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Conclusion from Peru and Mexico
email from Randall Easter | 25 January 2008 | Randall Easter

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."


TOPICS: Apologetics; Ministry/Outreach; Religion & Culture; Theology
KEYWORDS: evangelism; mexico; peru; reformed; truth
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To: MarkBsnr; wmfights
You're still having trouble with the question, Mark.

What is the Gospel?

We all know there are four books written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that are called "The Gospels."

What is "the Gospel?"

701 posted on 01/31/2008 10:32:26 AM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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To: ScubieNuc

Er - “Rev. 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

“That’s why the Gospel of Jesus must be preached so that the unbelievers can hear the Spirit of God knock on their hearts door.”

Rev 3:20 is not an evangelical Scripture. The Lord is standing at the door of a church (the church of the Laodiceans), to see if anyone alive in Him is there. The context:

“15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”


702 posted on 01/31/2008 10:38:16 AM PST by Manfred the Wonder Dawg (Test ALL things, hold to that which is True.)
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To: Uncle Chip; fortheDeclaration
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine."

Amen. We are instructed to rebuke idolatry and lies.

That is why God refers to His word as a "sword" which He gives to separate error from truth.

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." -- Hebrews 4:12

703 posted on 01/31/2008 10:45:59 AM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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To: Lord_Calvinus

To me, I like the notion of co-operating with God to make myself, with His help, justified. After all, it all comes down to the notion of whether or not it’s “human” to sin.

Adam was not created to sin. This is classic, historic Christian teaching. It wasn’t until the “Reformation” that people started to teach about the “sin nature” and imply the “flesh is useless”. God forbid! Something God creates is “useless”?

No. God created Adam to be sin-LESS. Unfortunately, Adam succumbed to the temptations of the devil and sinned the first sin. This first sin, which we in the West call “Original Sin” stains not only the soul but also the human “nature”. Even though it’s washed away in Baptism, its affect on the soul and body remains. It ACTUALLY MAKES US, LESS THAN FULLY HUMAN.

This is why (or at least one of the reasons why) we, who believe in the Triune nature of God, say Jesus was “Fully Human”. He was (for one reason) fully human PRECISELY BECAUSE He did NOT sin. That’s also why He’s called the Second Adam. He was, what Adam was not: A fully human person because He didn’t sin, whereas Adam DID sin. Adam’s sin made him less than human. Jesus’ sinlessness made him fully human.

So, returning back to the differing notions of “justification” that the Church holds and Protestants hold, to me at least, the notion that God will help us become MORE human, not LESS human which is what we are when we sin, by co-operating with Him through our good works, this notion is appealing for what should be, IMO, obvious reasons.

Put another way, isn’t the promise that as long as we cooperate with God, we can be like Adam was SUPPOSED to be, appealing? That is, FULLY HUMAN, and not some subhuman creature who’s a slave to his sin. What a wonderful promise! How appealing that is! So much more appealing than some general, forensic promise of “Just say the Lord’s prayer and you’ll be fine. You can never be a TRUE human being, but hey, neither can anyone else, so quit worrying about it. Quit trying to strive for perfection, and just accept your lot in life.”

It is the desire of the heart (the Biblical heart here, not mere emotion but the entire being) to be something more, to have more, to desire the infinite. God created us like this so we would know Him, since He is the only one that CAN offer us this infinite we desire. And the desire to TRULY be like Him (vis a vis “sinlessness”) is part of this desire for the infinite. The only way that desire is fulfilled is through the promise the Church offers, not some shallow imitation thereof, that only says, “You can never be fully human; you can only be a shadow of what God ever wanted in the human being.”

Besides, we read in Revelation that “nothing unclean can enter Heaven”. A dung heap covered in snow is still unclean.


704 posted on 01/31/2008 10:50:22 AM PST by FourtySeven (47)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg; MarkBsnr; ScubieNuc; Quix; Lord_Calvinus; wmfights; HarleyD; Forest Keeper; ...
It saddens me when the ministry of the indwelling Spirit is understated. Of a Truth, if a man does not have the Spirit indwelling him, he is not one of Christ’s. Emphasis mine:

[There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace. Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. – Romans 8:9

To God be the glory, not man, never man.

705 posted on 01/31/2008 10:56:23 AM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: Religion Moderator; sandyeggo; Quix
Evidently the RM is excused from the rule about mind reading. Also, evidently the RM has been suckered by somebody complaining about a freepmail.

I would conjecture that I am being found guilty of conducting a flame war or participating in a flame war.("I have been made aware" -- did it come over the transom or what?) without being either notified of the charges nor being allowed to defend myself.

