Posted on 01/27/2008 7:56:14 PM PST by Manfred the Wonder Dawg
January 25, 2008
ESV Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
In recent days I have spent time in Lima and Sullana Peru and Mexico City and I have discovered that people by nature are the same. Man has a heart that is inclined to selfishness and idolatry. Sin abounds in the remotest parts of the land because the heart is desperately wicked. Thousands bow before statues of Mary and pray to her hoping for answers. I have seen these people stare hopelessly at Mary icons, Jesus icons, and a host of dead saints who will do nothing for them. I have talked with people who pray to the pope and say that they love him. I talked with one lady who said that she knew that Jesus was the Savior, but she loved the pope. Thousands bow before Santa Muerte (holy death angel) in hopes that she will do whatever they ask her. I have seen people bring money, burning cigarettes, beer, whiskey, chocolate, plants, and flowers to Santa Muerte in hopes of her answers. I have seen these people bowing on their knees on the concrete in the middle of public places to worship their idol. Millions of people come into the Basilica in Mexico City and pay their money, confess their sins, and stare hopelessly at relics in hope that their sins will be pardoned. In America countless thousands are chained to baseball games, football games, material possessions, and whatever else their heart of idols can produce to worship.
My heart has broken in these last weeks because the God of heaven is not honored as he ought to be honored. People worship the things that are created rather than worshiping the Creator. God has been gracious to all mankind and yet mankind has hardened their hearts against a loving God. God brings the rain on the just and unjust. God brings the beautiful sunrises and sunsets upon the just and unjust. God gives good gifts unto all and above all things he has given his Son that those who would believe in him would be saved. However, man has taken the good things of God and perverted them unto idols and turned their attention away from God. I get a feel for Jesus as he overlooked Jerusalem or Paul as he beseeched for God to save Israel. When you accept the reality of the truth of the glory of God is breaks your heart that people would turn away from the great and awesome God of heaven to serve lesser things. Moses was outraged by the golden calf, the prophets passionately preached against idolatry, Jesus was angered that the temple was changed in an idolatrous business, and Paul preached to the idolaters of Mars Hill by telling them of the unknown God.
I arrived back at home wondering how I should respond to all the idolatry that I have beheld in these last three weeks. I wondered how our church here in the states should respond to all of the idolatry in the world. What are the options? First, I suppose we could sit around and hope that people chose to get their life together and stop being idolaters. However, I do not know how that could ever happen apart from them hearing the truth. Second, I suppose we could spend a lifetime studying cultural issues and customs in hope that we could somehow learn to relate to the people of other countries. However, the bible is quite clear that all men are the same. Men are dead in sin, shaped in iniquity, and by nature are the enemies of God. Thirdly, we could pay other people or other agencies to go and do a work for us while we remain comfortably in the states. However, there is no way to insure that there will be doctrinal accuracy or integrity. If we only pay other people to take the gospel we will miss out on all of the benefits of being obedient to the mission of God. Lastly, we could seek where God would have us to do a lasting work and then invest our lives there for the glory of God. The gospel has the power to raise the dead in any culture and we must be willing to take the gospel wherever God would have us take it. It is for sure that our church cannot go to every country and reach every people group, so we must determine where God would have us work and seek to be obedient wherever that is.
It seems that some doors are opening in the Spanish speaking countries below us and perhaps God is beginning to reveal where we are to work. There are some options for work to be partnered with in Peru and there could be a couple of options in Mexico. The need is greater than I can express upon this paper for a biblical gospel to be proclaimed in Peru and Mexico. Oh, that God would glorify his great name in Peru and Mexico by using a small little church in a town that does not exist to proclaim his great gospel amongst a people who desperately need the truth.
I give thanks to the LORD for allowing me the privilege of going to these countries and broadening my horizons. The things that I have seen will be forever engraved upon my heart. I will long remember the pastors that I spent time with in Peru and I will never forget Adolfo who translated for me in Mexico. I will relish the time that I spent with Paul Washer and the others. When I think of church I will forever remember being on top of that mountain in Sullana at that church which had no electricity and no roof. I am convinced that heaven was looking down on that little church on top of that mountain and very few people on earth even know that it exist. Oh, God I pray that the things of this world will continue to grow dim and that God’s people will be caught up in his glorious presence.
