Did I Read That Correctly ?
October 28, 2007
Baptist Press is reporting
In August, the World Evangelical Alliance joined the World Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Pontifical Council in a dialogue at Toulouse, France, aimed at creating a code of conduct targeting “undue pressure” on people to change religions.
While the initiative affirms the “fundamental, inviolable and non-negotiable right” to spread one’s faith, delegates to a May 2006 gathering of the study group also called for religious people to “heal themselves” of the “obsession of converting others.”
Read complete Baptist Press post here.
We reported on this issue back in August, read it here.
Although we are very thankful that the Baptist Press is bringing this story to their readers, we think the response should be a little stronger.
Here is our Response:
World Evangelical Alliance, World Council of Churches, and Roman Catholic Pontifical Council lend us your ear. We do not recognize any of your efforts to stop the Gospel of Jesus Christ from being proclaimed to every tribe, tongue, nation, and kindred. If your gospel is the true gospel you have nothing to fear from others sharing theirs. However, if you are preching another gospel, be warned, Galatians 1:6-9 is upon you.
Galatians 1:6-9 (ESV)
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (emphasis ours).
We, like the apostle Paul, by necessity preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone we can.
1 Corinthians 9:16 (ESV)
For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
Visit Westminster Books for great deals on Christian books.
Posted in Evangelism, Missions, Roman Catholic Pontifical Council, World Council of Churches, World Evangelical Alliance
content rss
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Where is your brother?
You know the story. Cain envied his brother Abel. Cain envied Abel so very intensely that his envy exploded and in his fiery rage he slew his brother. Whereupon God asked Cain, “Where is your brother?” “How should I know? Am I my brother’s keeper? Do I have to look out for that “creep” who is so clueless and useless that he can’t look out for himself? He’s a shepherd. Let the shepherd shepherd himself.” (Lord Jesus forgive us.)
Paul a warning to the Gentiles about believers in the past.
Romans 1:21-27 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. (Paul writing to the Gentiles)
Is there more of this to come?
Cain’s envy; Cain’s hostility; Cain’s rage: lethal rage, murderous rage. Cain thought that by killing Abel he had gotten rid of Abel and everything about him. Cain had to learn that no human being ever gets rid of anther human being. Abel’s blood cried from the ground, the text tells us; Abel’s blood continued to cry from the ground. Abel’s blood kept on crying out long after Abel himself was dead. What did Abel’s blood cry? Revenge? Curse? Wretchedness?
People still envy; people still hate; people still rage; people still slay in the name of God — if not in deed at least in intent (and to God it’s all the same). The result? An inextinguishable cry: revenge? curse? wretchedness?
Anyone who attends to the news sees all of this illustrated every day. The world illustrates the truth of scripture ceaselessly. The world does? What about the church? We who are Christians constitute the church. We who are Christians know that the determinant of our lives is Jesus Christ our Lord. He makes us who we are; his truth, his light, his life and these make us who we are. And yet while Jesus Christ is certainly the major determinant, the minor determinant remains: Adam, Eve, Cain, and so on. In other words, we must always be alert to the spirit of Cain in the church. We must be quick to identify Cain as soon as Cain insinuates himself here, with his envy, hostility, rage, and murderous heart.
Jude verse 3;> Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. When this was written there was no corporation of Churchs with any goverment.
Notice this verse 4
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (RIGHT IN THE CHURCH) (We were warned!!By Jude, Paul, and Peter these things would be.
People that are teachers of the word should be realistic when they caution believing people against that carelessness which naively thinks that Cain’s spirit could never infiltrate the church. We all know what can arise within any congregation. Have you ever murdered any one with your words?
2 Peter 2-3 1But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
Galatians 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. (Jesus said in vain they do worship me.) (Lord help us.)
James 4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. KJV
Proverbs 25:9 Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:
Galatians 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
Paul sums it all up for us as we endeavour to avoid victimizing each other here with A Cain-like spirit: “Don’t bite, devour, and consume one another.” If we begin by provoking each other, we shall end by biting, devouring and consuming each other. If we speak evil against one another, if we disclose each other’s secrets, we shall certainly bite, devour and consume one another. Sometimes we worry about Christians today. But thats not our job. “The blood of Abel isn’t the last cry to be heard; the blood of Jesus is.”
I can hardly write and spell english. It would be easy to confuse me. When the white man came to this land there were over 2000 Indian Languages, now only a few.
I have often wondered why the Hebrew language is written or begins from the back of the book in-sted(?) from the front as in western world people read. (Any one have any thing on this?) And I wonder if Hebrew was one of the confused language. Historically, “Hebrew” is a term denoting a late form of Canaanitish, associated with the nation of Israel, descendants of the patriarch Jacob, renamed Israel. The forms of speech we know of in the Bible are from centuries after Abraham.
That speech form is considerably different from any language spoken in Abraham’s time in Babylon, or likewise in Haran (what is now eastern Turkey), where according to the Bible story Abraham’s father (Terah) had moved the family before Abraham received the call to go to Canaan.
The greater part of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, sometimes called “the language of Canaan” (Isaiah 19:18) or “the Jews’ language” (Isaiah 36:11). It probably developed from the old Hebrew spoken by Abraham in Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 14:13) and a number of scholars believe that this old Hebrew pre-dated Abraham and that it was the “one language” and “one speech” of pre-Babel times (Genesis 11:1). In other words, they believe it was the original language of man.
Isaiah 19:18 In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD Almighty. One of them will be called the City of Destruction. NIV
Isaiah 36:11 Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.” NIV.
Genesis 14:13 One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. NIV (Or a relative of Abram.)
Genesis 11:1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. Was this Hebrew? I don’t know.
Jude 11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying (NOTE> FOR MONEY) of Core. 12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
This is why we have to HANG ON TO JESUS!!!
Mark 16:15-20 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Malachi means messenger of God.” This is the last book in the old testement the protestant movement believes is inspired as scripture. The so called Aprocryphal books are not they say. I wish some very inspired men would write the whole bible again in and by the Spirit” Just for my sake”. This doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit don’t speak to us. (Thank about it four hundred years with out a word from God? (From Malachi to John & Jesus) We need a word from Jesus!! I’am getting old better hurry up, before soon we will be gone.
Jude 17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. (Sounds like if you dont have the Spirit you will go your own way.)