Soul Winners' Convention

Newtownabbey Free Presbyterian Church

Ballyclare Road, Corrs Corner, Glengormley

Soul Winners' Convention

Mr Milos Solc, Free Presbyterian missionary in the Czech Republic, will be the main preacher at the Convention this year. 

Friday 13th April @ 8.00 pm

Youth Rally

Preacher: Mr Milos Solc

Saturday 14th April @ 7.30 pm

Missionary Meeting

Preacher: Mr Milos Solc

Mr Milos Solc will report on his work in the Czech Republic 

and bring a missionary Challenge

Lord's Day 15th April 

Morning Service @ 11.30 am

Preacher Rev David Park

Secretary of FPC Mission Board

Evening Service @ 7.00 pm

Preacher: Mr Milos Solc

… he that winneth souls is wise, Proverbs 11:30

Ulster 1912

This poem was written by Rudyard Kipling and was first published in The Morning Post, on 9th April 1912 in recognition of the fight against Home Rule.

Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of inquity and the act of violence is in their hands, Isaiah 49:6.

The dark eleventh hour

Draws on and sees us sold

To every evil power

We fought against of old -

Rebellion, rapine, hate,

Oppression, wrong and greed

Are loosed to rule our fate

By England's art and deed.

The faith in which we stand,

The laws we made and guard,

Our honour, lives, and land

Are given for reward

To murder done by night

To treason taught by day,

To folly, sloth, and spite,

And we are thrust away.

Abortion abuse not a pressing priority for the liberal elite

Some weeks ago it came to light that serious irregularities were prevalent in abortion clinics. Not only were these clinics doing things immoral but illegal as well. Which is quite a feat in the present day abortion climate!

An investigation was launched by the Westminster Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley. It has subsequently discovered that 20%, ie. one abortion clinic in five, have been failing to follow the law in providing abortions.

Some clinics were allowing women to kill their unborn child on the basis of its gender. Certificates were being pre-signed by doctors giving consent to terminations without the women ever being seen. Under the 1967 Abortion Act, this should be approved by two doctors.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the body instructed to carry out these checks on around 250 abortion clinics have now taken the side of the abortion clinics and are complaining that they have been asked to carry out these inspections. They claim that it disrupts their other work and costs money.

It would seem that the abuse of abortion practices - the murder of the unborn- is not a great priority with these members of the liberal elite. The impression is that abortion clinics should be given an open license to practice. We all know that abortion is part of the liberal, feminist agenda that has been pushed for decades in this country. 

For more information see these articles:
Abortion investigation: Health Secretary Andrew Lansley to report clinics and doctors to police

Andrew Lansley: abortion clinics will be inspected

Lansley 'shock’ at concern over abortion inspections bill

Enforce the law before ticking those boxes

There's no effective alternative

The headline reads: Ban on the cane 'left schools unable to impose discipline and led to deterioration in children's behaviour'. Read more here

A related story can be found here: Spoilt little Buddhas! Doting parents turn out children who just can't behave, says teachers' leader

Members of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers at their annual conference voted unanimously for research into ‘effective’ disciplinary methods. The delegates also condemned existing sanctions such as detention and suspension as being inadequate.

One teacher is on record as saying: When corporal punishment was abolished nothing was put in its place that had equivalent deterrent powers.

This outcry against the failure of modern methods of discipline comes as research by the teachers’ association suggests pupil behaviour had declined further in recent years.

Sadly, while bemoaning the decline in behaviour and the uselessness of modern methods of discipline, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers have also rejected a return to the use of the cane. 

This is prime example of the wisdom of this world falling well short of the wisdom of God. God makes no mistakes when in His infallible Word He declares how children are to be disciplined. The penny is beginning to drop that the liberal agenda doesn't work. This was said at the time and now the fruits are being seen. Abandoning God's wisdom for man's wisdom is folly. It leads not to better circumstances but to worse. 

The simple truth is that there is no effective alternative. Any amount of research can be done, new methods of disciplining children dreamed up, but they will eventually all fail. There is no alternative to God's appointed means of disciplining children. 

Studies in the Westminster Confession of Faith - Chapter One - Part 4

Once a month since September 2010 at our midweek prayer meeting & Bible study we have been studying the Westminster Confession of Faith.

This and subsequent posts DV overtime on the blog will contain the notes which were handed out on each occasion.

An audio recording of this study can be listened to on the Church's SermonAudio page - click here

Part four - Chapter One continued

We are continuing to dwell upon the opening chapter sections II & III of the W.C.F, which read:

CHAPTER I - Of the Holy Scripture - Section II. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments, which are these: [The 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are then named]. All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.
CHAPTER I - Of the Holy Scripture - Section III. The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the Scripture; and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings.

We are continuing to consider the evidence that supports the statement in the W.C.F. that the Scriptures have been given by 'inspiration'. We believe in the plenary [all], verbal [referring to the actual words] inspiration of the original Scriptures.

Points already considered
1. The Scriptures themselves claim so, 2 Tim 3:16,17. All of Scripture, the historical as well as the moral, the prophetical as well as doctrinal, are verbally inspired.

2. There must be more than enlargement of the understanding and conception in inspiration since a great many of the things were such as could not have entered into the hearts of men or angels, had they not been revealed to the mind by the Holy Spirit.

New material
3. Inspiration must extend to the words as well as the concepts, for how could the sacred writers, who like all others were accustomed to thinking in words, have the ideas suggested to their own minds except in words? How could they have written intelligibly about future events with which they could have has no previous acquaintance and on doctrinal subjects, far above their comprehension, had not the language as well as the subject matter been furnished to them by divine suggestion? Take note of 1 Cor 2:13: Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Paul here refers to the words he has used to teach being given by the Holy Ghost. This is verbal inspiration.

