THE GOSPEL CALL – A Poem

THE GOSPEL CALL

Lord, you are the rock on which I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand,

You are the Savior of my soul,

The only One that makes me whole.

* * *

You are the One who made me see,

To you alone I bend my knee,

To you I go for rest and peace,

In your presence my sorrows cease.

* * *

Sweet Jesus tis to you I pray,

To give me strength for each new day,

And when my life is said and done,

To you I’ll go, the battle won.

* * *

There’s none upon this fallen earth,

Can give your precious soul new birth,

The Spirit and the bride, they call,

Come to the Lord, the Gospel call.

Cathy White 2022 ©

Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Matthew 7:24-27 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

WHY SHOULD GOD LET YOU INTO HEAVEN?

REMEMBERING MY DAD

Remembering my dad…

My father first heard the Gospel when he was in his 70’s. He did not respond favorably because he did not like the conflict and division it caused within the family. My father was born in Italy where almost everyone is Roman Catholic. He told me he had never before heard the things that we were telling him from the Bible. Even so, he took the Bible we gave him and began reading. I don’t know how far he got but I do remember that he said 1st and 2nd Timothy were “perfect”. I’m not exactly sure what he meant, but it was definitely encouraging he hear him say that. I also remember that he liked the hymn “How Great Thou Art”, a hymn he learned when my husband and I did Sunday services at the nursing home.

My father had an autoimmune disease that left him with bloody blisters on his body. When we prayed for healing the Lord mercifully healed him. The nurse’s aid who took care of him was a Christian woman, and she said his skin had become smooth like baby skin! He also had a stroke that confined him to a wheelchair, and Parkinson, and later dementia. He would vacillate on what he believed and that was discouraging. My father never said the words I wanted so badly to hear… “Don’t worry about me, I’m saved, and I will go and be with the Lord when I die. I’ll see you again on the other side.” He never said that. Oh, how I wanted him to say that, but he didn’t. The Lord gave me such an intense love for my Dad in his latter years. It was truly a work of the Holy Spirit in my heart. I remember holding his warm hand and being glad he was still alive but also sadly knowing that soon he would be gone. My father heard God’s Word until his last unconscious dying hours. On a Sunday night in March 2010, a few short hours before my 93 year old father entered eternity, my husband was quoting Scripture to him. And that’s how it ended.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

***

As I sat with my father and observed how feeble he had become my mind went back to earlier days when we were younger. Those days were not trouble free, but there was time left to live out life. More importantly, there was time left to seek the Lord. As I sat there and pondered these things, the words “days of wine and roses” came to my mind. I looked up the meaning and I found they described a period of happiness and prosperity. Thinking on these things, I wrote this poem shorty before my father died. I recited this poem at my father’s funeral.

DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES

The days of wine and roses,
They have been called by the world,
But we as Christians know that,
Just like flowers they unfold.

The days are just a vapor,
Oh, if we had only known,
So fanciful and passing,
In vanity they were sown.

The days of wine and roses,
Cannot have them back again,
And even if we could have,
Would we choose as we did then?

Lord please cleanse these our vessels,
With new wine and with your blood,
Please change our hearts forever,
By your Spirit’s cleansing flood.

The days of wine and roses,
Seemed to us a sweet sweet song,
But like the flowers fading,
The wind blows and they are gone.

The only wine of value,
Is the shedding of Christ’s blood,
The only rose enduring,
Rose of Sharon, our beloved.

Cathy White 2010 ©

I WANT TO CRY…

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). 

 

 

PRAY FOR THE SALVATION OF THE NEW ROMAN CATHOLIC POPE FRANCIS

So true …

Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Pray For The Salvation Of The New

Roman Catholic Pope Francis

by WF White

A Fox News article reported that the brand new Roman Catholic Pope Francis held his first Mass inside the Sistine Chapel in Rome. The new Pope, like many other Catholics is dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

“After becoming the first pontiff from the Americans, Francis had told a crowd of some 100,000 people packed in rain-soaked St. Peter’s Square just after his election that he intended to pray Friday to the Madonna “that she may watch over all of Rome.” [Pope Francis holds first Mass with cardinals inside Sistine Chapel, FoxNews.com March 14, 2013]”

As a former Roman Catholic, I also was dedicated to praying to Mary until I was truly born again of the Spirit, through faith in Jesus Christ. After I got saved, I immediately got rid of my Rosary beads, miraculous medals and scapulars and I focused my prayers to God, through Jesus Christ! I used to be very religious but I was very lost, and that is the situation that the new Pope and his followers find themselves in. Please pray for the salvation of Pope Francis, that he may repent of the idolatry that is rampant throughout the Roman Catholic system. Here is another excerpt from that Fox News article.

Like many Latin American Catholics, Francis has a particular devotion to the Virgin Mary, and his visit to the basilica was a reflection of that. He prayed before a Byzantine icon of Mary and the infant Jesus, the Protectress of the Roman People.

“He had a great devotion to this icon of Mary and every time he comes from Argentina he visits this basilica,” said one of the priests at the basilica, the Rev. Elio Montenero. “We were surprised today because he did not announce his visit.” [Pope Francis holds first Mass with cardinals inside Sistine Chapel, FoxNews.com March 14, 2013]

The Bible makes it clear that there is only ONE mediator between God and man and that is Jesus Christ.

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1 Timothy 2:5)

When the Lord’s disciples asked him how to pray, Jesus told them to pray “Our Father” not “Our Mother”.

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. (Luke 11:1-2)

The Bible tells us that the true believers have ONE father and he is in Heaven, not over in Vatican City in Rome. If you are following after the “Holy Father” Pope Francis you are in complete disobedience to the word of God. Jesus Christ said this:

But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. (Matthew 23:8-10)

Beware my friends because there are many wolves inside the so called Protestant Church, who are not real Christians. They are simply “tares” who are going to be exposed on judgment day. They are smooth talkers who can coax, and persuade a crowd at the drop of a hat. They are very good at what they do. They are merely patsies for Rome, and they can talk the “Christian lingo” but they are not for real. I am speaking to you as a former Roman Catholic, who was formerly in deception, just like the millions of other Catholics in the world today. Jesus Christ said this:

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (Matthew 7:15)

The Jewish apostle Paul said this:

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. (Acts 20:28-30)

Jesus Christ said this about the last days:

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (Matthew 24:4-5)