In the excerpt from what I wrote, there was NO mind reading. There was a generalization of observed behavior:If the target gives up, the S-E claims a victory. and an instance given:

(Note that When Quix announced the possibility of some vaguely defined absence from this thread, he invoked Divine Threats and Curses on any who might interpret his departure in any way that he might not like.)
This observation was based on the following statement made in post #485:
There are likely some who may tend to feel this action of mine is a definite sign of victory for their perspective or side or whatever. That would be a very serious error which they would likely seriously regret. But, that is their business between them and God.
Therefore I deny the charges of mind-reading and of "making it personal". Yes I confess to mentioning the name of the person who made the statement to which I referred. I don't think that's "making it personal"

Further, I deny the charge of participating, except as victim, in any flame war. If I ask a FREEPER not to post freepmails to me and he persists in doing so, then I participated the way Luxembourg fought with Germany in WWI, and in no other way. A few futile defensive shots fired, and then silence.

But, far be it from this bastion of liberty to allow me to confront my accusers, or even to know who they are.

My asking other Freepers for input on S-E was, sure, light-hearted. Sadism itself is far more complicated than I am making it out to be, and I am knowingly misusing the term.

But there are serious purposes here behind the joke: There are indeed a number of observable behaviors (no mind-reading involved -- just looking) characteristic of some of the Catholic but of a very great number of the posts of what might loosely be called the "Protestant side". (distinguo: a great number of posts, not a great number of posters) I have already characterized them. I want to collect examples so that I cold order them.

Personality Disorders and similar afflictions interest me greatly because they seem to enlist some of the organic causes of mental ill-health to a syndrome which is generally thought to be environmental or developmental in origin.

And their intractability and the length of time involved in the rare "cure" also interested me. As I said, there's a similarity between them and substance abuse.

SO I want data.

I also want to encourage anyone on either side who wants conversation instead of mutual abuse to avoid "Feeding" or enabling what I take to be the illness.

Yes, I enjoyed provoking some of the responses I got. When the bullies get stung, there's a certain satisfaction in it.

But when I consider what has been tossed my way the threats I am now receiving remind me of the young acquaintance of my daughter's who was suspended from school for defending herself from a groping attack by three much larger boys.

706 posted on 01/31/2008 10:59:42 AM PST by Mad Dawg (Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.)
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To: r9etb; Uncle Chip; fortheDeclaration; HarleyD; wmfights; Forest Keeper; ScubieNuc; ...
My religious affiliation is no secret at FR or elsewhere. You can go look it up, if you so desire.

Where would we do that?

I will admit to despising the term (Bible-believing Christians)...

Every time I've seen anyone ask you for your denomination, you refuse to give it, although you assure us you're "not a Catholic," and that you "despise the term, 'Bible-believing Christian.'"

Where on this forum do you tell anyone your church affiliation?

Because it's you who is arguing according to what you say you are not, rather than the rest of the Protestants and Catholics here who are arguing according to what they are. You have consistently dodged the question of your church affiliation every time it's been asked.

Are you ashamed of your church denomination, much the same as you think "Bible-believing Christians" should be ashamed for the "despicable" term they use?

707 posted on 01/31/2008 11:00:46 AM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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To: Lord_Calvinus
Sola Fide, the restoration of the Gospel back to the Church.

***Have a little more out of that bottle.***
It is the medicine to cure the Church of her blasphemy.

Question: Upon what grounds is a man justified?

In Luther's day, the answer began with God and ended with man. What he saw made him nauseated when he journeyed to Rome. But, the Lord used it to provide the Church with the cure in a "bottle." We are the Reformed and we have the cure for what ails the Church in Rome. We have the gospel....

Simul Iustus et Peccator
708 posted on 01/31/2008 11:03:42 AM PST by Lord_Calvinus
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To: ScubieNuc

Those present in the room received the Holy Spirit at that moment. Others have received Him later. Is this what you’re after?

God bestows His Grace upon us, giving us the gift of His Spirit. How can you believe if you have not received it? If that’s not what you’re looking for, could you please rephrase?

The Holy Spirit comes to us through baptism, or the laying on of hands. Infants do not have that belief, yet we introduce them to the Holy Spirit so that His Grace can begin to work on them. Older people may have an interest, but since faith is a gift, that gift must not only be offered (from God), it must be accepted (by the baptized).

Baptism is very much required. Please see http://www.scripturecatholic.com/baptism.html for a complete Scriptural proof.

Acts 10, Acts 16 and 1 Cor 1 are all ‘household baptisms’. One presumes that the infants were present in at least one of them. Scriptures do not forbid it, and, anyway, the early Church fathers wrote in support of its practice.


709 posted on 01/31/2008 11:07:14 AM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so.)
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To: Mad Dawg
I would conjecture that I am being found guilty of conducting a flame war or participating in a flame war

and

Yes, I enjoyed provoking some of the responses I got.

You convict yourself.
710 posted on 01/31/2008 11:08:03 AM PST by Religion Moderator
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To: Dr. Eckleburg
Where would we do that?

OK, I'll give in to your hectoring: I'm a traditional Anglican. I have posted as such on literally hundreds of threads. If I'm not mistaken, I have even made mention of it to you.

Now, Herr Inquisitor, I invite you to drop the topic.

711 posted on 01/31/2008 11:08:09 AM PST by r9etb
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To: Lord_Calvinus; r9etb; Dr. Eckleburg
I second the nomination of Dr. Eckleburg as Mistress High Inquisitor of all things Catholic.

As a good Presbyterian, I move for a vote.

As a Baptist, I object. We only like decentralized authority. We should all be Inquisitors.

712 posted on 01/31/2008 11:11:46 AM PST by wmfights (Believe - THE GOSPEL - and be saved)
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Comment #713 Removed by Moderator

To: Dr. Eckleburg

***MB: The Holy Spirit is beyond us.

Dr. E.: Oh, Mark, my heart grieves for you.

The Holy Spirit is alive and well and indwelling every one of Christ’s sheep, by the grace and purpose and mercy of God alone.***

I thank you for the sentiment. What I meant is that God is our Creator and we are His creatures. He is beyond us further than we are beyond rotifers. Your statement on the Holy Spirit is correct, by the way.

Your quotation of Luke is, as well. Congratulations on finding it.

***It’s the gift of Holy Spirit within us that even makes you want to knock at the door of Christ.***

Correct again.

***This is the expressed purpose of the Holy Spirit — to open our eyes and ears and give us a new heart and lead us in sanctification toward obedience and gratitude to Jesus Christ alone.***

And again.

***This was one of the primary goals of the Reformation — to restore the Holy Spirit in the church and in men’s minds to His rightful place as the means and method of men receiving God’s grace through faith in Christ.***

The primary goal of the Reformation was power. The Reformers restored the Holy Spirit nowhere; He does as He does and does not need permissions of men, especially those who would spurn His Church.

We do not understand God - in that way He is beyond us (unless you believe that you become God). But yes, He is there, holding out His gift of grace and the hope of salvation, if we would only receive it.


714 posted on 01/31/2008 11:17:53 AM PST by MarkBsnr (I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so.)
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Comment #715 Removed by Moderator

To: MarkBsnr; Uncle Chip; fortheDeclaration; wmfights
the establishment of the Church and its role are also ignored.

Heh, I'm a Presbyterian. I believe in the regulative principle of worship. I believe in the church of God on earth. And I believe God elected His family to that church because "even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved" -- Ephesians 2:5

And those whom He elected are found in a variety of churches which contain a variety of truth and error. Nothing's perfect save Christ.

I've sent you to the WCF of faith several times now, so you can see that we Presbyterians (and most Bible-believing Christians) agree that all teaching and doctrine must be founded upon the word of God alone.

As Uncle Chip and ftd said (both of whom belong to different denominations than I) the primary belief that unites all Bible-believing Christians is that they know and believe and hold most dear the truth that Christ has paid for every one of their sins, and thus they stand today acquitted and redeemed by their Saviour who gave Himself a ransom for all those who believe on His name, by the grace of God alone.

Any church that preaches that is on the right track.

716 posted on 01/31/2008 11:19:36 AM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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To: sandyeggo

So true.

Some own up to it.

Others do not.


717 posted on 01/31/2008 11:21:33 AM PST by Running On Empty ((The three sorriest words:"It's too late"))
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To: r9etb; Uncle Chip; fortheDeclaration; HarleyD; wmfights; Forest Keeper; Dr. Eckleburg
I knew you were gonna try to explain it all away. No dice.

Really? You read my mind? And yet in knowing what you think you did, you didn't give an explanation good enough to cover it?

Combined that with the fact that you don't have a denomination or wish to keep it secret, and that you give no explantion why indwelling of the Holy Spirit is different from the Holy Spirit 'knocking' on your hearts door, makes your postings very weak in substance, IMO.

If you really want your posts to be taken seriously, you would do yourself a favor by being open to your denomination and respond with more then "I knew you'd explain it away. Nope, you're wrong."
718 posted on 01/31/2008 11:32:19 AM PST by ScubieNuc (There is only ONE mediator between man and God....Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5)
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