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ldIlur ldIlur ldIlur ldIlur
Harold CIbson
'StockbrIdge'
2 8arronstown Court
0FD|DFE 8T25 1F8
hgIbson@barronstown.force9.net
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1uk ul 1uk ul 1uk ul 1uk ul

4n UntrluIn Suund
Paul wrItes In 1st CorInthIans 14: "If the
trumpet gIves an uncertaIn sound, who
wIll prepare for battle:"

The sounds that are emanatIng from
wIthIn the evangelIcal world at present
are gIvIng an uncertaIn sound and should
be causIng alarm bells to rIng wIthIn the
Feformed church today.

|any of the doctrInes that we hold dear
and cherIsh are under attack. The old
8IblIcal truths of the FeformatIon are beIng
reInterpreted and some are beIng dIscarded.

Dne area of major concern Is the
modern approach to the law of Cod. |any
ChrIstIans speak of the law as belongIng to
the Dld Testament and Is therefore
Irrelevant to our present age. Another
area concerns the doctrIne of JustIfIcatIon
by FaIth alone. t was John CalvIn who
saId: "The safety of the church depends as
much on thIs doctrIne as human lIfe does
on the soul. f the purIty of thIs doctrIne Is
In any degree ImpaIred, the church has
receIved a deadly wound".

t Is our IntentIon durIng the course of
2007 to address these vItal subjects and to
alert our readers to the subtle attacks beIng
made on 8IblIcal truth. Dpen TheIsm, New
Covenant Theology and The EmergIng Church
are some of the Issues we hope to consIder.

Fev an HamIlton begIns the serIes wIth
an examInatIon of the New PerspectIve on
Paul (pp 1920) remIndIng us of the crucIal
Importance of JustIfIcatIon by FaIth.

Take Note, we must be prepared for
battle and It Is vItal that we hear the clear
sound of the trumpet.
Cutr PhuluQruh Cutr PhuluQruh Cutr PhuluQruh Cutr PhuluQruh
Harold and PatrIcIa CIbson after
PatrIcIa's nvestIture at 8uckIngham
Palace. See page 17.
Photograph courtesy of Charles
Creen Photography.
1h ltunQIItuI PrshylrIu 1h ltunQIItuI PrshylrIu 1h ltunQIItuI PrshylrIu 1h ltunQIItuI PrshylrIun nn n
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,..-.. .

1uth und 4dmunIsh Dn 4nulhr 1uth und 4dmunIsh Dn 4nulhr 1uth und 4dmunIsh Dn 4nulhr 1uth und 4dmunIsh Dn 4nulhr
harold 0ibsoo
Thankfulness Is not somethIng that Is common In our world today. ngratItude Is a
mark of the current generatIon. The Apostle Paul wrItes to the ColossIans and he
says that we are to let the peace of Cod rule In our hearts and "be thankful".

Cod has gIven to hIs people that "peace whIch passes all understandIng".
Jesus saId to hIs dIscIples: "|y peace gIve to you; not as the world gIves do
gIve to you". Festlessness marks the spIrIt of the age In whIch we lIve.
Contentment should pervade the lIfe of a ChrIstIan and brIng peace to our souls
because we belIeve In Jesus ChrIst. "8y obedIence to the Cospel peace Is
conveyed to the heart".
1


Such thankfulness should cause belIevers to teach and admonIsh one
another. We are to do thIs In two ways.

The PIch IndweIIIng Word
We are to let the Word of ChrIst dwell In us rIchly In all wIsdom. The Word
should make every thought captIve. We are to hIde It In our hearts, to handle It
correctly and to hold It forth. ThIs marked the mInIstry of Paul. He sought to
admonIsh, whether that meant warnIng, encouragIng or pleadIng. HIs
admonIshIng was rooted In the Word of ChrIst.

So It must be wIth us. Dur lIves must be rooted In the Word of Cod because
It Is the bread of lIfe. t Is the nourIshment that we need and we cannot seek to
teach and admonIsh one another If our lIves are bereft of the truth of
ScrIpture. Too often ChrIstIans admonIsh one another by reason and argument.
That Is not the way. t can only be by the Word of ChrIst dwellIng rIchly In us.

SIngIng wIth Crace In the Heart
Have you ever thought that sIngIng praIse unto Cod Is a way In whIch we teach
and admonIsh one another: SIngIng Is an Important part of worshIp. The
PsalmIst remInds us of thIs: "D sIng to the Lord a new song! For the Lord Is
great and greatly to be praIsed". (Ps 96:1, 4)

Dur praIse Is to be sIncere because It rIses from hearts that are humble and
grateful to Cod for hIs grace and love to us In ChrIst Jesus. "Paul clearly recognIses
the edIfyIng nature of CodglorIfyIng sIngIng".
2
Dur praIse Is to be dIrected to Cod
for he alone Is the one whom we worshIp. Dur songs of praIse ought to brIng
before us somethIng of Cod's glory and cause us to rejoIce In our salvatIon.

Dur psalms and hymns teach us the great truths of Cod's Word, and as that
Word Indwells us rIchly mIght we sIng to Cod In a thankful spIrIt wIth all our
hearts, teachIng and admonIshIng one another.

1
Colosscns 8 Phlemon, WIllIam HendrIksen, 8anner of Truth Trust, 1971, p160.
2
bId p162.
. -.... ...
- -- -
"l wll brny you out . l wll brny you n ..." (Exodus :, 8)

The past year, has lIke all others before It, been a tIme of mIxed feelIngs for us
all. There have been tImes of rejoIcIng and happIness but also tImes of heartache
and sorrow. Some have shared In the delIght of a new baby's arrIval In the home,
whIle others have suffered much paIn as they saId a last goodbye to a loved one
as they were called to theIr eternal home. That Is the way lIfe Is. That Is the
way It wIll always be, untIl that great and glorIous day when the Lord wIll brIng
us unto hImself and we wIll be reunIted wIth those who have gone on before,
never to be parted agaIn. ThIs Is the wonderful hope that the chIld of Cod has,
a Cod who really loves us, and although there are many wIldernesses to cross
and many trIals to bear In thIs lIfe, he wIll always brIng us safely through.

wonder, how often after a hard day's backbreakIng work, makIng brIcks
wIthout straw, would the chIldren of srael sIt down and questIon why they
were sufferIng so much. 0Id they often thInk that the Lord had forsaken and
forgotten them: That could never be! Cod never ever forsakes hIs people. We
read In Exodus 6 that he heard theIr groanIng and remembered them and
promIsed that he would brIng them out. Are you passIng through a tIme of paIn
and sorrow at present: Perhaps you are hurtIng deeply wIthIn and there seems
to be no way out. Let me assure you, there S a way out. t may not be clear to
us at present but Cod wIll provIde that way out. am remInded of the verse,
"The Lord wIll provIde, It may not be my way, It may not be thy way, but yet In
hIs own way, the Lord wIll provIde". Cod provIded a wonderful way out for hIs
sufferIng people In the land of Egypt.

Exodus 6 also tells us that Cod promIses to brIng hIs people N! 7erse 8 reads:
"And wIll brIng you In unto the land ..." We are always to remember that we
are only pIlgrIms here, that we are on a journey and that the Lord has promIsed,
In a day known only to hImself that he wIll, brIng us Into that place that he has
prepared for us. t Is descrIbed as a place where there wIll be no more sorrow
or tears, paIn or death and where we wIll sIng hIs praIses for evermore.

