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."
The truth simply, plainly stated tends to be sooooooo
upsetting.
Oh, fret, fret, pout, pout . . . flail, flail . . . oh, dear me . . .
Evidently, some of the RC edifice camp have failed to notice . . .
OTHERS OF US
do NOT agree with
1. the rubber history construction on reality
2. the rubber Bibled construction on reality
3. the rubber dictionary construction on reality
4. the rubber logic perspective on reality.
Restating the RC magicsterical construction on reality just doesn’t add anything to our awareness. It certainly doesn’t add anything to the dialogue.
Revisionist histories are the playpens of tyrants.
They aren’t holy.
They aren’t rational.
They aren’t constructive.
They aren’t helpful.
They aren’t Godly.
They aren’t Loving.
They aren’t useful.
HINT.
We don’t believe that to any degree in any way, shape or form.
We find ZERO evidence for it in Scripture and in history.
DEAL WITH IT . . . and, it would be better done WITHOUT pontifical haughty diatribes.
RC’s have not the faintest corner on ABSOLUTE TRUTH.
DEAL WITH IT.
I’m with you, my brother. First time I heard Truth, it riled my flesh. Still does. For no flesh can inherit the kingdom. ta-ta- for now, oops - for eternity!
Peace like a river from the grace of God, poured out on those He chose to save and who repented and cried for mercy, heaping the sins of man on the One Who had no sin and RAISING HIM FROM THE DEAD! so we would know there’s hope of life eternal.
To Him and from Him and for Him are all things. Jesus is the great creator and redeemer of men. The mighty victor over death and sin and spotless Lamb of God. All blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be unto Him for ever and ever.
Interesting request. Some are reportedly working on that.
From my perspective, the RC’s and former RC’s I’ve known who would assert such are all graduated from this life.
But, my Mary Knoll colleague in China asserted that there was a percentage of RC’s who fell into such silliness.
Now wm, leapards do not change their spots.
If you go around expecting fierce RELIGIONISTS who are in love with and worshipping their RELIGION vs God . . . if you go around expecting such folks to . . . be willing to leave the focus of their devotions . . .
why, that would be expecting modern day miracles!
Pentecostals can expect such . . . oh, maybe you’re not a Calvinist?
LOL.
Well done.
Sorry the thread got hijacked so quickly.
Quite sporting of you to carry on.
As though the Maryolatry threads were NOT the opposite????
LOL. GTTM.
Weeeeeeeee are merely presenting truth! LOL.
Once someone, anyone, crosses the line into idolatry, they cease to be Christian, no matter what church or community membership notwithstanding.
Been there plenty of times.
The flesh is always riled by truth it has not become broken on, broken by, broken under . . . to the point of digestion and becoming one with THE TRUTH.
I’m not quite that harsh.
God is merciful to all of us.
I have yet to be a part of any congregation thorougly FREE of idolatry.
Some are just more overt about it.
Indeed - only a proud fool would claim to have tamed his flesh. Of course, John would call him a liar - he who says he is without sin.
As has been said many times - better to broken on the Rock of Christ’s Truth than be crushed underneath it on judgment day.
PRAISE GOD. MAY HE ALONE BE GLORIFIED.
THX.
Even James Arminius didn’t believe Christians could lose their salvation. ‘tis a pitiful savior that can’t securely hold on to his own. But it’s also true that a truly converted person would turn from idolatry, growing more and more aware and broken over his rebellion against almighty God.
More likely that those given to idolatry as Randall described are not in Christ. It is, after all, a narrow gate and broad is the path to destruction. That second one is much easier to find and is the only one man can find without the work of the Holy Spirit.
The closer you get to the third world the more pagan Catholicism becomes. (Or does it appear less pagan the closer you get to middle class America?) You don't need to leave the States, just go into any of the missions built by the conquistadors and you'll see it first hand.A prime example is the Mission San Xavier del Bac on the Tohono O'odham reservation South of Tucson. It is downright morbid inside.
With GOD anything is possible.
Luke 18:27 ..."The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
Would I do what? To tell you the truth I'm not looking for debate; I was just curious to see what you had in mind. (IOW, I wanted to see if you objected to the Church with other things than the usual: "Mariolotry, 'Call no man Father', 'tradition of man=bad', etc" stuff.) I like to, on occasion, "check my facts" by enquiring about objections to the Church, to ensure I haven't missed anything. If I had, if you had something new, I probably would have continued along such lines, but if not, again, it would've been just a point of curiosity.
We just finished a heated discussion about Mary, we could start there.
I didn't think our discussion (between me and you only) was "heated". It's apparent you show reverence to the Holy Mother (at least that was my impression) and really, that's all Catholics do anyway. Simply because we show reverence in physical ways shouldn't be a sticking point, but apparently it is for some. But again, as far as you and I go, I had no problem with your position on Mary; I doubt any Catholic would either (at least the posts you directed toward me).
So in conclusion, do you have any kind of list of "Biblical objections" to the Church? Again, I'm curious.
OH, I'm sorry I just understood what you meant by this question.
It would have to be very very very strong evidence at this point in my life. I've had numerous people claim to me, "I can show you, from Scripture, how the CC is wrong", and each time I check their facts, I find how there is a perfectly reasonable explanation as to how they are wrong, and the Church is right. I can't tell you how many times I've wasted my time checking up on such claims.
But that doesn't mean I don't remain open; and it doesn't mean I'm not still willing to check a claim. OTHER than the usual pabulum I described above of course.
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.