The Evangelical Presbyterian - November-December 2002

7/28/2019 The Evangelical Presbyterian - November-December 2002

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EvangelicalPresbyterian Nov-Dec 200250p


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Evangelical Presbyterianis published by the Presbytery of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

Editor: Rev. Stephen Atkinson1 Lord Wardens Dr

Bangor, Co DownBT19 1YF(E-mail: [email protected])

Subscriptions:Annual subscription (six issues)Surface post: UK: 4.20

Rep. of Ireland and Overseas 6.50

Subscriptions enquiries to: Evangelical Book Shop15 College Square EastBelfast, BT1 6DD

Donations:If any of the Lords people wish to help in the work of the Church, pleasesend donations to the Honorary General Treasurer

Mr. J. R. McCormick6 Eileen Gardens

Belfast, BT9 6FW

GiftAid: Under the GiftAid scheme the Church can benefit by Income Tax return onany donation from someone who pays tax.Contact the Honorary General Treasurer for further details.

Internet: Visit the EPC Home Page on www.epc.org.uk

CONTENTSEditorial 1

Obituaries 2EPC Pulpit: 1Corinthians 9:19-27 J. Grier 4The Regions Beyond: A Bulwark of God H. C. Lindsay 9From Belfast to Haifa via Poland A. Prochaska 13Remembering Former Days:Whose Faith Follow J. Hunter 17The Messiah, GF Handel and John Newton H. Gibson 21Books etc. 24Making Progress with Pilgrim (6) - In the Meadow S. Atkinson 29

Cover Photo

by Harold Gibson


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Editorial:

75 years - and counting.

As a denomination we celebrate 75

years and remind ourselves of theprovidential history of the church overthat period. But we must be carefulthat we do not consider the historicaldata like an obituary notice. It is 75years and counting, in the Lords graceand favour.

While it is important and necessary

that we look back, it is also vital thatwith such historical education andspiritual inspiration, we look ahead.The faith and faithfulness of our fore-fathers are to be admired to stimulatesimilar devotion and sacrifice. Thesmallness and fragile nature of thoseearly days are to be remembered toencourage continued labour in a day ofsmall things. The discernment, andunflinching stand for truth is to be

maintained in our confused

ecclesiastical climate. Theuncompromised proclamation of thegospel is remembered with gratitude toGod, and we are compelled to deliverthe message in the same undilutedmanner.

Having said that we must also beaware that the world is a different

place, and while there is nothing newunder the sun, and the enemy hasntgone away, we must be careful totackle the issues of our day, ratherthan former days. We are to preach tomodern man, in his present-daybiblical ignorance and sin. We are tobring this life-giving message to 21stcentury man in his lostness and moralconfusion.

As I write this I am also in the process of compiling, and preparing for print,the History of Knock EPC. It has been a fascinating study, and as a Session weare delighted at the overall production, giving thanks to God for suchprovidential help locally over the past 75 years.

As we considered a front cover for our publication we did reshape, andrename the original front cover. Initially it simply was, The History of Knock EPC1927-2002. Although at first I found nothing wrong with this, it was pointedout to me that it seemed like an obituary notice. It gave the impression that wehad a history, but it ended in 2002! Thus we promptly changed it to The Historyof Knock EPC 1927-2002, sub-titled, 75years of Gospel Witness.


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OBITUARIESMrs Violet Troughton Richhill

Violet Troughton died in Newry Hospice on Friday afternoon, 20th Septemberafter an increasingly difficult and prolonged period of illness due to emphysema,compounded latterly with lung cancer. Violets association with the church inRichhill dates back to the ministry of Rev Mark Johnston but it was only duringthe last year that we were so thrilled to receive her into membership onprofession of her personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Although Violet had been housebound for a number of years she took an activeinterest in the work of the Church. She was a delight to visit and enjoyed so

Sometimes the preacher is accused ofpreaching against sins of a by-gone age,or of hitting out at heresies that acommentator of two centuries agowrote about in application. Obviouslywe are to be relevant in our sermonapplication, since we are to be relevantin the overall ministry of our church.

Hence there is a need for us as adenomination, to look ahead, and closethis anniversary year with the thoughtthat it is not 75 years - glorious past, but75 years, and counting (DV).

In our EPC Pulpit feature we includethe sermon delivered by the Moderator

at the Spring Annual Reports evening,where the all things to all menprincipleis earthed in the reality of NorthBelfast. Critical times demand radicalthinking, and without engaging ininfantile novelty falsely motivated, wemust engage in a strategic re-assessmentof our mission in the 21st century localmission field; a radical consideration ofour method, in the modern melting pot,while moving not a whit on message,which is of course, once delivered to thesaints.

Thus by Gods grace it will not be EPC75 years (- in memoriam), but 75 yearsand counting.

Corrections to September issue.In the last issue we presented a little sketch of the Rev Samuel Watson in recognitionof 25 years service to the EPC. It was noted there that Samuel and his wife Valeriehave four children. We regret, and deeply apologise for, the oversight in failing to

mention a fifth child, little Fiona, who died at 21 months.It was also noted by our able church historians that the front picture of Dr Gillespiewas of Dr JR Gillespie, and not as recorded, Dr JH Gillespie, his brother.


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much the fellowship of the Lords people. She encouraged others to come andworship with us in Richhilla number of whom took up her invitation andare now worshipping with us regularly.

Violet did not have an easy life but her faith and trust were firmly in the Lord.

In her latter days she got so much closer to God and before she died wasrejoicing that He was faithful to the end and was continuing to answer herprayers in very clear and remarkable ways. It was so noticeable that as her lifeon this earth was slowing ebbing away for the first time she had a strongassurance of salvation and longed for heaven.

Her family and friends will miss her so much. May God graciously fill thegreat gulf she has left behind. Just as we prayed for Violet so we assure thefamily circle and especially her daughters Mandy and Winnie of our ongoing

prayerful support.

Violets heartfelt desire was that the church in Richhill would grow bothnumerically and spirituallythat it might be used mightily to win many soulsfor the Lord and to build up the saints. She prayed earnestly for the salvationof her loved ones who were outside of Christ. May her prayers be graciouslyanswered even though her earthly course has been run.

Violets funeral took place on Monday 23rd September when the focus was

upon Christthe way, and the truth and the life. She will be greatly missed.

W L Elliott

Mrs Kathleen Smith Omagh

The members and friends of Omagh EPC have lost a dear friend in MrsKathleen Smith, who was called to her heavenly home on 19th July, aged 97years. She was a lady of high principles, friendly disposition and an example tothe rising generation. Her presence at the services, and especially the prayermeetings, when failing health made it most difficult, was a challenge and aninspiration to us all.

We extend to her daughter and son-in-law, Ian and Anna Harvey and all thefamily circle, our deepest sympathy, and assure them of our prayers in thistime of bereavement.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Psalm 116:15

Hugh Crawford


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Im glad you get a lot out of believing,I dont.

Its good for you to trust in Jesus, ifyou need that crutch.

Its OK for you to have faith, if youfind that it works for you, but it doesntfor me!

If you need to go to church, fine! Ifind that I dont need to.

We, then must ask ourselves - What liesbehind these comments?

