Edengrove Presbyterian Church

11/06/2026

11th June 2026

Pray (ACts)

Read (Hebrews 11v16)

Message (Scott Woodburn)

As we think about Heaven we can sometimes think about eternity floating about on clouds and doing very little. That might not sound very appealing but I’m glad to say that Heaven will be much more different than our common misconception. So what will the new heavens and earth be like?

Eternal life will be spent in new raised physical bodies and we will dwell on the raised earth forever. Heaven will therefore be similar to what we currently experience only much much better. There will be no sin in Heaven and nothing that currently troubles us. Instead we will have an eternity to live, work, sing, run, climb and explore this entire universe.

If you have ever found this earth breathtaking then imagine the new earth. Imagine the beauty that will exist for you to enjoy. Imagine running with horses and not getting tired, imagine climbing the highest mountain without fear, imagine feasting with the Saints of God, imagine being able to explore the universe standing upon Mars and being amazed by new worlds, imagine building great cities and structures, and then imagine seeing Jesus every single day. My words don’t do it justice but Heaven will be yours to enjoy forever. You will work without tiredness or frustration, you will rejoice without fear of loss and you will do everything to the glory of Jesus without any hint of sin which tarnishes everything in this present age.

Scripture only gives hints at what is to be expected when Christ returns and His creation is restored but I’m sure of this - whatever my finite mind images about heaven absolutely falls short of the reality. I suspect our daily existence in Heaven will see us constantly amazed, constantly awestruck, constantly delighted and constantly joyous. It will be familiar and yet as far from this current reality that we can possibly imagine.

Pray (acTS)

Sing

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Q91 How do the Sacraments become effectual means of salvation? The Sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them; but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them.

10/06/2026

10th June 2026

Pray (ACts)

Read (1 Samuel 31 focus 7-10)

Message (Alan Burke)

Have you seen the news today? Terrible, isn’t it!? I should be honest, I wrote this devotion a week ago, so I don’t know what has happened as you’re reading this because I’m not a prophet who can tell the future. Yet I often come across people lamenting how the world that we live in is going to the dogs, and of course, I don’t mean that in a literal sense. If I’d said that in Strabane, you’d be going to the greyhound track in Lifford, but that it is not what I’m referring to. It is a descent into ruin; things are getting worse. It seems like we spend our lives hearing of what is going on in the world, and we despair. We get bombarded with bad news, we hear how the church is declining. I’ve people I know who are glad they aren’t my age because of how much the UK has fallen. They look at former meetinghouses where the LORD our God was worshipped being turned into Islamic centres and they lament. Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that the LORD is on his throne, and we need to stop lamenting and rejoice that indeed the LORD is on his throne, and one day the LORD Jesus will return, and all his enemies, all of them, will be put under his feet.

We pick up today, and it is important to know that because of Israel at the death of Saul and what happened to his body, they would have lost all hope; their king was dead. After the victory, the Philistines came and stripped the dead. This might seem shocking to us, but it was common. Armies would often strip the dead, acquiring weapons, clothing, and personal belongings, which could be used to rearm themselves or for personal gain. As they do so, they find Saul and what he had feared they would do to him in life; the Philistines do to him in death.

While details of the battle are sparse, the details of what happens to Saul in death and defeat are graphic. His head is cut off, he is stripped of his armour, messengers are sent throughout the land with the gospel. Of course, it is not the gospel, the gospel of Jesus Christ; instead, to them, it is a gospel of a defeated foe, and it is good news which they proclaim, with messengers sent out to the temples of their idols and among their people. For Israel, in hearing what happened to their king, would have further demoralised them in defeat. What we may miss though is that in all of this, the LORD himself is being mocked. Yet the LORD was at work, he had brought this judgement on Saul, but for the people of God, they would have known very little of the LORD’s will in all that was unfolding. In that moment, it would have been utter darkness, hopelessness in the land of Israel, the LORD’s anointed is dead, hung on the wall, humiliated.

