Billy Graham and his Bible

This is a scan of an article published by the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster some years ago entitled Billy Graham and his Bible

FPC Position on Those Who Compromise with Apostasy - The Compromise of Billy Graham

This is the link to the sermon, preached by Dr Mark Allision, referenced in Rev David DiCanio's article on Billy Graham. Click on the icon to go to the sermon to either listen or download.

Rev David DiCanio, FPC missionary in Liberia, highlights the Compromises of Billy Graham

Rev. David DiCanio, a missionary under the Free Presbyterian Church of North America, produced and aired, on Liberia’s largest Christian radio station, a special program shortly after the death of Evangelist Billy Graham on Wednesday, hoping to inform people about concerns many have had with Graham’s ministry.

“When I heard that Dr. Graham died, and saw online all the positive comments about his ministry, I felt that I had to put something together to show people in Liberia the truth about his compromise,” Mr. DiCanio said. “On numerous occasions, Billy Graham clearly stated that people could be saved without the Bible or Christ.”

See article on FPC Missionary News - Missionary in Liberia Stands Up for Truth in Context of Billy Graham Passing

The broadcast can be listened to here

Rome's Counter-Reformation Tactics #5 Insurgence Part 2

Over the centuries, since 1517, Rome has employed many different tactics and strategies. Sometimes she has been like a ravenous wild beast devouring all before her. At other times she has been as subtle as the devil himself in administering the wine of her fornication to deceive gullible Protestants. All with the aim of destroying and reversing the Protestant Reformation.

Strategy Five - Insurgence -

Part Two - The Netherlands and England up to the days of Bloody Mary.

The Netherlands - Reformation truth had come down the Rhine from Germany in those heady days of Luther and was received with great fervour by the people. Later it was Calvinistic doctrine that was believed and practiced more than Lutheranism.

Annual Soul Winners' Convention

What is an Evangelical?

Sidlow Baxter is especially known for his epic work entitled "Explore the Book", which is a comprehensive overview of the Bible.

In another of his published writings he makes mention of what an Evangelical is. He indicated that he was happy to be identified as an Evangelical in distinction to all too many leaders in the organised church who doubt or deny precious tenets of our historic Christian Faith.

By using the term "Evangelical" Sidlow Baxter indicated that those who do so believe the five following persuasions:

Special Meeting with Whitefield College Students

Stats for January

Open Day of Prayer for the work of Christian Education

Rome's Counter-Reformation Tactics #5 Insurgence Part 1

Over the centuries, since 1517, Rome has employed many different tactics and strategies. Sometimes she has been like a ravenous wild beast devouring all before her. At other times she has been as subtle as the devil himself in administering the wine of her fornication to deceive gullible Protestants. All with the aim of destroying and reversing the Protestant Reformation.

The tactics and strategies which Rome has employed over the centuries are:

#5. Insurgence - To counter the Protestant Reformation Rome turned to the use of political and military force. Where natives in new lands in South America or people in European nations needed "convincing" to become Catholic or to return to Catholicism, Catholic rulers such as Phillip II of Spain and later the Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand II, used political and even military coercion, either to enforce Catholicism on all in a given area or to force those who wanted to remain Protestant to leave altogether. 

There were the religious wars in Europe, including what was known as The Thirty Years war. There were numerous Catholic Conspiracies against Protestant nations including England and particularly Queen Elizabeth I, 1558–1580. 

Across Europe from 1560-1715 there was the Age of Religious Wars. It is reckoned that between 1560 and 1715, Europe witnessed only thirty years of any semblance of peace. Romanism was being threatened on every hand, not only by the doctrines of Lutheranism but also by those of Calvinism. Biblical truth was spreading even into Catholic nations and Rome was not happy. Her answer was to wage war to the death upon Protestants, in Germany, Bohemia, France, Netherlands, England and Scotland.

65th anniversary of Whiteabbey/Newtownabbey Free Presbyterian Church

Today, 3rd January 2018, marks the 65th anniversary of the commencement of Whiteabbey/Newtownabbey Free Presbyterian Church.

The work commenced in the old courthouse and police station in Whiteabbey village. The services were held in the old courthouse. Prayer meetings were held in the holding cells. of the police station. The police station later became the manse and later still was turned into a Sunday School complex.

A few photographs have survived from 65 years ago.

The following, taken from the introduction of the history of the congregation which was compiled and published in 2003 to mark the 50th anniversary, will outline some of the details.

