Article

Two chapters that need no explanation from a man and which should speak loudly to us all here in Ulster today!

This article is only comprised of God’s Word from two chapters which were part of my Bible reading yesterday.

I make no comment on the divine words for they need no human explanation.

Instead of comment, I will follow the example of W P Nicholson that I read of from some 100 years ago. He tells of how a wealthy Christian bought air time on a radio station in California and asked W P to simply read from the Bible and make no comment.

But that faithful old Ulsterman sought to emphasise some verses he read. Since he could make no comment, what he did was to read twice those verses he wished to have listeners particularly note!

I will do something similar. I will underline and put in bold type those verses I would have my readers particularly note.

The controversy within the Free Presbyterian Church is not of my making, despite what some may say.

Rather, it is as the prophet said: “Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD’S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people,” Micah 6:2.

I will let Him therefore have His direct say on matters here in our land amongst His professing people.

May the Lord add His comments by His Holy Spirit as you read these passages.

Sincerely in Christ’s name,

Ivan Foster

---

Judges Chapter Two

“And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? (more…)

“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD,” Joshua 24:14.

(Bible reading for July 17th)

To the end of his days Joshua laboured to strengthen the obedience and dedication of  Israel to the Lord their God.

Equally tenacious was the spirit of disobedience found amongst many in the ranks of that nation.

Note how in the verse above Joshua says, “Put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.” Incredible as it would seem, there were still those Israelites who, despite all that they had seen and witnessed of God’s kindness and saving power toward them and His hatred of idolatry, worshipped idols.

Joshua faithfully warned of the consequences of disobedience.

“If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good,” verse 20.

He felt it necessary to repeat his call to reject idolatry.

“Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel,” verse 23.

This exchange took place just before the great man died.

“And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old,” verse 29.

But we must note the ominous assertion in verse 31.

“And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel.”

The clear implication is that their obedience and their adherence to the covenant they made at Joshua’s insistence would not last long. (more…)

Is protesting against the follies, the breaches in discipline and the deafness of many in our church leadership, an exercise akin to that of the actions of King Canute seeking to stop the incoming tide??

Critics and mockers may sneeringly say ‘yes’ to the question in our title. However, I recall the words of the Lord, found in the book of Jeremiah.

“‭And now, because ye have done‭‭ all these works‭, saith‭ the LORD‭, and I spake‭‭ unto you, rising up early‭‭ and speaking‭‭, but ye heard‭‭ not; and I called‭‭ you, but ye answered‭‭ not;‭ ‭Therefore will I do‭‭ unto ‭this‭ house‭, which is called‭‭ by my name‭, wherein ye trust‭‭, and unto the place‭ which I gave‭‭ to you and to your fathers‭, as I have done‭‭ to Shiloh‭.‭ ‭And I will cast you out‭‭ of my sight‭, as I have cast out‭‭ all your brethren‭, ‭even‭ the whole seed‭ of Ephraim‭.‭ . . ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬But this thing‭ commanded‭‭ I them, saying‭‭, Obey‭‭ my voice‭, and I will be your God‭, and ye shall be my people‭: and walk‭‭ ye in all the ways‭ that I have commanded‭‭ you, that it may be well‭‭ unto you.‭ ‭But they hearkened‭‭ not, nor inclined‭‭ their ear‭, but walked‭‭ in the counsels‭ ‭and‭ in the imagination‭ of their evil‭ heart‭, and went backward‭, and not forward‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Jeremiah 7:13-15, 23-24.

“‭For I earnestly‭‭ protested‭‭ unto your fathers‭ in the day‭ ‭that‭ I brought them up‭‭ out of the land‭ of Egypt‭, ‭even‭ unto this day‭, rising early‭‭ and protesting‭‭, saying‭‭, Obey‭‭ my voice‭.‭ ‭Yet they obeyed‭‭ not, nor inclined‭‭ their ear‭, but walked‭‭ every one‭ in the imagination‭ of their evil‭ heart‭: therefore I will bring‭‭ upon them all the words‭ of this covenant‭, which I commanded‭‭ ‭them‭ to do‭‭; but they did‭‭ ‭them‭ not,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Jeremiah 11:7-8. (more…)