Posted on 01/26/2018 1:04:07 PM PST by GoldenState_Rose
We are in a time of the first ever mass conversions of Muslims,” Father Mitch Pacwa SJ told me in a phone interview. “God is doing a mighty work among them.”
Pacwa said that mass conversions are happening even in very fundamentalist countries. There is rapidly growing number of conversions especially on the edges of the Muslim world in the western and southern parts of Africa, he said. “Africa is now growing predominantly Christian despite crackdowns,” Pacwa said.
Some of the noteworthy countries he mentioned include Iran, reported to have 3 million Christians, and Indonesia with reports of 2 million a year converting.
“In Mongolia, the president opened the country to Christians and there’s even an archbishop,” Pacwa said. “They built a Catholic school there too. If I was younger, I would have gone.” He said that the desire for a Western education was the impetus to open up the country to the Catholic Church.
There are even conversions happening in many strict Muslim countries, according to Pacwa. He did not want to go on record with particulars for fear of increased retribution. Mass conversions are also being reported among refugees that are filling up the Christian churches left empty by Europeans. Many wonder if those are authentic conversions or just a response to improving their chances for amnesty, but time will tell.
Signs of this conversion are showing up in the U.S. too, Pacwa said. “I was about to celebrate Mass at a Maronite church in San Diego and I said hi to a man who introduced himself as Achmad. I asked if he was a Christian. He said: ‘Yes, I was recently baptized.’ He said he from Morocco. Christians do not have the name Ahmad—that’s a form of Mohammad.”
(Excerpt) Read more at ncregister.com ...
I had exactly the opposite experience. I was led out of the catholic church by the Navigators. They, along with many others, have tons of stuff, to help in substantive guidance for living.
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Same here.
Now, on the other hand, I think most true Christians do NOT avail themselves of resources out there, for growth and practical Christian living. Don’t ask me why. I have no clue why they don’t. Many are woefully unprepared to deal with the cults, for instance, and some are swayed by every wind of doctrine. The Navs made sure we were GROUNDED in the Word, plus I was a voracious reader. They didn’t want any false doctrines getting by us.
You are correct sir. I would know, I used to be one. I am amazed at how some practically twist themselves into a pretzel with their hair splitting, word parsing semantics, to justify necromancy.
Are you saying this was your experience before converting to Roman Catholicism or as one of the reasons for your conversion?
Not to mention the profound lack of substantive guidance for living AFTER salvation;
Other than a focus on trying to keep the 10 Commandments I don't see much on how to live a Christian life from Roman Catholicism.
I do think churches can do a better job on this aspect of Christianity.
For me personally I use Proverbs and Psalms as a source of daily guidance. Proverbs 3 is especially good for a day-to-day application of how to live our lives. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians are also very good.
I incorporate a study of the Scriptures along with prayer in my walk with Christ.
You know....you've given me a good idea for a project to work on. God does indeed work in strange ways.
Maybe it’s because most people who call themselves Christians aren’t and so aren’t interested in the spiritual growth.
It was a major contributor for losing my fear of investigating the Catholic Church.
Other than a focus on trying to keep the 10 Commandments I don't see much on how to live a Christian life from Roman Catholicism.
That’s because, with the Bible as the only frame of reference, many don’t even know what questions to ask. If it’s not “lyin’, cheatin’, and stealin’” they don’t recognize in any tangible sense the wickedness and damnable nature of other less overt sins. When was the last time you heard a sermon on avarice, the various guises of pride, wrath as opposed to anger, scrupulousness?
In many cases, God is blasphemed by the pagans because the “born again” are so enthralled with their salvation, they pay no mind to any wickedness or sin that’s not specifically condemned in the Bible.
If you’re going to rewrite everything I post, there’s no need for me to write anything.
It's going to depend on the church you're in. If it's an evangelical church you're more likely to hear that....thought it's not a guarantee.
I see the posts by salvation from the Msgr. Some are very similar to what you would find in a non-Roman Catholic church.
I will agree though, that a number of the mainline non-evangelical churches, are preaching a watered down version of the Gospel. A lot of emphasis is placed on how to have a happy life with little discussion on sin. Joel Olsteen comes to mind in this regard.
I believe if you ask God for direction and conviction in this area, He will show you the Truth. Based on my own experience He is very faithful to answer those questions.
Why do you assume a “sufficient” book is required?
If a book were all that’s needed, there’d be no reason for anyone to teach anything but reading.
God answering is not the problem; the ease with which we can ignore his answers, is. And God’s “style” has always been to leave you to your own devices when you ask but don’t listen.
None of which the believer can’t get out from under with a clear conscience by interpretation, changing churches, or ignoring the guidance of the Holy Spirit (it’s not like He sends us an email, and He sure doesn’t tell others when we choose to ignore Him.).
Christ Himself said some seed springs up quickly and then dies out. He says to gather the wheat with the tares at the end of the age.
But that’s not the Salvation Revisionists teach! Sure, they acknowledge that Christ said it, but it’s and internal contradiction to their theology of salvation, so it gets treated as a mysterious curiosity rather than a confutation.
If turned into an idol-- a rival of God --- big problem. If not, no problem.
Nor am I defending them.
They are as wrong as Rome... except, Rome doesn't teach the Biblical path of salvation.
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Yes, always understood.
But that is exactly what the various factions of the very divided “catholic church” have each done in their own way. (and not just the catholic church, but also a significant part of the “protesting” church)
Yeshua never authorized a human corporation called a church. He expected his followers to join his ancient Kehillah.
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>> “so much so that the “he must not have been saved in the first place” lament known to all “born again believers” is an unrecognized refutation for everything they profess and preach about salvation. <<
>> “Disagree, FRamigo.
Christ Himself said some seed springs up quickly and then dies out. He says to gather the wheat with the tares at the end of the age.” <<
How do both of you not recognize that you conflate the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is given to all that seek it, with Salvation, which is not yet given?
Peter and Paul deal with this very real fact in their epistles, but most professing “believers” ignore it.
Both Peter and Paul state that one can turn away from the HS at any time, and turning back to the gift afterward is impossible. (2Peter, Hebrews)
You cannot have an iron clad guarantee of keeping what you do not yet have! Stop reading so selectively and the problem will go away.
People throw away their chance at their eventual salvation all the time.
The Bible was never intended to teach a path to salvation. That it can is part and parcel of what the Revisionists desired to establish in their goal of keeping Christianity, while getting out from under Rome.
And yet it does and Rome teaches a syncretic paganism sacramental system...
That it can is part and parcel of what the Revisionists desired to establish in their goal of keeping Christianity, while getting out from under Rome.
Christianity didn't start under Rome, nor did the Apostles teach at least half of what Rome teaches.
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