of Jesus to be shared.
And, as well as all of this, social media can simply be good
fun!
So, there are numerous ways in which social media can be
a very good thing. But, at the same time, there are certain
aspects of the social media world which, as Christians, we
ought to be aware of, and think about from a Christian point
of view. In this article, I want to focus on just two areas: social
media and depression, and social media and the gospel.
Social Media and Depression
When you scroll through your social media feed of successful lives, says the study.
messages, you are presented with post after post about
how wonderful life is for all your friends. Photos of their
12
perfect holiday in the sun, or their child holding the latest
prize they have won, or a friend on a night out with loads
of other friends, feeling popular and looking beautiful. The
image that people portray of themselves on social media is
almost always the very best bits of their life. On social media,
everyone has a perfect life. Of course, in reality their life is
nowhere near as perfect as its social media manifestation
would lead you to assume. In reality, it rained for most of the
holiday. Their children have terrible tantrums. That night out
with friends was filled with bickering and tension. But still,
they put a post on social media: Totes great night out with
amazing friends! #squad #bae #yolo
Imagine that youre sat at home, in your pyjamas, nursing a
cold, and youre scrolling through all of these perfect images,
and you cant help but make comparisons. That family had
a holiday in the Seychelles, and were only going to Portrush!
Their kids are top of the class, and my kids are not particularly
bright! Her teeth and hair look amazing, and mine are not! Of
course, it leaves you feeling
very downhearted about
yourself.
As more and more research
is done into social media,
it is becoming increasingly
clear that there is a very
strong correlation between
how much a person uses
social media, and how
depressed they are.
Consider the following
quotation, from an article in
Forbes magazine:
Researchers at the
University of Pittsburgh
School of Medicine recently
conducted a study about
the effects of social media
habits on the moods of users. The research determined
that the more time young adults use social media, the more
likely they are to be depressed. Compared against users
that viewed social media less frequently, participants that
use social media very frequently have almost 3 times the
likelihood of depression. Why would heavy social media
usage cause depression? The exposure to highly idealized
representations of peers on social media elicits feelings of
envy and the distorted belief that others lead happier, more
In other words, social media gives you the impression that
your life is nowhere near as good as the lives of most other
people. It causes you to compare yourself unfavourably with
them, and it drags you into depression.
In another study, a survey was conducted with a certain
number of people, testing their levels of happiness. These
people then went away and spent a week just going about
their normal lives, but without any access to social media.
After a week, they came back and went through the same
tests again, and it was found that their level of happiness had
increased by 5%. In a week!
The reason for this is simply that social media inevitably
causes us to make comparisons, and comparisons
stimulate our covetousness, and covetousness drags us
into depression. We need to remember that our life does
not consist in the abundance of our possessions, nor in
our childrens achievements, or in our looks, or our online
popularity.
As Christians, we have the perfect antidote to this
Social Media and the Gospel: Justification
by likes?
Social media preaches its own gospel to us. It goes
something like this
What you need most of all is to be justified that is, you
need to be declared right in the eyes of those whose opinion
really counts; your peers. But in order to be justified, you need
to present a perfect life. If your life is good enough, you will be
justified by likes.
Its a false gospel of justification by likes, but we take it in so
easily. If we post something on social media and it gets a lot
of likes and a lot of positive comments, we feel that we are
justified; we have been declared right by our peer group. We
are accepted. We have approval.
But then you post something the next day, and there is little
response on social media. No one seems quite so interested
in you today. And so you feel condemned, rejected, worthless.
So what do you do? You try harder. You work at trying to earn
your justification. The social media gospel is a works-based
message which puts all the onus on what you do. You have
to post something else, but this time, you spend a bit more
time on your appearance. You hold the camera higher up so
no one can see your double chin. You smile, or pout, that little
bit more. You try and say something a bit funnier, or more
profound, to get peoples attention. You do what you can
to get a few more likes. Youre trying as hard as you can to
present before everyone a perfect life, in order to win their
acceptance and approval. What is happening is that you are
being enslaved by the works-based false gospel of social
media which says that justification is by likes.
As Christians, we are set free from this enslavement. At the
end of the day, it doesnt matter how many followers you
have on Twitter, or how many likes you have on Facebook. It
doesnt even matter if, like me, youre too old for Snapchat!
What matters is that, through faith in Jesus Christ, you are
already justified. Youre already declared right. Youre already
accepted. You have received the approval of God himself.
Thats the only acceptance and approval that truly matters!
You dont need to try and present a perfect life on social
media, because on your behalf a truly perfect life has already
been presented before God himself. Jesus has lived a
perfect life for you. And Jesus has carried all of your failings,
all of your sin and guilt to the cross and paid for it there,
and risen again, and you are now clothed in his perfect
righteousness. All this you have received not through working
for it, but through faith alone in Christ alone. Every bit of
approval that social media gets you is nothing compared to
the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as your Lord,
and being found in him.
As a Christian, you can use social media; of course you can.
But use it wisely, with a renewed mind that is not conformed
to this world. Dont let social media be the thing that drags
you into depression. And dont listen to its false gospel telling
you that justification is by likes, because your justification is in
Christ alone.
13
 Christs Gifts
Ephesians 4:7-16
In our last article, Paul was talking about the way we walk.
Remember, you can tell a lot about a person from the way they
walk. A proud person may walk upright and with an air of self-
confidence. A busy person may walk briskly and with purpose, and
a shy person may walk with their head down, never looking anyone
directly in the eye. You can tell a lot about a person from the way
they walk.
But how are we to walk as Christians? Thats what Paul shows us in
Ephesians 4:1-6. We are to walk in a manner that reflects our high
calling as of those who have been redeemed in Christ (v1). Now what
does that look like? Well, it means that we will be a people who are
humble, gentle, patient, and long-suffering with one another (v2),
and we will behave this way, because we are eager to maintain the
unity that God has already given us (v3). And you will remember,
friends, how in v4-6 the apostle uses the number one seven times
to describe this fundamental unity that we have as believers. Pauls
argument reaches a climax in v6, where he says, one God and Father
of all who is over all and through all and in all (NASB). You see, it
is our extraordinary calling as a community of believers to reflect
