A sop to sodomy – Church of Ireland minister ‘apologises’ to ungodly LGBT movement at ‘Pride’

As madness continues to descend over the professing church, it can be of little surprise to see yet another supposed preacher of God’s infallible truth show his support for the sodomite cause.

Rev Andrew Rawding (pictured, top), the rector of a grouped parish consisting of Holy Trinity Church, Brackaville, St Patrick’s Church, Ballyclog and St Patrick’s Church, Donaghendry, which appears to be located in the Coalisland and Stewartstown areas of County Tyrone, held up a banner at the Belfast ‘Pride’ parade saying: “We are sorry for how the church mistreated LGBTQ+ people”.

The banner is pictured below.

This is a truly shameful additional factor within the context of a wretched day for Belfast and indeed all of Northern Ireland.

For a supposed minister of the gospel to express regret that the church in bygone days held a Scriptural view in relation to sodomy is a disgraceful thing.

Though we have on many occasions stressed the Scriptural position on these matters, we will do so again.

Leviticus 18:22 says: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

Romans 1:24-27 says: “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

This is but a few of the numerous (contrary to the lies of the Bible-deniers) passages which clearly prohibit and condemn same-sex relationships.

However, Rev Andrew Rawding clearly knows better than God as he walked under the ‘Christians at Pride’ banner, a group which says its aim is to “celebrate God-given diversity”.

God does not create sin, corrupt man does.

Let us see the foundational principle of this world.

Genesis 1:27-28, 31: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

God “blessed” men and women and told them to “be fruitful and multiply”. Two people of the same gender simply cannot be fruitful and multiply.

Jesus in Matthew 19 reiterated the creation principle of one man and one woman in a relationship together.

Matthew 19:4-5 says: “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?”

The likes of Rev Andrew Rawding would love us to think Jesus made no comment in relation to same-sex relationships, which bizarrely is taken to mean he would be in favour of them. Jesus, to the best of our knowledge, never specifically mentioned bestiality. Does that mean He was in favour of it or at least indifferent to it? The very thought is repugnant.

Jesus, of course, clearly here outlines the natural God-ordained order which so many alleged Christians and others are trying to distort and destroy.

Rev Andrew Rawding may be choosing to say sorry to those who live in open defiance of God’s Word, but he would be far better repenting of this sinful decision and saying sorry to God.

This is, sadly, a case of choosing to please men rather than God.

His attitude stands in stark contrast to that of the Apostles.

Acts 5:27-29 says: “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”

Speaking in relation to his ungodly actions, Rev Andrew Rawding said: “From a pastoral point of view with responsibility to be sharing positive messages of God’s love for everyone, I really feel very, very strongly that I need to stand up and make a stand as a clergy person,” he said.

Rev Andrew Rawding has no “responsibility to be sharing positive message of God’s love for everyone”, he has a responsibility to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That gospel is of the saving power of Jesus Christ freely offered and available through the sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary, which we can have simply by placing our faith in Christ alone and repenting of our sins.

Any minister who fails to do that is not worthy of the role he is occupying.

Ezekiel 33:2-6: “Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.”

There will be blood on the hands of any minister who fails to proclaim the truth of the Bible and instead spread their own notions and fancies as if they were the gospel.

What a fearsome day of reckoning is coming for all such ministers and the poor, deluded souls they are leading to hell.

Dear reader, please do not allow some Bible-rejecting minister to usher you down the path to destruction, but rather won’t you turn to Jesus for salvation?

With all this talk of ‘Pride’ being so prevalent at this time, let us not glory in sin or debauchery, but rather let us rejoice and glory in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and make Him our cause for celebration.

Galatians 6:14: “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

Church of Ireland statement – ministers are free to march in LGBT ‘Pride’ parades

Just three days ago, we put the question to the Church of Ireland – were they going to take any type of a stand against one of its ministers, Rev Andrew Rawding’s (pictured, top) disgraceful conduct in taking it upon himself to “apologise” to the LGBT community for how the church had “mistreated” them?

Well, it didn’t take long for an answer to come along, albeit indirectly.

In an article featured in the Belfast Newsletter, the Church of Ireland stated that the like of Rev Andrew Rawding “may continue to hold their point of view”.

Yes, you have read that correctly.

The Rev Andrew Rawding has the Church of Ireland’s blessing to continue marching in sodomite ‘Pride’ parades, the latest of which he took part in was in Newry, County Armagh today (Saturday).

This followed on from him marching in the sodomite ‘Pride’ parades in Belfast and Londonderry.

This is what the Newsletter article said: “A spokesman for the Church of Ireland said that a church Synod resolution on human sexuality in 2012 affirmed that marriage is “a holy mystery in which one man and one woman become one flesh”. The resolution also opposed “bigotry, hurtful words or actions and demeaning or damaging language” in relation to sexuality.

“The spokesman said that church teaching is agreed in a “democratic” process; Many clergy and laity disagree with church teaching “and may continue to hold their point of view, but it will not be the official position of the Church”.”

So there you have it, the Church of Ireland’s ministers are free to march in LGBT ‘Pride’ parades with no fear of any censures or reprisals.

What a shocking, shameful and outrageous example for the Church of Ireland to set.

This is a clear abandonment of any efforts in the Church of Ireland to deal with sin, which is the central point of the gospel.

We cannot be forgiven if we do not repent of our sin.

We cannot receive a place in heaven if we do not repent of our sin.

When the church fails to take a clear stand against sin, it places an obstacle in the way of people being forgiven of their sin.

That is repugnant.

It really is shocking that the Church of Ireland can sit by idly and say there is no problem with Rev Andrew Rawding loudly and proudly rejecting his own church’s official teaching and, far more importantly, the Bible’s teaching on which relationships are permissible in the eyes of God.

What exactly is the point of a church having clergy who disagree with church teaching?

Why don’t they find a church which they do agree with?

Of course, many of these individuals are agitators trying to force change from within the Church of Ireland to get the church to the point where same-sex ‘marriage’ and all other forms of perversion are accepted in the church.

And the pathetic inaction of those in charge of the church is allowing this to happen.

Some will, no doubt, say, as do many Presbyterians looking to make sodomy acceptable in their church, that this is evidence of a “broad church” type of Christianity.

Let us remind them that narrow is the way that leads to salvation.

Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

It is not a great sign of tolerance or, as some would even more fallaciously try to claim, a sign of Christianity, to laud some sort of “broad church” approach.

God has set certain standards and parameters to which we are to abide.

His Son, Jesus Christ, says in the passage above that “narrow is the way” which leads to life eternal while the broad way leads to “destruction”.

And that is exactly where the road Rev Andrew Rawding is ushering people down leads.

And, by flatly refusing to step in and address his shameful shepherding of the flocks over which he has authority (Holy Trinity Brackaville, St Patrick’s Ballyclog and St Patrick’s Donaghendry), the Church of Ireland is equally guilty.

