Category Archives: Ecumenism

News From The Front – March 2006

Dear praying friends,

By the time this newsletter arrives with you that ‘landmark’ birthday that I mentioned in my December 2005 newsletter will be part of history. As I contemplated the passing of yet another decade of my life, a phrase that will be familiar to those who have travelled by air came to mind – it’s the one that is said to the cabin crew by the captain as an aeroplane nears the runway at the start of its journey – the intercom will sound and the captain will inform the stewards and stewardesses to ‘prepare for take-off’ and this instruction will usually be followed by feverish last-minute activity. Those of us who have tasted God’s ‘so great salvation’ should always be ‘prepared for take-off’ for truly none of us know ‘what a day may bring forth’ [Proverbs 27:1]. Is there any purging, pleading, ploughing, praying or even reparation that needs to be attended to? Well, do it now, for how close to or even how far down the runway that leads to ‘take-off’ we are, none of us know. Enclosed with this newsletter are several enclosures and on one are copies of faxes sent to Tony Blair. ‘The family’ as established by God is under attack as never before due to recently implemented legislation and it has also been recommended that God’s guidelines for raising children should be ignored and indeed outlawed. I have available [on audio cassette – price £2.50 – includes p&p] 2 sermons by a good ministerial friend entitled ‘Children obey your parents’ and ‘Parents discipline your children’. Although not quoting the AV the teaching is consonant with the AV translation and I heartily commend these sermons.

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THE DEATH OF JOHN PAUL II, THE POPE OF ROME

Drawing Aside the Purple Curtain

The Papal System Today: an Analysis of the News

THE DEATH OF JOHN PAUL II, THE POPE OF ROME

by Shaun Willcock

This past weekend – Saturday, April 2, 2005 – the pope of Rome, John Paul II, died and passed into eternity. For over a quarter of a century, this man reigned as pope in the Vatican – Satan’s Seat. He was the leader of the world’s 1.1 billion Roman Catholics. The turbulent years of the 1980s and 1990s are in so many ways dominated by the words and works of John Paul II. He presided over the world’s most iniquitous religion, Satan’s masterpiece itself, guiding it through some of its greatest setbacks and some of its greatest triumphs (for itself, that is).

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The Accomplishments of John Paul II by Richard Bennett

“No other world figure has commanded the admiration he has enjoyed as the globe-trotting (over 1/2 million miles) Pope. His kindly smile and fatherly wave have made the ‘Pope Mobile’ a legend. Although they might disagree with his theology, both Catholics and Protestants have joined in the accolades of praise for this man. …Billy Graham has extolled Pope John Paul, ‘as the conscience of the whole Christian world.’”[1] Continue reading →

Presbyterianism and ‘State-Sponsored Peace’

In an earlier article posted to our website called “Irish Presbyterianism: Then and Now” I highlighted how some 50 years or so ago The Youth Committee of the General Assembly of the Irish Presbyterian Church published a ‘Handbook on Romanism and Evangelical Christianity’ to meet what they described in the preface to their booklet as ‘one of the urgent needs of our Church’. In the article I quoted a number of the Question and Answer contents of the booklet that were set out in ‘catechism’ format and it was evident that those who compiled this booklet were fully versed, not only in the unscriptural errors of Roman Catholicism, but also in the truths of Biblical Evangelical Christianity.

That was the ‘Then’ of Irish Presbyterianism and I contrasted it with the ‘Now’ of Irish Presbyterianism as represented by the invitation issued by the [at the time of the writing of my article] about to be installed Presbyterian Moderator, Ken Newell, to the Roman Catholic Primate of Ireland, Archbishop Sean Brady to be one of his ‘personal guests’ at his installation on 7 June 2004. The contrast was that according to Ken Newell’s journalistic ‘spin-doctor, Alf McCreary of the Belfast Telegraph, there can be ‘joint mission’ with a Roman Catholic system that was clearly identified 50 + years ago by The Youth Committee of the General Assembly as being totally unscriptural when it comes to genuine Christian ‘mission’.