the Fathers great plan to unite all things in heaven and on earth in
his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (1:10), and one of the ways that we
do this is by dwelling together in unity (cf. Thielman). What greater
motivation could there be for striving to maintain unity than this?
1) What has Christ done?
Thus far Paul has spoken in more general terms about this unity,
but in this article we come to v7-16 where the apostle speaks
more particularly about the role we have to play in attaining and
maintaining this unity. As Paul moves from the general to the
particular, he employs imagery from the realms of architecture and
anthropology. And as Paul employs this imagery, his focus is very
much on what Christ is doing.
14
We are going to look at three things in this article: What Christ has
done, what Christ has given, and what Christ intends.
So firstly, what has Christ done? What Christ has done can be
summarised in three words: He has triumphed! Drawing on Psalm
68:18, Paul pictures the Saviour as a triumphant military Commander
returning from battle (v8). In the ancient world, a victorious
commander would parade through the streets of his capital city, and
he would bring with him both the conquered in chains, and the spoils
of war that he would share with his people.
And friends, this is what Christ has done. Paul tells us that he
descended into this world (v9), that is, he entered this world through
his incarnation, and here he triumphed through his life, death, and
resurrection, over many strong and potent enemies (J. Fergusson).
Having triumphed, like a returning hero he ascended far above all the
heavens (v10), and to the rapturous applause of the host of heaven,
this victorious Christ sat down at the right-hand of God.
Because Christ has triumphed, he can now share the spoils of
his victory with the people for whom he fought so valiantly. Now
preeminently, those spoils are the blessings of salvation, but they
also include what the Larger Catechism calls gifts and graces (Q. 54),
and friends, Christ shares these gifts and graces amongst us! Paul
tells us (v7 NASB), But to each one of us grace was given according
to the measure of Christs gift.
Now we will take a closer look at some of the gifts that Christ gives,
and the reasons why he gives them, a little later. But just notice two
things with me at this point. Firstly, notice that Christ gives gifts to all
his people, and not just to a select few. Now that doesnt mean that
we have all been given the same gifts, but it does mean that we have
all been given gifts by the King of the church as a consequence of
his victory.
Secondly, notice that the distribution of these gifts is Christs
prerogative. Now again we will come back to this later, but it is
important that we grasp this foundational truth, that whatever
gifts we do have and whatever gifts we dont have, is Christs doing.
Friends, in the giving and withholding of gifts, Christ is King.
2) What has Christ given?
Secondly, what has Christ given? During his lifetime, Julius Caesar
had at least four triumphal processions through the streets of Rome.
It is estimated that money to the value of 65,000 talents (a talent is
75lbs), and over 2,000 golden crowns weighing a total of over 20,000
pounds were paraded through the streets.
Now from this enormous sum, Caesar gave We have all been
5,000 denarii to each of his soldiers, he gave
double that to his officers, and to the ordinary
given gifts by the King
people of Rome he gave 100 denarii each. of the church as a
We have seen that Christ has triumphed, consequence of
and as a consequence, he has won the right
to share the spoils of his victory with his his victory.
people. But what kind of gifts does Christ
give? Well, in our passage Paul mentions four (v11). Two of them
can be described as extraordinary (that means they are unique to
the 1st century church), and two of them are ordinary (that means
that they continue throughout the history of the church). Now the
extraordinary gifts are apostles and prophets, and the ordinary gifts
are evangelists and pastor/teachers (the Greek construction makes
it clear the when Paul speaks about pastors and teachers he has in
view the same office, i.e. minister of the word).
Now obviously these are not the only gifts that Christ gives to his
church, but for some reason Paul singles them out. But why? Well,
what do these four gifts have in common? They all involve teaching
in some shape or form. In v12 we read (ESV), To equip the saints
for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. Now,
commentators hotly debate certain aspects of this verse, but we are
not going to get entangled in those debates in this article. However,
it seems clear from this verse that Christ has given the gift of the
teaching ministry, so that his people might be equipped to fulfil their
own role in the wider church.
It is worth stressing two things here. Firstly, there is the importance
of the teaching ministry. We live in the day when people have all
kinds of reasons for choosing this or that church, and most of them
have very little to do with the teaching ministry. But heres the thing:
it is through the teaching ministry that Christ equips his people. So
that means the degree to which a particular church emphasises the
teaching ministry becomes incredibly important. Secondly, there
is the idea of every member ministry. The purpose of the teaching
ministry is to equip you, so that in turn, you might serve one another
and build one another up by the exercising of your own gifts. Now
in a moment, we will see what this looks like in a little more detail,
but at this point, we just need to grasp the truth that we are all to be
engaged in serving one another.
3) What does Christ intend?
Thirdly, what does Christ intend? When Caesar paraded through
the streets of Rome distributing all that gold amongst the people,
what was he hoping to achieve? Well, he was hoping to win over the
people, so that they might support his dictatorship.
Now, Christ gives gifts, and he gives gifts to all his people, and he
wants them to use those gifts. But what does he intend? What is the
Saviours goal? Well, as you read through our passage it becomes
clear that Christs goal is growth; growth of the body.
Now what is in view here is not numerical
growth, but growth in three important
areas. Firstly, Christ wants us to grow in our
understanding of the faith. He wants us to
become established and well founded in the
faith, so that we are no longer tossed here and
there by false doctrine. Secondly, he wants
us to grow in love for one another. And thirdly,
Christ wants us to grow in maturity.
We could unpack these three areas in more detail, but the central
truth that we need to grasp is that in order for this to happen, for
there to be growth of this kind, requires us all to play our part. It
requires us all to utilise those gifts that Christ has given us. Have you
ever seen an Amish barn raising, where the entire community comes
together and builds a barn? If you have, you will know how amazing
it is. I watched one on TV recently. They started at 7 AM and they
finished at 5 PM! In just ten hours, they built this huge barn!
Friends, this is what the church is to be like, and it challenges
the consumerist approach to church which plagues modern
evangelicalism. People come along and expect to be served, but in no
way contribute to the good of those around them. Friends, the risen
and ascended Christ has not distributed gifts amongst his people so
that we might be served by others. He has given gifts to us all, so that
we might serve. And by serving one another, together, we will grow in
faith, in love, and in maturity.
Rev. Andrew J. Lucas was born in London and grew
up in Buckinghamshire. He studied theology at the
Evangelical Theological College of Wales, and has
been minister of Omagh Evangelical Presbyterian
Church for the last ten years.
15
 OBITUARIES
FROM THE CHURCHES

