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."
Thanks for the informative, Scriptural, accurate ping.
Just my own as far as I know.. All those sources have had an influence(on me) to some extent.. Methods for authentication?.. None.. I even see some possiblity of a vestige of "truth" in some versions of Animism..
I don't hold much (human teaching) as sacrosanct.. But have read much from different christian and other sources.. but mostly christian.. Christian sources seem to be on a higher spiritual plane to me..
Since I became old I have mostly limited myself to engrams and intonations of Jesus words.. I can't seem to exhaust their content.. The metaphors are so rich and deep in meaning..
We, you and I, seem to be observing from observation posts quite different from each other.. I don't get the feel you are understanding me.. even though presentations are made from different angles.. But I understand you quite well..
My poor presentations may be the problem, but then others understand me quite well.. . If something in me "resonates " to it.. I don't trash it..
The phrase "war against Scripture" is piercing.
BTTT
Israel had experienced many miracles - the delivery from bondage in Egypt through mighty miracles, the parting of the Red Sea, the manna and water and so on. Even their clothes and shoes did not wear away over forty years. But they did not have the "ears to hear" - the gift of God that we have - so observing all those miracles did not avail them as we can see below and in the prophesy of the Song of Moses.
Yes indeed. Even many who witnessed the miracles of Christ did not believe. God must ready the person to understand. About those who did witness but did not believe I am sure we have all thought "what was the matter with them?". But then we have only to look at ourselves, with all of our advantages, and see when we have not believed or been faithful. We are the same.
The power of God is Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God. When we convey the words of God and our testimony - we have done the very best we can do for anyone.
AMEN! That's all our job is. It is God alone Who saves souls. We never fail nor succeed when it comes to the salvation of another. But it is always such a blessing when God lets us watch Him work. :)
***The way the term “Gnostic” is used around here I suspect the polar opposite would be “Empiricist.”
An empiricist accepts as certain knowledge only that which is obtained by sensory perception, and to that he adds reason. He excludes Spiritual perception on principle.***
By the grace of God, we Catholics are neither. We are instructed not to tempt God or to demand proofs, as empiricists (such as St. Thomas) do. We believe; we have faith. We hope in eternal salvation with God in Heaven.
We do as we are instructed. We have the Faith; we are neither Gnostic nor empiricist.
***Man is not the “measure” of God. ***
No, he is not. Man is the creature of God made in His own image. With many here, God is the creature of man made in his own image.
St. Augustine is revered by the Reformation followers up to and only up to the point where, in his heretical years, he embraced thoughts that are and were unacceptable to the Church.
It is poison to them that St. Augustine is considered one of the greatest Church Fathers, so the portions of his life and his theological developments are ignored as if they never existed.
***Yes, Christ was addressing his disciples. But he did so that all might hear, including the attending multitudes, and even those of us who read His words to this very day.***
When I spoke my wedding vows, I spoke to my betrothed, but I did so that all might hear. It most certainly did not mean that I meant that I was speaking to all. I did not offer to marry everyone in attendance.
It is the same with this example. Yes, Jesus wanted everyone to hear, but his words were directed to the disciples.
***I may not be following you, but it’s based on the fact that we know that Gentiles are saved.***
Point the 1st: We have faith, not knowledge. Indwelling knowledge is Gnosticism; Jesus taught faith.
Point the 2nd: Gentiles CAN be saved; there is no guarantee.
Who did this?
Seems like a lot of time went by before this was done, why is that?
It seems like there is a big gap from the end of the Apostolic Era around 100 AD and the late 4th century apprx. 374 AD. State sponsorship helped the centralized hierarchy, to eliminate all who would disagree, but it did not impart the power to determine who receives the Holy Spirit, or to lay claim to the "right way" to worship God.
Acts 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
It is the indwelling Holy Spirit that identifies all Christians not a state monopoly. We were warned about not placing our trust in historic ancestry.
Luke 3:8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father." For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Amen!
It is foolishness to some and a stumbling block to others, but it is THE GOOD NEWS. God has reconciled us to Him through His Son. It can't be said enough. It only becomes complicated when we make it complicated.
The basic flaw in what you are saying is "the bishops who determined the canon". The bishops recognized the writings that were inspired and the inerrant Word of God. Christians during the preceding 275 years had already done the same. A group of Christians making a pronouncement did not all of a sudden change these writings from uninspired to inspired.
Also, where was your sister congregation from Rome during this process? How did Jerome know which books to include in his Latin Vulgate? He started his translation before any council had met.
Dream on. The NT was written pieacemeal and kept in churches, not distributed to the people. Are you just making up history as you go along?
Where does it say in the Bible the NT was received with the Help of the Holy Spirit?
IT: You’ve got to be kidding me.
First, I said "St. Paul is not the Bible," except for "Paulines" (aka Protestants); second, the Bible is not interpreted against St. Paul as the standard. Rather, St. Paul is interpreted against the Gospels as the standard.
Many religions contain some truth ("sporoi" or seeds, as the Greeks call it). That doesn't mean they are acceptable as truth.
I don't hold much (human teaching) as sacrosanct
Every human, including you, is "guilty" of human teaching. That is the first lesson in humility.
Since I became old I have mostly limited myself to engrams and intonations of Jesus words.. I can't seem to exhaust their content.. The metaphors are so rich and deep in meaning
Certainly seems that way, doesn't it?
I don't get the feel you are understanding me.. even though presentations are made from different angles.. But I understand you quite well..
What is there to "understand?" Understanding implies knowledge. It's your own concoction of beliefs. I can accept them as such, but no, I do not "understand" them.
***”[T]he Holy Spirit inspires, and the sacred author follows the Holy Spirit’s injunctions, utilizing his own human and imperfect ways to express the perfect message and doctrine of the Holy Spirit.
In this sense, we can understand possible imperfections in the books of the Bible, since they are the result of the cooperation between the all-perfect and perfecting Divine Author, the Spirit, and the imperfect human author.” ***
Very well said. No frogmarching involved here either.
***The Scriptures (at that time) by the RC were locked up in Latin (nobody understood latin but priests or the highly educated) locked up BY LAW in many/most places.. Some people were prosecuted for even having bibles or portions of bibles in latin.. i.e. Fox’s Book of Martyrs(googleable)***
The percentage of the population that was literate prior to Gutenberg was less than 10%. There simply was not enough manpower available to copy Bibles out by hand.
Fox’s Book of Martyrs is a propaganda hit piece; besides, the Church is not responsible for secular law.
With the manpower allocated to copying out the Bible, the Church decided that that manpower was best suited to producing the Bibles that they could in as accurate a form as possible in the language of the Church - Latin. Is there any doubt that the secular efforts to translate the Bible turned out highly inaccurate and misleading translations ie Tinsdale?
It is quite funny how what we consider to be educated people think that folks 500 years ago are exactly as educated and have as much wealth and leisure as folks today. We must look at circumstances and the times.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.