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I have just emailed this letter to the Belfast Newsletter, though since it has not published my last two letters, I have little expectancy of this appearing.

Like so many former ‘loyalist’ outlets, it has come under ’new management’!

Sincerely in Christ’s name,

Ivan Foster.

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DRUMCREE

The latest Drumcree shambles has highlighted that which is already well known to many Protestants but which the ‘ecumenically minded’ wish to continue to conceal!

* Sinn Fein and those who support that political party consider themselves superior to the law of the land. Only that which they agree with is legal as far as they are concerned. They demonstrated that not only in Drumcree of late but for some forty years have declared murder and terror legal and those engaged in such as honourable and worthy of the highest praise.

* Garvaghy Road was not always ‘mainly nationalist’ as it is now described. That is a but a relatively recent occurrence.

But since becoming such, it is clear that any emblem or any person deemed to be linked to ‘Protestantism’ is neither welcome to use the road, or at least in safety!

There can be no clearer demonstration of the underlying desire of Irish republicanism than this – the removal of the Protestant people from the island of Ireland, bit by bit.

In truth, there are very few ‘bits’ left to be purged by terror and murder and anarchy.

* The total dominance of the Police Service of Northern Ireland by Irish republicanism. This may also be said about the powers that be in London, for undoubtedly the Chief Constable is under instructions not to ‘upset’ Sinn Fein by applying the judgment of the High Court and allowing a handful of Orange men to walk down a public road as they are legally entitled to.

I recall some years ago, a member of the RUC telling a news reporter, in the wake of the then ‘latest’ police reforms, that the Chief Constable would be issuing them with carpet slippers soon as boots would be deemed too aggressive!

There were ‘carpet slippers’ aplenty on Garvaghy Road at the weekend!

The DUP is showing its reluctance to tackle Sinn Fein head on for, after all, they allowed the republicans into power, by the wicked ‘power-sharing deal’ of 2007, in order that they obtain the glory of holding the ‘first ministers’ post’!

Today we are reaping the consequences of that that folly and the foolishness of supporting the DUP in that which proved a treacherous and disastrous decision!

Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
28th September 2026

Rev. Ivan Foster reprised his series from 2000 on bringing King David back after the rebellion of Absalom, and how it shows us the required method of revival. This three part series was preached at special meetings in Mourne FPC.

THE CONCERN FOR THE KING’S RETURN

There was only a short period between the beginning of Absalom’s scheming (15:1) and the recognising by the people that they had made a mistake. Pleasures of sin are only for a season! Heb 11:25.At first things had gone well for the rebellion. “And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom,” 15:12. But “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.

This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD,” Isa 54:17.

View a video of this sermon here:

 

I. THE PEOPLE BECOME AGITATED 

“All the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel,” v 9.The word ‘strife’. First use – Genesis 6:3. It was a spiritual troubling.There arose a ‘hunger’ for the king to be brought back! Matt 5:6.This disturbing came from the Lord, Eze 37:7.The devil would have people to sleep and slumber but the Lord seeks to awaken, Rev 3:20.

II. MEMORIES OF PAST MERCIES TROUBLED THEM

“The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines,” verse 9. So it was with the Prodigal. “How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!”

1. Absalom made them discontent under David. 15:3-5. Just like false prophets in Jeremiah’s day. Jer 15:17. Ecumenism has sought to have us forget the benefits of the Gospel, the Bible, the Sabbath and the Reformation. Power-sharing would have us forget the murderous wickedness of SF/IRA!! Now we are to forget the distinctions God has ordained between men and women!

What folly that has wrought!

2. Now, I believe that the Holy Spirit was making them discontent with their folly as they begin to remember. Ps 137:1-4. It is the minister’s duty to remind the people of the mercies and blessings of the past!

3. That is what provokes memories. 2 Peter 3:1; Psalm 103:1-5.

III. THEY WERE AWARE THAT THE KING HAD TO BE ‘BROUGHT BACK’

He was not going to return of himself. He had to be ‘fetched’! It is the same word used of the ‘returning’ of the waters after the flood! Something only the Lord could do! The desire for a return of David was of the Lord, wrought in the hearts of the people. That is what is needed today!“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me,” Rev 3:20.We must open the door but the Saviour comes in of Himself.Revival and reformation is a work of God.“Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” Psalm 85:6. We cannot do this work. But we can and MUST ask for the actual accomplishment of what it is we seek.

I received an email just this evening, just an hour ago to be exact, with these photos, copied from FaceBook with a comment:

It has been very discouraging for us to see the downward spiral of the FPC, considering one of the main reasons we moved to Ulster was to be in a strong separatist church. 

As I commented in response to the email: ‘This is what wearing the harness of the Orange Order brings about!’

The Orange Order demands of its members that they follow its rules, irrespective of God’s Word.

Solemn Oath

Graham Middleton took an oath at his ordination to carry out the following undertakings:

Will you maintain at all cost to personal reputation and vain worldly popularity the distinctives of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster and the three fundamentals of the faith as set out by Dr. Henry Cooke:

a. The Trinity.
b. The Vicarious atonement of Christ.
c. The necessity of the work of the Spirit to originate faith and repentance in the heart of man?

Will you maintain with all the strength God shall give you the position on Biblical separation from apostasy as taken by the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster in 1951 at the time of its secession from the Presbyterian Church in Ireland?

As God helps you will you expose and resist the continued apostasy from Christ manifested within Irish Presbyterianism, Methodism, Episcopalianism and other visible church bodies; exhorting God’s people to obey the teaching and commandment of 1 Timothy 6: 3-5?

To engage with members of an ecumenically controlled organisation like the Orange Order and to fellowship with a member of the apostate Church of Ireland is surely in total repudiation of the undertakings he swore to carry out at his ordination!

Here is the Episcopalian minister Revd Wayne Hawthorne in company with the woman who was ‘ordained’ alongside him.

He thus endorses by his membership of the Church of Ireland its most wicked apostasy and rejection of God’s Word and also the unscriptural ‘ordination’ of women!

The photos have every likeness to a ‘popish’ event!

The Bible says:

“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife,” 1 Timothy 3:2.

“ . . . ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, ,” Titus 1:5-6

I can well understand that these photos will vex and disappoint many faithful Free Presbyterians who will immediately see the compromise and the disobedience of God’s Word that is entailed in these photos.

One minister with whom I shared the email said:

‘IT JUST GETS WORSE’

And so it does when one who in the past raised his voice against compromise within the Free Presbyterian Church is now seen to have joined with that compromise.

I read just this morning, not realising that I would see a modern day example of what it was I read before the evening was out:

“But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation (hypocrisy, stage acting)” Galatians 2:11-13.

Just what is gained by a minister who deserts the cause of God that he was ordained to preach and protect, and join with the enemies of the gospel?

I am sure many in the Free Presbyterian Church know exactly how Paul felt at the shameful folly of Barnabas!

Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
26th September 2026