Hey, there's probably good money to be had for that brain...
AND the nose!
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."
Hey, there's probably good money to be had for that brain...
AND the nose!
But a cute slacker, nonetheless.
Amen, FK! Keeping ‘em honest.
LOL!!!! Of course, once modified accordingly, I might be exactly right for the RCC.
As a young Army officer (years ago), we joked that one had to get a frontal lobotomy in order to make major (O-4). We lieutenants would say, “I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy!”
From eBay: "We never know when another of these rare relics will turn up again, and then after months of waiting, one or two arrive from one of the convents we work with in Peru. These little skulls were placed on a nun’s rosary as an ever present reminder of their mortality. You could say they were used to help focus when a nun was in silent prayer or meditating.
To attach the skull to the rosary, a hole was drilled through the top of the skull down to its base. Then a doubled up silver wire in the shape of an up side down "U", would be inserted to make a bail on the top of the skull. Our previous auction winners have had their dentists drill the hole, as these have been in storage at the convents museum annex and have never been used.
These pieces are each made of carved bone and are 200 or more years old. We were only sent a few for auction and then there will be no more.
The one you are bidding on 3/4 inch from the top of the skull to the chin. The carving is exceptional and the patina original to the piece."
But hurry, the bidding closes on 13 May!
The OT is not a complete revelation, but it is vital to understand what God wants us to understand. It DOES teach faith in the correct God. Everything that was revealed was in God's own time and by His design. You can't throw out the OT because it's not the NT. Billions of people don't believe in the NT so does that mean we should throw that out too? :)
The early Christians venerated the bones of the Saints
We can trace back veneration of relics and symbols to the earliest of Christians,like the ones who admired the life of Saint Polycarp-who was a Disciple of Saint John. They even brought the bones in as reminders.
“We took up his bones, which are more valuable than precious stones and finer than refined gold, and laid them in a suitable place, where the Lord will permit us to gather ourselves together, as we are able, in gladness and joy and to celebrate the birthday of his martyrdom.”
(The Martyrdom of Polycarp, dated to about 150 AD.)
Saint Jerome also wrote..
“We do not worship, we do not adore, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to the creator, but we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the better to adore him whose martyrs they are. (Ad Riparium, XXII)”
And you trusted This Blessed Saint during Bible Canon. Correct?
The calvinists venerate the mind of John Calvin and his own personal scriptural interpretations as if he were some prophet.Thus elevating calvin above the Saints and the Martyr's who gave their life for Christ and His Church
Here is what Calvin's favorite Saint said...
From Saint Augustine..
“If a father's coat or ring, or anything else of that kind, is so much more cherished by his children, as love for one's parents is greater, in no way are the bodies themselves to be despised, which are much more intimately and closely united to us than any garment; for they belong to man's very nature.” It is clear from this that he who has a certain affection for anyone, venerates whatever of his is left after his death, not only his body and the parts thereof, but even external things, such as his clothes, and such like. Now it is manifest that we should show honor to the saints of God, as being members of Christ, the children and friends of God, and our intercessors.” Saint Augustine(De Civ. Dei i, 13
I'll bet you have no problem with the pagan goddess lady liberty that stands in NY harbor that people venerate in the name of freedom?
FK: It's true we probably wouldn't come to Christianity as we know it, however, we could have still come to salvation as the OT righteous knew it.
Kosta: Then why was Christ necessary?
Christ was necessary to die for our sins. The OT righteous were saved only because Jesus DID come. I thought you were referring only to the text of the NT, as opposed to the events of the NT. It was absolutely necessary for Jesus to come as He did.
In fact there are dozens of examples, especially in 1 Peter, where the suffering of Christ is the way we must follow, but of course this part of the Bible is overlooked for practical purposes...
Good scripture and I completely agree. Anyone calling himself a Christian who never suffers for Christ has something to worry about.
***The fact is the OT does not lead anyone to believe in a Christ-like God, otherwise the Jews would have accepted Christ as their Messiah.***
You’d have to try really hard NOT to see Christ in the Psalms, Kosta.
“You’d have to try really hard NOT to see Christ in the Psalms, Kosta.”
I think I agree, Kosta mou! And beyond that, the Psalms are in many ways a sort of spiritual playbook for theosis. In the interests of full disclosure, I add that the Psalms are my absolute favorite book of the OT.
Interesting article. The pope dresses up as Santa and bargains with bones that “exude manna”. You can’t make this stuff up
Yes, even early Christians were susceptible to pagan influences. Most rid themselves of this foul practice, by the grace of God.
The calvinists venerate the mind of John Calvin and his own personal scriptural interpretations as if he were some prophet.Thus elevating calvin above the Saints and the Martyr's who gave their life for Christ and His Church
Nope. Calvin is one among the saints of Christ, by the grace of God alone.
If a father's coat or ring, or anything else of that kind, is so much more cherished by his children, as love for one's parents is greater, in no way are the bodies themselves to be despised, which are much more intimately and closely united to us than any garment; for they belong to man's very nature."
LOLOL. You're taking those words of Augustine's to mean that he was here instructing us to venerate relics!?!
From those words it is clear Augustine is simply saying we should not hate our earthly bodies because our bodies are from God.
Remember Augustine wasn't the pent-up monastic Rome still encourages to this day.
By the indiscriminant use of the quotation marks it looks like the rest of what you wrote is merely someone's comment about what Augustine said, and not his own words. Confusing, to say the least.
I'll bet you have no problem with the pagan goddess lady liberty that stands in NY harbor that people venerate in the name of freedom?
I've never seen anyone kneeling in prayer to the Statue of Liberty or praying to her for intercession, as Rome instructs its members to do in defiance to the word of God...yet again.
Good grief. They have no shame.
You could say they were used to help focus when a nun was in silent prayer or meditating.
lol. Right. Nuns suffer from so much distraction. All those tickle-fights. And the ironing never stops.
Apparently they can. 8~)
"The cross is empty! Praise God! We have no need of earthly relics. Our only need is Christ risen."
"papal temporal power." [excerpt]
Good grief. What’s next? Poor St. Nick...
That’s what I ate for supper last night...oh dear.
I’ve wanted one for years. Nothing like wearing a skull to keep you focussed.
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