The following verses in that same chapter are also very relevant in this context of churches failing to fulfil their mission of imploring people to repent and believe the gospel.

Matthew 7:15-20: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

The fruit being brought forth by Rev Andrew Rawding is of the most rotten variety.

He is encouraging people to continue on in their sin and encouraging others to do the same.

This is something which is strongly condemned by the Saviour.

Matthew 23:13 says: “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.”

Preaching that God is accepting of that which He has in fact called an “abomination” very clearly is an example of preventing others from entering into the kingdom of heaven.

This is surely a very clear example of a separation matter for any true child of God within the Church of Ireland.

Dear believer within the Church of Ireland, your leadership has publicly stated that Rev Andrew Rawding, and any other minister who so chooses, is free to show utter contempt for your church’s teaching and the Word of God’s teaching on this most vital of matters.

Is this a situation you consider to be tolerable?

The leadership of the Church of Ireland, which starts with Most Ecumenical Richard Clarke (pictured, below), the Archbishop of Armagh, is disgracefully refusing to take their stand for God.

Will you?

We surely cannot be silent in the face of such wilful apostasy from the Church of Ireland.

Let us all follow the Scriptural call to be separated from the workers of iniquity.

We don’t have to be members of or attendees at the Church of Ireland for this to be applicable to us.

Does our church have any links with this church? Do we attend services in the Church of Ireland? Do we attend social events in the Church of Ireland? Do Church of Ireland ministers ever speak at our church?

There can be no links with a church which refuses to address sin.

How can blessing be found where rebellion against God is present?

God hates sin.

This is a simple yet fundamental Biblical precept.

We can see so many examples of this throughout Scripture.

We can see God expressing his hatred for it in his proclamations against His chosen people.

Hosea 9:15-17 gives a clear example of this.

It says: “All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters. Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb. My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.”

If God declares such judgment on His covenant people, how much more wary ought we, as Gentiles, to be faithful to Him.

The Apostle Paul likened us to branches being grafted on to the tree after the branches representing the Jews had been broken off.

Warning the Gentiles in Rome to remain faithful, he said in Romans 11:21: “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.”

There is a price to be paid for sin. Do we want to associate ourselves with it? Surely our answer will be, as Paul so often wrote, “God forbid”.

Let us separate ourselves in every fashion from the Church of Ireland, who have now officially sanctioned its ministers marching for sodomy and transgenderism.

Let us go outside the camp to be on the Lord’s side.

2 Corinthians 6:17: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you”.

Sodomite ‘marriage’ celebrated on BBC’s Songs of Praise

Everywhere you look the utterly ungodly LGBT agenda is being thrust in your face as this nefarious campaign permeates virtually every aspect of society.

One of the major tools used to try to normalise that which God has called an “abomination” is that of the TV.

It seems to almost be part of TV producers’ guidelines that every programme must contain at least one sodomite, with even children’s TV shows not safe from such dangerous social engineering.

And now Songs of Praise has had to bow the knee to the sodomite agenda and feature a same-sex ‘marriage’ in its programme (pictured, above).

While we do not watch Songs of Praise – it is largely a representation of the old ritualistic deadness of the Church of England – it is still galling to see the vile sin of sodomy paraded as commendable on what is ostensibly a religious programme.

We say it is galling – that is of course the point.

The BBC wants to rub Christians’ noses in the fact that the world has changed, the sodomites and their agitators have won the culture war in Britain and there is nothing we can do about it.

While that is largely true, we can still rejoice that God is still on the throne and He can turn events on their head at His will.

While we see the restraints being lifted to a certain extent on the sinfulness of men, we know that God will not suffer this to carry on forever.

Those responsible for this ungodliness would do well to bear in mind this passage from Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 8:11-13 says: “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.”

The Songs of Praise episode in question was screened on 18 August featured the sodomite ‘marriage’ of Jamie Wallace and Ian McDowall at the Rutherglen United Reformed Church in Glasgow.

The United Reformed Church, which is dedicated to ecumenism (showing how often one form of apostasy follows another) gave its blessing to same-sex ‘marriages’ three years ago.

To do so is to demonstrate the most grotesque of Biblical ignorance and the most outrageous rejection of God, regardless of what they like to say.

Such Christ rejecters like to think, or like to claim, they are demonstrating the love of God in affirming sodomite relationships.

However, it is very clear that God has placed his curse on such relationships.

One must only look at the fate which befell Sodom and Gomorrah and the reason for it.

Jude 1:7: “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”

“Going after strange flesh”, or same sex relationships, brought down “vengeance of eternal fire”.

We cannot comprehend a more fearsome judgment than eternal fire, that is what hell is, and this is how God’s Word describes the punishment for those who practice the sin of sodomy.

But this is what so many churches are now throwing their weight behind.

The United Reformed Church is not the only one to have caved in to such sin.

The Church of Scotland, which is part of the Presbyterian communion, the Quakers in Britain and Ireland, the Presbyterian Church in the USA and the Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church are just some of the churches which have given their blessing to that which God condemns.

The Methodist Church in Britain is planning to formally make this apostate step next year.

They are flying in the face of the Scriptures by adopting this stance.

Some of the passages which they have utterly overthrown include:

Leviticus 18:22: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

Genesis 2:24: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

Matthew 19:4-5: “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?”

1 Corinthians 6:9-10: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

Romans 1:24-27: “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.”

As you can see, there are rather a lot of Scriptural proofs to demonstrate how same-sex relationships run contrary to God’s will, and the list above is far from extensive.

Such individuals like to try to explain away these verses (tepidly), yet do they ever think that while they may try to excuse their anti-Scriptural views by twisting the Bible, there are no verses they are able to call upon to justify their actions?

There is no approval or affirmation for sodomy in the Bible, it is dishonesty of the gravest level to try to say there is.

Oh that our churches and church leaders, as well as the BBC, would be run by people who are true children of God and would earnestly seek to do that which pleases Him, not that which satisfies their own foolish desires and lusts.

2 Timothy 4:3-4: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

Rev Andrew Rawding marches in another sodomite ‘Pride’ parade – will Church of Ireland leadership do anything about it?

Proverbs 24:11-12: “If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?”

There is an old saying which touches on the theme of the verses above – that of God’s reproof if we fail to warn those headed for destruction of the danger they are in.

It has been attributed to many different characters, but it is simply that “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.

And certainly what we are seeing in this day and age is a deepening of the departure from God, coupled by an increasing and perplexing amount of elective mutism – just when a voice is needed to be raised against the apostasy all around us, everyone appears to be silent.

Do we hear fearless and uncompromising voices such as those of Rev Ian Paisley or CH Spurgeon in our day?

Sad to say, there appears to be a dearth of ministers willing to take a voluble public stand against sin.

And it would appear, sadly, that continued God-defiance by Church of Ireland rector Rev Andrew Rawding (pictured, top) has gone totally unnoticed and certainly unrestricted by the hierarchy of his church.