As we enter another year, let us always remember, whatever comes our
way, the Lord Is always wIth us In every sItuatIon. We do not know what
tomorrow holds but we know who holds tomorrow.

l don't know cbout tomorrow, l ]ust lve ]rom dcy to dcy,
l won't borrow ]rom t's sunshne, ]or ts skes mcy turn to yrey,
l won't worry over the ]uture, ]or l know whct 1esus scd,
And todcy he wclks besde me, cnd he knows the wcy checd,
Mcny thnys cbout tomorrow, l don't seem to understcnd,
8ut l know who holds tomorrow, cnd l know who holds my hcnd.
Mudrulur's n 1ur MssuQ Mudrulur's n 1ur MssuQ Mudrulur's n 1ur MssuQ Mudrulur's n 1ur MssuQ
kao Me0ooald
,..-.. .
- -- -
Rav W J 0riar
n Exodus 1J we read of the commencement of a great mIgratIon. Some mIllIons
of people began theIr journey to another land. t was to lIe through a great
wIlderness. WIthout the needed supplIes they would surely perIsh. 8ut Cod took
control of theIr movements In a vIsIble fashIon. The Lord went before them In
a pIllar of cloud and fIre (Ex 1J:21)-to the end of theIr wIlderness journey.

ThIs pIllar whIch guIded srael stands apart from all merely human devIces. t
had a mIraculous orIgIn and a supernatural character. t was more even than a
mere symbol of the presence of Cod. Cod was really present wIth them In the
pIllar. t may be descrIbed as a column of fIre surrounded by a cloud, and by day
the surroundIng cloud usually prevented the lIght of the fIre from beIng seen.
When the people were on the march, It assumed by day the form of a lofty pIllar
of cloud and by nIght the form of a lofty pIllar of fIre. After the tabernacle was
erected, It became closely connected wIth the tabernacle, sometImes restIng
more closely on It, sometImes rIsIng to lead the people onward. lt specks o]:-

The Lord's Presence
Jehovah went before them In the pIllar of cloud and fIre. He stIll goes before
HIs sheep. As |atthew Henry says: Those who make the glory of Cod theIr end,
and the Word of Cod theIr rule, the SpIrIt of Cod the guIde of theIr affectIons,
and the provIdence of Cod the guIde of theIr affaIrs, may be confIdent that the
Lord goes before them, as truly as He went before srael In the wIlderness. He
has gIven HIs promIse: Lo, am wIth you all the days. So In a world full of
threatenIng evIls and hostIle powers, the ChrIstIan can look forward Into the
days of the New Year and say:

l tcke Thy promse, Lord, n cll ts lenyth
And brecdth cnd ]ulness, ]or my dcly strenyth;
lnto l]es ]uture ]ecrless l mcy ycze,
For, 1esus, Thou crt wth me cll the dcys.

The Lord's Character
Hs sovereynty: n Exodus 1J:18 It Is saId Cod led the people, but In 1J:21 It
Is saId: The Lord (that Is, Jehovah) went before them In a pIllar of cloud and
fIre. The name Jehovah remInds us that He Is the great A| who appeared to
|oses In the 8urnIng 8ush. He Is so absolutely sovereIgn and acts wIth such
unfettered lIberty that dIffIcultIes such as those of the wIlderness journey-
vast though they are to us-are nothIng at all to HIm. Even though there was
much unbelIef and hardness of heart among the sraelItes, He worked out HIs
sovereIgn wIll and brought them to the land flowIng wIth mIlk and honey.
50 years ago, In January 1957, the followIng artIcle appeared as the Leader In The lrsh
Evcnyelccl. t Is stIll amazIngly fresh and entIrely approprIate for the New year of 2007.
The ntroductIon has been shortened a lIttle.
1h PIIIur uI CIuud und lIr 1h PIIIur uI CIuud und lIr 1h PIIIur uI CIuud und lIr 1h PIIIur uI CIuud und lIr
. -.... ...
. .. .
Hs ]cth]ulness: When He revealed HImself to |oses In the 8ush as the A|
THAT A|, He declared HImself to be the Cod who made promIses to Abraham,
saac and Jacob-promIses whIch would surely be fulfIlled. So He bore wIth
theIr manners In the wIlderness and carrIed them as a man hIs Infant son. To us
too HIs pledges and promIses are sure, for He Is the faIthful, unchangeable Dne.
0avId LIvIngstone In tIme of perIl quoted the promIse, Lo am wIth you alway.

Hs holness: 0r PatrIck FaIrbaIrn, speakIng of the pIllar of cloud and fIre. says
the fIre Is more peculIarly IdentIfIed wIth the glory of Cod. t speaks of HIs
holIness. He shone forth through the cloud and smote the EgyptIans wIth terror.
At tImes he checked the Insolence of HIs people by a dIsplay of HIs glory. To
day thIs Holy Dne dwells In HIs people; theIr bodIes are HIs temple. John
Dwen says there Is no more forcIble motIve to contend agaInst the actIngs of
sIn than thIs-that by our neglect to do so "the temple of the SpIrIt wIll be
defIled." "Ye shall be holy, for the Lord your Cod am holy"

The Lord's IessIngs
6udcnce: 8y day and by nIght He leads. 8ut sometImes He leads In strange
paths. He led the sraelItes Into what seemed a trap from whIch there was no
escape. 8ut when He leads Into such a place of dIffIculty He Is well able to lead
out of It-even though It means makIng a way through the Sea. He moves In the
sphere of the ImpossIble, doIng the thIngs that man cannot do.

6overnment: When the cloud moved, they moved; when It stopped they
stopped. At the commandment of Jehovah the chIldren of srael journeyed and
at the commandment of Jehovah they encamped. Whether It were two days.
or a month, or a year that the cloud remaIned on the tabernacle, the chIldren
of srael remaIned encamped, but when It was taken up, they journeyed.

So today we are marked as the people of Cod by beIng under the
government of the SpIrIt of Cod (Fom 8:14). Nelson when he was unwIllIng to
break off actIon at the battle of Copenhagen In obedIence to the sIgnal of hIs
commanderInchIef, put the telescope to hIs blInd eye. 8ut the ChrIstIan must
be on the watch for the restIng and movIng of the pIllar, and quIck to obey.

6ucrdcnshp: He spread a cloud for a coverIng-so they had protectIon from
the burnIng heat of the eastern sun. The cloud on one occasIon became a wall
of defence between them and theIr EgyptIan foes. When at Kadesh they went
up wIthout |oses. wIthout the ark and the pIllar of fIre, they were smItten by
theIr foes. The pIllar was lIke a pledge of safeconduct.

The Lord today Is a refuge for HIs people-He Is a shade from the heat,
when the blast of the terrIble ones Is as a storm agaInst the wall. He wIll guIde
safely on, and none can pluck out of HIs hand.

8e strong and of good courage, fear not nor be affrIghted, for Jehovah thv
Cod, he It Is that doth go wIth Thee; he wIll not faIl thee nor forsake thee.
,..-.. .

4II lunds lu Ludl 4II lunds lu Ludl 4II lunds lu Ludl 4II lunds lu Ludl
kIItlIuns un u tIsIl lu Suulh 4IrIt kIItlIuns un u tIsIl lu Suulh 4IrIt kIItlIuns un u tIsIl lu Suulh 4IrIt kIItlIuns un u tIsIl lu Suulh 4IrItu uu u
harold aod airieia 0ibsoo
LeavIng 8elfast on a cold, wet autumn
afternoon and arrIvIng In the early
sprIng warmth of South AfrIca the next
day felt somewhat strange. 0Id we
really escape wInter: After a long
journey the warm welcome of Norman
and Angela FeId at East London AIrport
made us feel that we were very much
among frIends. Less than 1 hour from
the aIrport we were at theIr home In
KIng WIllIam's Town whIch was to be
our base for the next 5 days.

KIng Is a nIce town wIth lovely
7IctorIan buIldIngs. t served as the
capItal of the 19th Century colonIal
outpost of 8rItIsh KaffrarIa. (We were
somewhat amused to see a pIcture In
the museum, taken around 1897, of
the local Loyal Drange nstItutIon,
descrIbed as beIng 'an rIsh Protestant
fraternIty'.) t was also the home town
of Steve 8Iko, the antIapartheId
actIvIst In the 60's and 70's.