Whiteabbey Free Presbyterian Church was the sixth congregation of the new denomination to commence. Crossgar, Ravenhill, Cabra [later Ballymoney], Rasharkin, and Mount Merrion preceded Whiteabbey as congregations of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster.

Quotable Quote - J C Ryle

Beware of manufacturing a God of your own: a God who is all mercy — but not just; a God who is all love — but not holy; a God who has a Heaven for everybody — but a Hell for none; a God who can allow good and evil to be side by side in time — but will make no distinction between good and evil in eternity. Such a God is an idol of your own imagination! It is as true an idol as any snake or crocodile in an Egyptian temple — as true an idol as was ever molded out of brass or clay! The hands of your own imagination and sentimentality have made him. He is not the God of the Bible — and beside the God of the Bible — there is no God at all.

J C Ryle

Stats since January 2009

Stats for December

Quotable Quote - C. H. Spurgeon

We anticipate the happy day when the whole world shall be converted to Christ; when the gods of the heathen shall be cast to the moles and the bats; when Romanism shall be exploded, and the crescent of Mohammed shall wane, never again to cast its baleful rays upon the nations; when kings shall bow down before the Prince of Peace, and all nations shall call their Redeemer blessed. 

Some despair of this… but we cannot read our Bibles without the conviction that:
“Jesus shall reign where'er the sun 
Does his successive journeys run.” 

We are not discouraged by the length of his delays; we are not disheartened by the long period which he allots to the church in which to struggle with little success and much defeat. We believe that God will never suffer this world, which has once seen Christ’s blood shed upon it, to be always the devil’s stronghold. 

Rome's Counter-Reformation Tactics #4 Invention - The Index of Forbidden Books

Over the centuries, since 1517, Rome has employed many different tactics and strategies. Sometimes she has been like a ravenous wild beast devouring all before her. At other times she has been as subtle as the devil himself in administering the wine of her fornication to deceive gullible Protestants. All with the aim of destroying and reversing the Protestant Reformation.

The tactics and strategies which Rome has employed over the centuries are:

#4. Invention - In seeking to combat the spread of Reformation teaching the Papacy created the ‘Index of Prohibited Books’, known in Latin as the ‘Index Librorum Prohibitorum’.  This index listed the books which Romanism would not allow to be read or circulated, wherever she had any influence. Included on this list of forbidden books, as you can imagine, was the Bible in the common language of the people.

The aim of the list of forbidden books was to protect the faith and morals of the faithful by preventing the reading of theologically, culturally, and politically disruptive books.

The Index of Prohibited Books existed for over four hundred years. The index was only cancelled by Pope Paul VI as recently as 14th June 1966.

In addition to the Inquisition, the Catholic Church tried to find other ways to stop the spread of the Protestant movement. Much to the dismay of the Church, Gutenberg’s printing press had made Luther’s criticism and so-called heretical statements more readily available. 

To a great extent it was due to the fact that Luther’s 95 Thesis, having been initially written in Latin, were taken down and translated into German and then printed and circulated widely that made the Protestant ideas so very difficult to contain. Rome greatly feared the outcome if the circulation of the Truth continued.

Just asking for Trouble - Girl Guides: 'Let boys shower with girls’ and 'hide it from parents'

New guidance has been issued by the Girlguiding association in the United Kingdom. It states that any boy who identifies as a girl will be allowed to use the toilets, changing rooms, accommodation and showering facilities of their choice.

Under the heading Organising accommodation for residentials the advice reads [click see to read the entire advice]:

It is important to work with trans people when organising accommodation rather than making assumptions or arrangements without consulting them.

Sharing accommodation - young trans members should be able to share accommodation with other young members if they wish. Some people may not feel comfortable sharing accommodation so in this case an alternative option should be provided. This should be done discreetly, in conversation with the young person and, if appropriate, their parent or carer.

Using facilities - the use of gendered facilities, such as toilets, can cause anxiety. Members are entitled to use the facilities of the gender that they self-identify as. [Emphasis mine]

Privacy when changing - a young person may wish to have more privacy when changing at a residential event and for activities too. Alternative, more private areas should be made available to all young members - including trans members - should they wish or request it.

Stats for November

Rome's Counter-Reformation Tactics #3 Intransigence - The Council of Trent

Over the centuries, since 1517, Rome has employed many different tactics and strategies. Sometimes she has been like a ravenous wild beast devouring all before her. At other times she has been as subtle as the devil himself in administering the wine of her fornication to deceive gullible Protestants. All with the aim of destroying and reversing the Protestant Reformation.