Rev Andrew Rawding, as we highlighted a few weeks ago, took it upon himself to “apologise” on behalf of “the church” for how it has allegedly “mistreated” sodomites and transgender people.

It was certainly a rather presumptuous move to make for someone who has hitherto been a fairly obscure Church of Ireland minister from Coalisland in County Tyrone.

Rev Andrew Rawding made this arrogant “apology” (pictured, above) at the sodomite ‘Pride’ parade in Belfast and he took his clerical compromise show on the road again last weekend by “apologising” to those acting in open rebellion against God at the Foyle ‘Pride’ celebration in Londonderry.

He proudly paraded his rejection of the Biblical prohibition of same-sex relationships on his Facebook page and in the Belfast Telegraph.

It certainly is interesting that the sodomite movement has opted to use the term ‘Pride’ as the slogan for the public expression of their unbiblical lobby, given that pride is comprehensively condemned throughout Scripture.

Here are just a few examples.

Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

1 John 2:16: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

Daniel 4:37: “Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.”

That closing part of the last of the three verses could be written for the sodomite movement – “those that walk in pride he is able to abase”.

What a great comfort it is to know that the Almighty God of heaven, “whose works are truth, and his ways judgment” (there’s a word the Bible rejecting ‘Christians’ hate), is able to bring down those who exalt themselves against Him.

While spiritual leaders may forsake their responsibilities and fail to speak out against departure from His Word, we can be sure that God, whose ways are judgment, will not allow sin to go unchecked forever.

However, this does not absolve those who fail to take a stand for Him.

Even though a turn of events is all part of God’s plan, the guilt of the guilty is not mitigated by this.

This is a simple God-ordained principle, spoken from the mouth of the Saviour.

Matthew 18:7: “Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!”

So there really is no fig leaf, no excuse for Rev Andrew Rawding to offer on the day of judgment for his betrayal of God’s Word in lining up with His enemies.

And the same can be said for those occupying the highest positions within the Church of Ireland Diocese of Armagh, which Rev Andrew Rawding’s churches, Holy Trinity Church, Brackaville, St Patrick’s Church, Ballyclog and St Patrick’s Church, Donaghendry, fall under.

At the very top of the pile in the Armagh Diocese is the most senior Church of Ireland minister in the country, the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, Most Reverend Richard Clarke (pictured, below).

This is an individual whose own open defiance of God’s Word in relation to his shabby ecumenical compromise with the pagan religion of Rome we have previously highlighted.

Such is his rejection of the Biblical call to separation, he has rightly earned the moniker of Most Ecumenical Richard Clarke.

He has achieved this ignoble distinction by actions such as writing a letter to the Pope begging him to visit Northern Ireland, marking St Patrick’s Day last year in his clerical domain of Armagh city by bringing his parishioners into Rome’s clutches and earlier this year he was the guest speaker at the ecumenical Causeway Coast Peace Group’s 17th anniversary service, held in a Romanist chapel in Ballycastle, County Antrim.

Given his Bible rejecting credentials in this matter, his steadfast refusal to “earnestly contend for the faith” (Jude v 3), it is perhaps unsurprising he has allowed such open rebellion to take place under his watch.

However, as we have said, this is not an excuse or justification for his inaction.

It is not just Most Ecumenical Richard Clarke who has apparently failed to address this outrageous conduct of Rev Andrew Rawding, there are others in high ranking positions who have been silent in the face of such rebellion against God.

The Archdeacon of Armagh, according to the Armagh Diocese’s website, is the Venerable Rev Terry Scott (pictured, below), minister of St Swithin’s Parish Church in Magherafelt, County Londonderry.

What has Venerable Rev Terry Scott got to say on the matter?

Archdeacons hold a fair deal of sway, yet it would seem he, too, has opted to employ elective mutism in the face of Rev Andrew Rawding’s rejection of God’s Word.

According to the clergy list in the diocese on their own website, there is one other minister who has risen to the rank of ‘Venerable’.

That is the Venerable Rev Andrew Forster. He apparently holds the title of Archdeacon of Ardboe, a small village on the shores of Lough Neagh.

What roles or responsibilities come with this title we have no idea, but it would appear he holds rank within the Diocese of Armagh.

Rev Andrew Forster is also the minister of St Anne’s Parish Church in Dungannon, County Tyrone.

Another high ranking clergyman within the diocese is the Dean of Armagh, Very Rev Gregory Dunstan (pictured, below).

He has previously featured on ‘Protestant Revival’ due to his ecumenical compromise, which included his salivating at the prospect of a Romanist monk being appointed as an ecumenical canon at St Patrick’s Church of Ireland cathedral in Armagh and his preaching at a dreadful week of meetings in St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast which was also addressed by a Jesuit priest.

It is hard to imagine a determined ecumenist speaking out against a different form of Bible rejection, and it would appear he, too, has remained silent in the face of Rev Andrew Rawding’s conduct.

Two further clergymen who are members of the Chapter of Armagh Cathedral are worthy of mention here, as they hold the roles of Precentor and Chancellor respectively.

They are Canon Norman Porteus and Canon Andrew Dawson (although the Armagh Diocese website’s clergy list calls him Canon Drew Dawson), both of Derryloran Parish Church in Cookstown, County Tyrone.

All of these men occupy positions where they could apply pressure for action to be taken or take the action directly themselves, but instead Rev Andrew Rawding carries on unchecked in his defiance against God.

What a sad situation this is.

Of course, there could be discussions going on behind the scenes, perhaps some disagree with Rev Andrew Rawding’s actions, but who among them has spoken out against it publicly? None, as far as we can see.

Every member of the clergy in the diocese has a responsibility as well to speak out, not just these individuals in lofty positions.

After all, what use is a watchman that does not sound the alarm or a dog that does not bark to warn of danger?

God takes a very low view of such.

Isaiah 56:10-11: “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.”

What a fierce condemnation there is for those who fail to take their stand for him.

Will you remain silent as well, dear reader?

We can take action even by contacting any of these individuals we have detailed above, whether it be Rev Andrew Rawding himself, Venerable Rev Terry Scott, Venerable Rev Andrew Forster, Very Rev Gregory Dunstan, Canon Norman Porteus, Canon Andrew (Drew) Dawson or anyone else.

Perhaps, if you live in the Diocese of Armagh, you would like to contact the Church of Ireland minister in your area to ask them what they think of Rev Andrew Rawding’s conduct and implore them to speak out publicly against it.

Any of those names mentioned above, or other ministers in your locality should you live within or even near the Diocese of Armagh, can be contacted by clicking this link and then clicking on the name of the relevant minister. Their email address and, in some cases, contact number, are detailed.