South AfrIca Is a country of great
dIversIty, rIch and poor, black and whIte,
past and present. The changes that have
come wIth the bIrth of 'the raInbow
natIon' have benefIted some whIle for
others change has been much slower.

t Is a country wIth many problems.
CrIme Is rIfe, locals and tourIsts alIke
are remInded to 'be careful'. |ost
people's homes are protected by electrIc
gates, wIth shutters on wIndows and
doors. Another major problem Is A0S.
7IsItIng the orphanage wIth Angela and
seeIng these lovely chIldren who are
A0S orphans was heart rendIng.

The novel, Cry the 8eloved Country
begIns "There Is a lovely road that runs
from xopo Into the hIlls" and that
came alIve In our travels across mIle
upon mIle of spectacular scenery.

Dur journey to the vIllage church at
|nxesha took us through some lovely
countrysIde. The sIght of people
walkIng across the veld Is somethIng
that wIll stay In our mInds forever.
The welcome we receIved at the
church and the beautIful sound of the
Psalms beIng sung by the Xhosa people
was wonderful. Norman conducted the
servIce and preached from Exodus
20:1J, The FIrst Commandment. Pray
that the Word may have an effect on
these people and especIally on the
many chIldren who attend church and
lIsten attentIvely.

There was lIttle mIssIonary work In
South AfrIca 200 years ago. aIn |urray
wrItes, 'n January 1806 the Cape was
vIolently taken from the 0utch East
ndIa Company by the 8rItIsh. An
Orphunuge
. -.... ...
, ,, ,
unhappy eyewItness of that event was
the twentyfIve year old Henry |artyn,
en route to ndIa. At the Cape, he
wrote In hIs journal for 10 January:
" had a happy season of prayer.
prayed that the capture of the Cape
mIght be ordered to the advancement
of ChrIst's kIngdom; and that England
whIlst she sent the thunder of her arms
to the dIstant regIons of the globe,
mIght not remaIn proud and ungodly at
home; but mIght show herself great
Indeed, by sendIng forth mInIsters of her
church to dIffuse the gospel of peace"'.
1

We are thankful to Cod that today the
mIssIonary enterprIse that Henry
|artyn prayed for so long ago
contInues to flourIsh.

n 1944 Fev Joseph |cCracken left
Northern reland to take charge of Free
Church |IssIon work In South AfrIca.
HIs wIfe, |rs Helen |cCracken, now In
her 97th year, Is confIned to a nursIng
home In KIng. Her love for the Cospel
and her gratItude to Cod for the
church at home, where she was taught
the doctrInes of grace, Is evIdent.

The work at 0umIsanI TheologIcal
nstItute, under the leadershIp of 0r
AlIstaIr WIlson contInues the vItal work
of traInIng men for the Cospel
mInIstry. There Is a great need of
Cospel preachers In the land. Pray for
the staff as they teach the Word and
for the students, that Cod would use
them to hIs glory In the work of the
kIngdom.
Among the South AfrIcan people there Is
an awareness of Cod and even a fear of
Cod. 0o contInue to pray for thIs land
and all who labour for the |aster In It.

|any parts of South AfrIca are
blessed wIth good 8IblIcal mInIstrIes. t
was our prIvIlege to spend a weekend
wIth NeIl and Jane 8eatson at
Foodepoort near Johannesburg. NeIl Is
pastor of ChrIst Church, a congregatIon
wIthIn the Church of England, South
AfrIca (CESA). The church bears wItness
to the reformed faIth and seeks to reach
out to the communIty around. NeIl
exercIses a faIthful exposItory mInIstry
and It was heartenIng to see upwards
of J0 gather for prayer before the
evenIng servIce. The harvest fIeld Is
huge. The populatIon of South AfrIca Is
In the regIon of 45 mIllIon. Soweto, a
townshIp close to Johannesburg, has
an estImated populatIon of J.5 mIllIon.

Dne of the thIngs that struck us most
was the sheer vastness of the country.
At tImes all that we could see was
mIles and mIles of road ahead. Yet It Is
a lovely country wIth superb scenery.
Dften we were constraIned to sIng as
we looked at the majestIc mountaIns
and the beauty of the countrysIde, "|y
Cod, how great thou art!"

We record our
grateful thanks to
Norman and Angela
for theIr kIndness
to us and for gIvIng
us an InsIght Into
the church In
South AfrIca.
1
A Scottsh Chrstcn Hertcye, aIn H |urray,
8anner of Truth Trust, 2006, p.244.
,..-.. .

4II lunds lu Ludl 4II lunds lu Ludl 4II lunds lu Ludl 4II lunds lu Ludl
Lrund DnInQ uI 4C1S lnlrnulIunuI HU Lrund DnInQ uI 4C1S lnlrnulIunuI HU Lrund DnInQ uI 4C1S lnlrnulIunuI HU Lrund DnInQ uI 4C1S lnlrnulIunuI HU
Rav 0r 0idoag 0arlaod
IntroductIon
Worldrenowned professor of preachIng,
0r Haddon FobInson has saId, "|InIsters
must read. We are requIred to read not
as a luxury but as a necessIty." 8ut what
do mInIsters do when they have no books
to read: 0avId KIngdon wIsely observed
that In the UK we have the money, but
don't want to read; In AfrIca people
want to read but don't have the money
(or books to buy at any prIce).

AfrIca ChrIstIan TextbookS (ACTS) Is
a response to thIs challenge. Dver the
last 15 years, ACTS has grown up wIth
a lot of encouragement from the EPC.
ACTS Is regIstered In NIgerIa wIth Its
own 8oard of 0Irectors and Trustees, but
two key personnel are members of the
EvangelIcal PresbyterIan Church-Fev
0r SId Carland (ExecutIve 0Irector) and
Pamela Johnston (AdmInIstratIve
Secretary). SId Carland recalls that the
EvangelIcal 8ook Shop has been an
Important InspIratIon to hIm In the ACTS
mInIstry. He valued the 8ook Shop's
help In buIldIng hIs lIbrary as a young
mInIster and before that In hIs school
days at nst. He was strengthened by
hIs perIod of servIce In the 8ook Shop
before hIs ordInatIon to the mInIstry In
FInaghy EPC In AprIl 1978. From the
begInnIng, ACTS has also enjoyed
Important support from reformed
publIshers such as 8anner of Truth Trust,
EvangelIcal Press, ChrIstIan Focus, as
well as P E F PublIshIng (USA).

Crand DpenIng of ACTS InternatIonaI H
The longantIcIpated Crand DpenIng of
the purposebuIlt Warehouse, offIces
and bookshop took place on August 26,
2006. For several years, ACTS had been
operatIng out of nIne ovenlIke shIppIng
contaIners. Now vIsItors are commendIng
the hIgh
qualIty and
potentIal of
the new
buIldIng.
The openIng
was an
occasIon that
brought
glory to Cod
and also joy to the hearts of all who
were present. ACTS was honoured by a
qualIty audIence IncludIng several
heads of denomInatIons, varIous
government dIgnatorIes, partIcularly
the natIon's most respected senIor
statesman, the Former Head of State,
Ceneral (0r) Yakubu Cowon. A CoodwIll
message from NIgerIa's PresIdent
Dbasanjo was read to the gatherIng by
the AnglIcan 8Ishop of Jos.

