Free Presbyterian VISIONThe Official Organ of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster WHITEFIELD THE IncARNATION COLLEGE OF THE LORD GRADUATION & JESUS CHRIST: A GREAT PROOF COMMEncEMENT OF DIVINE MERCY November - December 2018 . Issue 36 . £1 THE INCARNatION OF WHO ARE THE MORMONS? 06 THE LORD JESUS CHRIST 12 Whitefield College Graduation 11th November 1918 04 16 & Commencement Service 08 News 18 Dr Henry Cooke (1788-1868) 11 Dare to Stand Alone 20 Missionary Vision Mission Board: A Word to Women: Sapphira 16 23 A note from the chairman Subscriptions Editorial FP Vision od’s covenant mercies are on universe extends into the smallest is available from your local Free Presbyterian Church, display throughout nature. details of our lives. Our Heavenly or by contacting Colin McKee: GThe warm sun of summer has Tel: 028 91821304 given way to the cold dark days of our heads. Nothing is hidden from Mob: 07764224363 winter; and, as we approach the end HimFather and knows nothing the numberis outside of hairsHis all-on [email protected] Presbytery Publications of another year, we are reminded of encompassing rule. Things may seem Committee swiftly passing seasons. Several months Dr R Johnstone sovereignty over all things provides (Convenor) planted; and in more recent times, greatmysterious encouragement to us but never in the to midstGod. His of ago, fields were prepared and crops Mr I Campbell (Associate Editor) the dark trials of life. He has assured Rev D Creane(Secretary) almost endless activity as the harvest us that, “…all things work together for Rev L Curran (Editor) those same fields have been centres of good to them that love God, to them Rev TM Nelson Lecky seasons prove the faithfulness of God. who are the called according to His Rev GC MercerWilson (Associate Editor) Followinghas been gatheredNoah’s departure in. The changingfrom the purpose” (Romans 8:28). We do not ark, God assured him, “While the earth know what the winter months may remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and God’s faithfulness to His people will www.freepresbyterian.org winter, and day and night shall not neverhold for change. us, but As we the can Psalmist be sure notes, that cease” (Genesis 8:22). These revolving periods are not accidental. God, who orders all things, orders the daily and “The LORD hath been mindful of us: he yearly turn of events. will bless us” (Psalm 115:12). ⁞⁞ Colin Mercer, This is our Father’s world, and He is [email protected] Design and Print by in control. God’s sovereignty over the Pepper Collective T: 07729 526366 WHY AM I SPARED? he habit of keeping a diary was once more common than it is today. T “Why am I spared? What is the reason that I am not taken In Christian circles, the away?” His diary reveals that he meditated upon that diary of Andrew Bonar (a Presbyterian minister in question on more than one occasion. Scotland in the nineteenth century) has been THE LORD HAS earnestly myself in recent days, and you would greatly used of God. It is very profitable to read over KEPT YOU ALIVE, It is a question that I have been caused to consider thosethe account who are that full he time kept in of the his Lord’s life and service. ministry. As Itthe is NOT SO THAT Bannera book that of Truth every states Christian on theshould dust read, cover especially of their YOU CAN MAKE Godbe wise allowed to consider you to it live also. so Ask long yourself – when just he now, has MORE MONEY OR taken‘Why amaway I spared,some of and your others friends taken?” and loved Why ones has MAKE A NAME 1984 edition, “His diary and life is one of the great FOR YOURSELF treasures left to the Church from the nineteenth BUT BECAUSE in the prime of life? century, and deserves to be widely and eagerly YOUR WORK FOR this entry, “Spared to see my thirty-eighth year, HIM IS NOT YET read.” On 29th April 1848, Andrew Bonar made If you are a believer, then there is only one answer while others are taken.” The reason he wrote those FINISHED. to that question. The Lord has kept you alive (Joshua 14:10), not so that you can make more words was because so many of his friends and money or make a name for yourself but because hisfamily father had died been when taken Andrew away in was death just while eleven they years old; his your work for Him is not yet finished. There is ownwere son,young. also Three called of Andrew, his siblings died died as a inyoung infancy; child; his dear still a work for you to do for Christ. isThe still first the time Lord’s D. L.message Moody formet you R. A.today. Torrey, He hewould said say, to him, “Go wife Isabella passed away in middle age; and his very good “Young man, you had better get to work for the Lord.” That