What a shameful state of affairs has overtaken our church!
Folly rules, it seems, amongst our Presbytery office-bearers. Imprudence follows indiscretion and an arrogant ignoring of sin amongst our ranks is evident.
This attitude is largely born of ‘pride’, an unwillingness to acknowledge that the exposing of the blatant wrong-doing in recent times is correct and that they have been slack to dutifully act against that exposed!
Ezekiel
I am reading my way through the book of Ezekiel in my daily readings for I follow Robert Murray M‘Cheyne’s Bible Reading Calendar.
Today I read chapter 34. It is addressed to “the shepherds of Israel”. The Lord exposes and censures their failings to rightly look after His flock. Instead, the shepherds were moved by a self-seeking spirit and a looking after themselves!
Comfort and Condemnation
What comfort is offered to the neglected sheep — verses 11-16. The Lord will see that they are properly treated and cared for.
On the other hand, what condemnation is heaped upon the failing shepherds!
“As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them,” verses 8-10.
That which begins with foolish and selfish carelessness ends with the severest judgment of God following upon those who acted contrary to the welfare of God’s flock.
That is something the pulpits of the Free Presbyterian Church should carefully note and take heed of!
There seems to be a total lack of discernment, or even the first steps in obeying 1 John 4:1, within all too many of our pulpits!
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
Free Presbyterian ministers have, without due caution, rushed to extoll the man recently murdered most wickedly, Charlie Kirk. He has been set forth by Free Presbyterian ministers as a most outstanding Christian and preacher of God’s truth.
HE WAS NEITHER!
That fact was very easily discovered should those who spoke foolishly only looked into his beliefs and behaviour as commanded by the Lord! Even a consideration of the article I posted on 22nd September would surely have rung an alarm bell!
Let true Bible-believers be aware that Charlie Kirk was of the same spirit as Billy Graham!
As a result, they have been humiliatingly exposed by the Burke family, who use this folly as a basis for erroneously telling Free Presbyterians to separate from our denomination.
Burke family video: EXPOSED: LGBT TAKEOVER AS CHURCH LEADERS ABANDON THE FAITH
The two books of the New Testament that particularly address the matter of when we should separate from a denomination are 1st and 2nd Corinthians. I have written on the matter of separation and how to avoid the sin of schism which is separating from a Christian denomination BEFORE it is God’s will to do so.
In these two epistles there is revealed to us a church which had within its ranks the most sinful behaviour and there was a tolerating of those sins by the majority, aye, even a glorying in them!
“Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”1 Corinthians 5:6.
The state of affairs in Corinth was far more serious than the sins and follies that are regrettably found within the ranks of the Free Presbyterian Church and tolerated by some.
And yet Paul did NOT call for the faithful believers in the church at Corinth to separate from it.
Paul described the Corinthian church in his opening address to them as: “The church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints,” 1 Corinthians 1:2.
Rather than calling for separation, he applied God’s Word to the evil practices and was successful in seeing a return to obedience to God’s Word.
Our Need
That is the great need of the Free Presbyterian Church today but sadly, our leadership at present seems reluctant to act as they should, and this has been demonstrated of late.
Recently, our Presbytery leaders, without proper cause, acted against Rev David DiCanio — he protested against the use of modern, so-called ‘hymns’ in some congregations and gave proof of this from videos mounted on Free Presbyterian church websites — and put him, a most diligent missionary, out of the church.
But they remain inactive when faced by the support given by an elder for the organisations supporting and promoting sodomy, transgenderism and like evils, and that even amongst school children and the toleration shown toward the elder’s behaviour by his home church.
One can only speculate on the reasons for this sinful negligence! I have written many articles highlighting the sinful behaviour within our denomination, which would never have been tolerated in former times, when the blessing of God was upon us.
I am rarely afforded the courtesy of a reply when I write to the Presbytery office-bearers about such matters. Just recently I sent information to the Clerk of Presbytery regarding an announcement on one of our churches’ ‘Facebook’ page, which had been sent to me.
I am waiting for an acknowledgement of its receipt!
I expressed the view that the information I supplied was a matter that should be investigated by the Presbytery!
Here is the information I sent to the Clerk of Presbytery
We were so encouraged by Dr Paul Kingsbury’s message this morning on how we, as believers, should respond to our will when it contradicts God’s will for our lives. He brought us to Matthew 16 and 26, when Christ continually reminded the disciples of this but that we ought to pray ‘not my will, but yours be done’. It was a challenge and an encouragement for believers but also those gathered who were unsaved. There is hope in Christ because He brings restoration.
Join us this evening at 6:30pm as Dr Paul Kingsbury continues to preach.
A light supper will be provided afterwards.
(It is to be noted that a modern version is used in this notice!)
Illinois Pastor Resigns Amid Sex Abuse Scandal at Independent Baptist Church
The pastor of an independent Baptist church in Illinois has resigned amid mounting allegations of sexual abuse occurring on his watch.
Rev. Paul Kingsbury resigned from North Love Baptist Church in Rockford, Illinois, Northern Public Radio reported, quoting a video announcement the church initially posted to its Facebook page. The video has since been removed but was reposted by Preacher Boys, a YouTube channel devoted to stopping clergy abuse within Independent Fundamental Baptist churches.
Such matters must not be ignored and simply swept under the carpet!
The irresponsibility of commending the ‘false prophet’ Charlie Kirk, displays a foolish acting on the basis of media reports. It is not the action of those who possess much of the grace of ‘discernment’!
“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil,” Hebrews 5:14.
Discernment is a gift bestowed by the Holy Spirit.
“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal . . . to another discerning of spirits,” 1 Corinthians 12:7, 10.
How much this grace is needed in this day in which false prophets and deceitful spirits abound on every hand!
The very fact that Charlie Kirk was in the company of and extolled by Donald Trump is grounds enough for hesitation in accepting the public ‘persona’ presented of this man!
In earlier days within the Free Presbyterian Church, such incidents would have immediately resulted in a full and thorough investigation and, no matter who the minister was, scriptural discipline would have been carried out.
But what will happen in this instance when ministers, who are not novices, are foolishly carried away and enthusiastically praise one about whom they should be issuing the strongest warnings and denunciations as enemies of Christ, in the manner of Paul?
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works,” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.
We must pray for those who have been caught up in his ‘web’ of compromise and carelessness, born of the embracing of modern notions and a stepping aside from the “Old Paths”! (Jeremiah 6:16.)
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
2nd October 2025