Posted on 01/24/2008 8:01:22 AM PST by Manfred the Wonder Dawg
Subject: Report from Mexico
January 22, 2008 ESV Acts 17:16 ¶ Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.
We flew into Mexico City last night at about 11:30pm. It was amazing to behold a city of 30 million people. I have never seen that many lights in all my life. We had no trouble getting into the airport and on to the place that we were staying. While at the airport we were able to speak a word of the gospel to three different people.
Today we left at about 9:00am and headed across Mexico City to a homeless mission. There were approximately 200 people present for the church service. I preached on the “Rich Young Ruler†out of Mark 10. I got the distinct impression that the people were used to hearing a weak gospel that is followed by the typical raise your hand to be saved and walk to the front to accept Jesus. I was pressing the law of God on them and they started laughing. I showed them from the law that they were liars, thieves, and idolaters at heart and they laughed. I then told them that it was not funny and that they had offended the God of heaven. There seemed to be at least a level of conviction that began to fall upon the place and out of the 200 people there may have been one person who was moved by the Spirit of God unto conviction. Certainly there could be others who God spoke to, but I was only allowed to see the one man.
The situation here is drastically different than in Peru. The people in charge of ministry teach and practice all of the things that I have been completely against. They push for numbers and use weak methods to try to bring about results that only God can accomplish. Today I did not give an invitation, but the pastor later told me that 22 people got saved. Where did he get the authority to pronounce 22 people saved? There is no way possible for him to know whether or not God gave them a new heart. Only time will produce the evidence of whether or not there is biblical fruit that is lasting. The experience was a good one and I am glad that I went, but I was starkly reminded of why I hate a watered-down man centered gospel. There is no power in a gospel that plays upon the emotions of man by using the methods of men.
This afternoon we finally made it to Tepito. It was horrid. It was worse than Sullana. They are worshiping a female goddess who has the appearance of death. She had a skull for a head and it is very demonic. We shared the gospel with several individuals and then we went to the place where the first shrine for Santa Muerta is. There were hundreds of candles burning as offerings unto this pagan woman angel of death. People would offer cigarettes, money, pictures, tequila, chocolate candy, flowers, fruit, and whatever else they thought would work. Out in front of this shrine they had symbols on the ground that you could stand on. One symbol you could stand on would bring death on all of your enemies. Secondly, they had symbols that you could stand on that would bring purification. Thirdly, they had a symbol that you could stand on that put a curse on Christianity. I went into the shrine and started reading the gospel of John in Spanish and people began to make threats against us. We went back in later and begin to pray and ask God to be glorified and people began to surround us and we thought we were going to be beat up. The owner of the shrine was not happy and then a big burly guy showed up in a taxi and was showing off his tattoo of death and I think it was some type of threat upon us. However, God was gracious and provided protection for us and when we were through praying most of the people had moved back away from us.
I want to take a moment and write a few thoughts about the gospel. First, the gospel is a supernatural work of God in which he regenerates and thus enables men to be able to believe. Without regeneration there will be no turning of man towards God. Secondly, Jesus did not make it easy for people to get saved. The woman at the well had to leave a lifestyle of adultery. The adulterous woman had to leave her sin. The rich young ruler had to sell it all. Nicodemus was never led in a sinner’s prayer. Men were called to repent. Men are not called to go through some man-made method that will supposedly produce salvation. Men are never told to repeat a prayer in order to be saved. Thirdly, Jesus never reported numbers in order to make his ministry look better. Jesus actually had many people turn away from him because his teaching was too hard. Fourthly, the only method that has been left for the building of the church is the proclamation of the Word of God. Paul never mentions how that music program is supposed to be. Paul never mentions to Timothy or Titus anything about demographic surveys. Paul never tells Timothy or Titus how to report numbers to an agency. There are those who would reference Acts and the 3,000 that were saved, but you never find this as a common practice of the church, but rather a demonstration of the power of God in the birth of the early church. Fifthly, salvation is 100 percent God or it is nothing. If man plays a part in salvation then he will have something to brag about when he gets to heaven. However, the testimonies of Scripture are about God doing the saving and no man.
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."
Follow-up from Randall:
January 23, 2008
I typed fast so ignore all the errors please!
We went to the north part of Mexico City to view another place where Santa Muerta worshipers meet. The police donated land for them to build a place of worship. They built a 35 to 50 foot statue of Santa Muerta and they have church there on Sunday. They actually have written their own bible and they have a priest that preaches. They claim that Santa Muerta is their savior. The Catholic church does not like them because many followers of the Roman Catholic Church are leaving and going over to worship Santa Muerta. People are seeing real things happen by worshiping Santa Muerta. There is strong demonic influences with this thing. For example; a man worships SM and then ask her to kill some of his enemies and then they turn up dead. Word like this spreads. Perhaps someone ask SM to heal them and they get healed. This type of word spreads. Many people are getting nothing from Mary so they are turning to the demonic (although they do not think it is) to get help. SM is the angel of death in the book of Revelation.
