ISRAEL MY BELOVED

Israel, My beloved, My chosen …

How often have we heard that phrase? How did we get to the point where we, as Christians, think unbelieving Israel is the Lord’s beloved, and chosen people? How did we get to the point where we are convinced that if we bless unbelieving Israel, we will in turn receive a blessing? We really need to meditate on this.

Believers in Jesus Christ, both Jew and Gentile, are the Lord’s chosen, the Lord’s beloved, and the true Israel of God. It is when we bless a believer that we are promised a reward. It’s Jesus, not Israel, that should be our focus. Jesus is being eclipsed before our very eyes.

Matthew 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

True Israelites …

Romans 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

John Wesley Commentary

“For he is not a Jew – In the most important sense, that is, one of God’s BELOVED people.”

True children of Abraham …

John 8:39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

Galatians 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

Abraham’s seed is Christ …

Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Do we really want to bless unbelieving Israel? Preach the good news to them, like Paul, Peter, and the others did. Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them.  If they believe, it will be the salvation of their souls.

HOUSEHOLD SALVATION?

Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

This verse is often interpreted to mean that if a person is born again, their household is promised salvation. In my Christian experience, many accept this as the correct interpretation of these scriptures. I heard a pastor once say that our families are promised salvation, so if a family member dies we are to believe by faith that they are saved, even if there is no evidence of salvation in that family member’s life. That is a false assumption. Our families are no different than anyone else.  They will only be saved if they heed the words of Jesus …

John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

Luke 13:3 … except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

DARK DAYS OF THE END TIMES “CHURCH”

The extent of compromise with Rome among professing “born again Christians” is phenomenal. Roman Catholicism is considered Christian, in light of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Consider the following facts …

Pope John Paul, when he was alive, consecrated his life to Mary …

“John Paul II’s apostolic motto was ‘Totus Tuus’ (‘totally yours’);

he borrowed the motto from the Marian consecrating prayer as found in ‘True Devotion to Mary’ by Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort.

The complete text of the prayer in Latin is:

‘Tuus totus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt’ (‘I am all Yours, and all that I have belongs to You’).”

(Wikipedia)

At Pope John Paul’s funeral …

“The cypress wood coffin was emblazoned with a cross and the letter “M” chosen by John Paul for Jesus’ mother, Mary.”

(PBS Online NewsHour, April 8, 2005)

Pope Benedict, speaking in Brazil, said …

“. . . the church leaders must halt a trend that has seen millions of Catholics turn into born-again Protestants or simply stop going to church.”

(Pope Assails Marxism and Capitalism, Victor Simpson, Associated Press Writer, Aparecida, Brazil, AP)

An excerpt from a post at the SOUL REFUGE blog regarding Pope Benedict’s words …

“Whenever I read something like this it really makes me wonder what is going on in Evangelical circles and it’s compromise with Roman Catholicism. The big crusaders work side by side with the Roman Catholic church and remain silent about their false teachings while the Pope has no problem speaking his mind. The Pope flat out told the bishops to halt the trend of people becoming born-again Protestants!

Where is the prophetic voice within the church today? How can they remain silent in times such as these? How can they sign documents such as the ECT (Evangelicals and Catholics Together) document of 1994 when statements such as the one from Pope Benedict XVI are made?

This warning from the Jewish apostle Paul is becoming clearer and clearer as the days grow darker and darker:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (1 Timothy 4:1)”

2 Corinthians 11:3-4 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Galatians 1:8-9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

REVIVAL

Uplifting post at Sola dei Gloria …

THIS IS REVIVAL!

 

WICKED TRADITIONS

I cried when I viewed this You Tube video of an Italian festival and procession in honor of Mary. My original intention was to post written material regarding a Marian (Mary) feast day that my father mentioned to me yesterday. But as I searched the internet for information, I came across this You Tube video, and it made me cry. As “they” say, a picture is worth a thousand words. These festivals, and processions, are really all one and the same. It’s only the name of the festival that changes. The name changes because each festival is a celebration of some particular event attributed to “Mary” the earthly mother of Jesus. She is referred to as the “Madonna” which means “Our Lady.”  This is idolatry, and something I have personally repented of.

“La Festa de la Madonna de la Croce” or “The Festival of Our Lady of the Cross” was celebrated in my father’s home town of Castellonorato, Italy. It was a festival he remembers, with fondness, which truly breaks my heart because these events are an abomination in the sight of the Lord. He told me he remembers an old woman who fell and broke her leg while walking in the procession. He said the woman fell because the pace was too fast for her, and she couldn’t keep up. He wondered why such a bad thing could happen during such a “holy” event.

For the past couple of weeks my father and I have been talking about his beliefs. He told me he was raised in “Rome,” meaning Roman Catholicism, and he cannot change. While I realize that the Lord is the God of amazing grace, I also know my father is currently in a very dangerous place spiritually. He is 91 and cannot say that the bible is God’s Word or that Jesus is the only way to heaven.

All this made me think of the ecumenism within the protestant “church” and the acceptance of Roman Catholics as brethren. I write this because I know that there are many born again Christians being deceived by this ecumenism, and for that reason many Roman Catholics will be denied a Gospel witness.  If you think Roman Catholics are already Christians, you won’t witness to them.  Discussions can go on ad infinitum, endlessly, but God will not be mocked, and many church leaders are going to be found with blood on their hands.

Born again Christian, please watch this …  You Tube video

And read the articles here …  A Signs of the Times Series 

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

Matthew 15:3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

Mark 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Mark 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.