Article

This report of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland’s witness in Odessa, Ukraine, was shared with me by a friend of the ‘Burning Bush’ and I thought that I would share it with you all as it may help you get a perspective of the gospel witness in that troubled land and aid you as you remember the saints of God there in prayer.

Odessa is particularly under great pressure from the Russian invaders so keep the believers in that city particularly in your prayers. Remember too, Mr and Mrs Timothy Sloan who are Brethren Missionaries serving the Lord in Lutsk since 2004.

NI missionaries in Ukrainian city report panic as explosions threaten Gospel hall

“Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ,” 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12.

Sincerely in the Saviour’s name,

Ivan Foster.

---

EASTERN EUROPE MISSION REPORT 2020

Rev D Levytskyi

(Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, Odessa witness)

ANOTHER year has come to an end and it is time to give a summary of the mission work done in the past year. The situation in Ukraine for any unprejudiced observer would seem to be better since the previous year.

However, there are things that have not changed for the better, but in the good providence of the Most High the Eastern Europe Mission of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland is still present on Ukrainian soil and works from its Mission here in Odessa. (more…)

The article below appeared in this morning’s ‘Belfast Newsletter’.

It evoked sad memories for me and moved me to send the following letter to the newspaper.

---

Sir,

Your leading article today (21.3.22), recalling the IRA bomb which murdered seven people, including two policemen, outside the offices of your newspaper back in March 1972, brings back many sad memories of those horrific times.

To think that the political ‘heirs’ of the perpetrators of that crime and hundreds like it, now sit as dictators in Stormont as the result of the despicable and treacherous political deal agreed to between the DUP and Sinn Fein/IRA back in 2007, still vexes and grieves me and is very hard to bear when such memories are evoked!

What a betrayal of the many, many innocent victims of IRA terrorism that ‘power-sharing’ deal was. (more…)

On Lord’s Day 20th March, 2022, Mr Matthew Eccles, a licentiate minister of the Free Presbyterian Church, was the preacher at the services in Kilskeery church. In the morning service, he took as his text Genesis 15:8. “‭And he said‭‭, Lord‭ GOD‭, whereby‭ shall I know‭‭ that I shall inherit it‭‭?‭” This was the request of Abram of God following the giving of a most wonderful promise to him.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Mr Eccles preached a very encouraging and instructive message from his text on how we need confirmation of God’s covenant and where such confirmations and endorsements are to be found.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

When he turned the congregation to his text in Genesis 15, I noted that I had the numbers 4, 5, 6 written in the margin of chapter 15 and encircled. They were beside the verses 5, 7 and 18.

Following the service, when I returned home I traced the other numbers, one through to four and also number seven, which was in the margin of chapter 17, and saw that all the verses are linked to the clear promise of God to Abram, later called Abraham, and to his descendants.

I am going to list the verses I had so marked for your consideration.

1. “‭Now the LORD‭ had said‭‭ unto Abram‭, Get thee out‭‭ of thy country‭, and from thy kindred‭, and from thy father’s‭ house‭, unto a land‭ that I will shew‭‭ thee,‭” Genesis 12:1.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ (more…)