You can also contact the Archbishop of Armagh himself, Most Ecumenical Richard Clarke, by emailing archbishop@armagh.anglican.org

Let us not sit back while ministers, claiming to act in the name of Christ and on behalf of His church, devote themselves to denying and rejecting God and His inspired, inerrant Word.

Let us not sit back while ministers, claiming to act in the name of Christ and on behalf of His church, refuse to speak out against error in the ranks of the clergy and allow great damage to be done to the cause of Christ.

Acts 20:26-30: “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”

Rend Collective endorse the blasphemous Roman Catholic Mass

1 Peter 3:18: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”

The allegedly ‘Christian’ rock band Rend Collective have given their support to the Popish blasphemy of the Mass by performing at a ‘Christian’ summer camp where the God-defying sacrifice is offered.

They were part of the musical entertainment laid on by the organisers of the ‘Soul Survivor’ camps held in Peterborough and Stafford.

In a ‘Leaders Handbook’ provided on the Soul Survivor website, it is stated that, on the final day of the camp, when a Communion service is held, “Catholic Mass will also be available”.

You can see this outrageous fact for yourself by looking at the image below, an excerpt from the leaders handbook.

This is something we highlighted back in February and warned against, yet Rend Collective have continued on in their path of mean ecumenical compromise.

As we did back in February, we will remind everyone, including Rend Collective, of what the Roman Catholic catechism teaches about the Mass.

It says: “Because it is the memorial of Christ’s Passover, the Eucharist is also a sacrifice. In the Eucharist Christ gives us the very body which he gave up for us on the cross, the very blood which he ‘poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’.”

Rome claims the Mass is the offering up of a sacrifice of Christ.

This runs totally at odds with what the Bible teaches.

Hebrews 10:11-12 says: “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God”.

Christ was offered once, He is not sacrificed repeatedly in the Mass, it was a once for all sacrifice.

If we deny that, we deny the gospel as it is Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary which means we may be saved.

Rend Collective, by being happy to take part in a summer camp which offers up such a blasphemous ‘sacrifice’, serve to bring dishonour to the cause of Christ, regardless of how many people like listening to their music.

The ‘Soul Survivor’ camps are ran by Mike Pilavachi, a dedicated ecumenist whom we have previously featured on this page.

In addition to arranging for the blasphemous Mass to be served up at his camps, he has previously been pictured with two leading heretics in the church throughout the world.

They are the Mary worship supporting Arch-apostate of Canterbury, Justin Welby and sodomy-supporting Royal wedding preacher Michael Curry.

And Mike Pilavachi was pictured with them (which you can see, below) at the chief celebration of the utterly ecumenical ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ prayer initiative which is backed by “that Antichrist”, the Pope.

So it is little surprise to see him arranging for the central act of Romanist worship to be incorporated at the camps he runs.

It is, however, very distressing to see it nonetheless.

The same can be said for Rend Collective, not least because of the amount of people, especially the young, over whom they have tremendous influence.

Rend Collective, by their actions, such as performing for the Pope in Dublin last year and now playing at summer camps celebrating the Mass, are telling a generation of young people that it is ok, indeed a good thing, to mingle with the false religion of Rome.

Rend Collective should be using their prominent position to help educate a generation of young people about the dangers of compromising in your walk with God, instead they are promoting compromise.

What a sad state of affairs.

Dear reader, won’t you even speak out against such wilful and repeated ecumenical compromise and help challenge Rend Collective for their failure to stand against religious error.

Psalm 94:16 asks two vital questions which are every bit as relevant today as when they were written.

“Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?”

Rend Collective have resolutely refused to rise up against the evildoers or stand against the workers of iniquity. They have chosen to stand foursquare alongside them.

Therefore, who will stand against the workers of iniquity?

The voices against apostasy and religious error are fewer and hose who are seem to be quieter than in days gone by.

Let the condemnation of the children of Israel by God in the days of Ezekiel not be that of our day and generation.

Ezekiel 22:30 says: “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.”

Let us not stand idly by as such damage is being done to the cause of Christ, with the perpetrators claiming it is being done in His name.

Let us ever follow the Scriptural command of Jude v 3 to “earnestly contend for the faith” and abide by the command of Ephesians 5:11.

It says: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”

Let us be unafraid to reprove the unfruitful works of darkness and take our stand for God and against the false teachings of Rome and those who side with her.

Presbyterian Herald devotes issue to Romanist ‘saint’, Jean Vanier

2 John 1:9-11: “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

As increasingly more so-called Protestants and evangelicals grow in (often wilful) ignorance of the false doctrines and hellish deceits of Rome, there is now, more so than ever, a promotion by these alleged Protestants of agents of the papacy.

There are few Romanists more commonly exalted by Protestants than French-Canadian Roman Catholic and friend of the Pope, Jean Vanier (pictured, top), who died in May of this year.

Henri Nouwen is perhaps the only other Romanist, as well as, of course, the Pope, to be so revered by alleged Protestants.

Now, Jean Vanier is credited with helping an immense number of young people with disabilities throughout his life, forming the L’Arche Community in France to create an environment in which those with various special needs could thrive, and such kindness is to be commended.

However, he was a proponent of the false Romanist system of salvation by sacramental merit which damns its adherents to an eternity in hell and to therefore be holding him up as a hero is a very foolish thing to do.

Yet this is exactly what the Presbyterian Church has done in its official publication, the Presbyterian Herald, dedicating its June edition to this man who upheld the erroneous and blasphemous teaching of the Roman Catholic Church until the day he died.

Introducing the June edition of the Presbyterian Herald (of which we have just become aware), its editor Sarah Harding, said: “Last month, Jean Vanier, the founder of the L’Arche organisation, sadly passed away at the age of 90. Vanier left a remarkable legacy in L’Arche – its mission is to support people with learning disabilities and today it has 150 communities, in 38 countries, supporting 3,500 people with day services and residential homes.

“It all began in Paris in 1964, when Vanier welcomed two men with learning disabilities to live in his home – they had been in an asylum and had no family. He had no grand vision then for what this act of kindness would become, just a simple faith in Jesus’ command to love one another, saying, ‘It’s a question of loving people as they are’.

“Living lives full of integrity, authenticity and love seems overwhelmingly difficult, but as Jean Vanier once said, ‘We are not called by God to do extraordinary things, but to do ordinary things with extraordinary love’.”

There is not one mention there that this man, who provides the overarching theme (defined as ‘Extraordinary Love’) for an entire issue of the official publication of the Presbyterian Church, was a devout Romanist. Not one.

It would have been bad enough to have raved about his (undeniably kind) work whilst applying a health warning and pointing out he was relying on and was a proponent of a false, devilish doctrine, but to fail to do so is nothing short of outrageous.

Jean Vanier is held up by so many gullible Protestants as a praiseworthy example, not just because of his charitable work, but because of his so-called ‘Christianity’.

However, Jean Vanier was not a practising Christian, he was a practising Roman Catholic, which is not a Christian religion, but rather a pagan corruption of true Christianity.

