Lessons learned from the past 30 years Part 2

For Part 1 click here

The Christian Teacher 

We have not only learned something of the nature of the truly Christian school. We have learned what constitutes truly Christian teachers i.e. teachers called of God and gifted by God to teach in a Christian school. They are not job seekers or those who think it would be nice to work with children. 

The main characteristics of truly Christian teachers are as follows: 

SELF-DENIAL 

Christian teachers have learned to die to self and sin. They know something of being crucified with Christ, of having crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts. They have died to ambition and to the world. The Bible speaks of taking root downward and bearing fruit upwards. The teacher must be like the root, going down into the place of death, obscurity and humility in order to bear fruit. 

GOING THE SECOND MILE 

If asked to go one mile, they go two. They see jobs to be done and look for more. They are like Christ Who “came not to be ministered unto but to minister” (Matt. 20:28). In Luke 22:27, He said, “I am among you as he that serveth”. That is their disposition and attitude. 

BEING FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT 

This is the duty of every Christian but is specially and earnestly sought by Christian teachers. They realise that they cannot do God’s work in the energy of the flesh. God gives the Holy Ghost to them who ask. Luke 11:13 states: “If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” 

BEING SOLD OUT TO GOD 

God and His work come first and everything else takes second place. “Not I but Christ” is their motto. Some of our teachers are mothers with young children. God has enlarged their heart to care for the education not only of their own children but also the children of others. They remind me of the kine who carried the ark back from Philistia to the land of Israel. Their calves were shut up at home but against their natural instinct to be with their offspring, they went steadily on serving the cause of God. 

COMPASSION 

They have sympathy for the children in their care. They wipe away the tears and comfort the distressed. They care for the progress and well-being of the children. Like Ezekiel who went out to the captives at the river of Chebar in Babylon and sat where they sat, Christian teachers are able to empathise with their puopils. 

PRAYERFULNESS 

They are assiduous in attending staff prayer meetings, monthly school prayer meetings and days of prayer. They do not consider such prayer meetings as a burdensome duty but an opportunity and privilege. They are diligent in private prayer. They don’t just say prayers. They have learned to intercede and plead the promises. They wrestle in prayer. Teachers who don’t pray don’t stay the course. 

DILIGENCE 

They are diligent in preparation, punctual in reporting for work and playground duties, diligent in keeping records and diligent in their cleaning duties, In short, they are examples to the pupils. 

MODESTY 

They adhere to what the Scriptures teach about modesty of dress and appearance. They seek the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. They seek spiritual beauty and long that the beauty of Christ may be seen in them. They are not the slaves of fashion or fashion houses. 

LOVE FOR CHRIST 

They love the Lord with all their heart, mind strength and soul. Such a love excludes a love for the world. All, all that is in the world, is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1John 2:16). There is nothing else in the world! There is nothing for the Christian to love in the world! 

These are the features of Christian teachers. Ah, they count not themselves to have apprehended: but this one thing they do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, they press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:13-14). 

The Consequences of failure for the Free Presbyterian Church 

In conclusion, I have learned something of the consequences of not providing Christian Education. Our church experienced revival as a result of separation from apostasy. Christian schools were the next logical step in our separation unto God. Sadly, our church did not accept the challenge of Christian schools. The path has been downhill ever since. We have a church which is riddled with worldliness and materialism. Our young people have been swept away by worldly music and worldly social activities. Where is the holiness which God demands and without which no man will see the Lord? 

In Numbers 14, we read of a people who also refused a challenge. They refused to go forward into Canaan, despite the good reports and reassurances of the faithful spies, Caleb and Joshua. Because of perceived difficulties, they refused to enter the land of promise. They were so hostile to Caleb and Joshua that they would have stoned them. As a result, they were turned back to wander in the wilderness for another 38 years. Does that scenario seem familiar? It does to me. The church was urged to consider the need for Christian education. Those who started Christian schools urged others to launch out, for God was able to overcome every difficulty. Many were not only indifferent but downright hostile to the whole idea. Because of perceived difficulties, blown up out of all proportion, many were not willing to set up schools. The church has become increasingly barren. May God be merciful and revive the church, for a revived church will demand Christian Education for its children.

Lessons learned from the past 30 years Part 1

LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE LAST 30 YEARS 

By E A Foster B.A. 

