Reformed Presbyterian Church — January 15, 2012

Center St. and Fairview Ave., Manassas, Virginia

Our pastor and elders are available to assist in times of personal trouble or other events. Contacts:

     Dr. Allen Church, pastor, 703-565-7405, pastor@rpchurch.org.

     Francis Elliott, 703-361-2300, felliott8@comcast.net

     Rick Hepburn, 703-409-8344, rdhepburn1@prodigy.net

     Bill Pfister, 703-368-0504, billpfister@verizon.net

     John Stallings, 703-335-5751, jdstallingsiii@verizon.net

 

40th-year church supper on Jan. 29 — The first steps in founding the Reformed Presbyterian Church here were taken 40 years ago, on Jan. 31, 1972. We will have a congregational supper at 6 p.m. on the Lord’s day, January 29, to mark the occasion. Ham, drinks and table service will be provided. Please bring side dishes and desserts. Guests and special foods are encouraged.

Snow? Ice? Will there be church?  Our church’s winter-weather-related closing policy is that we do not meet when the Prince William County school system has closed its facilities due to road conditions.

     Churches and other organizations use public school buildings, so even on the Lord’s day, the school system has to determine whether facilities will be closed.

      Of course, no one should drive in conditions that are outside of their own abilities or risk tolerance. But when you simply want to avoid making the trip in vain, here’s how to tell:

·       The county schools’ closing status is available at the top of the county schools’ main web page at www.pwcs.edu, via PWCS-TV on local cable channels, and through broadcast media.

·       WTOP does not always read all closings information on the air due to the quantity of them, but the complete list is online at www.wtop.com/?nid=667#2-virginia.

·       If you see no status on the web, school buildings are presumed to be in use and our church will meet also.

·       Wednesday evening services may be considered cancelled any time the county schools close early due to weather conditions.  

·       On Lord’s day mornings, we don’t meet if school facilities are closed. Any new status for a Sunday evening is harder to determine, however. If there is any question, call someone in the church to ask.

The cause of life is not dead at all:  With the proximity of January 22, the date when most legal restrictions on abortion were rendered indefensible by the Supreme Court in 1973, a few publications may provide valuable review of recent developments:

·     “Hidden Persuaders,” by Fred Barnes, 11-7-2011, www.weeklystandard.com/articles/hidden-persuaders_604174.h tml?page=1

·     “Five Reasons the Pro-Life Movement is Winning on Abortion,” by Steve Ertelt, 5-18-2011, www.lifenews.com/ 2011/05/18/five-reasons-the-pro-life-movement-is-winning-on-abortion/

·     “The New Pro-Life Surge,” by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, 6-10-2011, www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/june/newprolife.html

Youcef Nadarkhani still held in Iran.  Iran’s prison officials reportedly have continued to pressure pastor Youcef Nadarkhani to renounce his faith in Christ and acknowledge Muhammad as the prophet of God, all with the promise of securing his release. Mr. Nadarkhani has refused, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide information published by BosNewsLife.

            Mr. Nadarkhani has remained in Iranian prisons since 2009. He was originally arrested for protesting the teaching of Islam in his children’s schools. His charges were later changed to apostasy and attempting to evangelize Muslims. He was sentenced to death unless he renounce his Christian faith, which he has eloquently declined to do.

            Under criticism for violating international covenants on civil and political rights in the case, Iranian officials passed Mr. Nadarkhani’s case to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for final review, where the case now sits, awaiting a verdict. Given the current standoff between Iran and the western nations, from a geopolitical viewpoint, Mr. Nadarkhani’s prospects are poor.

            Mr. Nadarkhani’s Church of Iran is variously described as the largest house church movement in Iran (BosNewsLife.com) and a non-trinitarian Branhamite cult with fewer than 200 members (Mohabatnews.com).

            Often in nations where the church is persecuted and dispersed, theological weakness affords an open door for false doctrine. Regardless, Mr. Nadarkhani is not the only pastor in custody nor is his congregation the only one in harm’s way in Iran, as national leaders may want to destroy all types of Christian churches while Iran dissociates itself from the West.

Dangerous time in North Korea. Since the succession to power of Kim Jong-un, the underground Christian church has faced increased persecution as old-guard leadership pulls out all the stops to prevent any threat to civil stability.

            “Three weeks ago seven underground churches got exposed,” says Thomas Kim, executive director of Cornerstone Ministries. “It’s been very difficult … and I think it’s going to continue.”    North Korean leaders, Mr. Kim notes, “are scared by the expansion of the Christian faith because Christians will die for their faith.

             “The father has set up a system that will be stable for a while, until Kim Jong-un desires to put in his own people. That’s when we will have a big conflict.”