friend Robert Murray McCheyne died before he reached his the Lord while you still have the opportunity. thirtieth birthday, a fact that Bonar reflected upon regularly work today in my vineyard”. (Matthew 21:28). Get busy for Asfor Bonarmany subsequentthought of theyears. lives of others coming to an end so ⁞⁞ Rev David McMillan . swiftly, he pondered carefully and seriously the question, , minister of Armagh Free Presbyterian Church 03 11 NOVEMBER 1918 y November 1918, Germany was at crisis-point. People politician, was chosen to lead a Bat home were starving; cities GermanMatthias delegationErzberger, that a wouldwell-known meet become known as the Armistice like Berlin and Munich were on with the French and British and thrash Clearing. It carried French commander the brink of revolution; and, on the Marshal Ferdinand Foch, his staff and Western Front, Germany’s armies British officers. were being slowly but surely forced out the terms of a negotiated peace. In coldly announced that he could not back towards their own frontiers. Erzberger’s briefcase ‘smouldered’ a discloseWhen both the termsdelegations of any met, armistice Foch The military generals who were little note from the Chancellor, Prince unless and until the Germans actually effectively governing Germany at this Max of Baden, which demanded, asked for an armistice. “Do you wish time understood they had no choice representatives“Obtain what mercy from you can,the Matthias,Foreign but … make peace.” Together with th thento ask nodded for an toarmistice?” Weygand whohe asked. read but to agree to an armistice which Ministry, the army and the navy, he outErzberger the terms. replied The that Germans he did. list enedFoch would end the fighting, avoid an out- left Germany on 6 November, arriving in stunned silence as the price of a order.and-out defeat in the field, and allow emplacementby special train located two days deep later in at the them to bring their army home in good forestrendezvous of Rethondes, point – an on artillery the outskirts railway conditions were there; all German militaryceasefire personnelwas explained. were The to expectedevacuate north of Paris. all French territory immediately, of Compiègne, about sixty kilometres and all allied military and civilian at this same location, which would the other conditions spelled huge Another train had arrived before them prisoners were to be released. But 04 humiliation for Germany, for these This meant that casualties occurred included all German prisoners even as the people of Paris, London to remain in captivity, the Allied at Compiègne, using the same carriage in which Germans had been compelled from reaching Germany to remain deathsand New on York the were Western celebrating Front reached the end Aftto asker forthe an Second armistice World in 1918. War, the inblockade force, thewhich allied had forces prevented to occupy food of the fighting. The total number of Germany, and Germany to surrender 2,738 on this last day of the War. Compiègne site was restored. Today, War One was American soldier Private a slightly raised tablet announces in 5,000 railway locomotives in working Officially, the last man to die in World large letters: “Here, on 11 November order, plus huge numbers of rolling- a.m. while trying to take a German free1918, peoples the criminal it sought pride to ofenslave.” the German andstock, trench ships, mortars.submarines, The aeroplanes, Germans machineHenry Gunter. gun Hepost. was killedHis divisional at 10:59 Empire succumbed, vanquished by the heavy guns, field guns, machine-guns record stated, “Almost as he fell, the Lessons that lie on the surface of the Armistice events are many and would be compelled to accept all the silence prevailed.” blame for the war, and pay for all the gunfire died away, and an appalling His pride – the fuel that damage (it was not until 2010 that th th poignant. Man’skindled peace hisdoes notoriginal last. Germany paid a final instalment of th month Man’s peaCE £59 million to conclude its war debt). The 11 hour of the 11 Germans had signed agreement to all DOES NOT LAST. continues to initiate No armistice would begin until the day of the 11 the terms. HIS PRIDE new,rebellion and resurrectin Eden old,– of 1918 was not only a it was also the moment – THE FUEL grievances that lock the th signal for celebration, but for exhausted countries THAT KINDLED human race into regular HIS ORIGINAL cycles of slaughter. The At 5:12 a.m. on 11 November 1918, France and Great Britain, signed the REBELLION sinner does not know ArmisticeErzberger, documentplus representatives in a carriage of horrorto reflect that on hadthe costterrible so IN Eden – conflict and unimaginable Foch’s private train.