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IN THIS ISSUE....
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'Ecclesia reformata semper reformanda est'
the Reformed Church is always reforming
Editor
Gareth Burke
33, Onslow Gardens,
BELFAST,
BT6 0AQ
Phone: 07803 282489
Email: gnburke@yahoo.co.uk
World Cup fatigue..................................
Pray for those in authority.....................
Meet Marcus............................................
Finaghy ordination.................................
Using the internet for your beneht........
Photos of events.....................................
The Indwelling Spirit...............................
The Return of Christ...............................
Save the dates........................................
Darwinism & Hitler..................................
Book reviews..........................................
Dear Rev...................................................
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F1RST WORD
WORLD CUP FATIGUE
As you begin to read this edition of the 'Evangelical Presbyterian' you will be relieved to note
that the World Cup is almost over. t began on Thursday 20th June in Brazil and during the
past month thirty one nations have been competing against each other. A total of sixty four
matches will have been played in twelve different cities across Brazil. n many households
there has been a little tension over these past weeks. That tension has focussed especially
around the TV. n some households not everyone has wanted to watch so much football.
There are those who enjoy Wimbledon and other notable sporting events who were most
unhappy if other family members were insisting on constantly watching soccer. Mind you, even
the keenest of football fans is bound to have become a little fed up with the whole thing by the
time the competition reached its fnal stages.
All this World Cup talk has, remarkably, made me think quite a lot about heaven. This might
initially surprise you how can an international football competition create an interest in
heaven? n two ways.
Firstly, there is the sheer amount of football being played. Many folks will just become weary
of the whole event as the weeks go by. However, when we get to heaven, even though we are
going to be there forever and ever we will never grow tired or weary of the experience.
As you read through the Bible it is clear that heaven is not a static experience for those who
are found there. We will be forever increasing in our knowledge of God and of his ways and
ever increasing in our appreciation of the beauty and sinlessness of the place.
The other aspect of the World Cup that reminds me of heaven is the international aspect of the
competition. Teams are drawn from all over the world. t is a truly multi-cultural, international
event. The Bible is clear that in heaven we will be surrounded by men and women drawn from
every nation of the world.
So heaven will be not be boring. A rich variety of people will be there and they will never grow
tired of it. Of course the key question for each of us is 'Will be there?' The good news is
that through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, can be sure of heaven. f 've turned from
my sin and trusted in Jesus then heaven is my future. What a place!
4
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Why should we pray for those in authority? We may often do so
out of habit but it's important to think Biblically, so let's look at the
instruction we're given in 1 Timothy 2 v.2.
The overall context of Paul's exhortation is one of praying for
all kinds of people. We are to pray for people of all nations and
backgrounds, for God 'desires all men to be saved and to come to
a knowledge of the truth' v. 4.
But why single out those in authority?
'For kings and all who are in authority' covers a wide range of
people. There were different rulers then as now: emperors,
kings, governors etc. Evidently this didn't mean simply people
in authority that we might like or be sympathetic to or even those
who might be Christians; rather we should pray for all in authority.
What is important about them that calls for our prayers?
We need to realise the signifcance of the civil authorities in
the Bible. Romans 13 verses 1 and 4 remind us that the civil
authorities are appointed by God for our good: they are called
God's servants.
We need authority in this world. Man at creation was given that
task of having dominion over the earth: 'You have made him to
have dominion over the works of your hands.' There was authority
at the beginning. Authority is important in the home, in the church,
and in society in general. Chaos results if everybody is able to do
just as they please.
So we see this is part of God's goodness, his common grace, that
there is order. t's important that we don't see government simply
as a human construct. Even in a democracy it is God who has put
rulers in that position. So here is a reason to single them out for
prayer: they have a particular role, a role which God has ordained.
Think of the many places where the Bible refers to rulers, not just
kings of srael, but rulers in general e.g. Prov. 16: 10-15; Eccl. 8:
2-4; Ps. 2:2.
n prayer we are to be mindful that God is the God of the whole
earth. We don't live in some bubble unaware of the world around
us. We must pray for those in authority.
For believers
But there's another reason given in this passage: the authorities'
infuence and effect on the life of believers. We have to live in the
world - John 17:15 ' do not pray that you should take them out of
the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one.' We
live our lives, our daily calling, eating and sleeping and all that we
do in this world. There are Christians today and in history who
have taken separation from the world to an extreme and been
unconcerned about what's going on around them.
