5 February 2014

“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.” [Ezekiel 33:6]

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  [Ephesians 6:12]


Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] New Christian Observer Articles for February 2014

[2] 14^th Annual Reformed Congregational Fellowship Scheduled 25-27 March 2014 at Salvation Army’s Wonderland Conference Center in Sharon, Massachusetts

[3] Pakistani Blasphemy Death Penalty Leaves the Church of Scotland 'Deeply Concerned'

[4] Reformed Church in Hungary Starts Procedure to Defrock the Rev. Miklos Hegedűs over Statue of Miklos Horthy, Hungarian Regent between WWI and WWII

[5] Church of Scotland’s Lewis Presbytery Disassociates from Kirk due to Submission to Changes to School Religious Observance

[6] Scottish Parliament Votes 105-18 to Approve Homosexual Marriage

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[Editor’s Note: Due to a power failure caused by an ice storm, this edition of Presbyterians Week is being published a day late.]


[1] New Christian Observer Articles for February 2014

New Christian Observer articles for February 2014 include:

-- God’s Good Faith Promise Fulfilled: “Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?” Romans 3:3 Geneva Bible - Part 23 in a continuing series of articles by Christian Observer Contributing Editor David Brand – Part 23 in a continuing series examining the effects upon the church of the change in meaning of the Greek word pistis from faith to faithfulness by the English Revised Version Committee that began meeting in February 1870;

-- The Lord is in Control, So Don’t Worry (and above all, don’t DO anything) - by Al Benson Jr., author of the revisedhistory blog - Why the fallacious concept that if God is in control of all things, which He is, then there are some areas where believers just don’t need to get involved, has weakened evangelical Christianity in the U.S.;

-- Lesser Magistrates Have Authority to Defy Lawless Rulings from Afar - By Christian Observer Contributing Editor David Tulis – why the oaths to uphold federal and state constitutions by lesser magistrates such as sheriffs and county clerks give them the authority to reject unlawful orders from higher government powers;

-- The Fallacy of Racial Discrimination in School Discipline - By  Christian Observer Contributing Editor Dr. Joe Renfro – how categorization can be a delusive way for power obsessed people or groups within the educational establishment to impose their will on others;

Plus, regular features including weekly Sabbath School Lessons, and Daily Devotionals by T.M. Moore, dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe.


+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 24450, christianobserver@christianobserver.org


[2] 14^th Annual Reformed Congregational Fellowship Scheduled 25-27 March 2014 at Salvation Army’s Wonderland Conference Center in Sharon, Massachusetts

The 14^th Annual Reformed Congregational Fellowship meeting is scheduled for 25-27 March 2014 at the Salvation Army’s Wonderland Conference Center in Sharon, Massachusetts.

The conference theme is “Are We Preaching the Gospel?”, and includes the following presentations:

-- Tuesday 7 p.m. - What is the Gospel Promise? - Douglas Vickers, Hadley, Massachusetts

-- Wednesday 8:45 a.m. - God’s Progressive Revelation of His Redemptive Purposes - Rick Daniels, North Carolina

-- Wednesday 10:15 a.m. - The Regenerative Power of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of the Old Testament: It’s Content, Efficacy and Parity to the New Testament - Gary George, Southbridge, Massachusetts

-- Wednesday 1:15 p.m. - The Gospel as to the Substance of It: Preaching Christ, the Power and the Wisdom of God - Bob Hall, Bronx, New York

-- Wednesday 2:30 p.m. - Expanded Discussion followed by a Business Meeting

-- Wednesday 7 p.m. - The Significance of the Gospel vs. Discovering God in His Works - Tim Broberg, Cheltonham, Pennsylvania

-- Thursday 9:00 a.m. - How God Uses Subjective Human Experiences in Bringing the Elect to Salvation - Jeff Evans, Perkasie, Pennsylvania

For further conference information including speaker biographies, costs, and directions, please see the conference brochure here:

http://christianobserver.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/RCF-Brochure-2014.pdf


+ Reformed Congregational Fellowship


[3] Pakistani Blasphemy Death Penalty Leaves the Church of Scotland 'Deeply Concerned'

A 30 January 2014 Christian Today article by Michael Trimmer titled “Pakistani Blasphemy Death Penalty Leaves the Church of Scotland 'Deeply Concerned'” reports that in the wake of a ruling from Pakistan's Federal Shariat Court that the death penalty is the only acceptable punishment for blasphemy, the Church of Scotland is “deeply concerned”.

In response, Kirk moderator the Rt. Rev. Lorna Hood wrote several open letters to several Scottish government officials and the High Commissioner of Pakistan Wajid Shamsul Hassan pointing out that Pakistani politicians have admitted that "blasphemy laws... are being used to settle personal scores", and that "[t]he misuse of the blasphemy law is disproportionately used against non-Muslim minority faith communities."

The moderator said that the proposed blasphemy law "goes against the traditions and teachings of Islam, and is at odds with the culture of the majority of Pakistanis." She said that if the law is implemented, that “achieving justice could be more difficult" and that "victims from minority faith communities will become even more vulnerable than at present".