The tactics and strategies which Rome has employed over the centuries are:

#3. Intransigence

Pope Paul III initiated The Council of Trent as an act of intransigence and defiance to the teaching of the Reformers. The Council of Trent [depicted] has been described as the embodiment of the Counter-Reformation. It met over the years 1545 - 1563. It actually sat in session during the years 1545-1547, 1551-1552, 1562-1563.

Its purpose was to reaffirm Catholic teaching. In doing so the Council of Trent issued condemnations of what it defined to be ‘heresies’ committed by Protestantism. In addition key statements and clarifications were issued stating the Church's position on various doctrines including that of Scripture, the Canon of Scripture, Sacred Tradition, Original Sin, Justification, Salvation, The Sacraments, The Mass and the Veneration of Saints.

Rome's Counter-Reformation Tactics #2 Inquisition

Over the centuries, since 1517, Rome has employed many different tactics and strategies. Sometimes she has been like a ravenous wild beast devouring all before her. At other times she has been as subtle as the devil himself in administering the wine of her fornication to deceive gullible Protestants. All with the aim of destroying and reversing the Protestant Reformation.

The tactics and strategies which Rome has employed over the centuries are:

#2. Inquisition - The office of the Inquisition was re-established in 1542. Its purpose was to persecute, even unto death, those who disagreed with the doctrines and traditions of the Roman Church. The Inquisition was a bloody attempt to crush the faith of Protestants. Ten of thousands of Protestants were put to death as a result of the Inquisition.

The use of the Inquisition is one of the more infamous methods used to stop the spread of Protestantism. The Inquisition was a tribunal, or court hearing, designed to suppress heresy. These heresy trials had begun in Spain in 1479, under Ferdinand V and Isabella.

Pope Paul III established the Roman Inquisition in 1542 at the suggestion of Cardinal Caraffa, who had witnessed the effectiveness of the Spanish Inquisition in suppressing dissent. Thus a new agency of obedience was created, namely the Roman Inquisition.

Rome's Counter-Reformation Tactics #1 Institution - The Jesuits

Over the centuries, since 1517, Rome has employed many different tactics and strategies. Sometimes she has been like a ravenous wild beast devouring all before her. At other times she has been as subtle as the devil himself in administering the wine of her fornication to deceive gullible Protestants. All with the aim of destroying and reversing the Protestant Reformation.

The tactics and strategies which Rome has employed over the centuries are:

#1 Institution - The Jesuits
The Order of the Jesuits was instituted in 1540 to counter the teachings and influence of Protestantism. The Jesuits were the Gestapo of Rome. They form the secret army of the Papacy. Their purpose is quite simple. The Jesuits seek to convert the world to Roman Catholicism. And in order to achieve this goal, they have not hesitated to use every means, both fair and foul. They have not hesitated to lie, cheat, commit murder, or use revolution, if need be, to further their aims. At the very top of their priorities has always been the destruction of Protestantism.

The Jesuits were founded by a Basque nobleman called Ignatius of Loyola. He was a soldier who turned to be a priest after a French cannonball mangled his leg in Pamplona in 1521. They were first known as ‘the Company of Jesus’ from 1534. It was not until 1540 that the society secured papal approval. Ignatius of Loyola and six of his students took vows of poverty and chastity. They wanted to travel to the Holy Land but as this was not possible because of the Turkish wars, they travelled to Rome and offered their services to the pope for apostolic work. At Rome Ignatius [pictured] knelt at the feet of the Pope in September 1540 and received from Pope Paul III the charter of the Jesuits. The Jesuits would combine the ideas of traditional monastic discipline with a dedication to teaching, preaching and proselyting.

The Jesuit order went on to play an infamous role in the Counter-Reformation and eventually succeeded in converting millions around the world to Catholicism.

Ex-Facebook President admits he helped build a Monster

Facebook's first president, Sean Parker, has expressed his concern about the very thing he helped create and set up. Parker has spoken candidly about what he perceives are the dangers of social media and how it exploits human "vulnerability."

Billionaire Parker, who joined Facebook in 2004, when it was less than a year old also said:"God only knows what it's doing to our children's brains."

Speaking to an online news website, Parker said: "The thought process that went into building these applications, Facebook being the first of them ... was all about: 'How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?'" 

He further commented: "And that means that we need to sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while, because someone liked or commented on a photo or a post or whatever," "And that's going to get you to contribute more content, and that's going to get you ... more likes and comments."

Parker added: "It's a social-validation feedback loop ... exactly the kind of thing that a hacker like myself would come up with, because you're exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology."