So Paul encourages prayer mindful of how we are affected by
those in authority. We are to pray 'that we may lead a quiet
and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence'. Now this
isn't a desire motivated by self-interest. Rather the concern is
how we are to live before God and the world around us. They
were to desire this so they could live with all 'godliness and
reverence'. The word 'reverence' here may be better translated
as 'seriousness' or 'dignity'. t describes a life of piety, living in the
fear of God, keeping a good conscience,
but also a life that is respected in the eyes of those around us.
Where the church comes into confict with the authorities, or
where the land itself is in turmoil and war those things may be
threatened. But the concern of the apostle in 1 Timothy reaches
beyond the well being of the believer and his own freedom to
live the Christian life, as important as that is. We notice how
verse 4 is connected to this: 'For' this is acceptable to God 'who
desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of
the truth.' The gospel is to spread far and wide and where the
authorities hinder the church, the spread of the gospel is hindered.
Sometimes the apostles had to leave cities such as Ephesus and
Thessalonica because the rulers of the city were concerned to
prevent an uproar. At other times believers suffered affiction and
imprisonment, holding back the work.
Historical Examples
Sometimes in God's sovereignty a time of persecution has
coincided with the church growing. t was said by one of the
church fathers 'the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the
church'. But sometimes the opposite has happened - in France
in 1572 tens of thousands of Huguenots were killed by order of
the authorities. t led to many Protestants feeing the land, and
for many centuries there was little gospel light in France. n raq
today there has been violence and unrest multitudes of believers
have fed to other countries. The church has halved in size since
the 1990s. We can think of many other examples.
Importance of this prayer
Paul saw there was a need to exhort that prayer be offered for
those who were rulers. n his day Nero was the Roman emperor.
He was a very wicked man, responsible for violently persecuting
Christians. Nevertheless Paul exhorts that prayer be made for
kings and all who are in authority.
Most of us are very limited in our infuence on those who rule over
us, and especially when we think of rulers of other nations as well.
But we can pray to the Sovereign Lord who rules over all. Prov.
21:1 'The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers
of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.'
Practically we should pray that they act with wisdom and justice
seeing the importance of what they do that they ultimately are
God's servants, but praying as well for the protection and liberty of
God's people.
The question of the relationship between church and state is a
vexed one. t's been a cause of much discussion in the history of
the church. But the important thing to emphasise here is the need
to pray for those who rule over us, believing that the Lord does
hear us when we call upon him.
Marcus Hobson was recently installed
as minister of the Finaghy congregation,
having being involved for a number of
years with the EPCEW. He is married to
Alison and they have one son, Edward.
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1. Marcus, please share with us a little about your
background - where you grew up, what schools
you went to, home and family life?
grew up in Woking, Surrey and went to schools in
the area. My parents are Christians and we went to
a local evangelical church.
2. How did you come to faith in Christ?
As sometimes happens when you're from a Christian
home came to faith more gradually than suddenly.
can remember particular sermons speaking to me
and being convinced there was nowhere else to turn.
n the context of a secondary school where there
were very few Christians you have to start to nail
your colours to the mast quite early on.
3. Please tell us about your studies after school -
did you go to university?
went to University in London and studied history
followed by a course in Librarianship.
4. The Lord called you into full time Christian
service - how did that happen?
felt a desire to preach while was at University
but at the time was encouraged to get some work
experience, so worked in a few libraries in London.
A job as Librarian was then advertised at the
Evangelical Theological College of Wales, now called
WEST, so applied for this and moved
out of England for the frst time! While working at
WEST 'd begun to do more preaching and was
increasingly feeling a desire to go in this direction.
So eventually, with the support of the church, went
into studying for the ministry.
5.Recently you were serving as assistant
minister in Durham Presbyterian Church.
Please tell us a little about the work and witness
of the Durham congregation?
DPC as it's become known started over twenty years
ago.
There's a good congregation normally around 50 on
a Sunday. Many have been in the church for some
years. Durham itself has quite a transient population
with the University attracting people from around the
world and that brings visitors to the church as well.
n 2009 Durham planted a church in Gateshead
which is also going well.
6. We know that you are married to Alison and
have been blessed with a son, Edward, but many
of our readers will wonder - how did a man from
Hertfordshire meet a girl from N Ireland?