Fnancal Suort Arecated: The
Crand DpenIng was an opportunIty to
gIve thanks to Cod for thIs new bIg step
forward for ACTS, and an opportunIty
to publIcly apprecIate IndIvIduals who
have gIven sacrIfIcIally to make thIs
project a success alongsIde major
donors such as |IssIon AfrIca, the 8aIrd
famIly, T8F Thompson, CrumlIn EPC, and
the DIkonomos FoundatIon (Holland).
Although the buIldIng Is complete,
rIsIng costs have meant that addItIonal
support Is needed for the full equIppIng
and furnIshIng of the warehouse as well
as for the next phases of the project.
. -.... ...
r r r r
WrIters' Petreat and Study Centre
The Crand DpenIng provIded a platform
to unveIl more of the vIsIon that Cod
has gIven ACTS for the future. Dur
burden Is to provIde traInIng, retreat,
conference and study facIlItIes
(accommodatIon/computers) and
edItorIal
assIstance
for AfrIcan
wrIters,
edItors and
publIshers.
The
warehouse Is Phase 1. 8ut now we are
trustIng Cod to provIde for Phase 2 and
Phase J. The funds needed may look
hIgh, but provIdIng world class
accommodatIon and facIlItIes for
overseas lecturers and AfrIcan leaders
does not come cheap.

News of ContInued Crowth of ACTS
ACTS fastest area of growth currently
Is In Kenya where |artIn 8ussey Is
managIng the three ACTS branches and
supplyIng four other bookshops. The
maIn ACTS bookshop/dIstrIbutIon
centre Is sItuated on the campus of
NaIrobI Craduate School of Theology, a
strategIc semInary that Is now takIng
people all the way to Ph0 level.

hore Prayer and HeIpers needed
Pray thct 6od would
1 Help people to understand the
Importance of books and to want to
buy and read them
2 Help ACTS In orderIng, publIshIng,
shIppIng, sellIng books
J Use the books to equIp for mInIstry
of the Word, to nurture spIrItual
lIfe, and to reform/revIve the church

Pray thct 6od would provde more
workers (short or long term): ACTS
want urgently to FECFUT helpers (for
both NIgerIa and Kenya) wIth technccl
cnd prcctccl sklls In accountIng,
computIng, Inventory management,
personnel management, book desIgn,
booksellIng, conference admInIstratIon.
ACTS also want to FECFUT people
wIth theoloyccl cnd wrtny sklls to
edIt books and traIn wrIters-short or
longterm, resIdentIal or nonresIdentIal.

Pray for the securIty of the ACTS staff
partIcularly In vIew of the recent case
of robbery when three men entered
the new HQ wIth guns and demanded
cash and mobIle phones. We are
thankful that none of the staff or
customers were serIously Injured.

ActIvItIeslachIevements of ACTS
Dpened 5 theologIcal bookshops In
NIgerIa and J In Kenya
0IstrIbute free books to lIbrarIes In
over J400 8Ible colleges In NIgerIa
0IstrIbuted hundreds of thousands
of theologIcal books
Sell over f20,000 pounds per month
(at half of UK retaIl prIces)
0IstrIbuted 10,000+ N7 Study 8Ibles
PublIshed over 40 tItles relevant to
the AfrIcan context
Help AfrIcan wrIters to publIsh
Translate Important books Into
French and Hausa
SpecIalIsts In A0S materIals
Have a websIte worth vIsItIng
www.afrIcachrIstIantextbooks.com
4C1S Is lh hsl lhInQ lhul hus
hund lu lh 4IrItun tunlInnl In
lhuIuQItuI dutulIun. 1hus nIlh
IInuntIuI rsuurts, Intsl Iur
lrnIly nun. l ndurs lhIs nurlhy
ru[tl. l lhInk Il nus dun Iur m
und l lhunk yuu."
Professor Samuel Waje KunhIyop, Provost of Jos
ECWA (EvangelIcal Church of West AfrIca)
ACTS Site PIun
,..-.. .
rr rr rr rr
1h Wurd uI u LnlImun" 1h Wurd uI u LnlImun" 1h Wurd uI u LnlImun" 1h Wurd uI u LnlImun"
Dn the last evenIng LIvIngstone spends In the old home at
8lantyre, near Clasgow, In November 1840, the household joIn
In famIly worshIp. He Is leavIng all near and dear to hIm next
mornIng for AfrIca. LIvIngstone selects the Psalm that so
clearly promIses hIm the Presence of the Lord wherever he
goes. t Is Psalm 121: "The Lord Is Thy keeper. The sun shall
not smIte thee by day, nor the moon by nIght. The Lord shall
preserve thee from all evIl. The Lord wIll preserve thy goIng
out and thy comIng In from thIs tIme forth and even for
evermore." He leaves home wIth the knowledge that the Lord
wIll never desert hIm whatever the cIrcumstances.

That promIse Is tested many tImes In hIs lIfe as he faces a multItude of trIals.
LonelIness, health Issues, physIcal dangers, famIly burdens, lack of response to
the Cospel, the evIl of the slave trade, trIbal fIghtIng all surface often In hIs
story. n January 1856 he Is surrounded by hostIle savages and death stares hIm In
the face. That evenIng he wrItes: "]elt much turmol o] sprt n prospect o]
hcvny cll my plcns ]or the wel]cre o] ths yrect reyon cnd ths teemny
populcton knocked on the hecd by scvcyes tomorrow. 8ut l recd thct 1esus
scd - 'All power s yven unto me n hecven cnd ecrth. 6o ye there]ore cnd
tecch cll nctons cnd lo l am wth you always even unto the end oj the world!'
lt s the word o] c yentlemcn o] the most strct cnd sccred honour, so thct's the
end o] t. l ]eel qute cclm now, thcnk 6od."

The word of a gentleman!-LIvIngstone stakes hIs lIfe on that! Among the last
entrIes In hIs journal are these: "He wIll keep HIs Word, no doubt of It and It wIll
be all rIght. 0oubt Is InadmIssIble surely!"

So whatever 2007 brIngs, trouble or joy, always remember the ChrIstIan, lIke
LIvIngstone, can depend on the word of a gentleman!
0avid Waisoo
Sunduy SthuuI Pru[tl 7DDT Sunduy SthuuI Pru[tl 7DDT Sunduy SthuuI Pru[tl 7DDT Sunduy SthuuI Pru[tl 7DDT
ln most o] our Churches work wll be stcrtny on the Sundcy School pro]ect, due to
be completed by Ecster. Ths yecr one o] the studes s on the l]e o] 0cvd
Lvnystone. To some, Lvnystone s cn enymc. Wcs he c mssoncry or cn explorer
Wcs hs poneerny sprt ct odds wth hs ]cmly responsbltes Wcs hs snyle
mnded cpprocch c help or c hndrcnce to the cdvcnce o] mssons Whctever else
we thnk, o] ths we hcve no doubt-he wcs c yodly mcn; hs ]ourncls re]lect ths
]cct. Thouyh we mcy not cyree wth everythny he dd, we ccn lecrn much ]rom
one who more thcn cny other opened up A]rcc to the 6ospel.
1h nurd uI u QnlImunl ~ lItInQslun sluks hIs III un lhull
. -.... ...
r. r. r. r.
We congrutuIute
Annu und AIice CumpbeII StrunmiIIis
on their superb entries to Iust month's

C
h
i
I
d
r
e
n
'
s

P
u
g
,..-.. .
r r r r
We congrutuIute
Annu und AIice CumpbeII StrunmiIIis
on their superb entries to Iust month's
Competition,
C
h
i
I
d
r
e
n
'
s

P
u
g
e

. -.... ...
r- r- r- r-
ns Irum HuII lPClW ns Irum HuII lPClW ns Irum HuII lPClW ns Irum HuII lPClW
Mark ladds
Almost 15 months have passed sInce we left 8elfast and moved to Hull to assIst
In the work of the church here. The words of Charles 0Ickens come to mInd: "t
was the best of tImes, It was the worst of tImes".

Dur fIrst home was a vIcarage, rented from the C of E. ThIs worked In our
favour because It ImmedIately assocIated us wIth ChrIstIan work. Someone
asked 8arbara If she was a vIcar! WIthIn the fIrst J months bIkes were stolen
from the garage, someone even stole the dustbIn! Then a few months later the
C of E wanted the house back agaIn and another home had to be found rather
quIckly. n the provIdence of Cod a new home was found and thIs has proved
benefIcIal to the chIldren, as schools are In the locatIon. All In all, we as a
famIly have adapted pretty well to lIfe In Hull and we are thankful to Cod for
hIs provIsIon and to the church at home for your prayers. t Is a great joy to
8arbara and me to see Aaron and Scott both leaders at our chIldren's club and
actIve In the Lord's work. LoIs Is great at wItnessIng to seemIngly everyone she
meets and Stephen also InvItes hIs frIends to the club.