Even in what seemed like defeat, the LORD’s will was being done, he was at work. For after Saul, David, the LORD’s anointed, would reign, but he too was a man like Saul and he would die, like we all will die. But there is another to whom came from David’s line, the LORD Jesus Christ. For his disciples, it seems like defeat as Jesus hung on that cross, crying out, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Then he breathed his last. It was defeat, but even as he hung there on the cross, lifeless, the LORD was at work even in apparent defeat. And we now rejoice each resurrection day, each LORD’s day, celebrating that through his death, death has been swallowed up in victory, we have life through his death for he is the resurrection and the life (see 1 Cor 15:54). Whoever believes in him, though he die, yet shall he live (Jn 11:25).

Pray (acTS)

Sing

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Q90 How is the Word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to salvation?�A. That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives.

09/06/2026

9th June 2026

Pray (ACts)

Read (2 Peter 3v9-10)

Message (Scott Woodburn)

When Christ returns we will be raised to life in new everlasting bodies. In the same way, creation itself will be restored to a perfect condition - this world and the whole universe will be gloriously changed. Does that mean that this world will be completely destroyed and something new will come in it's place? No. Just as you will be the same but made perfect, then so too will the universe be recognisable yet radically different.

Peter once spoke on this saying "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed." (v10). Some read this to mean that creation will be completely done away with and whatever comes next will be absolutely brand new. This isn't the case.

In Derek Thomas' little book "Heaven on Earth" he gives various reasons for expecting a resurrected creation rather than a completely new one. His first point is that when Scripture speaks of the new heaven and earth the word used is kainos which speaks to newness of quality rather than newness of origin. Secondly, Thomas points to Paul's language in Romans 8 which talks of creation being liberated rather than destroyed. Thirdly, when Jesus was raised it was in the same body in which He died not a completely new one. Lastly, if creation needs to be completely destroyed and wiped out it speaks to Satan's triumph. To be preferred is that creation will be renewed and restored and not wiped out.

Whatever the renewal of creation will be like, we can be certain it will be momentous with Peter speaking of roaring, burning and dissolving. What will the outcome of this work be? Creation will be completely renewed. The paradise that existed during the days of Eden will be the norm once more upon this earth and by faith in Christ, you and I will get to dwell there forever. I don't know about you but I can't wait.

Pray (acTS)

Sing

WSC

Q89 How is the Word made effectual to salvation? The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching, of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation.

08/06/2026

8th June 2026

Pray (ACts)

Read (1 Samuel 31 focus v1-6)

Message (Alan Burke)

I’m a big fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. When The Lord of the Rings was made into a film, I was sceptical of how well it would turn out. To be fair, Peter Jackson did an alright job of it; he cut the character ‘Tom Bombadil’ and ‘The Scouring of the Shire’, which in my mind was horrific, but still overall it was an alright adaptation, although he ruined The Hobbit, so don’t bother watching it. There are some epic depictions of battles in the books, and in the film adaptation, Jackson does a good job of portraying them. If you’ve ever watched the films or even the likes of Braveheart, Highlander, or Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (I’m sure there are others), the battle scenes are vivid portrayals of the brutality of war, arrows flying, the sound of swords striking, of course, the smell of copper in the air from the bloodshed can’t be conveyed in a film; we don’t have Smell-O-Vision, and it’s best that we don’t. Here though, in 1 Samuel, the details of the battle are scarce, we can surmise what it would have looked like but we are to focus not on the battle but rather on Saul and what happens to him.

Here he is wounded, critically, and he’s afraid of what the Amalekites would do to him. Even if Saul didn’t survive, they could have made his last moments as painful and humiliating as possible. If he survived, then it would have been much, much worse. The treatment of captured rulers at the time saw them being tortured, mutilated, sexually humiliated, facing sexual violence. Filled with such fear that the only way that he felt that he could escape what the Philistines could do to him brought him to believe that the only way out was to fall on his sword. Such inner anguish, pain, and fear had come over Saul. What we have to remember though is that even in this, the LORD’s will was being done. For the LORD had passed judgement on Saul (1 Sam 28:18-19). And this, the very next day after the judgement of the LORD came through Samuel, Saul’s sons are dead, and he has taken his own life.

