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Update:  — And found guilty!

Just when will ordinary members of the ‘Roman Catholic Church’ realise that there is something very wrong at the heart of that institution to which they appear able to give unquestioning allegiance?

How many clerics of all ranks world-wide have to be exposed, arrested and found guilty of the most heinous immorality, and that primarily against children, before there is a realising that such is the predominant moral feature of their ‘church’ and that for centuries?

Such perverts cannot be considered for one moment to be followers of the Lord Jesus. Christians are commanded, in both the Old and the New Testaments to walk in purity and holiness.

“‭Sanctify‭‭ yourselves therefore, and be ye holy‭: for I ‭am‭ the LORD‭ your God‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Leviticus 20:7.

“‭But‭ as‭ he which hath called‭‭ you‭ is holy‭, so‭ be‭‭ ye‭ holy‭ in‭ all‭ manner of conversation‭;‭ ‭Because‭ it is written‭‭, Be ye‭‭ holy‭; for‭ I‭ am‭‭ holy‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ 1 Peter 1:15-16.

The following report is from a newspaper, ‘The Irish News’ which chiefly serves a Roman Catholic readership.

May its report raise questions in many hearts! To that end we should earnestly prayer for the Roman Catholic people.

Sincerely in Christ’s name,

Ivan Foster

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Co Tyrone priest and former school president charged with indecent assault

Irish News (27/7/23)

A Co Tyrone priest who requested a leave of absence earlier this year while a serious safeguarding investigation was carried out has been charged with indecent assault against two males.

Court papers show Canon Patrick McEntee (69) from Esker Road, Dromore is charged with indecently assaulting a complainant between 1980 and 1981. (more…)

“And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town,” Mark 8:22-26.

A feature of the gospel of Mark is the ‘immediacy’ of the Saviour’s responses to the requests for help and mercy that came to Him.

An example of this is seen in the previous chapter. “And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain,” Mark 7:33-35.

Please note the word ‘straightway’! It is a translation of the Greek word, ‘eutheos’. This word is also translated by the English words ‘immediately’ and ‘forthwith’. The words underline the urgent and immediate response of the Saviour to the needs of men and women. However, in the record of this miracle there is a two-stage working by which the man’s sight was restored.

Now all the actions and words of Christ are written down “for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope,” Romans 15:4. There is divine wisdom behind this change in methodology of the Lord Jesus in healing this man from his blindness.

I. PLEASE NOTE THE KIND HANDS WHICH LED THAT MAN TO THIS MERCIFUL BLESSING

“And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand,” Mark 8:22-23.

1. It was the kind hands of those who desired God’s blessing for this man that led him to the Saviour. Doubtless, it was the man’s family and friends that acted so. The Saviour had been in Bethsaida before and the people were aware of His mercy and power to heal and to bless. The disciples had been earlier directed by the Lord to sail over to Bethsaida. “And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people,” Mark 6:45. That followed the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, verses 37-44. The disciples did sail across, experiencing the mighty power of Christ to save them from the power of a storm, verses 47-51. (more…)

We share with you the latest report on the gospel literature outreach of Pilgrims Covenant Church in Monroe, Wisconsin, USA.

I have in the past had the opportunity of ministering in this church and sharing the pulpit with a faithful preacher and contender for the faith, Pastor Ralph Ovadal.

He and his helpers set a wonderful example of what it is to be an earnest, stedfast‭ and abounding‭‭ in‭ the work‭ of the Lord.

I trust you are encouraged by this report and I would ask you to pray for this faithful gospel witness.

Sincerely in Christ’s name,

Ivan Foster

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Pilgrims Covenant Church Public Ministries Update

July 22, 2023

Dear Friends,

With this summary on our gospel witness in the world, we pick up where we left off with our last quarterly report. I want to begin by thanking those who pray for us as we labor for the Master and, I trust, with a heart for His honor and glory and then for the perishing. We also wish to express our appreciation for those who help in a financial way our small church labor for the Lord by way of our gospel witness. For instance, we have just put in another order for 35,000 of our PCC gospel tracts, specifically our Christ Jesus Came into the World to Save Sinners tract. But of course above all, we thank the Lord for the means, the health, and the many opportunities He has provided to share the glorious gospel of Christ with multitudes of men, women, and young people spiritually and legally “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1).

Below is a very brief summary of our gospel labors at public gatherings these past three months. Generally speaking, during each gospel witness, we have many interactions with all sorts and kinds of individuals. It is not unusual to meet with a certain amount of animosity from surly men and women, old, young, and in-between, who would no doubt be in favor of making the sharing of the gospel – at least a faithful gospel – unlawful. But at the same time, we regularly, not always but regularly, meet individuals who surely seem to be born-again brethren who rejoice to see the gospel of Christ being shared with all and everyone present. Among those just mentioned are, here and there, on-duty police officers who, having been offered one of our gospel tracts, warmly respond to us and announce that they too are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The great, vast majority of persons with whom we interact are unbelievers – some with no religion, some in apostate churches, and some of religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, or Islam. Most individuals are polite, and many even thank us for the gospel tract they receive. No doubt, a good many are thankful that someone showed such concern for them.

But, to sum up, every ministry outing we undertake results in a full range of interactions and responses which, if we were to detail in a report such as this, it would turn from a summary to a small book. So we content ourselves with mostly sharing some essential facts concerning each outreach and comfort ourselves with the thought that in each case we are sure that the Lord did so much more than even we were aware of at the time. Ephesians 3:20-21: “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (more…)