Someone recently said to me that “now the US is gone things will return to as they were in the past.” That is a complicated statement as many do not realise what Afghanistan, and particularly Kabul, used to be like.

Every name has a meaning. Whether or not the individual lives up to their name is a different or perhaps even irrelevant matter. Whilst arguably our names and titles hold little importance and provide no more than a small glimpse into our lives, there is a Name above all others (Philippians 2:9). His name holds the greatest of importance, for “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

In these changing days, our history is suppressed

But remember us, remember our name.

We are the covenanters

And we stand with Christ.

As most of you will know with this pandemic going on the cinemas have not been that easy to get to. So, I have taken this version of the messengers review to an Amazon prime movie. I realise not everybody has Amazon prime, but you can't get this movie through other means either by buying as a DVD or renting it or whatever floats your boat. The movie I have chosen Is ‘Knives Out’.

A desire for freedom is inherent in man. A yearning for liberty is part of the very soul of mankind. We can see it if we look through any history book. Tale after tale of people struggling to free themselves from oppression.

When we find high-profile sportsmen or women who share our faith getting slaughtered in the regular media or on social media for their outspoken views, or for what the world sees as outdated and intolerant convictions, how should we respond?

Twenty minutes of mindless scrolling YouTube on my phone and I can’t even tell you what I’m watching anymore or why. It’s amazing how quickly time slips away without any purpose - films, music, video games, TV, books, magazines, social media, podcasts. We have more control over how we curate our content than ever before, so why does it often feel like we’re still failing when it comes to what we listen to and watch?

WE ALL love mysteries. Story writers know how we are enticed by a tale where the true causes of an event lie hidden in complex plans devised by powerful institutions. You are drawn in as you follow the hero’s discoveries, and all is put right once the evildoers are exposed and vanquished. The present popularity of conspiracy theories reaches far beyond the world of entertainment.

The congregations of Ballenon and Ballylane are a joint charge, both congregations in and of themselves being too small numerically and unable financially to have a pastor of their own.  The church buildings are located just over halfway between Armagh and Newry in the townlands of Loughguilly (Ballenon) and Mowhan (Ballylane). Currently there are two elders in Ballenon and three in Ballylane (one of whom is retired from duties due to advanced age).

That feeling you get as you stand taking in the staggering height of the Cliffs of Moher, seeing the waves pound ferociously at their feet. The spine-tingling sound of a skilled musician reveling in that cello concerto. A clear day across the breath-taking Mourne mountains or the crisp, clean whiteness of newly fallen snow. Awe.

This is a story about an Australian school teacher, a Co Down farmer, a long boat journey to Ethiopia, language study, three children, schools, clinics, chickens, chess sets, two famines, a revolution, a civil war and a spider plant. Sort of in that order.

Did you know we are in the grip of another pandemic? An anxiety pandemic. Anxiety is part of our lives at the best of times. But the Coronavirus has created a perfect storm of worry. Worries about loneliness, failure, change, monotony, anxiety about work, health, finances and the future can overwhelm us. Anxious thoughts fill our minds. “What if this happens?” “What if this doesn’t happen?” Are you worried you read this?

In this fourth article attention is drawn to what happened after Messiah’s suffering and death. The fact of his ‘passion’ is captured in the ‘Messiah’ with words from Isaiah 53:8 “… he was cut off out of the land of the living … .”

The Bible has one central person in focus – the Messiah. After Adam and Eve sinned their only hope lay in the ‘seed of the woman’ promised in Genesis 3:15. God affirmed that this ‘seed’ would crush Satan and redeem his people through suffering and death. That seed is the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One.

George Frideric Handel is given all the accolades for the oratorio, ‘Messiah’.  He is indeed worthy of the highest praise for this musical masterpiece, a masterpiece as popular today as when it was first performed in Dublin in April 1742.  Handel, however, was only responsible for the musical score.  It was Charles Jennens who was the mastermind behind the arrangement of the Scripture texts.  These are arranged to show how the Old Testament is perfectly fulfilled in the New.  In a wonderful way these texts depict the person and work of Christ.  This article will concentrate on the Birth of the Messiah.

This article introduces the second part. Through the texts identified the discerning listener can easily glean the purpose of Messiah’s suffering. It was not because of sin he had committed, because Jesus was “without blemish or spot”, but because of the sins of his people. That will become crystal clear as some of these texts are considered.