Presbytery Day Conference Report

Belfast Bible College was the venue for the annual Presbytery Day Conference
on Saturday 22 April, 2017 and Rev Dr Bob Akroyd (Chair of Systematic Theology
at Edinburgh Theological Seminary) was the guest speaker. He spoke over two
sessions on the requirement for The Whole Church to take The Whole Gospel to
The Whole World. It was a message of challenge, but also of comfort and hope.
The provision of a crche and childrens programme run by our Knock and Finaghy
churches meant that parents were able to benefit from the preaching.
The middle session of the day was the annual meeting of Presbytery, with Mervyn
Langtry presenting a review of his moderatorial year. He referred to the Presbytery
reports which can be viewed at epcni.org.uk and encouraged us to read, reflect on
and pray over them. Mervyn especially thanked Harold Gibson, Clerk of Presbytery,
for his help through the year. At this point Mervyn relinquished his office and
handed over to the new Moderator, Wallace Thompson. Wallace professed himself
honoured and humbled and asked us to pray for him in his new position. He then
preached from the second epistle of John.
This year it was the turn of Stephen Johnston of Cheltenham
Presbyterian Church to bring news, greetings and prayer
requests from EPCEW (Evangelical Presbyterian Church of
England & Wales). Two ministers from the CRC (Christian
Reformed Churches) of the Netherlands also attended the
conference. As well as bringing greetings and words of
encouragement, Rev. Arjan Hilbers spoke in his capacity as
Missions Director for the CRC and notified us of CRCs intention
to support a proposed EPC outreach in the North-west of
the Province.
One of our missionary friends, Catherine Grier serving with
AIM in Chad, was interviewed in the afternoon meeting, aptly
illustrating Dr Akroyds theme of sharing the gospel with the
Whole World. The day finished with Dr Akroyd reminding us
that Gods word is always powerful, the kingdom of Jesus Christ
is advancing and lives are being touched and transformed by
the power of the gospel. The challenge is to share the passion
that God has for this world, to believe that the Bibles command
supersedes human logic and to remember that we can go
anywhere with our prayers. Now is the right time and we are
the right people.