Principal of Kilskeery Independent Christian School 

1979-2007 

(The substance of an address given at the 2010 Annual Education Board Dinner in Lisburn, Friday 28th May, in the presence of Education Board members, teaching staff of the Free Presbyterian Christian schools and their spouses)) 

It is good to learn lessons from the past. The Bible records the past for our learning and encouragement. 

The past thirty years have taught me much about the true nature of Christian Education. 

The Christian School 

The Christian school must be firmly and exclusively founded on the Word of God. I emphasise the word exclusively for other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ. And isn’t it Christ Who is the Word of God? We dare not build on man’s philosophies or our own notions for such a 

foundation is flawed and will crumble and fail. We cannot incorporate our own logic and opinions and mix them with Biblical truths for to build on such a composite material will lead to disaster. A Christian school must be thoroughly Christian or it is unworthy of its name. It must be Christian in:

ITS CURRICULUM. 

The topics chosen for study, the projects engaged in must all be in keeping with God’s Word. Everything must be measured against that rule. What saith the scripture? Romans 4:3.That must ever be our guideline and sheet anchor. 

ITS TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS 

The leaven of evolution has so permeated textbooks and educational materials that we must be extremely vigilant. God’s role in Creation and Providence must be stressed constantly. Evolution is the doctrine of devils and should be treated as such i.e. with total abhorrence. Textbooks should be carefully chosen and edited as necessary. 

Increasing immorality features in English and English Literature textbooks. There are sodomite overtones in half of the textbooks listed for study in GCSE English Literature. Given time, of course, these overtones will strengthen into overt relationships. Before I retired, I met with a representative of the Department of Education to inform him that we would no longer be able to offer GCSE English Literature unless we had at least one text which was not morally offensive. As the Department has a duty not to discriminate against anyone on the ground of religion, gender etc; we had a previous textbook restored to the list. I must say I was shocked to discover that one of the textbooks I objected to and which was described by the Department’s representative as graphic was being studied in one of our schools. Such action of course, as well as being reprehensible, weakens our case for demanding suitable literature.   

Immorality is also promoted in the Biology curriculum. The teaching of human reproduction, birth control and alternative lifestyles in the state system has corrupted society and brought disease and misery in its wake. These topics also feature in parts of the AS Home Economics syllabus and Personal & Social Studies. Why should Christians follow the world, merely one step behind? The Christian school should and must withstand all pressure to conform and thus acquiesce in the corruption and brutalising of our children. These sections should not be taught in a Christian school. There is knowledge which only a parent should impart and at a time when the teenager is old enough to handle it properly and not broadcast it to younger children. Library books, even those designed for very young children, need to be carefully vetted. Many so-called Christian novels and romances are not suitable reading for anyone, never mind teenagers. Many, if not all of them, contain explicit passages. I think we also need to examine, in the light of Scripture, the common and relatively new practice of speaking of private family matters, our own and that of others, in public and before children. We should follow the example of Scripture and use discreet language at all times and forbear inquiring into and discussing the private affairs of others.  

ITS RESISTANCE OF TRENDS IN EDUCATION 

There are many fashionable topics in the educational world and Christian schools often receive project materials. Saving the world is one of the most recent.  Of course, we should keep our environment tidy and avoid waste but God does not need any help, least of all ours, in saving the world. The world is reserved unto the judgment of the great day. 

Another fashionable topic is global warming and the horror stories associated with it. I think God had the last word on that, as just after the meeting of the international summit to discuss ways of halting global warming, the northern hemisphere had its coldest winter for 30 years! He that sitteth in the heavens 

shall laugh. 

Vegetarianism raises its head on occasion as girls especially begin to think that animals should not be killed for meat. God’s Word soon puts paid to that false notion, as God Himself ordained the consumption of meat. Schools have, of late, been bombarded with health and safety issues. While we must take all reasonable care to ensure the safety and health of our pupils, we must exercise wise restraint. We cannot possibly protect children from every bump and graze. We trust to Providence to guard our children. Their angels do always behold the face of their Father in Heaven (Matt. 18:10). We cannot do God’s work for Him or presume to do so. Risk assessments should not include ridiculous possibilities. By way of example, risk assessments by our school in Newtownabbey should not include the possibility of a lion escaping from Bellevue Zoo and pouncing on a pupil during a school outing! 