As part of the course at WEST had to do a church
placement, so in January 2010 spent some time at
Gateshead and Durham and then came back in the
summer for a longer period. During this time got
to know Alison. She'd been in North East England
for some time teaching at Emmanuel College in
Gateshead. Our frst conversation was about the
North Coast and we got married up there so feel at
least partly Northern rish!
7. Please share with us the Christian book that
has most inhuenced you
That's a hard one. remember reading E.J. Young's
book Thy Word is Truth at a formative time and when
you grasp the authority and reliability of the Bible a
lot of other things fall into place.
8. Thank you Marcus for sharing all these matters
with us. As you begin your ministry in Finaghy
EPC what are the matters that you would like us
to pray for?
'd very much value prayer for wisdom and strength
at this early stage when there's much to learn and
get used to.
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The ordination and installation of Marcus P Hobson
as minister of the Finaghy congregation took place
on Saturday 3 May 2014 at 2:30pm.
Mr. John Grier, Moderator of Presbytery, conducted
the service and constituted the Presbytery in prayer.
Rev. an McLean (father of Mrs Alison Hobson) read
the Scriptures, Daniel 7:1, 9-14; Revelation 5:1-14
and John 21: 1-14. Mr. Mervyn Langtry gave the
narrative of events leading up to the call of
Mr. Hobson.
The clerk of Presbytery put the prescribed
questions to Mr. Hobson who signed the formulae
of subscription. Rev. Dr. Sid Garland led the prayer
of ordination as members of Presbytery laid hands
on Mr. Hobson. The charge to the newly ordained
minister was given by Rev. Brian Norton (Durham)
and Rev. Robert Johnston gave the charge to the
congregation. Following the singing of the closing
praise Rev. Marcus Hobson concluded the service
with prayer and the benediction.
Following the service the congregation was invited to
remain for the reception when the ladies (and men)
of the congregation served superb refreshments.
Mr. David Tinsley chaired the proceedings.
Rev. Richard Holst (Cardiff) brought greetings from
EPCEW.
Mr. Hugh Williamson and Mrs. Garland made
presentations to Marcus and Alison and Mrs. Judith
Taggart presented young Edward with a gift.
Mr. Tinsley presented a gift to Rev. Robert Johnston,
and Mrs. Naomi Halliday handed over a gift to Mrs.
Julie Johnston. The day concluded with Rev. Samuel
Watson leading in prayer.
Harold Gibson (Clerk of Presbytery).
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7
How much of your day comes into contact with the nternet?
Our lives have become heavily dependent on the nternet
whether it is for communication, shopping, work, or leisure.
Like many things in life, the nternet can be used for good or
for bad. You may be very much aware of the bad aspects of
the nternet such as the abuse of social media or the ease
of access to pornography that is often prevalent on our
news headlines.
Yet the nternet has many positives to offer the Christian.
Like many other areas of life, the use of the nternet requires
that we effectively apply vital biblical principles such as self-
control, accountability, and good stewardship of our time.
Certainly one key requirement is discipline. Many hours in
the day can be wasted in activities such as checking the
news feed on Facebook or browsing the latest fashion range.
The nternet also provides a huge amount of information that
is contributing to the Christian merely processing data at the
expense of the lost art of meditation.
have listed below some tools and links that have been
benefcial to me:
1. BIogs like the nternet itself, blogs can be a power for
good or bad. have come across some blogs that have
promoted unnecessary strife and gossip these should be
avoided like the plague. A good blog will offer intelligent,
biblically rooted articles that engage with areas such as the
Christian life, Christian resources, history, or current events/
apologetics. Blogs that like to read include:
Tim Challies (www.challies.com)
Kevin DeYoung (www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/
kevindeyoung/)
Justin Taylor (www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/
justintaylor/)
Reformation21 (www.reformation21.org)
David Robertson (www.theweefea.wordpress.com)
2. Ministries there are many Christ exalting sermons/
lectures available on the nternet (many for free) that are
excellent for listening to in the car or at the gym.
Below are some suggestions. Many of these also have apps
available for your mobile phone allowing content to be easily
downloaded and enjoyed.
Ligonier Ministries (www.ligonier.org)
Desiring God (www.desiringgod.org)
Martyn Lloyd-Jones Trust (www.mljtrust.org)
The Spurgeon Archive (www.spurgeon.org)
Monergism (www.monergism.com)
3. eBooks for me the eBook will never
replace the printed book. n fact many
eBooks can be just as expensive as the
printed version. Yet there are many good
deals available on the nternet including
free eBooks. fnd these useful as only
have limited space for storing books.
