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 Gods 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."
Well, since we have established that you are not a good capitalist, then being a worse capitalist is only a shade; difference of degree not of kind. :)
Thanks for the link.
I noticed when I was in Athens and Corinth . . . especially Athens . . .
Greek . . . argumentativeness, scrappiness, contentiousness, disagreeableness . . . seemed to be virtually a National Pride sort of thing. . . . somewhat like an Arab flavor of something similar, actually.
I am curious . . . if it’s considered more genetic, more nurturance, environment or what? Perhaps you could shed some light on that issue.
Oh yeah, Bush is just so popular among the jihadis.
The best example I can give you is the good old USA being allies with Russia during WWII, Sometimes the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
America, under Republican leadership, has forfeited any claim to be the protector of the Christians.
Now we are back to that American Exceptionalism you sneered at. You are just wrong.
It falls to Russia and mark my words, the entire Orthodox and Latin Catholic world will be behind that.
Your frustration with the terrible things that have happened to the EOC has really clouded your thinking.
If your looking to Russia you need to open your eyes. They are imploding right in front of us. Their birth rates are about 1.3 per couple. The only part of their population that is growing is the muslim population. They have depopulated huge areas of Siberia.
Militarily, they are a joke. Why do you think they are so opposed to a missile shield? Could it have anything to do with the reality that the only thing they can project power with is missiles. Their training of troops is terrible. They don't have the means to transport troops anywhere. Their navy is rusting out underneath them.
The only thing Russia has is natural resources. They have no history of protecting the rights of individuals, no history of protecting the freedom to worship God. So why would you want to abandon the one super power in the history of man that places God given human rights above all else for this. Is it you long for the days when church and state were one? The days when the ruler determined the religion of the nation?
I rather compete for believers with Bible in hand and THE GOSPEL in my heart.
They are very forceful in making their opinions known. This is where the EOC has come up short.
Very, very good post. Thank you very much. You said it a lot better than I could.
Donut seeds, get yer donut seeds here.:>)
And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest [it] in three days, Save thyself, and come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. - Mark 15:29-32
you: And that proves what? Your testimony is just that. Your word.
you: I thought all of scripture is equally important because all of ti is the word of God. Who says what is vital and what isn't? I am asking you again, is St. Mark's quote of Jesus promising signs as evidence of the believers a lie or not?
In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God, whose name [was] John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all [men] through him might believe. He was not that Light, but [was sent] to bear witness of that Light. [That] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. - John 1:1-13
you: So, now you are callinhg me anti-Christ because you can't prove ythat your testiromony is anything but a feleing and the fact that you can reconcile Mark 16:17-18 with being a believer? Who died and left you to judge?
You are not in good company, kosta50.
And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: [then] came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace [be] unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust [it] into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed. John 20:24-29
But you are His and that is His choice to make, not mine.
Still, I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.
Maranatha, Jesus!!!
Kosta: One that doesn't put greed ahead of the nation. At this moment, we have 13 million illegal aliens in this country because American businesses are willing to hire them as cheap labor, and the government (servants of the people!) look the other way. How patriotic is that?
It is not patriotic because it both breaks and fails to enforce existing law. However, that is a breakdown of a good system, not a normal application of a bad system. So, unless you are genuinely against a free market economy with as little government intervention as is practical (and I hope you're not :), then your real complaint is against certain individuals who are breaking the applicable rules. I would join in that complaint.
“I suspect few on this thread doubt my screaming capacities.”
Certainly not I,Q! :) Nor by the way, am I in the least bit surprised that you were screaming bloody murder.
Excellent analysis, TC. Thanks.
“Oh yeah, Bush is just so popular among the jihadis.”
Well, the KLA jihadis in Kosovo plan to put his picture and that of Clinton on the first stamps issued by their little terror state. There are huge Stalinist style pictures of Clinton and Bush in downtown Pristina. I’d say that makes him popular. They already are calling him the godfather of their new statelet.
“Sometimes the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
I don’t doubt that one minute when it comes to Bush. This administration does view Orthodox Christians as its enemies and thus its alliance with Mohammedan terror in the Balkans. The same likely applies to Bush handing over $500,000,000.00 to Fatah, except the Orthodox enemies there are already marginalized. There its those pesky Jews which his royal Saudi buddies hate so much. And of course any enemy of Saudi Wahabism is an enemy of George Bush.
What's your problem with these verses? Christ is simply saying the first apostles would have extraordinary gifts in order to more forcefully preach the Gospel in those very early days of Christianity.
The verse you should be looking at, Kosta, is the verse right before these...
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall me damned." -- Mark 16:16
So since these words are clear and concise from Christ Himself, we ask ourselves "believe what?"
And that answer is easy if we read Christ's other words and the words of Scripture --
Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. As he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God... Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." -- John 8:24;28-32;42-47;58 "I and my Father are one." -- John 10:30 "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins...
If we believe in Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior, God incarnate; if we believe He is of God and from God and is God; if we believe He died to pay for our sins and was resurrected into heaven to prove it all true; then we can be assured by Christ's own word that we are not damned, but instead are numbered among His sheep who will be glorified with Him in heaven.
You ask for evidence of these facts, and this is where the reformed perspective answers most clearly. This belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is evidence of our salvation; not a requirement for it. The only requirement for our salvation is Christ on the cross "by whose stripes we are healed."
If we give evidence of believing our own good works will redeem us; believing in "another Christ;" believing in a "co-redeemer" or a "dispensatrix of all grace;" then we show ourselves to be believing lies.
And as Christ told us, the evidence of those lies reveals our condemnation.
“They are very forceful in making their opinions known. This is where the EOC has come up short.”
So if we scream louder the Protestants will hear us and tell the American government to stop siding with the Mohammedans against the Christians? Sort of the squeeky wheel gets the grease theology?
THANKS THANKS.
I think. LOL.
lolol.
Yup!
... And according to the Calvinists even that fallen nature was pre-planned by God
You know ,Dear Brother, The more I think of this, the more I begin to realize that Calvinism lets the devil off the hook on many things.
If God planned everything ,than how can the devil be guilty of tempting sin?
I'll just keep praying for them to wake up!
Great post F-K and wmfights! I was meditating on the following verse in Romans:
Likewise, true believers rest upon the promises of God. It is resting on these promises that helps us to grow stronger in our faith.
I haven't followed this conversation as I've been away; however, I find this a curious statement coming from the Orthodox (or a Catholic) whose whole Church is built around visible signs. The idea that statues weep and saints have done miraculous things shouldn't seem strange to you. I would think that you would be a big supporter of Mark 16:17-18.
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