ITS MAINTENANCE OF PRAYER 

A Christian school can only function as prayer is maintained. Much prayer, much blessing, little prayer, little blessing, no prayer, no blessing. School boards must  pray, churches must pray, teachers must pray, parents must pray. Every need and every aspect of the school must be brought before the Lord in prayer. No detail is too small or trivial for His attention. He is the God Who directs every raindrop. In Amos 4:7 we read how He caused it to rain on one city and caused it not to rain upon another city. We can certainly ask Him for dry weather when this is required! The monthly school prayer meeting has begun to falter at the present time. Parents and teachers must feel it their duty to be there and not only be there but participate in prayer. Teachers have a weekly prayer meeting and there should be a sharing of the burden of prayer by others at the monthly school prayer meeting. God answers prayer. “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it” is the promise of Psalm 81:10. 

ITS UPHOLDING THE AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTURES 

The Christian school must be in subjection to the Word of God. The Word of God is inflexible. It cannot be bent to suit us. Neither is it elastic. It cannot be stretched to include activities which we feel to be right. We must bow to its authority in all things. Current errors must be refuted. Many young people today think that it does not matter how they behave as they claim it is the heart that counts. They fail to appreciate that it is the heart that dictates their behaviour. They assert that they are not under the law but under grace so they do not need to keep the commandments. They fail to see that if we are to be Christ-like we must keep the commandments as He did. If we love God we will keep His commandments. The Scriptures demand conformity to Christ in all things. The church and young people today are largely conformed to the world. Instead of taking on the likeness of Christ, they busy themselves in being like the world. We must teach the need for holiness of life, no matter how it is received or how unwelcome it is. 

Education Board dinner

On Friday 28th May the Education Board of Presbytery held its latest dinner for the teachers within our seven independent schools and their spouses. Miss Noreen McAfee gave a report on the schools in Kenya and Mrs Ann Foster spoke on the 'lessons learned over the last 30 years'.

An Eerie Silence!

Two incidents from yesterday demonstrate the gross hypocrisy of the political classes within society. One incident is from Northern Ireland and the other from Westminster.  


We have often before subjected to whiny lectures from the likes of Dawn Purvis about the need for inclusion. This is just double speak for turning a blind eye to the butchery and mayhem created by both loyalist and republican terrorists over the past 40 years and permitting them to hold governmental office. 


Its strange that in the light of the murder on the Shankill Road yesterday by those who are claimed to have links to the UVF for which Dawn Purvis' party is a political front there is an eerie silence from her. Not a word of condemnation or a call upon any who knows who carried out this dastardly deed to give information to the police. 


This is how it has been in our society of late. Murderers and their political associates are lauded, elevated and hailed as peacemakers. 


The second example is that of David Laws the new chief secretary to the Treasury. He has been exposed for using his MP's expenses to rent rooms in homes owned by his sodomite lover. He has promised to pay the money back. 


However there is an eerie silence from his political opponents. There are no calls for him to resign. You would wonder why? Would it have anything to do with the fact that this scandal involves his sodomite partner? 


If this had been a MP in an adulterous relationship with someone from the opposite sex and doing this with their expenses there would be a clamour among politicians to get to a microphone and call for his resignation. Being a sodomite gets you favourable treatment it seems. Just another example of the gross hypocrisy of modern society.

We are a nation ripe for judgment. The days of Sodom and Gomorrah are upon us once again as foretold by the Saviour in Luke 17:28-30:
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

May God have mercy upon us and in wrath remember mercy and cause there to be a turning to Himself in society.

The real reason for new restrictions on open-air services and protests

Here is the text of the letter I sent to the Newsletter earlier in the week. I don't know whether it was printed unedited as I haven't seen the printed version yet:

Thanks to John O’Dowd on last week’s Hearts and Minds we now know why the new restrictions on open air services and protests have been proposed in the draft legislation on parades. These restrictions are proposed to placate nationalist resident groups who want a wider remit and more time to object. 

Anyone organising an open air Gospel meeting or protest, where there is the prospect of more than 50 people in attendance, will have to give 37 and 22 working days notice respectively, while objectors will only have to give 7 days notice. How grossly distorted this arrangement is must surely be obvious to all right thinking people.

It says a lot about these proposals when they are receiving objections from the Human Rights Commission and the likes of Emmon McCann, hardly the frontline defenders of Gospel liberties!

It is a sad day when Gospel liberties and freedoms are so casually given up to feed the insatiable appetite of republicans who are long bent on the destruction of our way of life. 

It should be clearly stated in the final legislation that open air religious services and non-parade related protests are totally exempt from these requirements even where they have more than 50 people. 

I also preached on the subject Lord's day morning past when dealing with the Christian's attitude to the state in the aftermath of the general election. 