Sometimes if even enjoy an eBook so
much will buy the printed version! Other times am glad
didn't buy the printed version! Tim Challies' blog detailed
above is an excellent source for communicating the latest
deals on quality titles. PDFs of most John Piper books are
also free at Desiring God.
4. BibIe Study TooIs there are a rich range of tools
available online as well as specialised mobile apps to
encourage and facilitate the study of the scriptures.
Below are some like:
Bible Hub (www.biblehub.com) - useful website for
comparing the text of multiple versions as well as
including useful study tools such as maps and classic
commentaries from scholars such as Matthew Henry
and John Gill.
ESV Online (www.esvbible.org) - for those who prefer
the ESV, this site includes many free tools such as the
ability to view John Piper sermons on the text in focus
as well as optional paid add-ons such as Greek
language tools and commentary integration.
James Philip Bible Reading Notes (www.thetron.org/
resources/the-james-philip-archives/bible-readings/)
The Tron Church in Glasgow offer free PDFs of the
excellent daily bible reading notes from the Rev
James Philip formerly of Holyrood Abbey Church,
Edinburgh.
So why not try some of the above links and make the most
of the nternet in a wise and productive manner? f there are
any websites that you fnd particularly helpful why not share
them with us by writing a letter/email to the editor?
Christopher Doherty is a deacon in the
Stranmillis congregation. After studying
for a degree in Business nformation
Technology he now works in the Natural
Gas industry.
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On Saturday 26th April the Presbytery Day Confernece was held at Belfast Bible Collge. An excelent day of
fellowship and teaching took place with Rev David Court (Edinburgh) bringing the Word to us clearly and
warmly. Mr John Grier was installed as the Moderator of Presbytery. One week later Rev Marcus Hobson was
ordained and installed as the new minister of the Finaghy congregation. Shaun McFall of Ballyclare was busy
with his camera at both events - the Editor is most grateful to him for supplying the following pictures.
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Does Jesus command the impossible?
He commands dead sinners to believe in him!
He commands his Church to keep his commandments,
to not love the world, to purify ourselves, and to love one
another! Can you actually do it?
The wonderful thing about the command of God is that
the commandment is accompanied with power to obey it.
Remember Lazarus: he was dead, but was commanded
by Christ to come forth out of the tomb. There was power
in the command of Christ it enabled him to obey.
Or remember Ezekiel's valley of dry bones, commanded
to come to life; and they came to life! There was power in
the word and in the breath of God.
God gives that same life - giving breath to every one
of his disciples, to every believer. He gives us his Holy
Spirit. And by his Holy Spirit, we are enabled to obey the
commands of God. As Paul said in Philippians 4:13 "
can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
What's more is that from John's letter we can say that the
Spirit of Christ dwells in every believer. Whether they are
little children, young men, fathers or grandfathers, every
believer is indwelt by the Spirit of God. The prophecy of
Joel 2:28 is in its fulflment today: "And it shall come to
pass afterward that will pour out My Spirit on all fesh.
Any and all spiritual good that we see in the world
is evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work. As John
continues his theme of the love of God here in chapter
4 he shows us how the Spirit of God abiding in the
Christian is the only means by which we are enabled to
love God the way we ought, and it is only in his strength
that we can truly love one another.
Thus, as John seeks to bring assurance
to the church - he writes to us about the
very source of our assurance,
the Holy Spirit.
He is the Spirit of Truth
There were many ungodly infuences upon the little
church John was writing to. Just as the Spirit of God frst
came upon the apostles, so too other spirits have their
disciples John calls them false prophets. They're still
out there today, and they invariably seek to draw us away
from the Biblical Jesus.
John draws alongside those whom he loves in verse 1
and tells them not to believe every spirit, but rather to
test the spirits. n 3:23 he had already instructed them
what to believe keep on believing on the name of God's
Son, Jesus Christ. But how could you be sure that what
someone was preaching was actually true? John gives 2
tests.
1. What do they say about Jesus?
Do you believe the Shorter Catechism Answer 22?
"Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to
himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being
conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the womb of
the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin.
f they are speaking false things about Jesus then
the spirit at work is not the Holy Spirit, it is the spirit of
antichrist! Note, it's not that they're just not "sound,
they're antichrist! n the light of this John takes a moment
to assure God's people in v4 "You are of God, little
children, and have overcome them, because He who is
in you is greater than he who is in the world.