Rome denies that Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary was all-sufficient, but rather they teach that Christ must be continually sacrificed again and again in the blasphemous Mass.

This is despite the Scriptures clearly showing that Christ’s sacrifice was once for all.

Romans 5:8-9 says: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

Look at this passage, those who believe on Christ are described as “being now justified”.

It doesn’t say partially justified, it doesnt say might be justified at some point in the future if you fulfil certain sacraments, those who believe are “now justified” by the blood of Christ. There is no uncertainty in that.

Romans 6:8-10 says: “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.”

We are told here that Christ “died unto sin once”, that he “dieth no more” and “death hath no more dominion over him”.

This shows that Jesus died once and it will not be repeated, nor does He continue to suffer through His offering for sin.

Hebrews 10:12 reaffirms this when it says: “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God”.

We are told again in 1 Peter 3:22 that Christ is seated at God’s right hand. He is not being offered again and again for sin by any practitioner of Papal priestcraft such as those who Jean Vanier was, sadly, mistakenly placing his faith in.

1 Peter 3:22 says Christ “is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God”.

Rome simply refuses to teach that Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary is all-sufficient, yet the Presbyterian Church, in its official publication, is extolling a man who subscribed to this false doctrine.

Indeed, so highly thought of was he that a leading Roman Catholic news website called him a “living saint”.

An article written by that outlet’s editor is headlined: “With the death of Jean Vanier, Catholicism loses a living saint”.

Relaying a previous conversation he had with Vanier, the writer recounts: “When I asked Vanier if Pope John Paul II had become a more powerful symbol for the people he lived and worked with because the aging pontiff was himself, in a sense, “disabled,” Vanier lit up.

“His response was simple and unequivocal: ‘The pope has never been more beautiful than he is right now,’ he said.”

Is the Presbyterian Church happy to exalt a man who considered the Pope, who by his very titles blasphemes God, to be beautiful?

Is the Presbyterian Church happy to exalt a man who adored the Pope, the man who heads up a system which leads its poor deluded adherents to hell?

If anyone reading this is a member of or affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, are you happy that the Presbyterian Church, in its official publication, is exalting a man who believes the Pope is “beautiful”?

This is a man who, despite his good works, was a devotee of the Pope.

Indeed, his good works are the central part of the false Romanist gospel.

Sadly the Presbyterian Church has decided to use him as the basis for an edition for their magazine.

Sadder still, as we previously alluded to, they are far from the only so-called Protestants or leaders at supposedly Christ-exalting churches to do so.

Stuart Bothwell (pictured, above), a leader in Lagan Valley Vineyard, based in Lisburn, County Antrim, took to Twitter the day Jean Vanier died to say: “We lost a giant today. May we never lose his vision”.

Neil Young, lead pastor at Causeway Coast Vineyard, based in Coleraine on Northern Ireland’s north coast, just last week was quoting Jean Vanier on his Twitter page.

The leader of the leaven-filled Alpha Course, Anglican vicar Nicky Gumbel (pictured, below), a high priest of the charismatic movement in the UK, also called Jean Vanier “a living saint” and said it “was an utter privilege” to have met him.

This serves to demonstrate the widespread departure from God’s Word at large in much of today’s professing church.

For many, doctrinal differences, no matter how crucial, matter not one jot.

It doesn’t matter to so many if someone is teaching or relying on a false gospel, as long as they come under the banner of ‘Christian’ then they’re ok.

We are to be so much more discerning than that and we are to “try the spirits” (1 John 4:1).

Would that the Presbyterian Herald would have done so before putting forward a committed Romanist as someone to be admired.

Let us ever be vigilant and dedicated in our own lives to fight for the truth of the gospel and not to be careless in what we are seen to be espousing or supporting.

Let us not muddy the waters by praising those who, while undoubtedly responsible for some good works, ultimately stood upon a false gospel of works-based righteousness.

Let us be ever mindful of the simple requirement placed before the jail keeper in Philippi as to how he might reach heaven. It was simply by faith.

Acts 16:29-31 says: “Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”.

If you are as yet outside of Christ or relying on your good works, church attendance, charitable donations or good citizenship to get to heaven, won’t you even come to Christ, the only way to salvation.

John 14:6 says: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 10:9 says: “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

God is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9), if we but come to Him in humble repentance.

2 Peter 3:9 tells us that “The Lord is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Won’t you even come in repentance to Christ today and be saved and spend eternity in heaven with Him?

Ezekiel 18:31-32: “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.”

‘Sozo’ prayer brainwashing at charismaniac Open Skies Festival

2 Peter 2:1-2: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”

The summer months are a popular time for various ‘religious’ festivals to be held throughout the country.

While we are not able to focus on every single one of them, one which took place last weekend is of particular note.

That is the Open Skies Festival which was held in Shane’s Castle in Antrim town from Friday, 9 to Sunday, 11 August.

It is not just because of the heavy involvement of Bethel and Hillsong musicians.

It is not just because of the heavy involvement of the Belfast based Crown Jesus Ministries supremo known only by the matey moniker of ‘Mitch’ (pictured, top).

It is not just because of the heavy involvement of one of the Causeway Coast Vineyard lead pastors, Tre Sheppard (pictured, below) or indeed any of the other characters who were speaking at the festival.

While all those issues deserve highlighting individually and collectively, there is another, even more sinister and concerning aspect of this event.

That is a session which was held on the Saturday morning of the festival entitled, ‘Introduction to Sozo’.

No doubt, many will be asking, what is Sozo?

An article from the Christian Post, which plays, to use a cricketing analogy, with a straight bat throughout, giving both sides of the argument without taking any particular strong view, gives us some details, which we will reproduce at intervals throughout the article (you can read it in full by clicking here).

It says: “The Sozo ministry or Sozo prayer started in Redding, California, in 1997 by Bethel Church — a nondenominational charismatic megachurch. The idea was inspired after a healing evangelist, Randy Clark, held a prayer training at the church.”

Several alarm bells should be ringing already at this point.

Bethel Church, based in Redding, California, is a dreadful organisation replete with heresies, false teaching and extra biblical nonsense.

This is something we have already highlighted on ‘Protestant Revival’ and you can read about some of the heresies of Bethel, including attempted raisings from the dead and the disputed practice of ‘grave sucking’, by clicking here.

Another alarm bell should be attached to the name of Randy Clark, leader of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), which the likes of Open Skies and numerous churches we have featured are strongly influenced by.

He was a leader in what became known as the ‘Toronto Blessing’, the frightening movement which saw those falling under its spirit howling like dogs, laughing hysterically and rolling around the floor.

It is alleged by its practitioners that this is evidence of the Holy Spirit at work, but the spirit causing such dreadful manifestations is most certainly not holy.

Randy Clark, indeed, is said to have received his “anointing” in this ungodly delusion and deception by none other than the self-proclaimed Holy Ghost bartender Rodney Howard-Browne, a man whose heresy you can read of by clicking here.