EPC Pulpit

Reaching 21stCentury People

1 Corinthians 9 verses 19 to 27

b

The substance of a sermon preached at Moderators Missionary Rally in April 2002

I fear that I have been slow to realise that we are not in the 1960s and 1970s

anymore. The whole climate in the media and in the hearts and minds of thepeople around us has changed with amazing rapidity. There is now a thirdgroup in Ireland - the post Protestant or post Catholic post-modernmovement. Before we witness to them we must understand where they arecoming from. Thought systems, which have ruled for 200 years or more, havegone in the last 20 or 30 years.

As we go round the doors in Belfast, talk to our colleagues at work or chat toour neighbours and friends, what do we hear them say? Perhaps it is something

like this: -


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New CriteriaYou will notice that these and similarcomments are based on new criteria.Previously people asked, What is the

scientific evidence that this is true?Now they say does it feel right for me?Is it relevant? Is it convenient orcomfortable for my style? Does it workfor me?

New Mind SetPeople are open to anything and

everythingquite glad to admit thatodd things may happen. They say thatthey believe in the god of their ownunderstanding. In other words eachindividual constructs his or her ownfaith from incidents they haveexperienced. There is no big pictureuniting all human experience, merelydisconnected personal experiences

which are true for the participants andnot necessarily anyone else.

They think that any spirituality will do.On the positive front this usuallymeans that folks will be glad to listenand are not shut in by the sectariandivide, but negatively when we assertthat the gospel is unique, we find we

have outlived our welcome. We arethen told that we are all on the sameroad or that all roads lead to God.

New EthicsThere is now no accepted morality.Post-modern thought sees everyonetrying to be good or doing their best.

So there is no concept of wrong or sin.

There is no sense of Gods presence asa moral judge, little knowledge indeedof the God of the Bible. One authorcalled it the world of the knowing

smirk.AuthorityThere is no source of ethics; notparents, not church and not state. Eachof these is seen as trying to secure itsown ends. The government, the churchand the employer are seen as havingvested interests using spin-doctors to

achieve their selfish ends. Because thereis little trust, mass disillusionmentfollows. Because there is little loyalty,people are disconnected and alienated.

Summing up then, post-modern 21stcentury people dont like claims toultimate truth, ultimate good, ultimateauthority or ultimate accountability.

This attitude affects not onlyunbelievers but also believers in ourmidst and if we are honest we are underthis pressure ourselves. For exampleEvangelicals can find themselvespicking their church affiliation not bydoctrine but by the feel good factor.

Confronted by this mindset we turn to

what Paul told the Corinthians in thischapter. He calls us to three greatcommitments.

Commitment to TruthI do all this for the sake of the gospel. (v23)

As we love the LORD and his gospel,

we must continue

to contend for the faithonce for all delivered to the saints. The


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gospel is beautifully summarised inchapter 15 verses 3 & 4 Christ died forour sins according to the Scriptures, He wasburied, He was raised on the third day

according to the Scriptures and that Heappearedto more than five hundred of thebrothers at the same time. Here we havethe great doctrines of the Deity ofChrist, His atoning work on the Cross,His empowering resurrection and thetotal reliability of the God breathedScriptures. As we sang: -

Behold him there! The risen Lamb,My perfect spotless righteousness,The great unchangeable I AMThe King of glory and of grace!One with himself, I cannot die,My soul is purchased by his blood;My life is safe with Christ on high,With Christ, my Saviour, and my God.

If we change the message because ofthe pressures of our culture we havenothing to give our contemporaries.The unique news of salvation cannotbe amended to suit the age. 75 yearsago Professor Davey wished to do thisin his bookChanging Vesture of the Faith.He changed the faith as well as itsexternals.

Commitment to Change.

With our strong commitment tomaintain the truth, we must exercise aparallel commitment to change the waythat we communicate that truth so thatit speaks as clearly as possible to thechanged mindset of recent years

sometimes called post-modernism.

Paul says, I have become all things to allmen so that by all possible means I might savesome(verse 22).Similarly as we face post-modernism,we have to adjust the way we do thingsso that the precious message of thegospel is adequately conveyed. Paulcheerfully gave up his rights for thespiritual good of others. He gladly gaveup his Jewish heritage to reach thoseoutside Israel. If we are reluctant tocontemplate change because of the

richness of our Ulster Protestantheritage let us remember how rich aheritage Paul gave up as outlined inRomans 9 verses 4 & 5. Theirs is theadoption of sons, theirs the divine glory, thecovenants, the receiving of the law, the templeworship and the promises. Theirs are thepatriarchs, and from them is traced the humanancestry of Christ, who is God over all, for

ever praised! Amen.As we seek to communicate to ourBiblically illiterate contemporaries, wemust continue to be creative andimaginative in finding ways to givethem space and time to see the basicoutline of the Christian faith. Just as wehave always done in Sunday Schools

and Youth Clubs, we have to find away to teach the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50year olds what the faith really is.

Since they feel that church is for thecommitted, they wont come. They feelthat it would be hypocritical to pretendto a level of commitment that theyknow they do not possess. We need

those around us to feel a welcome to


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events where they can experiencescripture without commitment in a non-threatening environment.

There may well be a different time scalein our evangelism asJoe Publicis somuch more ignorant than hisgrandparents. An example of this isreflected by the fact that in ouruniversities conversions now oftenoccur not so much in the week of themission meetings as in the follow-upBible studies in subsequent weeks.

As our contemporaries distrustauthority including Biblical authority, itis for us to humbly explain how wecame to faith and gently clear away theclutter left by TV and other media.Often it is best to show howappropriate an informed Christian viewis on topics that interest our contact

such as Cloning.

Each location will need differentmethods. We need to find and usewhatever is best in each place. In ourwitnessing we have tried cassettes andvideos instead of tracts, which oftentend to get put in the bin. Others willuse methods such as laying on

evangelistic meals for those who dontknow how to hold a hymnbook but doknow how to hold a knife and fork.Meeting needs in the community suchas in Mother and Toddler groups workswell in many of our churches.

Christianity Explained orChristianity Explored courses bringMarks Gospel to to-days pagans.

Some of our friends in England have

moved their evangelistic SundaySchools to weeknights as the kids arentavailable on Sundays and theirevangelistic services to 4 p.m. on

Sunday. This is when the public havefinished the great sleep in and eatenbrunch but still leaves their eveningintact. We could research this.

Let us follow Paul. Let us become opento whatever changes enable us toproclaim the eternal gospel effectively.

Commitment to People.Paul says elsewheremy hearts desire forIsrael is that they might be saved. The samewarm affection for his contacts isfound here in by all possible means.

(i) It involves listening.

We have to humbly address their issues

from scripture. We can only find outwhere people are by listening to them.Picture the unbeliever in a cage of falsebelief. All too frequently I havefoolishly sought to storm the cage. Butthis has had the effect of making theperson in the cage reinforce the bars oferroneous belief to be safe in his cage.How much better to lay on an

attractive display of truth beside thecage and tempt them out.

(ii) It involves caring and sharing.

Love and concern can always beprofitably shown but particularly attimes of bereavement and trouble. Wecome both with the answers to

problems and with the gospel that willenable the answers to be put into


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action. Without the answers no one willbother with the gospel. Without thegospel no one can use the answers.

In our churches we need to know thenewcomers name and (if they want)also their family situation andemployment problems.

(iii) It involves welcoming.

It is a joy to welcome men and womenwhatever their past. In North Belfast

unmarried couples and single parentsare in the majority in most streets. Theyneed the gospel too.

