Tuesday, October 21, 2008

The Pope's against Proselytism?

Here's some quotes from the pope that I thought you might find interesting:

"Other ways to keep this flame alive are to "Continue to educate everyone in listening to the Word of God and arouse, especially in the young, Marian devotion and love for the Eucharist. Spread the practice of the Rosary among families. Patiently and courageously, seek new forms and methods of apostolate, making it your concern to modernize them in accordance with today's needs, bearing in mind the language and culture of the faithful entrusted to you care," the Pope said."

"In contrast with religious fundamentalists, Benedict XVI underlined how "the Church does not impose but freely proposes the Catholic faith, well aware that conversion is the mysterious fruit of the action of the Holy Spirit. Faith is a gift and a work of God, and hence excludes any form of proselytism that forces, allures or entices people by trickery to embrace it."
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13958

Most Christians wouldn't have to be too concerned with this pronouncement to forbid evangelism, (http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13958) as most of us don't share the gospel (proselytze) anyways. But for those who do.. this could be a problem, not to mention it goes agaisnt the words of Christ in Matt. 28 and Mark 16, the great commission, to go into all the world, making disciples of all nations, teaching them everything Christ ~ God through Scripture, has commanded us.
I don't know your opionion on the church's teachings, but I speak as one who follows Biblical teaching. I think the much of the Church (in all it's forms) is coming to a really dangerous place, and the scripture is being fulfilled that Paul wrote to Timothy :"1 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, 1 Tim 4:1 (HCSB)

The great apostasy of the church is truly beginning to take place. This might all sound kooky, but the Biblical prophecy is being fulfilled, the biggest being the return of Jews to the holy land in 1948. They are the Biblical timeclock. Jesus said in Matt 24, that this generation will not pass away, till all thies things take place (wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes famines, hurricanes, horrific devastation on earth). This year was the Jews' 60th anniversery. So how long is a generation? Ps. 90 says it's 70 yrs. This year is also the beginning of a new 7 yr. cycle the Jews call shvuas. If NASA is correct in predicting the solar and lunar eclipses in 2014 and 2015 on Jewish holy days, that could represent the return of Christ as predicted by Joel and the prophets when the speak of the sun being blackenend as sackclosth and the moon turning to blood.

But if that's Christ's return then this would be the very cusp of what Daniel refers to as the 70th 'seven'. The first 69 were until the Messiah, and the final (70th) 'seven' will be when the antichrist comes to reign by proposing peace, and getting followers from around the world. It is also when the one-world government described in Daniel 7 will come into power. The scriputre says the antichrist will gain control of it, and will require every person to be chipped, in order to buy or to sell. But scripture says those who take the mark of the 'beast,' will be condemned to eternal hell.

www.understandthetimes.org

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