Yesterday we had a memorable day in Gilford Free Presbyterian Church.
I was given a most warn welcome by the minster, Rev Gregory McCammon, with whom we first had fellowship many years ago when he laboured in Scotland, and also by his people.
A view of the Gilford (Ebenezer) Free Presbyterian Church sanctuary
In the morning I preached on the subject: ‘THE IDEAL HOME IN WHICH TO RAISE CHILDREN!’, from Deuteronomy 11:18-20.
“That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us,” Isaiah 30:9-11.
The new moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Dr Trevor Gribben, was reported on 9th June in the ‘Belfast Newsletter, as taking as his theme, “inspiration from the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah.”
He says of Jeremiah that he “gave a message of hope to God’s people, Israel – despite the fact that they have been taken captive to the “strange” land of Babylon.”
He noted the “prophet Jeremiah told Israel in exile” — he then quoted from what I presume was a perverted translation of the Scriptures: “For I know the plans I have for you . . . plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
The proper translation of the portion he refers is found thus in the Authorised Version of the Holy Scriptures: “For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart,” Jeremiah 29:10-13.
The new Moderator, Dr Trevor Gribben (L) and last year’s Moderator, Dr Richard Murray.
I have labelled Dr Gribben as a ‘shallow evangelical’ and that for a number of good reasons.
First of all, like those before him who feel it necessary to conform to those who wish to ‘modernise’ the message of God, irrespective of the integrity of the translation, he adopts one of the modern versions, which as the Trinitarian Bible Society has repeatedly shown, do not compare with the Authorised Version for accuracy of translation from the Hebrew and Greek of the originals or for beauty and elegance of style of the English language at its purest.
Furthermore, he says, “the prophet Jeremiah told Israel in exile”. In this he shows his shallow knowledge of Holy Scripture. (more…)
“For the mystery of iniquity (lawlessness) doth already work,” 2 Thessalonians 2:7.
The uncharacteristic scenes in Ballymena are a stark indication that society in Northern Ireland is most certainly not what it was in the not too distant past.
Riot in Ballymena
Many politicians in Stormont have been giving their usual utterly inept counsel as to the cause and the cure for such behaviour. The nationalist and republican members there have churned out the usual ‘anti-unionist’ responses, straight out of the well worn ‘glossary of sectarianism’ we have heard quoted since time immemorial!
It is to the Word of God that we MUST turn for an explanation of the events. Yes, it is right to refer to the impact of illegal immigration but that does not fully explain the totally wrong scenes witnessed in Ballymena.
The modern view of morality as witnessed in the lives of the ‘famous’ in the world of entertainment, those who change ‘partners as causally as one might change their socks, is also to be seen as a contributor to the rioting since the wickedness of men guilty of the indecent assault on a 14-year old girl, whoever they were, feature as a chief cause of the rioting.
AMUSEMENT
It is worthy of noting that the word ‘amusement’ means ‘a diverting away of the attention’. That is what the activities of the world of television, films and games have done — diverted our attention away from the eternal realities of God’s Word to the adopting of the lifestyle of the fables and fancies conjured up by man’s depraved nature!
The understanding of the moral law of God and the Bible’s teaching on modesty and decorum has evaporated from our society over the past generations due mainly to such influences! (more…)
