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A very compelling letter

“The Irish Republic is not, and never has been, a friendly neighbour”

(Belfast Newsletter, 14th July 2023)

A letter from Tom Ferguson, Ballymoney

I read Tom Cooper’s letter on bonfire hatred with great interest, particularly his assertion that the Irish Republic is a ‘peaceful neighbouring state’ (‘Letter: Incitement to hatred has been allowed to become part of unionist culture,’ July 13, see link below).

Would this by any chance be the state that in 1925 signed up to a solemn international treaty to respect the current border between it and Northern Ireland? And then in 1937, in shocking bad faith, reneged on its solemn word and laid claim to Northern Ireland, thus providing a quasi legal justification for subsequent IRA terror campaigns? Hardly the actions of a friendly neighbour.

Would this be the state that had prominent government and establishment figures that gave assistance to the establishment of the Provisional IRA, and therefore the subsequent decades of bloodshed and mayhem? And allowed its territory to be used as a safe haven from which to organise atrocities like Kingsmills, Tullyvallen, Darkley, and other sectarian atrocities in Northern Ireland? Hardly the actions of a friendly neighbour.

Would this be the state that for decades refused to extradite murderers of policemen and soldiers, on the grounds that such murders were ‘political’? And when an extradition treaty of sorts was agreed, used nit-picking details like a comma in the wrong place, to ensure that it was as ineffective as possible? Hardly the actions of a friendly neighbour.

Would this be the state that, (admittedly partly due to the ineptitude of some unionist politicians), ganged up with their masters in the European Union, to ensure that there would be a hard border in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK? Hardly the act of a friendly neighbour.

In short, in the eyes of the unionist community, the Irish Republic is not, and never has been, a friendly neighbour. At the present time it is actively working, with a treacherous, supine British establishment, to annex Northern Ireland, and is therefore our bitter enemy, and it is hardly surprising that its IRA inspired tricolour is consequently treated with such loathing and contempt.

Should the day ever dawn when the the Irish Republic publicly apologises to all the people that have been wronged and maimed, and the families of those who have been murdered due to their past policies. And also gives up their insistence on the current hard border in the Irish Sea, then, and only then, would any self – respecting unionist feel obliged to treat their flag with anything other than contempt.

Tom Ferguson, Ballymoney

A warrior to his fingertips!

King David Playing the Harp (1622) by Gerard van Honthorst

“Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight,” Psalm 144:1.

David was a warrior. He was engaged in WAR all his days and that most successfully. In that he was a type of the Lord Jesus. This world has a very perverted view of Christ, mislead chiefly by the ‘pansied’ notions of liberal preachers. This world will one day see Him as He is.  “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war,” Revelation 19:11.

Please note from our text, read on the Sabbath past as part of my daily Bible readings, that:

I. THERE IS A WAR THAT IS HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS.

1. The wars of men are rarely if ever born of anything other than fleshly desires.There have been wars that are termed ‘just’. Evil dictators and aggressors have been opposed by those whose liberties and wellbeing they threaten. But even such are attended by wickedness and cruelty. The battlefield has very been a place where fleshly lusts have reared their head. The worst of crimes have marred the most honourable attempts to curtail and bring to justice those whose whole desire is to afflict and harm their neighbours.

In living memory, Adolf Hitler is an example of the tyrant who it was right to go to war to overthrow. None can deny however, that wrong was wrought by soldiers in the allied armies during that honourable crusade.

2. In more recent times we have seen tyrants warring against their weaker neighbours. In Iraq, Syria, North Korea, and at the present time, the evil attack of Putin’s Russia upon Ukraine, are all examples of the actions of tyrants. Many have sought to aid Ukraine’s struggle against her tyrannical neighbour, believing her cause to be just. Yet, we would be foolish to think that every action of Ukraine’s armies was untainted by wrongdoing! Man’s ‘rules of war’ are rarely kept on the battlefield. Human rage and revenge are frequently yielded to!

3. However, there is an ongoing war which is virtuous in ever detail, though sadly, it must be confessed that those engaged in this holy war have often marred its testimony by breaching the rules laid down for its conduct.

I am referring to that war the Lord started and has maintained against sin and the devil. The beginning of that war is recorded in Genesis. “And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel,” Genesis 3:14-15. (more…)

A coming ‘Golden Age’ with a world-wide royal gathering breaking forth in song

“‭All the kings‭ of the earth‭ shall praise‭‭ thee, O LORD‭, when they hear‭‭ the words‭ of thy mouth‭.‭ ‭Yea, they shall sing‭‭ in the ways‭ of the LORD‭: for great‭ ‭is‭ the glory‭ of the LORD‭,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Psalm 138:4-5.

We sang the metrical version of this psalm in the morning prayer meeting last Lord’s Day. The above appears in this form in the metrical version.

All kings upon the earth that are
shall give thee praise, O Lord,
When as they from thy mouth shall hear
thy true and faithful word.

Yea, in the righteous ways of God
with gladness they shall sing:
For great’s the glory of the Lord;
who doth for ever reign.

As I joined in the singing, I was thrilled to note yet again in God’s Word, a reference to a wonderful future time when the present attitude of men, royal or otherwise, will be very different indeed.

I acknowledge that my eye seems to ‘home in’ on such references in the Bible whenever I am reading it. Often times it is to see the significance of the reference for the first time but at other times it is to peruse again with joy a familiar portion.

That there is a coming ‘golden age’ has ever been in the minds of men. It originated with the Greeks. The term ‘golden age’ comes from ancient Greek mythology and refers to a mythical time when all people lived in peace, prosperity, and happiness without having to work. Men have long looked for a re-birth of such a time.

THE BIBLE

Though Greek philosophers are credited with such a notion, in truth it is from the Bible that the hope of such an age is born! The prophet Isaiah spoke of a time on the earth when men “‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭shall beat‭‭ their swords‭ into plowshares‭, and their spears‭ into pruninghooks‭: nation‭ shall not lift up‭‭ sword‭ against nation‭, neither shall they learn‭‭ war‭ any more,‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Isaiah 2:4.

He speaks again of this wonderful time in chapter 11:6-9.

“‭The wolf‭ also shall dwell‭‭ with the lamb‭, and the leopard‭ shall lie down‭‭ with the kid‭; and the calf‭ and the young lion‭ and the fatling‭ together‭; and a little‭ child‭ shall lead‭‭ them.‭ ‭And the cow‭ and the bear‭ shall feed‭‭; their young ones‭ shall lie down‭‭ together‭: and the lion‭ shall eat‭‭ straw‭ like the ox‭.‭ ‭And the sucking child‭‭ shall play‭‭ on the hole‭ of the asp‭, and the weaned child‭‭ shall put‭‭ his hand‭ on the cockatrice‭’ den‭.‭ ‭They shall not hurt‭‭ nor destroy‭‭ in all my holy‭ mountain‭: for the earth‭ shall be full‭‭ of the knowledge‭ of the LORD‭, as the waters‭ cover‭‭ the sea‭.‭”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Though mankind has lost its contact with the Word of God, as once the nations knew it in ages past, it has retained something of this longed for dream of an age utterly in contrast with the present turbulence, misery and death! (more…)