+ Christian Today, 200 Great Dover Street, London SE1 4YB, England, 020-7378-5705

+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN, Scotland, 0131-225-5722


[4] Reformed Church in Hungary Starts Procedure to Defrock the Rev. Miklos Hegedűs over Statue of Miklos Horthy, Hungarian Regent between WWI and WWII

A 30 January 2014 Politics.hu article by MTI titled “Reformed Church Starts Procedure to Defrock Hegedűs over Horthy Statue” reports that the legal counsel to the Reformed Church in Hungary (RCH) on 30 January 2014 asked that the Rev. Lorant Hegedus be defrocked for unveiling a memorial to Miklos Horthy, the Hungarian regent between WW1 and WW2, accusing the minister of holding a political event in violation of a decision by the RCH’s synod.

Charges against Hegedus were put forward by Gusztav Bolcskei, the head of the Reformed Church in Hungary in November 2013, after a bust of Horthy was unveiled by Hegedus and his wife, radical nationalist Jobbik lawmaker Eniko Hegedus, at the entrance to Hegedus’ church at Szabadsag Square on 3 November 2014.

The commemoration of Horthy, who led the country from 1920 to 1944, was attended by about 400 people, some of whom were wearing WWII military or gendarme uniforms or the uniform of the banned Hungarian Guard.

The World Jewish Congress noted that Horthy had been a close ally of Adolf Hitler, and during his rule over 500,000 Hungarian Jews were deported to Nazi death camps.


+ Politics.hu, 36-30-370-3561, editors@politics.hu

+ Reformed Church in Hungary, MRE Zsinata1146 Budapest, Abonyi u. 21., Hungary, 30-3361-666, info@reformatus.hu


[5] Church of Scotland’s Lewis Presbytery Disassociates from Kirk due to Submission to Changes to School Religious Observance

A 31 January 2014 Stornoway Gazette article titled “Lewis Presbytery Disassociate from Church Submission on Religious Observance in Schools” reports that the Church of Scotland’s Lewis Presbytery met 30 January 2014 to discuss the joint submission by the Church of Scotland’s Church and Society Council with the Humanist Society Scotland to the meeting of the Public Petitions Committee, Scottish Parliament, recommending that all school religious observances be combined into one. Under the proposal, Protestant, Roman Catholic, and all other students would attend a single religious observance together.

In a statement the presbytery stated:

“The importance of Christian principles is acknowledged by the Presbytery which recognises that it adds value to the life and educational experience of pupils: a blessing, which under God’s hand, was experienced by previous generations, and provided them with a distinctive religious and cultural bed-rock upon which to build their lives.

“The Presbytery of Lewis also wishes to dissociate itself completely from the action taken by the Church and Society Council in making this joint submission to the Public Petitions Committee calling for ‘Religious Observance’ in schools to be replaced with a ‘Time for Reflection’, and for school chaplains to have to agree first with the equality and diversity policy of a school, or local educational authority, before being allowed access to a particular school.

“Presbytery also affirms that since the issue has not been discussed by and agreed upon by a General Assembly, the substance of this submission does not constitute the mind of the Church of Scotland as a whole.

“The Church and Society Council wish to see “a greater sense of equality for all beliefs”, and have the view that “no one particular belief system is valued over any other in Scottish Education”. While wishing to cooperate with all who aim to promote society’s well being, Presbytery believes the characteristic, unique Christian truths of God’s word and grace must be adhered to especially, in the public place; and that where these are, society’s ultimate well-being is assured.”


+ Stornoway Gazette, 10 Francis Street, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis HS12XE, Scotland, 01851-702-687, newsdesk@stornowaygazette.co.uk

+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN, Scotland, 0131-225-5722


[6] Scottish Parliament Votes 105-18 to Approve Homosexual Marriage

A 5 February 2014 ABC News article titled “Same-Sex Marriage: Scotland Becomes 17th Country to Approve Laws” reports that the Scottish Parliament on 5 February 2014 voted 105-18 to legalize the so-called “marriage” of homosexual couples. The law goes into effect 29 March 2014, and does not compel religious institutions to hold ceremonies on their premises.


+ ABC News, 7 West 66th Street, New York, New York 10023, Contact Page

29 January 2014

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Richmond, Virginia School Board Chairman Is Pastor of PCUSA Mission Church East End Fellowship and Champions Churches to Adopt Local Struggling Schools

[2] Covenant College Hosts Interesting Chapel Speakers in Spring 2014

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[1] Richmond, Virginia School Board Chairman Is Pastor of PCUSA Mission Church East End Fellowship and Champions Churches to Adopt Local Struggling Schools

A 21 January 2014 Christianity Today article by Nathan Clarke and Laura Joyce Davis titled “A Local Pastor Turned Public School Champion” reports on Richmond, Virginia School Board Chairman Don Coleman, who was first elected to the school board in 2008, and on 7 January 2014 was unanimously elected chairman by his school board colleagues. Chairman Coleman is additionally pastor of the East End Fellowship, a mission church of Richmond’s Third Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)).

Coleman “talks passionately about working with the school board, the city council, and Mayor Dwight C. Jones to give Richmond public school kids a brighter future”, and he understands the inherent limitations and problems with inner-city schools, especially students from broken homes that are unable to adequately support their children.

Coleman believes that other families and community members can help address the brokenness by coming along side these students to help them successfully complete their schooling and go on to lead productive lives. The article tells of several of these students that have been taken under the wing of a family from the church, and have overcome some of their obstacles to learning, with some even attending the East End Church on a regular basis.

