Article

“‭And‭ they‭ began‭‭ to enquire‭‭ among‭ themselves‭, which‭‭ of‭ them‭ it was‭‭ that should‭‭ do‭‭ this thing‭.‭ ‭And‭ there was‭‭ also‭ a strife‭ among‭ them‭, which‭ of them‭ should be accounted‭‭‭‭ the greatest‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Luke 22:23-24.

I read Luke 22 on the Lord’s Day passed. It deals with issues that took place in a day when the cause of Christ is in the midst of a crisis. It provides us with an insight to events impacting upon the whole Free Presbyterian Church.

I am referring to the dismissal of Rev David DiCanio from the ministry of the gospel. David DiCanio’s ‘sin’ was to fearlessly denounce that which is already denounced in God’s Word, ‘Contemporary Christian Music’, and which is specifically denounced in the standards of the Free Presbyterian Church.

However, there are those ministers and elders who defy the Bible’s denunciation and encourage the use of such unscriptural music in the worship of the Lord.

David DiCanio I believe, offended those whose minds were set, like the minds of the apostles in our text, upon self-importance and self aggrandisement rather than upon the information given them by the Saviour regarding the climax of His earthly ministry.

In considering these verses I was struck by the fact that:

I. THE MIND OF GOD’S SERVANTS, EVEN AS THEY STILL SAT AT THE TABLE WHERE THE SAVIOUR HAD JUST INDICATED HIS APPROACHING DEATH, SEEMED INDIFFERENT TO THAT REVALED TO THEM IN THE SAVIOUR’S WORDS!

1. How could those men be occupied with self esteem and self importance in the aftermath of the Last Supper? Had they heard nothing of what He had said?

“‭And‭ when‭ the hour‭ was come‭‭, he sat down‭‭, and‭ the twelve‭ apostles‭ with‭ him‭.‭ ‭And‭ he said‭‭ unto‭ them‭, With desire‭ I have desired‭‭ to eat‭‭ this‭ passover‭ with‭ you‭ before‭ I‭ suffer‭‭:‭ ‭For‭ I say‭‭ unto you‭,‭ I will‭‭ not‭ any more‭ eat‭‭ thereof‭‭, until‭‭ it be fulfilled‭‭ in‭ the kingdom‭ of God‭.‭ ‭And‭ he took‭‭ the cup‭, and gave thanks‭‭, and said‭‭, Take‭‭ this‭, and‭ divide‭‭ ‭it‭ among yourselves‭:‭ ‭For‭ I say‭‭ unto you‭,‭ I will‭‭ not‭ drink‭‭ of‭ the fruit‭ of the vine‭, until‭‭ the kingdom‭ of God‭ shall come‭‭.‭ ‭And‭ he took‭‭ bread‭, and gave thanks‭‭, and brake‭‭ ‭it‭, and‭ gave‭‭ unto them‭, saying‭‭, This‭ is‭‭ my‭ body‭ which‭ is given‭‭ for‭ you‭: this‭ do‭‭ in remembrance‭ of‭ me‭.‭ ‭Likewise‭ also‭ the cup‭ after‭ supper‭‭, saying‭‭, This‭ cup‭ ‭is‭ the new‭ testament‭ in‭ my‭ blood‭, which‭ is shed‭‭ for‭ you‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Luke 22:14-20.

The Saviour had just announced that He was to be taken “‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭by‭ wicked‭ hands‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬”‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭ and “crucified‭‭ and slain‭‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Acts 2:23. But the apostles were occupied by thoughts of vain glory!

2. Is it not sadly so today? The Free Presbyterian Church was brought into being to engage in the battle for truth and the honour and glory of the Saviour as His enemies crowded around to overthrow all that was His.

That battle rages still today BUT there are few in our church who engage the enemy as that enemy was engaged by Dr Ian Paisley in those early days. I submit that there are men more interested in who will hold office and flaunt their ‘authority’ than in the shameful treatment of the Saviour both within and without of the ranks of professing Christians!

I doubtless will offend some by saying this BUT what I say is the mind of many ministers if they would but say it publicly rather than just privately amongst themselves! (more…)

Many Free Presbyterians will be shocked to learn that Rev David DiCanio has been ‘deposed from the ministry of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America for the sin of contumacy.’ The sin he is charged with is a ‘stubborn refusal to obey or comply with authority.’

Below is a statement which my son, Rev Andy Foster, read to his congregation in Penticton in response to the decision of the Presbytery of FPCNA, which we have also included.

I am most happy to be in total agreement with what my son says and to follow his lead and that of Rev Stephen Hamilton, both of whom have been to the fore in opposing the utter folly of the leadership of the FPCNA in this matter. This decision is the result of a ‘pandering’ by leaders of the FPCNA to the demands of some prominent ministers here in the Ulster Presbytery.

The exposure by Rev DiCanio of the use of ‘Contemporary Christian Music’ within some of our congregations here in Ulster, in the video he sent out, referred to by Rev Andy Foster in his statement, stirred the ire of the ministers and those involved in this sin.

However, the FPCNA has in its statement on worship a clear denunciation of CCW music. The relevant portion is quoted in Rev Andy Foster’s statement below.

The Ulster Presbytery, being in union with the FPCNA, is in agreement with that position on this worldly and unscriptural form of worship.

Yet prominent members of our Ulster Presbytery sided with the users of CCM within our congregations and ‘secretly’ demanded that the FPCNA act against Rev David DiCanio.

The result of that pressure has been the unscriptural and unjust dismissal of a man of God who has faithfully laboured to establish a thriving missionary witness in Liberia on the contrived basis that he refused to repent of that which in essence is but his obedience to God’s Word.

His ‘sin’ is denouncing that which is considered a sin in the stated standards of the Free Presbyterian Church in a fashion displeasing to his accusers. (more…)

The following report appeared in today’s ‘Belfast Newsletter’, Friday 6th December.

In it, the ‘Christian Institute’ indicates the dangers that will arise from the legislation which the Alliance Party deputy leader, Eoin Tennyson revealed his proposals on Thursday. 

Tennyson professes openly that he is a sodomite!

Here is the report by Philip Bradfield.

---

Alliance Party proposals to criminalise conversion therapy could see parents jailed for up to seven years “when they discourage their child from gender transition or sexual experimentation” a Christian charity has warned.

Anyone convicted is also liable to a fine of up to £5,000.

Alliance Deputy leader Eoin Tennyson revealed his proposals on Thursday, saying he was frustrated by delays at Stormont and Westminster to outlaw the practice.

Mr Tennyson proposes two new criminal offences – engaging in conversion practice and removing a person from NI for conversion practice.

He proposes that convictions must m eet four tests;- provision of a service; intent to change someone’s orientation or gender identity; targeted at an individual; harm must be caused.

The only defence would be that the accused’s conduct “was reasonable in the circumstances”.

Anyone convicted would face up to seven years in jail and / or a fine of up to £5000.

See his proposals in full HERE

But James Kennedy, NI Policy Officer with the Christian Institute, now says the Scottish Government gave up on similar legislation this year due to risk of legal challenge, asking Westminster to legislate instead.

He said Alliance has published a flow chart for the bill almost identical to Scottish proposals.

Mr Kennedy said: “Thankfully, abusive practices are already outlawed in Northern Ireland. Christians oppose verbal and physical abuse.”

He added: “Mr Tennyson has copied the threshold from the Scottish plans. The broad definition of ‘harm’ would mean a parent could be prosecuted when they discourage their child from gender transition or sexual experimentation. Even saying ‘you might regret it’ could be seen as causing fear and thus be illegal. (more…)