Some of us are getting used to peoplewho dress differently, others of usadjust to friends who need a cigarettebefore and after the meeting. Woe to usif we cause a little one to stumble by

withholding a welcome.

Conclusion:

The Three Legged Stool.The three commitments are like a three-legged stool. All three legs are needed

to stand up. Caring and change withouttruth will lack meaning and power.Truth without change will lead to adying church separate and irrelevant tosociety. Truth and change withoutconsistent caring rings false.

One final word of warning. The burdenof ministering in this way is so huge

that it cannot be left to our ministerswithout making them liable to earlyheart attack, burnout or collapse. Thelistening, caring and welcoming mustcome from the whole body of themembership.

May God give us His grace that we mayby all possible means save some for the

sake of the gospel.

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Six months have passed since I arrivedhere in Moyobamba. As I look back, Iregard as one of the greatest blessingsamong many I experienced the privilegeof the companionship of Dr and Mrs

Mackay for two months before theirdeparture. And it would not do to leavethe bairns out of the picture! Many aromp we had together and many a wordin Spanish they taught me. They hadtheir own methods of correction, and letme tell you they were very effective!

MoyobambaThe longer one lives in Moyobamba themore it fascinates. It is hot at times, but

at moments when you are leastexpecting it there comes the mostdelightful breeze, or perhaps a short,swift tropical shower will clear away allthe sultriness and leave the air balmy

and sweet. To a person who dislikesnoise it is very restful to be in a placewhere motor-horns never honk,telephones do not ring and the din ofwireless is seldom heard. To be sure, thenight is never silent! Innumerableinsects keep up a continuous volume ofsound; superficially there is discordancy,but running through all is an underlying

rhythm that soothes.

The Regions BeyondThe Regions Beyond

A Bulwark of God

By Dr H C Lindsay MD

It is appropriate in our anniversary year to look back on our first missionary. This was DrHarold Lindsay, member and Deacon in our Knock church, who went to Peru in 1937.Here is an article from him, just six months after his arrival.

We will appreciate his descriptive skills as we read, and we will hopefully feel somemotivation as we sense his evangelical zeal towards the people he had come to serve.

It is interesting that the young lady, whose recovery from sickness he mentions in the finalsection, became his wife.

We give thanks again for everything Dr Lindsay accomplished in his seventeen years inPeru, and also for the work of all who followed him to overseas service.


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Holding the FortThe sinister effects of the subconsciousare much emphasised to-day, but as forme, I can find sufficient of interest in

the conscious past without worryingabout the other. There is a story whichcomes to my memory from earlychildhood. It is about a little Dutch boy,who was walking one day alongside agreat dyke. He noticed in one place asmall leak. Knowing that the resultwould be disastrous if this were allowed

to go on, he thrust in his arm andstopped the leak till help came. Thesmall boy has his counterpart in the littlemissionary band whose privilege it is tohold the fort in Moyobamba. Each of usdesires to have no strength of our own,but rather to lean fully on Him whosegrace is sufficient and whose strength ismade perfect in weakness. It is about

what corresponds to the dyke that Iwant to write. It is a stout bulwarkagainst a sea of evil and superstition andsin. It has been erected at great cost bythe industry, patience and organisinggenius of those who have gone before.

The HospitalThe hospital stands in its own grounds.The lower storey consists of a male anda female ward, a private room and anoperating theatre. Above are the livingquarters of the nurses and Biblewoman.Morning and evening prayers are heldand are a source of untold blessing. Afew weeks as a patient often changes anenemy into a friend. Few of them leave

without a Bible or New Testament. We

had one patient recently in the privateward, to whom Miss Macmillan sold aBible, and up to date she has sold sevenamong his visitors. One of these is a

Doctor of Law; he told her he hadalready a version in Latin.

The hospital has accommodation forsixteen beds. A short time ago we hadfifteen patients in at one time, but it wasa terrible crush. A handsome newbuilding has been added in recent years.It abuts into the street and makes a

useful entrance to the main block. Thereare two storeys to it. Below, in thecentre, is a commodious waiting-room,flanked on one side by the dispensaryand on the other by the consulting-room. Above are three roomsthe drugstore, a room for dressings, and alaboratory. A verandah on both floorsgives plenty of space for an overflow of

patients.

For the doctor, work in hospitalcommences at 7.30 a.m. The Bible-woman makes a much earlier start. Ameeting is held among out-patients at6.15 a.m., at which tracts are distributed

and, when possible, Bibles and portionsof the Scriptures are sold. The doors of

the consulting-room are opened thenight before, as sometimes patientsactually pass the night there.Consultations often go on till twelvenoon, with the exception of a shortbreak about ten o'clock for a weaknessof mine - a cup of tea!

During the morning nurse attends to the

needs of in-patients and then proceeds


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to clear off, with great skill and rapidity,row upon row of out-patients fordressings, opening of abscesses,injections, etc. The evening is kept free

of consultations, to give time foroperations and visits. New additions tomedical equipment are constantlyneeded. This year the biggest item hasbeen a new sterilizer. It arrived inexcellent condition and is in first-classworking order. It is a great comfort tohave such an up-to-date fixture at ourconvenience.

The Mission HouseThe Mission House is a pleasantdwelling-place. It is built in Peruvianstyle. The balcony gives a distant viewof mountain and hills. Below is thegarden. In it roses and many beautifultropical plants grow in profusion. There

is usually a plentiful supply ofvegetables, besides oranges, lemons anda delectable fruit called papaya. A figtree planted a few years ago has grownto such an extent that I can literally situnder my own fig tree! It bears fruit.

Peruvian WorkersWe have at present three pastors, whichenables us to keep a man in Saposoa,Rioja and Moyobamba. Their names areDon Manuel Morals, Don AlejandroTuesta, and Don Valentin Velasquez.Each is gifted in his own way. The first-mentioned is the oldest and longest withus. He has been through deep waters.

A few Sabbaths ago, while passingthrough Moyobamba from one stationto another, he preached on

Contentment. One sensed that DonManuel had found the secret of beingcontent. The second-named is a greatfavourite everywhere. He speaks

English well and reads it still better. As aconsequence he has access to ourtheological literature, of which he makeseager use. Don Valentin in his preachingis at times monotonous. He makesprobably the best house-to-house visitorof them all. Smiling, affable and the soulof good nature, he will make contactssometimes where others fail.

There is a student in Lima at present, intraining. He is due to commence hissecond year shortly. Going back withhim is one of the most promisingcandidates that will have left here for along time. His name is Luis Torrejon.He has already preached with greatacceptance here on different occasions.

Dr. Mackay wrote me from on boardship that the matter of this boy's futurewas much on his mind. I know he willbe delighted, as are all of us, at thedecision which has been made.

The New ChurchThe subscription scheme launched

about one year ago has succeededbeyond all expectation. The amountcollected up to date is about six hundredsoles, i.e., the equivalent of 30 sterling.There is much evidence of real self-denial in giving. One man came to mewho had been off work for some timeon account of sickness. He is the fatherof a family of eleven and one of the best

subscribers. Payment is usually made ona fixed day at the beginning of each


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month. He came to pay some weeksbefore the time in case the money hehad trysted to give might be spent whenthe usual time came. Two donationsrecently came from home in the sameletter. One was a sum of ten guineasfrom a doctor in the North of Irelandand the other 8 10s from the boys ofSherborne Preparatory School,Dorsetshire. The latter figurerepresented the half-term collection forspecial objects. The headmaster tells methat such was the enthusiasm for our

proposed church, the amount taken wasa record for many years.