The church In Hull has seen some growth wIth J0J5 at mornIng worshIp and
25J0 In the evenIngs. Dur mIdweek sees 15+; thIs used to be the sIze of the
congregatIon not so long ago. 8arbara has started a |others and Toddlers club
and It Is our prayer that thIs wIll be a means to reach others and share the Cospel
wIth. contInue to vIsIt the prIson each Thursday and agaIn thIs Is a great joy
for me as we share the Cospel wIth them. We are seekIng to buIld a much
needed an extensIon to the church; plans have been passed and permIssIon
granted. Costs as you can ImagIne are large but we are thankful to Cod for hIs
provIsIon so far. Pray for wIsdom and good stewardshIp In thIs step forward.

0o contInue to remember Fev 8Illy |cCully and Ann In theIr labours for the
Lord. A specIal thanks to all who have kept In touch over the past year, we are
grateful for your fellowshIp and Interest. Thanks also to Fobert |cConnell
(Dmagh) who survIved wIth us for a week. All of you are most welcome to vIsIt
us (though not all at the same tIme!), and we thank the EPC for your prayers
and assure you that we contInue to remember the varIous congregatIons In
Northern reland and 0ublIn.

. ,.. . .. . , , ^... . .... . ,.. . .. . , , ^... . .... . ,.. . .. . , , ^... . .... . ,.. . .. . , , ^... . ....

Youth Work
Parents and Toddlers
PrIson and |arket stall work
FellowshIp unIty, faIthful preachIng and steady growth
To be salt and lIght In a dark place.
Pruyr
PuInls
,..-.. .
r- r- r- r-
lPC Pruyr DIury lPC Pruyr DIury lPC Pruyr DIury lPC Pruyr DIury~ ~~ ~)unuury )unuury )unuury )unuury
|on 1 The KIngdom
Pray for Cod's blessIng and the advance of the kIngdom In 2007
Tues 2 Dur Land
Pray for our land, pray that Cod would send FevIval
Wed J FIchhIll
Pray for spIrItual and numerIcal growth
Thur 4 Carlands
Pray for SId and Jean Carland as the prepare to return to NIgerIa
FrI 5 E|F
Femember the work of the Cospel In SpaIn
Sat 6 0ublIn
Pray for the church as they meet tomorrow
Sun 7 Sun Schools
Pray that our chIldren would be saved
|on 8 South AfrIca
Pray for a good Intake of new students at 0umIsanI
Tues 9 StranmIllIs
Pray for the electIon of Elders, that Cod would guIde and call men
Wed 10 ChrIstIan nst
Pray for Calum Webster In hIs work and wItness
Thur 11 FInaghy
CIve thanks for the reelected 0eacons 8oard
FrI 12 ndIa
Femember the outreach efforts of the four FCC congregatIons
Sat 1J Somerton Fd
Pray that Cod wIll speak through hIs Word to our many youth contacts
Sun 14 PreachIng
Pray for the preachIng of Cod's Word today
|on 15 Croomsport
Pray for the FrIday Youth Club, attractIng several chIldren from the area
Tues 16 |agazIne
Pray that the |agazIne wIll be spIrItually profItable to us durIng 2007
Wed 17 CrumlIn
Pray for the Student PreachIng evenIng, Fobert Johnston and John Coates
Thur 18 Peru
ContInue to pray for a new sIte for ColegIo san Andres In LIma
FrI 19 LIsburn Fd
Femember those who travel to church, for safety on the roads
Sat 20 EPCEW
Pray for the work In Hull, see opposIte page
Sun 21 Dmagh
Pray for the comIng congregatIonal meetIng, for guIdance and grace
|on 22 ColombIa
Femember the developIng work of the SemInary In |edellIn
Tues 2J Knock
Pray for guIdance regardIng a mInIster to fIll the vacancy
Wed 24 Dff 8earers
Pray for our Elders and 0eacons.
Thur 25 Crosscollyer
Pray for some who wIll experIence suIcIdal thoughts at thIs tIme
FrI 26 YPA
Pray for theIr growth In grace, and that some would be called to full
Sat 27 Dur WItness
Pray for opportunItIes to speak of ChrIst today
Sun 28 Lord's 0ay
Femember to keep the Sabbath day holy
|on 29 P Johnston
Pray for Pamela as she prepares to come home on furlough In February
Tues J0 AffInIty
Pray for the conference as It begIns today-see page 18
Wed J1 Dur Land
Pray for stabIlIty and the forthcomIng electIons
. -.... ...
r. r. r. r.
lPC Pruyr DIury lPC Pruyr DIury lPC Pruyr DIury lPC Pruyr DIury~ ~~ ~lhruury lhruury lhruury lhruury
Thur 1 The Cospel
Pray that we may be faIthful and guard the Cospel
FrI 2 Camps
Pray for the plannIng for the 2007 summer camps
Sat J CrumlIn
Pray for our contInuIng street outreach to young people
Sun 4 |InIsters
Pray for our |InIsters, for health and safety In travel
|on 5 Presbytery
Pray for the meetIng tonIght, for blessIng and help
Tues 6 Crosscollyer
Pray for guIdance for the rIght way forward for the HelpIng Hand group
Wed 7 Knock
CIve thanks for the good numbers at the FrIday Club and Sunday School
Thur 8 YPA
Pray for our youth, that they may be kept from the snares of the world
FrI 9 Peru
Pray for LIma EvangelIcal SemInary and the Fector, Fev 0onnIe SmIth
Sat 10 FIchhIll
Pray that our walk wIth Cod and wIth one another would be close
Sun 11 PreachIng
Pray for all who preach the Word of Cod today
|on 12 Croomsport
Pray for our small but enthusIastIc SenIor YPA, started In September
Tues 1J ndIa
Pray for the |InIsters and Elders of the four FCC congregatIons
Wed 14 LIsburn Foad
Pray for the Word as It Is preached each Lord's day
Thur 15 EPCEW
Pray for the church In England and Wales
FrI 16 StranmIllIs
Pray for the Pathway Club, meetIng each Thursday nIght
Sat 17 Dmagh
CIve thanks for the chIldren In our mIdst. Pray for theIr salvatIon
Sun 18 South AfrIca
Pray that Cod wIll call men Into the mInIstry of the Free Church In SA
|on 19 CW
Pray for the work among the JewIsh people In London and Clasgow
Tues 20 FInaghy
Pray for the Women's |eetIng each Tuesday
Wed 21 |Iddle East
Femember those who work and wItness to the Arab people
Thur 22 Somerton Fd
Pray for the health of some of our workers who are feelIng pressurIsed
FrI 2J E|F
Pray for the FepublIc of reland, for conversIons and church growth
Sat 24 0ublIn
Pray that the Templeogue area wIll become receptIve to the Cospel
Sun 25 SS Teachers
Pray for our Sunday School teachers as they teach the Word of Cod
|on 26 ACTS
Femember the Prayer PoInts helpfully lIsted on page 11
Tues 27 Student Lunch
Pray for the student lunch at StranmIllIs each Tuesday
Wed 28 Presbytery
Pray for the |oderator and Clerk of Presbytery In theIr extra dutIes
"We cannot rIghtly pray unless we are persuaded for certaIn of success."
"n prayer two thIngs are necessary-faIth and humIlIty; by faIth we rIse up to Cod, and by
humIlIty we lIe prostrate on the ground."
"Prayer dIgs out those treasures, whIch the gospel of the Lord dIscovers to our faIth." (CalvIn)
,..-.. .
r r r r
PulrItIu LIhsun Is unurdd lh DRl
We heartIly congratulate PatrIcIa CIbson of our StranmIllIs congregatIon on her
nvestIture at 8uckIngham Palace on 14 November 2006.