"The inventors, creators — it's me, it's Mark [Zuckerberg], it's Kevin Systrom on Instagram, it's all of these people — understood this consciously," he said. "And we did it anyway."

Rome's Counter-Reformation Tactics

Rome’s response to the Protestant Reformation was swift, brutal and lasting. Instead of acknowledging the truth of what Luther and others were saying about the corruptions and false teaching prevalent in the Roman Church, the Church hierarchy responded with what has become known in history as ‘The Counter-Reformation’. ‘The Counter-Reformation’ was a long and bloody war waged against the truths rediscovered by the Reformers and against those who received and taught these truths.

This Counter-Reformation is usually understood to have begun during the papal reign of Pope Paul III, who held the office of the Papal See from 1534-1549. This Counter-Reformation continued on for years, and in truth is still continuing at the present time in various guises. Romanism, to this day, is still working to counter the effects of the Protestant Reformation.

Over the centuries, since 1517, Rome has employed many different tactics and strategies. Sometimes she has been like a ravenous wild beast devouring all before her. At other times she has been as subtle as the devil himself in administering the wine of her fornication to deceive gullible Protestants. All with the aim of destroying and reversing the Protestant Reformation.

The tactics and strategies which Rome has employed over the centuries are:

Abortions to be granted to under 16s from Northern Ireland

Not content with interfering in devolved matters in Northern Ireland the Westminster Government has now confirmed that it will provide free abortions for those under the age of 16 from Northern Ireland.

In June, Theresa May's government at Westminster, were bounced into a dramatic last-minute climb down, just hours before a crunch vote threatened to derail the Queen’s Speech. More than 50 MPs, from the major parties, led by Labour MP Stella Creasy, had backed a call for women from Northern Ireland to be given free access to NHS abortions in England. This led to the Westminster government making a concession on the issue rather than risk a possible defeat in the House of Commons on the Queen's Speech.

Quotable Quote

Martin Luther is reported to have once said: I preach as though Christ died yesterday, rose from the dead today and is coming back tomorrow.

How different our lives would be if we lived with this spirit!

Reformation Commemoration

Special Reformation Commemoration meetings were held in Newtownabbey Free Presbyterian Church where the relevance of the Reformation for today was considered.

Sermon Three: The Need to Continue Contending for Reformation Principles. Preached by Rev Michael Patrick, Retired Minister.

Reformation Commemoration

Special Reformation Commemoration meetings were held in Newtownabbey Free Presbyterian Church where the relevance of the Reformation for today was considered

Sermon Two: Private Interpretation of the Scriptures - The Great Blessing of the Reformation. Preached by Rev Gordon Dane, Minister in Crossgar FPC and Deputy Moderator of Presbytery. 

Reformation Commemoration

Special Reformation Commemoration meetings were held in Newtownabbey Free Presbyterian Church where the relevance of the Reformation for today was considered

Sermon One: Ecumenism - The Attempt to undo the Reformation
Preached by Rev Ivan Foster, Retired Minister

Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) won't confirm whether a Christian can work in social care and express support for traditional marriage

Northern Ireland’s social work regulator, the (NISCC), has been called upon to spell out whether or not people who voice traditional marriage views are suitable to work in the field of social care.

The issue has arisen after Felix Ngole, who was kicked off a two-year social work course by the University of Sheffield for making remarks about homosexuality on Facebook, lost his appeal.

Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) has only responded by saying: NISCC would be very concerned if a registrant lacked sufficient insight where they could not recognise that it is inappropriate to post derogatory comments against any individual or group on social media. A situation like this would require assessment by our fitness to practise team.

Never Ever Enough!!!

First it was the clamour, a number of years ago now, for the decriminalisation of sodomy. Since then there has been an incessant push to make sodomy acceptable in society.

In recent times that demand had reached new levels. There was the demand for legal recognition of same sex relationships. Along came 'Civil Partnerships'. We were told by the sodomite lobbyists that this would be sufficient, that all they wanted was legal recognition. But it wasn't!

Next came along the demand for 'Gay Marriage' or what they 'Equal Marriage'. As if there can ever be any equality between what God approves and what He disapproves. The only part of the United Kingdom to resist this demand has been Northern Ireland. Sadly, the tide will shortly turn here too and sooner or later legislation permitting this perversion will be brought forward and passed.