LiteratureLiterature is an important weapon in ourarmament. Eight hundred copies of atwo-sheet paper calledEl Heraldo aredistributed free each month. TheRenacimiento is a well-organised monthlymagazine of twelve pages. Itssubscription is about one shilling in theyear. We have almost seventysubscribers to it. Among its contributorsare numbered many of the best-knownnames in evangelism in Latin America.In its catalogue of books listed for salethere is an imposing array on

controversial subjects. A differentialcount of these from a copy taken atrandom gives the followingfigures:Romanism 46; Adventism 4;Communism 6; Spiritism 2;Pentecostalism 1; Russellism 1. Otherliterature distributed includesElMensajero Biblico, the organ of the CostaRica, andMensajes del Amor.

Bible salescontinue to be satisfactory.

Next to the whole Book the greatestdemand is for a combination of Psalmsand the New Testament. The SGM.portions are distributed in greatnumbers.

Sabbath SchoolThe Sabbath School is well attended.The roll numbers just under twohundred. A slow but steady increase in itcontinues to take place. At present it hasseven Peruvian teachers.

Two Blessings and a Need

In closing, I would like to make knowntwo blessings and a need. It is a sourceof deep thankfulness to God that ourBible-woman, Miss Matheson, has beenrestored to us again in good health.Although back only a few weeks she hasalready gathered into her capable hands

the former threads of her manifoldactivities. The writer, after a tryingperiod of suspension, has been givenpermission by the authorities in Lima topractise for one year.

A great work has been accomplished inMoyobamba, but much still remains tobe done, especially in other villages.

There is a movement among themulberry tops in many places wherebefore there reigned but the stillness ofdeath. With the present staff manyprecious opportunities have to beallowed to slip. An ordained missionaryis badly needed to consolidate our gainsand to carry to still waiting multitudesthe message of the Evangel.


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From Belfast to Haifa via Poland

by Andrew Prochaska

After enjoying Gods rich and manifold

blessings in Northern Ireland, includingthe privilege of being part of theStranmillis EPC, I found myself againin my hometown of Lodz in Poland inDecember 2001, following over fouryears of absence.

The Evangelical Church in Lodz turnedout to be warm and friendly fellowship

of believers. It is virtually the onlyevangelical congregation with a soundreformed input in this city of nearly 900thousand; the result of the influence theEuropean Missionary Fellowship BibleSchool in Welwyn had upon one of theelders of the church during his studiesat the school.

After spending two months in Poland Imade my way to Haifa, Israel, to

assume a post-doctorate position in the

Israel Institute of Technology. Most ofyou have learned about Israel since theSunday school period and many havehad occasion to see it themselves, withan emphasis put on visiting the Biblicalsites and admiring the natural beauty ofthe place. Besides these, another veryinteresting aspect, is the countrys

complex and very dynamically changingsociety. Despite its small size of justover six million people, it features avery high level of diversity on thereligious, cultural and political level anddefies most of the Jewish stereotypes,perfectly reflecting the saying thatwhere two Jews meet, there are threeopinions. Around eighty percent of

the society are Jews (including a smallfraction of non-Jewish immigrants),

PhotoAndrewP.jpg


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and the rest are Arabs. Most of theJews came here during the past centuryfrom the world-wide Diaspora; mainlyfrom Poland, Russia, Romania, North

Africa, Middle East and South America.During the past ten years, following thefall of communism in the Soviet Union,over one million new immigrants fromthe former Soviet republics have cometo Israel, thus drastically changing theface of the Israeli society in a relativelyshort time. Just imagine Ulsters societyenlarging itself within 10 years by over

400 thousand people coming withoutany command of English and most ofthem possessing little more than theirpersonal belongings!

Although the official language isHebrew, Russian is heard virtuallyeverywhere. Many elderly AshkenaziJews (i.e. those coming from Central

and Eastern Europe) can still be heardspeaking Yiddish which is a mixture ofGerman and Hebrew, and not a few ofthose from Poland can still speakPolish.

The vast majority of the Israelis arecompletely secular, with their way oflife, apart from holidays and the

military service, being not muchdifferent, from that of many Westernnations. The religious people make upabout 15% percent of the population.These can be further divided intoorthodox; who despite their religiouscommitment play an active role in thelife of the society, and ultra orthodox

(usually clad in black); who completelydevote themselves to their religion and

many of whom even refuse toacknowledge the legitimacy of the Stateof Israel until the coming of theMessiah. These two groups are the

most opposed to the spread of theGospel in the land.

Due to the specific geo-politicalsituation of the country, life in Israelbears certain characteristics unique onthe world scale. Since the verybeginning of its nearly 55 year-oldexistence, being surrounded by hostile

Arab countries populated by 350million people, which have constantlysought Israels annihilation, the countryhas had to undergo an intense strugglefor its survival which consisted of fivewars with its Arabic neighbours - noneof which it could afford to lose.Everybody at the age of eighteen isconscripted to military service (except

for ultra-orthodox Jews and mostArabs); the men for three years andwomen for two. Moreover, every manis bound to do a reserve duty onemonth a year, until the age of forty.This is one of the reasons why, everyyear 10-15,000 Israelis permanentlyleave the country in the pursuit of

easier and safer life in other parts of theworld, such as Canada or Australia.

The waves of Palestinian terrorism,called Intifadas, have added to theoverall strain in the society. Most of thepublic places, including universities,schools and kindergardens, areequipped with armed security guards

checking all the newcomers. Since theoutbreak of the last Intifada two years


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ago, even wedding ceremonies havebeen usually accompanied by armedmen with machine guns in order toensure maximum security.

The amount of daily events taking placein the country is such that checking thenews every hour is simply not sufficientto keep up with what is happeningaround, it being another unique featureof life in Israel, especially at the presenttime.

Despite the current security problems

the society maintains its informal, openand friendly attitude with a very lowcrime rate.

The Church and the GospelNow, let me say few words about thechurch and the spread of the Gospel in

the land. The societal diversity which Imentioned before, is reflected in theways different groups respond to theGospel as well as the makeup of thechurch. The most open group to hearand positively respond to the GoodNews of salvation are immigrants fromthe former Soviet Union, who areproportionately the biggest ingredient

of the church in Israel. Most of thesecular Israelis have usually an agnosticor atheistic mindset with their heartsclosed to the Gospel, although manydont mind listening and entering intoreligious discussion. Interestingly, manyof them acknowledge Jesus as a Jewishhistorical figure and a Jewish teacher

The religious Israelis are rarely ready tolisten about Christ and their reaction

usually consists of opposition.Substantial efforts are being made bypart of the Israeli religious communityto curb the Christian freedom in the

land. Among others, these effortsconsist of trying to pass legislationprohibiting any form of evangelism andsponsoring anti missionaryorganisations which harass theindividual believers (including deaththreats) and opposing any form ofoutreach.

The believing community in Israel,most of which dates back to less than20 years ago, numbers around 7000people in some 60 congregations acrossthe land. This does not includePalestinian believers in the West Bankand the Gaza Strip.