2. How they are received by the world.
The false teachers left the church and the world received
them with open arms.
They were of the world, they spoke in a way that suited
the world, and therefore the world loved them. But we
are not well received in the world, says John we are
of God. We don't win any prizes for popularity: we're not
asked along to open new shopping centres or hospitals;
they're not flling their magazines with our conversions
and stories of our missionary travels. Yet we are received
well by fellow Christians, because the same Holy Spirit
indwells us.
Through new TV channels and websites today we are
probably more exposed to false teachers than ever
before. But how can you be sure what you're seeing
and hearing is genuinely of God? Use John's God-given
tests. Does the Jesus they're preaching sound different
to the Jesus you know from the Bible? f so the alarm
bells should be ringing! Are their doctrines and practices
being well-received by the world? The idea of gay
ministers suits the world down to the ground.
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Robert Johnston is minister of Knock
congregation in East Belfast. He is married
to Julie and together they are blessed (and
kept busy!) with three young children; Ben
(8), Luke (6) and Sophie (3).
The idea of a social gospel without any talk of
repentance and faith in Jesus suits the world 100%.
They love it. Again, the alarm bells should be ringing
when the world receives these new ideas.
He is the Spirit of Love
John is writing to help the church, to ensure they will not
be led astray.
He writes because he loves them. They are his brothers
and sisters in Christ.
t's no surprise that he loves them: he is in dwelt by the
Spirit of God, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Love.
V7-11 help us to understand why love is such a high
priority for the Christian.
There are three aspects to the Holy Spirit indwelling
you in this respect: (1) Love is in your heart because
God himself is in your heart. God is love, therefore
the Christian's heart is full of love, especially for other
believers. (2) Love is in your heart because the Gospel is
in your heart. God so loved you that he sent Jesus to die
for you! That's the Gospel message that the Holy Spirit
continually applies to your heart. (3) Love is in your heart
because God's people are in your heart. Jesus just didn't
die for me he died for us.
The Spirit of God is invisible, but what
he does in your heart is just too hard
to hide! He causes us to confess Christ
to one another and to the world.
Take a moment to consider just what that looks like
and what it sounds like. Now ask yourself this question:
Are these sights and sounds found in my life? They are
further evidence that the Spirit of love is at work in your
heart.
He is the Spirit of Boldness
The thought that God has given us his Spirit and that
he indwells every Christian is a staggering one. He who
hovered over the face of the waters in Genesis 1, he who
came mightily upon Samson in Judges 14, he who came
in power at Pentecost in Acts 2, he who according to 2
Timothy 1:7 is not "a spirit of fear, but of power and of
love and of a sound mind.
This same Spirit of boldness indwells every believer. We
have seen some of that boldness already. Boldness is
needed to test the spirits. Boldness is needed to stand
out from the world. Boldness is needed to confess our
faith in Christ as Lord and Saviour. But the Holy Spirit
does much more than give us boldness before the world.
He gives us boldness before the throne of God on the
day of judgement (v17). We have boldness because the
fear of that day has been removed.
The love of God in our hearts has cast out fear. His Holy
Spirit abides in us assuring us that God is love.
He assures us that Jesus Christ is the propitiation for
our sins
Christ has already borne the punishment for our sins
God's wrath is satisfed.
The torment has already been experienced by Christ
as he hung and suffered on the cross. For the believer,
the torment is gone. t is fnished! Christian, you have
nothing to fear from God on the day of judgement.
nstead you look forward to that day a day in which you
will be made perfect.
Living with the Spirit
Even now, says John, God has perfectly loved you and
that is why you love him too. So you might respond with
the words of v20 and say " love God but do you really?
t looks as though many people were bold enough in
John's day to openly say the words " love God but there
was a problem. They were not loving their brothers in
the Lord. They were bold alright, but they were boldly
mistaken!
The Spirit of boldness is also the Spirit of love and is also
the Spirit of truth. We cannot divide up the Spirit of God
and take only the bits we like! He is a person, and when
he indwells our hearts, he brings all of his characteristics
with him and all of these are to be then seen in our
lives. What will that look like? What will sound like?
What will say to my brother who did me wrong so long
ago? How will react to my sister who is struggling with
her children behind me in church? What will do for my
brother who is getting dangerously close to the world?
What will do for the new Christian who has just started
to attend my church? What about my brothers and sisters
in Nigeria, in Syria, in North Korea?