Studies in the Westminster Confession of Faith - Chapter One - Part 3

Once a month since September 2010 at our midweek prayer meeting & Bible study we have been studying the Westminster Confession of Faith.

This and subsequent posts DV overtime on the blog will contain the notes which were handed out on each occasion.

An audio recording of this study can be listened to on the Church's SermonAudio page - click here

Part Three - Chapter One continued

We are continuing to dwell upon the opening chapter sections II & III of the W.C.F. They reads:
CHAPTER I - Of the Holy Scripture - Section II. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments, which are these: [The 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are then named]. All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.
CHAPTER I - Of the Holy Scripture - Section III. The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the Scripture; and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings.

The W.C.F. affirms that the canon of Scripture embraces the books of the Old & New Testaments and furthermore that the books of the Apocrypha have no place in that canon. Before we progress to consider the principles of inspiration and authority it is worth considering how the canon of Scripture was decided upon.

I. Inclusion & completion of the canon of Scripture. 

Which books would have a place in the canon of Scripture was decided upon by an examination of the evidences which show that each of them were written by an inspired prophet or inspired apostle whose name they bear or under the supervision of one.

National decline tied to Sabbath desecration

It has been reported here and here that Chancellor George Osborne is proposing to suspend the Sunday Trading laws for eight weeks over the duration of the Olympics. As quite a number of Olympic events are taking place on a Sunday he does not want to give the impression that Britain is closed for business.

It is also suggested here and here that this is more than just a temporary measure during the time of the Olympics but an attempt to use the situation to argue for a repeal of the Sunday Trading laws altogether.

Sabbath desecration is closely tied to national decline. The mistaken idea that more opening hours means more money spent and more prosperity for business, which means more jobs for citizens and more money to spent in shops etc is a deeply flawed argument. This reasoning is based solely on economics.

However, this flawed argument forgets to take on board that there is another law, a moral law, that also operates in this world, whether governments or citizens acknowledge it or not. That moral law states that instead of advancing the prosperity of a nation Sunday Trading brings national decline.

Nehemiah forthrightly told the 'Sunday Traders' this in Nehemiah13:18:
Did not your fathers thus, [buy and sell, see vv15-21] and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.

These 'Sunday Traders' in Nehemiah's day had not learned the lesson from previous times. Both in Jeremiah's and in Ezekiel's days this same truth was pressed upon the people of Israel.

St. Patrick - a very misrepresented individual

It is that time of the year again. St Patrick's day is here again. Here is a link to a sermon preached some years ago on the subject:

What did St Patrick really believe?

For a transcript of the sermon see:
Part 1 - Introduction to Patrick -  click here
Part 2 - Patrick had no connection with Romanism - click here
Part 3 - Patrick's teaching on Salvation - click here

A Poem for our Times

Horatius Bonar wrote the following poem in light of departure that was taking place in his day from orthodox, Biblical Christianity. If it was true then how much more so now!

The creeds have gone, so speaks the Age,

The era of the sects is past,

Forward in spite of saints or sage,

True freedom has begun at last.

The Christ of God is now no more,

The Christ of men now sits supreme;

The Cross is part of mythic lore,

The Resurrection morn a dream.

The ages progress fears no God,

No righteous law, no judge's throne;

Man bounds along his new found road,

And calls this universe his own. 

Not faith in God, but faith in man,

Is Pilate now, and sail and oar;

The creeds are shrivelled, cold and wan,

True Christ has been is no more.

200,000+ signatures in 3 weeks in support of traditional marriage

The petition in support of traditional marriage organised by the Coalition for Marriage has reached 200,000+ signatures in 3 weeks. The aim is to have 250,000+ signatures by Easter.

Today there are adverts in some national newspapers such as Daily Telegraph & Daily Express to publicise the national petition for marriage. About 100 wedding pictures will surround the advertisement, showing that the petition represents ordinary people who are positive about marriage, and care about its place in our society.

If you have not already done so please sign the Petition in support of traditional marriage - here

Calvin's hymn - I greet Thee, who my sure Redeemer art

John Calvin was no exclusive psalmist. In 1538 Calvin published a small book of psalms along with the Song of Simeon, the Ten Commandments and the Apostles’ Creed.

This hymn: I greet Thee, who my sure Redeemer art is also attributed to him.

The words are:
I greet Thee, who my sure Redeemer art,
My only trust and Saviour of my heart,
Who pain didst undergo for my poor sake;
I pray Thee from our hearts all cares to take.

Thou art the King of mercy and of grace,
Reigning omnipotent in every place;
So come, O King, and our whole being sway;
Shine on us with the light of Thy pure day.

Thou art the life, by which alone we live,
And all our substance and our strength receive;
Sustain us by Thy faith and by Thy power,
And give us strength in every trying hour.

Thou hast the true and perfect gentleness,
No harshness hast Thou and no bitterness;
O grant to us the grace we find in Thee,
That we may dwell in perfect unity.

Our hope is in no other save in Thee;
Our faith is built upon Thy promise free;
Lord, give us peace, and make us calm and sure,
That in Thy strength we evermore endure.

You can listen to one version of it being beautifully sung on You Tube. Click the picture 

What about Northern Ireland's 'Holocaust'???

This photo is on the front page of the news sheet delivered to the homes in Newtownabbey by the local council. That in itself is a waste of money, especially when the Council is in debt to the tune of £46m. The highest of any local authority in Northern Ireland. See here

However, not only is there a waste of public money involved but there is also rank hypocrisy on display. To involve someone who has openly acknowledged his part in an organisation that brought about a 'holocaust' in Northern Ireland over recent years is sickening to say the least. Martin McGuinness and his fellow travellers in the IRA are no different, and no better, than those Fascists and Nazis who exterminated six million Jews in Europe.