I have been in close contact with two

churches. The first one isGrace and

Truth, a reformed Baptist churchconsisting of the congregation inRishon Le Tzion and a smaller offshootgroup meeting in Asquelon. Itcomprises around 400 people(including children), most of whom arethe immigrants from the former SovietUnion.

The second church, called Bethesda, isan open Brethren assembly in Haifa. Itconsists of about 100 members,constituting a very warm fellowship ofboth Jewish and Gentile believers. Dueto its proximity I attend their mid-weekprayer meetings and Bible studies.

Grace and Truth


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Grace and Truthhas become my newspiritual home, and is one of the tworeformed churches in the land and thebiggest one overall. Several members of

the church, including the pastor BaruchMaoz, are involved in the work ofHaGefen Christian publishing house inIsrael which is supported by theChristian Witness to Israel.

The services are simultaneouslytranslated from Hebrew into Russian,English and Sign language, the latter

one for the deaf members of thecongregation. Due to its relatively bigsize and a very limited space of thepremises, two years ago thecongregation embarked on a newchurch building project which ifsuccessfully completed will be the firstsuch project in the land since Apostolictimes. Due to its uncompromising,

open and bold attitude in proclaimingthe Gospel, outstanding on Israelsscale, the church is regarded as a bigthreat by part of the Jewish religiouscommunity in the country (which thechurch takes as a complement). An anti-missionary organization Yad LeAchimand several religious members of theKnesset (Israeli parliament) haveengaged in a legal battle aiming athalting or delaying the constructionwork at the new church building. Thechurch services are often attended byspies from Yad LeAchimwho try tofind out information about theindividual members of the congregationand subsequently try to persuade their

employers to lay them off on the basisof their Christian faith - an action

which is against the Israeli law. As aresult of one such attempt a churchdeacon has recently lost his job. In a sofar unprecedented move, the church

has decided to fight a legal battleagainst the employer in order to restrictsimilar intimidation of the believers inthe future. The case, if successful, mayhave an important impact on protectingChristian freedom in the land. Yourprayers are much solicited.

Every year the church hosts a 3-day

conference in Haifa with an invitedspeaker from abroad. The last suchevent took place in May when JimAdams, a reformed Baptist pastor fromArizona, delivered a series of lectureson spiritual life. The talks wereaccompanied by an evangelisticoutreach on the streets of Haifa inwhich also deaf members of the

congregation took part as well ascommon fellowship and worship withan Arabic congregation from the northof the country.

For more information on the life of thechurch please refer to the churchswebsite:www.graceandtruthbulletin.org.

Ending, let me wish all the readers theabundance of Gods grace in andthrough His Son Jesus Christ.

Andrew Prochaska


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RememberingFormer Days

In this EPC anniversary year we wishto bring to mind the former days byreprinting some articles from the veryfirst issues of this magazine. The battlefor truth remains. This article was first

printed in The Irish Evangelical inOctober 1942.

The one whose name this page so oftenbore is now with his Lord; on Sabbath,20th September (1942,Ed.), our belovedleader, Rev. James Hunter, M.A.,

entered into rest.

EARLY LIFE AND MINISTRYMr Hunter was born atNewtownstewart, Co Tyrone, in 1863.He studied at the Royal BelfastAcademical Instutition and QueensCollege, Belfast, and graduated at theRoyal University of Ireland with FirstClass Honours in Classics. Hisacademical record was an exceptionallydistinguished one. The scholarships,exhibitions and prizes won by himreached a total of around 250. Here isthe testimony given of him by C.D.Yonge, M.A., Regius Professor ofModern History and English Literature,

Queens College, Belfast, and Fellow ofthe Royal University:

In the twenty years that I have been aProfessor at Queens College, there hasbeen no student who has distinguishedhimself more highly, and who has done

so in more than one department. Thesubject to which he chiefly devotedhimself was Classical Literature, inwhich not only in this College, but in theRoyal University also, he obtained thehighest Honours attainable by anundergraduate, being in the finalexamination for the B.A degree not onlyin the First Class, butfirst in that class,

and obtaining the same distinctionin theexaminations for the M.A. degree. Andin this College, in the examinationswhich take place at the end of eachsession in the various subjects, he wasalso on every occasion the best man inthe year in my subjects.

Like testimony was borne to him by

President J L Porter, ProfessorsHastings Crossley, and Thomas Dougan

WHOSE FAITH FOLLOW (Hebrews 13:7)BY

Rev James Hunter


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of Queens College, and ProfessorsMatthew Leitch and Robert Watts ofAssemblys College.

But when Mr. Hunter was ordained in

1st Newry Presbyterian Church in April,1888, he humbly declared, Novelty ofthought or of diction, commandingpower of speech, I cannot promise, butonly such attractiveness as comes fromthe plain statement of the plain truth ofGod. On that occasion he pledgedhimself to the cause of God and our

Saviour Jesus Christ.After a ministry of one year and sevenmonths at Newry he was called in 1889to Belfastto Dundela (name changedto Knock in 1920). At his installation,on being presented with a pulpit gownand Bible, he said that the gownreminded him of the duty of being the

same person when attired in the gownthat he was when it was off, and hepledged himself with the help of Godto speak from the bottom of his heartwhat he felt convinced to be the truthas well in the pulpit as out of it. TheBible reminded him of another dutyThey did not expect him to be anoriginal investigator, nor to forge for

them a new creed out of the fragmentsof the old, but rather to present entirethe old faith once delivered to thesaints. It would be for him then towalk in the old paths.

He spoke of the necessity of the powerof Gods Spirit to make the preachingof the truth effective in mens lives, and

expressed his fervent desire that hisspeech and his preaching might be, not

with enticing words of mans wisdom,but in demonstration of the Spirit andof power. In concluding he declaredhimself not averse, should it be the

will of God, to the prospect of manyyears at Dundela, if only he might beowned at the last as a faithful stewardof the mysteries of God. In the issuehe did continue some 35 years asminister of the Dundela-Knockcongregation. It is some indication ofthe influence of his ministry throughthe blessing of God that the church

was enlarged three times during thoseyears.

When he retired in 1924, it was notwith the intention of ceasing hislabours. Indeed his crowning effortswere yet to come. On his retirement hewished to devote himself to the defenceof the Word of God. In this cause he

was willing to speak anywhere. (Forexample, he gave addresses every weekon the great doctrines to a Bible Classattended by several hundred youngmen in 1925 and 1926.) He had forlong realised the need of this. Therewas a drift from the orthodoxy ofCooke and his associates; there was agreat departure from the old paths.

CONTENDING FOR THE FAITHAll along he stood for the faith. Whenits attitude to the Free Church ofScotland was under discussion by theGeneral Assembly in 1905, Mr Huntertook the lead in maintaining that therewas ground for the stand made by the

Free Church, and he gave somequotations from the United Free New


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Theology men which made the U.F.representatives present at the Assemblylook rather glum.

Against all innovations in the interestsof Modernism he set his face stedfastly.Over 30 years ago there was asuggestion by a leading Belfast divine tochange the formula of subscription. MrHunter raised the standard ofopposition and the attempt wasabandoned for the time.

He was a member of a number of themost important committees of theAssembly, and in these as well as on theAssembly platform, all through theyears his voice was raised for the faith.