Special Anniversary Service

A special anniversary service has been arranged by the Kirk Session of our congregation to mark the 10th anniversary of my ordination to the Gospel ministry and my installation as minister of the Newtownabbey congregation. 

The special service is this Lord's Day afternoon at 3.30 pm. The guest preacher will be Rev Ivan Foster. The Victory Trio will be ministering in song. 

All welcome 

Some good news

The Belfast City marathon will not now take place on the Lord's day in 2011 according to a report in today's Newsletter. We thank the Lord for an answer to prayer.

The agreement to postpone any decision to change the day on which it is held is for one year while marathon organisers consult widely with all affected groups before any further decision is taken on the issue.

Members of the organising committee have acknowledged that they were 'strongly lobbied' against changing the day on which the marathon is held. 

May further 'strong lobbying' be made that will see the marathon not being run long term on the Lord's day. 

To run the marathon on the Lord's Day is to break the fourth commandment. Exodus 20:8-11 states:

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

The Shorter Catechism explains the teaching of the Scriptures regarding keeping the sabbath day holy:

Question 60:How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?

Answer: The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God's worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.

Supporting Scriptures references:
Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein, Leviticus 23:3a;
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Psalms 92:1,2;
What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days Matthew 12:11-12.

Question 61:What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?

Answer: The forth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.

Supporting Scriptures references:
Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD, Malachi 1:13;
They have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths, Ezekiel 23:38b;

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words, Isaiah 58:13.

An attack upon our civil and religious liberties

The consultation document which forms part of the review of parading published by the OFMdFM contains a direct attack upon our civil and religious liberties.

The working group set up by Sinn Fein and the DUP have moved beyond reviewing legislation on parades & related protests and are now seeking to place restrictions on all public assemblies or protests. Freedom of peaceful assembly, which our forefathers fought and died for, instead of being a fundamental right will now become a privilege that has to be applied for and by inference can and will be restricted or denied in certain circumstances.

1. Permission will have to be obtained from a new government quango to hold an open-air gospel meeting, where more than 50 people will be present. Notice will have to be given 37 days in advance and this new body will decide whether it is lawful to go ahead with the open-air meeting. Those opposed to the open-air meeting taking place will be able to register their objections with the purpose of having the meeting ruled unlawful or having it restricted.

Objectors will have up to 7 days prior to the open air meeting taking place to register their objections.

If this proposed legislation becomes law the fundamental civil and religious right of free assembly has been taken away. Our freedom to worship in the open air will be subject to the say so of a government quango. You can be sure that any sympathy towards the Gospel will be lacking in this new body.

2. Permission will have to be sought from this quango to hold a protest where more than 50 people will be present. This time 22 days notice will have to be given and this new body will decide whether the protest can go ahead or what restrictions will be placed upon it.

3. This quango will be charged with facilitating mediation between 'the organiser' and 'the protestor'. They: 'may take into account a person’s participation or non-participation in any meeting convened under this section' when deciding on the lawfulness of any meeting or protest. When preaching the gospel or protesting against sin we can have no dialogue with those we oppose about what is acceptable. The Word of God is our rule. Are they going to tell us that we cannot use certain words or phrases as part of the assembly or protest? This we cannot accept.

The Free Presbyterian Church holds many open-air services as part of its witness. In Newtownabbey we hold open-airs every Lord's Day after the evening service, June - August, weather permitting. If these proposals become law then we are going to be told when, where and whether we can have these open-airs. This is totally unacceptable and a denial of religious liberty.

The Free Presbyterian Church holds many protests as part of its witness. We protest against ecumenical gatherings. We protest against immoral gatherings whether at theatres or other places. Again these are going to be subject to the whim of this quango. Can you see them giving us permission to protest again sodomy and other vile sins that are displayed in public? I think not!

Not only are these proposals impractical but they smack of an overbearing, authoratarian, anti-Christian, police state. Many, if not most, public assemblies and protests are organised at short notice. What about protests which may be organised in just a few days or even hours? This means that if we do not submit a request on time no public meeting or protest could take place. This is a blatant attempt to erode religious freedom and liberty and shame upon any who have any part in bringing it into existence.

Curtailing the right to worship and peaceful protest should be a matter of grave concern to every believer. We should not treat this matter lightly. Dark days are coming for the gospel witness in this Province. The old battles which our forefathers fought are going to have to be fought again.