But never satisfied the pro-sodomite lobby have also demanded that apologises be issued and retrospective legislation be passed granting posthumous pardons for sodomites who have been previously convicted of criminal and immoral acts. We had the sad, and sorry, spectacle at Stormont of politicians refusing to support Jim Allister's motion to stop this happening. See here

30th Anniversary of the Enniskillen Poppy Day Bombing

Today is the 30th Anniversary of the Enniskillen Poppy Day Bombing. On Sunday 8th November 1987 an IRA terrorist bomb killed eleven people who had gathered to pay their respects to the fallen of two world wars. All the dead were Protestants, killed for no other reason than being Protestants. Three elderly couples were among the dead, along with a war veteran, a nurse and a police reservist.

No one has ever been convicted of this horrendous killing.

See these reports:

Belfast Newsletter - Enniskillen: How a murderous act of desecration sent shockwaves around the world

Row at local Council over a bid to remove prayers at the start of meetings

A row has erupted at North Down and Ards Borough Council after a motion to remove prayers at the start of council meetings was put forward. The Green Party introduced the motion saying it was "not inclusive of those of different religions and beliefs" to have prayers at each meeting. [Click on the graphic to the right to be taken to the audio file]

But the DUP Mayor Robert Adair hit back, accusing the Green Party of attacking Christian values as reported by the Belfast Telegraph. 

Vinny on the Nolan Show got the views of Rev David McIlveen and commentator Malachi O'Doherty. They did also ask Robert Adair, the Mayor of North Down and Ards Borough Council, to come on this show this morning but he declined the offer.

"Why did no one save little Elsie?" Pandering to Sodomy is why!

This question is posed by the Daily Mail in the light of the conviction of Matthew Scully-Hicks for the murder of his adopted daughter. The headline in the Daily Mail reads:

Why did no one save little Elsie? Social services visited gay father who murdered his adopted daughter FIFTEEN times but failed to intervene - even after she had broken her leg and 'fallen down the stairs'

Social services visited a gay father who murdered his adopted 18-month-old daughter 15 times but still raised no concerns - despite finding out she had broken her leg and had 'fallen down the stairs'.

• Matthew Scully-Hicks, 31, shook Elsie Scully-Hicks and threw her down on floor
• He denied murdering her but was found guilty by a jury after a four week trial
• Murder came just two weeks after he adopted her with his husband Craig, 36
• Social services face an investigation to see if they missed chances to save her
• Staff members visited the couple fifteen times and still raised no concerns
• Before her death she had previously suffered a broken leg and mystery bruises
• Prosecutors have said medical evidence was crucial in Scully-Hicks' conviction 

The is one simple answer. No one stepped in to save this little girl because of the pandering to sodomy that goes on in this nation. To have stepped in would have brought down a torrent of disapproval and the usual charges of being homophobic when anyone is perceived to have acted against those who chose to follow this way of life. This is why there were 15 visits by social workers and a failure to step in. They evidently knew there was a problem but were unwilling to step in and remove the child. 

The Iniquitous March of Transsexualism

Two stories highlighted by the Christian Institute, this past week, bear witness to the iniquitous onward march of 'Transsexualism' in our society. [Click on the title of the article and the link will take you to the Christian Institute website]

1. Prof: ‘only one in every 20,000 kids has trans feelings’

A professor at a controversial ‘gender identity’ clinic for children has said that just “one child born in every 20,000” experiences transsexual feelings.

Professor Gary Butler, clinical lead at the UK Gender Identity Development Service, stressed that it is “incredibly rare” for children to ‘question their gender’.

2. ‘Children being pushed into transsexualism’
Therapists are ignoring parents’ concerns and children’s underlying health issues to encourage transsexualism, a newspaper has been told.

According to one mother, her daughter was referred to a ‘gender identity’ clinic after an appointment lasting less than an hour.

Soli Deo Gloria - To the Glory of God alone

Whatever was done by any of the Reformers during those momentous days of the Reformation God is to have all the glory. The Reformation was a work of God. 

Luther himself stated this: I opposed indulgences and all papists, but never by force. I simply taught, preached, wrote God's Word: otherwise I did nothing … the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that never a prince or emperor did such damage to it. I did nothing: the Word did it all.

This article was published in the most recent edition of the Let The Bible Speak quarterly magazine. It was entitled Soli Deo Gloria - To the Glory of God alone. It is a fitting way to conclude commemorating the Protestant Reformation.

It was said of Johann Sebastian Bach that when he had finished composing a new piece of music he would write the letters SDG at the bottom of the page indicating his own satisfaction with what he had composed. These three letters stood for the Latin term Soli Deo Gloria or "For the Glory of God alone". Bach desired that every new musical composition, which he had spent so much time perfecting, would redound to the glory of God alone. He sought no praise for himself but all praise was due to God.

Education Board Regional Rally

Stats for October