The word ‘sozo’ is a Greek word, meaning ‘to save, keep safe and sound’. Using the language of the New Testament is another shallow effort by its creators to sound orthodox.

The Christian Post article continues: “The Bethel Sozo website describes Sozo ministry as ‘a unique inner healing and deliverance ministry aimed to get to the root of things hindering your personal connection with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit’.”

What hinders our relationship with God is sin, whether we are saved or unsaved. Confessing of our sin and living a blameless life for Him is what gives us a closer relationship with God.

We don’t need some charismatic delusion or gimmick to bring us closer to God, we need to study His Word and commune with Him in prayer ourselves.

The Christian Post article speaks to one keen practitioner of this heresy, a Paula Noble who is apparently an “Assemblies of God pastor” (1 Timothy 2:12).

Explaining how she handles sozo “appointments”, the article says “the person seeking inner healing meets with no less than two leaders, one who leads the Sozo prayer and another who records what God says throughout the meeting.”

This individual writes down what God apparently says to the “sozoee” and, even more remarkably, the pastor then tells them which bits of what the sozoee believe God is saying to them God is actually saying to them.

This Paula Noble says: “There’s a learning process for leaders too. [We need] discernment to say ‘that doesn’t sound like how Jesus would talk’ to someone because the enemy would totally try to sideline them.

“He’s never demeaning, He’s never harsh, and what He says always aligns with His word. So if the enemy tries to sideline a person and throw something else out there, I’m very quick to identify it.”

It’s very good of her to step in and let people know what God is saying to them.

She’s basically jumping in and saying: “No no, God isn’t telling you this bit. That’s actually the enemy (who is this enemy? If it’s the devil why can’t you say the devil?) The bit before, God was saying that nice bit, but this bit sounds a bit harsh, that’s not God.”

It is so obviously a nonsense and such a shameful, confused mess.

The point this woman is missing is that the entire practice does not “align with His Word”.

Nowhere in the Bible are we instructed to consult a church leader of any sort to get them to tell us what God is telling us as we pray to Him.

We are told in God’s Word how to pray and how God hears us.

1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”.

Romans 8:26-27: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

The Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ help us as we pray, our mediator is Jesus Christ, not some self-appointed pastor and expert on a nonsense invented 20 years ago by a church which teaches all manner of heresy.

Think even of the Lord’s Prayer. Did Jesus say we ought to get a pastor or minister and a church elder to come in to the room with us and tell us what God is saying? Of course He didn’t.

Furthermore, this also creates the problem that the pastor advising the person praying has total control over them, having full authority over what that person believes is God’s will for their life.

And that brings us to the most frightening, sinister aspect of this whole thing – “divine editing”.

The Christian Post article says that Bethel has came up with six tools to make the sozo process more effective, one of which is divine editing.

This is what the article says: “Divine editing has also been linked to Dr. Aiko Hormann in relation to the Sozo prayer.

“‘If your childhood lacked nurturing, invite your Heavenly Father to fill in the voids created by lack of nurturing. He will ‘edit’ your memories — both ‘edit out’ painful memories and ‘edit in’ His nurturing,’ Hormann’s website describes.”

Brainwashing, then.

How else can you describe changing people’s memories?

What a frightening prospect.

You don’t like a memory from the past? Just wipe it out.

You want to put a happy spin on an unhappy memory? Just change it.

As well as brainwashing, it also sounds like hypnotism.

Another character interviewed who practices and leads sozo sessions said of her experience (a key word among the charismatic delusion):

“As the facilitator continued to prompt me with questions, I began to see the cross and Jesus with His hand out for me to grab.

“Eventually, Jesus wanted to take me up a staircase to see God but I was afraid. The facilitator prompted me to forgive my earthly father; I did. Then I was able to go up and see God, my daddy on the throne and even sit on His lap.”

Since then, she claims, she is able to “visit Jesus” as well as “snuggle and even dance” with God.

What on earth is this nonsense leading people into?

Where does it say in the Bible that we can sit on God’s knee for a cuddle or go for a dance with Him? The very notion is outrageous and blasphemous.

This nonsense ties in with the false, ungodly notion of so many alleged “Christians” today who view God as a sort of Santa Claus in the clouds.

Yet this is what the Open Skies Festival is encouraging every one of its attendees to get themselves tied up in.

May God have mercy on every single one of them and deliver them from such ungodliness.

Every single speaker at this festival ought to be ashamed of themselves and every single one is implicated in this wretched mess.

Those speakers were, in addition to Causeway Coast Vineyard’s Tre Sheppard and good old Mitch of Crown Jesus Ministries, Jonathan Martin of ‘The Table’ church in Oklahoma, American worship musicians Leeland Mooring and Jason Upton, Azman Khairuddin of Journey Community Church, Hillsong worship leader Benjamin Hastings and Dario Leal of 1st Ballynahinch Presbyterian Church.

To be part of a festival which introduces a form of prayer which is utterly unknown to the Word of God and includes brainwashing practices such as “divine editing” is repugnant.

We would urge everyone reading this to please share this widely to warn of this latest grave deception which no doubt will now be carried round many Pentecostal and non-denominational churches throughout Ulster.

Sozo has not made it round this neck of the woods yet, but this is the start of the latest lie which does harm to the cause of God in our land.

We are seeking to warn against it and urge you to do the same.

Let us not be silent or neutral in such a grave matter, but rather let us fervently and “earnestly contend for the faith” in this day in which we are called to live.

Crazy golf and helter skelters – pathetic attempts by apostates to draw in crowds

As much of the professing church travels increasingly farther from the Word of God, the pews continue to empty.

Despite standards being lowered to the point where now there virtually are no standards left, there continues to be increasingly fewer people turning up on a Sunday to partake in many churches’ dead, ritualistic services.

So many Church of Ireland, Church of England, Presbyterian and Methodist churches are now “grouped”, with one minister responsible for two, three, sometimes four churches at once.

Whenever you see a minister in charge of several churches, you can usually guarantee it’s a result of apostasy somewhere along the way.

Of course, there are those churches which are still drawing in the punters, but that is because they have adopted the tactic of including worldliness in the church, turning meetings into soft rock concerts, full of pounding drums, electric guitars, dimmed / flashing lights, arm waving and jumping about.

But for the most part, churches which have overthrown the Word of God have slowly died over the decades, and this is no more prevalent than in the Church of England.

As the numbers there have consistently decreased, the church has consistently deteriorated and become increasingly repellent to Bible-believing Christians.

And in the past couple of weeks reports have emerged of two ludicrous efforts at English cathedrals to bring people in.

Indeed, it would be laughable were it not so serious and sad.

Rochester Cathedral has brought in a crazy golf course (pictured, below), while Norwich Cathedral has introduced a helter skelter fairground ride (pictured, top).