Believer, you have been perfectly loved, and that love
casts out fear. Therefore let us love the Lord our God
with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.
And let us be careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit and so
love our brothers and sisters boldly and truthfully.
" can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
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The Return of Christ
Part 10 - 'The New Heavens and the New Earth: ReveIation 21'
Where will you spend eternity? That's a vital
question. In our last article we considered the
sombre truth that the ungodly will spend eternity
in hell. In this article we consider the glorious
and encouraging truth that the future destiny of
those who have a living faith in Christ is the new
heavens and the new earth. Sometimes when we
think about the future of the believer we have a
tendency to overly emphasise the intermediate
state while at other times we have a very plastic
and 'twee' view of heaven. We see it as a place
where the streets are paved with gold and all the
saints in their resurrection bodies have golden
locks of hair and cherubic smiles. However the
Scriptures set before us a place of remarkable
beauty, an eternal dwelling place of which we will
never grow weary. As we explore this exciting
theme we will hang our thoughts on a number of
key words
Creation
n Genesis chapters one and two we have the
account of creation. One of the striking statements
in those chapters is that 'God saw that it was good'.
The world which God made was perfect, utterly
sinless and totally beautiful. Another notable feature
of the creation narrative is the aspect of harmony.
There was harmony between man and the animals
which God had made and there was also, most
signifcantly, perfect harmony between man and
God. We surely have more than a clue as to what
the new heavens and the new earth will be like when
we contemplate the pre-fall world. Whatever awaits
us it will certainly not be a 'lesser' experience than
that which Adam knew in the Garden of Eden. t will
undoubtedly be beautiful, perfect and harmonious.
Fall
Of course Genesis chapter three changed
everything. Man's fall into sin was not only
disastrous for humankind but for the physical world
also. Earthquakes, famine, tornados, weeds, thorns
and so much more characterise our world just now.
Yet as write these lines on a lovely June afternoon
the study is bathed in sunshine and am able to
marvel at the beauty of God's creation. f this is the
beauty of the fallen world what must the world have
looked like before Adam took the forbidden fruit?
Romans 8: 19 to 22 tells us that even the physical
creation is yearning for the coming of Christ.
Hard as it is for us to understand, Paul teaches that
the creation itself is longing with eager expectation
for the coming of the Saviour knowing that his return
will be a day of liberation and blessing, not just for
the saints, but for the physical creation itself.
Fire
So, the world was very beautiful, and, though still
revealing to us the glory of God, is now fallen. What
of its future? Why does the physical world yearn for
Christ to come? Peter informs us in 2 Peter 3: 10
13 that on the day Jesus comes he will burn up the
world as we now know it. t seems that the fre of
the last day will be a fre of purging. All the dross, all
the effects of the fall will be purged away and out of
this huge confagration will come 'the new heavens
and the new earth' (2 Peter3: 13) This new creation
will be a place of perfection and sinlessness. The
harmony which characterised Eden will be seen
there as saiah foretold ( saiah 11: 6 ff). As the Lord
walked with Adam in the garden so the Lord will once
more dwell in the midst of his people (Revelation
21:3).
Continuity
n a previous study we saw that there is an element
of continuity between the body that we now have and
the body which we will receive at the time of Christ's
return. This can also be seen regarding the physical
creation. Whilst we now have no adequate concept
of the glory and perfection of the new heavens and
the new earth yet we know that we will not feel like
aliens there. There is in the very vocabulary used
by the Holy Spirit to describe the new creation a hint
of continuity with the present world order. The word
translated new kainos does not speak so much
of 'brand new' as of refurbishment or renovation.
Cornelis Venema takes up this theme in the following
provocative comment:
'Life in the new creation will be a restoration of
all things involving the removal of every sinful
impurity and the retaining of all that is holy and good.
