"RE-THINKING THE POPE??"- by Andrew Strom.

If u are born again and desire the passion for otherworldliness, Read the article before this one entitled; OTHERS MAY: U CANNOT-and if u are sick of being sick and if u hasten that u might be losed from the deception of religion, this is for u;RE-THINKING THE POPE?? Meet you at the comment box. One!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


In the great outpouring of grief and eulogy that have accompanied the death of the Pope, there is something that disturbs me greatly. I hate to always be the one to "rain on the parade", but there are some pretty basic issues that I believe we need to look at here.
There is no doubt that the last pope was a man of very great accomplishments. He broke through many barriers and was truly one of the most effective leaders the Catholic Church has had in modern times. I don't think we can question that.

But what I would like to question is the organization that he was heading, and the 'gospel' that he represented. It truly disturbs me when I hear of Evangelical leaders praising his overall message and even calling him a 'great evangelist' or a 'great Christian leader'. Is the Reformation null and void, then? Shall we simply fold up our tents and go back to Rome?

There is something very disturbing in the reaction that has come from these quarters - including the 'prophets', the Pentecostals and the "Protestants" (so-called). It makes me very uneasy.

Much has been made of the estimated 100 million Catholics who have now been baptized in the Holy Spirit. This is certainly worth rejoicing over. But what of the other 900 million who are locked inside a system that preaches no "new birth" and no conversion - but rather salvation by works, rituals and the 'sacraments' of the church? Is such a "gospel" acceptable?

Is it acceptable to 'sprinkle' little babies and then tell them they are "saved" so long as they go to Mass and go to 'confession' and receive the other 'sacraments'? Is it acceptable to pray to Mary (the 'Queen of Heaven') or to the saints, or to ivory statues? Is it acceptable to call a man 'Holy Father'? Is it acceptable to forbid ministers from marrying, thus bringing about a deluge of sexual abuse and scandal? Is any part of the way the Catholic system is set up actually acceptable at all? Does any of it have even the slightest resemblance to the New Testament?

The fundamentals of Catholicism have not changed since Luther's day. The last pope altered little or none of these fundamentals. They have not changed since the Dark Ages. And they make up a system that is sending millions upon millions of people to an eternal Hell. They simply offer NO SALVATION WHATSOEVER. But what they do offer is a "counterfeit" version of salvation - that keeps millions in chains of darkness.

Go and visit Latin America sometime, and see the dark superstition that often passes for Catholicism in those countries. Watch as they parade their statues through the streets for the crowds to bow down to. This is no "Christianity" at all. And it holds MILLIONS in its sway.

We need to remember that when elected Pope in 1978, Karol Wojtyla dedicated his papacy to Mary and had words of devotion to her embroidered on his papal robes. In his 1994 autobiography he said: "During the Second World War, while I was employed as a factory worker, I came to be attracted to Marian devotion.... Mary is the new Eve, placed by God in relation to Christ, the new Adam." John Paul II venerated Mary on every occasion, private and public. It was his custom to pray the Rosary before an image of Mary on the first Saturday of every month. He continually exalted Mary in his sermons. We are told that on his trip to Latin America in 1996 he "ended every speech by exalting Mary" (Christianity Today, April 8, 1996, p. 94).

I knew an intercessor in New Zealand who was an ex-Catholic. She was one of the most anti-Catholic people that I knew. Why? Because she spent over 20 years of her life brought up in that system - diligently seeking God. Going to Mass, saying the 'Rosary', going to confession and so-on. And she was in complete spiritual DARKNESS unitl she came out and embraced the true gospel. If she was still in there she would probably be UNSAVED STILL.

I am sorry to have to be the one to point out all of this. But why is it that the current crop of leaders seem so willing to give up 500 years of Reformation truth in order to be "politically-correct" and find "unity" with the Catholic system? I received the following email last week, which helps bring all of this into focus:

(From an Ex-catholic priest):

When a man bows before an idol of ivory, begging for salvation, and you tell him it cannot answer - is this hate?

When someone's little girl...must tell her thoughts, her emotions and temptations to an unmarried priest in the confession box, and you tell her she need only confess to Jesus - is this hate?

When a poor grieving widow pays from her meagre substance for Masses for her dead husband, desperately hoping to end his pain in purgatory, and you tell her there is no purgatory - is this hate?

When one billion souls, for whom Christ died, trust a well-fed pontiff dressed in gold and fine linen to give them the keys to Heaven, and you tell them they need no one but Jesus - is this hate?

When Jesus, God's gift of love to all mankind, pointed his finger at the Pharisees and called them so many snakes - was this hate?

When the Apostle Paul stood on Mars Hill and dared tell the philosophers of pagan mystery religion that they were too superstitious - was this hate?

NO!