16
FROM THE CHURCHES

Catherine Grier interview

In the afternoon session at Presbytery Day Conference, David
Watson conducted a brief interview with Catherine Grier,
serving with AIM in Chad.

DW Its lovely to have you joining us at Presbytery Day

Conference. The last time you were here your work was in
Bebalem in the south of Chad. Can you please tell us a bit about
where you are now and how it differs from Bebalem?
CG Im now much further north in Chad, and further east.
In Bebalem I worked in the hospital owned by the Evangelical
Church of Chad. People there had many opportunities to hear
about Jesus. In east Chad most people are Muslims and most
DW Is there persecution?
of them never meet a Christian in their lives and have no way of
CG There are some hidden Christians in east Chad,
finding out about Christianity.
because they would be thrown out by their Muslim families if
DW And how do you spend your time in east Chad?
they knew they were Christians.
CG I take a class teaching English to adults, which is fun.
DW Please tell us some specific things we can pray for.
And I spend time learning Chadian Arabic. What I really love
CG Pray that the nominal Christians attending the
doing is visiting women in their homes. Its not like here where
church would become true Christians. Pray that those in the
you phone up to arrange a visit- in Chad you just turn up! I do
church who are Christians would humble themselves and go
Bible story telling with them. Mostly they are quite happy to
to their neighbours and share Jesus with them. Then please
listen, especially to the Old Testament stories. There are a few
pray that my fianc, Aphia Tuwi, would be granted a marriage
who would not accept the stories.
visa so that we can get married in the UK.
DW If I can ask a personal question, Catherine, how do you
DW Catherine, thank you so much for taking time to talk
yourself keep fresh spiritually?
to us this afternoon.
CG Im part of the AIM team and one day a week we meet
for worship and to discuss and learn together. Then, it will really
(Since this interview took place, Aphias marriage visa has come
surprise you to hear that 1000 people in my town in east Chad
through. We thank the Lord.)
attend a French-speaking church. Sadly, there is a lot of fear
both ways and the people in church do nothing to mix with the
Muslims around them.

Quotations from the day

The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God Martin Luther
If this world is going to be reached, I am convinced that it must be done by men and women of average talent D L Moody
So we repudiate false gospels which deny human sin, divine judgment, the deity and incarnation of Jesus Christ, and the
necessity of the cross and resurrection Lausanne 1989
The gospel tells rebellious men that God is reconciled, that justice is satisfied, that sin has been atoned for, that the
judgment of the guilty may be revoked, the condemnation of the sinner cancelled, the curse of the Law blotted out, the
gates of hell closed, the portals of heaven opened wide, the power of sin subdued, the guilty conscience healed, the
broken heart comforted, the sorrow and misery of the Fall undone A B Simpson