Then in June, 1925, the drift in theIrish Presbyterian Church was furtherevidenced by the General Assemblysappointment of a Committee toconsider a change in the questions putat ordination and the formula ofsubscription to the WestminsterConfession. Mr. Hunter spoke inopposition to the proposal, but it wascarried by a majority vote. He was amember of the committee appointedand at its meetings he argued strongly

against the changes proposed by thosein sympathy with Modernism.

S.O.S.In the following winter and springnotes from the lectures of thePresbyterian professors were madeavailable to him by the present writer,

then in his final year at the College.Using these notes and other evidence

that lay within his knowledge he issuedin May, 1926, S.O.S. Nos. 1, 2, and 3to Irish Presbyterians. At the sametime he formed the Presbyterian Bible

Standards League, in connection withwhich in the year that followed headdressed large and enthusiasticmeetings in Belfast, Londonderry,Ballymena and here and there over thecountry, travelling on two occasions asfar as Co. Donegal.

At the Assembly of 1926 the whole

matter which he had raised was beforethe court. He spoke at a number of itssessions in a tense and excited house,justifying his conduct in issuing theS.O.S. and attacking the Modernism ofthe College.

In the following winter he tabledcharges against Prof. J.E. Davey (now

Principal) in the Belfast Presbytery andprosecuted the matter through 14sessions of the Presbytery in Februaryand March 1927. The stirring scenes ofthe morning of the first session (Feb.15th, 1927) were such as to leave nodoubt in Mr Hunters mind mostlikely he never had anyas to thetreatment he and his charges might

expect. Rage and hostility weremanifest from the outset. ThePresbytery acquitted the Professor bylarge majorities on each of the fivecharges brought. Mr. Hunter appealedto the General Assembly, but theAssembly gave him a similar receptionand approved of the Professors out-

and-out Modernism by a vote of 707 to82. Shortly after Mr Hunter demitted


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his position in the Irish PresbyterianChurch and soon the Irish EvangelicalChurch was formed to carry onuncompromising witness to the faith

once for all delivered to the saints.From that day he was among us in thisChurch a wise counsellor and leader, afaithful friend, an able minister of thenew covenant, an unflinching defenderof the faith. From 1928 until his deathhe acted as minister of our Knockcongregation.

COURAGE AND FAITHFULNESSMr Hunter would have escaped theoffence of the Cross if he had beencontent to be disloyal to his Saviour.But he kept his pledges to the plaintruth of God and the old pathsmade at his ordination and installation.This brought him often into conflicts,

but he never flinched. He counted thecost and went straight oneven whenothers turned back. He preferred tolose, and did lose, friends and officeand emoluments, rather than sacrificethe truth of God. The Lord be praisedfor His servants faithfulness!

DEVOTION TO DUTYOne of the last duties he undertook,though weak and unfit, was to visit oneof his congregation who had met withan accident. This was characteristic ofthe man. It was the outcome of habitsof faithfulness through a long ministry.

He commenced his article for the lastissue of this magazine and it was only

on being urged to spare himself that he

desisted.

He was preaching with his usual vigourlittle more than a month before hisdeath, so that he was 54 years in the

active ministry of the Gospel.

PREACHINGProfessor J. McMaster, D.Litt., ofMagee College, when Mr. Hunter hadbut finished his course in College, paidtribute not merely to the thoroughnessof his scholarship but also to him as

possessing the clearness of judgementand aptness of expression which markcultivation of intellect as distinct frommere accumulation of learning. Thesequalities were shown in his preaching.He had a wide experience of men andaffairs; he read widely and travelled far(China, U.S.A., Palestine, Greece, Italy,Russia, Germany), and his experience

and knowledge and his marvellousmemory were all put at the service ofChrist for His glory in the preaching ofthe Word.

PERSONAL CHARACTERThose who maligned himand there isno denying that at times he was greatly

malignedsaid he was harsh and bitter,even unchristian. No doubt similarcharges were made against the apostlePaul who spoke so strongly concerningthose who perverted the gospel ofChrist and who withstood Peter to hisface because he was to be blamed. If attimes in his early career he was so wellspoken of that he pondered the

Saviours word, Woe unto you, when


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all men speak well of you!, in hisbattles for the Lord in middle and laterlife there was clearly no need for himto fear that woe.

For the refutation of the charge ofharshness it would be sufficient if wecould have a peep into many heartstoday which sorrow as they mourntheir loss, sayingOur father, our father,the chariot of Israel and the horsementhereof.

His character was one of singularelevation. One could not but mark hishigh moral standard, his aversion to allthat was false and hypocritical, his

hatred of vice and compromise and alldepartures from rectitude. Abhor thatwhich is evil, cleave to that which is goodwas a precept exemplified in his life.

Let us hear the words of his prototypein the Pilgrims Progress, Mr.Valiant-for-Truth, when the summonscame for him: I am going to myFathers; Now I do not repent meof all the trouble I have been at toarrive where I am My marks andscars I carry with me, to be a witness

for me, that I have fought His battles,who now will be my rewarder. Sohe passed over and all the trumpetssounded for him on the other side.

As Christmas time approaches one ofthe events that many people attend is

a performance of Handels greatoratorioMessiah. Great Cathedrals andmagnificent Concert Halls will echo tothe sound of this wonderful music.When performances of the oratoriowere at their height in London in 1784a series of sermons were being givenin a London Parish Church. Therector was expounding the texts on

which Messiah was based to hiscongregation.

HANDEL

George Frederic Handel was born on23 February 1685 in Halle, Saxony.His father was a surgeon and hismother the daughter of a Lutheranclergyman. As a young boy he showeda remarkable gift for music and hisfamily encouraged this talent. He hadthe opportunity to hear excellentmusic in Halle both in the church and

in the civic hall.

The MESSIAH, G F Handel andJohn Newton.

By Harold Gibson


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While at University he served asorganist for one year in the Reformed(Calvinist) Cathedral in Halle. Hemoved to Britain in 1710 and became a

British subject in 1726 enabling him tobe appointed a composer of theChapel Royal.

Handel worked diligently composingmany operas and they were met withvarying degrees of success. By 1741 hehad written about 40 such works butOpera was facing a serious decline in

London for a variety of reasons.Owing to that decline Handelconsidered a change of direction in hislife but such a change provedunnecessary.

THE MESSIAHThe Duke of Devonshire, LordLieutenant of Ireland, invited Handelto furnish a work in aid of a collectionof Dublin charities. To assist in thiswork Charles Jennens, describedelsewhere as a worldly cleric, sentHandel Biblical texts and it is on thesetexts that the oratorio is based. On

receiving these texts he set to workwith great enthusiasm and wrote theoratorio in a few weeks beginning on22August 1741 completing it by 12September 1741.

The first public performance tookplace in Dublin on 13 April 1742before an audience of some 700. One

Dublin newspaper reported: The

Sublime, the Grand and the Tender,adapted to the most elevated, majestickand moving Words, conspired totransport and charm the ravished

Heart and Ear.

During Handels lifetime, Messiahdidnot obtain the popularity that itachieved in later generations.

No regular performances were givenuntil the last few years of his life whena number of performances were staged

in aid of the Foundling Hospital.Handel died on April 20th 1759.

A grand performance to celebrate theforthcoming centenary of his birth wasgiven in Westminster Abbey in 1784.Large audiences attended and fromthis time onward Messiahgained greaterpopularity not only in London but in

Europe as well.