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Operation Mobilisation purge MV Doulos of ‘Passion’ books promoting Roman Catholicism

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On 21 May I posted an article after I received a phone call from a very concerned Christian lady who had visited the MV Doulos [one of 2 ships that form O. M’s floating ‘book ministry’ fleet] that is currently visiting Londonderry. Whilst on board she noticed a book called – 

  • ‘A Guide To The Passion’ 
  • 100 Questions About 
  • The Passion of The Christ

and when she asked how much it would cost she was told that it was ‘free’ and she was given a copy. She subsequently rang me to express her horror at what was contained in the book.

For those who don’t know, this book is produced by an organisation called ‘Catholic Exchange’ and its purpose is to explain the Roman Catholic dimension and teachings depicted in Mel Gibson’s movie ‘The Passion of The Christ’. It’s aim and purpose is to promote the religion of Roman Catholicism. Let me quote a few sections from the ‘Introduction’ that was written by Tom Allen, Editor and President of Catholic Exchange. Mr Allen wrote –

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The hidden ‘agendas’ of CARE and Evangelical Alliance [NI]?

To fully understand the background to this article I believe it will be helpful for those who come to this article to first read the following articles that are posted elsewhere on our web site.

The articles and their links are as follows –

‘Evangelical Catholic’ suggestions for Belfast ‘Passion Café’ rejected?

The ‘leaven’ in ‘Power To Change’

Power To Change – Ecumenical or not Ecumenical?

In the article on the ‘Belfast Passion Café’ I referred to an ‘unnamed person’ in these terms – ‘One of the committee for the café’- and explained how this ‘unnamed person’ had sought guidance from the so-called ‘Evangelical Catholic’, Eugene Boyle. The rest of the article was an exposure of the devious suggestions put forward by Eugene Boyle and was not as some mistakenly thought a ‘condemnation’ of the planned café outreach to those who view ‘The Passion’ movie.

In the providence of God I have now been put in possession of further information that shows just how premeditated both this ‘unnamed person’ and Stephen Cave, General Secretary of Evangelical Alliance [NI] (this is the same Stephen Cave mentioned in the ‘Power to Change’ articles listed above) were to try and ensure that their solicitation of ‘Evangelical Catholic guidance and participation’ in the ‘Belfast Passion Café’ should not become public knowledge.

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The Legacy of the True Historical Patrick

by Richard Bennett

Ireland has a very distinctive history. It was an island untouched by the Roman legions, and Patrick, the Evangelist, brought to it the Gospel of grace. Patrick was himself descended from a family that had been, for two generations at least, in Christ Jesus. His father, he tells us was “the deacon Calpurnius, son of the late Potitus, a presbyter, of the settlement of Bannaven Taburniae.”[1][1]

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‘Sola Scriptura’ – Greg Bahnsen

Is ‘Sola Scriptura’ a Protestant Concoction?

A Biblical Defence of ‘Sola Scriptura’

by Dr. Greg Bahnsen

(Transcribed by David T. King from a taped lecture and edited for the WWW by James Anderson)

The issue of Scripture and Scripture Alone (or what Protestants have come to call the principle of Sola Scriptura) is a matter that divides professing Christians as to the foundation of their faith and what defines their faith. Back in the days of the Reformation when there were men who felt that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ had been not only corrupted by the Roman Catholic Church, but had virtually disappeared under the mask of human traditions and rituals and things that kept people from actually hearing the good news of Jesus Christ, in order to reform the Church, in order to have the grace of God more clearly proclaimed to people, Protestants realized they had to take a stand not only for ‘Sola Gratia’ (i.e., in Latin, ‘By Grace Alone’ for our salvation), but that had to be proclaimed on the basis of Sola Scriptura (‘Scripture Alone’) because the Roman Catholic Church used its appeal to human tradition in the Church (or what they considered divine tradition in the Church) as a basis for its most distinctive doctrines.

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The Perfect Sacrifice by C.H. Spurgeon

“It shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein” Leviticus 22:21.

Thus, then our text shuts out all self-righteousness. IT ALSO SHUTS OUT ALL PRIESTLY PERFORMANCES.