Following the success he has seen from the partnerships between his church and the local school, Coleman is encouraging other Richmond schools, churches, and community groups to come together to improve the lives of students in the other forty-seven Richmond City Schools. He is encouraging the churches of Richmond to reach out and serve their surrounding schools “asking nothing in return, until the school invites them to be a part of what they're doing.”

[Editor’s Note: Pastor Tony Evans of The Urban Alternative champions the National School Adopt-A-School Initiative, which began twenty-five years ago when a Dallas, Texas high school principle invited Evan’s church to help quell the unrest and gang activity disrupting his school. The success of this initiative led eventually to more than sixty five schools in Dallas and Ft. Worth being provided pro-active intervention by the churches in their communities. In 2006, Evan’s church began training and equipping other churches to replicate this proven model of social outreach in their areas. For more information, please see http://tonyevans.org/miracle-of-the-million/ncaasi/.]


+ Christianity Today International, 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188, 630-260-6200, Fax: 630-260-0114, mwhite@christianitytoday.com

+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005

+ The Urban Alternative, Post Office Box 4000, Dallas, Texas 75208, 214-943-3868, Contact Page


[2] Covenant College Hosts Interesting Chapel Speakers in Spring 2014

Covenant College’s (Presbyterian Church in America) Spring 2014 Chapel Schedule includes the following speakers:

-- 20 January - Stephanie Summers

Message Title: The Justice of the King (Psalm 72)

Ms. Summers is the CEO of the Center for Public Justice, an independent, non-partisan civic education and public policy organization based in Washington DC, and is the publisher of the online journals Capital Commentary and Shared Justice.


-- 27 and 28 January - Dr. Belden Lane

Message Title: Ravished by Beauty: The World as a Theatre of God’s Glory

Dr. Lane is a Professor of Theological Studies at Saint Louis University, a Roman Catholic institution, and teaches in the areas of American religion, the history of spirituality, and the connections between geography and faith. Lane is fascinated with ritual and the process of spiritual transformation, and increasingly he finds himself working with men, helping lead initiation rites through Richard Rohr's program Illuman in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is dedicated to transforming men and through them, communities and families for generations to come. Additionally, Lane works with Mankind Project, International, which builds and supports emotionally mature, accountable, and compassionate male role models that are needed in communities.


-- 13 and 14 February - William B. Hurlbut, M.D.

Message Title: To Be Announced

Dr. Hurlbut is a physician and Consulting Physician at the Neuroscience Institute at Stanford University. His primary areas of interests are the ethical areas associated with advanced biomedical technology, the biological basis of moral awareness, and studies in the integration of theology and philosophy of biology. Hurbut is the author of several publications on science and ethics, and is the co-chair of two interdisciplinary faculty projects at Stanford University “Becoming Human: The Evolutionary Origins of Spiritual, Religious, and Moral Awareness,” and “Brain, Mind, and Emergence.”


+ Covenant College, 14049 Scenic Highway, Lookout Mountain, Georgia 30750, 706-820-1560, info@covenant.edu

+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org

22 January 2014

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] The Very Definition of Tyranny: A Pen, a Phone, and the Accumulation of Powers

[2] South Carolina Pastor Mulls U.S. Senate Bid

[3] Free Presbyterian Church (Ulster) Opposes “Shared Education”

[4] Church of Scotland Youth Publishes Ethical Living Guide

[5] Banner of Truth 2014 US Ministers’ Conference Registration is Open

[6] Interdisciplinary Conference “Matthew Henry: The Bible, Prayer, and Piety” Scheduled 14-16 July 2014 at the University of Chester in Chester, England

[7] "Reframing Presbyterian Worship: A Critical Survey of the Worship Views of John M. Frame and R. J. Gore," by Frank J. Smith, Ph.D, D.D. and David C. Lachman, Ph.D. Available in PDF on The Confessional Presbyterian Website

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[1] The Very Definition of Tyranny: A Pen, a Phone, and the Accumulation of Powers

By Dr. Michael Milton

“The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.” – James Madison, New York, February 1, 1788. The Federalist (373).

“But one of the things that I’ll be emphasizing in this meeting is the fact that we are not just going to be waiting for legislation in order to make sure that we’re providing Americans the kind of help that they need. I’ve got a pen and I’ve got a phone.” Barack Obama, Washington D.C., January 14, 2014.

The President of the United States has challenged the Congress of the United States on repeated occasions by invoking executive power to enact social initiatives that would otherwise require the legislation of a representative government. At the very least, he is testing the Constitutional limits of his office.  But at the worst, he has overstepped the boundaries of discretion and given the appearance of a repugnant, presumptuous license by assuming powers not granted. The latest episode leaves him vulnerable to the charge of a Federalist-style tyranny. One can understand the critique given Madison’s clear statement on the matter and then taking Obama’s words, context and repeated offense.

As a pastor, I would advise the President that continually pressing the “executive order” card is neither helpful nor endearing. The country and the Congress do not need the appearance of raw power grabs. Strength is more easily born by one who is comfortable in exercising authority.

The President has not had experience in command authority and I am afraid that it is showing. His words and actions reveal the actions of a man who governs by insecurity rather than vision. There was a king who ruled like this. His name was Saul. We know that his rule was finally cut off by the Lord because of his assumption of authority unto himself. In fact, the Bible has a lot to say, as our Founding Fathers well knew, about representative government and about the division of labor and rebellion against authority. One of the more famous lines is from 1 Samuel where God equates rebellion against authority with divination, an evil practice that led to the breakdown of societies all around Israel. Look at what God says about assuming powers unto oneself:

“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (1 Samuel 15:23 AV).