PatrIcIa's award was for her servIces to the Northern
reland Dmbudsman. The Dmbudsman consIders complaInts
from people who claIm to have suffered an InjustIce
because of maladmInIstratIon by government departments
and publIc bodIes. The Dmbudsman Is completely
Independent of the Assembly, government departments
and publIc bodIes. The servIce Is free and all complaInts
are treated In the strIctest confIdence.

PatrIcIa's prImary area of responsIbIlIty as 0Irector of
nvestIgatIons Is the InvestIgatIon of complaInts about Health
ServIce and Personal SocIal ServIces organIsatIons and the remIt
Includes not just the admInIstratIve actIons of Health servIce
organIsatIons but also the exercIse of clInIcal judgement by health care professIonals.

WIth no desIre to be the focus of attentIon Harold and PatrIcIa have been
much more than just reluctant to feature In The Evcnyelccl Presbytercn-even
for PatrIcIa's InvestIture! 8ut endowed wIth the grace of wIllIngness to yIeld,
they became open to our earnest overtures that the Church should share In theIr
honour and express Its apprecIatIon In thIs way. We thank them sIncerely. EC8
lrum lh Churths lrum lh Churths lrum lh Churths lrum lh Churths
Across
1 SpanIsh, SemInary, LatIn, School (4)
5 Local student preachIng venue soon (7)
7 8rought great fIrst day news (4)
10 Called especIally to teach (9)
11 Place of 4 congregatIons (5)
13 Has KIng's College Chapel (9)
14 ActIvIst, KIng (4)
16 An DT matter only: (J, 2, J)
20 Someone sent (10)
21 Held the evIl record (4)
22 |ark of dIstInctIon too (7)
23 Clasgow not |alawI (8)
0own
1 Df use for InstructIon wIth grace (6)
2 FIrst of 1J (6)
3 A PraIse Word (8)
4 Former State of Cerman EmpIre (7)
6 Prophet's Name (6, J)
8 Name that declared Cod (6)
Also staple dIet at school (9)
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8
9
10 11
12
13
14 15
16 17 18
19
20
21
22
23
12 About 42 wIthout (4)
13 Northwesternmost country of S AmerIca (8)
15 0ouble fIrst to begIn (J, 4)
17 8rIstol ChrIstIan (6)
18 |IssIonary wIth great name (5)
1 A regular DT worshIp snare (4)

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P
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1
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Q

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. -.... ...
r, r, r, r,
lrum lh Churths lrum lh Churths lrum lh Churths lrum lh Churths
lurnII SrtIt

for

SIdney and Jean CarIand
8.00 pm
Wednesday 04 January 2007

aIIycIare EPC
1P4 Pru[tl 7DDT~'kuIs lh kuuI'

The 2007 project Is to help
wIth the roof for the new
church buIldIng In KIng
WIllIams Town.

0o support our young
people In theIr effort to
'FaIse the Foof', and help
In the completIon of the
new church buIldIng.
4IIInIly CunIrnt

Dur church wIll be represented at The AffInIty TheologIcal Conference at HIgh
LeIgh Conference Centre In HertfordshIre, J0 January-1 February 2007.

The theme Is "The Forgotten ChrIst"

Speakers Include:
Prof 0Ick CaffIn, WestmInster TheologIcal SemInary, PhIladelphIa
Prof Andrew |cCowan, HIghland TheologIcal College, Scotland
)unIur Cum kunIun

When! Saturday 1Jth January from 2.00 pm-4.00 pm
Where! Knock EPC
Who can go! All boys and gIrls that were at Camp 2006 and any aged 811
who would lIke to go to Camp 2007
What happens! Camesfood8Ible talk

For further detaIIs contact: Fev Careth 8urke, 028 9045 0900
MInIslrs und DIIIt-Rurrs
CunIrnt CunIrnt CunIrnt CunIrnt

2-J |arch 2007

Fev John |agee: Erne West, Fermanagh

FrIday: |InIsters
Saturday am: |InIsters, Elders and 0eacons.

Further detaIls wIll be announced

,..-.. .
r r r r
SIttIng In a plane travellIng at 600 mIles an hour at an altItude of J5,000 feet
gIves you tIme to thInk ( am en route home from the States). The focus of my
thInkIng has been do or done: ThIs Is the tItle of an address was to gIve In
the followIng week at CambrIdge UnIversIty. The ChrIstIan UnIon (CCCU) gave
me the tItle and asked me to speak on the ChrIstIan way of salvatIon-Is It by
doIng, or Is It by trustIng In Jesus ChrIst alone, who has done all that we
could never do to reconcIle us to Cod and Cod to us: ThIs may seem very basIc,
and of course It Is. SalvatIon Is by faIth alone In Jesus ChrIst alone and Is wholly
dependent on the grace of Cod alone. NothIng Is more vItal than thIs. FaIl to
grasp thIs and you shut yourself out from the great salvatIon Cod has provIded
for hIs world In hIs Son.

Perhaps you are already askIng why am wrItIng about thIs. The answer Is
sImple: thIs basIc bIblIcal truth that was (In great measure) redIscovered at the
FeformatIon Is beIng denIed wIthIn (yes, wIthIn) the EvangelIcal and Feformed
church. t hardly seems possIble that somethIng as basIc and fundamental as
justIfIcatIon by faIth alone Is beIng subtly, and at tImes not so subtly,
undermIned by men who espouse Feformed convIctIons. TheIr revIsIonIsm
teaches that Cod justIfIes the ungodly, not by faIth alone, but by obedIent
faIth, faIth demonstrated In good works.

t Is absolutely true that we cannot be saved wIthout good works. Paul tells
the EphesIans that we are created In ChrIst Jesus for good works (2:10). n
sayIng thIs he Is echoIng our Lord Jesus hImself who saId that a good tree
necessarIly bears good fruIt (read |att. 7:l6ff). The truth we profess wIth our
lIps wIll be sealed by the transformatIon of our lIves In godlIness. To argue,
however, that Cod justIfIes sInners by obedIent faIth Is to fall Into the profound
Foman error of confusIng, even mergIng, sanctIfIcatIon wIth justIfIcatIon.

Few verses teach the bIblIcal doctrIne of justIfIcatIon more clearly and
sImply than Fomans 4:5. To the one who does not work but trusts hIm who
justIfIes the ungodly, hIs faIth Is counted as rIghteousness. There appear to be
two motIves drIvIng thIs revIsIonIsm. FIrst, It Is hard not to conclude that the
ageold heresy of ArmInIanIsm Is rearIng Its selfexaltIng presence. There Is a
congenItal reluctance In sInners to accept that we can contrIbute nothIng to
our justIfIcatIon before Cod. t Is deeply humblIng to hear Cod's word declare
that by works of the law no one wIll be justIfIed. NothIng we do, even as
belIevers, can brIng Cod's justIfyIng rIghteousness to us. To say that we are
justIfIed by obedIent faIth, by faIth and the good works that flow from faIth Is
to say that make some contrIbutIon to my rIghteous standIng before Cod.
Du ur Dun? Du ur Dun? Du ur Dun? Du ur Dun?
Rav lao hamilioo
an HamIlton Is |InIster of the CambrIdge congregatIon of EPCEW.
He remInds us of the crucIal Importance of the doctrIne of justIfIcatIon by faIth alone
as he examInes aspects of the New Perspectve on Pcul.
. -.... ...
. . . .
Second, thIs new perspectIve on the gospel denIes the ImputatIon of
ChrIst's rIghteousness to the belIever. f my standIng before Cod Is based on my
faIth and my obedIence, there Is no need for ChrIst to cover me wIth hIs
rIghteousness. And yet the 8Ible Is absolutely InsIstent that ChrIst Is our
rIghteousness (read 1 Cor.1:J0). ThIs foundatIonal truth Is nowhere more
emphasIzed than In Fomans 5:1819, Consequently, just as the result of one
trespass was condemnatIon for all men, so also the result of one act of
rIghteousness was justIfIcatIon that brIngs lIfe for all men. For just as through
the dIsobedIence of the one man the many were made sInners, so also through
the obedIence of the one man the many wIll be made rIghteous. t Is by ChrIst's
one act of rIghteousness that justIfIcatIon and lIfe are brought to sInners. As
John 8unyan put It, |y rIghteousness Is In heaven at Cod's rIght hand ... |y
good frames cannot make It any better, my bad frames cannot make It any
worse. ThIs may seem dangerous doctrIne, an encouragement to lIcentIous
lIvIng. The truth, however, Is the very opposIte. CraspIng the sheer grace of
Cod ImputIng to you the very rIghteousness of hIs sInless Son, leaves you
longIng to lIve to the praIse of hIs glorIous grace (enabled by the IndwellIng,
sanctIfyIng presence of the Holy SpIrIt).

