The following is my reply to an email that was sent to me today.
I have decided to send it out to show the baseless defence of LMI’s activity that some Christians are ready to offer.
I believe it fair to say that a lack of a proper knowledge of God’s Word and a misunderstanding of it, gives rise to such a defence. It is to be expected that shallow, casual teaching of what men ‘think’ the Bible says leads to disciples with the same misconceptions of God’s truth.
That is to be seen all over the ‘evangelical world’ today. Shallowness in the pulpit cannot do anything but produce even greater shallowness in the pew.
It is commonly reported that some young preachers obtain their ‘pulpit messages’ by going to the internet and downloading what others have said — not all of them the most orthodox, it must sadly be said!
How far removed is such preaching from that marked by the introduction so often used by the prophets and the inspired description of that proclaimed by the apostles!
“Thus saith the LORD,” Exodus 7:17.
“Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also,”Acts 15:35.
Sincerely in Christ’s name,
Ivan Foster
20th August 2024.
Dear xxxxxxxxx,
You have raised a number of matters in your email.
I will attempt to answer them though I serious doubt if you will be satisfied with my reply.
I say that because it is clear from your comments that you have seen my articles on LMI and yet you asked for ‘proof’ to support my claims that LMI acts ‘unscripturally’!
1. I would suggest that my article contains many proofs of that. I also acknowledge that in order for someone to detect ‘unscriptural’ teaching and behaviour, they must be aware of what the Scriptures teach on those matters.
I have spent some 60 years preaching and always providing proof from God’s Word for what I say.
I didn’t stop doing that when writing against the LMI.
This controversy started when I discovered an advert which indicated that Free Presbyterian ministers would be aiding in a fund raising venture for LMI.
That organisation has been long recognised as one involved with ecumenical and apostate denominations. That is the reason Mr Roberts is not welcome in many Free Presbyterian Churches.
I stated that the ministers in question were acting against the oaths they took at their ordination. Here is a quote from a document issued by the Free Presbyterian Church.
“Thus, God’s call to separate means that a particular church is to separate from all participation or co-operation in worship or ministry with churches, organisations or individuals that have apostasised through denial of the fundamental truths of the Christian faith,” (see 2 Cor 6: 14-18, Eph 5: 11, 1 Tim 6: 3-5).
(b) that Presbytery requires all ministers and sessions to uphold and maintain this separatist position in the public ministry of each local Free Presbyterian congregation through expounding the Scripture on the Doctrine of Separation and by ensuring that this separatist position is upheld by the communicant membership; and to recognise that this requirement is in obedience to Scripture and is in keeping with the particular Presbytery ordination vow that reads and is subscribed by every minister and elder – “I vow to maintain the truly scriptural separatist position of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster…”
(c) this Presbytery rules that no Free Presbyterian minister, elder and communicant member should be in attendance at religious services sponsored and promoted by ecumenists whose agenda is to promote the goal of the false ecumenical movement; namely the further establishment of ‘the one-world church’.”
You will surely see that the statement opposes what the ministers in question plan to do in helping to raise money for LMI and also that Mr Roberts, as a member of the Free Presbyterian Church, is disobeying this rule.
2. You quote Mark 16:15. I wholeheartedly believe that text. I must, however, point out to you that the Saviour commands that we go into all the world with the ‘gospel’!
What Mr Roberts in his numerous videos is doing falls far short of preaching the ‘gospel’! I fact I would say it is as far removed from what the Saviour taught His disciples to preach, as it is for one claiming to be a Christian, to be.
As has been observed and stated by those who have watched at least some of these videos, there is little or no mention of ‘the Saviour, salvation, repentance etc.’
The first word the Saviour uttered at the commencement of His earthly ministry was “REPENT” (Matthew 4:17). Any representation of the gospel is diminished according to the lack of references to this vital gospel doctrine!
3. You say I am acting in disobedience to what the Saviour taught in Matthew 18:15.
I would be doing just that if your notion of what the Saviour is here teaching were correct!
If your notion of these verses is true, then the Saviour, His prophets and apostles did not obey what the Saviour commanded.
You must be aware that the Lord Jesus rebuked men publicly for their sins without first going to them privately.
You surely must know that the writings of the prophets are filled with just such rebukes!
Have you never read what Paul told Timothy: “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear,” 1 Timothy 5:20.
“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry,” 2 Timothy 4:1-5.
4. The operative phrase in the Saviour’s command is: “If thy brother shall trespass against thee,” verse 15.
What the LMI and Danny Roberts is engaged in is PUBLICLY doing and teaching that which is a trespassing of the Lord’s Word and is a dishonouring of Him. Those who teach that which is contrary to the Word of God must be REBUKED BEFORE all.
That is what I have sought to do.
When a ‘bother or sister errs’ they must be PRIVATELY counselled. That is why you will not find examples of me doing that on the pages of ’The Burning Bush’!
You take on yourself to question my motives when contending for the faith! Do you likewise question the motives of Jude when he urges God’s people to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints,” verse 3.
He then goes on to used the most explicate terms when castigating the deceivers. Have a read at Matthew 23 if you wish too see the most damning rebukes spoken by the Saviour. That was recorded for our learning.
I must not be mealy-mouthed when dealing with those, whether professing Christians or otherwise, who would set forth that which is contrary to God’s Word in the Saviour’s name!
5. You refer to, what you claim is ‘the derogatory way’ in which I refer to ‘fundraising’.
You don’t give an example of what it is you object to. You do, however, then go on to give an elegant defence of raising funds.
I never have been against raising funds for God’s work in an appropriate manner. I am retired now some sixteen years but while an active minister I have sought to raise funds for a number of churches, the commencement of which I had links with. While in Kilskeery Free Presbyterian Church, I know that well over £1 million was raised for the Christian school and much more than that for the church and the various ventures in the gospel in which it was involved.
No, as I say, I am not against raising funds for God’s work in a manner pleasing to Him.
I am against ministers raising money for organisations about which they took an oath before God to have nothing to do with! Such funds will be used to further that which we in the Free Presbyterian Church identify as part of the latter-day apostasy which must be opposed with all our power and energy.
Yes, I am opposed to that and will use strong criticism when denouncing such activities!
6. You urge me to ‘approach this situation with the fruits of the spirit’.
Firstly let me say that the word ‘Spirit’ in the scripture you are quoting is spelt with a capital ’S’, for Paul is referring to the third person of the Trinity. It shows great disrespect when a small ’s’ is used in His name!
Secondly, the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ will only be seen when a person walks in obedience to God’s Word, where there is a crucifying of “the flesh with the affections and lusts.”
It will not be seen in truth in the midst of disobedience and defiance of God and His Word. Where there is an admiring of those who act in that fashion, then the true “fruit of the Spirit”, will not be seen as such but, as was the case with our blessed Saviour, be seen as behaviour hateful!
Be aware, xxxxxxxx, I will be publishing your email, without identifying you of course, as an example of the folly of the supporters of the LMI!
Sincerely in Christ’s name,
IF