Update

It would further seem that convicted terrorists will be able to sit in judgment on these issues. It is only convictions subsequent to appointment to this body that will necessitate resignation. There is the possibility that those who have engaged in murder and mayhem will now be able to decide whether we can preach the gospel or protest against sin. How true it is: when the wicked beareth rule the people mourn, Prov 29:2.

Decommissioning lies exposed

The lies concerning the decommissioning of IRA weapons that we were told, and that were swallowed by gullible unionists only interest in holding political office, are being exposed.

More and more weapons are turning up in police searches. More than 170 guns have been seized by the PSNI since April 2008. 

The Irish Independent newspaper has the following report:

More Provisional IRA guns are turning up in searches and raids carried out by the PSNI in Northern Ireland. 

Security sources say that the weapons -- mainly pistols and revolvers -- have been linked to the IRS via ballistic testing and documentation.

Some of the weapons have been traced to pre-ceasefire attacks while others have been matched by their serial numbers to the inventory of guns and ammunition supplied by the Libyan government to the British Foreign Office.

The discoveries -- which the PSNI refuses to discuss -- support the RUC Special Branch estimation that around 60 per cent of all IRA weapons were decommissioned five years ago.

The Special Branch took into account the permanent loss of IRA weapons which were buried and could not physically be retrieved, the theft of weapons by the former quartermaster general of the organisation Michael McKevitt, and the intention of the IRA to hold on to new weapons not on the Libyan inventory.

In September 2005, the IRA decommissioned a substantial quantity of handguns, rifles and heavier calibre weapons and explosives under the supervision of General John de Chastelain.

However, many guns and a quantity of explosives had already been taken from IRA bunkers by the REal IRA leader.

Now guns being seized by the PSNI in searches are being linked to weapons supplied by Colonel Gadaffi and used before the 1994 ceasefire.

Other guns have been linked to the Libyan shipments through their serial numbers which can be traced to batch numbers supplied by Libya. Ammunition in the chambers has also yielded links to corresponding batch numbers, one PSNI source revealed.

Since April 2008 more than 170 unregistered guns have been seized by the PSNI across Northern Ireland.

From April of last year up to the end of February, 62 guns were seized.

Rowan Williams v J C Ryle

It is worth noting the contrast between the comments of Rowan Williams and the preaching of J C Ryle, the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool.

The full sermons of both individuals can be read:

Rowan Williams teaching the heresy of universalism.

J C Ryle teaching Biblical truth from Acts 4:12.

An extract from J C Ryle's sermon:
Let us make sure that we correctly understand what the Apostle Peter means. He says of Christ, Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name in heaven given to men by which we must be saved. Now what is this? This is a very critical statement that we need to clearly understand. He means that no one can be saved from sin - from its guilt, power, and consequences - except by Jesus Christ.
He means that no one can have peace with God the Father - obtain forgiveness of sin in this world, and escape the wrath of God that is coming after death - except through the atoning death and mediation of Jesus Christ.
Only in Christ will we find God’s rich provision of salvation for sinners. Only in Christ will we find God’s abundant mercies coming down from Heaven to earth.
Only the blood of Christ can cleanse us; only the righteousness of Christ’s can clothe us; only the sacrifice of Christ can give us a title to heaven. Jews and Gentiles, educated and uneducated, rich and poor - everyone, no matter what their position or standing in life must either be saved by Jesus Christ or lost forever.
And the Apostle emphatically adds, There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. There is no other person commissioned, sealed, and appointed by God the Father to be the Saviour of sinners, except Christ. The keys of life and death are only found in His hand, and all who want to be saved must go to Him.
There was only one place of safety in the day when the flood came upon the earth, and that was Noah’s ark. All other places and things - mountains, towers, trees, rafts, boats—all were completely useless. Likewise, there is only one hiding place for sinners who want to escape the storm of God’s anger - they must hide their souls in Christ.
There was only one man to whom the Egyptians could go to in the time of famine, when they wanted food - they could only go to Joseph: it was a waste of time to go to anyone else. Likewise, there is only One to whom hungering souls must go, if they don’t want to perish forever - they must go to Christ.

… This doctrine is in perfect harmony with our Lord's own words in the Book of John: I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

…I could cut short this part of the subject with one simple argument: “God says so.

Rowan Williams opposes evangelism

In the Times newspaper Rowan Williams, the head of the Anglican Church, has denounced among other things the concept of evangelism. Is it any wonder this nation is in the state that it is!

