Man's purpose in life

The question has often been asked, what is the meaning of life? It is similarly phrased in the first question of the Westminster Short Catechism with 'What is man's chief end?' The answer given is that 'Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever'. This matter is well considered by Thomas Vincent in his book 'The Shorter Catechism Explained from Scripture' where he ask the following questions, all of which with their answers, are well worth us taking our time to consider:

Q. 1. What is meant by the chief end of man?

A. The chief end of man, is that which man ought chiefly to aim at or design, to desire, seek after, and endeavour to obtain, as his chief good and happiness; unto which his life and his actions should be referred and directed; which is the glorifying of God, and the enjoying of God for ever.

Your local church: Sponsored by the National Lottery?

When the National Lottery was launched in 1994 it was met with opposition by many Christians. They viewed it as being detrimental to the lives of many people, knowing the sorrow caused to families because of the curse of gambling. The few who would become rich pales in comparison with those who find themselves caught up in the web of addiction. The catch line of 'It could be you' was meant as an enticement, giving people that hope of a win of millions and their life changed forever. It could however be more appropriately be applied to the prospect of losing all to a gambling addiction, for that could most certainly be you. The opposition of Christian churches to such a venture was justified because of the sorrow that is brought about by gambling. Surely then no church would consider using National Lottery funding as a means of supporting the Lord's work. Sadly that is not the case, for last year a number of churches in Northern Ireland chose to turn their backs on the Word of God and seek funding from the National Lottery, largely to carry out renovations and improvements to their buildings.

Martin Luther's idea of recanting

When Pope Leo X issued his Papal Bull against Martin Luther on 15th June 1520 he left him no room for manoeuvre. There was no offer of a discussion on the issues of difference, Luther was not given the opportunity of explaining from scripture why he held the views that he did, but was given the ultimatum of recant or be excommunicated. Luther response was to publicly burn the Bull at Wittenburg and respond to it in a tract entitled 'Assertation of all the Articles Wrongly Condemned in the Roman Bull. The tone of his response gives an indication of what he thought of recanting his views, and of of the Pope's demands.

The greatest question of all

Almost 2000 years have passed since the question was put to the Jewish people by Pontius Pilate; ‘What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?’ It was a question which at that time brought a vociferous response from the crowd, for there were none gathered in Jerusalem who had not some opinion on Jesus Christ. Persuaded by the chief priests and scribes, the answer which came from the gathered mob that day was one of rejection, for they cried ‘Let him be crucified’. When given the choice of whom they would have Pilate release they chose Barabbas, a murderer, over the Son of God. For those in Israel 2000 years ago it was a question of great importance yet their answer was one that brought with it great and terrible consequences, for in rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ they rejected the long awaited Messiah and only begotten Son of God.

The Sinfulness of Sin

Sin, the Plague of Plagues. Such was the title give to a work published by the English Puritan Ralph Venning in 1669, shortly after the Great Plague of London had killed an estimated 20% of the city’s population. This horrific event would have been fresh in the minds of his readers, and for them the comparisons were easy to make between those two fatal epidemics; each bringing widespread death and destruction, one physical, the other spiritual. Today it is rare for us to see firsthand death and disease on such a vast scale, yet sin, that plague of plagues is still with us. Bringing death and destruction with it sin saturates our modern, advanced society, infects every respectable home and drags the prospering multitudes of this world down into the depths of hell. 

For God and Ulster

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Ulster Volunteer Force by the Ulster Unionist Council and Sir Edward Carson. Their purpose was not to terrorise the inhabitants of Ulster but to defend them, should Home Rule be imposed. Following on from the rally at Balmoral at Easter 1912, the Carson Trail and the signing of the Ulster Covenant on 28th September 1912, the formation of the UVF was seen as the next step in ensuring that Ulster remained British. The purpose of their formation could truly be said to have been for God and Ulster, to defend their land should it be cut off by Britain, against the repercussions of 'Rome rule' that would surely follow.

Why there is rioting on the streets of Belfast

Fifteen years ago the Good Friday Agreement was signed by the majority of political parties in Northern Ireland. It was endorsed in a referendum by 71% of the population and was seen as a historic breakthrough in the peace process, a way of putting 'The Troubles' behind us. In 2006 the St Andrews Agreement was the means of restoring those institutions set up in 1998, the agreement of all the main political parties surely the sign of a new Northern Ireland, one where the violence on the streets would surely be a thing of the past.

Yet the events across Northern Ireland in recent weeks have shown that little has been achieved by these two agreements. Indeed it could be said that the situation is worse now than it has been for several years. So called dissident republican groups continue to target members of the security forces and loyalists have engaged in rioting in recent weeks as a result of the removal of the Union Flag from City Hall. Why are such problems still evident in Northern Ireland society. Loyalists will say that their rioting is provoked by the erosion of their British culture. When republicans riot they will often blame an Orange march. Yet this does not truly answer the question. Why, in such circumstances do people respond with violence. What is the mindset that causes a youth to throw a petrol bomb as their response to a band parade? 

The Importance of Flying the Flag

On 3rd December 2012 the decision was taken by Belfast City Council that the Union Flag would no longer fly from City Hall 365 days a year, but only on a small number of designated days. This decision has understandably been met with anger by many in the Loyalist and Unionist community who have seen it as a further erosion of their British culture and identity. For the last month street protests and rallies have been held across the province in opposition to the Council's decision. Sadly on some occasions legitimate protest has also been accompanied by violence and intimidation.

Many people have claimed that it is 'only a flag', yet the flying of a flag is an important issue because of what a flag represents. It is not simply a piece of cloth but is an important symbol to people of who they are. For any countries flag to be removed will naturally be met with a hostile reception by those loyal to it, as it will be viewed as an act of surrender and retreat. There are 5 things symbolised by the flying of a flag which show why it is so important: