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."
***This doesn’t apply to everyone. The only tools are the disciples who will bring faith to others through their word (cf John 17:20). In other words, the Church and its clergy.***
If you would read the book of Acts, you see a multitude of people prophesying and teaching after they received the Holy Spirit. Not just the Disciples, but multitudes in various places. Barnabas, Stephen, Saul/Paul to name a few.
OK, good. Then that eliminates Peter from being the "rock" upon which the Church was built. If we agree that the rock was a person, then servants serve THAT person. The Pope serves Christ by serving the people who serve Christ, Who is the cornerstone upon which the Church of God was built.
“Go with God, my friend, and may He watch over you and keep you and bring you back to us in good time.”
Thank you for the very kind wishes my brother. Current forecasts have us turning south away from the really bad stuff after only 1 1/2 hours of driving or so. It might be OK.
God bless and thanks for the great conversation and friendship-
Bill
By whose authority? Anyone can claim having received the Spirit. But it could be a delusion too. Paul didn't even claim the Spirit. He claimed authority directly from Christ.
Enjoy your vacation with God's blessings.
Kosta, you’re too much for a Friday night... Have a good weekend.
I think it was somewhere in this long thread but I’m not certain . . .
I mentioned some connection between a researcher and the Vatican re UFO’s.
I’ve run across ONE of the links . . . the DISCLOSURE PROJECT video on UTUBE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vyVe-6YdUk&hl=en
a bit over half way through is Daniel Sheehan who has been General Counsel for the Jesuit Headquarters for the U.S. in DC. He was contacted by Marsha Smith of the Congressional REsearch Service. She asked him if he could gain access to the Vatican Library regarding UFO’s. The access was refused.
This is not the only Vaitcan connection with UFO’s that I’ve come across but it’s one of them.
I said somewhere in the thread that I’d post it when I came across it. Here it is.
But only one of several.
Is that because you can't show me where and when did Jesus "commission" every Tom, Dick, and Harriette to preach in His name just because they 'feel' the Spirit?
No, it’s because I was at work, making airplane parts :>)
Should you be reading FR while at work? :)
SSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(However, I am the manager :>)
And who decided that?
The argument has been made around here (I don't remember by whom) that none of the Apostles were true believers until Pentecost. While I'm not sure of that, if it is true, then Judas is certainly left out
It was probably me. I said they were followers before they became believers. They certainly didn't display the courage they displayed after the Pentecost.
I doubt that. I don't know how much you know about medicine, but there is something called shock from blood loss. Never mind the fact that Jesus was afterwards throwin in the dungeon and then crowned with thorns that caused additional bleeding (head bleed a great deal), and was shown chained standing all night long. Under such cirmcumstances (hypooxygenation, dehydration, hypovolemic and hypostatic shock) the kidneys and other organ functions would have simply shut down, FK.
Genesis 6:6 certainly seems to suggest just that! :)
Very Zeus-like.
We don't know to what extent others were tortured. What do we have for reference? A movie?
They pay you to surf the Net or to make airplane parts?
The idea that Luke's was the genealogy of Mary was invented in the 15th century. It's simplistic and it's very weak. The two genealogies agree (converge) on Shealtiel and Zerubbabel.
Also, female genealogies would be considered an oxymoron in the Middle East at that time. No inheritance came from the female bloodline.
Both genealogies claim Joesph is the father of Jesus. Acts 2:30, and 13:23 seem to suggest that Joesph was the father, as does Rom 1:3, 2 Tim 2:8, Heb 2;16 and Rev 22:16.
Both genealogies claim that Jesus is from the "see of David," and that can only be true of Joseph is the biological father.
The earliest Christians explained this discrepancy through Levirate marriage, which I am sure you are familiar with. At any rate, they considered both lineages to be of Joseph, but Joseph could only be Jesus' legal father and therefore Jesus would not be considered "anointed," and certanly not of any direct Davidic lineage, yet 2 Tim 2:8 states "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David..."
Lastly, the NT also reminds us to avoid lineages! (1 Tim 1:4, and Titus 3:9) maybe for a good reason! :)
Mary's line goes back to David's son Nathan
Nathan is insignificant. He had no direct claim to the throne, and being a "female" lineage it didn't count.
Lineage was simply a male inheritance.
SSSShhhh, keep it down. The guys think I’m working. :>)
Actually, I usually cruise during breaks and lunch, and before shift. I will make a swift answer every once in a while, when things are slow.
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