I was able to share the gospel with a lady in the Catholic Church today. She spoke English. I asked her how she was going to get to heaven and she said, “By good works.” I told her that Jesus said there was none good. I told her our good works were like filthy rags. I pressed the law of God upon her and showed her that she had offended the God of heaven. She was very prideful and got really mad at me. She asked me what I was doing in her country. I told her that I did not like second hand information and that I wanted to see with my own eyes and hear with my own ears. I then proceeded to tell her that my eyes could now see her idolatry (we were sitting in St. Luke’s Cathedral) and I could hear her idolatry (she prays to Mary, Luke, other dead saints, and most of all to the Pope). I went back to Exodus 20 and showed her what God says about idolatry. I then went to the end of Revelation where the angel comes to John and he falls down to worship, but the angel says, “Do not do that but rather, Worship Him!” She eventually demanded that I leave and not talk to her anymore. I told on my way out with heartbrokenness that I did not want her to go to hell, but rather I wanted for her to repent and trust Christ alone for salvation. She said that I was a part of a sect and that she did not want to talk anymore.
Kenny was able to share with four English speaking people Wednesday night. He did real well. They were all Catholic. He shared with the older woman but the three teenage kids were really listening. One particular girl (who never spoke) was under conviction.
Praying TO the Pope? Yeah, that's a credible account (sarcasm).
You’re entitled to your own “reality”, of course. Think ye that nobody within the RCC prays to the person ya’ll call “the Holy Father”? Seems only natural to me.
I have no idea what that means. How many "realities" do you think there are? I know only truth and falsehood, and falsehood is not reality.
Christians are not entitled to bear false witness against their neighbors. For this author to pretend or imply that praying to the Pope is some sort of mainstream or acceptable Catholic practice is bearing false witness.
It's something I've never heard of, and I've been exposed to Catholics of all backgrounds. And you're completely entitled to believing anything you like as well, but it doesn't mean it's true.
Randall did not imply praying to the Pope was “acceptable Catholic practice” (if you mean by that - official doctrine). But how do you know whether or not a lot of RCCs do so?
“Randall did not imply praying to the Pope was “acceptable Catholic practice” (if you mean by that - official doctrine). But how do you know whether or not a lot of RCCs do so?”
I never heard of such a thing. Catholics do pray FOR the pope, as well as for all other clergy and for the church universal. Maybe your confusion stems from those prayers.
The man wrote: “and I could hear her idolatry (she prays to Mary, Luke, other dead saints, and most of all to the Pope).”
That’s a lie. Catholics do not pray to the pope. They pray for the pope.
Why do anti-Catholics lie so often?
You wrote:
“You’re entitled to your own “reality”, of course.”
No, actually no one is entitled to more than the ONE reality.
“Think ye that nobody within the RCC prays to the person ya’ll call “the Holy Father”?”
Exactly - no one in the Church - that I have ever heard of has ever prayed to the pope. Can you name anyone who does and says so?
“Seems only natural to me.”
It also apparently seems natural to you that there is more than one reality so your “natural” seems rather unnatural.
Because they have rejected the truth and as such are far more comfortable with lies and illusions. It's sad really, if you have to lie to make your point, is it really a point worth making? Pray for them.
Because reality is not a club that can be used to beat Catholics into leaving the Church.
“The man wrote: “and I could hear her idolatry (she prays to Mary, Luke, other dead saints, and most of all to the Pope).”
That’s a lie. Catholics do not pray to the pope. They pray for the pope.”
Since Randall did not say all - or many - Catholics pray to the Pope; only that this one woman did, how do you know if he’s lying? Nobody can prove a negative, which what you are declaring if you say this woman never prays to the man worshiped as “Holy Father” within the RCC.
Randall was in Peru as part of a team equipping pastors to preach and teach the Word of God. Mexico City was a stop-over on the way home, where Randall teaches and preaches and evangelizes to people in the US.
“You’re entitled to your own “reality”, of course. Think ye that nobody within the RCC prays to the person ya’ll call “the Holy Father”? Seems only natural to me.”
I think ye are off base there. Yea verily the truth of some becomes the stumbling block of others. It’s easier to believe what you want to believe instead of the truth.
Don’t tell Catholics what you think they believe.
Wasn’t the “Yea, verily, Yea,” from a Danny Kaye movie along with ye?
The Court Jester, of course. Remember the Knighthood ceremony at fast speed? Hysterically funny stuff!
He doesn’t focus on one group or another, as many who consider themselves Christians are not (according to Matthew 7:21 - 27 and Matthew 20:1 - 16, for example). I think that Joel Osteen’s church, for instance, is full of people who have a false assurance of their alleged salvation.
He proclaims the same gospel to whomever he comes in contact with - including me and others who know him well while we were together on a trip last summer.
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