In the case of Norwich Cathedral, Rev Canon Andy Bryant said the motivation behind installing a 55 foot tall helter skelter in the main body of the church was to show off the roof bosses, or ornamental carvings in the cathedral ceiling, which stands 69 foot tall.

Quoted in an article for The Guardian newspaper, Canon Andy Bryant said: “We have one of the greatest collections of medieval roof bosses anywhere in northern Europe. The trouble is they are so high up that most people never get a chance to really appreciate them.

“And so was born the idea, could we get people up higher to these roof bosses and so appreciate that they are exquisite art as they are the most beautiful pieces of stone carving but also the story that’s captured within them which is the story of the Bible.”

So the main idea of this foolhardy initiative is to allow people to appreciate the building’s architecture.

Canon Andy Bryant wanted to show people the work of man rather than focus on the finished cross work of Christ.

Canon Andy Bryant wanted to celebrate the temporal, temporary beauty of what man has wrought, rather than implore people to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2).

The house of God is to be treated with reverence and to be respected as a place where we meet with our Creator, the Almighty God of heaven.

It is not to be turned into a fairground or a carnival to lure people in or create a few headlines.

Psalm 89:7 says: “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.”

Is there reverence or godly fear at work in Norwich Cathedral as photographs and videos show people sliding down the helter skelter in what is supposed to be a venue for the worship of God?

It would hardly seem so.

The same sad conclusion can be drawn from a similar act of tomfoolery at Rochester Cathedral.

Clerics there have introduced a crazy golf course in the cathedral’s nave.

The move is the result of a link-up between Rochester Cathedral and the Rochester Bridge Trust to help educate people about the various bridges in that town in Kent.

And, apparently this move to introducing worldly entertainment has resulted in a marked increase in visitors to the cathedral, funnily enough.

It has been reported that over the first 16 days of the initiative the cathedral had received 13,000 visitors, double the 6,500 who visited the cathedral in the same time period last year.

According to the BBC report, “the golf course was a joint idea with the Rochester Bridge Trust and is designed to encourage young people to learn more about the engineering behind bridges.”

So it was not about encouraging young people to learn more about God or His Word, it was not about encouraging young people to realise they are a hell-deserving sinner in need of salvation, it was about teaching young people about the engineering behind bridges.

What a sad state of affairs.

The cathedral says there has also been a 22% rise in the “number of candles being lit at prayer stations”. So it has led to more Popishness as well.

Let us be clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with helter skelters or crazy golf courses, but the church is a far from appropriate place for them.

The church exists to bring people closer to God, not to admire ceilings or swing golf clubs about.

We are told in God’s Word how we ought to reach those who are outside of Christ and the ordained means God has blessed in order to draw sinners to Himself.

It is by the faithful, simple preaching of the Word of God.

Romans 10:14: “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

1 Corinthians 1:18, 23: “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness”.

Would that the foolishness of helter skelters and crazy golf courses would be firmly swept to the side and that the preaching of Christ’s atoning death at Calvary was central in every section of the professing church.

We need ministers to preach of the corrupt nature of man brought about by the Fall in the Garden of Eden and how all are condemned except they repent of their sins and put their faith and trust in Christ for salvation.

Would that we could again live in revival times such as those in the time of the Acts of the Apostles.

Acts 6:7: “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.”

Presbyterian quitter Lord Alderdice admits he’s joined Christ denying, transgender festival celebrating church

1 John 4:2-3: “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”

Former Alliance Party leader and Presbyterian Church elder Lord John Alderdice (pictured, top) has revealed he has joined a Unitarian church which just a few months ago played host to a festival celebrating the utterly godless notion of transgenderism.

Lord Alderdice left the Presbyterian Church in response to the church barring openly practising sodomites full communicant membership and prohibiting the baptising of children in the care of same-sex couples.

Given the Presbyterian Church, by its own supposedly governing principles, the Westminster Confession of Faith, believes in the union of one man and one woman, it is hard to fathom how such a character as Lord Alderdice came to be an elder in the church, and indeed for some 30 years.

Speaking in the latest in the series of interviews in the Belfast Telegraph with veteran ecumenist Alf McCreary, Lord Alderdice revealed he had joined First Belfast Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church after leaving the Presbyterian Church.

He said: “For many years I had been unhappy about the direction of travel of the denomination and the decisions of the General Assembly in June 2018 were a ‘rubicon’ for me.

“I joined First Belfast Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church and attended there until we moved to England, though I still maintain my membership of First Belfast and attend from time to time when I am back in Belfast.”

This is the same church which hosted the ‘Trans Pride NI’ festival back in May, something which we highlighted and you can read about by clicking here.

Such an action really constitutes a shocking level of apostasy.

The Bible clearly outlines that the foundational principle of this world is that of male and female.

Genesis 1:27 says: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

Deuteronomy 22:5 says: “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.”

To go against that is to go against God and to say He made a mistake when He created us.

And we can say assuredly and with joy in our hearts that “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

The ‘Trans Pride NI’ festival which this church hosted featured several talks on “trans themes” while there was also a “Trans Information Exchange, featuring stands staffed by the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland), Unite the Union, Queerspace, Trans Pride NI, the civil service and the Department for Communities.”

There was also a “discussion on ‘Transphobia and Religion’” which featured speakers from the Humanist Association of Northern Ireland and a David Kerr, who is apparently a lay preacher at First Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church.

This is no surprise, however, as the Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church, by its very nature of being Unitarian, is in fact not a Christian church.

It is not a Christian church because it outright denies the deity of Jesus Christ, saying he is not the Son of God, despite the fact the Bible repeatedly says He is.

Matthew 17:4-5 says: “Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”

Mark 1:9-11: “And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

On two separate occasions, God spoke from heaven and called Jesus Christ His Son.

Indeed, the most famous verse in all of Scripture clearly proves Jesus was the Son of God.

John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

How anyone can form any type of ministry by ignoring this clear, crucial doctrine, is hard to fathom.

And the same can be said of how Lord Alderdice can possibly think it appropriate to join a church which denies Jesus is the Son of God.

To deny he is the Son of God is to deny the very essence of the gospel and this is what Lord Alderdice has done by formally joining First Belfast Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church.

We will remind Lord Alderdice of the Westminster Confession of Faith, which he vowed he believed and promised to uphold at his installation as an elder.

It says in Chapter 2, Paragraph 3: “In the unity of the Godhead there be three Persons of one substance, power and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.”

To join as a member of a church that denies this fundamental tenet of Christianity is a shameful act.

And doing so certainly causes it to appear that Lord Alderdice cares more for his own notions and ideas than the doctrines clearly laid down by God in His Word.

In the same interview with Alf McCreary, Lord Alderdice stated he was glad that his late father, who was a Presbyterian minister, “had not lived to see what had become of the church that he had loved and to which he had devoted his life”.