Every belIever stands before Cod robed In the perfect rIghteousness of the
Lord Jesus ChrIst. 8y faIth alone In ChrIst alone we are justIfIed now (Fomans
5:1). Dur justIfIcatIon does not waIt for Cod to evaluate the worthIness or
otherwIse of our rIghteous acts. f It dId, we would all be sunk. All ChrIstIans
need to be remInded In these theologIcally confusIng tImes of the nature and
character of theIr justIfIcatIon before Cod. What wIll enable you and me to
stand bold on that great day, Is not our obedIent faIth, weak and feeble as It
Is, but the obedIence of ChrIst Imputed by Cod to our account. t Is our SavIour's
obedIence and blood alone that hIdes all our transgressIons from vIew. ThIs may
be basIc fare for many of you, but It cannot be hIghlIghted and proclaImed too
often. 8y thIs truth the church stands or falls. t Is, saId John CalvIn, the maIn
hInge on whIch true relIgIon turns and where we depart from the error of Fome.
1h 4IIn kIQhluusns 1h 4IIn kIQhluusns 1h 4IIn kIQhluusns 1h 4IIn kIQhluusnss ss s R R WurIIId R R WurIIId R R WurIIId R R WurIIId
The one antIthesIs of all ages Is that between the rIval formulae: 0o thIs and lIve,
and LIve and do thIs; 0o and be saved, and 8e saved and do. And the one thIng that
determInes whether we trust In Cod for salvatIon or would faIn save ourselves Is how
such formulae appeal to us. 0o we lIke the rIch young ruler, feel that we must "do
some good thIng" In order that we may be saved: Then, assuredly, we are not yet
prepared to trust our salvatIon to ChrIst alone-to sell all that we have and follow hIm.
Just In proportIon as we are strIvIng to supplement or to supplant hIs perfect work,
just In that proportIon Is our hope of salvatIon restIng on works, and not on faIth.

1h ChunQ uI Slul 1h ChunQ uI Slul 1h ChunQ uI Slul 1h ChunQ uI Slul k 4 lInIuysun k 4 lInIuysun k 4 lInIuysun k 4 lInIuysun
He Is the SpIrIt that conveys the holIness of Cod to mortal man-In justIfIcatIon
gIvIng a holy standIng, In regeneratIon ImplantIng a holy nature, In sanctIfIcatIon
creatIng a holy character.
t Is only when there Is a change of state In JustIfIcatIon, that there can be a change
of relatIonshIp In AdoptIon, and of nature In SanctIfIcatIon ...
,..-.. .
.r .r .r .r
luIlh und lII luIlh und lII luIlh und lII luIlh und lII~ ~~ ~SuntlIIItulIun SuntlIIItulIun SuntlIIItulIun SuntlIIItulIun
A seres o] one pcye summcres o] the JJ Chcpters o] the Westmnster Con]esson,
wth comment where spcce permts. Plecse recd the Con]esson Chcpter tsel]!
SectIon 1 SanctIfIcatIon: Its ImpIantIng and 0eveIopment
The sanctIfIcatIon Implanted at regeneratIon Is developed on the grounds of
ChrIst's death and resurrectIon and by means of hIs IndwellIng Word and SpIrIt.
The domInIon of sIn Is broken at the new bIrth, and Its remnants progressIvely
put to death as the belIever grows In grace Into the practIce of true holIness.

SectIon 2 SanctIfIcatIon: PervasIve but Imperfect In thIs LIfe
SanctIfIcatIon Is at work In every part of the belIever, but does not achIeve
perfectIon In thIs lIfe. The remnants of sIn are also actIve In every part and are the
cause of an unceasIng and IrreconcIlable war between the SpIrIt and the flesh.

SectIon 3 SanctIfIcatIon: CraduaIIy VIctorIous In the War wIth SIn
The remnants of sIn may IntermIttently gaIn the upper hand In theIr war wIth
the SpIrIt, but the SpIrIt's contInual supply of strength ensures the growIng
supremacy of sanctIfIcatIon In the lIves of belIevers.

0efInItIve (sometImes called relatIonal or posItIonal) sanctIfIcatIon occurs at
regeneratIon. Cod sanctIfIes belIevers at thIs poInt by breakIng sIn's domInIon
over them. He creates In them "a new heart and a new spIrIt", he transfers
them from one realm to another-"from the power of Satan unto Cod". They
are "In ChrIst"; they have "dIed to sIn" (Fom 6:2) Paul can therefore descrIbe
the CorInthIan ChrIstIans, to use just one example, as those who are "sanctIfIed."
(1 Cor 1:2) So sanctIfIcatIon, In the fIrst Instance Is a defInItIve act of Cod, lIke
justIfIcatIon and adoptIon, that occurs at the begInnIng of the ChrIstIan lIfe, and
the New Testament places great emphasIs on thIs aspect of the doctrIne.

8ut defInItIve sanctIfIcatIon, powerfully transformIng, onceforall act of
Cod though It Is, does not support claIms for sInless perfectIon. John Indeed
says: "Whoever abIdes In HIm does not sIn. Whoever sIns has neIther seen HIm,
nor known HIm . Whoever has been born of Cod does not sIn ..." (1 John J:6, 9)
n InterpretIng these statements other words of John In the same letter put us
on warnIng: "f we say that we have no sIn, we deceIve ourselves, and the truth
Is not In us." (1 John 1:8-10) John was clear about the defInItIve aspect.

WhIlst the ConfessIon proceeds from the basIs of defInItIve sanctIfIcatIon,
Its teachIng majors on "farther" sanctIfIcatIon-the progressIve work that
operates throughout the lIfe of belIevers. They experIence contInual conflIct
wIth sIn. t Is a lIfelong, daIly war In whIch sIn Is always beIng put to death at
the same tIme as holIness Is always beIng perfected In the fear of Cod. That
holIness Is the real objectIve sInce wIthout It noone sees the Lord. The
reference to "saInts" In the plural strongly suggests that sanctIfIcatIon Is not for
each saInt In IsolatIon but that It develops wIthIn the relatIonshIps of the church.
WC WC WC WCl ll l 13
. -.... ...
.. .. .. ..
WurlhnhII WhsIl WurlhnhII WhsIl WurlhnhII WhsIl WurlhnhII WhsIls ss s
Rosamarg 0riar
www.monergIsm.com
Strange and obscure though the name may seem, thIs websIte Is neIther. t Is
the most excellent store of artIcles, onlIne books and both scrIpt and audIo
(mpJ) sermons that thIs revIewer knows, all from a strongly reformed
perspectIve. The resources range from CalvIn to Carson, Hodge to Horton,
|achen to |urray, PInk to PIper, Spurgeon to Sproul. 8rowse through topIcs
from apologetIcs, covenant theology, and atonement to, well, most worthwhIle
subjects you can thInk of! Also worth a mentIon Is the sIte's "8ad Theology"
sectIon, wIth artIcles addressIng SynergIsm ("The No 1 CulprIt E FoundatIon to
all 8ad Theology"), Seeker SensItIve, No LordshIp, LegalIsm, New PerspectIve
on Paul, and more. t's the source of the best audIo sermons around-wIth lInks!