Does this fool Williams never think that if someone hadn't come to begin the work of evangelising and converting the heathen in Britain during Roman times, he would even have his present job with its title, privileges and palace!

If you love Christ you keep His commandments so says John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

One of those commands is given in Matt 28:19,20: Go ye therefore, and teach [Literally - make disciples of] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

I think we can take it that Rowan Williams is no lover of Jesus Christ whatever he professes. 

I rather have the Apostle Paul than this arch apostate!

Some very interesting comments about Home Education

Douglas Carswell MP was speaking at a conference in Westminster

Home education: proud to be booed

Some background to this story:

Home Education registration: 'not a good use of public money'

Home-schooling parents may face criminal record checks

What is wrong with a Christian attending the Cinema or the Theatre?

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away, Proverbs 4:14,15.

When recently registering by phone with a company I was asked to select a security question. The first suggestion made by the telephone operator was: what was the first film I had ever seen at the cinema? I had to tell her that I have never been in a cinema in my life and therefore needed a different question.

This made me stop and rethink: what is wrong with a Christian going to the Cinema or the Theatre?

At our ministers' week of prayer in January past one of the men when preaching lamented that in days past when someone came to know Christ as Saviour there was never an issue about whether it was right or wrong to go to places like the cinema. Converts knew a Christian should not be found in such places.

One of the questions that Free Presbyterian ministers are asked at their ordination or installation to affirm is:
Will you publicly denounce the great public vices of drinking, dancing, gambling and the pleasure crazes of this present evil world and by example live righteously, soberly and godly before all men?

Attending the cinema falls into the category of the 'pleasure crazes of this present evil world'. Yet sadly today more and more professing Christians see nothing wrong with going to the cinema.

Here is an outline of what is wrong with a Christian attending the Cinema or the Theatre.

I. It is wrong because of the concept.

The Cinema/Theatre is a place of worldly entertainment. That is why it exists and that is how it is advertised. It is a place to be amused and entertained by the ways, habits and practices of the world.

Is it right for a Christian to seek entertainment? Is it right to seek entertainment in what is a pleasure craze of the world?

Surely it is not. The Christian finds all their joys in Christ and in Christ alone. The Saviour is not to satisfy only part of the deepest longings of the human soul and not others. Christ is all that a Believer wants or needs. As Charles Wesley said in his hymn: Jesus, Lover of my soul:

Thou, O Christ, art all I want
More than all in Thee I find

Christ is found in the means of grace and not in a cinema or theatre! Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them, Proverbs 24:1.

II. It is wrong because of the company.

The Cinema/Theatre is a place where the ungodly resort. Like the pub, club, discotheque or dance hall, it is a place which attracts a certain type of people. The world love their own company. The unconverted would hardly be attending the cinema/theatre in their droves if it was anything else.

That is hardly surprising. What is surprising is that a Christian would want to be among this type of company.

The Christian is to be separate from the world. We may be in the world but we are not of the world as to its spirit. What does it say about a Christian who feels at home among the unconverted as they go about seeking their pleasures?

III. It is wrong because of the content.

There is hardly a film produced today that is not objectionable in some way. Whether it is bad language, immorality, anti-scriptural views of the family, or extolling the liberties of sin it would be difficult to find a film that is watchable.

The Word of God instructs us what we are to set before us:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things, Phil 4:8.

It also warns about the harm that is done when setting sin before our eyes:
Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners, 1 Corinthians 15:33.

The Psalmist made a covenant with his eyes to set no wicked thing before them:
I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes…, Ps 101:3.

May the professing Church return to the old paths, wherein is the good way. Let our prayer be that of Jeremiah: renew our days as of old.

No Pope Here!

Update on the possibility of a Papal visit to Northern Ireland.

It has been confirmed that the Pope will not be coming to Northern Ireland later this year when he will be visiting the British Mainland.

For details see:
UTV - NI excluded from Papal visit
Belfast Telegraph - Pope not coming to Ulster

We oppose a Papal visit for a number of reasons:
1. The claims of the Pope -
i. He is a sovereign and all other Kings, Queens, Presidents, etc. are subject to him;
ii. He is the supreme Judge of all;
iii. He is the director of men's consciences;
iv. He is the successor of the Apostles, the vicar of Christ and the way to God;
v. He is God on earth;
vi. The British Monarch is an usurper.

2. The Act of Settlement.

3. The memory of the Reformers all who have died at the hands of popery in this nation.

4. The past and present deeds of Roman Catholicism.

When will we ever learn?