Indeed, the New Testament, also, underscores the importance of the lines of authority. St. Paul wrote to Titus, a “church planter” at Crete and told him that he was to “put in order the things that remain, appoint elders in every city” (Titus 1:5). Other places in Scripture are filled with admonitions concerning the importance of government and the sad state that comes to leader and people when government breaks down.

It is not just that the President is going to have bad poll numbers because of assuming powers to himself. It is not just that Washington will have “gridlock” if the President persists in violating the lines of authority (whether Constitutional or not attorneys can reckon, but an American like myself can clearly recognize, at minimum, a messy blurring of the line at our highest levels of government). It is that if the President of the United States continues to buck the authority of the Constitution, he would lose the blessing of God. That would mean our nation could suffer further trials and tribulations.

It is good that we all remember the teaching of the Bible on governmental power contained in the single greatest book on the subject by the Puritan Samuel Rutherford:Lex, Rex, or The Law and the Prince; a Dispute for the Just Prerogative of King and People (1644). Rutherford answered the question, “What does a human government look like that is based upon Biblical precepts?” In 44 questions and answers he tells us. His summary for those who rule?

“Power is a birthright of the people borrowed [by a ruler] from them.”—Samuel Rutherford.

This is our heritage as Americans. Let no man move the sacred stone of that heritage of the Free.

Mr. President, since I doubt I will have the opportunity to counsel you privately or to speak to those clergy who do, I plead with you and your counselors, publicly, to guard your hearts and your words. Model a spirit of humility before authority. You will not only demonstrate leadership, you will secure divine blessing for yourselves and Providential protection for those who have loaned you the power to govern.

Works Cited

Hamilton, Alexander, James Madison, John Jay, and John C. Hamilton. The Federalist: A Commentary on the Constitution of the United States: A Collection of Essays.Washington, DC: Regnery Pub., 1998. Print.

Rutherford, Samuel. Lex, Rex The Law and the Prince. A Dispute for the Just Prerogative of King and People. Published by Authority. London: Printed for ohn Field, and Are to Be Sold at His House upon Addle-hill, Neer Baynards-Castle, 1644. Print.

Michael Milton, Ph.D. (University of Wales) is the Teaching Pastor of "Truth that Transforms with Dr. Michael Milton," a television broadcast ministry of "Truth in Action Ministries" ("Truth That Transforms with Dr. Michael Milton;" www.TruthInAction.org; Sundays: NRB, channel 378, DirectTV;  - 10 PM EST). "Truth that Transforms" was founded by Dr. D. James Kennedy in 1974. Dr. Milton, a former pastoral intern under Dr. Kennedy and graduate of Knox Theological Seminary, also founded by Dr. Kennedy, is the President and Senior Fellow of the think-tank, "The D. James Kennedy Institute for Christianity & Culture." The author of 18 books, including "Silent No More: A Biblical Call for the Church to Speak to State and Culture," endorsed by Michael Reagan, David Limbaugh, and Rev. Franklin Graham, is also a singer-songwriter with four albums released, a Presbyterian (PCA) pastor, church-planter and founder of a Christian academy in Kansas City. Dr. Milton, an educator, former seminary president and professor, is also a former Top Secret U.S. Navy linguist, and is presently serving as a U.S. Army Reserve chaplain (Lt. Col.). A frequent speaker, writer on issues of faith and culture, Milton is the author of the syndicated "Dr. Michael Milton Commentaries." He resides in North Carolina with his wife and son.  www.michaelmilton.org


+ Faith for Living, 3122 Fincher Farm Road, Ste 100, Box 552, Matthews, North Carolina 28105


[2] South Carolina Pastor Mulls U.S. Senate Bid

An 8 January 2014 FitsNews.com article titled S.C. Pastor Mulls U.S. Senate Bid reports that the Rev. DeTreville F. Bowers, Jr., preaching pastor of Christ Church of the Carolinas in Columbia, South Carolina, is considering a challenge to U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham in the 2014 Republican primary. The article reports that the Graham campaign considers Bowers to be a “credible threat.”

Bowers practiced law for twenty years and earned a Master of Divinity degree from Columbia International University in the mid-1990s. He served as an associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church (Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church) in Columbia, South Carolina before becoming the preaching pastor at Christ Church.

[Editor’s Note: The editor wrote a 14 August 2007 article in his Paleohuguenot blog titled Today's Church = Gutless Cowards? which described a series of messages on Christian Courage by Pastor Bowers presented at a 2005 conference.

[Bowers] characterized the overwhelming majority of preachers and congregants at today's evangelical churches as "gutless cowards" for their lukewarm-at-best exercise of their faith and for the diluted-at-best Scripture being taught and preached at their churches. He then went on to put Scripture where his mouth was and show how accurate was his indictment and what God's solution is to the problem.

The FitsNews.com article said “…Bowers’ political ideology is unknown…”, but the editor can vouch that Bowers’ theology is rock-solid Reformed Christianity, and his preaching is most powerful and fully biblical.]