Because of the truth: Pastor: J. Randall Easter II Timothy 2:19 "Our God is in heaven and does whatever He pleases."(Ps. 115:3) "He predestined us according to the good pleasure of His will."(Eph. 1:5) Those who have been saved have been saved for His glory and they are being made holy for this is the will of God. Are you being made holy? Spurgeon says, "If your religion does not make you holy it will damn you to hell."
lol. Sounds eerily similar to the Rolling Stones song, "Sympathy for the Devil." 8~)
"Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul and faith...
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game...
I watched with glee
While your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the gods they made
Let me please introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
And I laid traps for troubadours
Who get killed before they reached bombay
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name..."
Why would Paul, who I would think would meet the definition of "saved" need to keep running the race? Persevere for what? One only needs to preserver until the end of something. Eternal salvation is true, true and true, but only after the racers have run and they have persevered until the end that is death. That is the point at which salvation becomes eternal, that is the point of perseverance, that is when our Lord will say "well done my good and faithful servant!", I was saved at my baptism, I am being saved as I persevere and I will be saved at my death if I have persevered through His grace to the end of the race.
Amen. Forewarned is forearmed.
Evidently, the Religion Forum has gotten a bit more “sporty” since I quit posting in it. Let me know when the call to fix bayonets is issued.
I was saved when I was born again.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
...if I have persevered through His grace to the end of the race.
If I have persevered? Where is that in Scripture? Where is it that if I continue to DO anything save believe on the Lord Jesus Christ I will be saved?
In Christ...Alone!
Sir/Madam, My postings are STRICTLY limited to Scripture...God's Holy Word. Obviously you consider them just "regurgitating snippets".
In Christ...Alone!
I did not claim anything about the number of languages into which Calvin translated the Bible. He was part of the reformation that pried it out of the back closet of the RCC and began putting it into language people could read.
Context - study the Biblical doctrine of salvation, not simply the occurrence of the word in a verse. Of course, Arminius’ theology has much more in common with RCC theology than does Reformed theology. And Arminianism was declared by good folk as heresy at the council of Dort in 1618.
The erroneous notion of praying to dead human beings is found nowhere in Scripture, yet is expressly forbidden in Scripture.
The dead are either in heaven with God because Christ paid for every one of their sins on the cross, or they have been condemned to hell as just punishment for their transgressions against God.
Therefore, the dead have no need of our prayers.
And we have no need of the dead's prayers because we know for a certainty that "there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5)
Apparently, Rome doesn't offer this assurance to its memebership, thus making men uncertain, fearful and frustrated, ever striving for something Christ has already accomplished for them, if God so wills.
Unbelievably appropriate!
“RE: Lyrics to “Sympathy for the Devil.”
Unbelievably appropriate!”
Are you implying that the Catholic Church is in league with the devil?
I'm not implying anything. What are you inferring?
In Christ...Alone!
You are correct, my friend - and assume, brother. I’ve seen RCC arguments based on the reasoned position that saints in heaven can see something of what’s going on Earth (Heb 12:1 and Rev 6:9-11), as if that meant we should pray to them or ask them to pray for us! RCC arguments also maintain that the prayers of the saints (Rev 5:8 and 8:3 - 4) are the prayers of those heavenly saints on behalf of the earthly saints 9which they do not recognize by that name).
Assumptions are the enemy of Truth.
I would be a "Sir", BTW.
Not being a Calvinist, I’m not infatuated with Arminius. In to what languages did Calvin put the Bible? Was He the first?
I have. James is specifically telling us that faith without works AFTER SALVATION is dead. He is not saying that we must show works to obtain salvation. If that was the case, Christ's sacrifice on the cross was not sufficient for our redemption. Is that way you are saying?
In Christ...Alone!
Thank you, I'll address that way. I just wasn't sure.
In Christ...Alone!
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