What does it mean to be blessed? Does it mean fame, money, or a long life? No, the Psalmist in Psalm 1 points to the truly Blessed Man. He alone has eternal glory, eternal riches, and eternal life. It is in Him alone we are blessed. It is Him we must know to be blessed eternally.  

It started off as an idea conceived unformed at one of the semi-regular Messenger Committee meetings. An embryonic notion tagged onto an agenda under Any Other Business.

A tournament for the Reformed Presbyterian masses, open to every denomination and church from the metropolises of Belfast and Derry to the rural hinterland that makes up the rest of Northern Ireland.

Volleyball was the game. Played for years provincially and at various Camps and Conferences over the years.  Just a ball, a net and a boundary were needed to play. But winning required collective courage, undying dedication, and a team with the ability to consistently hit the ball over the net.

In the Northern Region of Ethiopia, a brutal war has recently been halted and a Peace Agreement signed. This milestone has ended a period of suffering and hardship which the people of Tigray have endured now for almost three years. A local charity called Operation Rescue UK & Ireland have been involved in the region for many years and in February, two local trustees were able to visit again and evaluate the impact of war. The charity works with underprivileged children throughout Tigray.

Moses died at the age of 120, and, according to the Bible “His eye was undimmed and his vigour unabated” (Deuteronomy 34:7). Gautama Buddha died at the age of 80. In his final year he was attended by many followers and continued to teach his disciples the seven factors of enlightenment. Confucius devoted his whole life to learning and teaching. Frustrated in politics, he was accompanied by an expanding circle of students. He returned home to teach and died at the age of 72, surrounded by some 3,000 who sought to maintain his philosophy.

A Reformed witness has been sustained in Knockbracken since 1772 and the ministry of the Rev. William Stavely. Over the years, the Lord Jesus Christ has provided Knockbracken with 15 ministers.

In your day to day activities and relationships, is God's kindness shining through you to others? Do people see something of the kindness of God by how you treat them and talk with them? If you have truly experienced God's grace in your life, an inward transformation will be taking place within you and this will be seen outwardly in how you serve others with kindness.

Amy Carmichael gives an exceptional example of the set-apart life. From the time of her conversion to her going home, she poured out her life in service to the Lord and had little-to-no regard of human opinion.

What do you think of when you think of emotions? Perhaps it is a movie scene which brings overwhelming sobs, maybe your mind flicks to that anger that flooded over you when that driver cut dangerously close across you, or maybe the characters from Inside Out pop up in your head.

How should God’s people respond to such great salvation? The heart of their response ought to be love. An obvious question arises: how are God’s people to express that love?

The Webster Dictionary defines idolatry as “the worship of idols or excessive devotion to, or reverence for some person or thing.” God forbids idolatry, ‘you shall have no other gods before me’ Exodus 20:3

Chad is the largest land-locked country in Africa and is rich in diversity: The landscape flows from the sub-tropical South to the Saharan North, home to over 130 distinct people groups, each with their own language, culture and religious expression. A Muslim-majority country with a significant portion of Christians and traditional religions too, there is a great deal to be learnt from the largely peaceful, tolerant way of life.

2 Peter was written to Christians who were facing danger on two fronts. There was the external threat from an increasingly hostile environment, and there was also an internal threat from false teachers who had infiltrated the church. 1 Peter was written to address the external threat, and 2 Peter deals with the internal threat.

There is something incredible about fantasy fiction. Not only the ability to conjure up a new storybut to create a new world with different landscapes, creatures and dialects. None in my view have accomplished this so well as CS Lewis or Tolkien. Nevertheless, I do enjoy a venture into a new world and enjoyed my foray into Aerwiar, the world created by Andrew Peterson in his Wingfeather Saga.

Psalm 37 was been given to us to teach us how to think and act when we see the wicked prospering while the righteous are in disgrace and adversity. How do we reconcile these two things in our minds? We can easily get sucked into a downward spiral of doubt, resentment and discouragement. But this Psalm can give us much understanding and encouragement in such times.

Why should we be concerned with the changes in marriage or the redefinition of marriage? Why does marriage matter? In support of the case that marriage is right and appropriate only between a man and a woman, I want to call three witnesses to give testimony.

We live in an age described as ‘the now generation’ (Alvin Toffler). Everyone seems to want everything ‘now’. We've instant coffee, fast food, entertainment at the press of our fingertips, millions buying goods on credit that they can’t afford, sports teams expecting instant success from their managers, and many seeking gratification before the commitment and covenant of marriage.

A wet February night at 10:15pm. YES at 10:15PM!! The
latest showing at a cinema I’ve ever been to...and probably ever will. Despite the time of night you
never really noticed 1. Because the film was superb
and 2. Because the VIP seating in Maghera is excellent. Quiet, Reclining seats, armchairs and its only an extra £1! the only downfall is that it’s in Maghera.... I’m sure Maghera is lovely but it’s a wee bit off the beaten track. However, would highly
recommend the VIP cinema its superb at no extra cost.

The war in Tigray, which began in November 2020, is ongoing. After a lull of 5 months when fighting ceased and some aid was able to get through to those in need, fighting has now resumed. Journalists are not being allowed to travel to the region, which is largely cut off from the outside world.

Occasionally some married couples renew their wedding vows. They may do so for a variety of reasons, but their goal is to strengthen their marriage by renewal of their covenant.