+ FITSNews, Post Office Box 5230, Columbia, South Carolina 29250, 866-347-5385, Contact Page

+ Columbia International University, 7435 Monticello Road, Columbia, South Carolina 29203, 803-754-4100, Fax: 803-786-4209, Contact Page

+ Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, 1 Cleveland Street Suite 110, Greenville, South Carolina, 29601, 864-232-8297, Fax: 864-271-3729


[3] Free Presbyterian Church (Ulster) Opposes “Shared Education”

An 11 January 2014 News Letter article by Philip Bradfield titled “Free Presbyterian Church Slams Shared Education” reports that in an 11 January 2014 News Letter advertisement, the Free Presbyterian Church (Ulster) said that the shared education program proposed by Education Minister John O’Dowd to create ten schools where Roman Catholic and secular education will be combined into the same educational institution is a front for “ecumenism” and “the secular lobby”. Citing a wide range of educational programs, the advertisement said:

“[Shared Education is] a concerted attempt to change the thinking of Northern Ireland children, particularly Protestant children, within the state system of education”.

“We believe that the present pursuit of shared education has more behind it than the saving of scarce resources. There is another agenda at work. Shared education in many cases is a front for ecumenism and also for the secular lobby to influence, change and direct the thinking of children to suit their agenda.”


+ News Letter, Ground floor, Metro Building, 6-9 Donegall Square South, Belfast, BT1 5JA, Northern Ireland, 028 3839 5577, newsdesk@newsletter.co.uk

+ Free Presbyterian Church (Ulster), info@freepres.org


[4] Church of Scotland Youth Publishes Ethical Living Guide

A 21 January 2014 Christian Today article by Carey Lodge titled “A Guide to Ethical Living from Church of Scotland Youth” reports that a group of delegates from the Church of Scotland Youth’s 2012 National Youth Assembly has written a guide for ethical living for youth in today’s “throwaway” culture. Advice included in the guide includes:

-- Climate change: "Support movements that rally for environmental friendly ideas."

-- Sustainable energy: "Turn your lights off when you're not using them, and try turning down the thermostat."

-- Transport: "Taking a train or bus is much better for the environment than driving or flying."

-- Consumerism: "Look out for shops that are open about their long-term environmental policies."

-- Food miles: "One of the biggest things we can do to reduce our carbon footprint is to not waste food."

-- Boycotting: "Boycotts are a peaceful way of standing up and showing that you will not be associated with a group and its practices."


+ Christian Today, 200 Great Dover Street, London SE1 4YB, England, 020-7378-5705

+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN, Scotland, 0131-225-5722


[5] Banner of Truth 2014 US Ministers’ Conference Registration is Open

The Banner of Truth 2014 U.S. Ministers Conference is scheduled for 27-29 May 2014 at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. The conference theme is “Between Two Worlds: The Challenge of Ministry in Every Age”.

Registration is available at:

http://banneroftruth.org/us/events/2014-usa-ministers-conference/


+ The Banner of Truth Trust, P.O. Box 621, Carlisle, Pennsylvania 17013, 717-249-5747, info@banneroftruth.org


[6] Interdisciplinary Conference “Matthew Henry: The Bible, Prayer, and Piety” Scheduled 14-16 July 2014 at the University of Chester in Chester, England

In honor of the 300^th anniversary of the death of Matthew Henry and his twenty-five year ministry in Chester, England, and interdisciplinary conference, “Matthew Henry: The Bible, Prayer, and Piety” is scheduled 14-16 July 2014 at the University of Chester in Chester, England.

Keynote lectures will be presented from Professor Clyde Binfield, Dr. Ligon Duncan, Dr. David Wykes, and Professor Jeremy Gregory. The conference will not only offer a fresh opportunity to appreciate Henry’s ministry within the local context of Chester, it will also evaluate Henry in a wider historical context, and consider his contribution to the interpretation of the Bible in the early 18th century and its legacy up to the present day.

A Call for Papers and registration information is available here:

http://www.chester.ac.uk/node/21521

+ University of Chester, Parkgate Road, Chester CH1 4BJ, England, 01244-511000, Fax: 01244-511300, enquiries@chester.ac.uk


[7] "Reframing Presbyterian Worship: A Critical Survey of the Worship Views of John M. Frame and R. J. Gore," by Frank J. Smith, Ph.D, D.D. and David C. Lachman, Ph.D. Available in PDF on The Confessional Presbyterian Website

A PDF of the full text of the 30,000 word article "Reframing Presbyterian Worship: A Critical Survey of the Worship Views of John M. Frame and R. J. Gore" by Frank J. Smith, Ph.D, D.D. and David C. Lachman, Ph.D. is now available on The Confessional Presbyterian website.

The article was first published in the 2005 inaugural issue of The Confessional Presbyterian journal.


+ The Confessional Presbyterian, Post Office Box 141084, Dallas, Texas 75214

15 January 2014

The editor continues to be ill with a persistent upper respiratory infection. He appreciates the notes of encouragement and prayers, and continues to remind himself that the "all things" of Romans 8:28 means ALL things.

D.V., Presbyterians Week will return with the 22 January 2014 edition. 

8 January 2014

The editor is ill. D.V., Presbyterians Week will return on 15 January 2014.