17
 FROM THE CHURCHES

Crumlin Mums and OBITUARY - Miss Roberta Flack

Toddlers Group
Crumlin Mums and Toddlers group meets on a Thursday morning
from 10:30am until 12:00noon. We commence in the middle of
September and finish in the middle of June.
Our format remains the same as when we began way back in the
spring of 1990. There are even 3 helpers who have been involved
right from the beginning! Our hall is divided into three zones;
messy (paints and sand), activity (slide, house, ride-on toys)
and tables (play dough, books, board puzzles). The mothers/
grandmothers/childminders and the occasional brave man all
sit in a semicircle keeping a watchful eye on their children. All
the helpers work on a rota basis in order to give them a variety
of duties. After a short play time the children receive juice and
biscuits, the adults tea or coffee and a scone. After more play
time the toys are stored away and the children gather on the
mat to hear the story, after which we sing some choruses and
also happy birthday to any child who happens to have a birthday
coming up soon. We always begin in September with the creation
story and follow on with Old Testament characters, on to the
birth and teachings of Christ, interspersed with some object
lessons.
Crumlin village and the surrounding area now has at least 2 other
parent and toddler groups meeting, which has had a slight effect
on our numbers, but on a positive note this does give us more
opportunities to open up conversations with parents and also
there is less disruption at story time.
Considering that we have now been going for over 27 years
this adds up to quite a number of souls that have heard the
good news of Jesus at least once. Please pray for all those who
have attended and have heard about their need of Christ, for
those who are attending at the moment as some of them are
experiencing challenges in their lives and they greatly appreciate
a compassionate ear to listen to them, and for all the helpers as
we endeavour to be a Godly example to all those present.
Please pray that the biblical story books and childrens
tracts presented in June will be read, remembered and most
importantly responded to. Thank you!
Miss Roberta Flack was born on 23rd June 1923, and
was called home to be with the Lord on Sunday 19th
March 2017.
Roberta grew up in South Belfast and remained there
for the rest of her life. Sadly her mother died when
Roberta was only twelve years old. She was brought
up as a church-goer but came to faith in Christ some
years later.
Roberta lived a very full life working in different roles.
For some time she worked as a secretary for the
Unevangelised Fields Mission, while caring for her
widowed father.
She had belonged to Berry Street Presbyterian
Church, and then in 1990 joined the Lisburn Road
EPC congregation, moving to Finaghy when Lisburn
Road closed. She was involved in church life at
different times as a Sunday School teacher, treasurer,
and pianist, and positively sought to support and
encourage the church in its outreach work.
Roberta was very concerned for the wider world as
well. She was actively involved in local politics, keenly
supported the Christian Institute, and was ready to
stand up for what she believed to be right.
Many of us will miss her hospitality and friendship.
In recent times her health hadnt been so good and
it was frustrating for her not being able to do all she
used to. But now we are able to say she is with Christ
which is far better.
MH

Doreen Moore

18
FROM THE CHURCHES

MERF evening in Omagh

On Wednesday 22 March 2017 it was a delight to see the prayer room at Omagh EPC
packed to capacity to hear Victor Attallah of Middle East Reformed Fellowship (MERF)
speak of his work. Rev Andrew Lucas opened the meeting with prayer and all sang Jesus
shall reign whereer the sun (Paraphrase of Psalm 72). Rev Ian McClean (MERF deputation
secretary) gave announcements including a special welcome to the many visitors who had
gathered in. Mr Attallah (who was accompanied by his wife Lisa) read from Matthew 16
v13 - 20 where Jesus commissioned the disciples to go and preach the gospel.
He stressed the issue here is not physical or social but spiritual with reference to the Solas
of the Reformation. Mr Attallah spoke warmly of how the church is growing in Pakistan and
Indonesia and of vast growth in Iran and South Sudan. He gave a little historical narrative
on how MERF started in Lebanon in the early 1970s, and by the mid-80s it was registered
in South Cyprus.
He mentioned that now we are living in very special days as there is much disenchantment
with Islam, so people are now looking at the gospel alternative, with all the brothers
working in Iran being Muslim converts. The challenge was given that when people are
changed by the gospel then they make an impact for Jesus -is that true of us? The main
labours which MERF are involved in include 1) Evangelism, 2) Church Planting, 3) Biblical
training and 4) Diaconal Aid. Victor gave 2 main prayer requests: That MERF would not be
distracted by relief work, and to pray for the Church in Yemen which is growing quickly but
suffering terribly. The meeting closed with questions and the singing of We have heard the
joyful sound: Jesus saves! followed by supper.

19
 FROM THE CHURCHES

Birthday celebration!
After the evening service on Sunday 7th May the congregation of Stranmillis met informally to celebrate the 90th Birthday of
Miss Irene Brown.
Irene has been a member of Botanic Avenue/Stranmillis since March 1956 and served as congregational mission secretary for
over thirty years. She is a great example to us of faithfulness. Irene never misses the Sunday services or the Prayer Meeting and
actively keeps in touch with folks when they are ill or unable to get out to worship. We were reminded of these qualities and
gifts in an excellent speech of appreciation given by Mrs Sandra Hanna. Following this Mrs Florrie Gray presented Irene with
some flowers and Mr Mervyn Kelly led in prayer. GNB

On the move!
Due to our Rebuilding Project please note that from Sunday
6th August our worship services will be held in Stranmillis
University College (11.30am) and the Lisburn Road Hall
(6.30pm).
Further details from Rev Gareth Burke: 07803 282489

If you have children or grandchildren, teach children in church activities, or have a concern for the
spiritual good of any children you know, read on.
Authored by Irene Howat and aimed at children, Story-a-month Club does what it says on the
tin and emails a specially written, true story to Club members each month.
These are Irenes words: There is glitz all around our children in every form of media. The sad
thing is that todays glitterati are tomorrows cast-offs. When theyve passed their peak of popularity children are encouraged to move
on to the next rising star. Sadder still, many celebrities follow lifestyles that we would not want our next generation to copy.