It was the judgement of the LORD because he had rejected the word of the LORD; this is the LORD’s work, his will; this was an act of the Sovereign LORD that Saul faced the consequences of his actions in this present life, yet death is not the end. While his earthly journey had come to an end for Saul, he would also face the LORD’s judgement for all eternity. I think this is the most terrifying thing that we often overlook, that for those who die outside of faith Christ is that as 1 Thessalonians reminds us that: He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might (2 Thes 1:8-9). This should spur us as believers to action, to share the gospel, to pray for our family, friends, and neighbours. It should also fill us with praise to the LORD our God for his grace towards us that we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God (Rom 5:9).

Pray (acTS)

Sing

WSC
Q88 What are the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption?�A. The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption are, his ordinances, especially the Word, Sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.

07/06/2026

https://www.youtube.com/live/7oXs8D_MIlM?si=4PV5WtNIVLtCRRO2

06/06/2026

06/06/2026

6th June 2026

Pray (ACts)

Read (2 Peter 3v9-10)

Message (Scott Woodburn)

When Christ returns we will be raised to life in new everlasting bodies. In the same way, creation itself will be restored to a perfect condition - this world and the whole universe will be gloriously changed. Does that mean that this world will be completely destroyed and something new will come in it's place? No. Just as you will be the same but made perfect, then so too will the universe be recognisable yet radically different.

Peter once spoke on this saying "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed." (v10). Some read this to mean that creation will be completely done away with and whatever comes next will be absolutely brand new. This isn't the case.

In Derek Thomas' little book "Heaven on Earth" he gives various reasons for expecting a resurrected creation rather than a completely new one. His first point is that when Scripture speaks of the new heaven and earth the word used is kainos which speaks to newness of quality rather than newness of origin. Secondly, Thomas points to Paul's language in Romans 8 which talks of creation being liberated rather than destroyed. Thirdly, when Jesus was raised it was in the same body in which He died not a completely new one. Lastly, if creation needs to be completely destroyed and wiped out it speaks to Satan's triumph. To be preferred is that creation will be renewed and restored and not wiped out.

Whatever the renewal of creation will be like, we can be certain it will be momentous with Peter speaking of roaring, burning and dissolving. What will the outcome of this work be? Creation will be completely renewed. The paradise that existed during the days of Eden will be the norm once more upon this earth and by faith in Christ, you and I will get to dwell there forever. I don't know about you but I can't wait.

Pray (acTS)

Sing

WSC

Q89 How is the Word made effectual to salvation? The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching, of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation.

05/06/2026

Hi all- just a note about how things are a bit different this year at our Bible Club.
Usually by now kids would have received a flier from school via seesaw or the equivalent, but no fliers this year.
New regulations concerning our volunteer team, have forced us to place a firm cap on the number of kids we can register. We opened our online registration last Sunday, and all the available spots were booked before 9am on Monday morning! (We had asked schools to send out the info that day, but we had to call and ask them not to, as we didn’t want to invite hundreds of children, only for them to find they couldn’t come).
We’re REALLY sorry that this year some kids may be disappointed and unable to attend this time around. (Over the next week, before the club starts, we may be able to add some spots so we are keeping a waiting list- If you would like your child to be on that list please send an email with your child’s name and age to [email protected]).
It also means that this year we won’t be able to accommodate walk-up registrations as we usually would during the week.
Again our most sincere apologies to any and all that are disappointed- we quite literally had no choice in the matter. Thanks for your understanding and support.

05/06/2026

5th June 2026

Pray (ACts)

Read (1 Samuel 30 focus v9-31)

Message (Alan Burke)

We’ve a lot to cover to get to the end of the chapter, so it ain't going to happen in one devotion, so hopefully you’ll forgive me. I’ll start though with providence. What are God’s works of providence? A. God’s works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions (WSC Q11, proof texts; Ps. 145:17; Ps. 104:24; Isa. 28:29; Heb. 1:3; Ps. 103:19; Matt. 10:29-31). David perused those who attacked Ziklag; he trusted in the word of the LORD and his providence. After seven days of pursuit and nothing, following tracks in the wilderness of the people and the animals, beginning to fade with the time that had passed. Hope seemed to be failing, but then in the LORD’s providence, what may look to man as nothing more than a coincidence, but was a Godincidence, it was God’s providence; they found an Egyptian.