www.bethInkIng.org
The place for apologetIcs on the Internet. Produced and maIntaIned by UCCF:
thechrstcnunons, 8ethnkny provIdes artIcles and audIo fIles on many
apologetIcs themes, categorIsed and dIvIded Into levels of Introductory,
IntermedIate and advanced. WhIle Its InItIal aIm was to resource students,
bethnkny Is valuable for all of us. The resources are drawn from UCCF, L'AbrI,
European LeadershIp Forum, and the ZacharIas Trust, wIth others.

www.desIrInggod.org
The websIte of John PIper's mInIstry. WhIle many of hIs sermons E artIcles can
be accessed through monerysm.com, thIs Is the websIte for hIs mInIstry, and
(untIl the launch of the new sIte and fully resourced desrnyyod.ory) gIves a
lInk to audIo sermons on www.bblcclprecchny.n]o, whIch you can search by
8Ible book, Sermon SerIes, Preacher, and 0ate. PIper's 52 sermon serIes on
Hebrews sustaIned me thIs year; hIs 204 on Fomans are well worth the tIme too!

www.euroIeadershIpresources.org
The resources websIte of the European LeadershIp Forum, desIgned to IdentIfy
common needs of European evangelIcal leaders and then fInd the best resources
to help meet those needs: theologIcal, management, skIlls, apologetIcs, etc.
WhIle It's desIgned for those wIth leadershIp responsIbIlIty, the resources are
valuable to anyone wantIng further equIpped for theIr mInIstry In the local church.

www.covenantsemInary.edulworIdwIde
Free courses In theology from PCA In audIo wIth pdf study books.

www.theoIogIan.org.uk
ConservatIve EvangelIcal, nondenomInatIonal, academIcally rIgorous,
pastorally sensItIve and theologIcally Integrated-that's the bIllIng from thIs
websIte run mostly by theologIans from DakhIll TheologIcal College, London,
wIth contrIbutors from a range of reformed churches.
,..-.. .
. . . .
Ruuk ktIns Ruuk ktIns Ruuk ktIns Ruuk ktIns
From PrussIa wIth Love. The Ceorge |uller Story
CaroIe Purves, 0ay Dne, Paperback, 128 pp, f6.00 f4.50
Carole Purves wrote thIs bIography to mark the 200
th
annIversary
of Ceorge |uller's bIrth. Perhaps |uller Is best known for hIs
orphanages In 8rIstol and for hIs polIcy of lIvIng "by faIth". |uch
of the book does deal wIth thIs topIc, and many anecdotes of
Cod's amazIng provIsIon are Included. However, the reader also
gaIns an InsIght Into other aspects of |uller's lIfe, from hIs
rebellIous youth In Cermany to hIs conversIon at the age of twenty and
subsequent desIre to serve the Lord.
|uller had a deep spIrItual concern for people: he was a preacher and
pastor and founded the ScrIptural Knowledge SocIety. He also had a socIal
conscIence: besIdes the orphanages, he set up an Employment SocIety and he
often put hImself at rIsk, vIsItIng the sIck and destItute. There are chapters on
hIs home lIfe too, and on hIs travels abroad. Numerous quotes from |uller's
own letters, dIarIes and reports are used, leavIng the reader wIth the
ImpressIon of a very godly man.
ncluded In the book are some InterestIng photographs and a report on the
ongoIng work of the Ceorge |uller FoundatIon. PotH Bo|o PotH Bo|o PotH Bo|o PotH Bo|o

Cod's LIttIe PeopIe-LIttle Women In the 8Ible
rIan H Edwards, 0ay Dne, Paperback, 128 pp, f5.00 f3.75
A fresh look at some of our favourIte women of the 8Ible. Hannah
who kept the promIse she made, |ary who sat at the SavIour's feet
and worshIpped, |ary |agdalene who brought the news of the
resurrectIon to the dIscIples-and many more. t was a challenge to
me on how lIve for Cod. Coo| Bo|d Coo| Bo|d Coo| Bo|d Coo| Bo|d

ThIs LIttIe Church Stayed Home
, Lvangelioal Press, Paperback, 190 pp, L7.95 f6.50
0r CIlley, graduate of the |oody 8Ible nstItute and CambrIdge
Craduate School and pastor of Southern 7Iew Chapel has wrItten
thIs follow up to "ThIs LIttle Church Went to |arket".
The strap lIne "A faIthful church In deceptIve tImes" captures
the essence of thIs thoughtprovokIng lIttle book. The "stayIng
home" Is remaInIng fIrmly grounded In the ScrIptures, despIte the
many pressures to sell out to modern trends, "fads" and InnovatIons.
0r CIlley examInes the postmodern world In whIch the Church today exIsts,
remInds us of the Church's mandate to "buIld up the body", provIde dIscIplIne
and growth and propagate the Cospel message. He hIghlIghts the fundamental
Importance and central place of the ScrIptures and goes on to outlIne major
challenges facIng the Church today IncludIng mystIcIsm and revIew of
fundamental doctrInes.
A serIous book for serIous tImes, thIs book addresses many contemporary
Issues In ChrIstIan thought and practIce that we Ignore at our perIl. |ov,o |oogt, |ov,o |oogt, |ov,o |oogt, |ov,o |oogt,
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HoIy IbIe, EngIIsh Standard VersIon argaIn prIce f17.50
We recommend thIs burgundy bonded leather slImlIne edItIon wIth concordance,
though It Is the US edItIon, as unfortunately the UK leather edItIons are
reported out of stock.

CentIe PaIn on Tender Crass Sharon James f8.95 f6.75
FIne 0aIly FeadIngs from the fIrst fIve books of the 8Ible.

There's a Snake In hy Cupboard 0r NIck WoodIng f5.
|ore amazIng storIes of Cod at work at KIwoko ChrIstIan hospItal In rural Uganda.

CertaIn Women Jean S Corbett f5.
0evotIonal 8Ible studIes on New Testament women from a Portadown author
wellknown for her lInks wIth Qua boe |IssIon.

TraveI wIth C S LewIs PonaId W resIand f9.99 f7.50
A photographIc guIde to places lInked to C S LewIs, IncludIng a brIef lIfe hIstory.

AuthentIc ChrIstIanIty 0 h LIoyd-Jones f15.75 f12.60
7ol 6, Acts Chapter 8
EvenIng sermons from hIs fInal year at WestmInster Chapel (1967/68).

The Cross of ChrIst John Stott f14.99 f6.00
ThIs 20
th
annIversary hardback edItIon Is an amazIng bargaIn. t provIdes a clear
and IncIsIve account of the centre of our faIth, ChrIst's death for us sInners.

CounterIng the CIaIms of Wayne Crudem f8.99 f6.75
EvangeIIcaI FemInIsm
0r Crudem defends the 8IblIcal vIew of the roles of men and women.

Cod of PromIse hIchaeI Horton f.00
ntroduces Covenant Theology, the core of ChrIstIanIty.

The CompIete Cathered CoId John Ianchard f24.95 f1.5
A compIlatIon of 8lanchard's prevIous three books, wIth some new materIal,
gIves easy access to 16,000 quotatIons In a handsome hardback.

The Hand of Cod FrederIck S Leahy f6.00 f4.80
The comfort of havIng a sovereIgn Cod

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ltunQIItuI Ruuk Shu ltunQIItuI Ruuk Shu ltunQIItuI Ruuk Shu ltunQIItuI Ruuk Shu