Story-a-Month Club will introduce seven to thirteen-year-olds to real heroes and heroines, men and women who started life as
ordinary children like Club members, but who grew up to be used by God in interesting, courageous and life-changing ways. It aims to
set their imaginations on fire.

Irene has written many books, including 30 titles for children. In Story-a-month she interests
and inspires her readers by telling the stories of ordinary people whom God has used in
extraordinary ways. Recent characters have included CT Studd, the Earl of Shaftesbury and
Catherine Booth. For a small annual subscription, members look forward to receiving their new
story on the first of the month, along with an activity sheet and related pictures to colour, for
those with access to a printer.

For more information, or to sign up for yourself or on behalf of someone you know,
visit www.story-a-month-club.org.uk
Ballyclare Girls Bible Club enjoy completing their Story-a-month activity sheets

20
FROM THE CHURCHES

Sunday School Project

Winners...
Congratulations to the following children who won prizes in
the 2017 Sunday School project.
Projects were on Martin Luther.

Pre-school & P1

1st Emily McCain

Joint 2nd Rose Fairly & Jonathan Wright
3rd Edward Hobson Thank God for His gracious provision
enabling EPC to continue in the work of
P2- P3 the gospel in another year. Thank Him for
meeting the financial needs of the work and
1st Lucy McCain
for the generous giving of His people. Praise
2nd Amelia Bingham
3rd Sophie Johnston Him for freedom to worship and witness and
pray that as a church we would be calling on
P4- P7 God for blessing in the days ahead.

1st Sarah McMullan Thank Him for Mervyns Langtrys diligence

Joint 2nd Benjamin Johnston & Daniel
McMullan
Joint 3rd Peter Wright & Lauren Wright
Secondary
1st Emma Watson
Thank you and well done! to everyone who took part. A
special thank you to Marcus and Alison Hobson and Karen
Langtry who marked the entries.
as Moderator and pray for Wallace
Thompson as he takes up office.
Pray that Presbytery members would know
wisdom and guidance from God and that all
business would be conducted in a spirit of
love and truth.
Give thanks for the fellowship that has
developed between the EPC and the
Christian Reformed Churches of the
Netherlands and the Associate Reformed
Presbyterian Church in the USA, and for the
willingness of these churches to be involved
with us in church planting.
Pray for plans for a church plant in the North
West and for the identifying of a suitable
person to lead the work.

Thank God for the perseverance of John

Grier and our other brothers and sisters in
Hope Fellowship.
Pray about the urgent need for a pastor/
Read all about it! teacher to bring the work forward under God.

Read all about: Pray that the Lord would raise up men who
congregational statistics are gifted and called to the ministry and that
accounts the TOMA committee would have wisdom as
Presbytery business they encourage and mentor those in training
church development
international missions or considering Gods call on their lives.
public morals Give thanks for good progress in John
and more. Rogers studies and pray for him and
his family.
Its all there in the Annual Presbytery Reports for 2016.
Visit epcni.org.uk to download a copy.
21
 BOOK REVIEWS
Title: Parenting
RRP 19.99 Our price 14.99
Author: Paul Tripp
Publisher: Crossway
Published: 2017

What do I need most as a parent?