1 January 2014

“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.” [Ezekiel 33:6]

.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  [Ephesians 6: 12]
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Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Death of the Rev. Dr. Robert L. LaMay, Christian Observer Assistant Editor and Sabbath School Lessons Author

[2] New Christian Observer Articles for January 2014

[3] Free Church of Scotland Minister Condemns Scottish National Party Plans to Eliminate UK£200 Marriage Tax Break

[4] Presbyterian Church in Ireland Moderator Expresses Concern for Worsening Situation in the South Sudan

[5] Broad Street Ministry to Ordain Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s First Presbyterian (PCUSA) Homosexual Pastor 5 January 2014

[6] Café Press Channels Caligula

[7] Rose Parade's Homosexual 'Wedding' Float Corrupts Children -- Seven Lessons for Christians

[8] News from the Deepest Recesses of Hell

[9] Articles from LifesiteNews.com

[10] The Thinning Blue Line


[11] Raging Heathen and Vain Imagining

[12] The Religion of Peace

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[1] Death of the Rev. Dr. Robert L. LaMay, Christian Observer Assistant Editor and Sabbath School Lessons Author

Christian Observer Assistant Editor and Sabbath School Lessons author the Rev. Dr. Robert L. LaMay, 83, joined the ranks of the good and faithful servants in Heaven on Sunday, 29 December 2013, after a brief illness.

Dr. LaMay was born 16 October 1930 in Detroit, Michigan, and was raised in Brooklyn, New York. He received the Master of Divinity from Biblical Seminary in New York City, and a Doctor of Literature from Covenanter College in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. LaMay served as a Christian Minister for more than fifty years, and was the senior minister in the Reformed Presbyterian Church – Hanover Presbytery.

Dr. LaMay is survived by his wife of forty-seven years Kay, a daughter Dorcas Jarrard and her husband Rob of Washington, Iowa; a son Philip LaMay and his wife Michelle of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; a brother Louis LaMay and his wife Joan of Horseheads, New York; and six grandchildren.

Funeral Services are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Thursday, 2 January 2014 at the Beatty Funeral Home in Washington, Iowa. Burial will follow at the Plains Cemetery located north of Washington, Iowa, with military honors. Dr. LaMay’s family will receive friends from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Wednesday 1 January 2014 at the funeral home.

Dr. LaMay was a dear friend of the editor, who both grieves the loss of his dear brother in Christ and rejoices that he is now in the presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. While a seminarian in New York City, Dr. LaMay befriended Reformed theologian Loraine Boettner, who significantly influenced Dr. LaMay’s subsequent ministry. Dr. LaMay was the author of eight books published by Full Bible Publications on Lulu.com, and had recently completed an unpublished book with the working title The Christian Life, a study of the Epistle of James.


+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 24450, christianobserver@christianobserver.org


[2] New Christian Observer Articles for January 2014

New Christian Observer articles for January 2014 include:

-- Reformed Theology in America - by Frank J. Smith, Ph.D., D.D., President of the Young American Leaders Association Missionary Training School in Los Angeles, California – Transcript of the two inaugural addresses delivered by Dr. Smith to the Young American Leaders Association Missionary Training School on 5 March 2013 and 3 December 2013 respectively;

-- In Transsexual Economy, U.S. Seeks Prosperity in Debt, Hope in Coercion - by Christian Observer Contributing Editor David Tulis – the similarities between the identity confusion of the U.S. national economy and transsexual individuals;

-- Big Brother Does Not Like Homeschooling - by Christian Observer Contributing Editor Dr. Joe Renfro - the threat of home-school education to the public school establishment and its role within the secularist empire a.k.a. Big Brother;

Plus, January 2014 Sabbath School lessons written by the late Rev. Dr. Robert LaMay, Assistant Editor for the Christian Observer [editor’s note: please pray for the Christian Observer as we seek a replacement author for the Sabbath School Lessons), and Daily Devotionals by T.M. Moore, dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe.


+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 24450, christianobserver@christianobserver.org


[3] Free Church of Scotland Minister Condemns Scottish National Party Plans to Eliminate UK£200 Marriage Tax Break

A 30 December 2013 Christian Today article by Carey Lodge titled “Scottish Church Leader Condemns Plans to Scrap Marriage Tax Breaks” reports that Free Church of Scotland minister the Rev. David Robertson is condemning the Scottish National Party (SNP) for its plans to eliminate the UK£200 marriage tax break that the U.K. plans to give low income married couples beginning in 2015.

Robertson accuses the SNP of:

"have[ing] resorted to a cheap populism…hidden behind the guise of 'discrimination'….We appreciate and agree with the fact that better childcare provision is needed - but the Scottish Government are missing the point - which is that the best childcare provision is made within the family….We believe the government should 'discriminate' in favour of those who work hard, who want to be educated, those who want social justice, and especially those who want to retain the traditional family."

Robertson described the disintegration of the family as "the great social and economic tragedy of our generation…Instead of playing along with that we would hope any Scottish Government would seek to reverse it."


+ Christian Today, 200 Great Dover Street, London SE1 4YB, England, 020-7378-5705

+ Free Church of Scotland, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, Scotland EH1 2LS, 0131-226-5286, Fax: 0131-220-0597, catherine@freechurchofscotland.org.uk


[4] Presbyterian Church in Ireland Moderator Expresses Concern for Worsening Situation in the South Sudan

A 28 December 2013 News Letter article by Billy Kennedy titled “Presbyterian Concern on Sudanese Conflict” reports that Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) Moderator the Rev. Dr. Rob Craig has requested urgent prayer be made at Presbyterian services during the Christmas/New Year period for the worsening situation in South Sudan.

A letter by Dr. Craig to PCI ministers said:

“With Christmas almost here, news is reaching us from the fledgling nation of South Sudan that the threat of civil war, primarily between the Dinka and Nuer tribes, is very real with 500 people having already lost their lives, and many more unaccounted for, in the violence that has erupted there in the past few days.

