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."
Just showed you that Romans didn't invent the name as you claimed. Do you have any documents to prove your assertion that it was renamed in order to "erase the Jewish memory of it?" If they did, they did a loousy job, because--contrary to popular mythis--the Jews were not leaving the area on their own; they had to be forcibly removed, and many communities remained.
The Romans renamed it because Israel ceased to rexist as a state and the area needed a new (old) name.
I cannot imagine God not remembering my sins, in the sense of knowing that they happened. I can hope and believe that he does not remember them against me. A different thing altogether.
I would like to know your position on pacifism and the work of people in the armed forces, law enforcement, or other security work which involves the high likelihood of aggressive and possibly lethal action.
Mine is that such work is undertaken at great personal risk, both spiritual and physical. It is hard to draw a gun on someone or to get in a gang fight with someone in the afternoon and then to pray for him at night.
On the other hand, the world is maybe a little but safer because some of us are willing to do that. The comparative luxury of being able to find a place far from strife is usually at least partially the work of those who go to the front and set up shop there.
Here's a situation: A fellow had been having sexual intercourse with his daughters for years (both daughters say so) Should the daughters and mother and community forgive and forget? Is it wrong to set up a response that is satisfactory to the family (except for the guy himself) line up a hospital bed, and everything else and then go in alone to tell the guy that his behavior is known and that he can choose between jail and contumely on the one hand or an immediate commitment to a mental health facility on the other -- and the guy is probably armed. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of encouragement here for Catholic bishops "forgiving and forgetting" (if that's indeed what they did) their abusive clergy. Should they have? Which protects "the little ones"? Which, over the long therm is better for the abusers?
Is it wrong to enter a room with an armed drunk and spousal abuser who is talking about suicide and about taking a few people with him and trying to talk him out of it and into treatment? Better to forgive and forget?
A guy, high on who knows what, assaults three deputies. Should the fourth deputy forgive and forget, or should he join the scrum and tussle with the guy until he's "cuffed and stuffed" and THEN try to calm him down and ease his physical and emotional pain, while keeping him from doing any further damage to himself or to the other deputies.
Judgment is for God, and I eagerly leave him to it. I want nothing to do with it.
The guy who came after me with a club when I was out of uniform, and on whom I drew my weapon, that same guy I prayed for every day for a month and about monthly ever since. But I'm glad I drew my weapon and I think I would have been right to shoot him had he gotten within the lethal zone. That guy was all about depriving my wife and kid of the alleged but dubious pleasure of my company, and I don't think I should just forgive and forget. I should stop the guy, THEN forgive and forget.
AND, as I say, I think those for whom what you might call "high-impact judgment calls" are a rarity owe some gratitude to those who, eyes open to the physical and spiritual risk, move to place themselves between the source of danger and the comparatively innocent, try to face and to understand the danger, and then try to settle things down.
A woman all for peace and forgiveness refuses her essential role in an "intervention". Within a couple of years, the subject of the intervention does jail time, and ends up partially responsible for his mother's death. (Think about double doses of coumadin some time.) I'm going to go with the intervention, undertaken with fear, trembling, prayer, and humility, but also with resolution and a determination to succeed. Since I think any good work I might have done was a gift from God and nothing to do with anything about me, I confidently commit myself to Him and sally forth, fully prepared to be, once again, a fool and a goat. Somebody has to say, "Here am I, send me."
Oh wow, I'm gonna take some heat for this.
They called Chaldee Hebraisti (Hebrew tongue). Now, even a first a grade biblical scholar knows that Chaldee was Aramaic. It is referenced four times in the Gospel of John as such, inlcuidng the inscription on the Cross, which was not in (Biblical) hebrew, but in Chaldee (Aramaic).
Western Aramaic was also called "Syriac" or the Syrian tongue and Eastern Aramaic was Chaldean
Chaldee was the language spoken by the Jews, which the Aramaic, not Biblical Hebrew.
However, God has promised that when He sends out His Word, it does not return empty-handed.
The actual words of Scripture are (after a comparison to rain and snow) -- so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and proser in the thing for which I sent it.
Now, Dr. E. condemns the idea of a priest being in some sense "another Christ", though I can't shake the notion that she won't be giving a coherent explanation of that idea any time soon.
But I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on confusing oneself for God's mouth?
1k silverlings (much of whose conversation I have very much enjoyed lately)is justifying the repetition time and time gain of text after text after text, on the grounds that God's word will not be feckless, but for that to work then the those who post all the excerpts from the Bible and who identify the Bible with God's word, are implying that they are God's mouth. There seems to be a kind of ex opere operato notion of the articulation of parts of Scripture.
Now I, who understand to some extent what it means for a priest to be another Christ, don't have problem with that. I would like to learn how it fits into the thinking of those who do not have a sacramental view of the Church or her members.
Since I think any good work I might have done was a gift from God and nothing to do with anything about me, I confidently commit myself to Him and sally forth, fully prepared to be, once again, a fool and a goat. Somebody has to say, “Here am I, send me.”
= =
I feel the same way . . . at least exceedingly similarly.
Well, go ahead and spout your stuff. The Holy Spirit within doesn’t want me arguing such nonsense with you.
Yes it does and when I read the Word, I know if they’re in error.