What do I need when my 3 year
old is having a tantrum, when
my 5 year old is angry and when
Give thanks for those who are seriously
my 8 year old is living through a
considering Gods calling into missionary
transgender transition of a peer? The gospel.
work, praying that from the earliest stage
Parenting is a book that teaches us, parents, the truths of the
both the senders and the sent will have
gospel in a truly refreshing way. Paul David Tripp sets out to
one heart and mind for the advancement
describe 14 Gospel Principles that can radically change your
of Christs kingdom among the nations.
family.
Continue to uphold in prayer those who are
As I have read this book I realised again and again that what
serving in mission:
I need most is the unchanging and ever present work of the
Sid Garland, based in Belfast but serving
Gospel in every facet of who I am as a person. The Gospel
with Mission Africa and Africa Christian
must be changing me every day before I even begin to teach
Textbooks (ACTS). Pray for his wife Jean
and model it to my kids. Tripp states that This book is meant
facing a difficult health challenge
to give you vision, motivation, renewed strength, and the rest
Pamela, Musa and Gracie Gaiya in Jos,
of heart that every parent needs. It is written to give you the
Nigeria with ACTS and Mission Africa
big gospel picture of the task to which your Saviour has called
Andrew and Eunice Moody with
you.
Crosslinks in Uganda/South Sudan, and
This is a must read for every parent, no matter where you are
Joy at school in Kenya
on your parenting journey. As a parent of three small children
Ed and Kate Underwood based in NI,
this book has made me laugh and cry. It has made me stand
with One Hundredfold and UFM
in awe of the Father heart of our great God and see how His
Peter Grier in student ministry in Munster
work in me shapes me for my calling as a parent. Principle 1
with Christian Unions Ireland
grounds the others, Nothing is more important in your life
Rev Stephen Atkinson promoting the
than being one of Gods tools to form a human soul. The rest
work of Christian Witness to Israel in USA
of the book enables us to see how Gods word equips and
Catherine Grier in Chad. Pray for her
informs us for this calling.
marriage to Aphia in July, after which they
It is biblically faithful and profound. It is a challenging,
plan to return to Chad serving under WEC
uncomfortable read at times as the gospel is applied to our
thoughts, fears and actions. It may be different to any other
Pray about the political future of Northern
parenting book you have read but a great place to reflect and
Ireland and for our politicians in Westminster,
grow as a person in the gospel. As you do you will rejoice
Stormont and District Councils, especially
afresh at how God loves our children and is at work through
those who are evangelical Christians. Plead
us in teaching them about Him.
with God that same sex marriage and
abortion reform will not be introduced here.
Esther Lynch, Dublin

Give thanks for faithful service by camp

leaders and the safety and protection of the
Lord year after year. Give thanks for the
outreach of camps to children outside the
church. Pray for children and young people
to be saved and grow in grace.