This Egyptian would have been a slave of the Amalekites, left to die by them. Their lack of compassion towards him would see them put the final nail in their own coffin. He had not even been left with any provisions, having not eaten or drank for three days. He was revived with food and water, and David spoke to him. If only the Amalekites had taken this man with them, then David would be left to pursue, not knowing if and when he would find the attackers of Ziklag. In effect, the Amalekites had signed their own death certificate and didn’t know it. David, by the LORD’s providence, is led to the Amalekites. When he comes upon them, they are revealing, they are eating, drinking, dancing, and scattered over the countryside, and so David goes and with his men from dusk to the evening of the next day, wiping out the Amalekites, all but the 400 who escape on camels. They had been caught off guard, and the LORD was at work in all of this. What took place here was the righteous judgement of the LORD God.

You might wonder about the righteous judgement of God, but his was his righteous judgement. Back in the book of Exodus, the people of God were vulnerable and attacked unprovoked by the Amalekites (Ex 17:8-16). As a result, the LORD promised that he would completely blot out their memory (Ex 17:4, Deut 25:17-19). We might think to ourselves that God’s response is more than a bit extreme, a bit of an overreaction, surely? We might even be tempted to think that this is the God of the Old Testament and be thankful for how the God of the New Testament is all about love and grace. But throughout the scriptures, the Lord is consistent. We must not forget that in the end, all those who are the enemies of the Lord will face his wrath for all eternity. Jesus spoke more on the eternal punishment, of hell that awaits all those who are not the children of God through faith, and while the Amalekites were blotted out.

As we finish, I want to take you to the book of Revelation. For it is made clear that Jesus Christ is coming again, and when he comes, he will judge the living and the dead. He will come, and Revelation 19 tells us how the armies of heaven will follow him, to strike down the nations. They will experience the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. In that vivid and terrifying picture, while the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army, the LORD Jesus had the victory (See Re 19:11–21). How do we escape the wrath of God to come? How do we know the grace that he freely offers? It is by trusting in the coming king, bowing the knee now because there will come a day when it is too late, and we will be counted among the enemies of God. We will be answerable to King Jesus, who will be our judge. Revelation 20:15 tells us what awaits for all who are the enemies of God. For anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15). We, as the church, declare the hope that there is for all who believe and warn those who don’t of what awaits.

Pray (acTS)

Sing

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Q86 What is faith in Jesus Christ?�A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.

04/06/2026

4th June 2026

Pray (ACts)

Read (Romans 8v19-22)

Message (Scott Woodburn)

The Christian longs for Christ's return because on that glorious day we will be changed irrevocably. The resurrected body will have none of the limitations that we currently have, no more pettiness, no more loneliness, no more rage and no more sin. We will be raised to live forever and it will be glorious indeed.

But where will we live? We have spoken about Heaven as a real place beyond the first heaven (the sky) and the second heaven (the stars). Will our new bodies be lifted from this earth and taken to Paradise? No. Just as you have lived your life upon this earth, so you will spend eternity here and just as you will experienced a radical transformation at Christ's return, so too the heavens and the earth will be transformed.

It might surprise you to know that creation is longing for the return of Christ. Paul said that creation is eager for the revealing of the sons of God (v19). In other words creation looks forward to our resurrection because when we are raised it will also be time for creation to be raised to life. The world and universe has unwillingly experienced the futility of sin (v20) but creation will one day be set free from sin and experience the same freedom that we are promised (v21). Indeed, Paul described creation as groaning as if in childbirth (v22) longing for the day of new birth.

We'll consider next time what the resurrection of creation will be like but as I write it is a searingly hot day in Ballynahinch and as I work in the garden I am beneath a blue cloudless sky with the sun's heat upon my neck and the song of birds all around me. One of my dogs is sleeping on the chair while my other one is sniffing about the grass. Daisies blanket my lawn and something like cotton is falling from a tree and gently floating in the breeze. I have not exaggerated. Creation is already amazing and will soon become even more so.

You and I will not spend eternity in an intermediate state, rather we will spend eternity in our final state - new resurrected bodies with different qualities and abilities living here on a resurrected and extraordinarily beautiful earth. Heaven is our home and Heaven will be here on earth.

Pray (acTS)

Sing

WSC

Q87 What is repentance unto life? Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.