Yes, dear Kosta, but you must seek with an open mind and heart and not just stick to doctrinal teachings of your or any other church. The HS will guide you (and us) into all truth.
I referenced Ezekiel as well. The fact is that some portions of the OT are written in Aramaic.
So then He was the Syrian Messiah not the Jewish Messiah? [because he spoke Aramaic]
LOL!!! That was good. You ought to try Saturday night Live! :)
So then the Jews of that time with all their learned scholars didn't know the difference between the Hebrew Tanakh and the Aramaic Targums
I never said that. You are making things up again.
Moses' writings were in Hebrew, the same language of the words of Jesus
In your dreams. jesus did not speak in Biblical Hebrew.
It has actually taken my illness, open heart surgery, trials and tribulations with family, to learn to trust Him. He has shown Himself faithful to me. I know all about fiery furnaces and crucibles and long dark nights of the soul. It’s not fun, but it’s for our own good in the long run.
I’ve been fortunate not to have suffered much physical pain but the pain of watching people you love die and suffer during that process or watching grandchildren have to suffer the consequences of their parents’ actions, etc., etc. is so much worse.
Yeah, those little voices in your head are not necessarily the HS. You need to be careful. Too much of an open mind and trusting heart can lead into error.
We humans tend to be so short-sighted.
Especially Americans.
Gratification, comfort, our way . . . yesterday . . . at bargain prices or free . . . me, me, me!
God is FIRST, FOREMOST, ALWAYS . . .
AND HE IS training rulers FOR ETERNITY.
One goal . . . that we might bear a greater weight of glory as we rule and reign with Christ.
. . . that the pains . . . the worst of this life . . . is
not worthy
to be compared to the glories of the next is still unfathomable . . . foundationally unfathomable to our finiteness.
The first shall be last and the last first . . . .
And Rick Joyner’s vision of the cloak of humility . . . much food for thought and growth, there.
IIRC he noted that if we let that cloak slip . . . we’ll be vulnerable to being picked off by the arrows of the enemy and out of the battle . . . in this dimension.
Yeah, I’m pretty transparent.
Father had knowledge of my circumstances and the people around me he could not have known.
Very unique experience, but then again, he was a very unique person.
If you watched him pray, he was definitely looking at the Throne of Heaven. ~Really awesome to see this monk so completely in the Presence of God!
Geez, these holy people are inspiring! Guess that’s why we have Padre Pio’s and St. Theresas, and all the consecrated men and women. I have “miles to go before I sleep.”
Cheers and have a blessed Lent!
The EO take a little bit different approach allowing their clergy to marry if they are going to stay at the parish level. I believe they have had a smaller incidence of this problem. I'm not sure what their history was in response to any incidences that may also have been a factor. Regrettably, it seems the hierarchy did a lot of covering things up early on.
As a I understand it there has been a real effort to try and weed out the problem at the seminary level, but that will probably take a generation.
I pray that is true. However, somewhere along the way all kinds of rituals, self proclaimed authority and exclusivity have become the foundation of the RCC.
Mine is that such work is undertaken at great personal risk, both spiritual and physical. It is hard to draw a gun on someone or to get in a gang fight with someone in the afternoon and then to pray for him at night.
David comes to mind. He was a man after God’s own heart, but he was also bloody – mostly according to God’s will, e.g. Goliath, but sometimes not, e.g. Uriah. His bloodiness cost him dearly because it prevented him from worshipping God according to his own mind.
But as always, the one and only Great Commandment applies. We must love God surpassingly above all else. His name, His will, His kingdom - that is what matters.
In other words, if God appoints a man to a bloody job, the mission is God’s, the power is God’s and the glory is God’s.
Man gets into trouble when acts of his own will. And when that happens, the blood is on his own hands.
We should always remember - whether actual wars or gang wars or even verbal wars - it is not our might or power, but His Spirit that is effective to accomplish His will.
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. – Matthew 18:10
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: - Ephesians 5:28-29
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. – 2 Peter 2:13-14
They call it tradition. It is a moving target, because some group within can always claim something was always believed, so it must be so. The beliefs surrounding Mary are a perfect example.
Should we change the title of the Book of Hebrews to the Book of the Chaldeans or the Book of the Syrians or the Book of the Arameans???? Why is it so hard to call the language of the Jews what it is and was: HEBREW.
"And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew ["Hebraisti"] , and Greek, and Latin." [[John 19:19-20]
If the author John meant "Chaldee" he would have written "Chaldee", and if he meant "Aramaic", he would have written "Aramaic", but he didn't because it wasn't. It was called HEBREW -- and you cannot erase it from either history or the Greek scriptures.
Are you going to base your entire argument on your translation of the Bible, and I do focus on the word TRANSLATION?
Are just trying to be intentionally obtuse? Do you call the language of the Americans American? (you probably do, it wouldn't surprise me).
They didn't speak Hebrew in the 1st century. The name "Hebrew" referred to Biblical Hebrew (to differentiate it from Dead Sea Scroll Hebrew). In the Greek New Testament it is Hebraisti which was the koine Greek word for Chaldee (Aramaic). Which part of this don't you understand?
Just because our language is English doesn't mean we are English. Just because Alexandrian Jews spoke Greek and lived in Egypt doesn't mean they were Greek-speaking Egyptians, but Greek-speaking Jews.
The New testament Greek (look up any source) says Habrais means:
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