There is a notion among some people that the priest is to save them alias the minister, for men easily in these charitable days make even Dissenting ministers into priests.

I have heard people say “Just as I employ a lawyer to attend to my temporal business, and I do not bother my head any more about it; so I employ my priest or my clergyman to attend to my spiritual business, and there is an end of it”.

This is evil talk, and ruinous to the man who indulges in it. I will speak of this priestcraft very plainly. Recollect “it shall be perfect to be accepted;” therefore all that this gentleman does for you must be perfect.

I do not know what it is that he does, I am sure. I never could make out what a priest of the Roman or Anglican order can be supposed to do in his highest function of the mass. I have seen him walk this way, and I have seen him walk that way: and I have seen him turn his back, and it has been decorated with crosses and other embelishments; and I have seen him turn his face; and I have seen him bow; and I have seen him drink wine and water; and I have seen him munch wafers; and I have seen him perform many genuflections and prostrations; but what the performance meant I have not been able to gather. To me it seemed a meaningless display.

I should not like to risk my soul on it; for suppose that during that service he should think of something that he ought not to think upon, and suppose he should have no intention whatever of performing the mass, what then becomes of those who trust in him and it?

Everything, you know, depends upon the intention of the priest. If a good intention be not there, according to the dictates of his own church, it is all good for nothing, so that your souls all hang upon the intention of a poor mortal in a certain dress.

Perhaps he has not after all been rightly anointed, and is not in the apostolical succession! Perhaps there is no apostolical succession! Perhaps the man himself is living in mortal sin! Ah, me! There are many dangers about your confidence. Are you going to hang your soul on that man’s orders or disorders? Mine is too heavy to hang upon so slender a nail, driven into such rotten wood.

If you have a soul big enough to think, you will feel ‘No, no; there cannot be sufficient ground for dependence in the best pontiff that ever officiated at an altar. God requires of me, myself, that I bring to him a perfect sacrifice; and it is all a device of my folly that I should try and get a sponsor, and lay this burden on him. It cannot be done.

I have to stand before the judgment-bar of God in my own person, to be tried for the sins that I have done in the body; and I must not deceive myself with the idea that another man’s performance of ceremonies can clear me at the judgment-seat of Christ. This man cannot bring a perfect sacrifice for me, and it must “be perfect to be accepted”.

O sirs, do not be deluded by priestcraft and sacramentarianism, whether the priest be of the school of Rome, or of Oxford: you must believe in the Lord Jesus for your selves, or you will be lost for ever! &

“It shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein” & as this rule shuts out all other confidences, SO THIS RULE SHUTS US UP TO THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST &

My heart rejoices as I think of Gethsemane, and Calvary, and of him who by one offering hath perfectly sanctified all who put their trust in him. “It is finished” said he, and finished it is for ever.

Our Lord has presented a perfect sacrifice. “It shall be perfect to be accepted;” and it is perfect. “There shall be no blemish therein;” and there is no blemish in it.

Glory be to God Most High.

 

Power To Change – Ecumenical or not Ecumenical?

At a meeting I attended last Saturday evening it was reported to me that at the recent New Horizon event, Stephen Cave of ‘Evangelical Alliance’ in his public promotion of ‘Power To Change’ stated publicly words to the effect that ‘Power To Change is not an ecumenical ploy’.

In view of the fact that I opened my article ‘The Leaven in Power To Change’ with these words – ‘The latest ploy to involve ‘Evangelical Catholics’ as full ‘partners’ and ‘participants’ in mainstream so-called Evangelical Mission efforts is being progressively launched over the next months’

I feel it only right to respond to what Mr Cave said. ‘Ecumenism’ in the professing Christian world has always been understood as being ‘co-operative effort’ to promote Christianity. Historically faithful ‘evangelicals’ did not get involved in such ‘co-operation’ when the Roman Catholic church was involved for the simple reason that Rome does not preach Biblical Christianity.

So, when it comes to ‘Power To Change’ is there ‘ecumenical co-operation’? – Mr Cave apparently says ‘No’. Firstly, in support of my assertion that it is ‘ecumenical’ can I ask

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