JOHN NEWTON.John Newton, whose life story andwonderful conversion is well known,became Rector of St. Mary,Woolnorth, London in 1780. In 1784

he became aware of the intenseinterest in Messiah in London society.He writes, Conversation in almostevery company, for some time past,has much turned upon Handel..

Newton was concerned that the largecrowds flocking to Westminster Abbeyto listen to the music and the words

might just miss the true meaning of


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what he calls the several sublime andinteresting passages of Scripture,which are the basis of that admiredcomposition.

Newton speaks of a plan that hadcome to him rather unexpectedly. Hetold his congregation of his intentionto lead their meditations based on thelanguage of the oratorio and so begana series of some fifty sermonspreached in London during the years1784 and 1785. *

In his opening sermon Newtonremarks But they who love theRedeemer and therefore delight to joinin his praise, if they did not find itconvenient, or think it expedient, tohear the Messiah at Westminster, maycomfort themselves with the thought,that in a little time they shall be more

abundantly gratified. Ere long, deathshall rend the vail which hides eternalthings from their view, and introducethem to that unceasing song anduniversal chorus, which are even nowperforming before the throne of Godand the Lamb.

While Handels oratorios took biblical

texts they were never considered to bechurch music. Church music was, infact, scorned by the civilised tastes ofthe time. Just a couple of years earlierCharles Wesley had penned his nowfamous carol Hark the Herald Angelssing with the line hail the incarnatedeity underlining the fundamentaldoctrine of God made man.Messiahspeaks only in generalities of Jesus.

Newton continued to preach his waythrough the texts setting before hiscongregation the doctrines of our Godand Saviour Jesus Christ. Writing in

the preface to the published sermonshe says, Messiah is the leading andprincipal subject of every sermon. Hisperson, grace and glory; his matchlesslove to sinners; his ability andwillingness to save to the uttermost;his kingdom, and the present andfuture happiness of his willing people,are severally considered, according tothe order suggested by the series oftexts.

While Newton was not a great lover ofHandelsMessiahand was indeedconsidered by many to be harsh andcritical of it, he acknowledged thatothers thought differently from himand in the closing sermon he says,permit me to hope and to pray, thatthe next time you hear the Messiah,God may bring something that youhave heard in the course of thesesermons, nearly connected with thepeace and welfare of your souls,effectually to your remembrance.

*The Works of John Newton, Vol.4,Banner of Truth Trust 1985.


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Books etc.Opening Up EphesiansPeter JeffreyEvangelical Press

102 pages 4.95

Reviewer: Stephen Atkinson

Opening Up Ephesiansis the first in a newseries of what is hoped will be acomplete Opening Up of the entireBible. It is not a preachers

commentary, but rather moreparticularly designed for young adultreaders, or youth group Bible studies.Having said that, it is not simplistic,retaining depth and good Scripturalexposition. In his own words, theauthor desires to be accurate, simpleand brief, and wants to put the

cookies where you can reach them.There are some good punchy lines:A Christian is not a repaired sinner; heis a new creation in Christ. (p24)

I did wonder about whether I got anAmerican copy for review when Idiscovered that in a Lloyd Jones quote,a word was spelled the US way!

Questions to Think About come atthe end of each chapter and provide auseful basis for group Bible Study, andat the very end of the book there are afew pages giving further guidanceDigging Deeper into Ephesians.

Evangelical Press have recentlyembarked on two major series in TheGuide, and this Opening Up series. Theyeach have slightly different targets and

purposes. But as both are aimed at theyounger generation I wondered a littleover the merit of two such majorprojects? This reviewer nonethelesscommends them both!

The Valley of Vision

(leather-bound Gift Edition)

Arthur Bennett

Banner of Truth

432 pages 19.95


What a beautiful reprint of a book Ihave loved and regularly returned to forover almost two decades. I first boughtthis in 1984, suspicious of Bannerproducing a book of prayers! My fears

were soon removed as I was led intosome wonderful views of God, and Ifound myself drawn to say silentAmens to these wonderful writtendevotions from favoured pens such asBrainerd, Baxter, and Bunyan,Spurgeon and Toplady, Watts, andWatson .

Let me learn by paradox that the waydown is the way up, that to be low is tobe high, that the broken heart is thehealed heart that to have nothing isto possess all, that the valley is theplace of vision. (- from the openingprayer by the compiler).

Before thy cross I kneel and see the

heinousness of my sin, my iniquity thatcaused thee to be made a curse, the


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evil that excites the severity of divinewrath Sin is my malady, my monster,my foe, my viper, born in my birth, alivein my life, strong in my character,dominating my faculties, following meas a shadow Let me walk humbly inthe lowest depths of humiliation, bathedin thy blood, tender of conscience,triumphing gloriously as an heir ofsalvation. (p.74)

Under the conviction of thy Spirit Ilearn that the more I do, the worse Iam, the more I know, the less I know,the more holiness I have, the moresinful I am O wretchedman (p.128)

How rare is such a spirit, even in ourown hearts. Use it to restore such holybreathings. Give it, in either thepaperback or this beautiful leather GiftEdition, to draw others to similar heartpraying. I recommend it most highly.

Journey with David BrainerdRichard A Hasler

Soli Deo Gloria

120 pages $9.95


First published in 1975 by Inter-VarsityChristian Fellowship of the USA, this isa devotional help made up of selectedcuttings from the diary, journal andletters of David Brainerd (1718-1747),the famed missionary to the Indiansduring the Great Awakening.

It presents us with devotion, zeal and

compassion hard to find in the modernworld, and if used to stimulate personal

prayer and communion with God, wecan run with no better companion.Each chapter is a two page devotionalcomment, with an (added) appropriateprayer.

Just in case we think all was rosy in hislife, there is much written andexperienced concerning the DarkNight of the Soul, and clear testimonythat even for Brainerd there were timeswhen the devotion did not come easy.

He died at 29 years, thoroughly spent

for God, and the best part of the bookis the last section which gives usviewpoints from Bunyans BeulahLand; that is, Brainerd, within sight ofeternity. This perspective is somethingwe would all do well to have before usall our days.

Useful bedside companion.

King of the Cannibals(The Story of John G Paton,Missionary to the New Hebrides)

Jim Cromarty

Evangelical Press

288 pages 8.95

Reviewer: Joe Hutton

It was C. H. Spurgeon who onceintroduced John G. Paton as The Kingof the Cannibals. Though spoken witha hint of jest, making John Paton smile,it does however pay a fitting tribute tothis faithful servant of God.

The book traces the life of John Paton

from his birth in Scotland and showshow the rigours of life in those days


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were used by God, in his providence, toprepare him for the life of hardship,danger and dedication he would becalled upon to endure. John Paton was a

man of immense courage and faithwhose loyalty to the gospel and theSaviour he loved so dearly is an examplefor us all to follow.

An added benefit of the book is theappendix at the end of each chapterwhich gives practical application ofspiritual truths and poses searching

questions for the reader; good for youngand old alike and very challenging.

We see too the many and sometimesgreat sacrifices these pioneermissionaries were called upon to makein order to bring the gospel to thesedark corners of the earth. Yet theirlabours were not in vain in the Lord, as

we read of many who were the vilest ofoffenders being transformed by thepower of the Gospel into trophies ofGrace. Many of these were in turn usedby God to take the Gospel to their ownneighbours to great effect.