When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden, Prov 28:12.

When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase, Prov 28:28.

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn, Prov 29:2.

It is with an overwhelming sense of dismay that 'the wicked' seem to be on the verge of being given an even greater say in the governance of this Province.

To have those who waged a terrorist campaign of slaughter for almost 40 years, and who murdered scores of Police Officers and also Judges during this time, to now exercise control over Policing and Justice is the epitome of having 'the wicked' bear rule over us. The very offices and functions of good government, which are ordained by God, Rom 13:1-3, and that should be a terror to the evil doer, are now controlled by those whose trade was murder and mayhem. This is indeed 'the wicked' bearing rule.

Every citizen, and especially the child of God, has an interest in the character and conduct of those who rule over us:

[1] The Word of God has much to say about 'rulers'. This should certainly interest the child of God who desires to heed all that God has to say in His Word. Both Old and New Testaments abound with clear statements about civil government. Why would the Scriptures not have much to say about those who rule over us? After all, the concept of civil government is one ordained of God.

[2] There is a very personal consequences upon citizens when they have wicked rulers. So says the infallible Word of God.

In each one of these three texts from the book of Proverbs there is a consequence outlined to having the wicked in authority. When the wicked rise the righteous, and subsequently righteousness, are sidelined. The two cannot possible co-exist together. There is no middle ground where both can be accommodated and tolerated.

Just as Mordecai and Haman could not co-exist side by side, neither can wicked rulers today be viewed with anything other than dismay. Note the difference in tone between Esther ch 8:15,16; 10:3 and Esther 3:15-4:3:
And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.
The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.
For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.

The posts went out, being hastened by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.
When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
And came even before the king’s gate: for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.
And in every province, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

The wicked have no time for the righteous, no matter what platitudes come from their lips. Their aim and desire will be to destroy the righteous and bring down further any remaining semblance of righteousness in the land. Truth and uprightness will suffer just as Mordecai and the Jews were under threat.

It is only when the wicked perish as Haman did that the righteous increase!

The Lord says that the land will mourn when the wicked bear rule. It is not only the godly who suffer but everyone. Even the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel, Prov 12:10. The wicked rule for their own ends and not for the good of the people or the honour of God. No good will come from elevating the wicked to bear rule. There has been much mourning done of late, especially among the people of God over the reproach that has come upon the cause of Christ. It looks as if there will be more to come for all of society.

Well might we ask the question: when will we ever learn? It sadly look likes this land will have to sink down further into the mire before it learns the truth of Scripture that: Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people, Prov 14:34.

A good night for Christian liberty!

I'm not talking about the shenanigans that is taking place at Stormont or Hillsborough Castle.

Last night in the Lords the Government was defeated in its attempt to make Christian organisations employ sodomites.

For further information see:
Lords defeat Government over church staff - Christian Institute
Lords defeat for Harman over forcing churches to hire gays - Daily Mail

If this law had gone through it would have meant that Christian organisations would no longer be able to turn down for employment anyone who does not agree with their theological position.

Churches, etc. have a special status that lets them turn down applicants whose lifestyles conflict with the churches' beliefs, even if they are otherwise well qualified for the job.

Churches can turn down candidates for jobs as ministers if they practice sodomy, or if they have changed their sex or are women.

We appreciate the work of the Christian Institute in this matter.

What did he know? & When did he know it?

It is rather amazing that amid all the outpouring of sympathy for Cahal Daly who died last week no one is asking a serious of very obvious questions:

1. What did this man know about the child abuse scandals within the Roman Catholic Church?

2. When did he know of the level of abuse that has subsequently been uncovered?

After all he was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and thus Primate of All Ireland from 1990 to 1996. The Ryan Inquiry into child abuse at Roman Catholic institutions in Ireland found that church leaders knew that sexual abuse was 'endemic' in boys' institutions and had taken out insurance to cover the cost of paying of those who made allegations.

The Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation's 720-page report published in Nov 2009 said that it had 'no doubt that clerical child sexual abuse was covered up' from January 1975 to May 2004, the time covered by the report.

Th report also stated:
The Dublin Archdiocese's pre-occupations in dealing with cases of child sexual abuse, at least until the mid 1990s, were the maintenance of secrecy, the avoidance of scandal, the protection of the reputation of the Church, and the preservation of its assets.

The welfare of children, which should have been the first priority, was not even a factor to be considered in the early stages.

