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 next big question will be can we have peace with the muslims if we withdraw our support for Israel.
Likewise, the U.S. will never withdraw support for Israel. Not because of religious convictions, but geopolitical realities. Would we give up Kansas? Would we give up West Virginia?
The U.S. will never "withdraw support" for Israel.
Where in Scripture is a believer condemned for failing to be baptized?
K: We’re already there.
Not even close.
K: George Bush has sent $500,000,000.00 to Fatah to buy the munitions to kill Jews.
These comments are where you lose all credibility. The money sent to the Palestinians is supposed to be used for humanitarian purposes. Has it been diverted, sure. However, it was never sent to facilitate killing Jews.
Tell me how do you pull the wavering Arabs towards civilization if you don't attempt to provide for humanitarian aid?
Is your answer to just kill them all, or is it to totally segregate ourselves from them?
It's terrible what's happened to Christians throughout the world at the hands of these terrorists acting in the name of a death cult. What is your solution? Anybody can criticize after the fact. Please be clear. I will try to respond reasonably, but if you can't then whine about America to somebody else.
$660,000,000 in one day paid out by the Los Angeles Archdiocese to settle sexual assault cases.
That amount of money is almost incomprehensible. And yet it was a two-day story and it's over.
When Husein Obama is Pres. and a Rat majority is in the House and Senate do you see us staying in Iraq. He is saying he's pulling out.
Likewise, the U.S. will never withdraw support for Israel.
That will be finessed with creation of a Palestinian State and a strong push for "the right of return".
Only one correction. It is not a pedophilia problem. It is a problem of predatory homosexuals within the priesthood. The victims were usually post pubescent boys.
No, your 'facts' are in error again.
$660,000,000 in one day paid out by the Los Angeles Archdiocese to settle sexual assault cases. That amount of money is almost incomprehensible. And yet it was a two-day story and it's over.
Deep pockets mean big settlements. What is incomprehensible is a person claiming to be a Christian taking so much joy in child molestation scandals.
Does the EO teach this or is this just your personal opinion? Because it sure isn't basic Christianity.
Our fallen natures have been quickened by the Holy Spirit to understand spiritual things, the things of God...
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." -- 1 Corinthians 2:9-16 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
"...the things of God knoweth...the Spirit of God..."
It seems you're missing something.
Maybe this explains the EO's fixation on the material world, and things like tactile icons and priests in long robes and jeweled hats. Too bad they're missing the fact that salvation is not material, but spiritual, which is the same error the Jews made.
"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." -- John 4:24
“These comments are where you lose all credibility. The money sent to the Palestinians is supposed to be used for humanitarian purposes. Has it been diverted, sure. However, it was never sent to facilitate killing Jews.”
Uh, wf, if you and I and virtually every other person FR could predict this, does that make George Bush the stupidist man on earth or one of the most evil?
“Tell me how do you pull the wavering Arabs towards civilization if you don’t attempt to provide for humanitarian aid?”
Your solution is for Americans paying $3.50 per gallon for gasoline and $4.00 per gallon for diesel to send money to the Mohammedans for “humanitarian aid”? You don;t really believe that do you, wf?
“It’s terrible what’s happened to Christians throughout the world at the hands of these terrorists acting in the name of a death cult. What is your solution?”
I’d start by not subsidizing them. Why do you suppose George Bush is subsidizing the killing of Jews and Christians, wf? Do you suppose that money and his father’s New World Order and the fact that a) the Saudis won’t play unless Bush arranges for subsidies to the Palis and b) The Church, as it has for 2000 years, stands in the way might have something to do with it?
You question my credibility. What shred of credibility does George Bush or his fellow travelers have left except among the Mohammedan killers of our friends and allies and perhaps a very few New World Order global capitalist/feudalists? The answer is none, wf.
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 8:1-9
First of all 260 reports among the many Protestant denominations is nothing compared to the scandal within the RCC. In our local RC parish five miles from my home, two priests were removed, tried and convicted of dozen of sexual assaults on minors.
And as we've shown over and over, those 260 reports of abuse are not exclusively among the clergy as in the RCC sexual abuse cases, but include members of the congregation, church and office workers and the janitorial staff.
The actual number of errant clergy is much less.
An orchard full of bad apples compared to an occasional orange.
There are two glaring reasons for this...
1) the Protestant clergy is married, unlike the RCC which demands an unhealthy and unnatural celibacy for its monastic clergy, thereby not only creating deviants, but actually drawing them to its doors.
2) Protestant churches have a system of checks and balances built within its organization, as Scripture instructs, so that errant clergy are not protected and shuffled from one unsuspecting church to another, but are immediately removed from the pulpit.
In great part the problem for the RCC resides in the diabolical fact that the RCC tells its flock these miscreants are "another Christ." We shouldn't be surprised tragedy follows in the wake of that hellish lie.
"But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." -- 1 Corinthians 8:6
Rent a DVD of the award-winning documentary, "Deliver Us From Evil."
It explains a lot.
The Jewish/Palestinian conflict has been going on for 60 years. Have you seen much change from 60 years ago to today?
Thanks for the correction. Of course, you’re right.
No one is taking "joy" in these scandals except perhaps for those who cover them up so religiously.
Watch the DVD. It is utterly heart-breaking. Not only are young boys' lives destroyed; not only do they become suicidal from the guilt and shame; not only do they become homosexual themselves due to this early deviant sexual influence; but whole families are torn apart. The parents of the abused children in this film lose their faith entirely because of the massive, cruel betrayal of the church in which they were baptized, confirmed, married, and finally, so thoroughly destroyed.
That’s your sickest post yet.
Yeah! How dare they steal your schtick!
"Another Christ."
Doesn't that bother you in the slightest?
I’m not going to wallow in your slop with you. I’m just hear to clearly label it.
Weren't the RC priests allowed to marry until around 1050 AD?
2) Protestant churches have a system of checks and balances built within its organization, as Scripture instructs, so that errant clergy are not protected and shuffled from one unsuspecting church to another, but are immediately removed from the pulpit.
The difference between a decentralized structure and a centralized hierarchy.
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