Were the new creation to exclude the diversity of
the nations and the glory of the kings of the earth,
it would be impoverished rather than enriched,
13
historically regressive and reactionary rather than
progressive. To express the point in the form of
a question: is it likely that the music of Bach and
Mozart, the painting of Rembrandt, the writing of
Shakespeare, the discoveries of science, etc., will be
altogether lost upon life in the new creation?' (1)
Growth
But what will we do there? There is no doubt that the
worship of the Lord will be right at the centre of our
activity in glory. ndeed, to understand what it will be
like and what we will do there we need to have our
minds flled with the idea of worship and adoration
(Revelation 7:15). However, we must also remember
that to be perfect is not to be static. Jesus, in
his perfect humanity, experienced growth and
development as we see in Luke 2: 40 and 52. Adam
must have spent some time exploring the treasures
and beauties of the Garden of Eden and growing
in his knowledge of the world into which God had
placed him. Surely in heaven we will not only grow in
our appreciation of all that Christ did for us in his life
and death but also of the perfect place to which God
has brought us. AA Hoekema expresses the matter
well when he writes:
' Are we to spend eternity somewhere off in space,
wearing white robes, plucking harps, singing songs,
and fitting from cloud to cloud while doing so?
On the contrary the Bible assures us that God will
create a new earth on which we shall live to God's
praise in glorifed, resurrected bodies. On that new
earth, therefore, we hope to spend eternity, enjoying
its beauties, exploring its resources, and using its
treasures to the glory of God.' (2)
This is our glorious future. By God's grace one day
we will experience all of this for ourselves. Shouldn't
we join with the trees, the hills and the plants in
eagerly looking forward to the great day when Jesus
will come to create the new heavens and the new
earth?

Notes
(1) 'The Promise of the Future' Cornelis Venema
PaterNoster Page 482
(2) 'The Bible and The Future' A A Hoekema
Banner of Truth Page 274
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14
This year much of the world remembers the centenary of
the start of the First World War and the 70th anniversary of
the Allied invasion of France to begin the end of the Second
World War. n each confict the primary aggressor and
enemy was Germany. What is often missed is the important
infuence of Darwinism on Hitler and Germany's thinking.
The human heart is a factory for all kinds of evilincluding
the evil of racism (Jer. 17:9; Matt. 15:1819). While Darwin
certainly didn't invent racism, his ideology of evolution has
fostered it.
Darwin's famous book "The Origin of Species (1859) has a
lesser known subtitle "The Preservation of Favoured Races
in the Struggle for Life. While in it he did not discuss the
issue of human races and their relation to each other he laid
the framework for another book titled "The Descent of Man
(1871). Here, he theorized that man, having initially evolved
from apes, had continued evolving as various races, with
some more developed than others. Darwin classifed his own
white race as more advanced than those "lower organisms
such as pygmies, and he specifed different people groups
as "savage, "low, and "degraded. He also stated that
"At some future period, not very distant as measured by
centuries, the civilised races of man will almost certainly
exterminate, and replace, the savage races throughout the
world. At the same time the anthropomorphous apes, will
no doubt be exterminated. n all these statements Darwin
was consistently applying evolutionary theory to the world of
humanity around him.
Ernest Haeckel (1834-1919) was a leading German
scientist and a very infuential fgure in providing the
foundation for Hitler's plans for the advancement of German
Aryan superiority. He promoted and popularized Charles
Darwin's work in Germany and developed the controversial
recapitulation theory ("ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny)
claiming that an individual organism's biological development,
or ontogeny, parallels and summarizes its species'
evolutionary development, or phylogeny. He is infamous for
his drawings of the stages in human embryonic development
which have often been used to supposedly demonstrate the
stages in evolution e.g. tadpole, fsh amphibian etc. These
drawings are now known to have been fraudulently drawn
by Haeckel to verify his thesis. They have often been used
in abortion clinics to convince pregnant mothers that their
foetus is not yet human and therefore can be aborted without
violating the sanctity of human life.
Haeckel divided human beings into ten races, of which the
Caucasian was the highest and the primitives were doomed
to extinction. He claimed that Negros have stronger and more
freely movable toes than any other race which is evidence
that Negros are related to apes because when apes climb
trees they hold on to the trees with their toes.
Haeckel compared Negros to "four-handed apes. He also
believed Negros were savages and that Whites were the
most civilised people. Haeckel also stated that "politics is
applied biology, a quote used by Nazi propagandists. The
Nazi party used not only Haeckel's quotes, but also Haeckel's
justifcations for racism, nationalism and social Darwinism in
their programme of ethnic cleansing of Blacks, Jews, Poles
and Gypsies. n his "Ontology and Phylogeny Harvard
palaeontologist and evolutionist Stephen Jay Gould wrote:
"[Haeckel's] evolutionary racism; his call to the German
people for racial purity and unfinching devotion to a "just
state; his belief that harsh, inexorable laws of evolution ruled
human civilization and nature alike, conferring upon favoured
races the right to dominate others . . . all contributed to the
rise of Nazism.
n "Mein Kampf Hitler wrote that the Germans were the
higher race, destined for a glorious evolutionary future.