Instead the focus was on the avoidance of scandal and the preservation of the good name, status and assets of the institution and of what the institution regarded as its most important members -- the priests.

It is inconceivable that this was not known at the highest level. The scale of the abuse subsequently uncovered indicates how big an issue it was.

No one seems to have been willing to ask these questions before or after the cardinal died. Why not???

Ashamed of Jesus Christ!

Sky News website is presently carrying an article about Champion triple jumper Jonathan Edwards and the impact losing his faith has had on his life.

A previous article about his loss of faith was also carried some years ago by the Daily Mail. Jonathan Edwards had in the past spoken of praying before taking part in competitions but now says he feels "slightly embarrassed" about how devoutly 'Christian' he once was. He now professes to be an atheist.

While he is a man to be pitied I still remember the time in 1993 when Jonathan Edwards changed his stance on competing on the Lord's Day. At the time he justified this change by saying that God had told him to do so and stated that God had given him his talent in order for him to compete in athletics.

Everything seemed to go well with him. The qualifying round at that year's World Championships took place on a Sunday and he went on to win the bronze medal in the final. Two years later he established a new world record which still stands to this day of 18.29m.

However, it does not pay to go against the plain teaching of the Word of God. He was right in the first instance. Nothing replaces a seared conscience. To say that God changes His nature and contradicts His Word to accommodate our earthly whims, desires and ambitions is to sear our conscience for God never can go back upon His Word.

Although sad it is not a surprise that he has come to the place where he is now ashamed of his former beliefs. When we forsake the moorings of the Word of God we will descend into crisis.

It must be remembered what the Lord says about this choosing of the world before Him:

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them,
Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels, Mark 8:34-38.

The words of a hymn come to mind:

Jesus, and shall it ever be,
A mortal man ashamed of Thee?
Ashamed of Thee, whom angels praise,
Whose glories shine thro' endless days?

Ashamed of Jesus! sooner far
Let evening blush to own a star;
He sheds the beams of light divine
O'er this benighted soul of mine.

Ashamed of Jesus! that dear Friend
On whom my hopes of heav'n depend!
No; when I blush, be this my shame,
That I no more revere His name.

Ashamed of Jesus! yes, I may,
When I've no guilt to wash away;
No tear to wipe, no good to crave,
No fears to quell, no soul to save.

Till then, nor is my boasting vain,
Till then I boast a Saviour slain;
And O, may this my glory be,
That Christ is not ashamed of me!

Interesting views about the possibly of the pope visiting Northern Ireland in 1979

Papers released under the 30 year rule in the Republic of Ireland have brought to light some interesting view about the possibly of the Pope visiting northern Ireland back in 1979 when he came to the Republic.

The decision by Pope John Paul II not to visit Armagh when he came to Ireland in 1979 was viewed as a "victory by Paisley", by the then Irish Prime Minister Jack Lynch.

For a fuller report see article in The Irish Times.

May the same outcome be seen if the Pope proposes to visit the Republic of Ireland another time!

Anyone notice the gross hyprocrisy of Sinn Fein and the issue of child abuse!

On 28th November 2009 Sinn Féin vice-president Mary Lou McDonald said anyone found to have covered up the abuse of children in the Dublin Archdiocese should be arrested and made to face the full rigours of the law. Sinn Fein's own website carried a statement, part of which reads:

The report on clerical sexual abuse of children in Dublin exposes how the most powerful men in the Catholic Church in the Dublin Diocese conspired to protect abusers of children. It was a gross betrayal of generations of children.

It is especially damning that the State authorities facilitated the cover-up and allowed the Church to be beyond the reach of the law. Senior Gardai, up to and including the level of Commissioner, repeatedly turned a blind eye to crimes of clerical sexual abuse.

Anyone, including Gardaí, found to be complicit in the cover up of child abuse must be arrested and made to face the full rigours of the law.

Little did she and the rest in Sinn Fein realise what was about to come to light concerning Gerry Adams covering up for over two decades the abuse of his own niece by his brother.

This story seems to be developing into a much wider issue, see here and here.

Will Mary Lou McDonald now call upon Gerry Adams to be 'arrested and made to face the full rigours of the law'? I doubt it!

This is just another example of the rottenness that lies at the heart of IRA/Sinn Fein. And to think that this party is in government over us! Truly the land mourns when the wicked bear rule, Proverbs 29:2 … when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

The hidden things of darkness are coming to light!!

The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted, Psalm 12:8.