Certainly any minister should be grieved to see the condition in which the Presbyterian Church is today, but that ought to be because of its apostasy.

This can be seen in its acceptance of female ministers (prohibited clearly in 1 Timothy 2:12), its toleration of characters such as the crowd-surfer and “LGBT Christian” endorser Rev John Dickinson (pictured, above), Novena Mass preacher ‘Rev’ Cheryl Meban (pictured, below, preaching at the Romanist Mass) and many others and indeed the very fact there is even a dispute over whether full communicant membership should be available to openly practising sodomites.

However, the church voting to bar communicant membership to openly practising sodomites, a lifestyle choice clearly and unequivocally condemned in the Bible, is certainly not something over which to be grieved.

Whether Lord Alderdice’s late father truly would have been distressed to see membership being barred to openly practising sodomites is a moot point as he is not here to outline his position.

But certainly what is clear is that Lord Alderdice has utterly overthrown the Word of God, refusing to be bound by its precepts.

And, as such, we will repeat what we said last year when Lord Alderdice announced his resignation from the Presbyterian Church – he will be no loss to it and indeed the Presbyterian Church can only benefit from having characters such as him firmly out of any position of responsibility.

Let’s hope and pray that all those like him will similarly be dispensed of by the Presbyterian Church.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

Mariolatry and blasphemy – Protestant ministers preach at Clonard Monastery Novena Mass

Ephesians 5:11: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”

Four allegedly Protestant ministers have preached at Roman Catholic mass services during the Clonard Monastery Novena on Belfast’s Falls Road.

That’s right, these four individuals gave their endorsement of that “blasphemous fable and dangerous deceit”, as the Church of Ireland’s 39 Articles describes it.

The Westminster Confession of Faith which the Presbyterian Church allegedly holds to, says “the popish sacrifice of the mass (as they call it) is most abominably injurious to Christ’s one, only sacrifice, the alone propitiation for all the sins of His elect.”

The Bible says in Hebrews 9:28 that “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many”, not that He was to be sacrificed over and over again, which is the purpose of the wretched mass.

But here we have four supposedly Protestant ministers giving credence to that disgraceful act of Christ-rejection so exalted by Rome.

The four allegedly Protestant ministers betraying their glorious heritage are ‘Rev’ Tracey McRoberts (pictured, above), ‘minister’ of St Matthew’s Church of Ireland on the Shankill Road in Belfast, Presbyterian ‘minister’ ‘Rev’ Cheryl Meban, who acts as the church’s chaplain at Queen’s University, Rev Johnston McMaster (pictured, below), Methodist minister and professor in the Irish School of Ecumenics and Rev John Alderdice, another Methodist minister.

Rev John Alderdice is also Director of Ministry at Edgehill Theological College, the training school for aspiring Methodist ministers in Northern Ireland.

Rev John Alderdice is an individual who has came to the attention of ‘Protestant Revival’ in the past.

Firstly, he is an ecumenical canon in Down Church of Ireland Cathedral in Downpatrick, being installed on the same night as Rome loving Church of Ireland rector Canon Mark Harvey and Romanist Benedictine monk ‘Brother’ Eric Loisel.

Secondly, he is a member of the Board of Governors at Methodist College in Belfast, known colloquially as Methody. He is one of five Methodist ministers appointed by the Methodist Conference to serve in that capacity.

The school is planning to introduce a transgender uniform and we posed the question as to whether or not those five Methodist ministers would stand up against the catering for such wickedness in the school bearing their church’s name.

It didn’t take long for us to get an answer.

After a reader highlighted our post on Twitter, it was quickly mocked by Rev John Alderdice, ironically saying “fame at last”, with a host of other God-defiers such as ‘Papist’ Peter Lynas and Biblical creation denier Glen Mitchell also joining in to congratulate him on being featured on the page.

Rather bizarrely, at that time, an individual who appears to be called Jim Deeds, perhaps trying to impress the other mockers with his credentials, claimed to have made it on to ‘Protestant Revival’, pictured with arch-ecumenist and Presbyterian minister Rev Steve Stockman.

The fact we have never featured a photograph of Rev Steve Stockman appears to be irrelevant to him. It is a very strange thing to be a wannabe heretic.

However, we digress.

God-defiant attitude clearly demonstrated, Rev John Alderdice was proud to be a preacher at a novena service in Clonard Monastery. The novena was held last month but his involvement has only just came to our attention.

The entire service is still available to view on the Clonard Monastery website.

And anyone who chooses to do so will see Rev John Alderdice happily sitting throughout the entire mass service, watching on as the priest blasphemously lifts the wafer above his head and claims Jesus is truly present in the wafer and in the wine.

Rev John Alderdice is pictured second from left in the image at the top of the article as the wafer is lifted up by the priest.

Rev John Alderdice also happily sits watching on as numerous prayers to Mary and praising Mary are offered up.

Here is an example of such: “We thank you loving father for giving us Mary the mother of your son to be our mother of perpetual help. We are grateful for all the favours we have received through her intercession. We pray that those past favours may inspire us to greater confidence in your loving mercy and to seek the aid of our mother of perpetual help. Amen.”

What a dreadful, evil, Christ-denying, Bible-rejecting prayer to utter. And what a wretched thing it is for any minister who is supposed to stand for the true gospel of Jesus Christ to sit by and allow for such blasphemy to take place.

Mary is not our advocate or intercessor, we have just one advocate with the Father and that is Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”.

Does Rev John Alderdice (pictured, above) believe that to be the case? Does he believe there is merit in offering prayer to Mary? If he believes prayer to Mary is blasphemous, does he think it is much more polite to allow Romanists to act in such a disgraceful way than to speak out against it and take a stand for Christ?

All four ministers who took part in this dreadful event were present for the blasphemous offering of the mass and the accompanying veneration of Mary, a wholly unscriptural practice.

The claim is that they practice such ecumenical betrayal in the name of “peace”, but there can be no peace with Rome until Rome makes peace with God.

This peace is nothing but a pretence. Did the children of Israel gain God’s commendation for compromising with His enemies? Of course they didn’t. Did Jesus call a truce with the false teachers of His day, the Pharisees? Of course He didn’t.

Each minister ought to be ashamed of themselves.

Of course, they won’t.

Their attitude will be similar to that of the false prophets in Jeremiah’s day.

Jeremiah 6:14-15 says: “They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.”

‘Rev’ Cheryl Meban (pictured, below, preaching at the novena), ‘Rev’ Tracey McRoberts, Rev Johnston McMaster and Rev John Alderdice have all chosen to reject their Protestant heritage and give credence to the lies of Rome.

Dear reader, please don’t be taken in by the ecumenical duplicity which is rife in our churches in this day and generation.

Let us speak out against the lies of Rome and against the folly of those who cuddle up with Rome’s deceits.

And let us never be afraid to challenge those who bring dishonour to the cause of Christ.

2 Timothy 4:2-4: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”