For this reason it was essential that the Jews should be
segregated, otherwise mixed marriages would take place.
Were this to happen, all nature's efforts "to establish an
evolutionary higher stage of being may thus be rendered
futile. Hitler went on to apply the principles of Darwinism
to society in horrifying ways progressing from abortion and
forced sterilisation, to euthanasia and ethnic cleansing of
what he deemed were 'unft races' in the struggle for survival.
More than six million people died in the holocaust. Hitler
himself became the supreme evolutionist, and Nazism the
ultimate fruit of the evolutionary tree.
Firmly convinced that Darwinian evolution was true, Hitler
saw himself as the modern saviour of mankind. Society,
he felt, would some day regard him as a great 'scientifc
socialist', the benefactor of all humankind. By breeding a
superior race, the world would look upon him as the man
who pulled humanity up to a higher level of evolutionary
development. f Darwinism is true, Hitler was our saviour
and we have crucifed him. As a result, the human race
will grievously suffer. f Darwinism is not true, what Hitler
attempted to do must be ranked with the most heinous
crimes of history and Darwin as the father of one of the most
destructive philosophies of history.
Rev. Robert Beckett is minister of the
Crosscollyer Street congregation. For many
years he has been studying the whole
area of Biblical Creation and has lectured
extensively on this vital subject.
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15
Balanced Christianity RRP: 6-99 Our Price: 4-50
Author: John Stott
Publisher: VP
Published: 2013
105 pages
This is a very practical book full of encouragements to live a balanced Christian life. John Stott introduces his subject with emphasis on the need
for Christians to use their intellect as a priority, but brings alongside this the balance of paying attention to our emotions. He sets the scene for
this balance with the principle that scripture never sets faith and reason against each other as incompatible.
As an example of imbalance, he shows the danger of attending a church service and leaving unmoved. The warmth of truth should stir us
intellectually to respond with love or anger. The men going to Emmaus felt their hearts burn when the scriptures were opened up to them.
He points out that the balance of Christianity is not to do with being in the middle but having a rounded appreciation of what scripture has to say
on every area of our lives.
Stott rightly says that we are always to discern between scripture and culture. He brings out examples of our Lord Jesus as a fearless critic of
the Jewish establishment with their exaggerated loyalty to human traditions and yet at the same time 'conservative' in his application
of scripture.
Keeping in mind that Stott was writing some 40 years ago he challenges us with a very practical observation: 'Through unchecked television in
our homes, are we encouraging the blunting of our sensibilities with sex without love and violence for kicks?'
Stott notes that God's character never changes but he cannot see why God would be tied to 18th century hymns. He then turns his attention
to those in the church who resist change and to those who agitate for change. may have a different point of balance than John here, but
nevertheless he tackles the real concern of trying to avoid being simply a social service with a social gospel.
The last chapter is an interview with John Stott in which he expresses his views on a number of issues facing the churches today.
His views for 'staying in' the Church of England are most interesting.
Stott in this little book certainly opens up his position on the desire of Richard Baxter for all Christians; 'n essentials unity, in non-essentials
liberty and in all things charity.'
Do you have a balanced Christianity? Read and decide!
Allan Baird (Belfast)
Every year boys and girls from the different congregations of the EPC take part in a Sunday School
Project. This year the projects were on Nan Dunlop, David Livingstone & CH Spurgeon.
Rev Robert Johnston, Convenor of the Presbytery's Youth Committee has kindly supplied us with
details of this year's prizewinners.
P4 - P6
1st Murray Birnie (Stranmillis)
2nd Sarah McMullan (Ballyclare)
3rd Peter Wright (Stranmillis)
P7 - Year 8
1st Susanna Gaston (Stranmillis)
2nd Paulena Birnie (Stranmillis)
2nd Calvin Birnie (Stranmillis)
3rd Julie Rainey (Crumlin)
PreschooI and P1
1st Joshua Graham (Stranmillis)
2nd Elijah Underwood (Stranmillis)
3rd Juliette Hall (Stranmillis)
3rd Moses Underwood (Stranmillis)
P2 - P3
1st Lauren Wright (Stranmillis)
2nd Luke Johnston (Knock)
3rd Nathan Watson (Knock)
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16
16
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