Quotable Quote

God knoweth we have nothing of ourselves, therefore in the covenant of grace he requireth no more than he giveth, and giveth what he requireth, and accepteth what he giveth - by the Puritan Richard Sibbes

Taken from The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax, being the substance of several sermons on Matthew 12:20: A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoaking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

At the last, it was the IRA man being buried, not the mere politician

Martin McGuinness funeral: At the last, it was the IRA man being buried, not the mere politician By Eilis O'Hanlon.

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Do DUP members, supporters and elected representatives agree with Arlene Foster attending Requiem Mass for an unrepentant Terrorist?

News that Arlene Foster, DUP leader and previous First Minister who served alongside Martin McGuinness, will attend his requiem mass raises an obvious question: Do DUP's members, supporters and elected representatives agree with Arlene Foster attending Requiem Mass for an unrepentant Terrorist?

Arlene Foster is attending as DUP party Leader. She is going as the DUP's representative. Therefore it is right to ask the question: Do DUP members, supporters and elected representatives agree with Arlene Foster attending Requiem Mass for an unrepentant Terrorist?

Silence is taken as tacit agreement and consent. Failure to speak out makes those who hold their tongue a partaker in her actions. Is this the 'outreach' envisaged by those who have called for such things in recent days?

Loyalty to the Law of God and the Truth of God is more important than loyalty to any party or organisation.

The attendance of Arlene Foster at this requiem mass for an unrepentant Terrorist is wrong on two accounts. Firstly, it is wrong when it is remembered that McGuinness was unrepentant to the bitter end regarding his IRA past. What difference is there between McGuinness and the Islamic Terrorist who caused mayhem, destruction and death yesterday in London? Absolutely none at all!

Secondly, and even more importantly, it is wrong when it is remembered that the Mass is a blasphemy against Jesus Christ and something injurious to the Saviour's honour and His finished work on the cross for sinners.

It is loyalty to Christ that requires us to declare whether we are in agreement with this or not?

The real Martin McGuinness remembered

This article is taken from the Daily Mail. See here. It is written by historian RUTH DUDLEY EDWARDS

Behind the smile Martin McGuinness was a mass murderer with menace in his eyes - who only turned to peace when he was beaten.

As his supporters mourn Martin McGuinness, I think of the people he mercilessly sent to an early grave. People such as Patsy Gillespie, whom McGuinness turned into a human bomb.

It was soon after midnight on October 24, 1990, that the IRA men arrived at Gillespie’s house. That he was a Catholic was irrelevant. Under McGuinness’s leadership of the terrorist organisation, the list of ‘legitimate targets’ — those deemed fair game for murder — had been expanded to include civil servants and anyone working for the security forces or supplying them with services of any kind.

Gillespie’s misfortune was to be a 42-year-old cleaner at an Army barracks in Londonderry.

The IRA took his wife Kathleen and their daughter Jennifer hostage, and bundled him away separately. ‘[He] said: “Everything will be all right, don’t worry,” ’ Kathleen recalled later. ‘I think I knew then that he wasn’t coming back.’

Gillespie was strapped into a van full of explosives and ordered to drive to an Army border checkpoint. When he got there, he tried to escape to warn the soldiers of the bomb, but the IRA had linked a detonation device to the courtesy light that came on in the van when the door opened.

Five soldiers were killed and the largest part of Gillespie left for Kathleen to bury was half a hand.

Reacting to the Death of Martin McGuinness - a Ruthless Terrorist and lauded Peace-Maker

The wise man Solomon in the Book of Ecclesiastes has significant words to say about remembering the past and being called to account for the deeds of the past.

Ecclesiastes 11:9; 12:1-8; 12,14 reads:

Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

A Country brought to its Knees so that it might turn to the Lord

Elijah was a man who prayed that his own country would be brought to its knees so that it might turn to the Lord. James informs us that before he ever stood before Ahab, and told him there would be no rain but according to his word, Elijah had earnestly sought the Lord in prayer that it would not rain, James 5:17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

Elijah would rather have famine that would bring great hardship, but would eventually cause the people to turn to the Lord, than for the nation to go on in short term prosperity but ultimately bring down upon themselves the judgment of God.

He realised that this people would never turn to the Lord until they felt the iron in their soul, until they were brought down to the very depths of deprivation, where food and water, the bare essentials of life, could not be easily found or provided.

He further realised that the Lord had already taught the truth that in order for a person, or a nation, who had rejected the Word of God to turn again to the Lord they need to put between a rock and hard place. A place so afflicting to the soul that they begin to consider the things of God, Deuteronomy 28:23,24. Consider the days of the Judges and the Kings of Israel and Judah. This truth is often illustrated in these times.

It is only by God doing this that a person, who has wrongly set their affections on the things of this world, will ever be brought to see the folly of their ways. For folly it is!

Scandal-hit Marie Stopes abortion clinics are facing fresh investigations

Marie Stopes abortion clinics are facing fresh investigations because call-centre practices show 'lack of respect for women and the law'.

The Daily Mail has recently revealed that doctors approve terminations for thousands of women they've never met. Wider investigations are due to take place after reporters discovered that some women are being signed off for abortions after only a brief phone conversation with a call centre worker. In some cases the conversation lasted as little as 22 seconds.

Marie Stopes doctors are then reported as agreeing to the procedures based on a one-line summary from the call centre workers, who have no medical training. This in reality is 'abortion on demand’.

An undercover reporter visited a Marie Stopes clinic, pretending to seek an abortion. Upon visiting a clinic, following a telephone consultation, the reporter noticed that staff had altered her reason for the abortion from what she had said on the phone. The request now stated: I just don't want the baby. This was designed to fit the legal requirements of the Abortion Act. If the woman fails to give a reason for the abortion which reflects those set out in the Abortion Act, she is encouraged to come up with a different reason, it was reported.

Compromising with murderers, and their supporters, has brought Unionism to its knees. More of the same is not the answer!

Samson thought he could play with sinful temptation and not suffer any consequences. He learned to his great cost that trifling with what is wrong brings a fearful harvest. Samson ended up blind, shackled, subjugated by the Philistines and grinding corn in their prisonhouse.

Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, joined in affinity both with ungodly Ahab and his son Ahaziah. Remember that Ahab's house was a murderous one. These were political ventures, which were thought would benefit and enrich their respective kingdoms with peace and prosperity. It wasn't that Jehoshaphat was joining in joint worship or anything that was overtly religious. It was a purely political, commercial union, designed to advance the peace and prosperity both of the northern and southern kingdoms in Israel.

Mistaken ventures

On the first occasion, when Jehoshaphat and Ahab determined to go to war against the Syrians, Jehoshaphat was wise enough to seek counsel from God. Micaiah the prophet counselled them to desist and go home. Micaiah spoke on God's behalf and said: I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return therefore every man to his house in peace.

This mistaken venture into war ended with the untimely death of ungodly Ahab and Jehoshaphat only escaping death by the skin of his teeth. Upon his return home Jehoshaphat was again warned by God about his foolish and mistaken adventure. Evidently the spirit that caused him to join with Ahab had not been totally eradicated from his heart and mind. Jehu, the son of Hanani, the seer, went out to meet king Jehoshaphat upon his return and said to him: Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD, 2 Chronicles 19:2.

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