“On behalf of the people of South Sudan, I am therefore imploring you to join with me in urgent prayer for this fledgling state and its people. On Christmas Day, and again on Sunday December 29, I ask you please to lead your congregations in prayer for South Sudan, and to encourage your members to continuing praying daily for the precarious situation there.”


+ News Letter, Ground floor, Metro Building, 6-9 Donegall Square South, Belfast, BT1 5JA, Northern Ireland, 028 3839 5577, newsdesk@newsletter.co.uk

+ Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Church House, Belfast BT1 6DW, Northern Ireland, 028-9032-2284, Fax: 028-9041-7301, Info@PresbyterianIreland.org


[5] Broad Street Ministry to Ordain Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s First Presbyterian (PCUSA) Homosexual Pastor 5 January 2014

A 31 December 2013 Philadelphia Inquirer article by Alex Wigglesworth titled “Philly's First Gay Presbyterian Pastor Ordained at Broad Street Ministry” reports that on 5 January 2014 at Broad Street Ministry in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mr. David Norse, the city’s first openly homosexual Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) minister, will be ordained as pastor.

Mr. Norse is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary.


+ Philadelphia Inquirer, 400 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19130, 215-575-6484

+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005

+ Princeton Theological Seminary, 64 Mercer Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08542-0803, 609-921-8300


[6] Café Press Channels Caligula

Café Press is selling three dozen or so items with a picture of a lion and the caption “So Many Right-Wing Christians, So Little Time…”

+ Café Press, 6901 A Riverport Drive, Louisville, Kentucky 40258, 502-995-2220, Fax: 650-655-3008, info@cafepress.com


[7] Rose Parade's Homosexual 'Wedding' Float Corrupts Children -- Seven Lessons for Christians

Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH) President Peter LaBarbera offers the following seven lessons from the first-ever homosexual "wedding" occurring on a float in the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena on New Year's Day -- another tragic marker of America's moral decline

-- THE HOMOSEXUAL "MARRIAGE" MOVEMENT IS EVIL: Moral-minded Americans need to face the truth of what the homosexual "marriage" movement is: a social evil – anti-Christian to the core – that celebrates what the Bible calls an egregious sexual sin as a moral good. Homosexual activists' are desperate to "normalize" their aberrant lifestyle; their movement has become the Left's vanguard in undermining and redefining civilized Judeo-Christian principles. The LGBT Lobby has become what historian Paul Johnson calls a "Monster in our Midst," trampling over and appropriating society's wholesome traditions and institutions – even Christianity itself -- to achieve its godless goals.

-- PLATFORM TO CORRUPT CHILDREN: The homosexual "marriage" movement corrupts impressionable children by teaching them that wrong is right (Isaiah 5:20) and that erotic "love" between two people of the same sex is "equal" to natural marital love as ordained by God. Jesus Christ had strong words for anyone who promotes sin and corrupts the souls of innocent children.

-- EVEN "CONSERVATIVE" ASPECTS OF LGBT AGENDA ARE RADICAL: The Rose Parade's live homosexual "wedding" again illustrates that even the supposedly "conservative" side of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) agenda is revolutionary and destructive – primarily because legalized, "domesticated" homosexualism provides a very public platform from which to redefine God's wonderful institutions of marriage and family. "Gay" activists and their liberal allies co-opt noble institutions like the Rose Parade and use them to indoctrinate children in the Big Lies that homosexuality is just another kind of love and a mere "civil rights" issue. Similarly, schools across America are being used to promote immoral same-sex conduct as an "equality" issue.

-- SYMBOLIC OF AMERICA'S DECLINE: The "gay wedding" float is symbolic of America's ongoing moral disintegration: in the name of "tolerance," "diversity" and "inclusion," we proudly parade our sin down our streets – defying our Creator and aggressively corrupting the minds and souls of future generations. As historians have documented, sexual immorality, escalating fornication and the abandonment of fidelity in marriage bring about the collapse of civilizations; the United States will be no exception. No wonder developing nations like Jamaica don't want to emulate us.

-- FOLLY OF SECULAR (PRO-"GAY") "CONSERVATIVES: The homosexual "wedding" float clearly demonstrates the folly of secular "conservatives" (like atheist S.E. Cupp) and libertarians who argue that legalized homosexual "marriage" is a conservative proposition. Radically remolding God-given institutions to celebrate sin – and modeling such deviance and confusion as normal to impressionable children – is hardly "conservative." In fact, it is the essence of the Left's destructive Sexual Revolution. Republicans will seal their own demise if they foolishly embrace counterfeit "marriage" and other aspects of homosexualism, replacing their pro-family Platform.

-- DEMONIZING CHRISTIANS AS "HATERS" AND "BIGOTS": As the Phil Robertson/Duck Dynasty controversy shows, homosexual groups like GLAAD regularly smear moral and religious critics with malicious slurs like "Bigots, Haters, and Homophobes." Opposing homosexualism (the ideology of proud homosexuality as a "civil right") in all its forms is not "hate." Rather, it is being faithfully obedient to our loving, holy Creator. True Christians should offer the hope of the life-changing Gospel – not counterfeit "marriage" – to homosexuals. Jesus has helped many people like Michael Glatze abandon homosexual sin.