22
Title: Core Christianity: Finding
yourself in Gods story.
RRP: 10-99 Our Price: 8-50
Author: Michael S Horton
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2016.
Pages: 176
What do you believe? Why do you
believe it? All of us have stories
that determine our approach to life.
These narratives give rise to our beliefs, shaping our identity,
hopes, fears, and actions. However, taking the narrative for
granted we are unable to explain what we believe and why
we believe it. Therefore, in order that we can enter into a
conversation with those who ask, Horton said he wrote this
book with the purpose of helping Christians understand the
reason for their hope.
After providing an introduction orientating readers that
Christianity is Gods Story and why doctrine matters, the book
unfolds in ten chapters dealing with core Christianity. These
are:
Jesus is God (Christology); God is Three Persons (Trinity); God
is Great and Good (Attributes); God Speaks (Revelation); God
Made the World but Weve Made a Mess of It; God Made a
Promise; Joy to the World! (Incarnation); Jesus is Lord; What
Are We Waiting For? (Eschatology); In the Meantime: Callings.
These chapters may remind some readers of a systematic
theology, which it does not intend to be, yet it may perhaps
be the best book to introduce new readers to this discipline.
Some have stated that this little book is a systematic
theology, biblical theology and practical theology bound up
in one volume. I would certainly tend to concur with this,
and add that it packs in so much that its value should not be
underestimated. Each chapter is valuable with its own merit.
As regards Theme, Horton seeks to guide readers using
the four Ds: Drama, Doctrine, Doxology, and Discipleship. which in turn helps us apply this book to our lives and our
Throughout the book, Horton demonstrates that the Drama
gives rise to the Doctrine, which in turn results in Doxology or
Praise/Worship, and Discipleship.
This is perhaps the strength of Hortons book. He skilfully
demonstrates that we do not just believe in isolated and
abstract doctrines, rather, they arise from the Drama of
Redemption. Further, Doxology and Discipline are then no
longer merely subjective and based on ones individual
experience, but are in fact based on, and flow from the Drama
and Doctrine.
Readers who are familiar with Hortons works will notice
there is not much that is new in this book. However, this
is not a criticism. Horton is a skilled and deliberate teacher
who is also able to distil the work and labours of his larger
work The Christian Faith and provide a Summary in a sense.
Reading the book I was somewhat reminded of Berkhofs
Summary of Christian Doctrine and this book may perhaps be
of similar use in this generation. For this reader, the strength
of Hortons work is how he presents the Drama with the
Doctrine. This book would appeal to readers of various levels
and stages. Of particular interest is that one could almost
build a little dictionary of theological terms, as these are
helpfully outlined in brief explanatory notes and commentary
throughout. Further, the book is biblically faithful with sound
exegesis and helpful practical application.
I would thoroughly recommend this book as I found it
stimulating, refreshing, challenging, and edifying. The book
is also well written and in Hortons usual readable style. Be
prepared to learn and grow. Read and pass on or recommend
to a friend. Tolle Lege!
Reviewed by Andrew R.A. Green April 2017
Title: Learning to Love the Psalms
Author: Robert Godfrey
Publisher: Reformation Trust
Published: 2017
RRP: 15.99 Our Price: 13.50
Godfrey recalls how his love for the
Psalms goes back to belonging to
a church which primarily sang the
Psalms. This brought them to his
attention at a young age and, for
Godfrey, this early fascination hasnt diminished and, in fact,
has developed into a deeper appreciation and delight in them.
Godfrey breaks down the book of Psalms into six categories,
and begins each section with a look at the character and
structure of the Psalms which follow. He then takes a look at
six Psalms from each section, shows how they fit into that
particular theme and how each Psalm shows similarity and
divergence in terms of how they relate to the others. Each
of these six Psalms is studied and very simply explained so
that very quickly we gain a good understanding of the Psalm,
corporate worship in a more meaningful way.
That all 150 Psalms are not examined is not such a problem
here because the author has given an overview of each of the
Books contained in the Psalms and given examples of how we
can treat different Psalms from each category. What Godfrey
has done so well here is provide a useful template for how we
might begin to study the Psalms for ourselves, and it would
be appropriate then to use his methodology to take a look at
the Psalms not considered in this volume, in order to dig a
little deeper for our own edification and with the enrichment
of our congregations in mind.
Based on what has just been discussed, each chapter
concludes with a few questions which lend themselves to
further reflection or group discussion. There are 50 short
chapters in the book which makes it an appropriate book for
daily devotions, but why not get a few friends together or
start a reading group in your church and dig a little deeper into
the Psalms?
23
 Best of the Blogs
A selection of online blogs and articles to challenge and
encourage you in your walk with God and his people
A Wave of Worship (James Faris)
(www.gentlereformation.com/2017/05/10/a-wave-of-
worship/)
With gratitude we enter the worship and adoration already
stirred up, as it were, by our brothers and sisters around
the globe as we with them celebrate one Lord, one faith,
one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and
through all and in all. This wave of worship of the Creator
and Redeemer of the world will wash around the globe again
at the beginning of next week. Youre called to join it by
joining your local church. You wont want to miss the latest
expression of the greatest development in human history. Be
there!
Which Laws Apply? (R.C. Sproul)
(www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/which-laws-apply/)
To this day, the question of the role of the law of God in the
Christian life provokes much debate and discussion. This
is one of those points where we can learn much from our
forebears, and John Calvins classic treatment of the law in
his Institutes of the Christian Religion is particularly helpful.
Calvins instruction comes down to us in what he calls the
threefold use of the law with respect to its relevance to the
new covenant.
It was a sincere question and I was grateful for the sudden
opportunity to give an answer. As all eyes turned to me I
hesitated for a moment and then said the first four words I
could think of: the glory of God.
We Can Share in Christs Sacrifice and in All His Gifts (Kevin
De Young)
(https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/
kevindeyoung/2017/04/13/we-can-share-in-christs-
sacrifice-and-in-all-his-gifts/)
Whenever we eat the bread and drink from the cup, we not
only re-proclaim the Lords death until he comes again (1 Cor.
11:26), we re-convince ourselves of Gods provision on the
cross. So if you shed a tear at the Table, let it not be out of
boredom but out of gratitude and sheer delight.
The Particular Temptations of Young Men (Tim Challies)
(www.challies.com/articles/the-particular-temptations-of-
young-men)
I love to spend time with young men, to counsel them, and to
assure them that this time in their lives has great significance.
As we speak, I find a number of common temptations they
face while passing through their teens and twenties.

Theological Primer: Divine Infinity (Kevin De Young)

(https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/
kevindeyoung/2017/03/31/theological-primer-divine-
infinity/)
There are a number of ways to categorize the attributes
of God, but the most common way is to divide them into
Gods incommunicable and communicable attributes. Infinity
is one of the incommunicable attributes, meaning this
characteristic of God finds no analogy in the human person.
Most of us know the word infinity. Even kids love to use the
word (To infinity and beyond! I promise times infinity!).
We understand infinity to mean something like going on
forever and ever. But what does the word mean when applied
to God?

The Attraction of Reformed Theology (Kyle Borg)

(http://gentlereformation.com/2017/03/31/the-attraction-
of-reformed-theology/)
Sitting around a table I was enjoying some post-dinner
conversation with three theologically eclectic and charming
people when I was startled by an unexpected question: Kyle,
what is the attraction of Reformed theology?

24