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The men the Free Presbyterian Church needs in 2025

“‭And Uzziah‭ . . .‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭ when he was strong‭, his heart‭ was lifted up‭‭ to ‭his‭ destruction‭‭: for he transgressed‭‭ against the LORD‭ his God‭, and went‭‭ into the temple‭ of the LORD‭ to burn incense‭‭ upon the altar‭ of incense‭.‭ ‭And Azariah‭ the priest‭ went in‭‭ after‭ him, and with him fourscore‭ priests‭ of the LORD‭, ‭that were‭ valiant‭ men‭:‭ ‭And they withstood‭‭ Uzziah‭ the king‭, and said‭‭ unto him, ‭It appertaineth‭ not unto thee, Uzziah‭, to burn incense‭‭ unto the LORD‭, but to the priests‭ the sons‭ of Aaron‭, that are consecrated‭‭ to burn incense‭‭: go out‭‭ of the sanctuary‭; for thou hast trespassed‭‭; neither ‭shall it be‭ for thine honour‭ from the LORD‭ God‭.‭ ‭Then Uzziah‭ was wroth‭‭, and ‭had‭ a censer‭ in his hand‭ to burn incense‭‭: and while he was wroth‭‭ with the priests‭, the leprosy‭ even rose up‭‭ in his forehead‭ before‭ the priests‭ in the house‭ of the LORD‭, from beside the incense‭ altar‭.‭ ‭And Azariah‭ the chief‭ priest‭, and all the priests‭, looked‭‭ upon him, and, behold, he ‭was‭ leprous‭‭ in his forehead‭, and they thrust him out‭‭ from thence; yea, himself hasted‭‭ also to go out‭‭, because the LORD‭ had smitten‭‭ him,‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬”‬ 2 Chronicles 26:14, 16-20.

Paul wrote, “‭For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,” ‬Romans 15:4. There is much to be learned from the verses from 2 Chronicles 26 which I have quoted above. I read them on the Lord’s Day, 22nd December.

How very relevant they are for the Free Presbyterian Church today!

The first thing I would have you notice in the verses is that:

I. GOOD MEN CAN MAKE VERY SERIOUS MISTAKES!

1. Without a shadow of doubt, Uzziah was a good man, a great man! We can take God’s word on that!

“‭Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did. And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper,”‬ 2 Chronicles 26:3-5.

2. Yet despite his undoubted regeneration by the grace of God, he committed a dreadful sin. We are told the ‘source’ of his sin. “And his name‭ spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.‬ When he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction,” verses 15-16. That phrase simply means that when his kingdom became wonderfully strong for the Lord “marvellously‭ helped‬” him, he became proud and haughty, and that to his “destruction”. (more…)

Happy New Year!

Sincere good wishes to all our readers for a happy 2025 and my grateful thanks for your support and prayers for the witness of ‘The Burning Bush’ during the last year.

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name,” Hebrews 6:10.

KICS – Why we should separate from Christmas celebrations, Pt 2

Kilskeery Independent Christian School being on holiday and there being no Assembly, I am sending out two studies which I conducted with the school 4 years ago.

They are entitled: ‘CHRISTMAS — why we should distance ourselves from the celebrations, parts one and two.

It is the Christian’s duty to keep themselves “unspotted (Greek – aspilos) from the world,” James 1:27. Peter uses the same word, “unspotted” when he wrote of how we must be “diligent” we must be in maintianing our purity while awaiting the return of the Saviour. “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, (Greek – aspilos) and blameless, 2 Peter 3:13-14.

Here is the second study.



I would like to consider with you my second part of my talk on how the birth of Christ should be celebrated.

I. I BELIEVE THAT CHRIST WAS BORN IN AND AROUND THE MIDDLE TO THE END OF SEPTEMBER.

The Bible does give us information about the time of His birth. We can work out from Luke 1:5, (8th in the schedule of priestly week long duties in the temple.) 8, 23-24. These duties began at the Passover, is around March/April on our calanedar. Passover in 2025 begins on April 12th. From these verses in Luke 1, we can conclude that John the Baptist was born about the middle of the month of March. Six months later the Saviour was born  “And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren,” Luke 1:36.

In agreement with this is the fact that sheep were in the fields, verse 8, which would not be the case in mid-winter!

II. SEE HOW THE ANGELS CELEBRATED HIS BIRTH.

(A). They revealed the story of His birth unto men in great detail, 9-12.

(B). They burst into song, v 13.

III. CONSIDER HOW THE SHEPHERDS CELEBRATED HIS BIRTH.

(A). They recognised the divine nature of the news they had just heard, v 15.

(B). They heeded the good news, v 15.

(C). They acted immediately, v 16.

(D). They focused their attention on the Saviour, v 16-17.

(E). They shared the news with others, v 17.

(F). Their celebrations left them refreshed and glad.

That will not be the case with the ‘Christmas’ celebrations that men engage in!!! Wickedness and excess of every form is what will mark ‘Christmas’. We should avoid where possible all the sinful and superstitios and pagan-originated activies of this time of the year and witness rather of what the Bible tell us of the ‘coming of the Son of Man’ to save sinners.