-- FAITHFUL CHRISTIANS MUST SPEAK OUT NOW: The unbiblical "progressive evangelical" and liberal Catholic movement to affirm unrepentant homosexuals as "Christians" serves Satan's agenda, not God's. (Substitute another sexual sin for "gay" and see if it makes sense: would the Rose Parade allow a live incestuous "union" atop one of its floats?) Bible-believing Christians must speak out against the agenda to normalize homosexuality -- especially since children are its target. If Christians will not resist the evil specter of homosexual "marriage," who will?


+ Christian News Wire, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20006, 202-546-0054, newsdesk@christiannewswire.com

+ Americans For Truth About Homosexuality, Post Office Box 5522, Naperville, Illinois, 60567, 630-546-4439, Contact Form


[8] News from the Deepest Recesses of Hell

-- Abortion Is the Leading Cause of Death in America

-- "Experts" Say Pedophilia is a Sexual Orientation

-- Chinese Doctor Admits Stealing and Selling Newborn Babies

-- China Forces Woman Nine Months Pregnant to Have an Abortion

-- Woman Has Abortion Because She Couldn’t Fit Into Her Wedding Dress


+ American Vision, 3150-A Florence Road, Suite 2, Powder Springs, Georgia 30127, 800-628-9460, Fax: 770-222-7269, Comments@AmericanVision.org

+ LifeNews.com, Post Office Box 270841, Fort Collins, Colorado 80527, news@lifenews.com


[9] Articles from LifesiteNews.com

Articles from the past week from LifesiteNews.com:

-- Billy Graham’s Son Franklin: Homosexuality Is ‘A Sin,’ and ‘I Want to Warn People’


+ LifeSiteNews.com, Incorporated, 4 Family Life Lane, Front Royal, Virginia 22630, 888-678-6008, Contact Page


[10] The Thinning Blue Line

-- Congress Urged to Investigate 'Murder' by Washington DC Cops

-- Milwaukie, Wisconsin Cop Sentenced to Just Two Years for Anally Assaulting Dozens of Black Victims


+ WND, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, #351, Washington DC 20006, Contact Page

+ Ben Swann, Contact Page


[11] Raging Heathen and Vain Imagining

Articles from the past week regarding kings and rulers setting themselves against the LORD and against his anointed:

-- Not True - Pope Francis Declares All Religions are True

-- America on the Verge of Martial Law, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Insider Says Big Events Are Imminent

-- Obama Secretly Signs No Free Speech Bill

-- U.S. Department of Homeland Security to Push National ID, Transit Documents

-- U.S. Federal Judge Rules NSA Spying Is Legal; Strange Ruling Cites Emotion, Sept 11, and Edward Snowden “Spawning Mischief”

-- Obamacare Cancelled 5 Million Insurance Plans

-- U.K. Snatches Obese Kids from Families


+ Snopes, Contact Page

+ The Liberty Digest

+ Mr. Conservative, mrconservative.com@gmail.com

+ Godfather Politics, 457 Nathan Dean Boulevard, Dallas, Georgia 30132

+ Ben Swann, Contact Page

+ American Overlook, c/o IROI, 711 Atlantic Avenue, Lower Level, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, support@americanoverlook.com

+ WND, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, #351, Washington DC 20006, Contact Page


[12] The Religion of Peace

Articles from the past week about the religion of peace:

-- FBI Investigates Military-Style Attack on California Power Station: ‘You Should Have Expected U.S.’

-- Graphic video: Taliban members play soccer with severed heads – YouTube Removes Video for Being “Shocking and Disgusting”

-- Saudi Arabia on Track to Break Its Own Beheading Record

-- Canadian Muslims Declare “Honor Killing” Is a Racist Term

-- Female Suicide Bomber Kills Fourteen in Volgograd

-- Nigeria: Muslims Murder Twelve Christians in Attacks on Two Christian Villages -- Eight at Wedding Reception

-- 'Moderate' Malaysia: Sharia Police Hunt Down Christians Who Use the Word Allah

-- Death Penalty Order for Those Who Insult Muhammad Deepens Sharia Trend in Pakistan

-- Islam to Become Ireland's 2nd Biggest Religion

-- Russia: Ten Murdered in Second Jihad Attack in Two Days in Volgograd

-- Nigerian Islamic Extremist: Allah Says We Must Decapitate, Forbids Cannibalism

-- Jihad in Afghanistan: Jihadist Car Bomber Attacks International Troop Convoy in Kabul, Three Coalition Soldiers Dead

-- Afghanistan: Over 500 Taliban Prisoners Released from Jails

-- A Century of African-American Islam

-- Video: Muslims in Atlanta Whip Themselves Bloody for Arbaeen, December 23, 2013


+ Atlas Shrugs, writeatlas@aol.com

+ Jihad Watch and Dhimmi Watch

+ FrontPage Magazine, Post Office Box 55089, Sherman Oaks, California 91499, Contact Page

+ Freedom Outpost, 1116 North Market Street, Paris, Tennessee 38242, 73-644-2220, Contact Page

+ Western Center for Journalism, 42104 North Venture Drive, Suite B-122, Anthem, Arizona 85086, 202-370-6366, Contact Page

+ WND, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, #351, Washington DC 20006, Contact Page

+ ABC News, 7 West 66th Street, New York, New York 10023, Contact Page

+ Middle East Forum, 1500 Walnut Street, Suite 1050, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, info@meforum.org