This book will seriously challenge yourChristianity. I commend it to all.

Is God past his sell-by date?

John Blanchard

Evangelical Press

272 pages 6.95

Reviewer: Neil Campbell

Here is the latest in a series of books by

John Blanchard aimed at defendingbelief in God and pointing non-

believers to Christ. While targetedspecifically at atheists, agnostics andthose who seriously doubt the claims ofChristianity, this book will be of much

wider interest. Indeed, the content isthoroughly challenging, both toChristian and non-Christian.

The book is readable and logical, wellresearched and structured. It presentsclear evidence from history, astro-physics, genetics and other branches ofscience to prove that belief in the God

of the Bible is not out of dateJohn Blanchard writes with a compellingstyle. So much so that the book isdifficult to put down once started.Beginning with a clear setting out of thepositions adopted by those who notonly dont believe in God but also areactively antagonistic towards

Christianity, the reader is confronted byarguments that demonstrate how falseand futile the unbelievers stance is.

The text is skilfully interwoven withquotations from relevant literature.Arguments against God and faith inScripture are thoroughly squashed. Eachchapter ends with personal testimony

from people drawn from various walksof life and backgrounds. These makeuseful and interesting illustrations ofChrists saving work that complimentthe presentation of the issues.

A recommended read for anyonesceptical about the Christian faith, as atonic for Christians beleaguered by the

modern world and for use in personalevangelism. Also, there is a wealth of


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issues for Bible study and discussiongroups.

Gods Design for Women

Sharon James

Evangelical Press

364 pages 8.95

Reviewer: Cathy Campbell

At the beginning of the 21st centurymany women still struggle with thequestion of identity, self worth andtheir role in society. The world around

us judges by appearance, lifestyle andoccupational or relational success. Weare presented with images of perfectlygroomed, happy and fulfilled women.Yet, many are left feeling inadequateand some even depressed. In this bookthe author offers hope andencouragement, painting a very

different picture of the successful,fulfilled woman, based on the richesand truths of the Word of God.

Sharon James is a pastors wife and amother. She is involved in womensministries and, with her husband, leadsthe Council on Biblical Manhood andWomanhood in the UK. Her

background ably qualifies her to writeabout the topic of Biblicalwomanhood. The book itself isevidence of an incredible amount ofbackground reading and research.

Firstly, Sharon James discusses thehistory of feminism and how societysattitude to women today has been

influenced by feminism. A secondsection deals with Gods design for

women. God made men and womento be equal and complementarytheman in the leadership role; the womanas helper. She goes on to give

examples of roles that women canfulfil in ministry within the church,devoting chapters to ministry insingleness, marriage, motherhood andto women at workall based onBiblical principles.

This is a book for Christian men andwomen to read as it deals with issues

that are fundamental within a true andfunctioning Christian society. Athought provoking and enlighteningread. However, as the authoracknowledges, discussion around sometopics leads into controversial territory.Study material is included but carewould need to be exercised in its use,given the sensitive nature of some of

the issues.

Preaching: The Centrality ofScriptureR. Albert Mohler

Banner of Truth

24 pages 1.25


This latest addition to Bannersbooklet series brings us to 2Timothy4:1-5 and the charge given by Paul toTimothy to Preach the Word. Inreminding us of the importance ofpreaching we are given some of themost shocking statements of modernday liberals I have recently read. The

author quotes Professor EdwardParley saying The Christian church is


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summoned to the apostolic task ofpreaching the good news, and to preachbiblical passages is to reject thatsummons. (p12) Furthermore we are

informed of a statement from anotherso-called scholar David Buttrick whosays For the better part of thetwentieth century, preaching and theBible have been wrapped up in a kindof incestuous relationship. (p13) Weneed to remind ourselves that suchtheologians exist.

The author humorously parodies histext by imagining Paul writing AllScripture is problematic and some issub-Christian, but is nonethelessprofitable for myth, eschatologicalvision, narrative understanding andinterface with our humanity. Yes,remind ourselves also that some peopledo live in that world of academic

theological nonsense. For many thisbooklet on Preaching will be preachingto the converted, yet it reminds us, inour forgetful day, of primary issues andthe primary calling of the Christianchurch.

Daily Grace from the Gospel ofMark

George M. Philip

Evangelical Press

183 pages 7.95

Reviewer: Jim Stephenson

George Philip gives us one hundredand eighty three meditations coveringthe whole Gospel of Mark, each one a

page in length with at least onecorresponding scripture reading, usually

from the New Testament.

The author who was minister ofSandyford-Henderson MemorialChurch of Scotland in Glasgow for

forty years is to be commended for thisexcellent book. It is easily read yetlaced throughout with strong meat; agood commentary as well as a warmdevotional.

In the reading for day sixty entitled,Lessons for Service from Ch.6:6-13Mr Philip describes the danger of being

a loner in Christian service. Having noone to consult with, infallibility mightbe assumed. We are reminded that wecan be wrong. The disciples werecalled and then sent out two by twofor good reason. We are reminded thatin ministry and missionary service weneed to recognize the need to maintain

contact with our home base.He further describes how there issomething wrong with the attitude ofthose Christians who have neveractually joined a church or those whohaving joined have refused to becomepart of the regular prayer life of theirown congregation. In commenting on

verses 8-9 the subject of the multiplicityof activities and that of our main callingis touched on. Thus we find his advicealways most practical.

This guide could be used with greatbenefit by the individual, familyworship or by a group. Highlyrecommended.


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making progress with pilgrim(for pilgrims of all ages)

- (6) IN THE MEADOW -

(John Bunyan presented the world with a wonderful picture of Christian experience in The PilgrimsProgress. We continue to retell some of the main parts of the story.)

Going for a walk along a country road can be a pleasant experience, as long

as you keep to the main road, and dont venture off on any little track.

Dangers can lurk around the corner.

Christian had just passed through Vanity Town, where Faithful had been

put to death. Further along his journey the Lord provided him with another

friend called Hopeful. They soon found they had a lot in common, andenjoyed each others company. They walked along the Plain of Ease, and

took particular notice not to be distracted by Demas at his Hill called Lucre.

The Crystal River especially refreshed them, but shortly after that they came

to a stile with a notice over it pointing to By-Path Meadow.

The road on the other side looked a little easier. Christian thought they

should go over, and Hopeful followed him. But things werent easier at all.

It began to get dark. They then thought they should return the way theycame, but it got so late that they had to simply find a place where they could

get some sleep.

In the morning they discovered they were in great trouble. They were on

land belonging to a Giant who took them prisoner in his Castle. The Giant

was called Despair and their journey had come to a halt in Doubting Castle.

Now, there are many aspects to our pilgrim life, as we follow the Lord Jesus

Christ, that are pleasant, even easy. We might say we too have walked alonga Plain of Ease. Sadly many are distracted by that Hill called Lucre as they

give all their attention to getting money. Perhaps you have avoided that one,

but have you ever slipped into that side track called By-Path Meadow.

Following the Lord Jesus is a straight and narrow road which we must not

turn off. If we do, the path is certainly not easier, and there are giant

dangers around, not least a despair that can hold us for some time. How

shall our friends escape? Well see next time. What is your method ofescape?

Are you making progress with Pilgrim?


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Transcript of The Evangelical Presbyterian - November-December 2002