To free a man from Satan's chains, you must first tell him he is a prisoner. You must convince him that he is lost and without hope... There are those who call [evangelical] literature "hate literature." But they do not know the true meaning of hate.

True hatred hides the gospel in beautiful words that upset no one, and therefore bring no conviction of sin. True hatred stands in selfish silence as hell's population grows.

[-Source: 'Battle Cry', May-June 1993].

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To comment on this article, please send an email to- prophetic@revivalschool.com

OTHERS MAY: YOU CANNOT--by G. D. Watson (1845-1924).

If God has called you to be really like Jesus He will draw you into a life
of crucifixion and humility, and put upon you such demands of obedience,
that you will not be able to follow other people, or measure yourself by
other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other people do
things which He will not let you do.

Other Christians and ministers who seem very religious and useful, may
push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans,
but you cannot do it, and if you attempt it, you will meet with such
failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others may boast of themselves, of their work, of their successes, of
their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such
thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification
that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, or may have a legacy
left to them, but it is likely God will keep you poor, because He wants
you to have something far better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence
upon Him, that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by
day out of an unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hidden
in obscurity, because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for
His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade. He may let
others be great, but keep you small. He may let others do a work for Him
and get the credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without
knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more
precious He may let others get credit for the work which you have done,
and thus make YOUR REWARD TEN TIMES GREATER WHEN JESUS COMES.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and
will rebuke you for little words and feelings or for wasting your time,
which other Christians never feel distressed over. So make up your mind
that God is an Infinitely Sovereign Being, and has a right to do as He
pleases with His own. He may not explain to you a thousand things which
puzzle your reason in His dealings with you, but if you absolutely sell
yourself to be His love slave, He will wrap you up in Jealous Love, and
bestow upon you many blessings which come only to those who are in the
inner circle.

Settle it forever, then that you are to DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE HOLY
SPIRIT, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or
chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that He does not seem
to use with others. Now, when you are so possessed with the living God
that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this
PECULIAR, PERSONAL, PRIVATE, JEALOUS GUARDIANSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OVER YOUR LIFE, then you will have found the vestibule
of Heaven.
_______________________________________
(-from Faith, Prayer, & Tract League:
Tract #76; Grand Rapids, MI 49504)

I Have Not Resisted Unto Blood (Heb 12:3-4)

I was reading the following back at Pea's and had to lay back and let the accounts sink in deep.Do i still wanna be a missionary???

THE 12 APOSTLES:

1. Andrew - whipped severely by seven soldiers, and then crucified - tied to a cross with cords to prolong his agony. Preached to tormentors (while on the cross)for two days until he died.

2. Bartholomew - beaten then crucified.

3. James, son of Alphaeus - stoned to death.

4. James, son of Zebedee - beheaded.

5. John - boiled in a basin of boiling oil. Survived miraculously. Exiled for his faith; later freed; died of old age.

6. Judas (not Iscariot) - stoned to death.

7. Matthew - speared to death in Ethiopia.

8. Peter - crucifed upside down.

9. Philip - crucified.

10. Simon - crucified.

11. Thomas - speared to death in India.

12. Matthias - stoned to death and then beheaded.

Stephen: Stoned to death.

James, the brother of Jesus: Thrown over 100 feet down the temple on refusing to deny his faith. He survived his fall; when this was found out, he was beaten to death with a club.

Paul: Tortured by Emperor Nero and then beheaded.

When we preach, we are quick to promise men gold. 'God will give you this and that...a light skinned woman, a VISA to th US and so n so's Range Rover...' All this is in a bid to swell church membership cos this is wat this generation of apostasy wants to hear. So, wen they take in the bait, we even promise them dinner if they join our churches!
The result is hot house christians, ENEMIES and STRANGERS of the cross that no not of the way of the master. Sacrifice is never underlined up in their VOCA book n wen persecution comes they way, they donno how to bless, they smite!

But this is our heritage as servants of the Lord even death in block c. No servant is greater than his master.

THERE IS AN OLD TREASURE FOR UGANDA: A WORD FROM THE LORD!
Uganda hath the mandate to preach the cross and send prayer missionaries to the nations. But we send merchants abroad in the name of the lord and player worry-us instead of praya warriors. Oh yeah, our pews are full but full with empty hearts.

We mistake rattle for revival and action for unction. God hath blessed us with many churches and ministries like America but wickedness in n out of God's sanctuary reigns supreme.
Who is fooling who??? God cannot be mocked.

We hav soo many volunteers in His vineyard but the called and chosen are few. At the sound of the trumpet, the volunteer does not heed the call. He is playing not slaying!

Christian, befoe u venture into God's vineyard, pledge yo head to heaven cos this is the ultimate destiny for the tru servants of the Lord, even death in Block C!