EASTER

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Cathy

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Does it not demean the Name of Jesus, to associate His Name and His resurrection with such things as Easter bunnies, Easter eggs, Easter baskets, etc.? It surely does.

And why are Protestants embracing Roman Catholic holidays like Easter and Christmas?

This is mixing the Holy with the profane.

If we have come out of the Roman Catholic church, let us come out completely, not half heartedly, hanging on to remnants of the false religious system that the Lord has delivered us from. We are not to listen to our Pastors, but to the Holy Spirit… “who will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13)

An excerpt from my testimony…

“As I sought truth, I learned a biblical principle in 2 Kings 17:33-34. That principle is that the true God cannot be worshiped in our own way nor in an idolatrous way. If that’s what we are doing we are not worshiping the true God at all. It is mixture and is nothing more than a mongrel religion.

2 Kings 17:33-34 They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence. Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;

Matthew Henry Commentary:

Assemblies that worship God in spirit and in truth are the Israel of God; assemblies that either worship false gods, or the true God in a false manner, are the synagogues of Satan: though they may profess to be the only people of God, their profession is a lie.

MacLaren:

Divided worship

The religion of compromise or worldliness

This was the beginning of the Samaritan people, whom we find through the rest of Scripture even down to the Acts of the Apostles, retaining some trace of their heathen origin.

Gill:

Unto this day they do after the former manners,… the new colonies in Samaria doing after the former customs in their own land,

Pulpit:

This syncretism, this mixed religion,

they do after the former manners – that is, they maintain the mixed religion,

Galatians 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

AND PETER…

Posted on March 19, 2018 by Cathy

Many years ago I heard a sermon on the Bible verse below. The Pastor emphasized the words “and Peter”. The meaning of those words so touched my heart back then and still do today. “And Peter” … words filled with love and mercy.

Mark 16:7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

Barnes:

Tell his disciples and Peter –

It is remarkable that Peter is singled out for special notice. It was proof of the kindness and mercy of the Lord Jesus.

Peter, just before the death of Jesus, had denied him. He had brought dishonor on his profession of attachment to him. It would have been right if the Lord Jesus had from that moment cast him off and noticed him no more.

But he loved him still. Having loved him once, he loved unto the end.

As a proof that he forgave him and still loved him, he sent him this “special” message – the assurance that though he had denied him, and had done much to aggravate his sufferings, yet he had risen, and was still his Lord and Redeemer.

We are not to infer, because the angel said, “Tell his disciples and Peter,” that Peter was not still a disciple. The meaning is, “Tell his disciples, and especially Peter,” sending to him a particular message. Peter was still a disciple.

Before his fall, Jesus had prayed for him that his faith should not fail; and as the prayer of Jesus was “always” heard, so it follows that Peter still retained faith sufficient to be a disciple, though he was suffered to fall into sin.

O YE WHO ARE CALLED TO WANDER

Posted on March 15, 2018 by Cathy

Because of the widespread apostasy in the organizational Evangelical Church, these are wandering days for many of the Lord’s people.

“Faith’s Checkbook

Spurgeon

God is a Sanctuary

“Therefore say, Thus saith the LORD God; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a Little Sanctuary in the countries where they shall come” (Ezekiel 11:16).

Banished from the public means of grace, we are not removed from the grace of the means. The LORD who places His people where they feel as exiles will Himself be with them and be to them all that they could have had at home, in the place of their solemn assemblies. Take this to yourselves, O ye who are called to wander!

God is to His people a place of refuge. They find sanctuary with Him from every adversary, He is their place of worship, too. He is with them as with Jacob when he slept in the open field, and rising, said, “Surely God was in this place,” To them also He will be a sanctuary of quite, like the Holy of Holies, which was the noiseless abode of the Eternal. They shall be quiet from fear of evil.

God Himself, in Christ Jesus, is the sanctuary of mercy. The Ark of the Covenant is the LORD Jesus, and Aaron’s rod, the pot of manna, the tables of the law, all are in Christ our sanctuary. In God we find the shrine of holiness and of communion. What more do we need? O LORD, fulfill this promise and be ever to us as a little sanctuary!”

I WANT TO CRY…

Posted on March 10, 2018 by Cathy

Shopping at the grocery store this morning I struck up a conversation with a very sweet woman standing at the butcher counter next to me. The store just opened and certain of the meats were on sale. Italian sausage was one of the sale items and we began to discuss the quality of the sale item and how much we should buy to sample. I told her my Dad used to make homemade sausage with a funnel and she told me her Mom used to make homemade sausage with some kind of machine. Then we learned that we were both Italian and we both were born in Brooklyn. What a great conversation we were having! She told me she was 81 years old!

As we continued our conversation I reached into my purse for one of my little red and white Bibles. (It’s a Bible tract, but because it’s in the form of a little booklet people seem to hold on to these rather than toss them.)

I handed her the little red Bible and then the conversation changed to heavenly things. I told her I was raised a Roman Catholic and so was my husband. She said the Catholic Church never had us read the Bible. She told me that she prayed to God but didn’t get any answers so she prayed to Jesus and started getting some answers to her prayers. But then she said when she started praying to Michael, that’s when her prayers really started getting answered. I gently began witnessing the Gospel to her, and sharing some of my testimony.

When I started talking about the need to be born again her countenance changed. She said her son was born again, but that he returned to the Catholic Church. She seemed pleased with that. Not a good thing. I wish I had asked her what made him return. I didn’t think of that util after I got home.

I was happy to be witnessing. I love it when the Lord gives me an opportunity to witness. It happens so naturally. No striving at all.

But after I got home I felt really bad for this woman.

I think of the many times that the Lord puts these precious Catholic souls before me.

And I think of the evangelical preachers of our day who join with Rome and send people back to the Catholic Church for discipleship.

I want to cry.

Jeremiah 5:31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

Here’s a photo of the little red and white Bible (tract).